Air of Romance

With each new year we all make resolutions that we swear to see through. There's always that thing we want to do or that thing we want to get or something we want to change. We make promises to eat healthier, sign up for that gym membership, quit smoking, get our lives organised...the list is endless. This year I realized that life needs, well, more life! More laughter, inspiration, spontaneity, purity, sensuality and last but not least more romance. 

Romance I fear has been somewhat lost to our generation, only to be found in books that hardly anyone reads. Furthermore, romance has become associated to many teenagers' delight with fictional characters in Vampire movies and series. Anyway, that's besides the point. Whatever your idea of romance is, pursue it... Consequently, In my pursuit, I have compiled some images of inspiration of the 'air of romance'.

romantic style bedroom in soft cream

The key to a romantic setting is light. Soft light seeping through light and sheer curtains that billow in the slight breeze.

gold gilded dining room

The second key to romance is in the details and embellishments. Hand-carved, hand-painted, hand-stitched and hand-drawn artifacts give the impression of time and care put into them. Additionally, they imply that each one of them is unique to its owner, its time and place. 

embellished bedroom

Sometimes romance is simplistic.

white and silver bedroom

Other times elaborate. 

fairy tale inspired cradle by Giusti Portos

Romantic bathroom designed by Servio Firmino

Other times mysterious.

romantic canopy bed

Sometimes innocent and playful.

countryside romance

softly draped yellow curtains

There's so much more to romance than we can possibly imagine or put together. Our idea of it varies from one person to the other. I hope however that we all seek it... after all, what harm could come of it? Thus with these few words I bid you all good wishes for the new year and a year full of romance.

Disclaimer: I do not own these images and I have not referenced some because I collected them a while back. I have referenced those I could. 

Retro

retro style chair sky blue and cream upholstery and solid oak legs

Listening to the Ronettes, the Beatles and the Beegees gets me thinking about a chilled out and groovy era that we call 'retro'. The era that brought us rock and roll, funk and soul; that is the 50s to the 70s was the era of contemporary and modern interiors.

In the 50s, people loved bold patterns for wallpapers and fabrics, but went for elegant, modern furniture that floated magically above the floor on slender legs. The 60s produced a diverse range of styles, from country cottage pine to blow-up chairs. The classic retro look is typified by long, low, teak sideboards and coffee tables. In the 70s the love affair with teak continued, but the new look was pine. 70s furniture also had a chunkier feel to that from the 60s.

Angular design in lilac and graphite upholstery and solid afrormosia legs

What I love most about retro decor is the bold prints and pops of color. I love the eclectic nature of its time as well. For those that love vintage, rock n roll, eclectic and bold styles this definitely the style for you.

solid beech frame with feather cushions upholstered in sky blue linen

When doing retro, one cannot afford to be shy. One needs to embrace color, form and print fully. Experimenting with color and pattern could bring quirky and stylish outcomes. Adding a few vintage accessories here and there in pop colors could really tie in the space. 

retro style chair with lime and grey upholstery and solid oak legs

Teak table with retro tea/table accessories, retro print chair and print plates on teak side table, low teak table and cabinet with vintage accessories.

   

  a great accessory for a retro style

retro accessories

 Retro decor living room

This is by far one of my favorite retro looks. The low hanging pendant light is ultra modern and the floor light adds extra oomph. Tho colors are perfect. The throw pillows are all different and yet still work within the retro scheme. Everything seems in its place, sleek and fresh.

star-bust mirror focal point

I absolutely fall in love with the dog-tooth print on the throw pillows and the barely there blue of the lampshades in this space. Also, the star-burst mirrors are 'oh so retro'.

retro living room

There's something so tasty about pops of color complementing each other in a space. The teal and yellow above and the aqua and red below work well together to bring a retro vibe to the space. Accessorizing with colorful objects gives a great contrast to the spaces.

retro aqua kitchen

With that said, my advice comes in three words. Color. Pattern. Vintage. Keep it quirky and colorful and you can't go wrong. 

P.s, I thought it's only fit to complete the retro look with a classic hit by The Ronettes 'Be my baby'. 

Be my baby- The Ronettes

Enjoy.

xx christina xx

TREND: GREEN

Modern Green Living Room Sofa

Green has never been my favourite colour. I've tried to love it and have failed on many occasions. I don't particularly like it on clothing, nail varnish , accessories but somehow I like it in interiors. Therefore I am learning to embrace green and the more I do, the more flexible I feel towards it. And it helps to have inspiration in order to embrace a colour you don't particularly like but works on so many levels. So, welcome to my discovery of green...

 

Green dining room

"Green is a colour that symbolises nature, regeneration and vitality. Green has become the symbol for environmentalism. It is the colour of nature so with our growing awareness surrounding sustainability, colour inspired by our natural environment soothes our minds.

Green brings nature indoors creating a botanical setting filled with tranquillity. In the home, green is perfect for refreshing and revitalising a room. This colour works particularly well where serenity is desired like within bedrooms, bathrooms and living rooms.

For a delicate effect, start with soft olive tones which can create understated living rooms. Calming jades are perfect for bathrooms offering a relaxing environment for you to unwind. Vibrant limes will add some energy to your room and look particularly contemporary when combined with cool neutrals like grey.

                                                                                                                                              

Muted greens inspired by aloe, cactus and herbs offer subtle shades which can be combined beautifully. Calm greens like Watercolour Green and Overtly Olive demonstrate this soft effect and work particularly well in open plan spaces where the garden enhances the soothing colours."

                                                                                                                                          - Dulux

green colour scheme bedroom

Pale green bedroom

 

green floral decor

I think the reason I didn't like green was because I had a particular green in mind that I was totally against but looking at natural shades of green in leaves, in stones and in fruits helped me to discover shades that were much suited to my liking. This helped me broaden my colour scheme.

If you're used to picking the same colours or are a little bit afraid of change, my suggestion is to browse around for inspiration a little bit more than your norm. Trying new things could open you up to amazing possibilities. I can now say that I'm starting to embrace green, I'm giving it a little smooch and I'm deliciously interested in making the most of it.

xx christina xx

TREND: NEUTRAL

 neutral colour scheme living room

There's something very calm and serene about neutral schemes in a home. They create a classic and ageless style. They often give off a clean, natural and airy feel to a space. Varying hues, tones and textures makes it easy to increase or decrease the warmth of a neutral palette.

It's much more than beige walls and pale white furniture. Its really about natural and subtle tones working together to form an overall image. All one has to do is look at nature for inspiration to get up to date with the neutral trend.

Neutral living room  

"Our growing concern for the environment and its woodlands is reflected in this palette with colours which are reminiscent of cut timber, bark and cork- warm, gentle shades that are easy to live with and relaxing. 

Clay and earth tones express both the natural environment and the natural materials of sustainable craft work for communities across different cultures.

 

Pales and soft off-whites create feelings of light, warmth and serenity but with character. This array of off-whites and greys can be used together to create a layered look that will add depth, dimension and interest.

  

Understated greys allow for maximum combination possibilities with a wide variety of tones from other palettes- try with mustard yellows, corals or teals for a high fashion look.

Deeper shades like clay and slate grey are architectural colours that put over a mood of contemporary chic. They offset warmer and brighter shades beautifully and give depth and definition to pale warm neutrals. "

                                                                                                                                        - Dulux

classic 60's art deco, neutral colour scheme living room

I came across this chart of earth tones and thought this is the direction for a neutral colour scheme. Very subtle hues and very serene colours. 

Earth tones

 If you're looking for neutral, find inspiration from nature and layer all these qualities together for a fresh, light and serene space. So don't think boring, think classic and don't think beige either, think timeless. Go for it.

xx christina xx