my dream dressing room!

Hi

I hope you are all doing well. I was given an interesting challenge by one of the leading companies in furniture to create a mood board for my dream dressing room. Now most of you must be seeing mood boards everywhere but honestly I never knew how hard it was doing one on the computer considering I am not so tech savvy. That was until I discovered Morpholio, his app which I randomly came across on Instagram saved my life!!! It’s so easy to use and you can do so much on just the free app, although I’m sure for high tech guys, you might need to upgrade!!

Moving on to why we are here, I have tried to come up with one mood board that would define my dream dressing room, although I felt I should have 2! Despite many people wanting grand rooms, I am more of a cozy functional room kind of person. I prefer rooms that have exactly what you need without creating too much space for unnecessary clutter. I’d rather have a larger bedroom than changing room!

With that said, I would want a room that can fit a walk in closet, a chaise chair and a long standing mirror! Simple and practical.

Getting into the details, living in Kenya, we all know it can get dusty at times, therefore the fantasy open closets you see are not really my preference. As shown on the mood board, I would aim for closets with sliding doors ( to save on space ) plus keep my things protected. The sliding doors with glass panels give the same feeling of openness to the room achieved with open shelving. If you notice, I went for a natural wood look which I love, gives character and class to any room.

picture source: Pinterest 

A large enough dressing room should have a seat, for changing shoes among other things, and my perfect lounge seat would be a chaise seat in tufted fabric! Goes beautifully with the rich wooden look of our wardrobes and adds to the overall elegance. Throw in a nice cushion and place a throw on the edge and you have yourself the perfect relaxation spot too. Add a side table and you’re done.

picture source:arhaus.com

picture source: arhaus.com

Third on the list is a long mirror and instead of going for the contemporary mirror on the walls, I decided a standing vintage looking mirror would be perfect, makes you feel like Cinderella!

Picture source: Pinterest

The lighting I chose is not a chandelier but Pendant light, its minimalistic compared to a chandelier but yet gives off a statement. The gold of the brass goes beautifully with our rich decor!

Picture source: arhaus.com

Last but not least, the handmade Moroccan rug brings in the whole room together adding warmth and bringing in some culture into the whole room.

picture source: allthingshome.ke

If you notice I didn’t talk about the island most dressing rooms have these days, that’s because in my opinion, they take up too much space and give off such a kitchen look!

So there you have it guys, my dream dressing room!

As always, feel free to share your ideas and pictures below.

Back soon;

Salwa 🙂

GREENERY!

Hi guys,
It has been long since I last posted something on the blog and what better way to come back on my laptop (my brothers laptop to be exact) than a day after Pantone released its 2017 colour of the year; greenery!

source:pantone.com

 

Pantone colours are not really chosen scientifically rather through a subjective method of analyzing what is trending in all aspects of our lives including fashion runways, car shows and furniture shops, to name a few. Therefore as much as it can act as a guide, nothing is written on stone and at the end of the day, colors you use in your homes are purely about what makes you happy. This choice though touched a soft spot with me, it was a colour that made sense and have an emotional connection I can relate to.

source: housebeautiful

Greenery is not your usual green but rather a beautiful mix between a shade of yellow and just the perfect blue making this type of green pop with energy. According to the team at Pantone, this was exactly what they were looking for in 2017; a colour that signifies a fresh start and new beginnings. How is this relating to me, in 2016 several things have happened, I lost my grandmother who I love dearly, my house was broken into twice and both times my laptops stolen and hence the breaks in between my blogs. This has been quite a lot for me to handle in just 6 months and I was more than happy to have a colour that will uplift my spirits and re-energize us for the coming year ahead.

source:newtoncustominteriors

For me, greenery entails being free and open to nature and even if the colour is specific, I believe we can embody everything green beautifully and cohesively in our homes. So if you’re still wondering how exactly you will incorporate the colour in your homes, don’t stress, start by bringing the outdoors in and see the transformation. Plants add so much life and character in your spaces not forgetting, cleansing the air we breathe.

source:hamsayeh.net

Therefore Greenery you have it, colour of the year 2017. Thank you pantone, I needed this.

 

Back soon
Salwa 🙂

3 easy ways to decorate your kitchen wall!

Hi everyone, so finally got time to write this post. This is the last post as a response to one of my Instagram followers, who asked me to share ideas on how to decorate a kitchen wall. We all know food brings people closer together and it’s not shocking finding that the kitchen or dining area is always a busy place. Despite this, kitchen spaces are always forgotten when decorating. So below I show you 3 easy ways to decorate your kitchen walls.

1. Shelves – I have said it before, I LOVE SHELVING! Put up a few layers on your wall with nice detailed hooks and you immediately transform your kitchen. These shelves can have anything on them from decor, books or your favourite crockery!

 

picture source: Earnest Home Co.

2. Framing- frame up anything from art pieces to kitchen oriented pictures or family portraits! An easy DIY project would be to take pictures or literature from old books and place them in your frames! It adds character and definitely a conversation starter!

Another option is to frame cutlery! We all have a lonely spoon or fork left from an old set. This is a great way to upcycle!

Family pictures are also a great way to add personality and make the area feel warm! My suggestion would be to place random, fun and easy family pictures as opposed to pictures!

 

picture source: http://www.bystephanielynn.com

 

3. Plates and pottery- this is an amazing way to spruce up your kitchen wall! I particularly love the traditional Turkish plates; they are mostly handmade and slightly expensive but definitely worth it.

Another way is to hang pots and pans, the best here are the traditional brass ones. These will definitely give your kitchen that chic boutique hotel look in an instant.

picture source: allthingshome.ke

There you go guys, easy,  simple and perfect ways to use up some of what you already have in your homes! Have fun decorating and as always, like comment and share your pictures and ideas with us!

Back soon,

Salwa 🙂

5 Tips when choosing curtains!

I believe everyone would agree that curtains make a room! It is the first thing I buy in a house. It is therefore important to know what to do when choosing curtains for your homes. An Instagram follower requested me to share how to choose curtains for her new apartment. The following are 5 things I look at when buying curtains:

1. colour

This is purely dependent on your choice. Some go bold with prints and colours. I prefer neutral colours because of two reasons. They blend well with almost every other colour on your furniture and don’t fade quickly or rather don’t show the appearance of fading as much. A tip here is not to go too bold with print and colours in small rooms as they make them look smaller. To enlarge a room, get lighter colours best with longitudinal stripes imprints, this gives an illusion of extra length.

picture source:www.diy.com

 

2. Fabric

We are lucky we live in a country with good weather throughout and therefore no need to change curtains based on whether it’s winter or summer unless you want to. Of course I would like to have silk curtains but those are expensive and quite difficult to maintain when it comes to dry cleaning. I prefer sticking to cotton or linen and one of my favourite Americana. Lighter fabrics make a room feel large and airy, heavier fabrics should be placed in larger rooms preferably. Very important to lift, gather and have a look of the fabric from the store before buying.

picture source: http://www.overstock.com

 

3. Length

This is very important if you want a chic look. Otherwise you end up with culottes for curtains and everyone is wondering what’s up! For an illusion of longer windows, set your rails a few inches above your window, 4-6 inches above usually makes a big difference although you can go as high as you like (check picture below). For the bottom part having it half an inch above your floor should do for a modern look but if you like the rich draping you can increase by 2-3 inches (check picture above).

picture source: http://www.crateandbarrel.com

 

4. Lining

Never underestimate the value of lining your curtains. It keeps them lasting longer, gives a more full look and let’s it drape better and of course helps in reducing amount of light. Normally I use simple cotton fabric as lining. For those concerned about light especially in areas like the bedroom, a special lining called black out can be found in any store even Nakumatt have it. It’s more expensive but will do just that; black out your rooms.

picture source: coverscanada.ca

 

5. Gathers

Many have heard the words 100% gathers and so on but what do these mean in regards to curtains. Percentage of gathers simply means how full you want your curtains to look. The higher the percentage, the more the fabric and more fullness. I believe for a simple proper set, curtains should be minimum 100% gathers. Anything less will make your curtains look ironed out, which is not good. More gathers means more draping and is better in larger rooms with longer windows.

picture source: http://www.curtainsmarket.com

 

I’ve really tried to keep it simple, so next time you go out curtain shopping, I hope it helps!

 

Back soon.

 

Salwa  🙂

 

 

My first DIY project!

 

I posted something on Instagram and asked you guys to tell me what you’d like me to write next that would interest you. One of those topics was a DIY project. First I need to say I am no DIY expert, I know how to put up designs together but I was surprised to find that I have actually done one simple DIY project. When I say simple, I mean very very simple.

So my first ever DIY project was spraying an empty olive oil bottle and reused it as a flower vase and later opted to clean it and store my fancy straws in my kitchen! It’s such a pop of colour on my counter tops and definitely exciting for all the family kids that come around! For those that live in Nairobi, you must have seen some guy along Ngong road selling the same colourful bottles. You can easily do those at home.

All you need is;

1. Empty bottles- I prefer glass bottles with any form of engraving because it gives so much character.
2. Spray paint- I have not tried many but the one I did are from Blazer spray paint that I bought in Nakumatt. I used flourescent pink 1002.
3. Plenty of newspaper to cover your spray surface

 

Procedure;

1. Make sure you do this outside, somewhere airy preferably. would help if you wore a simple mask.
2. Wash and drip dry your glass bottles thoroughly.
3. Layout your old newspaper and cover up as much area as possible. You do not want paint all over your other things around.
4. Shake your spray paint canister, hold it a few inches away from the bottle and spray away. Let the first coat dry up. And repeat for the second coat. I only did 2 coats, I guess the more coats the more colour intensity you get. Your choice. Let the bottles dry outside overnight and you have your brand new bottles ready for anything your heart desires to use them for!

I hope this works as a DIY for you guys. As always share your stories in the comments, pictures are encouraged!

Back again soon,

Salwa 🙂

notice the engravings on the bottle! comes out beautifully!

 

FLOWER POWER!

I love flowers. Who doesn’t? The beauty of living in Nairobi is the availability of flowers throughout the year, and they are relatively affordable. Flowers will instantaneously revamp a boring room. I rarely buy mine from florists, not that I have anything against them, I just like doing my own unique flower arrangements. It’s not so hard and lots of fun.

There is no rule when buying flowers, just go with what you like at the moment and change it up once in a while. I personally love lilies, all types of lilies. They look amazing on their own or mixed up with other flowers. I get my flowers at the Peponi road junction. Their flowers last up to 2 weeks! Even roses!!! If you buy a few bunches they can give you great discounts too. You can get a bunch of roses for just 80 Kenya shillings. Once you know where you are placing your flowers, they can cut the stems to the proper size you prefer, trust me it reduces so much work for you.

The following are my tips when buying and using flowers in your homes;

1. Buy flowers from a vendor you trust that has fresh ones, so that they stay longer especially roses.
2. Know which vases you will place each flower and have the vendor cut up the stems for you. This will save you loads of time.
3. Inquire for flower food from your vendor, goes for 50-100/- for one packet that can be used in 2 home vases.
4. If no flower food is available; put in a few drops of jik in the water. I have no idea how this works but I’ve been doing it and my flowers last for 2 weeks. No jokes! A tip I got from an owner of a flower farm!
5. Change water every 3 days. This is important if you want to keep your flowers fresh for longer.
6. Be creative in your arrangements, no rules here. Mix up colours, different heights and different sizes of flowers and just have fun with it. Below are some pictures of what I’ve done at home.

 

allthingshome.ke

allthingshome.ke

allthingshome.ke

allthingshome.ke

allthingshome.ke

allthingshome.ke

So I hope these tips will help and your homes will start enjoying the power of flowers! Feel free to comment and share pictures of your arrangementsJ

 

Back soon.

 

Salwa 😀

CREATING YOUR OWN FOCAL POINT.

 

Hi guys,

Good to be back! First I would like to apologise for the long silence, my laptop dropped and crushed L But I have found one to use for now and I am happy to be writing again. Continuing from our last post, I thought it necessary to write about how you can create your own focal point in a room. For those who do not have beautiful views or inbuilt fireplaces in their houses, below are some easy ways to have a focal point in order to create more balance.

1. Wall feature

 

This can easily be a piece of art, wall mural, large furniture piece or bookshelves. One of my favourite things though is shelving. Done appropriately shelves can act like beautiful focal points. Decorated with books and accessories, they act as a great source of conversation depending on what you place. Plus books always add so much character to a room!

 

Another simple way to make a wall your focal point; wallpaper! We have variety in the market now all you need to do is think through everything clearly to make sure it goes with all your other furniture. I would advise on more natural colours or pastels that can merge easily with most furniture.

 

2. Rugs

 

I LOVE rugs/carpets. I lean more towards authentic, rich, traditional designs but any rug can greatly transform your space. I find corridors are usually forgotten during decorating and a simple runner can greatly liven up the space without needing anything more!

 

3. Fancy Ceilings

 

Ceilings have ceased being the place you hang lights or a fan only! Ceilings are a canvas for that artist in you. You could paint a different colour or add some texture. If you are more traditional, try going for more artistic light fixtures which are available in many shops around these days.

 

picture source: HGTV

I chose the above picture to show you how painting your ceiling can greatly transform your space!

4. Texture

 

Textured walls are so in! The good news is these don’t need to be done during construction!! If you don’t have a textured wall, you can have one done using the variety of tiles available, pick out the area of the wall you want textured and get your focal point!

picture source: http://www.homedit.com

There are many more ways to create a focal point, feel free to share how you created yours. As always, pictures would be great!

Back soon;

Salwa 🙂

Defining your focal point!

Hello guys,

In our last post, we touched on the one rule of decorating, balance. Achieving balance in a room requires a few things, one of them being defining the rooms focal point. A focal point in a room is – the place where your eyes first see in a room/what attracts your attention!

This can be several things such as views, fireplaces, textured walls and more. The key in achieving an attractive focal point is to decide which one you like best. In general, though, rooms with views should keep the views as their focal points for one main reason; people are instantly attracted to natural light and natural beauty!

picture source: dekrisdesign.com

So what happens when a room has more than one focal point? Simple, choose nature first/views and if not available, choose what fits your style/taste. The key is to enhance one focal point to avoid the room appearing too busy!

Below, is a picture of a living room with multiple focal points; a beautiful view, a fireplace, a textured wall where the TV is and an interesting ceiling! BUT what you notice is all other points have been minimally decorated so that your eyes fall directly on the view!

 

picture source: home-designing.com

 

This is a simple example of using your focal points to create balance to your rooms. In my next post I shall talk about some simple steps to create a focal point for those rooms that don’t have one already.

Happy reading!

Back soon;

Salwa 🙂

p.s: feel free to comment on how you created a focal point in your room. Pics would be great!

1 simple decorating rule

Hello everyone,

I woke up excited to write this post. So I decided my first decorating post to be about some of those daunting decorating rules out there. And some of the best designers out there, break their own rules.

With that said, I have only 1 rule I believe everyone needs to try and achieve with any space; BALANCE!!!!!!! Your space needs to have a sense of balance with all that you put in, be it furniture, paint, lighting or accessories.

I have found balance in the most simplest of designs and complete chaos in houses full of grand collections not set well. Remember, balance does not mean “same everything” but the ability for you to bring a room together at the end of your decorating, everything has to tie in eventually.

(picture from: house beautiful showing a well balanced room)

 

At the end of the day though, doing what I love is what makes decorating fun for me as wisely said by one of the designs gurus out there;

“If you love something it will work, that’s the only real rule”- Bunny Williams.

Back soon,

Salwa:)

hello

Hello everyone,

My name is Salwa, I am a medical doctor by profession BUT with a huge love for all things home décor! After many years of singing this song, I have decided to share this love with everyone by starting an Instagram page called; allthingshome.ke.

While the Instagram page is showcasing things I have curated for sale, it does not give enough space to explain or share ideas on décor, and therefore I decided to start this blog. This space will allow me to share my thoughts, inspirations and give some little advice on how I decorate my home. Something I hope will benefit many out there.

That being said, feel free to follow, share, like and comment!

Back soon;

Salwa 🙂

IG page: allthingshome.ke