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Hi All!! We have launched in Cape Town!!
This is so exciting for me, as Cape Town is in my opinion one of the most
beautiful and inspiring places in the world. So all you Cape Town folk can
now join us on our Do-It-To Decorate workshops, and learn a few valuable tips
and tricks to do-it-yourself! We are also offering our fabulous turnkey
design service for anyone renovating, building or who just needs a bit of
redesigning. I had the most interesting
conversation with my reflexologist and thought that I would like to share
this story with you. Now let me start by giving you some history on Mrs J. I
have been seeing her twice a month for about the last 3 years and she is one
of the most centered and stable people I know. Totally together and never
becomes even slightly unhinged.. until today! After the initial
pleasantries we got chatting about our weekends. There is a fabulous hotel
Mrs J has been frequenting monthly for the past 20 years. The hotel has
recently undergone a change of ownership and subsequent "makeover".
Mrs J was clearly upset with some of the design choices as it seems they have
moved away from the traditional cozy feel, and converted to a design style
that is very contemporary and modern. This makeover included bright citrus
colors, and removing the original Victorian wallpaper and replacing it with
something more graphic in primary colour's. Hmm ducks replaced by damask.
Also all the antiques and traditional furniture have been replaced by very
modern items. Can this really be so terrible?
The reason I find this interesting is because of how completely devastated
Mrs J has become over the fact that what she is familiar with, has now been
updated and changed completely. Can a simple coat of paint make one feel so
unwelcome, and well... a little unhinged? Which brings me to my next
point. It is really important to find the environment and design style that
you feel comfortable with. We all need a designed space that reflects our
personality and makes us feel welcome after a long hard day at work. This can
be difficult to achieve though, if you don't know what your design
style is. Begin by asking yourself the
following questions. What type of environment do I want to come home to? What
environment am I choosing for myself to live in? Am I surrounded by pieces
that i love and find inspiring? Take on a simple project for
winter. Choose one room, give it a coat of paint, re-arrange some of the
furniture and de-clutter. Get yourself a cozy warm blanket for your comfy
couch. Switch on that ambient lighting and read a good book. Enjoy winter,
and hey I am all for a season that will allow me to have that one extra cup
of hot chocolate :) Gotta love layers!! |
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This is part of our exclusively
designed laptop tote bags. Our range is limited to 10 bags per design, to
ensure exclusivity and style. Each bag is designed to hold your notebook,
mobile, make-up and any other gadgets and toys, fashionably and stylishly! We
design our laptop bags to resemble high end fashion handbags, which we
believe will complement your wardrobe beautifully. Our fabrics and leathers are
imported, and our bags are locally manufactured proudly South African! Each
bag has a limited edition collectors seal engraved on the inside. For more info, and to view a
few of our other bags in the range.. Take a look at www.bigcitylife.co.za This is a must have item when working in the City! |
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The Big City Life,
do-it-to-decorate design workshops will give you all the information, and
design processes needed to reinvent your home, giving it that professional
touch! The workshops are filled with
interesting hands-on projects, as well as visits to local manufacturers and
suppliers. For an in-depth look at the glamorous and creative world of
interior design and what's involved, come and join us for 3 days to learn and
to be inspired. Our workshop will also give you a solid foundation to start
your own design projects, and unleash your inner creative spirit! Delegate Feedback
Cape Town Dates: 14 June, 21 June, 22 June
2008 JHB Dates: 28 June, 5 July, 6 July 2008 For more information, cost
packages and course outline please visit http://www.bigcitylife.co.za/Big-City-Life-Interior-Design-Decorating-Workshop.htm |
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Now as you are going to be
taking on that design project in your home. How do you really find out what
your style is. I find inspiration such an interesting topic really. Working
in the design field, inspiration is something that we designers need on an
almost hourly bases. This is the simplistic
creative process I use. Hopefully you can use the same concepts and discover
your ideal big city style. Questions to ask yourself! What inspires you? What gets you excited? What gives you a feeling of
emotion.. Good or bad, after all we need to know what we dislike, to know
what we like. A few ideas on where to find
inspiration Now on a personal note I look
for inspiration in everything that is around me.. I love film, and fashion..
and books and nature and Art.. and of course the City. My list is endless but
the question is how do you take that inspiration and turn this into a design
or an environment? The trick is to identify one object and use that as your
"inspiration piece" The Mood board Once you have identified your
inspiration piece. You will need to get yourself some A1 mount board. You can
find mount board at any Herbert Evens store. Now place your image slightly
off center on your page, and secure it with some masking tape. The search begins! Look through magazines.
Search the internet and take photos in any design or furniture store that you
think may work with your inspiration piece. Consider the colour's, textures,
and style of your furniture items, fabrics and accessories that you find.
Place them on your board, and refer back to your inspiration piece. Be
vigilant! If the item you have found does not reflect the same mood as your
inspiration piece. Get rid of it. You will slowly begin to see your design
plan come to life. Your mood board is an
integral part of your room makeover, and will ensure you don't make any
unnecessary costly purchases. Below is a list of items you
should include in your mood board: ·
Your inspiration image ·
Photos of the room you are redesigning ·
Furniture style ·
Colour palette ·
Wallpaper or technique options ·
Flooring and rug options ·
Fabric samples and paint samples ·
And of course last but not least your accessories Always keep your camera
handy, and take photos of any interesting items you may find. Thank goodness
for camera cell phones!! A few Examples
Still at a loss for some
inspiration? Why not pop into the Plascon Concept Store in the Design Quarter
in Fourways. This shop is absolutely beautiful, and filled with interesting
objects to get your creative juices flowing. They also have the most fabulous
computer programme that will allow you to view various rooms in your house
with your chosen paint colour. Just make sure you take a few photos of your
room with you. For more info http://www.plascon.co.za/LivingConcepts/index.html Or, why not tune into the
Home Channel! They have the most fabulous line-up of design shows. Following the
early morning coffee run, the first order of the day is to tune in. One of my
favorite design shows was Design Star, and I am soo excited to see David
Bromstad in action in July in his new show Colour Splash. I also never miss
an episode of Divine Design. Candice Olson is absolutely brilliant with her
exciting and innovative design solutions. For more info: Mood board Makeover! We would love to see your
mood board and makeover design plan. Send a few photos of your completed
boards, and we will publish them to our site. We will also give you some
advice on your plan. The most inspiring mood board concept, will win a 6
month subscription to Garden and Home Magazine. Send all your photos to ingrid@bigcitylife.co.za, or gillian@bigcitylife.co.za I often get asked the
question, what is your personal style. I usually answer something along the
lines of.. well I consider myself to be vintage, modern contemporary with an
eclectic twist and a touch of beach house. This will often cause a rather
puzzled look.. where I try to further explain myself by saying, "think
along the lines of Coco Channel, meets Vivienne Westwood and a touch of
Alexander McQueen and Ralf Lauren and you are there!.. Even more
confusion.. Now try mix that up into an interior :) Its all about what you love!
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We have managed to source
directly from Italy a selection of beautiful one of a kind leathers. These
leathers are available in every colour you can possibly imagine. They also
have beautiful embossing and delicately printed detail. Very special and
unique. These leathers are a limited edition and will update a classic
chesterfield couch, with a modern contemporary twist. To see the sample of these
leather, please give us a call |
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Get your copy now! |
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Side Attraction3 design and
manufacture a collection of creative, African inspired designer pieces for
your home. Although they draw their inspiration from Africa the product
ranges are designed to have global appeal. In line with the trend
towards global consciousness Side Attraction3 employ the skills of various
local underprivileged community groups as part of their support and
upliftment projects. They seek to promote the value of a lifestyle lived with
social awareness.. This is my kind of brand!! For more details and info
take a look at: contact Mandy on: 084 674
5006, email: mandycramer@telkomsa.net |
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For more info: Excellent news! We can
purchase a selections of Toord Boontjie's converted Garland and Midsummer lights
from Imagenius in Cape Town, and for all the folk in other provinces, they
are more than happy to send you any of their products! FYI The light on the cover of
this month’s Elle Decoration is the Midsummer Light.. I like! |
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Subject heading: Competition gillian@bigcitylife.co.za Subject heading: Competition |
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All
discounts, competitions and promotions are only available to subscribers of
the Big City Life newsletter. Big
City Life - Style Central! Please
note Big City Life does not support any advertising, and all
products/services/shops etc listed on our newsletter have our stamp of
approval as being absolutely fabulous! |
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