Design Monarchy is an awesome interior design & decor studio located in Cape Town, South Africa. We create jaw-dropping, eye-popping, camera-grabbing spaces & places.
If you are looking for rather unusual and whimsical weekend getaway accommodation, we might just have found the place!
Positioned on the shadowy lower slopes of the beautiful and majestic Simonsberg Mountains just outside Stellenbosch you will find two unique self-catering cottages. Used as grain storage and then stables in a previous life, the dilapidated old silos were lovingly restored by farm owners Alex and Sumari Milner into something all-together different.
The Simonsberg Silos are located on the leafy and historic farm, Natte Valleij, in the Klapmuts winelands district. The farm and manor house overflows with rustic charm. Seeped in history, the Cape Dutch homestead, old wine cellars, brandy stills, magnificent mature gardens with ancient trees, pergolas and ponds are all surrounded by whitewashed walls.
With a fresh lick of paint, this ornate vintage picture frame becomes the perfect Shabby Chic decor accessory. | Source: HallstromHome via Etsy
The gorgeous classroom-green of the chalkboard paint compliments this vintage gold frame beautifully. | Source: Miss Mustard Seed via Instagram
Let’s get on with the next instalment of our “cool stuff to do with old picture frames” Decor Quick Tip miniseries. As previously mentioned, we dug up a ton of clever and curious picture frame DIY ideas. These inspirational tips are super quirky and playful – perfect weekend projects! In case you missed the first two posts in this miniseries, be sure to check out the previous picture frame tips, “Old Picture Frame Turned Jewellery Organizer” and “Old Picture Frames Turned Terrarium“. Today’s tip actually reminds me of a previous Quick Tip we shared some years ago where a chalkboard was created from an old door.
#57 Have some old or unwanted picture frames gathering dust somewhere? Think twice before you throw it out! Rather repurpose that vintage frame into a fun and functional chalkboard for your home. It takes minimal effort and supplies and would be a quick and easy weekend DIY project. All you need are a couple of unused picture frames, a backing-board, and your choice of chalkboard paint. Your frame can be an ornate vintage thrift store find or something cheap and contemporary from the local bargain shop – paint it, distress it, or leave it natural – whatever suits your decorative style best. Now all you have to do is replace the glass pane from the picture frame with a similar-sized board painted with chalkboard paint. Et voila – a lovely upcycled chalkboard for your daily to-do list,recipes, grocery store needs, or just for some pretty decorative scribbles.
The Ayva Round Nesting Table set pairs natural marble with gold-toned legs for a glamorous look. | source: Decor Pad
Designed by Italian furniture designer Lucian Ercolani, the “354” nest, or rather the “Pebble” nest as it is affectionately known, is a Mid-century Modern classic. | source: The Salesroom
What is the definition of Nesting Tables?
Have you ever heard someone mention the term “Nesting Tables“, “Nest of Tables“, or “Nested Tables” and wondered what on earth it meant? Well, now you have to wonder no longer – we will define Nesting Tables for you! Here is the latest addition to our Decorating Dictionary…
Nesting Tables: (also known as a “nest of tables” or “nested tables”) is a set of occasional tables varying in size in order that the smaller tables can neatly slot underneath the larger ones to save space when not in use. A set can consist of anything between two to four tables although a set of three is most common. Made popular during the Mid-century Modern era of furniture design, nesting tables are prized for their practicality and flexibility.
Rose recently spotted a lovely article on Emily Henderson’s blog that set the inspiration cogs in our heads turning. In the post, “Why You Should Be Using Armoires in Every Room”, Emily elaborates why furniture pieces like armoires should not be hidden in the bedroom but incorporated as feature pieces in the rest of the home.
Before we get all tripped up over terminology, let’s quickly look at the definition of “Armoire”…
As we have previously defined in our Decorating Dictionary, an Armoire is a large loose-standing two-door cabinet, usually containing shelves, hanging space, and sometimes drawers below. Generally used for storing clothing or household items, interestingly enough it was originally used for storing arms.
IKEA’s black-painted BJÖRKSNÄS Display Cabinet serves as a sleek and stylish office storage unit in this home workspace. The design has its roots in Scandinavian handicraft tradition – durable natural materials with fine joinery details and proportions that make suitable for any room of function. | source: IKEAThe interiors of this classic Victorian mansion has been impeccably modernised for contemporary family living. What a statement this bold and contemporary armoire makes in one of the bedrooms – and the striking deep blue colour is to die for. | source: est living | interiors: Clare Cousins | photography: Shannon McGrath
Emily had the following to say about this atypical trend:
“Let’s talk wardrobes, or armoires if you’re feeling fancy, and how to bring it into our modern day lives because even though likely none of us are currently living in a sprawling French chateau, these heavier pieces of furniture can be used successfully (and VERY chicly) in nearly every room of the house. It’s one of those pieces that are often overlooked, but let’s all agree to stop that right now and consider the armoire.
Sure, with a name like “wardrobe,” you’re thinking they have to be relegated behind closed bedroom doors. But we’re all for thinking outside the box around here at EHD and like to be trailblazers in anything if we can. We’re not in this instance, but we’re loving what we’re seeing from other like-minded people. Because really, armoires are essentially just cabinets for storing things so why can’t we use one anywhere and everywhere we need storage, right? Plus, because they take up more vertical space than horizontal, they’re great for smaller footprints.”
In her blog post, Emily shared some gorgeous examples of both traditional and contemporary armoiresused as storage and display in various unexpected parts of the home – from the bathroom and entryway to the dining room and living room.
VISI recently shared a post on their website that piqued our interest. Printing and photography studio ORMS launched their own boutique range of wallpapers.
For this limited-edition collection, ORMS collaborated with 16 local creatives – South African artists, illustrators and designers – to create a lovely selection of unique and show-stopping wallpaper designs.
One of the motivating factors behind the launch of this exclusive range is that ORMS believe their clients are looking for individual designs with local flavour rather than the generic image spread offered by stock libraries. “We get a lot of requests for custom-printed wallpaper designs, as our customers are wanting something unique for their homes and businesses,” says Leanne Barling, Head of Décor Printing at ORMS.
The artists involved in the collaboration are Ahimsa Ali, Aimee Hall, Andrea Brand, Andrew Hofmeyr, ARK Paper Studio, Cecile Nowars, Fleur Le Cordeur, Frances White, Gany Beyers, Liffey Joy, Katie Lund, Lisa Strachan, Maria Baumann, Mariette Kotze, Nicole Carr and Si Maclennan.
While all the wallpaper designs are absolutely lovely, the work of one artist, in particular, jumped out at us. It was the playful, quirky and utterly whimsical designs of artist and illustratorAndrew James Hofmeyr.Read More »
I have to admit, for someone in the creative industry, I’m a bit of a fashion dud. Don’t get me wrong, I DO desire lovely, well-thought-through outfits and voguish attire – it is just not high on my priority list. Furthermore, I don’t think I was blessed with the expert “fashion eye”. For me comfort trumps style most days and, to be honest, I am fine with being a Plain Jane.
Having said that, there is something very desirable about a beautifully designed and organized closet. Gorgeous clothes, shoes, handbags and fashion accessories lined up and displayed like the posh shelves of a chic boutique. You don’t have to be a fashion guru, retail addict or materialistic diva to want and appreciate a stylish walk-in closet or dressing room.
Everything has its place in the gorgeous colour-coded walk-in closet of fashion blogger and “blazer addict”, Verena. | Source: Verena (@my_philocaly) via Instagram
