Jossi Interior Design - last week of August 2011

We are making headway on the new bar/ lounge area that Jossi Interior Design is working on, this is on Florida Road in Front of Spiga D'oro but will be the Upstairs section.

It is always fun working with creative and passionate people, and this is definitely the case here.  We all want to see this come together so we are hard at work choosing pantone colours, fabrics, stain samples and finalising designs, as well as tweeking the budget of course!

Another of our projects is moving along, this is the house right on the beach in Glenashley.  The views from this house are fantastic and I can't wait to get the furniture and finishes in.

Yesterday I had a brief meeting with the client and the shopfitters for this same hosue, we finalised the designs of the Bedroom headboards, dressing tables, BICs and tv units.  The end result should be impressive.  I then forwarded on the paint colours for the exterior walls to the client, I am hoping to see the builder painting these samples on the walls next week so we can make some final decisions here.  Next week I need to look at the fabrics, carpeting, interior paint colours, wood finishes and sprayed supawood colours.  Lots to do!

And tomorrow I am meeting a client about their wallpaper options for their Lounge area of their House in Zimbali.  All the other rooms have been confirmed in terms of the decorating but now the entire lounge scheme hangs on their wallpaper decision.  And after this I am meeting a potential client on Silverton Road...

What a week!

Jossi Design, the IID and KZNIA

Jossi Design has been working closely with the IID regarding important seminars, contractual documents and legal matters that may concern IID designer and decorator members.

The IID has now managed to negotiate with their attorneys to host a seminar on the Consumer Protection Act and how this may affect Interior Designers and Decorators and the way they conduct business.

I am very happy that we have managed to bring this together. IID members are going to greatly benefit from this. I am also extremely happy that it has come about in time to be announced at the IID ZKN General Meeting this evening. This evening’s meeting is being hosted by Cobra Watertech and The Dawn Group. The Dawn Group are now founding members of the IID which is a great achievement and we look forward to a close working relationship there.

Jocelyn has also been busy speaking with KZNIA regarding their upcoming events and functions as this may be of interest to IID Members as well as Interior Designers and Decorators within the KZN Region. There are some upcoming functions that we are now greatly looking forward to such as the Annual Architectural Education Conference, this year’s theme is Architecture, Education and Housing. Speakers include Peter Rich (giving his Sopia Gray Lecture) and notable Mexican Architects Oscar Hagermann and Paloma Vera. This takes place on Thursday 15th September 2011 all day at the Innovations Centre, UKZN. Attendance fees to be approx. R650 for non-members. Kindly contact the KZNIA for more information.

For more information on the IID please visit www.iidprofessions.com and for KZNIA and their list of events and functions go to www.kznia.org.za

This Zimbali Holiday House is one of my favourites.  Going on for 4 years now it has become a project that has slowly evolved and the results are finally starting to show off all our hard work.  We are still confirming the furniture with the client, but otherwise the house is finally complete.

The bathrooms look fantastic with different feature tiles and mosaics used to make each of the 4 En-Suite's unique.  The stained Panga-Panga timber floors have a glossy finish and reflect the light beautifully.

 

Colours and finishes vary in each bedroom to ensure that the same look is not repeated.  We are looking to add in some wallpaper and other features to some of the bedrooms, and once the headboards, casual seating, dressing tables, artwork and scatter cushions come in the effect is going to be amazing.

The bathrooms have a hotel feel about them which is great for a holiday home.  The large vanities and mirrors add a dramatic but elegant quality.





More pictures will be posted once the decorating is complete so watch this space.

Advice on Choosing Paint Colour

The most common request from clients is for the interior designer to help with the selection of the paint colours.

Repainting walls is the easiest way to give your interior a new look and add new life to the space.  However choosing the colour and making that commitment is often extremely daunting.  This is probably due to the fact that there is such a large variety of paint colours and finishes available and there is also a sense of permanence about painting your walls that keeps people second guessing their choices.  That is, once you have painted the colour on the walls you are going to be stuck with it!

Even as an interior designer, specifying paint colours for an interior, and exterior for that matter, is always a hard task as these colours can change so much depending on the time of day and the way the natural light and shadows fall on the area being painted.  Often the colour, when painted on the wall, will look different from how you remembered it on the paint swatch in the paint showroom.

Here are some tips when choosing paint colour:

1. Before you go to your local paint supplier, try to visualize your ‘dream room’, think of the furniture, fabrics, and the paint colour on the walls and the overall effect you would like to create.  Taking a picture with you of an interior from a magazine is probably an easier solution.

2. Know what you are looking for before you get there, do you want to stick to the neutral colours, are you adding in any feature walls?  When you are faced with a huge selection of colour it can get confusing so stick to the colours you have in mind and don’t get side tracked.

3. Look at those colours that appear to be made up of a mixture of more than two colours, in other words the colour should not be a primary or secondary colour, it needs to be a bit more ‘complicated’, often the muddy colours work the best.  Even if you are looking for a beige or sandy colour you will find a huge variety and this tip might help you to make a decision.  The ‘simpler’ colours are great for a child’s playroom and sometime will work well on a single feature wall in the room.  Otherwise the more complicated colours will add interest to the room. 
   
   
4. Narrow your choice of colour to a minimum of 3 colours and ask for sample tins.  These sample tins are charged for so do not get too many.  Go home and paint large squares on at least two of the walls within the room.  Remember the colour will look slightly different depending on how the light hits it so try one wall that is in the natural light and one wall in the shade.  Try turning the lights within the room on and off to ensure you are happy with the results.


5. Choose the best colour of the 3 samples on the wall and go buy the paint.  If you are not happy with any of the colours try again.  Rather get it right than paint all the walls in a colour you are not happy with.  Ask other people’s opinion of the samples on the walls if this is going to help you make up your mind.

House in Westville

I have finally taken some photos of the House in Westville that I have been working on.  The house is starting to look really good, paint colours are going onto the external and internal walls.  The bathrooms are now tiled and the kitchen has been partly installed.

The polished porcelain tiles look amazing, I need to get the fireplace design finalised though, I just need a few more hours in the day.

Today I was putting together the fabric scheme in the office, after pulling out every fabric book I could find Craig took this photo as he could not believe the mess I made.  Ooops!  I promise our offices don't usually look like this.

 

I hope the client will be happy with the fabrics, wallpapers and finishes I have chosen.  I think it will make for an awesome interior,

I will keep you updated.