Tag Archives: Color

Interior Design Trends for 2014

Bring the Outdoors Indoors
More and more designers and manufacturers are creating outdoor designs for indoor spaces, partly due to the recent trend in sustainable and eco design, and when done well really has that ‘wow’ factor.

Brass
The trend in brass has been growing over the last year and, when done properly can look elegant, timeless and very cool.

Brass

Corduroy
Especially when paired with the ‘Outside Inside’ look, this years trend for corduroy upholstery manages to feel casual and elegant at the same time.

Corduroy

Fiber-art & Macramé
A lot of designers at the moment are talking about fiber-art and macramé being a big trend this year. Relatively inexpensive it can be used instead of fine art, wall paper and expensive design pieces, and definitely add edge to a space.

Macrame

Glamour
Use soft colours, striking design pieces and metal accessories to update your glamour look.

Glamour

Accents of Colour
A big hit at Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan – monochrome or soft undertones with accents of vibrant colour.

Accents of Colour_fromdoc

The Blues
Blue is a massive trend this year, from the catwalks to design exhibitions. Don’t be afraid of mixing different shades either – it’ll add interest and depth.

Blue

Colour
Last but not least is a general movement towards using more colour in interiors. Definitely a theme at Maison et Objet in Paris in February, have a look a Missoni’s display there for some inspiration.

Colour - Missoni

Paramount Hotels & Resorts launches DAMAC Towers in Dubai

Five-star hotel launches can quite often be looked over in Dubai, but when Paramount Pictures puts its name to something we pay attention, interested in understanding how a major Hollywood film studio is going to approach the design of such a project.

Joining forces with DAMAC properties, who have produced residences by Versace Home and FENDI CASA, Paramount Hotels & Resorts announced the major joint development to be called DAMAC Towers by Paramount. The project, which houses four towers located in Downtown Dubai, will be home to the first ever Paramount Hotel and Paramount Residences. The project is due for completion and opening in 2016.

And yet, what is going to be different about this development? When a luxury fashion brand puts its name to a property – be it residences by Versace Home, FENDI CASA or Baccarat, a hotel by Armani, or a nightclub by Armani or Cavalli – you pretty much know what you’re going to get. It’ll be luxurious and impeccably designed, but it’ll reflect the fashion brand so closely that from a design perspective there aren’t going to be any surprises. This isn’t to say the above mentioned interiors aren’t amazing, they are! The Armani Hotel’s sleek black and grey minimalist interior exudes class and luxurious simplicity, and only a genius (we’re talking Roberto Cavalli here) could combine zebra print, purple lighting, black crushed velvet with enormous chandeliers all in one space, and still keep it sophisticated. It’s just that, as the properties are an extension of what is already a design brand, you know they are going to be, well, an interior version of a couture dress.

But how does one of the oldest, most recognized Hollywood film studios decide to design its hotels? We spoke to Thomas Van Vliet, CEO of Paramount Hotels & Resorts, back in December 2012, and he explained that he didn’t want the design to be obvious or tacky by including features such as a ‘Marlon Brando’ Cigar Lounge, and we agree. It was refreshing to hear a brand developing a hotel in Dubai and still wanting to maintain an element of innovation and creativity.

And at the launch we weren’t disappointed. The brand values – creativity, simplicity, collaboration, mystery and escape – show that Paramount Hotels & Resorts will be developed using the same creative process perfected by Paramount Pictures itself. The promise was to focus on innovative design and energizing concepts using the development to showcase media, music, design, fashion and the arts, “For the creative. By the creative.”

The designs were elegant and playful, hinting at the California lifestyle, with a definite yet subtle Hollywood film influence – floor lamps resembling studio lights, a dramatic installation made from light umbrellas. The lobby boasts theatrical high ceilings and celluloid themed structures and curves. The design concept is neither so obscure that film buffs will be disappointed or so apparent that design enthusiasts will cringe – and considering where our passions lie, all we can say is roll on 2016.

DIFF 2012 VIP Lounge The Story: Part I

Cate Blanchett & Yasemin Richie at the IWC Gala Party in Dubai: Cate loved her Storyline inspired by Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Since Yasemin Richie are sponsors of the DIFF VIP lounge we thought we’d give you the low-down through out the week.

VIPs to the lounge on the first day were the stars of the opening night red carpet film “The Life of Pi”.  Suraj Sharma, Adil Hussein and Shravanthi Sainath all left with personalised Storylines – Suraj took a Storyline inspired by The Bicycle Thief, a film given to him by Ang Lee while he was perparing for his role in The Life of Pi.

On Monday Best Actress Academy award winner Cate Blanchett made a whirlwind visit, which was tightly scheduled and carefully planned, and loved her Elizabeth: The Golden Age Storyline. Also we had singer/songwriter Bryan Ferry who popped in before heading off to the IWC Gala where he was Master of Ceremony and Cirque de Soleil star Erica Linz – Bryan left with a Storyline inspired by Legend. Throughout the day the Lounge was filled with Kuwaiti television stars.  Leading ladies Shaima Ali and Fatima Al Saffi came in along with brothers Mahmoud and Abdul Bouchari and actor Hamid Al Omani.

Although he didn’t manage to get to the lounge, we had a lovely time with Kevin Spacey at the IWC Gala and he left Dubai with his very own Storyline inspired by American Beauty.

Kevin Spacey IWC Gala Yasemin Richie

Kevin Spacey at the IWC Gala in Dubai: Kevin has a Storyline inspired by American Beauty

 

Suraj Sharma & Yasemin Richie

Suraj Sharma & Yasemin Richie with a Storyline inspired by The Bicycle Thief

 

Shravanthi Sainath & Yasemin Richie

Shravanthi Sainath & Yasemin Richie: Storyline inspired by the Bollywood film Straight from the Heart

 

Adil Hussein & Yasemin Richie

Adil Hussein & Yasemin Richie with a Storyline inspired by his film Ishqiya

 

Mahmoud Bouchari & Yasemin Richie

Mahmoud Bouchari & Yasemin Richie

 

Ahmed Bouchari & Yasemin Richie

Ahmed Bouchari loved the Storyline inspired by The Matrix

 

Andrew Adamson & Yasemin Richie

Had a great chat with Andrew Adamson, director of Shrek, about how the colour palette of a film is created

 

Andrew Adamson & Yasemin Richie

Andrew Adamson & Yasemin Richie

 

Bryan Ferry & Yasemin Richie

Bryan Ferry &Yasemin Richie

 

Yasemin & Richie Delaroche

Yasemin & Richie Delaroche at the IWC Gala during DIFF 2012

Peplum Perfection

By Leyla Keskin

Anyone who knows me will know that I am obsessed with any and everything 1940’s.  Women during this time seemed to look effortlessly classy and glamorous despite the difficulties of living in wartime Britain (or anywhere else for that matter).

Advert in Vogue circa 1947

 

My obsession started when, as a little girl, I realised that my Grandparents where alive during the war. I would ask them all sorts of questions about their experiences and loved hearing everything they could share with me, from how my Grandfather helped his Grandfather build their air raid shelter to how my Grandmother would watch her Mother draw a line on her calves instead of wearing stockings. My Grandmother would and still does tell me stories about her childhood and she always seems to remember exactly what she was wearing. She describes her outfits in great detail, creating a vivid image in my head and always ends her description with ‘Oh, I thought it was marvellous’.

Given my obsession with 40’s fashion you can understand how pleased I was when celebrities started posing on the red carpet wearing PEPLUMS!!!

The 40’s were all about curves. Clothes were made for women with curves or to create the illusion of the perfect hourglass and the gathered, flared material around the waist of a peplum does exactly this.

So you know what a peplum is but how do you wear it? I read somewhere that because the peplum is already a statement piece then you should not colour clash or team it with any patterns! Rubbish! As far as I am concerned there are no rules when it comes to colour or patterns.

One thing you do need to remember when rocking a peplum is that it is designed to show off those womanly curves. If you are wearing a peplum top then team it with a pencil skirt or a pair of skinny jeans to avoid it looking too fussy and loosing that hourglass shape. When wearing a peplum skirt you can team it with a strapless bodycon top for a glam evening look or dress it down with a jersey top for a daytime look. As with any look, remember to have fun and experiment – the peplum is both quirky and glam, vintage and modern and can be worn day or night.

I asked my grandmother the other day whether she ever wore peplums as a young girl, partly hoping she still had one or two pieces stashed away in her wardrobe.

‘A what?’

‘A peplum, nana’

‘You’ll have to show me what a pep….peplum is’.

I ran up to the small bedroom I stay in when visiting my grandparents and grabbed my purple peplum top.

‘Oh, a frill! I had a coat with a frill going around my waist as a girl. Oh, I thought it was marvellous’.

Interior Style Trend: Monochromatic Colour Scheme

A look that is in all the interior design magazines at the moment is the monochromatic colour scheme and, don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds. A monochromatic colour scheme simply uses variations in shade of a single colour to create a clean and elegant look.

Monochromatic colours go well together, producing a soothing effect, which is fantastic to come home to after a stressful day. The monochromatic scheme is very easy on the eyes, especially with blue or green hues and can be used to establish an overall mood. The main colour can be integrated with neutral colours such as black, white, or grey. One thing to be aware of is that it can be difficult when using this scheme to highlight the most important elements of your room. The space can also end up looking a bit boring and bland if you haven’t planned it properly.

So how do you do it? Firstly you have to choose your main colour. Personally I like beige for this colour scheme, but blues and greens also work well. Choose a soothing soft shade of your main colour and use this throughout, for example on the walls. If you are going to paint all the walls of a room with colour be careful to choose a light shade to avoid overkill, and to make sure you don’t close in the space by making it too dark. With this as your base colour, choose furniture in different shades. For example, if you have a beige colour scheme the obvious choice would be wooden furniture.

Monochromatic Colour Scheme

Small colour accents will add interest to the scheme

If you are using a blue, white or grey furniture would work well. Always remember neutrals – black, white, or grey – can be added to the main colour. Once you have your base you have to choose textiles, and additional items to finish the space that are different shades of the main colour. Make sure not to make everything ‘match’ – that is not the aim of this look – you want to use as many shades of the main colour as possible

Again, if you are using beige, the colours in your room can range from a dark brown to an almost off-white beige, in addition to neutral colours. An easy way of doing this is to get a few paint colour charts from a local hardware store and carry these with you when you’re shopping for items. To add interest to the space, you can add one or two pieces of a contrasting colour, but do this cautiously as you don’t want to ruin the overall scheme.

And that’s it! Remember to have fun with it, and make sure you always keep the overall mood in mind when choosing different colours/pieces for your room.