Room for that special touch

Put a bit of yourself in every corner of the house make it an extension of yourself to relax and enjoy.

We all know what goes into making a house a home:

The process

Put all ingredients in a soothing environment and “cook'' on the heat of your love, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year …

Oh yes, the ingredients are the same but the recipe to turn four walls and a few doors and windows into a home is our own.

Sanctuary

We are not here to analyse the emotions needed to change a house to a home. We are here to consider only our “cooking pot'' — a soothing environment.

Home is a place you want to retire to after a hard day's work. You want a sanctuary for yourself to relax and enjoy in.

“Home is where there is peace. Home is where you can relax and free yourself from stress. A place for our family and a place where our heart belongs,'' says Nanette Suarez, visual merchandising manager at Home Centre.

“Home is a reflection of your personality. The way we decorate and organise our home speaks volumes about our taste, style and choice,'' feels Hameed Khawaja, visual merchandising manager at Homes r Us.

Suarez agrees with Khwaja when she says, “Personalising your home means that the house reflects who you are.

It's your visualisation, your ideas, your choice, that defines your ‘home'''.

What you look for in a home is an extension of yourself. You may decide to dress it up the traditional way or give it a contemporary look — the idea is to create surroundings that calm you.

You choose colours that don't hurt you. You choose styles and shapes that please you.

How to

“Home decor is an important aspect for a homemaker,'' Khawaja says.

“Over the years, there has been a transition in the way people decorate their homes. From conventional and functional homes, there is an increased interest in including style and aesthetics as an integral part of the home — a result of progressive lifestyles of the present generation,'' he adds.

“I've noticed that most of our customers in Dubai want a home that is more functional. They wish to make optimum use of the space available, especially if they are living in a studio,'' Suarez says.

So what do we look for when shopping for home furniture and decor? Khawaja provides us a few tips on how we can bring out a bit of ourselves in the various rooms at home.

So gather all your ingredients and start working on your recipe to set up that beautiful home.

Dining room

It is often said that “a family that eats together, stays together''.

You may also wish to include your close friends and
relatives here. Therefore, here's what you would need to keep in mind to offset a perfectly cooked meal.

“The dining area should be the centre of the home but it is losing importance to the trend of having an open living and informal entertaining. However, tables still remain the main focus as the family dines there,'' says Nanette Suarez.

Kids' room

If you have younger children, the first thing you would look for when decorating is colours.

Children's bedrooms can easily become overcrowded with toys, games, equipment and other odds and ends. Every item that speaks of activity contributes to keeping the room “awake''.

“Kids can't relax in a bedroom overflowing with toys and bright primary colours. We need to tuck our children into the tranquil embrace of a cosy, serene bedroom that encourages them to calm down and get the rest they need,'' Khawaja says.

Choose warm pastels or rich colours, such as lavender, peach, butter cream and cocoa.

Serenity is the keynote here. If you make the room soothing in appearance, you'll help your child calm down.

Display a selection of comfort toys, such as stuffed animals and dolls, and store their action-orientated toys out of sight in trunks and closets.

When children share the bedroom with siblings, give each child a distinct place within the room to call their own. It may be half of the room, a table and a chair, a toy trunk, a closet or a bureau.

This keeps each child's individuality defined and helps them learn to respect other people's space.

If your child would like a fantasy room, Khawaja says, “the best kids' fantasy rooms are those designed around a theme''.

“Why? Because when all the elements of a bedroom contribute to the overall vision, it creates a unity of elements and gives the room a comforting sense of wholeness that a slapdash jumble of every cool accessory and idea that catches their fancy can never give. Help your child choose a theme,'' he adds.

For boys, the themes could include a tropical jungle safari, ocean voyage, space voyage, vehicles (aeroplanes, trains and cars), construction zone, medieval kingdom, a rock star, the Wild West and so on.

For girls, the themes could include a tea party, floral meadow or garden, princess, movie star's dressing room, prima ballerina, carnival, animals, undersea world and so on.

Once you and your child have settled on a theme, use a custom-made theme bed as its centrepiece and build the room around it.

Living room

Most of the apartments open into the living room. It should, therefore, exude a sense of welcome to your guests and especially to you, when you come back home at the end of a long day.

The name itself suggests “liveliness''. This is where you work, relax and play. It is also the room where you spend good times with family and friends.

Therefore, it has to be a place where you wish to linger and not rush out of. “It's the perfect place to ‘put yourself out there' and display the art, colours and collections that you love.

How you decorate the living room speaks volumes about your personality and how you view the world,'' Khawaja says.

Yet, make safety and comfort as important as beauty when shopping for furniture. Aim at designs with friendly detailing.

To increase the sense of comfort in the living room, arrange the furniture to form islands that you can move around easily when required.

Appoint corners with a number of enhancements, such as plants, sculptures, lighting, art and furniture.

To encourage social intimacy and relaxation, place the primary furniture, such as a sofa, in a way in which it commands a view of the room.

Kitchen

If the bedroom is where you recharge your batteries, the kitchen is the place that sustains you.

“The kitchen is one of the most used areas in the house which we solely forget in terms of design and accessorising'', says Nanette.

“As an individual you must learn to embrace your inner sense of fun producing kitchens that burst with colours and energy.

"rom lavish red, yellow and orange to mix and match utensils, jars, eccentric pattern of table areas, etc. Design your kitchen in a way that is innovative, practical and eco-friendly''.

For example; Take lemons or oranges and keep in them in a clear glass jar then do some flower arrangements.

There are various ways that you can do or get an empty bottle. Use one to keep some chilies, ginger, garlic or other spices and display them on wall shelves.

Bedroom

This is your private sanctuary. This is where you end up recharging your batteries to battle the world on a day-to-day basis. It is, therefore, important to make this room the cosiest and closest to your heart.

“Comfort is the prevailing language of all well-designed bedrooms. How it is translated and interpreted depends upon the individual,'' Khawaja says.

Some may like it soothing, soft and serene while others may feel an opulent bedroom is blissful. Splurge on fabrics that are sensual and exotic — chenille, flannel, silk, cotton, satin and velvet.

The view from the bed is very important. Put a frame, a piece of art or a vase that lends the room a pleasant, dreamy touch. Light a scented candle, play music and relax.