Decor & Design
• Be your own interior designer
The best interiors are often done on a shoestring, it's a matter of paint, proper lighting, a few decent pieces of furniture, elbow grease and imagination.
• Using a registered interior designer
Mention the term 'Interior Designer' and most homeowners will tell you that they can't afford one! But Interior designers aren't just for the rich and famous.
• More designer tips
The best interiors are often done on a shoestring, it's a matter of paint, proper lighting, a few decent pieces of furniture, elbow grease and imagination.
• Interior designer tips
A reputable international designer offers tips for designing your home.
• The seven deadly sins of design
You've bought every design magazine, carefully studied what was "in" and what was "out," spent too much money - and you still hate your living room.
• Decorating accessories for best effect
Looking for a way to update your décor? You need to create an ambiance in your home that reflects your personality.
• Bookcases take place of honour
If you've been avoiding sorting the things on your bookshelves, wondering where to begin and where it will all end, follow these quick tips for making your shelves shipshape with only a minimal investment in time.
• Collectibles and arrangements
Put together a quirky and compelling display using ordinary objects that are easy to inexpensive and easy to find.
• Experiment with colour
Take one room and apply different wall colours, then see for yourself what a difference colour can make in the living spaces of your home.
• Arrange your furniture in a balanced design
When furniture is clustered to one side of a room, the whole space seems to lean. Here's how to fix the problem.
• Chandeliers create drama and impact
Rarely did you find a chandelier in a starter home. To see them illuminating any room other than one used for entry or dining, more unusual still. My, how times have changed.
• Rugs add visual energy
A rug ties pieces of furniture together. They place pattern on your floor, add texture, and give visual cohesion to spaces in your room.
• Decor for your home - affordably!
It's not important how much money you spend on decorating but how wisely you spend it. Imagination is your most potent ally.
• Creating a mood board
Before starting a decorating project, take the time to collect samples of your favourite materials and pictures of inspirational room designs.
• A gallery of colours to inspire
From spicy colour combinations to hues that warm the soul, the 2007 colour trends contain palettes that work in any room in the home.
• Designer walls have arrived!
Wallpaper has arrived, and not with a whisper. At Smart Art these new designs are loud, bold, funky and alive with colour.
• Add some bling to interiors with lighting
The fabrics you pick for your upholstery pieces and the lighting fixtures you place overhead and at tabletop height can make a room sparkle or fall flat.
• A home for the holidays
Vacation homes are wonderful for getting away from it all, but you still want a home that is comfortable and inviting. To create a truly casual vacation or beach home, learn the basic elements.
• The art of accents
Certain colours innately evoke different memories, thoughts or moods. If your home is laced with walls that are too white or overbearingly dark, details in your décor can change everything.
• Creating a focal point
The phrase, "You've got to start somewhere," can refer to a lot of different things, but when you are talking about good room design, it can only mean one thing — Focal Point.
• Make an entrance
You only have one chance to make a first impression and your entrance is just the place to do it!
• Design inspiration
You've seen the perfect room design in your favourite decor magazine but simply don't have the budget to achieve the look. With a few easy tips, you can achieve a similar look without the hefty price tag.
• Out of Africa
The visual tapestry of African décor weaves through our own take on décor with the use of rich fabrics in an array of textures, vibrant beadwork and basketry in geometric designs.
• Ceilings - the 5th dimension
A lightweight ceiling mirror positioned above a dining area is the perfect way to glam up dining and entertaining.
• Dramatic ceilings
Crown moulding, ceiling rosettes or medallions
are one of the simplest yet most dramatic
additions to interiors.
• Decorate the ceiling
In today’s modern interiors, decorative
ceiling roses and medallions are
becoming popular decor items.
• Romance with tradition
Decorating styles may come and go, but traditional decor is a timeless favourite that endures. It’s a style that allows you to make generous use of reproduction or antique pieces, and rich fabrics.
Art & Framing
• Using mirrors as art
Transform a blank wall with reflective light. Some of the mirror tiles have been left plain and some sprayed for a frosted glass effect.
• Displaying art - symmetrical
A symmetrical hanging arrangement is created when each half of a display is the mirror image of the opposite side.
• Designer tips to displaying art
Turn assorted prints, photographs, and frames into an arrangement with paint and mats.
• Make your own picture frames [1]
Adding style to an empty space doesn't require a trip to an upscale art gallery or a visit to the bank.
• Make your own picture frames [2]
Another approach to building frames is to use hardwood with either a clear or stained finish.
• Mounting into your frames
Now that you have your wooden frames ready, it's time to gather the materials for mounting.
• Fabric art
Adding style to an empty space doesn't require a trip to an upscale art gallery or a visit to the bank.
• Guilded picture frames
These discarded picture frames have been refreshed with silver leaf and now add a romantic touch to plain white walls.
• Wall colour and artwork
There are many ways to hang artwork. If possible hang your artwork before choosing wall colours when redecorating a home.
Floral Inspiration
• Flowers and flames
Flowers and candles completely transform the ambience of a room. Here are some décor ideas, fun and easy to enhance your home.
• Bring nature indoors
By bringing the elements of nature into your home you can enhance your mood, improve your health and boost your energy.
• Affordable flower arrangements
Having fresh flower in your home on a regular basis can sometimes prove expensive. Try these affordable arrangements for fresh flowers all the time!
Window Treatments
• Dress up French doors
Are they doors with windows - or windows with doors? Tips for decorating French doors with simple, yet dramatic, window treatments.
• Designer blinds on a shoestring budget
Want the pizzazz of custom window treatments without the designer price tag? With a little ingenuity you can create your own.
• No sew window treatments
With some ingenuity, an eyelet kit, or curtain rings, you can decorate windows with easy no-sew curtains.
• Window treatments offer light and privacy
Window treatments add more than style to your home; they filter or let in light, can be used to control temperature, and offer you privacy.
• Curtains or blinds?
When decorating your home and selecting window treatments, determine how much privacy is needed in the room.
• Quick fix for curtains
For a quick and easy decorating solution for your home, there are various ways to hang curtains without having to sew them.
• Tops and tails
Swags, valances, sheers voiles - It can sometimes be confusing to know what is what when it comes to window treatments.
• No-Sew curtains
Decorating a home? Need curtains in a hurry? You can make your own lightweight curtains without any sewing at all.
• Pencil pleats
Pencil pleats are a quick and easy way to create a more formal look, and are normally used in the absence of any other form of window treatment.
• Curtain hardware explained
It used to be so simple to hang curtains. Now we have wooden poles, rods and finials, eyelet curtains, tab-top curtains, and more.
• DIY Roman blind
Tailored yet functional, a Roman blind is perfectly suited for dressing windows anywhere in the home.
• DIY panel blinds
Easy window panels made using almost any fabric you like; naturals such as sensual with organza or silk, practical using canvas.
• DIY Austrian blinds
Made up with a fullness of twice the track or batten width and pulled up from the bottom to the top by means of cords.
• Easy Roman blind
Roman blinds are one of the most stylish ways to dress up a window. They can be used with curtains and top treatments for a layered look.
• Butterfly swags
The simple styling works well for many decorating schemes. The folds swag in the centre and flare at the sides, creating the butterfly effect.
• Make your own Tab-top curtains
For a less formal, modern look to your window treatments. Tab tops can be made in any weight of fabric from the finest sheers to heavyweights.
• Hourglass curtains
Perfect window treatment for French doors in a traditional setting and, using lightweight cotton fabric, adds a cosy country look to wooden windows.
• Elegant curtains in an hour
Cotton sheets make the most wonderful drape for window treatments. The bigger the sheets, the more luxurious and elegant the window will look.
• Make your own eyelet curtains
Eyelet curtains are easy to make. All you need is a few metres of fabric and an eyelet kit available from select hardware stores.
• Awning style valance
This decorative window treatment can be used in any room in the home, but is especially popular in a traditional kitchen setting.
• Install your own blinds
Installing new blinds is easy. Whether you're a do-it-yourselfer or someone who's never picked up a tool in your life, you can install blinds.
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