Decorating Quick Tip | Old Picture Frame Turned Jewellery Organizer

Quick Tip #55: Old Picture Frame Turned Jewellery Organizer

February 19, 2019February 18, 2019 Design Monarchy1 Comment

A collection of smaller, more contemporary frames used as jewellery display. The frames even have their own stands – perfect for your bedroom dresser or vanity. | source: ChinaHao.com

DIY Jewelry Display with Lulu Frost. | source: honestly wtf

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!

Images Sources: 1 | 2 | 3

Trend Alert: Rattan

November 21, 2018 Design Monarchy2 Comments

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 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:

Decorating Quick Tip | Old Drawer Turned Wall Storage

Quick Tip #54: Old Drawer Wall Storage

July 18, 2018 Design Monarchy1 Comment

source: Hornschuch UK Ltd via Houzz

source: vtwonen

Let’s continue with our “cool things to do with old drawers” Decor Quick Tip miniseries, shall we? As mentioned previously, this is but one of the many clever and quirky dresser drawer DIY ideas we’ve stumbled across. We are really enjoying this playful series! Be sure to check out the previous drawer tips, “Old Drawer Turned Table”, “Under Bed Drawer Storage” and “Old Drawer Turned Tray” … just in case you missed it.

#54 Looking for a fun way to add additional storage to your space? Why not repurpose an old and unwanted dresser drawer into upcycled wall storage. Attach the bottom of your drawer (or a grouping of drawers) to the wall to create a quirky and eye-catching wall shelf. You can use it to display decorative items or as a catch-all storage for everyday things like keys and letters. To further enhance your drawer’s appeal give it a lick of bright paint and apply an attractive wallpaper or wrapping paper to the inside of the drawer bottom. For a slightly different effect, attach the back of a drawer to the wall to create a cantilevered wall box – drawer front and handle facing out. Use it to store and display books, plants, or even toiletries and towels in the bathroom. It can even serve as quirky bedside storage (as shown above).

Images Sources: 1 | 2 | 3

Trend Alert: Decorative Wall Tiles

July 11, 2018March 27, 2019 Design Monarchy12 Comments

feature image: chaine femme by fireclay tile

by Marica Fick

Earlier this week Rose and I were chatting about an unfortunate mishap in her home. A leaky pipe in the wall of her main bedroom en-suite caused a bit of havoc – peeling bubbling paint, mould etc. – messy stuff. Fixing the problem is just as tricky – enter an assortment of leak detectors, plumbers, tilers, and painters. The process was dusty, noisy and invasive… not to mention a drain on the wallet. Not fun at all!

Yet, trust Rose to put a positive spin on such a negative situation. She was quite thrilled by the prospect that, at least now, she can replace the tiles in her shower with a feature wall of decorative tiles.

Of course, that set the wheels turning in my head about the increasing popularity of decorative feature tiles. Over recent years we have witnessed a steady influx of decorative wall tiles in all shapes, colours and textures.

As interior designers, we cannot tell you how excited we are to see this trend become mainstream. Here at Design Monarchy, we have always been proponents of bold and interesting instead of predictable and safe.

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

The Evolution of Pink

May 22, 2018May 23, 2018 Rose McClementLeave a comment

by Rose McClement

When Beatrice Moore-Nöthnagel of Media24’s Tuis / Home Magazine recently approached me for a quotation as an “Expert Opinion” on the topic of “why pink remains ever popular in decor“, I was thrilled. Especially since the colour pink has been on my decor radar in recent times. This is for a few reasons, one of which being, that we had only recently completed the interior design and decor of a Nail & Beauty Spa which featured the colour. We selected a soft, silky tone of pink for some of the seating. Furthermore, it was upholstered in a velvet fabric – yummy! – another one of my favourite decor elements right now.

The Evolution of Pink | Home Magazine — Rose of Design Monarchy is featured in the May issue of Home Magazine / Tuis Tydskrif

I’ve always been a lover of pink – no matter what the shade or tone. Way back in the late 80’s our main bedroom had walls painted in a very bold “shocking” pink.

Furthermore, I’ve never really been afraid of using it in our interior projects. There is one particular project that springs to mind. We installed two bold pink sofas in the lounge of Galway’s The House Hotel back in 2006. The Irish folk were delightfully gob-smacked! It actually became the talk of the town for a while.

Here is what I had to say on the undying popularity of pink:

Over the last few decades, the global psyche has slowly been undergoing a shift from a purely male dominated world order towards the inclusion of the feminine energy. As women have slowly moved out of the shadows towards the centre stage, so too has the colour pink.

Like a woman, what can the colour pink bring to a space? It can melt and softens linear lines. It brings with it a sense of deliciousness. It has the capacity to lift the vitality of a space, to make it light and frivolous if need be. Yet it can also raise its voice to make that big, bright and bold statement.

As women continue revealing their intrinsic value, so too will the colour pink continue revelling in the limelight.