23 year old Cape Town student, Janice Judd, has been announced as the winner of the Glade Inspirational Fragrances Competition. The competition called budding designers and decorators from around the country to unleash their creativity and design a unique room, inspired by one of Glade’s six selected fragrances.

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The sound of crashing waves and views over the sea provide the perfect inspiration for homeowner and artist Elma Giliomee.

However, you don’t need any artistic ability to appreciate the calm, clean lines of silk white Decowood shutters and Privacy blinds in this bright, light beach home. Framing the view from each window, whether overlooking the beach or pool area, Decowood shutters allow homeowners control over the amount of light and fresh sea breezes entering the home. Read the rest of this entry »

Sweeping views over a lush wine estate were enhanced when we installed eco-friendly Decowood shutters in this magnificent home.

Paarl, part of the Western Cape’s top wine producing region, is known for its beautiful vineyards, landscape views, breathtakingly old farm houses, stylishly renovated estate homes and hot, dry summer months.

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Summer holidays beckon but if you can’t get away, fear not because we’ve devised a way to create a summer holiday escape on your doorstep!

Turn your home’s outdoor space into an enticing retreat, a place to spend an afternoon reading, snoozing in a hammock or sipping cocktails in the late afternoon sunshine.

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Although the beauty and practicality of shutters have been appreciated for centuries, they have been consistently innovated to suit styles, climates, purpose and architecture through the ages.

First made in marble by the Greeks to cool interiors in the Mediterranean heat, later made in timber and reinforced with iron rods in medieval Europe to improve security, later introduced to the New World by the intrepid British, Spanish and French explorers, then painted white and used to adorn the plantation homes of the South and today used worldwide and across varied architecture styles, shutters have certainly stood the test of time.

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Pots bubble on the stove and delicious aromas waft through the kitchen. A few metres away someone is soaking in hot bath. Steam fills the bathroom and for a few moments it’s as though the world disappears.

Soul-soothing activities, like trying that new recipe or soaking in a hot bath undisturbed, make it good to be home. However, while you’re cooking a scrumptious meal or soaking stress away, your window treatments could be warping, buckling and starting to fade.

Fortunately our Fauxwood blinds are guaranteed against fading, warping, yellowing or bowing. The award-winning Fauxwood blinds are the perfect choice for high heat and humid environments because they’re made from durable PVC-foam (PVC Synthetic) yet they have an authentic wood grain appearance. Read the rest of this entry »

What makes your house or apartment a place you love coming home to? If you’re struggling to think of anything, show your home some love by following these tips…

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Open and organised

Tired of tripping over children’s school bags while you dream of living in a bigger home? A little clever organisation could help you shake that cramped feeling without moving. Start by giving your home a good spring clean and donate anything that hasn’t been used in over a year to charity. Read the article ‘Small home… big ideas’ for more advice on how to make the most of a small home.

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Opening a window or door to let in the sweet smell of blossoming flowers or the sound of children playing in the garden or simply a much needed breeze to relieve the heat is one of the many pleasures of summer. However opening a window or door also invites unwelcome guests into your home.

Mosquitoes after suntanned bodies, miggies disturbed by a lawn-mow or flies enticed by the smell of meat on a braai grid are common gatecrashers to South Africa’s summer party.

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Think juicy red watermelon slices, lush green grass, bright yellow bikinis, turquoise water mirrors, amber glowing braai coals and pink sunset skies. Think about the visual delights that entice us out of the warm hug of our home and into the adventures of summer.

Then think about the wet sandy beach towels scattered on family floors, the floral colour bursts in crystal vases and the scents of summer that we welcome through open windows and doors. Summer is a boundary-less season, a time when we turn our lives inside out.

The real tangible value of a perfect South African home is not found in its price tag, its architecture or its up-to-trend décor. It’s found in how seamlessly and comfortably it transitions from the cooler months to the sunny season, in a way that allows its occupants to make the most of what is naturally on offer. And what summer offers are crisp morning breezes, barmy sunshine days, long friendly evenings and clear night skies.

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When designing or choosing a property, unique features and design elements that stand out from the norm create interest and add value.

However, these focal points can also create headaches when it comes to furnishing and finishing: beautiful yes, practical not always.

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