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.

Hotel in Isipingo

Jossi Design is busy with the Interior Design and Renovation of a hotel in Isipingo.  There is alot of construction work going on as can be seen in the site photos. 

There is alot to still be done, at the moment we are focusing on the reception and waiting area as well as the ballroom and the first of the suites.  These rooms have great views and staying at this hotel should be a fantastic experience.

We will then move on to the Interior Design and Decorating of the Sports Bar and the Ladies Bar which will be great entertainment spots within the hotel. 

The existing hotel has been almost demolished and completely re-designed to meet the requirements and the new owner's vision.  We look forward to seeing the outcome of the hotels and the effect our designs have on this hotel renovation.  We will keep you posted!

Nemeth Trend Report

Craig and I attended the Dave Nemeth Trends Report, a talk organised by The South African Institute of the Interior Design Professions and sponsored by PG Bison.  The talk took place at the Durban Country Club on Tuesday 12th April 2011 and was a huge success according to those that attended.

The report was aimed to inform those in the Interior Design industry about 2011 trends taking us into 2012.  It was a real eye opener and we thoroughly enjoyed Dave's insight and vision.  There are some amazing buildings, materials and concepts out there internationally that I was unaware of and I found it extremely informative.

Another aspect that I found extremely relevant was the section on Marketing.  Marketing is such an important part of any business but is often overlooked or is the first to be cut from the company's spending budget.  Many Interior Designers look to magazine advertising to inform the public of their services whereas Viral Media is becoming more and more relevant.  So don't be left behind.

A really insightful lecture and has made me so much more aware of the choices available to those of us in the Industry.  Thank you to Dave Nemeth, PG Bison and the IID for bring this great lecture to Durban.  Apparently there will be another talk towards the end of the year, I am looking forward to it.