Season’s Greetings From Design Monarchy

December 14, 2018December 13, 2018 Design MonarchyLeave a comment

Wishing all our readers and friends a Merry Christmas and a joyous festive season!

It’s that time of the year again! Time to eat & drink too much, celebrate and be merry – not to mention put the feet up! Thank you for all your support during the year – we truly appreciate it! We loved sharing our passion for design, décor and generally pretty things with you this past year!

Since our studio will be closed for business from today till the 15th of January 2019, The Design Tabloid and our social media accounts will slow its pace a bit in terms of posts. Keep your eyes peeled however – next year brings new and interesting changes for us here at the Design Monarchy!

Have a good one, guys and gals! Design Tabloid out!

♥ ♥ ♥ Love, Rose & Marica ♥ ♥ ♥

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Background vector created by Marifdez – Freepik.com

8 Trendy & Chic Rattan Furniture Items for Your Home

December 7, 2018December 6, 2018 Design MonarchyLeave a comment

by Marica Fick

As we mentioned in the Trend Alert post we shared a couple of weeks ago – RATTAN is back and in a big way! Talk about a 70s blast from the past! What is next – Macrame and Moroccan shag-pile rugs?! Oh wait… that already happened too! Gotta love the cyclic nature of home and decor trends.

The element I most enjoy about the trend’s current incarnation is that it fuses vintage rattan pieces with new, contemporary designs. These fresh designs are slightly more simplified – almost minimal in a way.

While researching our Trend Alert article, I was surprised to see how quickly the rattan trend has spread to the South African retail market. This is something that usually happens at a snail’s pace. A quick online search of our local furniture and homeware stores delivered a lovely selection of gorgeous rattan and cane pieces. This is good news for those who want to incorporate rattan elements into their interior space.

SO, for all you lovers of rattan and cane, here is our round-up of trendy, chic, and beautifully contemporary rattan furniture pieces for your home…Read More »

Trend Alert: Rattan

November 21, 2018 Design Monarchy1 Comment

by Marica Fick

Well, hello my old friend! I am not only talking to you, our patient and longsuffering readers, but also to Rattan! Hello Rattan, I haven’t seen you since the 80s…

I have been meaning to write this Trend Alert post for quite some time. However, as the last quarter of the year is our industry’s silly season, Rose and I have been in the very thick of design and decorating work and projects. Fortunately, as we have now successfully handed off some of our projects, we can turn our attention to a (very long overdue) blog post – YAY!

Since this particular Trend Alert article has been sitting half-finished in my draft folder for SO long, it is not much of an “Alert” but more of an after-the-fact “I am sure you have all noticed”. But hey, now we can happily chat about it together!

We have seen rattan furniture and decorative accessories creep back unto the interiors radar a couple of years ago – probably at the same time as the big Bohemian interior trend. Now, rattan is everywhere. Furthermore, once a trend makes its merry way to the sluggish South African retail market you know it is a big hit.

So, let’s chat a little more about this trend…

Decorating Dictionary: Lacquer

September 20, 2018September 19, 2018 Design MonarchyLeave a comment

Look at the clear reflection in this cabinet’s lacquered finish. | source: via PAINTED BY KAYLA PAYNE

Beautiful and bright chest of drawers with a blue high-gloss lacquer finish. | source: via DOMINO

What is the definition of Lacquer?

Have you ever heard someone mention the term “lacquer” or a “lacquered finish” and wondered what on earth it meant? Well, now you have to wonder no longer – we will define lacquer for you! Here is the latest addition to our Decorating Dictionary…

Lacquer: is a clear or coloured hard-wearing furniture coating with an intense high-gloss finish. The word “lacquer” borrows its name from the lac insect whose shellac-rich resinous secretions (think nail polish) were often used as a wood finish in ancient India. Lacquerwork is also synonymous with the ancient East Asians who used the sap of the Chinese lacquer tree to achieve a durable, shiny glaze. Today lac-based finishes are likely to be referred to as shellac, while lacquer is comprised of more synthetic substances.

[Image Sources: Alexandra Ribar, Painted by Kayla, Domino]

Swan Café Crêperie | Interior by Haldane Martin

Swan Café: A Bit of French Heaven

August 7, 2018August 7, 2018 Design Monarchy4 Comments

by Marica Fick

Two months ago, VISI shared a quick article on a gorgeous new crêperie that recently opened its doors in the Cape Town CBD. The accompanying images of the interiors were so lovely, bold, and striking that I immediately knew that this was a space I just HAVE to see in the flesh.

Located on the corner of Buitenkant and Barrack streets, in the bustling east city precinct, Swan Café boasts of being Cape Town’s first authentic Parisian Crêperie. One can thank the overseeing hand of owner and restaurateur Jessica Rushmere for this authenticity as she is French – born and bred. Jessica, who also owns La Petite Tarte in the Cape Quarter, desired to bring a slice of Paris culture and food to Cape Town.

The interiors were skilfully designed by Haldane Martin. Interestingly enough, Haldane also designed the super cool steampunk interiors of Truth Coffee which is just across the street from Swan Café.

Taking queue from the gorgeous swan logo, designed by graphic designer and illustrator Heidi Chisholm, the space features a bold and patriotic blend of blue, red and white.

The bold blue walls and beautiful monochromatic wallpapers serve as a gorgeous backdrop to the space. The side wall features the well-known Renaissance painting “Leda and the Swan” by Leonardo da Vinci, while the back wall is that of Jean-Léon Gérôme’s “Leda and the Swan”.
Read More »

Decorating Dilemmas: The DO’S & DON’TS

July 31, 2018July 31, 2018 Design MonarchyLeave a comment

by Marica Fick

Earlier this month Rose was offered the opportunity to do a 5-minute speaker slot at an XtraOrdinary Women network meeting. During the 5 minutes, the speaker gets the chance to briefly chat about their business or share something thought-provoking concerning their industry or trade. It is an excellent bite-sized marketing tool.

A day or two before the meeting, Rose and I sat down and put our heads together. A few ideas were bounced around. We really wanted to keep the subject light, fresh and relatable. What could we possibly chat about? There is only so much that can be said in 5 minutes…

Then we had it! We decided to chat about “decorating dilemmas” and include a few common decorating do’s and don’ts. The topic was a massive success! We, therefore, just had to share these points with you here on our blog.

Let’s start with the decorating don’ts…

Decorating Dilemma’s: The DO’S & DON’TS — source: Design Monarchy

9 Most Common Decorating Mistakes:

One of the services we as Design Monarchy offer is site consultations. Rose and I frequently get called out to consult on a home or space where the owner has reached their wit’s end. On arrival, we often encounter the same decorating blunders over and over again. The house, owner, year, trend, and location can all be different, but the blunders are always the same.

Here are some of the most common decorating mistakes we’ve noticed: