Just as building a unit correctly is important, the interior is equally important – and an affordable interior doesn’ t necessarily mean that it must be cheap or uninspired.
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Affordable interiors: the finishing touches
Just as building a unit correctly is important, the interior is equally important – and an affordable interior doesn’ t necessarily mean that it must be cheap or uninspired.
By Ntsako Khosa
IMAGE COURTESY OF NTSAKO KHOSA
Affordable interior design is about more than pieces chosen for a unit but rather the collaborative functionality of the pieces.
Although interiors come in only at the end of the project, Nhlamulo Maluleke from Nhlamulo Luxury Interiors insists that they should be considered right from the start of the project.
“ Whoever designs the house must have the picture of what is required and must be able to interpret it,” she says.
A developer and an interior designer are two different things, so it is essential for the designer to work together with the contractor or developer to ensure that all aspects of the project marry well together. When going affordable, space is a critical aspect therefore the design must be functional for the end user.
“ Affordable homes are by nature smaller homes which means cupboard space is critical – people have things and you need spaces and places to store these things,” says Ania Mullholland from Ania Interior Design.
MAXIMISING YOUR SPACE
First things first, the developer should know what they want and communicate this properly with the designer.“ You need to know exactly what you want from the start; we [ the designer ] checks the plans and then you tell us what you want,” says Maluleke.
“ Of course, you need the basics in place like the kitchen and bathroom / s, and for these rooms go for durable standard white off the shelf products. That doesn’ t mean that the bathroom must be boring – adding a small strip of bright tiles and combining it with a complimentary paint job can create a great base to which you can add personal touches,” says Mulholland.
Aspects like this include ornaments, wall pictures or paintings which lighten up a room.“ Although these are things you can live without, they finish off the house,” says Maluleke. Adding these items to an interior doesn’ t have to happen all at once.“ As long as you have a picture of what the finished product will look like you can add on later. Start with what you need such as beds, seating and so on; additional items can be selected one by one later,” she advises. Mulholland maintains that it is not necessarily the cost of the items that should be looked at, it is how you put them together that matters.“ Create a plain and basic‘ shell’ focusing on durability. Add the flair from small touches in each room such as scatter cushions, curtains and ornaments. These can also be purchased second hand,” she says.
18
JANUARY- FEBRUARY 2018
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING