I love your Accent!

This beautiful embroidered accent chair creates a focal point in the room.

Photo credit: Om Sweet Home, Singapore.

If you ask me what my favourite kind of furniture item is, my answer would be undoubtedly the Accent Chair.

 Accent chairs have the remarkable ability to lift a room from ordinary to interesting and from sublime to spectacular. It changes the character of the room. It lends to a room the same quality that separates men from boys. In case you are wondering, “what is an accent chair?”, Accent chairs are stylish seats that “accentuate” your main sofa, bed, or any other furniture in the room. An accent chair is akin to a feature wall or an artwork. It elevates the look of the room as well as makes a statement on your personal style. Hence, the accent chair has to be a deliberate and well thought out choice.

What’s also great about accent chairs is that they can be used in a myriad of ways - it could be a cosy reading nook in the bedroom, a peaceful vantage point from which to gaze out the window or a statement piece in the living area.

So how do you go about investing in the right accent chair ?

My answer to that is, let the space decide on the kind of accent chair that you need to purchase. Different rooms will dictate a different kind of accent chair.

A lot of attention to detail has gone into designing this room. The different fabric prints follow the same colour palette and create a cohesive look. The striped accent chairs compliment the cushions, the carpets and the curtains beautifully.

This image is for representational purposes only. Photo credit: Pinterest.

For the Living Room, I personally prefer an eye-catching and inviting look. So I always choose high back accent chairs in a print or material that contrasts with the sofa. Mixing different colours and textures in a room adds whimsy. At the same time when making your selection, think about the bigger picture - how all the pieces will work together. This includes the coffee table, side tables, curtains and even the carpet  – they should all follow an overall theme in either colour or pattern. My favourite accent chairs are the wingbacks. They are extremely comfortable and they add instant sophistication to a space.

These accent chairs are placed strategically in an enclave creating a lovely conversation corner.

Photo credit: Om Sweet Home, Singapore.

Where the Bedroom is concerned, apart from the bed, it’s always a good idea to have a seating area, however small. It anchors the space and elevates the room from being purely utilitarian. Slipper chairs or a chaise are perfect to have alongside your bed. They are armless and low, which gives them an elegant silhouette that doesn’t take up a lot of room. They’re ideal for short sitting periods. If your bedroom has a large window, you can even go in for a love-seat. Perfect for curling up with a good book or simply gazing out.

These side chairs frame the entrance console beautifully.

This image is for representational purposes only. Photo credit: Pinterest.

For the Entrance Foyer or Dining Area, side chairs work brilliantly. Their slender and unobtrusive structures are perfect to frame a console, or a sideboard. They are also fairly lightweight and easy to manoeuvre when extra seats are required.

Since Covid, Work From Home has become a part of everyday life for many. If you have the luxury of space in your Home Office/ Study, I would suggest adding a plush recliner in leather coupled with a side table and a floor lamp. Ideal for when you want to rest your back and do some late night reading for that important presentation the next day.

On the other hand, when you want to relax, Lounge chairs that tilt back and come with a matching ottoman are great for any informal space such as the Family TV room.

Veranda living

This image is for representational purposes only. Photo credit: Pinterest.

Now that I have covered most rooms found in a regular home, I’ll leave you with another firm favourite of mine – The Planters chair. If you are living in one of Singapore’s iconic Black and White houses, the planter’s chair is the perfect accent to the colonial Verandas with their lush greenery. Kicking back in a Planter’s Chair with a Gin and Tonic in hand sounds like the perfect Sunday afternoon to me. What do you think?

Tagged: interiors, home decor, interior decoration, interior design, accent chairs

Pic credits: Om Sweet Home, Pinterest.

Sofa So Good!

It doesn’t matter that you live in a spacious home and have the most exquisite art on the walls and expensive crystal chandeliers dangling from your ceiling…if your sofas are wrong, the living room is going to fall flat on it’s face. “Why” you ask?  Simple - your sofas are the principal seating in your living room and also the natural focal point of the room.

 I find that many people don’t mind shelling out mega bucks on art and carpets, but end up compromising on their sofas or simply choose the wrong sofa for their home.

 If you are clueless about selecting the right kind of sofa for your living room, here are some basic pointers:

DON’T MIX STYLES: If your entire living room has rustic or ethnic elements, then please don’t go and buy a futuristic sleek modern  sofa. That modern sofa might look amazing in the showroom, but will look completely put of place in your current living room. It’s not impossible, but it takes skill and talent to get away with clashing styles.

TRY OUT THE SOFAS: I think it’s not a good idea to buy sofas online. As much as possible, try out the sofas yourself. The average sofas have heights ranging from 45 to 50 cms and depths of at least 60 cms, which gives ample room to maneuver if you have long legs. But since dimensions vary from sofa to sofa, it’s advisable to try out different sofas to ensure good back and knee support.

Moreover trying out the sofas yourself will give you the chance to consider and opt for the best firmness that suits you. If you like soft sofas that you can sink into, then you should opt for sofas containing more feather. But if you like a lot of firmness and support, choose a sofa with more foam. The ideal combination according to me is - sofa seats with more foam or fibre, and the back cushions with more feather.

Attractive and comfortable sofas are at once inviting and cosy.

Pic: Pinterest

SIZE: Make sure to measure and be certain of the sofa dimensions, so that it will fit and compliment your space. It will be disastrous to find that the sofa that you have bought is too small or too big for your area. Additionally, check the dimensions of any doors or stairways the sofa will have top pass through during delivery.

FABRIC: Colour and fabric are both a matter of individual choice, but needless to add, if you have young children or dogs, then do consider darker shades/fabrics that are easily washable or loose covers that cab be removed for washing.

Whether to opt for plain colours, prints or bold patterns are all a matter of personal choice.

LEATHER OR FABRIC: It’s a matter of personal choice. Leather gives the room a plush and upscale look, but the rest of the room must follow suit. Personally, I prefer a fabric sofas in the living and family rooms as this gives a more relaxed and homely feel ; whereas I would opt for leather (preferably Chesterfield sofas) in a study, library or the entertainment room of your home.

Creating lasting first impressions

Styled by Om Sweet Home

How often do we judge a book by its cover? It’s only fair to assume that in most cases a home will be judged by its foyer. Nowadays many people realise this home truth and are including the foyer in their renovation or decorating plans. The foyer is not just a spot to physically dust off the world’s worries before you ensconce yourself in the comforting embrace of your home, it is also the space that will create the first impression your guests will have of your abode.

The foyer or entryway, as it’s sometimes called, is the first sight that greets visitors to your home and gives them an inkling of what’s waiting for them inside. Besides that, you and your family will pass your foyer several times a day, so make it’s up to you to make it an interesting route.

 Allow me to give you some pointers on how to make your foyer welcoming and  create a great first impression.

When your main door opens directly into the living area, a decorative room divider provides a minimal and elegant solution of creating a demarkation between the entryway and the sitting area.

In the case of small or no foyer: Firstly, not every apartment or house comes with a spacious foyer…in fact quite a few have no foyers. In that case, you can create an illusion of a foyer through a few simple tricks.

1.    Contrast: Starting from the main door itself, contrasting wall colour/treatment or flooring immediately creates a visual boundary between the foyer and the living room.

The teal blue door and a graphic print carpet coverts this small foyer into a striking entryway.

2.    A room divider: To give your visitors a clear idea as to where the entrance ends and the living area begins, another technique is to use a minimal decorative room divider or a shelving unit to clearly demarcate the two spaces.

This clever shelving unit doubles up as a classy room divider.

Lighting: Some foyers have compact and narrow spaces with no natural light. There’s a way to fix this. Bounce light into this space by using mirrors. This helps in making the room look bigger and brighter. Lighting can be used effectively to make an dramatic impact – nowadays there are several beautiful pendant lighting fixtures available in the market that are perfect for foyers.

Furniture and Decor: Utilize the foyer to add elegant décor details that will help to elevate the overall ambience of your home. The foyer is the ideal spot for a sleek console table, a striking mirror, a bold painting or sculpture. And if you have ample space in your foyer, you can include other refined accents such a statement couch, lamps and an eye catching carpet runner, all of which spell sophistication and class.

This sleek console, coupled with a bold painting , table lamps and indoor plants creates an inviting atmosphere. Styled by Om Sweet Home.

Accent wall: An accent wall can beautifully offset an art installation,

Add colour to your foyer without having to paint the entire space. Alternatively, you can choose to paint a mural on this wall or play with textures such as stone or wood. Another idea is to create a collage of family photos – an instant conversation starter.

Simple tricks such as painting one wall a different colour and off-setting it with an antique console and striking carpet immediately elevates an otherwise boring entrance.

Storage: Last, but not the least, when your guests enter your home, you wouldn’t want them to trip or dodge carelessly scattered footwear. Ample shoe storage is key to a clutter free entrance. The foyer can also be used to store shoes or sports gear with thoughtfully built in storage that integrates with the design of the rest of the house. Placing a beautiful bench by the door will make it easier to remove or put on strappy sandals or lace up shoes and also give the space an inviting touch.

 All photographs are for representational purposes only.

Pic credits: Om Sweet Home, Aliexpress.com,, Recommend.my, Decoist, Hotpads, Lazada Sg, Pinterest.

Some home truths in the times of COVID 19

This is my favourite to-do home project - creating a collage of my fondest memories. I call it Wonderwall.

Now, more than ever, our homes have become the most important and over-utilized space in our day to day lives. It’s June and most of us are still working from home and will continue to do so for at least a few months more if not a year. Our children have been schooling online for the last few months, and soon with the summer holidays, they will continue to spend more time indoors until and if normalcy returns. Tempers are frayed and morale is at an all-time low.

Today I am going to address a few key concerns that we all have.

1) How do we strike the right balance between work and personal spaces?

2) Considering the whole family is together and  indoors most of the time, how do we prevent our home from becoming a war zone and instead turn it into a calm sanctuary? How do we ensure that we retain our sanity, and insulate ourselves from this global atmosphere of uncertainty?

1.Striking the right balance between work and personal spaces:

Eroding boundaries between work and relaxation can give rise to exhaustion. So make sure that you do not work on your laptop from your dining table or from your couch or the patio. Instead, assign each family member a room or a section of a room and keep it separate throughout the work day. Most importantly, make sure that your family occupies these work spaces only during your work times. Treat each other’s working spaces as if they were offices or schools. Let each member create a desk space for themselves in their favourite corner. Make sure that these work stations have a good amount of natural light, sockets for electronics, and most importantly earphones. Simple touches like a vase of flowers can add a dash of colour and cheer.  If you have two or more kids using the same room, separate their work spaces with a make shift curtain, a book shelf, or any other visual divider. This visual divider will give them privacy. Another great idea is to have the children’s desks facing outdoors through different windows. “In” and “out” trays or boxes will help maximise efficiency and help keep the work space neat. You can also use small kitchen jars to store small items like pens and paper clips.

Do not eat lunch or have your mid-morning coffee at your work desk. If you want your coffee fix or your kids are feeling snacky, put out some bar stools in your kitchen and use your kitchen as an office/school cafeteria. Insist on having your lunch together as a family at the dining table. It’s a good way to break the day’s monotony, to connect and recharge.

A two-in-one work station like this one is an ideal space-saving solution. It provides each kid with privacy within the same room.

2. Making your home an oasis of calm:

REFRESH AND RECYCLE: Accommodating the entire family 24/7 is not an easy task. But an easy and cost effective way to refresh your living space and also gain some added space is to rearrange your furniture.  Involve your family in this project. And while you are at it, use this opportunity to declutter your home. Clearing the physical clutter in your home, also declutters the mind and opens up spaces that you never knew you had. In the process, you might find some stuff that can be efficiently recycled and repurposed. At the end of this exercise, you will be surprised at the shift in energy – in your mind as well as your home.

MAKE A WONDERWALL: This is my favourite and once again you can involve the whole family in the do-it-yourself project. Begin by painting one wall in the house, preferably a corridor wall or a staircase wall. Next identify your fondest memories. We all have special photographs on our Instagram. How about printing them out, putting them in frames (the frames don’t have to be uniform) and creating a wall collage of people and places that you love the most? Intersperse these frames with hand-painted sayings, palm prints of every family member, prized art works or curios that you bought on your travels.

BRING THE OUTDOORS IN DOORS: Natural light is an instant way to perk up any room. Maximise natural light in every room, by first dismantling your heavy curtains. Instead use only your sheer day curtains.

Incorporate plants and flowers into your living spaces. Other than adding colour and cheer to any room, plants are also proven stress busters. If you are lucky to have a balcony or a garden, use this downtime to nurture a herb garden.

 Another fun way to get the outdoorsy feel is to unpack your Christmas lights and install them along your window ledge or wrap them around a shelf in any room. Soft lighting that resembles a starry night brings instant coziness to the room.

So that’s it from me! See you soon on the other side. Until then #hanginthere #takecare #staysafe

Convert your balcony into a sanctuary.

All photographs are for representational purposes only.

Pic credits: Om Sweet Home, Decor It Yourself, Better Homes And Gardens, Pinterest

A Child's Bedroom Is Their Castle

Their bedroom is where every kid likes to seek refuge….be it to sulk when they’ve had a lousy day at school, or day-dream about their latest crush. The bedroom is not just a place where they sleep; It’s where little kids and possible future world leaders think, ideate, plan, play, pretend, dream, read, gossip with their friends, nurse a broken heart, ….the list goes on. Which is why, the children’s bedroom is more important than you think.

 Before we begin, here are two important factors to consider:

 COLOUR: This is the first thing adults think about when they are decorating a child’s room. Please don’t restrict yourself to misogynistic and outdated colour codes. Just because he is a boy, your son’s room and everything in it doesn’t have to be blue. PLEASE! Similarly your daughter’s room doesn’t HAVE to be pink or purple. If your son likes blue, then by all means. On the the hand if your boy prefers pink, then that’s the colour you should choose – after all it’s his room, not your’s!

 Remember, colours can soothe or stimulate, so choose wisely! Pastel hues like pale yellow or sea green can be used to calm children. Bright-colours could be stimulating and may affect winding down.

 A wise idea would be to stick to a neutral or versatile colour for the walls, and then select the décor and soft furnishings in the colour combination of your child’s choice. One word of caution: children are fickle. They go through phases. Their favourite colour today might not be their favourite colour tomorrow. And clearly you cannot keep repainting the room every year to match your child’s myriad moods. Your teenage kid might be going through a Goth phase and might want everything in black! This is where you draw a line and suggest something less drastic like perhaps a black and white theme.

 The furniture and accessories in a child’s room should be versatile enough to adapt to his changing needs. Remember to select a flexible decor theme since you may need to rework it once every 5 years!

PRACTICALITY: Keep in mind that it’s a kid’s bedroom, and not your formal entertaining area where you display your fine bone china. So keep it practical. Kids like to muck around and draw on the walls and every other surface, so please don’t spend a fortune on the furnishings. Remember it’s going to get dirty, broken, torn and out grown. Therefore, choose wisely – think washable paint for the walls, sturdy furniture and sensible storage. It sounds boring, but it doesn’t have to be.

  Here are some easy tips to make a your kid’s bedroom beautiful, fun and practical all at the same time.

1.  A black chalkboard wall: Letting your kids express their creativity is good but it’ll be a relief if all the walls don’t have to suffer the brunt of this creativity. Paint one wall of your child’s bedroom in black chalk board paint. This is sure to bring out the inner Picasso in every child and instantly make their room a fun hangout.

2.  Cosy retreats: All kids like to retreat into a cosy corner for some quiet me-time or have a pretend tea party with their stuffed animals. For this, what better than a tent? If you don’t have room for a tent, how about a bunk bed and utilizing the space below? Be creative and colourful. Decorate with cushions, curtains, colourful rugs, fairy lights…and voila!

3. Storage: To encourage a child to tidy up and organise his things, provide adequate storage and keep storage solutions easy to reach.

4. A window seat for rainy days and sick days: Build a cosy window seat for those days when your kid cannot go outdoors to play. So what if you don’t have a bay window like in the movies?  You can still create the same nook against any wall by arranging book cases on either side.

5. Upcycle and recycle: As you might have realized by now, I’m big on sustainability. Why discard when you can give your child’s previously loved pieces a new lease of life. A great example is when your child ourgrows his/her favourite T-shirts and jumpers, don’t give them away. Instead convert them into a patchwork headboard or comforter for their bed. It’ll be personal and one of a kind.

6. Wall paper magic: Another simple tip to elevate a kid’s bedroom is the creative use of wallpaper. It can be used to cover not just walls, but also bookcases, chests of drawers and wardrobes or the side panels of bunk beds and shelves to create a sense of fun and whimsy.

7. Starry nights: While on the topic of wallpaper, another great spot for wall paper is the ceiling

8. Teenage travails: If you have a young teenage son, consider decorating his room with black and white wallpaper that evokes Pop Art, A punching bag suspended from the ceiling, vertical shades, a dart board and over head track lighting complete the “I’m a big boy now” look.  

9. Collector’s pride: If your kid has won many trophies or if they have an enviable collection of memorabilia, then do dedicate a space for it in the room. For instance, check out one of the walls in my kids’ bedroom that proudly displays their vintage comic covers.

I hope I have succeeded in arming you with enough ideas to get started on decorating your child’s bedroom. One thing is certain, Both you and your kids are going to love spending time in this room.

Disclaimer: These pictures are for representational purposes only.

Pic credits:Domino, the glitter guide, MyDomaine, Suet Bruno, Pinterest and Om Sweet Home

Art for Heart's sake.

Painting by Ines Longevial

Here I am, on the cusp of making my debut as a bonafide artist with my first art show just around the corner. Apart from it being a culmination of over 2 years of hard work and self introspection, this has been a creative journey and an exercise in finding myself. My art works are a reflection of what I see in my mind’s eye and in the colours that speak to me. It has been an intensely personal and empowering experience for me, resulting in 15 works of art . I love each one of them dearly as though they were my kids. In a way, they are. But now as I’m putting them out there in the world, I wonder how I will feel when one piece gets picked over the others. Will I feel elated for the artwork that finds a home, or will my heart break for the one that gets left behind?

Clearly there will be favourites. There will be pieces that attract the “oohs” and the “aahs”, but there might be some which don’t get a second look. This set me thinking. What is it that we look for when we buy art for our homes? Are there any universal rules? More importantly SHOULD there be any rules?

I know that there are many people who look upon art as an investment. I’m not one of them. I buy art only because it makes my heart sing and my spirits soar. It is a highly personal and emotional choice. Somehow I just cannot look at a painting in terms of current and possible future value.

Unless you are an art curator, buying art does not come naturally. Galleries might seem intimidating and you can get drowned in decisions concerning the right size and the right colour of art for your home. In reality, choosing art is a far more intuitive process than you think.

Check out the local art scene for upcoming artists and talent. Mixed media art by Prabha Saha. Part of “The Face In The Mirror “ series.

Here are my few simple rules that might help you when you buy art.

1)      CHOOSE ART AT A HEART LEVEL: Art speaks to us in different ways. I would say, buy art that you love and can’t stop thinking about. If you come across a beautiful art piece, but you don’t feel anything about it, move on. It is better to stare at a blank wall, than buy art that you don’t give you goose bumps. Remember, when you buy art for your home, you will be seeing it every day and it will become an integral part of your life and your living space. It will make a statement about you. So choose well and choose with your heart, not your mind.

2)      MEASUREMENTS ARE IMPORTANT: Trust your instinct. If you like something, buy it. You will always find space for something you adore Having said that, if you have limited space, please carry the measurements of your space along. Scale is important. There is nothing more tragic than an art piece not getting it’s due.

3)      BE BOLD: Choosing wall colours, furniture, drapes and home décor can follow rules like using a neutral palette as I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, but where art is concerned, I urge you to go bold, go eclectic. Be unafraid of colours and textures. It should be capable of starting a conversation, set the feel and vibe of a space. Depending on the room, you can choose to either go in for one stunning large art piece or a collage wall of several smaller art pieces.

4)      KNOW YOUR ARTIST: Make it a point to read up about the artist , follow them on social media. It will give you a deeper insight to the art work you possess.

If you don’t have the budget for an original painting, check out Uprise Art or Etsy for some interesting, original yet affordable art. Pic courtesy Pinterest.

5)      ART DOES NOT ONLY MEAN PAINTINGS: By broadening your outlook, art can encompass many different mediums – be it photography , drawings, illustrations, vintage style posters, old maps, framed carpets etc. You can discover a host of beautiful pieces that could be perfect for your home.

6)      BUDGET: If your budget doesn’t stretch too far and you cannot afford an original, don’t be disappointed. Almost all artists offer high quality prints of their work too.

Another $ saving tip: If you are fond of photography, get high resolution prints of some of the photos that you are proud of and have them professionally mounted on a board and framed. These are ideal for narrow spaces like a corridor or along a stairway. Photograph by Prabha Saha

“Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” - Thomas Merton

Saigon, mon amour!

These old fashioned and elegant wooden slat windows are part of a hotel built as recently as 2005, but pay a nod to the country’s colonial history.

The euphoria of ushering in the New Year is slowly, but surely dying down, well intentioned New Year resolutions are weakening and before we know it, we’ve already completed two weeks of 2019! So before it’s too late, let me begin by wishing all of you and your loved ones a very happy and productive New Year. 

If most of you are like me, then you too are having holiday withdrawal symptoms. It’s only natural as holidays are that time of the year when there are no to-do lists, and the only agenda is to relax and have fun. During this Christmas break, my family and I made a trip to Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh City as it’s now known). Prior to our trip, I hurriedly brushed up on my history of the Vietnam war. One quick tip, in Vietnam, the war is called the American resistance war. I was most curious to see the intricate labyrinth of the Cu Chi tunnels and was awestruck by the sheer tenacity of the Vietnamese people, who have seen so much of political upheaval and suffering.

Among all the other sights and sounds, what really caught my attention in Vietnam was the beautiful and elegant Indochine furniture.

Indochine style is a fusion of Vietnamese and French style, and this can be seen throughout the country in the colonial villas, tree lined boulevards, especially in the French quarters of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

To take you back a bit, the Treaty of Saigon started the French Colonization in Vietnam in 1862 and until the Geneva Accord of 1954, Vietnam was part of French Indochina, a colonial possession which also included Laos and Cambodia. During 83 years of its colonization, the French not only imposed their political systems in Vietnam, but also significantly  influenced the cultural scenario, ranging from architecture and  cuisine to religion and art.

In Ho Chi Minh, my family and I stayed in the heart of its French quarter overlooking the elegant Opera House and within easy walking distance of the Reunification Palace and the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon. These well preserved buildings transported us to another era and give us a peek into the city’s French colonial past with it’s stylish French façades, wooden slat windows, teak wooden floors and inspired Indochine furniture.

What did I get back for you from my trip you ask? These pictures of exquisite side boards and display cabinets – classic examples of Indochine furniture that blends French structure with Vietnamese motifs. Feast your eyes, mon amour!

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