The world of interior design is one that changes trends and spatial settings at a very fast pace. Many times new space builders are left with a furry of ideas and concepts, finding too many choices before them; to create the most pleasing interior for their personal pleasure and function. Our team here at Top Properties would like to render our service and expertise in the field to you, so that you may have the perfect interior with minimal hassle. The current trend most buyers take to is the renovation of older spaces with vicinity friendly exteriors, into contemporary high end interiors. Hence we have chosen to answer renovation and modification of space related questions within this issue.
Q. After living together in a smaller deluxe space, my husband and I are moving into a beautiful, yet very old colonial home in Colombo 7 left to us by family. The exterior needs a lot of work. And we are expecting a baby soon and would like your advice on how to create a modern interior that is still family oriented.
A. Firstly, in regard to the renovations of your new home’s exterior; there might be a few restrictions if the site is under National heritage listings, and changes to the structure itself might be prohibited. Please check with the UDA on the specifics and know your can’s and cant’s before proceeding further. (Most of the time this is done to preserve the vicinity architecture and value) Don’t fret if this turns out to be the case, there are still many wheel-tweaking ways in which you can personalize your exterior.
In regards to the interior, given that this is a very old structure, we advise the hired help of a professional in clarifying utilities and wall structure before any kind of demolition is done. There might be certain features that you would like to preserve as well, features that are telling of the original space, yet complimenting the new one.
In this transition time, it is best for you to consider what kind of family environment and atmosphere you want to create within your walls. Interiors impact your moods, desires and they set the ambiance to alter your temperament, especially in the case of residential design. Many young couples make the mistake of not separating their own space from the baby’s. Most of the time this is due to cultural methods and standings; however it is best to always divide and mass the space in such a way that the two of you are guaranteed some privacy and this will save you a costly design change in a few years as your family expands.
There are standard family friendly color palettes and textures but we advise that you find a palette that represents your lifestyle and routine. For instance if you are a couple that likes to entertain and host; it would not do to set your entire home in a never ending conspiracy of pastel shades. Even for the children’s mass of the house don’t restrict your choices to norms and conservative views. As mentioned earlier a significant part of residential design is perfecting a personal emotional connection to the space. If you are overwhelmed with these choices there are many qualified residential designers, who are of diverse design backgrounds, currently in the island. It is not like it used to be, with a handful of design opinions; the industry has flourished to a place where there are many able.
Q. Having lived in Britain for the greater part of my life, I am back in Sri Lanka and am currently living with my parents. This is a temporary situation and I will be moving to a more feasible location soon. In creating this new home I would like to hold close the beautiful colonial architecture that I lived with over there. I am willing to invest fully into this endeavor.
A. Designers who cater to a specific era or period of design and architecture are called stylists; by viewing a portfolio you can identify exactly who you want to work with, as there are different specifics and elements that make one colonial building different from another built a decade later, but still of the same era. Colombo is, has and for a very long time will be in love with colonial features in buildings.
Also visiting sites rich in the influence of this era, for example The Colombo National Museum, will help you gain an understanding of how you can make what you are familiar with collaborate beautifully with the natural elements of the island. In regard to ventilation and weather control compromises or decisions will have to be made given the climate difference between the two destinations.
Also if you are interested in digging deep into the eras roots and styling your interiors with era appreciative designer wares make sure you purchase alongside professional understanding of the furniture or decorative pieces being from the British period of rule. Many attempt to create blue collar spaces by purchasing era-related furniture and totally miss the difference between something that was created in the time of the British, to the time of the Dutch or Portuguese. A trained eye can easily tell you the difference, and the we believe that in the perfection of detail your new home will convey more reality than a space set up to represent.
Q. How does one go about making a new piece seem more aged? In specifics: wooden furniture.
Well for starters, we always encourage buying the best, product wise. But this can be a hassle in regard to budget as genuine antique pieces are very pricey. There are many product aging/distressing paint treatments available today.
First you must find an area to work on the piece that provides ample ventilation and space to rotate the object. Once you have found the appropriate treatment, do sample work on several medium size flats of the same material. This way you will be able to evaluate things like: number of coats necessary, color contrast and texture flow direction, before you touch the actual piece. Before starting see if your supply of paint, sandpaper, specified brushes, etc is all up to par and ready to go. Many of these treatments involve good time management and it would not do to leave the piece outside and go on a last minute material hunt. Lastly when you are satisfied with the distressed look of the piece of furniture, be sure to clean off any paint dust that the sanding left on the piece. Allow the paint to further dry completely.
Thank you for directing these questions to us and we hope that they have been answered to your satisfaction. We plan on finding another specific subject to focus on in our next issue and await your suggestions and inquires. Our team wishes you all the very best in creating dynamic interiors, beautiful and personal to you.
Q. After living together in a smaller deluxe space, my husband and I are moving into a beautiful, yet very old colonial home in Colombo 7 left to us by family. The exterior needs a lot of work. And we are expecting a baby soon and would like your advice on how to create a modern interior that is still family oriented.
A. Firstly, in regard to the renovations of your new home’s exterior; there might be a few restrictions if the site is under National heritage listings, and changes to the structure itself might be prohibited. Please check with the UDA on the specifics and know your can’s and cant’s before proceeding further. (Most of the time this is done to preserve the vicinity architecture and value) Don’t fret if this turns out to be the case, there are still many wheel-tweaking ways in which you can personalize your exterior.
In regards to the interior, given that this is a very old structure, we advise the hired help of a professional in clarifying utilities and wall structure before any kind of demolition is done. There might be certain features that you would like to preserve as well, features that are telling of the original space, yet complimenting the new one.
In this transition time, it is best for you to consider what kind of family environment and atmosphere you want to create within your walls. Interiors impact your moods, desires and they set the ambiance to alter your temperament, especially in the case of residential design. Many young couples make the mistake of not separating their own space from the baby’s. Most of the time this is due to cultural methods and standings; however it is best to always divide and mass the space in such a way that the two of you are guaranteed some privacy and this will save you a costly design change in a few years as your family expands.
There are standard family friendly color palettes and textures but we advise that you find a palette that represents your lifestyle and routine. For instance if you are a couple that likes to entertain and host; it would not do to set your entire home in a never ending conspiracy of pastel shades. Even for the children’s mass of the house don’t restrict your choices to norms and conservative views. As mentioned earlier a significant part of residential design is perfecting a personal emotional connection to the space. If you are overwhelmed with these choices there are many qualified residential designers, who are of diverse design backgrounds, currently in the island. It is not like it used to be, with a handful of design opinions; the industry has flourished to a place where there are many able.
Q. Having lived in Britain for the greater part of my life, I am back in Sri Lanka and am currently living with my parents. This is a temporary situation and I will be moving to a more feasible location soon. In creating this new home I would like to hold close the beautiful colonial architecture that I lived with over there. I am willing to invest fully into this endeavor.
A. Designers who cater to a specific era or period of design and architecture are called stylists; by viewing a portfolio you can identify exactly who you want to work with, as there are different specifics and elements that make one colonial building different from another built a decade later, but still of the same era. Colombo is, has and for a very long time will be in love with colonial features in buildings.
Also visiting sites rich in the influence of this era, for example The Colombo National Museum, will help you gain an understanding of how you can make what you are familiar with collaborate beautifully with the natural elements of the island. In regard to ventilation and weather control compromises or decisions will have to be made given the climate difference between the two destinations.
Also if you are interested in digging deep into the eras roots and styling your interiors with era appreciative designer wares make sure you purchase alongside professional understanding of the furniture or decorative pieces being from the British period of rule. Many attempt to create blue collar spaces by purchasing era-related furniture and totally miss the difference between something that was created in the time of the British, to the time of the Dutch or Portuguese. A trained eye can easily tell you the difference, and the we believe that in the perfection of detail your new home will convey more reality than a space set up to represent.
Q. How does one go about making a new piece seem more aged? In specifics: wooden furniture.
Well for starters, we always encourage buying the best, product wise. But this can be a hassle in regard to budget as genuine antique pieces are very pricey. There are many product aging/distressing paint treatments available today.
First you must find an area to work on the piece that provides ample ventilation and space to rotate the object. Once you have found the appropriate treatment, do sample work on several medium size flats of the same material. This way you will be able to evaluate things like: number of coats necessary, color contrast and texture flow direction, before you touch the actual piece. Before starting see if your supply of paint, sandpaper, specified brushes, etc is all up to par and ready to go. Many of these treatments involve good time management and it would not do to leave the piece outside and go on a last minute material hunt. Lastly when you are satisfied with the distressed look of the piece of furniture, be sure to clean off any paint dust that the sanding left on the piece. Allow the paint to further dry completely.
Thank you for directing these questions to us and we hope that they have been answered to your satisfaction. We plan on finding another specific subject to focus on in our next issue and await your suggestions and inquires. Our team wishes you all the very best in creating dynamic interiors, beautiful and personal to you.
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