by Jason Agustina | Feb 15, 2017 | Inspiration, JADecoratingTips
You’ve decided that Scandinavian is your style. Welcome to the exclusive club of distinguished home design experts. Scandinavian design is minimalism with a trendy twist and you’re in good company. So, when deciding how to decorate, it’s important to remain consistent with your design. Here are six art pieces inspired by Scandinavian design that will go perfectly with your beautiful Scandinavian furniture.
The Word:
Use pieces like this sparingly and in the center to draw attention. Surround it with images of family and friends to remind yourself, and those who visit, the most important thing in life.
The Pieces:
A great designer piece adds class to any space. Brighten up your neutral zones with this splash of Scandinavian-inspired color.
The Smudge:
Calming and thought-provoking. If you’re not sure what kind of art suits your space, design a canvas all your own. Better yet, let the kids go nuts on a wall-sized spread. The piece will quickly become inspiring and memorable.
The Mountain:
A classic Scandinavian piece. Use the grays and coppers to pull your décor together. The outdoor setting is perfect to bring a little air into your living space.
The Cups:
Playful and budget-friendly. This piece goes great in any room and is easy to do yourself. Add a little color to your Scandi-inspired design with the help of some whimsy.
The Lion:
This piece is bold and powerful. Hang a large image like this in the center of a bare-bones wall to add grandeur to any space. He pulls you into the room and gives the space a sense of wisdom (any everyone will think it was your idea).
Still need ideas for your Scandinavian inspired home? Check back next week and we’ll pull together beautiful images and great ideas for the trendiest rooms in your home.
Image Sources:
http://www.99-home-decorpictures.space http://www.retreatblog.co.uk https://creativemarket.com
Share with us in the comments below. Which art piece is so-you?
by Jason Agustina | Oct 12, 2016 | JADecoratingTips
The dining room is a place to eat, hold conversations, and entertain guests. It’s a room that sees a lot of company and should be decorated accordingly. The following six contemporary dining rooms are extraordinary examples of what it means to dine in style.
So Fresh and So Clean
Image Source: http://www.livspace.com/blog/decor-secrets-scandinavian-style/
The beauty behind this room’s design is how simple and clean it is. There isn’t a lot of clutter to take away from the incredibly gorgeous furniture it contains. A pop of blue is all it takes to brighten up the room significantly.
Open and Airy
Image Source: http://www.idesignarch.com/small-modern-loft-in-prague-with-scandinavian-style-decor/
Sunshine-yellow-colored chairs makes this fabulous space sing. The furniture plays off the stone walls and mimics the natural light streaming in from the big picture windows. A playful yellow pillow can be seen in the living area of the home, making color transition seamlessly from space to space.
Welcoming Wood Into the Home
Image Source: http://www.homeportfolio.com/dining-room/photos/contemporary-sunny
Complement the wood floors in your dining room with a unique wood table. This one stands out because of all its imperfections. It’s a beautiful way to serve a meal and likely will become a big conversation starter because of how its cut.
Café Chic
Image Source: http://www.homedesignideas.eu/tag/modern-chandeliers/
This dining room mixes and matches different materials for a look all its own. From its copper pendant lights to its industrial silver metal chairs, it’s a room you want to sit in and stay for a while. It’s charming and contemporary, the way you want your dining room to be.
Cool Blues and Scandinavian Design
Image Source: http://4betterhome.com/scandinavian-style-interior-with-turquoise-blue-accents/
A bright shade of blue helps offset the starkness of the white chairs in this dining room. It helps cool down the dark finish of the table and plays off the natural light streaming in through the windows. You see a union of wood, glass, and metal coming together to create a beautiful contemporary space.
Balanced Lighting and Seating
Image Source: http://www.home-designing.com/2016/02/32-more-stunning-scandinavian-dining-rooms
The introduction of three pendant lights to this dining space helps balance out seating. With three chairs on each side and one chair at both the head and the foot of the table, you can see how well this composition works for the space. Because there isn’t walls defining one room from another, virtual boundaries such as the lighting help the flow of each space as it transitions into the next.
by Jason Agustina | Sep 20, 2016 | Inspiration, JA News and Update, JADecoratingTips, JAUniqueConcept, Uncategorized
Finding The Right Scandinavian Furniture Online
Creating a Nordic-inspired home interior is easy thanks to the ever-growing availability of Scandinavian furniture online.
Wildly popular for its clean lines, functionality and uncomplicated design there is an abundance of Scandi-style furniture on the market to meet consumer demand, each to varying degrees of quality and affordability.
Spoilt for choice, it can be quite the task to find the perfect piece to style your home if you don’t know what you’re looking for.
What is Scandinavian furniture?
Scandinavian furniture is renowned for its beauty and simplicity. It is well-made and functional with sleek style and neutral tones giving it an understated elegance.
Focus on functionality
Scandinavian-inspired homes are sophisticated and never over the top.
Start with one or two items, taking the time to consider what your needs are and what features are important to you. The great appeal of Scandinavian furniture is its functionality, so choose pieces that are useful as well as beautiful.
A quality sofa is a great starting point in creating a Scandinavian-inspired living room. Casually elegant with neutral tones and a wooden base, for example, a sturdy but stylish lounge makes the perfect Nordic-inspired introduction to your living area. Complement it with throws and cushions in different textures or a rug to add warmth to your room.
Quality furniture
With the abundance of Scandinavian furniture online, it’s important to keep your smarts about you.
Every second store offers Scandinavian-inspired furniture to differing degrees of quality. Be wary of poor imitations; cheap isn’t always cheerful.
Scandi-style has an emphasis on functionality, so your cutting-edge furniture needs to be well-made and carefully crafted to last the test of time.
Affordable furniture
You don’t need to break the bank to create a Nordic-inspired look in your home. Invest in a couple of statement pieces, for example a sofa or dining table, and complement them with Scandi-style accessories.
Thanks to North Hem you can create a designer look in your home without the designer price tag. With its cutting-edge design and functionality, you can find something to suit your budget.
Try before you buy
There aren’t too many furniture stores that allow you to try before you buy, especially when it comes to finding Scandinavian furniture online.
Not sure how that sofa is going to fit or look in your living room? North Hem will arrange for your furniture to be delivered straight to your home where you can style it, test it and make sure you’re 100% happy with it.
Contact North Hem today to find the right Scandinavian furniture online for you.
by Jason Agustina | Sep 7, 2016 | Cafe Hopping, JA Customers, JA News and Update, JADecoratingTips, JAUniqueConcept
I asked a regular visitor how they would describe Extraction Artisan Coffee. ‘It looks industrial but it feels homely,’ was the reply. After spending a morning at Extraction, there was no disputing that description. There is a definite sense of home … something that encourages you to spend time and enjoy your coffee and breakfast.
Co-owners, Heather and Alex, are long-time locals who wanted to create a space that afforded people in Logan a wonderful café experience instead of heading to Brisbane. Whatever your speed, you’ll find a space at Extraction that is perfect for your needs. Whether you like to sit at the brew bar and take in the art … or is that science … of the barista preparing your brew, find a comfy chair to read and chill or settle in at the tables for a team meeting or a catch up with friends. No matter your choice, you’ll never feel rushed or hurried.
8 Modern Melbourne Homes We Love
As a big fan of watching coffee preparation, I took the opportunity to watch Danny, an award-wining barista, meticulously prepare an El Salvador single origin as a pour over. What a delightful cup … fruity and juicy!
(Table in photo part is the Clarkson Dining Table.)
The 50-50 milk blend is a great café blend that is very easy drinking. I chatted with a visiting Brisbane coffee roaster who gave the blend a big thumbs-up. There are always single origins available, just ask the friendly staff for a recommendation.
(Chairs in photo are Evy Dining Arm Chairs – Pebble Grey and Cocoa Stain.)
Coffee beans selected by Extraction Artisan Coffee have cupping scores over 85 and are roasted in house on the shiny 10kg Proaster coffee roaster. If coffee is not your thing … hard to believe but I hear it’s true … then you can select from a range of teas from the West End Tea Company or go for a hot chocolate brewed using 50% Columbian cacao and 50% organic Colombian panela.
Classy and Classic Dining Room by Melissa from NSW
My friend arrived, so we moved to a table to taste the signature dish – Avocado on pumpkin bread … yummo! Heather described the Extraction menu as, ‘Café food with a fine dining edge.’ She was spot on, the quality and presentation of food was equal to any excellent Brisbane café you could mention.
The presentation had my eyes feasting well before my taste buds had a chance to savour. By the way, my taste buds weren’t disappointed … no wonder this dish has become a firm favourite.
If you haven’t had a delightful Logan City coffee experience, then get yourself to Extraction Artisan Coffee located at 7/3375 Pacific Highway. Gain access via the service road that runs next to the M1 at Slacks Creek. A good landmark is the blue sign of St Vinnies. Turn into the laneway and drive right to the end. Beware! The coffee, food and welcoming vibe make it hard to extract yourself … No wonder these guys won the Logan City 2016 Business Achievers Award for Hospitality and Tourism.
Scandinavian Pops of Color Nailed 5 Ways
by Jason Agustina | Sep 4, 2016 | JADecoratingTips
As much fun as it is to furnish a beautiful home from the inside, we’d like to take a moment to appreciate the outside of these eight modern Melbourne homes. Each is an example of superior architecture and design. Although it was hard to narrow our list down to just a few houses, you’ll see why these incredible dwellings caught our eye.
1. Clearly a Great Choice
Photo Credit: http://cdn.decoist.com/
Who wouldn’t appreciate all of the natural light coming into this unique shaped and glass filled home? Imagine how low the energy costs are with a home that relies directly on the sun for light and warmth.
2. Nothing but Sunny Skies in the Forecast
Photo Credit: http://www.e-architect.co.uk/
Clever and cloud-shaped, this home really stands out because of its shape and the ability you have to peer inside its glass doors and windows. The use of color throughout gives the appearance of there being a rainbow inside this gorgeous, artistic home.
3. Warehouse No More
Photo Credit: http://o.homedsgn.com/
This one home’s interior is deceiving which is why it’s included on the list. From the outside, it looks like your typical warehouse. On the inside, it’s a modern Melbourne residence with a unique Moroccan flair.
4. Modern Minimalism
Photo Credit: http://humble-homes.com/
Purple in color and commanding a great deal of attention despite its small space, this pod-like dwelling is sure to delight the modern Melbourne minimalist in a number of ways. Think about how much time you’d save cleaning and decorating a space this small!
5. Make a Splash
Photo Credit: http://largeluxuryhomes.com.au/
You don’t have to travel far to enjoy the pool. In fact, glass partitions are the only thing that separate you from water in this chic modern home.
6. Big and Boxy
Photo Credit: http://www.designboom.com/
This incredible space shows just how creative architects are. Not only does the glass provide an optical illusion for the eyes, the way the boxes are stacked makes this Melbourne home stand out in your mind.
7. Chic and Sophisticated Styling
Photo Credit: http://cdn.hiconsumption.com/
Everything about this layout is outstanding from the placement of the pool to the partition separating home from patio to the way the outdoor furniture sits in its own glass covered room. The upper structure is well lit but also very private with its use of floor length blinds.
8. Steely Blues and Grays
Photo Credit: http://www.thepinnaclelist.com/
This massive structure gives off a distinctly industrial feel with its boxy shape and blue lighting. It’s semi-open but also very private because the windows give only a glimpse of what’s inside.
by Sarah Louise Radhanauth | Sep 2, 2016 | JADecoratingTips
“The best colour in the whole world is the one that looks good on you”! – Coco Chanel
Colour plays such a fundamentally important role in our lives; it can affect our feelings, our mood, and our behaviour – often without us even realising it.
Colour can make or break a space and given that colour has such a profound effect on us, it essential to have a basic understanding of colour before deciding on a colour scheme for your home.
Cool colours such a blue’s and greens create a sense of peace and calm, soft pinks can help to pacify, vibrant shades such a yellow can motivate and inspire, while intense shades such a red can over stimulate or sometimes induce feelings of anger.
While the physiological and emotional effect colour can be influenced by different factors such culture, religion, environment, gender, race, or nationality, the chart below provides a good indication of each colour and its overall general effect.
| Blue |
Blues relax, soothe, and cool making us feel more spiritual and centered. Blue is intuitively chosen for bedrooms for just this reason. Blue is associated with intellect and healing and is said to instils calm and logical thought. |
| Red |
Red has the opposite effect of blue; it increases blood pressure and respiration rate. Red also makes people lose track of time and stimulates appetite. Red is a powerful colour so it’s is generally best used as an accent. |
| Yellow |
Yellow increases the metabolism and often makes many people feel cheerful, energetic, and happy. It is a mind stimulating colour that is associated with focus, creativity and optimism. However, yellow can cause more eye fatigue than any other colour and can also can upset babies.
Softer, subtle, shades of yellow are easier to live with long term than a canary or sunshine yellow for example. |
| Green |
Greens represents a vast range of natural colours and for that reason, appeals to many. Like blue, greens tend to calm and relax; it’s a healing colour. It can help promote perfect balance within our psychological make up and is believed to evoke a state of positive and mental attitude.
Green is the most restful colour on the eye. For interior colour schemes, olive and sage greens have appeal due of their neutral character. Lighter shades of both are easy to live with. |
| Orange |
Orange is an enhancer of physical passion. Oranges are warm, welcoming, cheerful, uplifting, extroverted and vital. Melon, tangerine, and mango are bright, cheerful shades that tend to improve appetite and brings warmth and energy to a space. |
| Purple |
Historically, purple is the colour of kings and indicative of high self-esteem. It may arguably be the most opulent of colours. It often denotes mystery or spirituality and is believed to promote peaceful mental reflection.
Purple works best best when used in decor or artoworks rather than being used in large areas such as painted walls. |
| Black |
Black denotes submissiveness and is seen to be a physically protective colour however, when used correctly, black can be timeless, classy, and sophisticated.
Dark colours generally make rooms seem much smaller than they are, and absorbs of light which can contibute to bad moods. Also, painting over black generally takes more than two coats of paint, which can be tricky to cover later. However, black can be very elegant and evokes a sese of luxury. When combined with a mix of white and bright colours it can look stiking and modern. |
| Pink |
Pink is an interesting colour because it has the cultural associations of being feminine, but it goes farther than that. Research shows that pink rooms reduce angry behaviour at least temporarily and encourages physical relaxation. However, pink can have a physically weakening effect if over used.
Representing softness & femininity, pink generally is a comfort colour and is favoured by many for its sweet, childlike appeal. With the one of the Pantone colours of the year being Rose Quartz, paler shades of pink have made a huge come-back in furniture and decor accessories. |
| Grey |
Grey tends to enhance creativity and denotes wisdom and intellect, which can make it a good colour for a home office or studio.
Grey shades painted on walls are very easy to live with for a long period of time. Grey provdes a flexible neutral background for furnishings and can look extremely stylish. |
| Brown |
Brown connotes credibility, and reassurance. It evokes a sense of security and also tends to be soothing and comfortable. Browns are a strong practical colour.
The right shade of brown can evoke a sense of luxury by its association with chocolate and rich coffee. It works well with spicy or warm colours. |
| White |
White can sometimes appear quite stark. Certain cool shades of white can wash out a room, making it appear cold and sterile. Other warmer shades of white can bring a clean, crisp, light and airy feel to a space, evoking a feeling of cleanliness, purity and aspiration.
White works well used in small areas as it creates a feeling of openness and will make a room appear bigger, for this same reason it is essential for use on ceilings. |
Complimentary Colour Scheme
When selecting a colour scheme for your home opt for cohesive colours that co-ordinate and work well together such as complimentary colours. Complimentary colours are colours that sit opposite each other on the colour wheel. For example, blue and yellow are complimentary colours, as are green and red, orange and blue.
However, creating complimentary colour scheme doesn’t have to be as literal as uniting blue and yellow. This could translated by choosing an overriding colour such as deep indigo blue and punctuating it with accents of brass or gold by way of furniture details or accessories. This creates contrast which makes the overall blue colour scheme ‘pop’ as the brass acts as a highlight.
Analogous Colour Scheme
You don’t be afraid to go bold with colour, however, if doing so it is important to keep within a particular colour palette or a family of colours. This is referred to as an ‘Analogous’ colour scheme which consists of those colors located close together or one after the other on a color wheel.
However, this type of colour scheme doesn’t mean that everything in your interior has be the same colour. To translate this into an interior scheme, just select one overriding colour for emphasis that will convey a mood and set the tone. For example, selecting accent pieces like the cushions below in varying shades of reds work well against a neutral background.
Introducing hints of complimentary colours will create contrast and make the hero colour pop! For example, a dark moody blue highlighted by accents of brass. Or as pictured below, a muted palette of dusty green and blush is accentuated by accents of brass and gold to add depth and contrast
Monochromatic Colour Scheme
A monochromatic colour scheme consist of colors that are shade or tint variations of the same hue. Tints are achieved by adding white and shades and tones are achieved by adding a darker colour such as grey or black.
When opting for a monochromatic scheme, it is important to choose a lighter colour for your base such as the walls, and introduce darker, varying tones via the furniture and accessories. A popular on-trend combination incorporates shades of white, grey, charcoal and black.
Warm & Cool Tones
Colour can be divided into both warm and cool tones. When selecting colours for your home, it’s important to consider the objective of the space and how the room will be used. If energetic work is being carried out in an area such as a kitchen or study, consider introducing warmer, more uplifting tones, like red, orange or yellow to energise the space.
Alternatively if you wish to create a peaceful, tranquil atmosphere consider cooler tones like blue or green which is well suited to areas such as the bathrooms and bedroom where relaxing is a priority.
Want to learn more? See our article below to learn how to Choose a Colour Scheme from your Favoutire Things.
Image Credits: adore.com.au | sara-kate-studios.com | tomdixon.com | montreal-interior-deign.com | oraclefox.com | mintcreatives.com
Choose a Colour Sheme from your Favouite Things
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