This article was written for Pure Lifestyle magazine: October 2008
Many of us only decorate when we’re trying to sell our house or when we’ve just moved in. With all the economic gloom around it’s a good time to think about upgrading one or two rooms and make the most of what we’ve got.
A good starting point is the big clear out, a trip to the local dump or, if you’re feeling really ambitious, why not order a skip? You’ll be amazed just how quickly you can fill it.
Stylish furniture is a great investment and starting point for a new room. So, it’s good to know that Glasgow is the home to the UK's largest independent cabinet manufacturer, The Morris Furniture Group. The family business has enjoyed a rich and successful history spanning three generations, crafting first class cabinets for the Queen Mary and QE2 liners before launching into domestic furniture in the post war boom. More recently Morris acquired G Plan and, over the past ten years, has grown to provide work and income for over 1000 staff, many of whom are based in Glasgow.
Morris Furniture can be bought from many independent retailers in and around Glasgow or online at http://www.newhomeshop.co.uk/.
Back to the home makeover: once you’ve set a budget and deadline you can begin the design process. I recommend creating mood boards or sketch books. You can build these up with a selection of images ripped out of magazines and brochures stuck to a board or inside a note book with some colour swatches and fabric samples along with notes and ideas on the space you’re trying to create. Don’t be afraid to take your samples into shops and discuss your ideas with others to make sure the final outcome is as close to the original concept as possible.
As I’ve said, good furniture is always a great investment and you can build a design round the new pieces you plan to use. You don’t need to buy a new sofa or armchair, why not re-cover an existing piece or get hold of some second hand furniture and get it re-upholstered. There’s some fantastic fabric around that will give your old sofas and armchairs a new lease of life. I’ve done this many times and am happy to advise, just give me a call on 0141 585 6484 and I will gladly talk you through the process.
G Plan recently launched the Elements range, available in natural and black ash veneers. The black ash version is my current favourite, with its contemporary straight lines and beautiful design details, it makes a great starting point for a living or dining room scheme. It mixes well with wooden floors or polished ceramic tiles. For an ultra cool, understated look, I would introduce some bold fabric contrasting with a neutral wall covering from Harlequin or Romo. Red or yellow work well with black ash and will give a really sumptuous, bold and contemporary feel to the room.
G Plan Elements includes some very well designed plasma display units so, if you already have a big LCD or plasma screen or are planning to upgrade, now is the time to invest in the right piece of furniture to go with the new tv.
And finally, don’t forget about the details. Before you go shopping for all the latest soft furnishings and accessories maybe it’s time to say goodbye to the clutter. Most of us build up bits and pieces that don’t really add anything. It’s time to be brutal and throw everything out that doesn’t fit in. Or, if you just can’t bring yourself to get rid of something for good, why not pack some things in a box and see how much you miss them. If they’re still in the box in six months time, it definitely time to part company.
G Plan, Morris and Zone Furniture ranges are all available to buy online now at http://www.newhomeshop.co.uk/
https://www.newhomeshop.co.uk/collections/g-plan
https://www.newhomeshop.co.uk/collections/morris-furniture
https://www.newhomeshop.co.uk/collections/zone-furniture
Company Profile
New Home Shop does not have high street stores or big overheads, this means we can pass on the savings to you.
Buy securely from our web site www.newhomeshop.co.uk or call Fiona Ramsay on 0141 585 6484.
Monday 10 November 2008
Interiors: what’s hot for this year?
This article was written for Pure Lifestyle magazine: September 2008
As this is the first issue of this new magazine I think some design tips on ‘what’s hot and what’s not’ for this year might be a good start. I hope these points give you some inspiration for your home decor this year.
Minimalism is out, many top designers are using sumptuous, patterned fabrics to create bright colourful rooms featuring retro upholstered furniture without sacrificing elegance or beauty. There are many second-hand shops where you can pick up some really good old sofas and chairs at relatively low cost. Even if the fabric is a little dated or worn, as long as the frame is of good quality then you can get the piece re-upholstered to suit any design scheme.
Colour has a very important role to play in any home, it can be the difference between a house that flows from room to room complementing each other or a horrible and costly mistake which makes you curse each time you walk into a room. Yellow and black or red with black, seventies colour palettes are big right now with influences coming back from the days of platforms and flares.
Lighting can be just as important as colour to a room by changing how the room is viewed. Using accent lighting and multiple light sources to emphasise key decor highlights such as objects or architectural features is always a good idea.
Designers are indulging their senses this year by adding different textures into the home such as silks & velvets. Think of the different textures you can give your rugs, curtains, loose covers, sofa throws, scatter cushions and wallpaper.
No matter what any of the industry expects say this year it is clear that there are many ways for you to make your home individual and personal but it is a good time to be bold and make an impact.
If you are looking to create a very modern design statement I recommend Japanese sliding panels. These are a great alternative to curtains or traditional blinds.
They are made from material which is secured to rods on a sliding track and weighted at the bottom, providing effective shading, privacy or screening.
A huge range of fabrics can be used to make the blinds, contrasting colours can have a striking effect. They are often made with stiffened fabrics and can be lined to give as much light reduction as you need. There is a huge range of fabrics to choose from, most designer ranges can be made into panels but it is a good idea to avoid products with a high linen content, this type of fabric creases badly and the panels can quickly lose their shape.
You can cover a very large area with panel blinds, tracks come in 3, 4 and 5 ways allowing up to 10 panels in various widths.
They are very easy to fit and maintain; the brackets are easily screwed into a ceiling or wall, the bracket arm swivels and locks into a groove on the top of the track, then the fabric panels are velcroed onto sliders on the track. Panels are easy to clean, much the same as curtains, if it's a washable fabric then you can remove the panels easily from the track to wash either in the machine or by hand.
You can easily change the panels when you redecorate, because they are velcroed onto the panel track they can be removed and replaced with new ones.
And finally, are panel blinds expensive? No, they shouldn’t cost any more than a good quality pair of curtains.
Company Profile
Soft Options: made to measure soft furnishings from New Home Shop
Soft Options is all about attention to detail, the best in fabric design, exceptional craft, skill and experience to achieve the highest standard of finished product, from curtains and blinds to bed throws and cushions. If you’re looking for an individual interior or a quick makeover, we’ll bring the shop to you.
Contact: Fiona Ramsay on 0141 585 6484
As this is the first issue of this new magazine I think some design tips on ‘what’s hot and what’s not’ for this year might be a good start. I hope these points give you some inspiration for your home decor this year.
Minimalism is out, many top designers are using sumptuous, patterned fabrics to create bright colourful rooms featuring retro upholstered furniture without sacrificing elegance or beauty. There are many second-hand shops where you can pick up some really good old sofas and chairs at relatively low cost. Even if the fabric is a little dated or worn, as long as the frame is of good quality then you can get the piece re-upholstered to suit any design scheme.
Colour has a very important role to play in any home, it can be the difference between a house that flows from room to room complementing each other or a horrible and costly mistake which makes you curse each time you walk into a room. Yellow and black or red with black, seventies colour palettes are big right now with influences coming back from the days of platforms and flares.
Lighting can be just as important as colour to a room by changing how the room is viewed. Using accent lighting and multiple light sources to emphasise key decor highlights such as objects or architectural features is always a good idea.
Designers are indulging their senses this year by adding different textures into the home such as silks & velvets. Think of the different textures you can give your rugs, curtains, loose covers, sofa throws, scatter cushions and wallpaper.
No matter what any of the industry expects say this year it is clear that there are many ways for you to make your home individual and personal but it is a good time to be bold and make an impact.
If you are looking to create a very modern design statement I recommend Japanese sliding panels. These are a great alternative to curtains or traditional blinds.
They are made from material which is secured to rods on a sliding track and weighted at the bottom, providing effective shading, privacy or screening.
A huge range of fabrics can be used to make the blinds, contrasting colours can have a striking effect. They are often made with stiffened fabrics and can be lined to give as much light reduction as you need. There is a huge range of fabrics to choose from, most designer ranges can be made into panels but it is a good idea to avoid products with a high linen content, this type of fabric creases badly and the panels can quickly lose their shape.
You can cover a very large area with panel blinds, tracks come in 3, 4 and 5 ways allowing up to 10 panels in various widths.
They are very easy to fit and maintain; the brackets are easily screwed into a ceiling or wall, the bracket arm swivels and locks into a groove on the top of the track, then the fabric panels are velcroed onto sliders on the track. Panels are easy to clean, much the same as curtains, if it's a washable fabric then you can remove the panels easily from the track to wash either in the machine or by hand.
You can easily change the panels when you redecorate, because they are velcroed onto the panel track they can be removed and replaced with new ones.
And finally, are panel blinds expensive? No, they shouldn’t cost any more than a good quality pair of curtains.
Company Profile
Soft Options: made to measure soft furnishings from New Home Shop
Soft Options is all about attention to detail, the best in fabric design, exceptional craft, skill and experience to achieve the highest standard of finished product, from curtains and blinds to bed throws and cushions. If you’re looking for an individual interior or a quick makeover, we’ll bring the shop to you.
Contact: Fiona Ramsay on 0141 585 6484
Saturday 8 November 2008
Hotel room transformation: after
This is how room 37 ended up.
Click on my Flickr site to see the whole set http://www.flickr.com/photos/fionaramsayinteriors/
Quite a major transformation. There's much more light now I've freed up more space by moving the wardrobe into, what was the entrance area. The new wardrobe has two full height mirror doors and makes the whole space look bigger as you walk in the door.
Hotel room transformation: before
I was fortunate enough to be given a great commission a few weeks ago: the refurbishment of some hotel rooms in the Dunalastair Hotel in Perthshire. My brief was to give the rooms a new lease of life but avoid anything too trendy, making sure the place retained it unique identity and didn’t end up looking like a franchise hotel chain.
As you can see from the photographs the rooms were in real need of an overhaul.
As you can see from the photographs the rooms were in real need of an overhaul.
I was asked to look at two different room types, the Malt, a four poster room and the Blend, a standard double room. For the Malt, I wanted to create a classic look with a lot of contrast for dramatic effect.
The existing four poster bed featured a traditional floral pattern fabric made into to a valance and pelmet. This cut out a lot of light and had a very overpowering effect. The room also had an oversized wardrobe, a writing bureau and two large wing back lounge chairs. The framed prints on the walls were a mismatched set of Victorian etchings and water colours. The carpet was a royal blue and clashed horribly with the bright orange/yellow walls.
The old four poster bed had to go, no amount of reupholstering and restoration would deliver the desired effect. As a replacement, I found a traditional painted, white carved wood, French period style piece which set the tone for the whole room. I was able to source a complete range of furniture to match the new bed.
A lot of the old furniture from the hotel was in very good condition and just needed reupholstering. Two blue lounge chairs from the Malt room were revived with a new covering in a fantastic fabric from Romo. As with any hotel project, the material had to be fire retardant. I use a specialist company based in Nottingham for this process, they apply a fireproof coating that doesn’t change the look or feel of the product and supply a certificate that guarantees effectiveness in emergency situations.
One of the most difficult challenges was introducing a new feature, the large flat screen television without ruining the period theme. There is no point into trying to make the screen look like something it isn’t. I suggested hanging the screen on the wall and creating a simple bespoke wooden veneer housing with clean lines, this makes a feature of the new television but complements the room.
The hotel is well worth a visit: http://www.dunalastair.co.uk
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