From minimalist décor to statement pieces and a muted colour palette, modern home design is one of the biggest trends in interior design right now. It is a great opportunity to freshen up your home’s look and feel if you already have one, or to build a residence of your dreams.
But where do you begin? From the process of visualising what you want your home to look like, allocating a budget for your project, knowing how to make various design elements blend to produce desired results, knowing what materials to use and where, the list can be seemingly endless. Or perhaps you know how to do all this, but your time is limited.
That is where professional assistance comes in. Whether you are working on a tight budget, or you want lavish high-end looks, the market is quite versatile. Consulting with a design company gives a wide pool of workable ideas from which to pick from, as the designers are able to narrow down based on what you want, your resource allocation, as well as the space being worked on.
It can also give perspective on how to utilise dead space in your house, be it a basement, an artic or any other space that can be remodelled to be more practical and productive for you.
DN2 Property had a chat with Moshe Noiman, the CEO of Classic Mouldings Limited, an interior design and construction services company that has over 30 years’ experience in the industry. He shares tips on some simple installations that will transform your home, based on the products that the company sells.
Whether it’s a new house, you’re gearing up to sell or just in the mood for a change, these home décor ideas will instantly add a contemporary touch to your property.
If ‘unique’ is the definition you want for your house, or you are just tired of ceramic tiles, natural stone is the way to go.
This is a product with versatile uses, as it can be installed anywhere in the house. From porches, walls, floors, and worktops, the variance is only as limited as you can dare imagine. In warm areas you have more leeway to use stone tiles anywhere in the house, but in cold areas, you can use it at the entrance, for kitchen worktops, in external claddings and in the bathroom.
As this is a natural product, it is environmental friendly. It also has pores and therefore ventilated, which prevents cases of the floor bulging from pressure due to lack of proper curing or faulty installation.
Natural stones on display at the Classic Mouldings on Mombasa Road.
Photo credit: Evans Habil | Nation Media Group
Whilst many people are sceptical about using too much glass in their houses, a roof window is definitely an idea you want to give serious consideration. Not only will it cut power costs for you by bringing in more natural light (therefore eliminating need for artificial lighting), it will also give your space a fresh and modern touch.
The most common use for roof windows is in artic conversions, and nothing screams modern like a proper liveable artic. Whether you choose to make the space an extra bedroom, office, lounge or game room, roof windows bring in much needed lighting and ventilation, while also giving you the full experience of enjoying nature.
You can also install double volume roof windows in the kitchen, staircase or even corridors. The windows are double glazed for security and insulation purposes, and have blinds for when you need them. Some varieties are also installed with sensors and close automatically when it begins to rain.
Roof windows and light tunnels will light up your home.
Photo credit: Pool
With the advent of modern technologies and modern materials, mouldings have become more versatile, providing both functional and aesthetic appeal. Indirect lighting cornices and curtain profile cornices which conceal lighting and curtains respectively, will give your home a unique touch of class.
Mouldings can also be in form of panels such as skirting or 3D panels installed as art pieces, or dummy wood made of polyurethane that gives your house an aesthetic of exposed real wood at a much lower cost, on top of being environmental friendly.
As mouldings are custom made and designed, they can be manipulated in shape and colour to match your exact desires.
These are highly reflective tubes made of three parts: light-collecting, light-transmitting and light-emitting devices. They bring in natural light to rooms that do not have direct access, and you cannot talk about modernising a house without proper lighting.
In utilisation of space, light tunnels can help you transform dark rooms like basements and make them exciting and practical living spaces. The tunnels can be rigid or flexible, which means installation is tenable even in areas where there are obstacles between the room you want to light and the roof.
Walls are very important when it comes to modernising your property, as something as simple as paint can make or break your design.
If you are on a tight budget, picking the right flat paint (normal paint) will suffice and still give your house a contemporary touch. You can, however, get superior textured paints at a fair price, which in turn gives you more leeway to be creative with your design, such as replicating high-end wallpaper looks.
There is also some paint substitutes, such as a product called wall to floor. It can be applied both on the walls and floors, therefore acting as flooring substitute as well, giving your house a seamless feel and cutting on cost for skirting and cornices. Since it is painted in four layers, one being a mesh, it is hardy and sticks to the surface even in cases where the wall cracks or the floor bulges because of pressure.
It is also rewarding to invest in an acrylic plaster or other textured finishes for your walls on the outside, for the ultimate contemporary look both inside and out.
