When it comes to deciding whether to opt for a classic or trendy interior in your estate home, you can have the best of both worlds.
“You have to remember that trends come and go, whereas your house is a massive investment,” explains Adele Hunter-Smith of Trading Spaces PE, who has decorated the interiors of several homes at the Sardinia Bay Golf & Wildlife Estate in Port Elizabeth.
The peaceful surroundings are one of the things that draw people to the development and you want that tranquillity to extend indoors. To achieve it, she suggests lots of open spaces with neutral tones and natural fabrics.
“I find that neutrals with greige (between grey and beige) are very popular on walls lately.” And, according to her, the use of more than one colour is becoming commonplace – with tones of grey a favourite.
While you want to ensure your home always looks great, Hunter-Smith says you can follow trends without breaking the bank on furniture and fabrics.
“You can make things look really smart and nice and upmarket by just having the right colours, the right furnishings and the right finishes – and making sure they work well together.
“With flooring that is outdated, or boring walls, the moment you change and update that you will see that the house already feels totally different.”
When trying to bring a new trend into your home, she suggests it’s better to stick with a classic look while making your smaller, cheaper items trendy.
“I always say that you should go plain with your big, expensive things like curtains and sofas and then you only have to worry about keeping the smaller, cheaper items on trend as they can be replaced easily.
“Certain trends will come and go, like now there are a lot of natural trends, and you can bring these in for your soft furnishings like scatter cushions and such.”
Homes are expensive and therefore you want to make sure they look good from the flooring to the colour of the walls. To obtain that ideal flowing look, Hunter-Smith recommends bringing in an interior designer as early as possible.
“I find that a house will look a lot better when one is involved right from the beginning – like choosing flooring, tiling and paint finishes. From there they can make sure that everything works really well together.”
She has a few hints about the latest trends for those who are thinking of updating their homes.
“Bold feature walls are coming in a lot. Wallpaper is making a comeback in a big way in kitchens, guest bathrooms and some bedrooms; it can create quite a big impact.
“African-inspired prints and African basket-ware are also on trend these days.
“When it comes to flooring, I find that stick-down vinyl or wood-look vinyl flooring is the best, depending on your budget of course.
“Vinyl flooring lasts longer, is quite indestructible, looks really good and can go anywhere. It’s also soft underfoot and warmer than tiles.”
Hunter-Smith says people often don’t realise how costly furnishings can be and end up going over budget.
“Curtains, for example, can be massively expensive and people tend to underrate the costs and what’s involved.
“I always tell my clients that they must try to make sure to save a good chunk of their budget towards the end to accommodate the furnishings, otherwise they will feel like their house is unfinished.
“Those tiny bits at the end are what pull everything together.”