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ovid-19 touched every area of our lives in ways we didn’t even imagine possible. Overnight our homes were transformed into multipurpose spaces as different generations arm-wrestled for quiet spots to learn, work, Zoom, watch TV, and escape. In the opinion of interior decorator Tracy Kelly of Nom de Plume Studio: “We wanted our homes to become a place of healing and comfort. For some, that means calm interiors with less but more impactful pieces – choosing quality over quantity; for others, it means the bold use of colour, drawing inspiration and comfort from their healing powers.”
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TRENDS One thing’s clear. We all had time to examine our homes, and found them wanting for this new life thrust upon us. We weren’t eating out or holidaying, so those funds were redirected into making our homes more liveable, more enjoyable, and more functional. Interior decorators are busy. Decor trends are largely driven by events or the mood in a country, and in Covid’s case, it drove two seemingly apposite trends: cocooning, and finetuning our homes for entertaining. The team of Vision by Milstead and Hayter says the main bedroom as the traditional first port of call for decorators has been superseded by entertainment and leisure areas. If you can’t go out, you stay in – and bring people into your home. South Africans are creating convivial “pubs” and “restaurants” inside their homes. Josey
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SAVVY INTERIOR DECORATORS ARE RARELY SLAVES TO TRENDS, BUT RATHER CAREFULLY SELECT THOSE TO WHICH THEY ARE DRAWN AND IDENTIFY AS ENHANCING A SPECIFIC HOME AND ITS ARCHITECTURE, ITS OWNERS AND THEIR LIFESTYLE, WRITES ANNE SCHAUFFER Hayter says they’re opening up the lounge to the patio in an even bigger way than previously: “We’re removing doors between lounge and patio, so the lounge is a massive space – those stackback doors or shutters are pushed out so they’re between patio and garden.” Space, light and air are big drivers. Spaces are being multi-purposed, so too some furniture. The Vision team has been installing “champagne bars” – essentially a kitchen table at a bar height. So, instead of the limited space and functionality of a standard bar, you now can fit more people for drinks/eats/socialising. Wendy-Lee Douglas of Douglas & Douglas – mother of three children under 11 – is understandably drawn to the clear trend regarding organisation and the minimisation of clutter: “Thanks to Netflix’s The Home Edit and Marie Kondo, I’ve
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