Hello peeps, haven’t been around much lately…. Hmnnn. Well, talked about a job in my earlier post with an interior design firm… can tell you though, it’s been quite an experience….really….

It’s been fun, exciting, exhausting and energy sapping all at the same time. Believe me, I think it’s worth all dt grammar. Was given an assignment recently, we like to refer to them as projects but that’s by the way. It was to get accessories for a place we’re doing up. All that matter actually brings me ere.

Accessories, accessories, accessories…… n then im wondering, hw do I get the most out of ‘em?, hw best can I use em, effectively combine em to create the right feel and beautify any space if all I had at my disposal were accessories?

Call them spices if you want to ‘cos literarily, that’s what they are and if y’all & I can understand how to use em, in the right quantities and combinations just like spices in ur cooking (for those that cook and if you don’t, for the purpose of this, just imagine you are the very famous chef of a reknowned 5 star Chinese restaurant, see how valuable that knowledge would be to you- continuously churning out deliciously-lip-smacking- tongue-lickin-making-you-roll-your-eyes-while-relishing-kinda dishes.

Anyways, enuf on the day dream already….. so focus….where were we? So ok, think what this knowledge of how much accessories to use and in what quantity n combination could do for your design jobs.

Well, my subsequent posts would probably be centred on accessories bcos I’d be sharing all I’ve learnt in my little research on the spice called ‘accessory’.

So, wat do u say?…’lets do this!’….just wat I was thinking….

 This particular post has been inside my head for months now; last year to be precise and i might as well just do it now.

Found these on one of my window shopping outings and thought to myself, ‘wat lovely artful accessories….’ if theres any word like that .But then if there isnt, ….i guess y’all get the picture.

They look really delicate, infact they are and very beautiful too. So if you love to decorate and you like to infuse something really african, then this piece is just for you. These pieces just spell A-F-R-I-C-A. What do you think?    

Guess im back from a really long holiday….Well, thinking about it all now, i recall being quite busy sorting out a truckload of personal issues; house hunting, moving house, fixing up the apartment (that is still very much in progress,not even thru yet!), aha! getting a new job and trying to settle down really quick n easy…y’all know hw that is…and a whole lot of other stuff ( i’ll let you off there….u get the picture.)

And while i was thinking, ..’look how long i ve been away from folks, posting on the blog n all, Xmas holidays come skipping by and just like you guessed, i got totally skipped away…xmasing…lol

but you know wat? im back!..trust me…just y’all folks made new year resolutions about a long list of things to do and achieve in 2008, i also ve this on my list…’not to make you guys read only 1 post all year long’. Now wont that be b-o-r-i-n-g! believe me, wont put u thru that again.

So i promise to be about posting, posting , posting, blogging a lot more than i was last year, sharing the tips, the scoops, and all the interesting info.

Once again, y’all ve a most wonderful new year!

Since i was old enough to appreciate colour, i don’t recall hospital walls being anything but beige – white, cream or anything you want to call it. Except for a handful who decided to change the look when it comes to our pint-sized friends, the rest are pretty much the same..Guess they must have thought like this, …’unhmm…lets do some more colour for these little folks so they don’t bore easy. Wherever did they get the idea that those walls don’t bore us either? Whose idea was this colour code anyway? Want to know what, I’ve had my fair share of hospital visits and I can clearly state that they are hardly anyplace anyone can ever be inspired in. I’m serious! those walls bore me stiff ‘cos they are so uninteresting. Period! lol

Well, from my understanding of what hospitals are about, i know that they are places that sick people go to to get better. I know you are saying..’what is she talkin’ about?!&%#blah, blah, blah’, but the truth is, if they were all entered in a challenge or something and were requested to make sick people better without jabbing ‘em or pumping ‘em full of their usual cocktail of drugs- different sizes, colours n stuff. Thinking about it now, i think it’s really funny that the tablets, capsules, caplets and syrup get to be a whole lot more interesting and colourful than the walls.

Anyway, back to the challenge, i think it would go on for days or months without end until someone comes to their rescue, that would be Voltron !ha!ha!

My point is this, with interior design making a lot of impact these days and everyone being blown away by the craze to design, redesign, and to re-redesign, i suggest we take a closer look at the present hospital colour codes; give ‘em bleak walls a colour-lift and body job as long as they ‘re not sworn to some funny sort of oath like ‘colour-bacy’ uhmmff…The truth is just that the sight of those beige walls just scream boring! boring! boring!They kind of sadden people and make them feel a lot worse than when they arrived.

I have a dream!…of hospital spaces showing off their orange, blue, pink,brown,yellow mocha walls or whatever colour. I’m not saying we should walk into hospitals and feel like we have just bumped into the set of Alice in Wonderland but that you get that ‘wow’ feeling as soon as you enter any hospital/clinic and feel better already….without the cocktail!

When choosing a colour scheme for your spaces, keep in mind that the key to great colour choices is a better understanding of the concept behind each colour, how well they work individually and when combined with other colours.Several people choose a certain colour because they like the way the colour looks while for others its the kind of emotion they want expressed or the kind of message they want to pass to the onlooker.Whatever influences our respective choices further drives home the point that the choice of colour is simply based on purpose.

Its perfectly alright to choose a colour just because of the way it looks and because you love it but it is also important to be certain that the use does not contradict the way it is percieved.A proper understanding of colour makes it possible to know which colours go well with each other and the kind of feelings evoked by those colours.

Elementary knowledge of colours tells us the following,

Primary colours are Red, Yellow and Blue.These are very vibrant colours and are base colours to every other colour on the colour wheel.

Secondary colours Green, Purple and Orange and are formed when two primary colours are mixed together. Example, Orange is a secondary colour and is a mixture of Red and Yellow both of which are primary colours.Secondary colours are also a lot more interesting than primary colours.On the colour wheel, the secondary colours can be found between the two primary colours from which it is made.Example, Orange is between Red and Yellow.

Tertiary colours are formed when primary and secondary colours are mixed together.As a result, they sort of appear in between primary and secondary colours.Like Red-Orange would be between Red (primary colour) and Orange (secondary colour).Depending on how they are mixed, there can be different combinations of tertiary colours to choose from.

Lastly, Complementary colours describe two colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel. Red and Green, Yellow and Purple are examples of complementary colours as they lie across from each other.These colours dont really work well when combined together contrary to what the name suggests, rather they appear more vibrant and usually show off a lot of contrast.

Well, enough with this lecture! its really not my intention to bore you stiff with this whole colour thing but im pretty sure you get the picture. If this whole thing seems a bit too chunky for you to chew and digest, why not try this.

Go get a fabric you love, however flowery, patterned or whatever else you like.You can use the fabric as a guide for your colour scheme and carefully choose the right color of furniture, carpet, drapes and all, knowing that you cant go wrong with that as the colours were carefully chosen by a professional.

Well then, what are you waiting for, go look for some fabric to inspire you… and keep decorating!

Colours are very important and play a rather major role in the scheme of things lol..Picture this: You are Cinderella.Your fairy godmother shows up in ‘a puff’ to dress you up for a ball and you get the once in a lifetime chance of choosing the colour of the ball gown you would need to charm the prince.Would you choose a black gown?!$%%&*$% red, purple, white, yellow, blue perhaps. One things for sure though, you would most definitely choose a colour you feel very comfortable with, your fav’ colour that is. Afterall, you’d be dancing with the hansome prince almost all night and you’d want to look and feel great and want everything to be enchanted.

The use of colour is largely based on personality types, so if you are one taken to adventure, you’d most definitely want the gown in bold, vibrant red with a red slipper to complete the look. Remember, you’d be leaving ur shoes behind,lol…but the truth is,colour affects people physically, emotionally and psychologically.

Choosing a colour could be challenging and quite interesting as colours can be used in different ways to mean different things.They can also be used to set moods and adjust the way an overall space is being perceived by the observer. This is in terms of size and the atmosphere each colour creates. Its important to know the effects of the colours you choose when planning a colour scheme for your space.

While cool, light and dull colours can create an illusion that a room is much larger than it actually is, warm, dark and bright colours can appear to shrink spaces.To several people, white n cream remains the most convenient and frequently used colours when it comes to defining individual spaces. Other colours can also be used to create that very exciting and exotic space you have always dreamed of.

Red: attracts attention and causes excitement by increasing the heart rate. Intense red is stimulating but can be distracting in large amounts. Red is associated with wealth and sophistication, while high value reds (pinks) can make people feel good about the way they look. Bright reds are best used in accessories, painting or pillows.

Orange: very stimulating in its pumpkin orange hue or warm in its terracotta and peach version. As with other intense colors, orange can be distracting, but ideal for attracting attention to details.

Yellow: eye catching. Soft yellows can be cheering and make individuals feel sunny. Bright yellow can be used as an accent to attract attention and help to brighten a room, but in large amounts yellow can be over-stimulating and cause anxiety.

Purple: a noble color in its deepest values, yet it can be flowery and refreshing in pale violet colorings. Deep purple is rarely used in large amounts, but is a great effect as an accent color.

Green: the ultimate pacifier, both relaxing and reassuring. Often associated with nature. Considered neutral and blends easily with other colours.Pale yellow-greens conjure images of growth while deep greens are associated with status, success and wealth.

Blue: arouses feelings of freshness, coolness and relaxation. In lighter hues, blue is airy and open while dark blues represent wealth, strength and respect evoking the feelings of reassurance in individuals.

Black: evokes feelings of fright and can depress the observer.However, when used in moderation lends an air of sophistication and opennessbut also transcend the feelings of elegance, excitement and wealth. Like white, black is a color of contradictions that relies largely on the effect of the other colors used with it. Black can make large spaces seem smaller and more intimate.

White: sterile, airy and refreshing, depending on what other colors it is combined with, while giving smaller spaces a much larger and spacious feel.Painting ceilings and trims bright white opens spaces that lack adequate natural lighting and corrects low ceiling.

So while colour remains a FREE and an almost instant energy lift,why not try these fabulous colours for your next space design/redesign project.

With the simply fab spaces you’ll create, it wont be that hard to imagine!……uhmnn.mnn!…

I luv to decorate n its been quite an interesting area to veer into for me n so, I decided to start this er..blog o’ mine to help me keep records of projects I handle on my way to ‘decor stardom’, share tips and ideas and generally,post interior decor n design info.

Well, feel free to visit anytime n please leave your comments: questions, criticisms, words of encouragement and all those things you’d like to tell an upcoming ‘decor gurex’ like me.Ha ha!

Thanks for stopping by, hope u visit often….