It’s a Wrap for 2020

I have to say that I will not be sad to say goodbye to 2020 and I guess I’m not alone. It has been a tough year all round, but thankfully I feel it is closing on a higher note that it began. 2021 looks promising.

Following the vlog this morning. Home Alchemy with Mi and Dee we looked back on our first foray into the live zone. Whist it was daunting initially. I have to say I thoroughly enjoy the online live experience. We talked about trends, colours and renovation issues. Quite a lot to cover in 30 minutes but it was an interesting discussion with Mi who has been through the mill with her current renovation. I have other friends also who are knee deep in renovations. All looking for inspiration.

What will 2021 bring in terms of the interiors arena.

We touched on 3 key areas.

Colour

Pantone announced their colours for 2021. Illuminating and Ultimate Grey. I touched on these two colours earlier this year and I have posted the image below. I think this combination is youthful and relaxed. I think it is an easy combination to work with as both a soft on the eye.

Lemon and Grey

An easy combination.

I think a brighter colour palette will be welcomed in 2021 to cheer up the home space and give us an inner boost. Look out for our competition on Face Book later to win the book by the colour guru Anna Starmer, Love Colour. This book is a fantastic colour resource with handy booklet in the back cover that you can pop into your handbag when you are out foraging for paint colour inspiration.

Sustainable Living

This really is a big area and one that is becoming more acute.

Time to nurture nature.

Sustainability… living our lives in a different way.

The sustainability of our lives has to be addressed and the interiors industry is addressing this with gusto. As is the fashion industry. However, we can all do our bit on the sustainability front. Mi and I have discussed upcycling and repurposing furniture. This is an area I love and will be undertaking much more furniture renovations with my nephew in 2021. We can’t forget of course, bringing the outside in or the inside out. With the continuing Covid situation being able to use our outside space is a big deal. Therefore this will form part of our lives as we move into the new year. And this brings me onto the final trend I think we will see more of in 2021 and beyond.

Intelligent Tech

This is an area where we will all benefit and is directly linked to sustainable living. In essence smart technology is about making products and services more efficient – as efficient as they can be – and with just a few exceptions, this means that they will be better and more sustainable. Process inefficiencies will be reduced and greater value will be delivered from a smaller amount of resources.

Smart Home Technology

Is an area we can all improve our carbon footprint

Examples:

Power Saving Lighting – smart lighting fixtures and bulbs, provide you with greater control of lighting in your house, making it eco-friendlier in the process. Take a look at Rako

Smart Water Saving – According to the United States Geological Survey census, if all households in the USA installed water-saving features, water use would decrease by 30%, freeing up 5.4 billion gallons per day, that is a lot of water. There are shower heads available ‘Smart showerheads’ with dispersers that use much less water while still feeling great on your skin. Some of them even include LED lights capable of changing the spray colour from blue to red as your set water consumption changes.

Controlling Home Temperature – smart thermostats allow you to decrease your home’s carbon footprint in more than one way. Primarily, they let you control the temperature in the house remotely, using a smartphone or laptop. If you go on holiday and you forget to crank down the thermostat, you can access it through your phone and not only decrease the heating but also set it to fire up ahead of your arrival home.

Let’s see what the New Year brings.

I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and hope that you are able to enjoy with your closest and that 2021 is a new little green shoot that grows into a beautiful vibrant flower.

See you next year.

Let’s talk about Neutrals….

Hey there, on the vlog this morning we were talking about how you can incorporate a neutral tone such as Dulux Brave Ground into a truly stunning interior scheme.

When Dulux first promoted the ‘Colour of the Year’ for 2021 – I personally thought, really, Brave Ground.. what’s that all about? This is the colour of the year for 2021?? I was decidedly underwhelmed. However, having taken a closer look at this and Benjamin Moore’s colour for 2021 Aegean Teal, I am of a different view.

To help you visualise how you can use either of these two colours into your home I have created two boards. One which reflects a breezy lifestyle. Beach Life and the other focusing on the Biophilic vibe. The first is….

Beach Life…

A scheme to evoke that feeling of strolling along the beach… breathing in that fresh sea air…

That is how I feel about this scheme. It’s fresh, breezy, relaxed and contemporary! You can imagine yourself flopped in that Arne Jacobsen style Egg Chair contemplating life whilst admiring your bonsai. Here is a scheme that is flexible. Brave Ground is a neutral therefore it is adaptable. Here paired with Aegean Teal a blend of blue-green and gray it is an intriguing midtone that creates natural harmony. Which is what this scheme is all about. Links to products can be found below.

The Biophilic Vibe…

An oasis of calm.

Your own little green zone…

And so…. touching on our discussion with Caroline Flakelaar @breathoutsidein on detoxing lifestyle with the power of plants. This scheme is all about that. Of course I’m not suggesting that you will receive detoxing benefits from a mural however the entire scheme is designed to give you that feel in your home. This scheme will benefit from the use of natural elements of plants and/or a Terrarium. These tones are all about life, calmness, health and growth. I have used a slightly stronger tone of green which is Little Green Goblin 311. On the Little Green website they give a rather poetic description for this paint which I think fits quite well with this scheme https://www.littlegreene.com/goblin.

Again links to products will be found below.

So taker a closer look at these three colours and see how you can incorporate either scheme into your home of course giving it your own personal interpretation. If you do, please do post an image on my feed @thedeedashwood.

Happy Days.

Beach Life

Dulux Brave Ground – https://www.dulux.co.uk/en/dulux-colour-year-2021

Benjamin Moore Aegean Teal – https://bit.ly/33Yj61f

Arne Jabobsen Egg Chair – https://bit.ly/2JRDx9c

Polls Potten Tam Tam White Ceramic Stool – https://bit.ly/3oCNuGk

Isamu Noguchi Coffee Table – https://bit.ly/3grZnw9

Picasso Prints – https://bit.ly/34e9rnF

Biophilic Vibe

Little Green Goblin 311 – https://www.littlegreene.com/goblin

Habitat Askem Sofa – https://bit.ly/2K2cQyu

Heals Icelandic Rug – https://bit.ly/37061X7

Norman Cherner Walnut Chair – https://bit.ly/371fDkk

Harta Living Cabinet Jove – https://bit.ly/37OvCBB

Table Lamp Gotuko – https://bit.ly/2VXVVQs

Chunky Knit Throw – https://bit.ly/37R7Bdh

Lush Succulents Wallpaper by Mind The Gap – https://bit.ly/2Iw2oyV

And here is a quote for you to take away….

“The best colour in the whole world is the one that looks good on you.”….

Coco Chanel

You’ve got to give a little…

Sustainable Interior Design….

We have all seen the images. Our environment is bloated with plastic waste. Forests have been annihilated in the pursuit of profit, woodlands plundered and flattened, animal species are on the brink of extinction.

At this very moment. Plastic is king. It is a challenge for most of us to try to live the perfect green lifestyle. Many of us dream of ecologically friendly homes and interiors. Incorporating non toxic materials and those finishes that give us the feel good factor. I suggested this morning it is often the case that eco friendly comes with a hefty price tag. However, that is not the case.

Change often starts in the home and our interior spaces especially given that we Brits spend 90% of our time indoors. Sustainability is an essential part of our home life. If you look at the manufacturing processes that come into play you will start to make a conscious choice about what you purchase for your home

Mi and I talked about two particular brands this morning and I have included a couple of other interesting finds for you too!!

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Onenineeightfive

One Nine Eight Five is a sustainable British homeware brand committed to ethical design, specialising in printed and interior textiles.

They have a really lovely range of home interiors products. Founded in 2016, One Nine Eight Five makes collections that bring colour, comfort and joy for spaces to call ‘our own’. Each piece consciously designed, sourced and produced with a no waste philosophy as standard. Creating staple, home accessories, dreamed from a place that honours beauty and self expression for all.

www.onenineeightfive.co.uk

One Nine Eight Five is a sustainable British homeware brand committed to ethical design, specialising in printed and interior textiles.

Weaver and Green

The Weaver Green team offer beautiful recycled rugs, blankets, footstools, cushions and bags that offer all of the benefits of plastic without any compromise in style, feel or value. They hand loom all their lovely textiles and use artisans throughout Europe, Scandinavia and Asia to make gorgeous, soft, practical products.

Weaver and Green

Beautiful recycled rugs, blankets, footstools, cushions and bags that offer all of the benefits of plastic without any compromise in style, feel or value.

Finally, I just had to include this cushion which I absolutely love which is made by Maharam.com. Maharam is committed to the implementation of progressive environmental practices as a matter of corporate and design philosophy. Over the past decade Maharam has sought a detailed understanding of its environmental impact and, through its approach to product and practices.

Drenthe Heath Pillow by Claudy Jongstra

Available from https://www.maharam.com/

And whilst I am on the subject of sustainability we of course we should mention wallpaper. Wallpaper is such a versatile product which can evoke such wonderful images and feelings. The brand below is no exception.

Woodchip and Magnolia

Woodchip and Magnolia designs are available to order the minute they are unveiled online. With a determination to protect the environment at the heart of their business, Woodchip & Magnolia manufacture all their own wallpaper and fabrics in-house so their business remains as eco-friendly and sustainable as it possibly can be. 

Land of Milk & Honey Butterflies Blush Pink Wall Mural

I am a great lover of murals and this is delightful.

I will post about smart technology in the next post as the subject deserves a full blown number. In the meantime. If you are looking for interior inspiration please do follow me on Instagram @thedeedashwood. If you need help I’m always happy to have a chat to get the creative juices flowing.

Happy Days!!

Style Up Tuesday….

Hello…

I hope you have all had a fantastic week and looking forward to that date 2nd December ….. I know I am.

However, given we are all sitting here in our homes your thoughts may have turned to game changing and what simple design fixes you could use to give inject a little more of your personality and also make you feel better in that you’ve done something positive this week. Let’s face it is all about mind set after all.

So, here are 5 tips for today to help you work with your space and create some movement in your home.

Love Your Negative Space

Negative Space. In interiors it is the area around objects. So in this image the space between the bath and the shower. Whilst you might think what a waste of space, imagine the feeling of using this bathroom and how it might make you feel.

Negative Space. What is it? Resisting the urge to full every space available in your home. Consider the hole in a doughnut, the interval between lightning and thunder, the pregnant pause. The absence of something can make a profound impression. The concept of negative space percolates in all aspects of design. Give it a try in your own home. Resist the urge to fill every space may just become your most powerful design tool.

Another example of negative space.

Rather than filling a space let it talk for itself. Here the space under the stairs offers an architectural feature. Obviously there are times when the space under the stairs offers crucial storage space but if you have the opportunity … approach it differently.

Play With Shadows

Light and Shadows

This corner is very dark so in order to highlight it I have used the floorlamp to provide the light but also the shadows on the ceiling add impact to the overall impression.

I am a great advocate of using light in the home to enhance those areas that are lost or dark. You can bring life into a dead room by the way you light it, with shadow and the way things are positioned.

Use The Vertical Space – differently

We tend to forget our vertical space (walls) can be used innovatively. We have all seen ‘leaner mirrors’ big mirrors leaning against the wall…hang artwork low or use the entire space to place pictures…. Have some narrow floating shelves created to display your favourite books. Or hang artwork off set to allow for tall items to add interest.

I am a great advocate of using light in the home to enhance those areas that are lost or dark. You can bring life into a dead room by the way you light it, with shadow and the way things are positioned.

Off balance….

Look at your vertical space and see how you can use it to better effect. In this image the designer has hung the artwork offset and added the tall foliage to give it balance.

Go Au Naturel

There is a big swing towards Biophylic design. Embrace nature by bringing the outside in. Incorporate more natural products such as raffia wallpaper, natural textiles. In fact, if this is an area that fascinates you, join the Home Alchemy with Mi & Dee this Wednesday at 11am to learn more.

Bring the outside in…

An example of simple biophyllic design…

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