Our studio will be closed for business from today till the 23rd of April 2019 as Rose and I will depart on an important quest to see just how many Easter eggs we can successfully find and eat! Yum.
Have a good one, guys and gals! Design Tabloid out!
Have you ever heard someone mention the term “trestle” or a “trestle table” and wondered what on earth it meant? Well, now you have to wonder no longer – we will define trestle for you! Here is the latest addition to our Decorating Dictionary…
Trestle: (from the Latin trānstrum meaning “crossbeam”) a wooden or metal frame consisting of two pairs of slanting legs joined by a horizontal beam, often used in pairs to prop up a flat surface such as a table top. There are two main variants of trestle structures used in furniture design – the traditional fixed trestle and the more contemporary collapsing trestle. Furniture pieces with collapsing trestle legs are easy to assemble and store, while the fixed trestle structure is sturdier.
[Image Sources: IKEA, 1stdibs, Draumesidene]
Last year we shared four playful Decor Quick Tips all relating to old dresser drawers. The tips illustrated how unwanted drawers could be transformed into handy wall storage, quirky trays, stylish tables and convenient under-the-bed storage. We love sharing these fun and creative DIY ideas – they are so charmingly off-beat.
And, with that, I think it is high time for another decorating quick tip miniseries! I have found a good few crafty ideas about awesome things to do with old picture frames. It will be enough to keep us knee-deep in interesting tips for a good few months! So, without further delay, here is the latest quirky tip in our new “cool stuff to do with old picture frames” Decor Quick Tip miniseries…
#55 Searching for a practical yet beautiful way to store and display your jewellery? Why not repurpose an old or unused picture frame into a quirky and attractive upcycled jewellery organizer. Insert a backing into the frame – it can be a wooden board, cork sheeting or even chicken wire! For added interest, you can wrap your backing board in fabric or lovely decorative paper. Attach cup hooks or pins to your backing board – you will use this to hang your jewellery from. You can even fix additional hooks into the frame itself to provide extra storage. Mount it to the wall or, if the frame has a stand or folding support, display it on your dresser or vanity. Use one big frame or a collection of smaller frames. The beauty of this concept is that you can match your frame to the style of your interior – from vintage, ornate or shabby chic to sleek, modern or contemporary. In essence, your jewellery becomes framed art!
With Valentine’s Day being a mere 3 days away, I’m sure there are some of you still scrambling for last minute gifts. Well, don’t sweat it – The Design Tabloid has got your back!
Now that we have given some gorgeous and thoughtful Valentine’s Day gift ideas for that special lady in your life – 10 Last Minute Gifts For HER Under R300 – we turn our attention to the gentlemen.
As we have mentioned in past posts, gift shopping for men can prove to be a real struggle. A lot of the “man gifts” on the shelves are either super corny (novelty beer mug with boobs) or really boring (3 pairs of socks). Truly uninspiring, especially if you are shopping on a budget.
However, have no fear! We have scoured the internet to find 10 thoughtful and tasteful gift ideas for the man in your life – and all under R300!
Happy Valentine’s shopping! Hope you all enjoy spending the day with your loved one!Read More »
With Valentine’s Day being a mere 3 days away, I’m sure there are some of you still scrambling for last minute gifts. Well, don’t sweat it – The Design Tabloid has got your back!
We know that finding a Valentine’s Day gift that is not covered in cheesy cupids and corny slogans can be quite difficult and frustrating – especially when shopping on a budget. Therefore, we searched high and low to find 10 beautiful items, all under R300, that would make gorgeous and original V-Day gifts for that special lady in your life. Truth be told, there is a good couple of items on this here list that I wouldn’t mind getting myself!
And if you are still scratching your head for gift ideas for the special man in your life – fear not – our 10 Gifts for HIM Under R300 post will follow soon.
Happy Valentine’s shopping! Hope you all enjoy spending the day with your loved one!Read More »
Feature image via: Honeycombers
by Marica Fick
Like previous years, I was once again surprised by Pantone’s selection for Colour of the Year 2019. My first reaction (and Rose’s too for that matter) upon hearing “The Chosen” colour for this year was: “Coral, really?! – been there done that!” That is so 8 years ago. In fact, we have actually mentioned coral in not one, but TWO blog posts in the past – both trend reflection articles – in 2011 and 2012.
Don’t get me wrong – it is not that I don’t like coral – I actually like it quite a bit and I was once again reminded of that fact while searching for all the gorgeous inspiration pictures we have shared below.
In Pantone’s defence – the way we use coral (now versus 8 years ago), how it is applied in an interior space and the colours we combine it with has evolved into something more “here and now”. Trends tend to do that – evolve.
I tried to recollect whether we at Design Monarchy have ever had interior projects that strongly featured coral. I immediately thought of one hospitality / retirement project we were involved with that included coral into the colour scheme. It was an upmarket seaside venue and we paired the coral with tones of blue – teal and aqua. See the fabric scheme: HERE.
On further reflection, I found that we had a few design and decorating projects that incorporated some shade of coral as an accent colour – be that a coral-coloured scatter cushion or a floral fabric featuring a lovely blue and coral bloom.
