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Home and Garden on Female First
Tell us a little about this campaign that you're working on with Ambi Pur.
I decided to get involved because I'm really into crafts, making your house a home and those really smally touches to make your home much more beautiful and I think that something like Ambi Pur is fantastic because it's one of those small, inexpensive things that can make a total difference to your home. Creating a scent of something almost atmospheric as low-level lighting and having the right cushions and the right textures in your room, I think it makes a really big difference.
Like you said, you like the small little touches. What sort of pieces do you like?
Small statues, candles. I think that lighting and scent are the perfect way to create a mood map in your home. So, if for example I'm having a dinner party, I might have a nice spicy scent on and then my candles and my lighting would be about 20 per cent - which is something that a lot of restuarants and nightclubs do as well, they have different light percentages for different times of the day.
What do you think is going to be a big trend for home decoration in 2012?
I think that people are going for individuality. At the moment people are valuing small touches, rather than full-on refurbishments and refreshments of their home. Rather than completely redecorating like they may have done in the eighties when there was a lot more money around, now what people are doing, is just sort of adding to what they've got or buying a couple of pieces to compliment what they already have. And kind of creating a narrative and a story in your home. Putting up a children's picture, rather than buying a big, canvas which covers the wall quickly.
What was your favourite trend from 2011?
I liked the whole sort of mix 'n match trend, having lots of different bright colours together. Mismatching paintings on the wall.
What sort of tips do you have for someone decorating their home for the first time?
Create something really clean as a canvas, skim the walls, put nice wallpaper on, make sure the floors are really good quality, and then really slowly bring in smaller touches. Rather than jsut going for a quick I'm-going-to-everthing-at-once, and the reason I say that is because it's financially a lot more viable and also it makes so much difference if you're living in the home and feeling the atmosphere and the vibe the place is in. Rather than literally going out and buying everything at once and almost creating a pop-up new look. I think it's nicer to create something slowly and gradually, you know create a narrative and a story in your home that reflects you and your individuality and personality.
Do you think it's wise to stick to a whole theme throughout the home?
I think it's best if the design flows throughout the home because it creates a more sinuous feel and I think that is really important. For example, I have a very sixities in feel home and in the bedroom, it's still very modernist and very sixities, but I've definitely moved on from a much more muted palette, sea greens, there's a change of pace in their, it still has the whole sixties vibe, but it's much more muted, calming and mroe relaxed. I think it's important to have a matching theme throughout the house because you want it to feel like you're not having a clash when you walk through each room, but you do want to feel that there is a change of pace and different useages of the room. I think that's also really important with scents too, when you go into the bathroom for example, it's quite nice to have a sea feel, you know a fresh feel of sea air or something citrus-y. If you go into the dining room you might want a spice or vanilla scent, something that awakens those senses in you.
When redecorating a room, what should people first think about?
I'd say, what the room is being used for. So, in a sitting room you want a mix of relaxation and upbeat because you sit there and chat to your friends, you watch television in the evening, you paly with your kids. Consider the usages of the room and then from there create a concept board or a colour board, what everyone who uses the room really likes. I always think coral, orange and reds are a great colour for your dining room or sitting room because they're are warm and cosy and they also evoke conversation and they get people thinking and keep them awake.
What sort of colours do you like to see in the kitchen and bathroom?
For kitchens I'm quite boring, I'll go for whites and silvers. I like to keep it very, very simpl. In the bathroom, in fact I've just redecorated my bathroom in my flat in London, and I've gone really full-on with stone. I've got carara marble over the walls and the floor and it looks gorgeous.
I was just in a hotel in Eygpt and they had Alabaster tables, so the alabaster was cut really, really thin and then they had lighting underneath. They just looked stunning.
If a person has a really tight budget, what can they do to instantly change the look or feel of a room?
Very simple things like changing wallpaper, putting up a few pictures, grouping together a few pictures, change the borders around your pictures like really bright colours, which is something seventies designer David Hicks is really well known for. If you go bright green, bright purple and maybe a coral/orange together to border your pictures and that gives a real funky look.
I think also scent, it can just create a totally different vibe in the room.
What's your favourite room to decorate?
I love decorating the dining room.
What tips do you have for someone who has never decorated before?
I think simple is the biggest tip that any designer can offer. Keep it simple and do it gradually. Create a really simple colour palette and do it gradually. Create a clean canvas and then bring things in, as and when you find them. Rather than buying everything at once, gradually, as you see and find things you really genuinely love bring them into your home.
Danielle Proud has teamed up with Ambipur 3volution, now offering longer lasting noticeable freshness, to help transform a house into your home with personal touches. To save £2 on Ambi Pur 3volution, go to supersavvyme.co.uk/ambipur
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