As a public relations agency, it’s important we stay on top of the latest news and trends. We therefore find ourselves doing lots of reading! This week, we’ve put together a round-up of the most inspirational articles we’ve read throughout the month.
Our write up includes blog posts from Love Chic Living, Sleek-Chic Interiors and Pooky.
Image: Beaumonde
Love Chic Living – Decorating tips for a kid’s play space (to match your home)
In our favourite articles roundup blog post for August, we looked at tips on designing a children’s reading corner. This month, we’ve explored ways to design a play space and incorporate it into your home’s style. This blog post by Love Chic Living has some ideas on not only making a play space which is ideal for your child’s needs and personality, but can also be an addition to your interior design, rather than an obstacle.
Having a child’s play space doesn’t always mean you have to have a spare room available to dedicate to this purpose. A play space can simply be a corner or section of the room, which is dedicated to storing your child’s toys and is a place where they can embrace their imagination.
Zoning can be beneficial for those who have a spare room to offer up as a playroom, as well as for those who are carving out a play space in an already established room. In a playroom, zoning can be used to designate parts of the space to different activities, such as dressing up and reading. For a play space in the living room, dining room, kitchen, or anywhere else in the house, zoning can of course be used to section out the play area from the rest of the room. This can be done using a feature wall or special rug to keep this area sectioned off from the rest of the room, so that it doesn’t feel like the play area is taking over.
In both scenarios, space is of the essence as your child may want to build things or run around. Consider opting for multifunctional furniture to create more floor room and utilise the walls by mounting shelves for storage.
Image: Wallsauce
The ideal place to start is, of course, the colour scheme of the play area. It can be tricky to balance a colour scheme that both meets what your child wants and also fits in well with the rest of the room or house. The best way to do this is to meet in the middle. Children’s play spaces are typically colourful or drenched in your child’s favourite colour. If this does not partner well with your home décor, Love Chic Living suggests having a feature wall which is in a part of the room that is not so easily visible from the door. Alternatively, you can keep the walls as your preferred colour and instead add pops of what your child wants through décor, which is also much easier to switch out as your child grows and their preferences inevitably change.
The furniture is another important feature to consider in a child’s play space. It’s best if this matches the type of furniture that you have in the rest of your home. It’ll also be ideal to pick furniture that your child won’t outgrow quickly, which will save you having to replace it too soon.
Image: Laura Ashley Lighting & Mirrors
Sleek-Chic Interiors – Modern Victorian Living Room Ideas
Having a Victorian-style living room doesn’t always mean that you have to keep to traditional designs. Modern Victorian living rooms are not only more up-to-date and on-trend, they are also a great way to pay homage to the house’s history without going for an old-fashioned approach. Living rooms in Victorian era houses are often very small, but with extravagant high ceilings. Victorian interior design also has some distinctive elements, and this blog post by Sleek-Chic Interiors has some ideas on how to incorporate these into modern interior design.
A fireplace is often a defining feature in Victorian homes, especially in the living room. Despite this, a lot of Victorian houses in the modern day have had their original fireplaces removed. A fireplace can be a great feature to a modern room, both practically and design-wise, especially with winter approaching and energy prices soaring. Sleek-Chic Interiors recommends either restoring the fireplace in a Victorian home or finding a replica. Not only do fireplaces do wonders for introducing a cosy and snug vibe to your space, but they can also quickly become the focal point of any room.
Modern Victorian looks can either come in a neutral colour palette for a more modern, rustic style, or the traditional Victorian rich, darker tones. Black especially can also be essential for both a Victorian and modern interior design, though only as an accent colour.
Another key aspect of Victorian interior design is extravagant light fittings, which were often a display of wealth during the Victorian era. Think chandeliers, lanterns and pendant lights. Not only are chandeliers back in fashion, but they also make for a beautiful focal point in the room and will look especially captivating if the ceiling rose is still intact.
Image: DelightFULL
As well as the fireplace and ceiling rose, there are other key elements to Victorian housing to consider either reviving or finding a replica of. These include ceiling cornicing and the traditional Victorian-style skirting boards which are taller than average to further elongate the height of the room.
Another part of Victorian design involves mixing patterns, which can also contribute to that cosy atmosphere. If your patterns work well together, they’ll create a significant visual impact which will help prevent your interior from looking too flat or boring.
Not only do Victorian living rooms have their signature high ceilings, but they’ll often have a central chimney breast with alcoves either side. Sleek-Chic Interiors recommends that one of the best ways to use this space is to build in shelving and cabinetry. Not only does this utilise this typically awkward space for storage purposes, but it can also help bring attention to the fireplace which will be in the centre of the chimney breast.
Image: Andrew Steel
Pooky – The seven elements of interior design: line
Designing your home can be a difficult task, with so many interior design ‘dos and don’ts’ to follow, not to mention trends that seem to change from week to week. This blog post by Pooky is part of a series on the seven elements of interior design: space, texture, line, form, shape, colour, pattern and light. This blog post focuses on lines and provides a masterclass in decorating, explaining how lines are fundamental to the overall appearance and ambience of a room.
Whether they’re vertical, horizontal, straight or curved, lines can have a huge impact on the look and feel of your space, helping to create a sense of height or width, as well as acting as a focal point. They can even add energy or vibrance, in addition to having the ability to soften a space or bring a sense of calm.
Starting with straight lines, Pooky explains that straight lines bring a sense of order and as they are solid, they can also be reassuring and calming which makes them ideal for bedrooms and bathrooms; rooms that you start the day with. Horizontal lines in particular will be effective in this and can also make a space look wider, so they work well in narrow spaces. In contrast, vertical lines will work the opposite way and are ideal for spaces with low ceilings. The easiest way to use these lines is through wallpaper, and they can also be introduced through wide shelving, artwork or mirrors.
As opposed to the reassurance and sense of calm that comes from straight lines, diagonal lines can be used to introduce some energy into a room. These are best used in more active rooms such as kitchens, living rooms or children’s rooms. Similarly, zigzag lines, popularly used in 60s interior design, can inspire movement and action. But for both line types, it’s best to place them minimally for greater effect.
With solid straight lines being used for reassurance and calm, and diagonal and zigzag lines for energy, circular lines inspire balance and harmony in a room. Circles can be introduced to a space through many ways, including rugs, cushions, patterns, wallpaper and circular objects such as vases or mirrors. They can also be paired up with zigzags and diagonals to balance and soften them out. Curved lines in general are associated with softness and a gentle flow of movement and can make a space seem larger, so are best used in smaller rooms.
Image: Chastity Cortijo
We’d love to know which article you found most inspiring and if you’ll take any tips away from our roundup. Let us know in the comments!
Ends
Jess
28th September 2022
About jmm PR:
jmm PR is a PR, social media and influencer marketing agency that offers a range of bespoke and innovative marketing services that can make a real difference to your business.
With decades of experience and proven success in raising the profiles and awareness of brands and businesses, jmm PR has extensive public relations and commercial knowledge, which can effectively contribute to the growth of your business. Services include, writing press releases, proof reading and copy writing, plus campaign and event support, as well as social media and influencer planning and marketing.
jmm PR offers solutions for businesses of all sizes, including PR packages designed to support SMEs in addition to annual press office management to complement marketing plans of larger organisations.
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