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Friday, November 20, 2020

The terraced home is the traditional starting point for most new families: they provide driveway space for at least one family vehicle, yard space for partaking in cottage industries, and are relatively inexpensive grounded properties—having been constructed en masse from easily repeatable designs. But the root design came about as a solution to an industrial-era problem: the innovation of shared walls provided homeowners in colder climates with the benefit of reduced heating costs, and this feature of terraced homes works to our disadvantage in the tropics. As any who has lived in one would be able to point out: conventional terraced homes seem somewhat unsuitable for our hot and humid weather—an assertion that becomes obvious when air conditioning is needed to render the temperature indoors liveable during the day. In this guide, we take a look at the various tweaks that appear in renovated terraced homes and explore their effects on comfort levels within the interior.

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Cooling Materials

Interior design by: Yong Studio

Bare concrete is quite adept at retaining heat, more so than brick, and even more than wood—which is why concrete or brick walls are covered with paint or plaster, and even wood is often whitewashed. White surfaces reflect light and consequently retain less heat, but more can be done to cool the interior via the informed selection of materials. In this terraced home renovated by Yong Studio, bare walls are painted white, glossy white tiles are used for the backsplash, white perforated bricks make up the outer perimeter wall, while the floors and countertops are rendered in wood. The wood surfaces do more than brick or concrete to cool interiors without the added advantage of a white coating—the capacity of most varieties of wood to retain and transfer heat is typically a fraction of that for brick or concrete.

The perforated bricks of the outer perimeter wall reflect light and heat, while allowing the occasional gust of wind to pass through and cool the home from the exterior. Interior design by: Yong Studio

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Extended Roofing

Interior design by: Yong Studio

Due in part to their lightweight construction, most terraced homes do not typically come with generously cantilevered roofs—leaving modern window panes to catch the brunt of sunlight during the day and radiate that heat into the interior to stifling effect. This characteristic of terraced houses prompts homeowners to add awnings or extend roofs to provide additional shade for the windows below. But while polycarbonate and glass sheets tend to be relatively affordable and uncomplicated to install, these materials are translucent and may do little to beat the heat unless tinted. A full-fledged concrete slab is a more costly alternative, but it provides cooling shade for the windows below—with the added benefit of additional floor space on the upper level.

Interior design by: Space In Design

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Ventilated Roofing

Interior design by: Surface R

The draw of Minangkabau-styled roofs extends beyond the intriguing concave-curved eaves—the traditional roofing design entails air vents in the soffits, which allow hot air to rise up the walls and into the voids beneath the shingles. An observant builder noticed the tendency for hot air to rise and this ancient knowledge enabled people to live comfortably in the tropics, even without the benefit of mechanical air circulation. With this principle in hand, modern roofs can be retrofitted with vents to allow hot air to naturally rise upwards, leaving the floors of the lower levels cool to the touch.

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Vaulted Ceilings

Interior design by: Archicentre

The standard response to an exposed concrete slab overhead is to cover it with a suspended plaster ceiling to provide a uniform surface, but the extra headroom would then be wasted instead of acting as a heat-sink. Just as wine cellars of tradition featured vaulted ceilings to trap and funnel hot air, so do modern homes with ceilings that bear exposed beams. If industrial aesthetics are not quite your bag, the same effect can be achieved with more conforming architectural finishes—as Q1 Interior Concept demonstrates in the home pictured below.

Interior design by: Q1 Interior Concept

Friday, November 20, 2020

With Mother’s Day around the corner, find out the most ideal colour palettes for your supermum to show how much you love her.   This Mother’s Day, take the opportunity to surprise your mother with a fresh coat of paint to her favourite space at home. After all the sacrifices she has made for the family, she deserves to come home to a refreshed environment for her to unwind and reconnect with her senses. For years, AkzoNobel, the leading global paints and coatings company and producer of decorative paint brand – Dulux – has researched on the mood shifting powers of colours and its impact in our homes. Therefore, the idea to surprise your Supermum, starting with a switch of colours in her favourite home space, may just be the way to her heart this Mother’s Day.   AkzoNobel recently announced Heart Wood (also known as Pictured Rocks 10YR 28/072) as the Colour of the Year 2018. Its gentle grey-pink tones, coupled with the nourishing warmth of wood and tactile comfort, adds a sense of harmony to the space, making homeowners feel instantly at ease. Anchored upon “A Welcome Home” theme for the new year, AkzoNobel released three variants of colour palettes, each featuring the use of Heart Wood, to create contrasting designs for mothers with unique personalities. These palettes are known as ‘The Comforting Home’, ‘The Inviting Home’, and lastly ‘The Playful Home’. [embed]https://youtu.be/V7QAHLvdD1I[/embed] One good place to start is the kitchen, a space where a mother’s expression of love to create nourishing foods begins. It is also often the starting point of the day’s flurry of activities, from preparing breakfast for the tiny tots to bidding farewell to her other half. To empower mothers to start their day in a hearty space, the kitchen makeover ideas below derived from our palettes this year aims to bring out the unique characteristics of every Supermum: The Warm-Hearted Woman: The Comforting Home This is the type of mother who sees her home as the sanctuary that brings her calm and comfort. The Comforting Home palette, made up of shades from red to yellow, offers a rich, welcoming interior akin to a mother’s warm embrace. Generously layered with textures, the warm earth tones bring a sense of comfort, while clay and a soft blush pink calms the mind – allowing one to cocoon and reset. When paired with wooden interiors with exquisite heritage, the colours ooze a modest, subtle luxury which is relaxing yet not overpowering. For a softer feature wall colour, do consider Santa Rose; or Babbitt Brown for a darker, more grounded tone. Here is an example of a room themed The Comforting Home: The Open-Hearted Woman: The Inviting Home An open-hearted woman places great importance on bonding and creating relationships with people. Comfort and convenience reign supreme in The Inviting Home design, often furnished with cotton and linens. Accompanied by cool shades from grey to blue, the palette draws in neutral colours to support the mother’s need for connection. The theme showcases an easy use of colour, with sea-green being the primary colour, with a hint of soft blue that transitions across the room. Beside is a proposed design to bring out the best of an Inviting Home theme. The Light-Hearted Woman: The Playful Home This is for the new-age mothers who are modern and unconventional. For her, home is a place of inspiration where creative ideas and future plans are borne. Often in search of practical and out-of-the-box designs, the cool mother needs a Playful Home – one that encompass fun yet low-key patterns with multiple modern design hacks. The theme is complete with a mix of vibrant, outrageous, and energetic colours such as Monarch Gold and Triple Crown. Mothers in this category often feel inspired by life, so do not be surprised to find a flower pot in her kitchen! Try some of these ideas below to create The Playful Home: AkzoNobel Dulux hopes to bring forth the most desired, personalised designs for every Supermum on this special Mother’s Day. May the joy of repainting with their loved ones brings warmth to her heart. For more information about Dulux, visit https://www.dulux.com.my/en.

Friday, November 20, 2020

The grandeur and pageantry of formal dinners have faded from modern landscapes as much as the detachable starched collar - so has the prevalence of gratuitous dining arrangements in the compact urban homes of our present age. Given the space most of us get to work with, our common dining arrangements have evolved to facilitate more casual meals in the interest of limiting footprints and conserving space: with a bench taking up the same amount of floor space as - if not less than, several dining chairs. If you’ve come across our pointers on how to set up a compact or minimalist dining space, you may be interested in going through the various ways one can assemble casual bench seating or restaurant style banquette arrangements.

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Countryside Charm Image source: Sustainable Pals

A banquette arrangement surrounded by walls in pastel blue and floors decked in wood immediately evokes imagery of countryside skylines. The classical rendering of a dining space from rural environments is reinforced by the decorative trim lining the base of the banquette seating and the intricate motifs sewn into the fabric of the cushions. The accompanying chairs are composed from frames of wood in a shade matching the floor, and a dining table with a single plinth instead of multiple legs is selected - so as not to detract from the ornate decorative features of the banquette’s base.

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Rustic Industrial Image source: Hafoti

With a bench bearing the same design and composed of the same materials as the dining surface it accompanies, the result is a cohesive arrangement that does more to maintain a sense of space. The pictured arrangement is placed over a simplistic weaved textile rug and furnished by rustic constructions of darkly lacquered wood. The individual pieces of wood are joined in the fashion of traditional carpentry - with both hidden and overt varieties of the common mortise and tenon joints, while the frames are bound by reinforcing bars that are held in tension with industrial coupling attachments of vintage origin.

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Provençal Defined Image source: Geoloqal

The intermingling of classical and rustic vibes in this dining space is the very definition of Provençal style - with a coffered ceiling and ornate decorative plaster trim on the surrounding whitewashed walls. The furnishings are composed of visibly aged wood and upholstered with simplistic fabrics, with the bench constructed out of the same materials and bearing the same rustic design of the through mortise and tenon joints as seen in the legs of the dining surface. The incorporation of a quintessential stone planter bowl decorated with lion heads, and the pair of cyclopean chandeliers - vintage metal chandeliers encased in metal rings appropriated from wine barrels, further reinforce the Provençal ancestry of the décor.

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Country Light Image source: Dans Design Magz

The pictured dining arrangement evokes imagery of the European countryside with seat cushions upholstered in a deep blue fabric bearing geometric motifs in white to match the surrounding walls. The accompanying furnishings are deliberately selected for their space-saving designs: Eero Saarinen’s 78-inch diameter Oval seats up to eight diners, while its robust cast-moulded aluminium base minimises the expected clutter of table legs against the scant floor space. The accompanying chairs are the DSW variation of the Eames duo’s moulded polypropylene shell from the 1950s, mounted on the Scandinavian reinterpretation of the iconic Eiffel Tower legs seen in the DSR original. Punctuating this space when lit but camouflaged against the background when not needed, is the lighting fixture known as "PH 4/3" - a Poul Henningsen creation based on his famed Artichoke.

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Understated Sophistication Image source: Listspirit

A vintage banquette assembly, subtly speaking in minimalist tones of the kind of décor associated with the American Prohibition era, is composed out of velvet capitoné upholstery in drab olive. The shade of the bench cushions is complemented by a regal slab of serpentine marble bearing serene swirls of white against a background of dusky green. The table’s box steel legs of minimalist design are contrasted in monochromatic fashion against the polished tubular steel frames of the accompanying chairs - the Cesca variation of Mart Stam’s iconic S33 cantilever chairs from 1927, with hand-woven cane weave inserts added by Marcel Breuer in 1928.

 

Friday, November 20, 2020

Whether the reasons are grounded in physics, biology, or culture, the colour white represents purity for most people — and as demonstrated by Isaac Newton and the album art for Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon — white is perhaps the most adaptable of colours, being composed of all the other hues of visible light. Given the association of white with purity, and our common understanding as to what makes the colour so universally compatible with other hues, many choose it as the predominant shade of our homes. In our attempt to explore the various effects of colour, we take a closer look at a range of spaces that have been saturated in white.

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Living Room

Where one would normally imagine a space monotonously saturated in white, the quality of white in this seating lounge is instead made intriguingly varied with a range of whites applied — from the pristine plaster ceilings, largely unadorned and untouched walls, to the subtly cream floor tiles. A few choice accents appoint the space to add variability to the range of shades while being emphasised by the pale background: a panel of white marble flanked by reflective metals adds a shimmering layer of luxury and a few playfully coloured throw cushions provide some mirth.

The reliance on white provides visual emphasis and brings attention to the few coloured decorations and reflective finishes in this space.

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Dining Room

The use of off-white upholstery and subtly pinstriped curtains against the pale background of this space elegantly contains the black glass and steel dining table against the sheer-covered windows and cream floor tiles. The resulting visual illusion diminishes the presence of the dining surface, making the arrangement appear to blend with the surroundings in an effort to preserve empty floor space. As with the seating lounge, a coloured element in the form of a blooming stem of purple orchid placed in a turquoise and brown glass vase takes advantage of the white background to create its own emphasis and to provide the space with a visual breath of fresh air.

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Kitchen

The majority of modern kitchens are rendered almost entirely in white for the sake of maintaining an immaculate appearance. This common practice also creates a versatile background that will accommodate and complement appliances in a range of colours and finishes — so you don't necessarily have to hunt down appliances that match each other. The pictured kitchen exhibits a classically inspired décor that is largely unaffected by the array of modern appliances, due in part to the white of the background lending itself well in combination with other colours,

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Bedroom

The use of white in bedrooms more often than not results in an overtly feminine space, especially when combined with intricate wall coverings, sheer curtains, and classical details such as a capitonné leather headboard. The pictured bedroom arrangement utilises white less as a background and more as an accent colour, but the prevailing theme and underlying principles are the same — the application of white brings together the  disparate hues of the space.

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Interior decoration by: Latitude Design. Read a similar article in Mandarin here, more about this home here, or about decorating with blue and grey here.  

Friday, November 20, 2020

You could just opt for a simplistic set of stackable plastic outdoor furniture for the sake of cost and convenience - but if you’re aiming for a resort-calibre poolside environment, or if you’ve read our pointers regarding swimming pool design, you may also be interested in reading our tips on embellishing your poolside to match the aesthetics of the world’s most scenic holiday villas.

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Minimal Appeal Image Credit: Les Asia

The narrow profiles and lightweight compositions of minimalist furnishings provide the practical functions of seating and table surfaces without interrupting a picturesque backdrop. In the pictured poolside decorated by Les Asia, the scenic panorama of the lush greenery and far-flung blue-green slopes is preserved through the white plastic cane webbing of the Vera lounge chair from the Chiaramonte–Marin design studio.

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Light & Bright Image Credit: Bridgman

White furnishings tend to provide a layer of elegance to classically-inspired outdoor environments composed of manicured gardens, brick-lined water bodies, and antique fountains. With contemporary frames and semi-transparent elements, the pictured patio furniture bridges the thematic gap between the classical garden background and the countryside aesthetics evoked by the expanse of wood deck flooring in the foreground.

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Streamline Style Image Credit: Bridgman

While white furniture may complement a classical décor, or may be intentionally used to provide seating arrangements with greater emphasis, the predominance of greys in modern architectural finishes often lead to the creation of potentially disconcerting monochromatic contrasts. The previously pictured furniture set is presented in an optional finish of grey to complement the preferred present-day combination of stone, steel, and glass.

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Neutral Nuances Image Credit: Les Asia

The pictured left and right-handed Brafta sectional ends, from the Skyline brand of designer outdoor furniture, are combined to assemble a lounger fit for two on this poolside. The cane weaved backs of these loungers are of a height similar to the planter boxes in the background, creating the impression of upholstery nestled into a rocky nook.

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Serene Waves Image Credit: Ethimo

A display of contrasted forms provides a brief respite from spaces designed in strict adherence to the modern aesthetic. The pictured poolside is composed with an abundance of straight lines and right angles serving as implied borders around the circular furniture.

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Friday, November 20, 2020

The search for seasonal trappings ramps up to a fever pitch as we approach the end of Ramadan and prepare for the highly anticipated Aidilfitri (Eid al-Fitr) celebrations to follow. With little more than a week to assemble the necessary decorations, appliances, and accessories of the season, we prepared this guide to get you ahead of the curve and provide some decorating ideas to get your home ready for the big feast to come.

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Customary Colours

The first item on your list of things to do would likely have something to do with injecting the colours of the season into your banquet space. While the favoured colour of tradition would be a familiar range of green shades, paint manufacturers such as Dulux recommend pushing the line of convention a little further with the application of alternate colours to complement dashes of green. Dulux’ 2018 Colour Futures (the annual palette of trending colours) contains a range of muted and soft hues, including Heartwood (Dulux’s designated colour of the year), to complement various shades of green. For those looking to craft a luxurious ambiance, Dulux suggests using a range of paint with some shimmer to it - and it just so happens that they’re giving away coffee and food vouchers with purchases of paint from the Ambiance^TM Pearl Glo range.

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Symbolic Motifs Image Credit: Nala Designs

Malaysian batik and textiles adorned with the floral, abstract, or geometric motifs make for striking clothing, but they could also be used as a form of ad-hoc decoration in Aidilfitri-themed interiors. These fabrics could take the place of curtains, or they could simply be draped over furniture to provide layers of complexity in the theme of the season. Alternatively, if you find the colours and patterns of a piece of fabric particularly appealing, you could also transpose them to walls in the form of wallpaper or paint.

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Classical Décor

With the entire extended family set to visit, you might be planning on setting up an exquisite décor to awe your guests - and with that in mind, we highly recommend looking to classical furniture and accessories such as those provided by The Home Concept Furniture. The timeless quality of classically inspired furniture and decoration has been a mainstay of Malaysian interiors for as long as classical style has been synonymous with prosperity, making this school of aesthetics ideal for portraying a flourishing household.

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Essential Equipment Image Credit: Panasonic

As it goes without saying that food takes on a central role in our daily lives, a banquet table during Aidilfitri would be incomplete without a simmering pot of rendang. If you are hosting a large gathering, or if you simply want to keep the requisite dishes piping hot until the celebration draws to a close, you should consider getting yourself a crock pot - such as the pictured five-litre slow cooker from Panasonic. Just as with chocolate fountains, the presence of a steadily boiling crock pot among a series of buffet chafer sets will be an attraction on its own.

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Seductive Servingware Image Credit: Vantage

Beyond being a concern of protocol, making some formal dinnerware available on the banquet table immediately elevates a feast to luxurious heights. For a layer of elegance, consider adding classically inspired platters in white and gold - such as the pictured servingware set from Vantage, or solidly coloured plates and bowls to casually echo the hues of the space.

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Friday, November 20, 2020

 

Some home chefs make it look easy - the most impressive among us proving capable of preparing three square meals a day for multi-generational gatherings with the kind of speed and proficiency that can only come with decades of hands-on experience. Not everybody has the time and energy required to become an accomplished chef at home, so we took it upon ourselves to review some products embodying the trade secrets that professional chefs have been harbouring.

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ASOTV Perfect Potato Fries Cutter Image Credit: GoShop

As a staple component of the modern fast-food diet, French fries (or freedom fries) are typically difficult to prepare outside of the commercial kitchen - entailing the dicing and frying of several potatoes in order to accumulate enough pieces to amount to a sizeable portion. With the ASOTV Perfect Potato Fries Cutter, a large portion of fresh French fries can be prepared with a fraction of the time and effort ordinarily required.

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BENRINER Japanese Mandoline Vegetable Slicer Image Credit: BigSpoon

For those among us with a healthy wariness for sharp knives, rapidly slicing vegetables is less of a chore and more of a nightmarish test of culinary ability. If you want to prepare sliced vegetables with some reasonable speed and proficiency without making a trip to the emergency room, the Japanese Mandoline Vegetable Slicer from Benriner would be a required accessory in your kitchen.

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IKEA VARDAGEN Bottle Opener and Can Opener Image Credit: IKEA

An ever-present problem in mechanical engineering is the link between the number of moving parts in a product and its likelihood for failure - which explains the rationale that the designers at IKEA adopted when they retooled the common hand-held can opener to work without any moving components. Both the new can-opener and accompanying bottle opener of the VARDAGEN package are equipped with robust Acetal plastic handles for comfort and hefty stainless steel heads for durability.

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Jamie Oliver VI Terracotta Drizzler Image Credit: SpotlightStores

Endorsed by a certain affable celebrity chef, this drizzler provides a ready dose of sauce or oil with a pull on its traditional cork stopper and its terracotta finish blends with rustic or country-inspired spaces. With its celebrity endorsement and manufacture in Portugal - a traditional epicentre for the manufacture of European ceramics, one can be certain of this product's quality and authenticity.

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Le Creuset Mortar & Pestle Image Credit: Le Creuset

While the electric blender may be preferred for its convenience, the most stringently traditional chefs prefer the authenticity associated with a stone mortar and pestle. The unglazed ceramic interior of Le Creuset (French for "the crucible") purportedly helps to release the full flavour of herbs and spices as Nature intended, producing more fulfilling sauces with thicker consistencies - which even the most nonchalant of diners will appreciate.

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Morphy Richards 3-in-1 Digital Kitchen Jug Scales Image Credit: Harvey Norman

Nearly every kitchen has one of those drawers dedicated to the storage of baking utensils - with the majority of space taken up by weighing scales and the inevitable arrays of nesting measuring spoons or cups. With the 3-in-1 Digital Kitchen Jug Scales from Morphy Richards, an aspiring baker can weigh up to 5kg of ingredients in a stainless steel bowl and continually add to a mixture using the tare function to keep track of individual measures.

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Yanagi Sashimi Knife Image Credit: BigSpoon

For those who use their knives like paintbrushes and are mindful of the stringent protocol surrounding Japanese cuisine, a generic Yanagi Sashimi knife is a necessary part of the versatile chef's toolkit. BigSpoon carries a 24cm-long, right-handed Yanagi Sashimi knife that has been manufactured in adherence to honoured traditions with a wooden handle and a sealed collar around the tapered stem.

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SOKANO Japanese Rice Dispenser Image Credit: SOKANO

For as long as humans have been storing rice, weevils have been an unpleasant but accepted part of food preparation. Sokano's innovative rice storage bin holds up to 12kg of your choice of rice grains above the countertop, and out of the reach of pests, with a series of small wheels that enable the bin to be easily moved around. A single slide of the dispensing drawer puts a standard measure of rice at your disposal, pulling older grains from the bottom of the bin without the aid of any electrical or mechanical components.

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* Brands / names are listed alphabetically  

Friday, November 20, 2020

It's really fun and enjoyable to pick out art pieces for our homes. But once you have your favourite art work, how do you display it at home? Framing it up is a good way to do so, but there are actually many ways to arrange a good piece of art to blend in with your interior style. Here are some ideas to easily display your art pieces in stylish ways. 1 Make your art piece a part of your living room's overall style. In this example, the black and white print beautifully complements the sofa setting. Art can even be in the form of pillows like the singular colourful piece on the sofa, which creates an immediate focal point. 2 Affix open shelves on the walls to display your art. Placing it next to a mirror also adds depth and gives your wall a focal element. 3 You can also use your favourite prints to enliven empty corners in the house by creating a collection of displays on top of a console. 4 You don't need to frame up prints all the time. Polariod shots or printed photos in their original non-framed state make great art displays at home as well. 5 If you are framing a different set of paintings or prints, use similar frames. If your paintings are similar in style and tone, you can use different frames to create visual interest. 6 You can also create symmetry by grouping prints and frames of the same style and colour palette. 7 An art piece makes a great decorative feature for your dining room walls. Choose something that brings out your table setting. 8 For a more casual look in the dining space, mix up your framed art pieces. In fact, let it hang randomly on the wall - you don't have to keep the frames straight and stiff all the time. 9 However, if you prefer a more formal look, arrange your frames in a straight and linear fashion. You can break the monotony by introducing a circular frame. 10 For bedrooms, an art piece over the headboard is always an easy yet effective way to enhance the appeal of the room. 11 For something a little different, you can try layered groupings of framed art. 12 In lieu of actual paintings or prints, how about maps on the wall? 13 Use art to introduce colours to your living spaces. 14 For a touch of eclectic and exotic appearance, choose art work that have an antiquated and handcrafted treatment. We have more tips here on how to make your living spaces stand out with unique decorating elements.

Friday, November 20, 2020

If your living space is on the small side, it can be difficult to carve out a designated spot exclusively for dining. However, it would be even more confining to forego this essential home comfort. No one wants to be forced to eat every meal standing up or with a plate balanced on their laps--and even if they do, it shouldn’t always be the case. Shared family meals are an important ingredient in a healthy lifestyle, even when the family consists of just two people or one person simply having guests over from time to time. Here are some ideas on how to create a cozy dining area when space is at a premium: Make the area serve double duty There's no reason why the dining nook can't also be a work space, a prep table, a gaming surface, or all the above. Just be sure to clear away anything that isn't dining-related when it's time for dinner – it doesn't count if the laptop is still balanced on the edge of the table. Choose furniture wisely Obviously, a dining table that seats six (complete with wing-back chairs) is out of the question, but there are plenty of other attractive options out there for those with limited space. To name just a few:

• Low, narrow trestle tables
• Benches or banquettes (some of these will even have additional storage underneath, providing more bang for your buck)
• Round, bistro-style tables (even ones that are meant for patio use can work well in a small space)
• Stools that fit easily underneath whichever table you choose
• Folding tables and chairs that can be stored elsewhere when the meal is over

Paint in light colors Neutrals and light pastels will help to "air out" more cramped areas even if the rest of the room is painted in a darker shade. A light accent wall could be just the ticket. If the furniture can be painted as well, choose either the same color or a complementary hue to round out the look. Opt for shelves instead of cupboards In small kitchens, shelves can be a dream come true--they open the flow of the room and provide storage for just about anything the homemaker can think of. If a renovation on this scale isn't in the cards, simply removing a few of the cupboard doors will work wonders. Think mirrors The dining nook is the perfect place for that extra mirror you weren't sure what to do with, as the reflection will provide the illusion of more space. If you don't have one to spare, invest in an inexpensive one that will suit your tastes. Use the shape of the room to your advantage For long, narrow spaces, choose a table with a corresponding shape and benches that will fit easily underneath. If the dining area is to take up a corner of the room, shake up the geometry with a round table and a banquette that fits against the wall. The idea is for the pieces to look like they belong without sacrificing style and function. Don't forget the tape measure Know the dimensions of the space you're looking to fill and bring the measuring tape along on any shopping expeditions. It wouldn't do to purchase what appears to be the perfect piece only to come home and realize it doesn't fit in the spot it was meant to go. Small spaces don't have to be confined spaces, nor does one need to be overly skilled in interior design to create a dining area that serves its vital purpose. Armed with a good sense of the room's visual flow, its dimensions and measurements, and these guidelines, anyone can create a quaint place to dine in a cozy space! Olivia Warfield is a contributing writer and media relations specialist for Port Orchard Roofing. She writes for a variety of DIY and lifestyle blogs.

Friday, November 20, 2020

Increase your exterior appeal with lush green outdoor spaces. Check out these Mother Nature-approved garden ideas.

Outdoor spaces like patios, yards, gardens or al fresco are wonderful additions to homes. Consider yourself lucky if you have these spaces. To make good use of them, a well-designed area with a lush and cosy ambience is priority. These can be done using outdoor furniture as well as accents and accessories that are inspired by nature.

Wood is a wonderful material for the outdoors, but that doesn’t mean you can’t mix it up with synthetic textures. Additionally, lighting and water features help to create that back-to-nature feeling without overwhelming the space. If you like entertaining outdoors, there are plenty of ways to turn that poolside or al fresco into a party space as well.

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Rattan Revival

Woven rattan furniture is a versatile, weather-friendly choice for outdoor spaces. Combined with chic accessories, rattan can offer a very contemporary look that’s immediately pleasing. Make sure they are well-maintained and always keep them out of direct sunlight.

Image Credit: Cuckooland

The al fresco of this home has a touch of modern rustic style to it that's warm and welcoming but sophisticated as well. The use of rattan furniture for both the outdoor area and the semi-outdoor patio opens up the space with a bright and interesting touch.

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Delicate Details

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Small details may seem like trivial elements for your outdoor space, but they actually help to enhance the atmosphere without drawing attention away from your key features. You may want a space surrounded by greenery; this works to a certain extent, as too many plants may make the space feel claustrophobic. Here's where things like a water feature or outdoor lighting can bring balance to the overall theme. In this example, fairy lights are placed around the pergola to blend in with the overgrown plants. A wooden piece of outdoor furniture set beautifully anchors the space while lamps and other decorative features help to create a composition with a variety of textures.

Image Credit: Lights4Fun

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Outdoor Cookout

Image Credit: Chaplins Furniture

For those who love entertaining outdoors, it's possible to bring the cooking experience outside - thanks to chef stations complete with all the cooking tools you need as well as a kitchen sink. You can go for a movable kitchen unit or a built-in one; but as the latter require plumbing and electric, you would need help from a professional. Material choices are important as the kitchen will be exposed to the elements.

Image Credit: Chaplins Furniture

For this outdoor kitchen unit by the poolside, the designer has chosen an L-shape model with a BBQ grill at the side. A kitchen sink is also included for convenience. Made from aluminium, this model is hardy against sun and rain. Stainless steel or ceramic appliances also work great for all weather conditions, are very durable, and require low maintenance.

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Garden Variety

Consider yourself fortunate if you have a sizeable garden. So take full advantage of it to increase the appeal of your exterior spaces. Look at the theme, style and types of material used for your home's facade when you plan your garden. Make sure the material choices complement the outlook of your house's exterior.

Design by: One Roof Design

In this excellent example, the garden employs the use of many raw materials to blend in with the bungalow's sleek and contemporary facade. For example, cement and stone slab pavements. However, there are plenty of natural features incorporated too - the water feature by the wall and the stretch of lush green grass on the side balance the outdoor design beautifully.

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Wood Works

Design by: A Piece of Art

For semi-outdoor spaces, consider using a wood-dominant palette. This creates a sense of tropical aesthetics that reflect our Malaysian landscape. Complement the theme with plenty of plants to infuse a fresh and welcoming ambience. Also add on small details and exotic features to bring out the look and feel of the space. In this outdoor room, timber dominates the space. Hardwood is used for the flooring, furniture and beautiful ornaments accompanied by handcrafted elements to bring out a unique look. This results in a distinctive tropical rainforest feel, lending an exotic yet earthy appeal to the space.

Design by: A Piece of Art

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Article by: Lily Wong