Intentional clutter, cohesion and upcycling: What Interior Design Masters has taught me ...Middle East

Buying a house is difficult and expensive – especially if it’s your first time. I know, because after years of saving by living with my parents (and a substantial loan), I’ve finally done it. But what no-one talks about is how getting the keys in your hand isn’t the last step. Now, you have to “make it your own”, to “turn the house into your home”: you must decorate.

For someone as indecisive and capricious as I am, choosing paint colours and furniture is a nightmare. What if I don’t like that shade of beige when it gets on my living room wall? What if that cow print armchair and matching footstool I bought on a whim is too much of a statement?

Thankfully, the sixth series of Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr has been on at the same time I’ve been making all these decisions, giving me ample inspiration and lessons on how best to design – not “decorate”, as judge Michelle Ogundehin always reminds her competitors. As the series prepares to crown its winner tonight (my money’s on Rita), I thought I’d share my learnings from the past few weeks:

Previously known as “a bloody mess”, clutter is now very fashionable. But I’m not talking your grandma’s shiny pot ballerinas dotted about all over the place, this clutter is intentional. It’s thought out, it has a purpose, and that purpose is to let others know how successful you are, that – as well as your house – you own things to put in it.

This is brilliant news for me and the knick-knacks I have collected over the years. These include (but are certainly not limited to), a cat figurine that doubles as a tiny vase, multiple empty candles, various fake Ikea pot plants, beaded coasters all emblazoned with my initials and my beloved fish gluggle jug. Now I can place them all – intentionally – around my house and be branded stylish rather than messy. Thanks, Michelle!

Cohesion (but not matchy-matchy) 

That aforementioned cow print armchair currently sticks out like, well, a cow print armchair, in my otherwise muted, sensible living room. But, according to Interior Design Masters I shouldn’t be looking for other cow print pieces to go with it, for being “matchy-matchy” is a decorating faux pas. Instead, I should seek “cohesion”.

That means, apparently, creating harmony between the colours and “vibes” of a room, creating a “flow”. I suppose that means I’m tied into a brown and cream theme for my living room… so much for all those bright blue cushions I bought.

The BBC cannot, under any circumstances, be perceived as wasteful or environmentally unfriendly. Upcycling – the act of taking an old crappy thing and turning it into a shiny new thing – is hugely encouraged in the series. We’ve seen drums used as coffee tables, wire spools used as coffee tables, and even old second-hand coffee tables used as – you guessed it – coffee tables!

Inspired by this ingenious use of old materials, I’ve been glued to Facebook Marketplace, looking for all sorts of pieces I could sand, varnish paint or reupholster. So far, I’ve had little luck and the only “old” piece of furniture I’ve picked up is a beautiful farmhouse kitchen table given to me by my mum’s friend. It’s covered in glitter and the wood doesn’t match anything else in the kitchen, but I’m sure I’ll upcycle it one day…

Panelling 

When contestant Briony was still in the competition, no wall was safe from her love of panelling. And rightly so – who knew gluing a square of wooden rails to a wall could up the sophistication and swankiness of a room so much? Unfortunately, I do think this is a passing trend that will quickly go out of fashion and only indicates that you spend far too much time on Pinterest.

However, Briony’s panelling has inspired me to add a bit of interest to my bedroom walls with a dado rail (a fancy way of saying a line of wood moulding around the room). Cue me doing lots of maths, heading off to B&Q, and spending a small fortune on bits of wood, only for it to be piled in the corner of the room for weeks on end. Which leads me to…

Creative painting 

I have decided to go bold and paint a “drop ceiling”, which is a fancy design term for painting the ceiling a different colour to the walls, and bringing that same colour a few inches down the top of the wall. Mind blowing, right? Not really, but Michelle Ogundehin did always nod approvingly every time a contestant did this, which is all the encouragement I need.

At least I haven’t gone too far and attempted a mural – I’ve seen enough of those on Interior Design Masters to last a lifetime.

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Intentional clutter, cohesion and upcycling: What Interior Design Masters has taught me )

Also on site :

• Chipotle is Giving Away Free Burritos for An Entire Year—Here's How to Win
• 19 Sex Scenes on ‘The White Lotus,’ From Absolutely Awkward to Incredibly Hot
• Is Ashley Leaving 'The Young and the Restless'?