5 Design ideas that you should sleep on
Designing the interior of your house is a very personal thing indeed but there are certain ideas that should be thought long and hard about, especially if you are planning on renting out your villa when you aren’t on the island. Cempaka have come up with a few ‘no-nos’ to consider twice and maybe three times before deciding on things you are going to have to live with for a very long time.
- Colour
In Interior Design there is really no hard and fast rule for what is right and what is wrong. You should let your personal taste roam free and use colours that reflect the person you are. However, just because you like the combination of fuchsia and turquoise smeared all over your living room does not necessarily mean that others will appreciate it as much.
- Style and Design
Your home should reflect your own unique style but be aware that your idea of heaven can be another’s idea of hell. Consistency in style is important in the overall look of a house. If you like the idea of minimalism and admire the style of Gianni Versace, great, but think hard before you try to mix the two. A single gilt rococo imitation chair upholstered in leopard print does not a cozy room make. Also beware of fads. What’s fashionable now may not be in five years time (with the exception, of course, of retro style and the ubiquitous Lava Lamp).
- Layout
Think hard before you launch into furniture layout plans. What is the purpose of the room and what feel do you want to achieve in it? If you’re after a spacious, breezy feel then leave that 4m by 3m solid teak four-poster daybed outside with the giant Edwardian armoire and the Henry Moore statue. Most importantly, when you move house, especially if you’re moving country, don’t cart your old furniture half way round the world if it’s not going to fit in your new house. Better to start from scratch and buy the furniture to fit the house rather than the other way around.
- Lighting
Never underestimate the importance of lighting in your home. You may love the concept of a dimly-lit Shanghai opium den but you’ll be over it by the fifth time you trip over the floor cushions and stub your toe on the beautifully lacquered coffee table. Candle burns and red wine spills will not improve the look in the cold hard light of day. Get advice, use floor and table lamps and use dimmers wherever you can so you can adjust the levels of light to create the atmosphere you want. Beware of ‘art lighting’, it may be beautiful to look at but it should also serve the purpose you bought it for – shedding light.
- Practicalities
You’ve just bought your brand new beachfront villa in Bali and have all the swatch books for flock wallpaper and shag pile carpet laid out in front of you. Best advice: make yourself a cup of hot cocoa and go to bed. See your house in the light of a new day and then burn the books. Remember that the sea air eats everything it touches, so don’t skimp on cheap fans and furniture because you will be buying more in a years time. Sometimes aesthetics override practicality – like the beautiful outdoor Balinese bathroom overlooking the crashing waves. Who cares if you’re sharing your bath with the local mosquito population?
