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Pantone colour of the year 2018 is Ultra Violet. When it comes to shades like violets and purples in home decor; you'll either love it or you'll never warm up to them. A reason for this is that violet and its related shades are not quite common and are pretty dramatic, especially in interior design. When designers do use violet, they do so subtly in patterns on fabrics, cushioning, flowing velvet drapes or as single purple chair in a living room. While many may think a deep violet is melancholy, it can also be playful in its references to science and space travel. For example, pair ultra violet with metallic to elicit a whimsical and celestial atmosphere. To show just how versatile and protean ultra violet is, let's take a look at how the color purple and its varying hues has been used to decorate some of the most beautiful rental homes around the world!

1. PARIS, FRANCE - Rue Paul Valéry, Paris

It is true that many of the homes in Paris have retained their centuries old character but even then, the homeowners have found a way to add in colored furniture and sparing touches to add in personality and a modern take for chic living.

2. PARIS -  Boulevard Raspail IV, Quartier Latin, Left Bank –

Modernize your classics by adding a touch of violet in your living space for a trivialize yet elegant and sophisticated touch.

3. PARIS - Rue de Chantilly, Montmartre Sacré-Coeur - South Pigalle, Right Bank 

Ultra violet is not only made to be used in main rooms of the house but also children's rooms! It's a modern trend and trust me when I tell you that your lovely kids will love this shade in their playrooms.

4. ROME, ITALY - Via della Scala, Trastevere-Gianicolo, Rome

As you can see from here, Ultra Violet furnitures can actually make a really huge statement! Especially when you fins a rug that is in a similar shade that will perfectly compliment everything.

5. ROME - Via dei Volsci, Monti-San Lorenzo, Rome

This is a quote by Eleonora Valle who says: 'Italy has produced some of the world's most accomplished creatives, and our homes in this region take care in celebrating the work of artist's past and present. Whether that's in an oil painting or a quirky take on garden steps, in Rome ultra violet is a color medium for artistic expression.'

6. LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - Duncan Terrace, Islington, North London

The matching of the plush sofa and the majestic chandelier in differing grades of the colour purple works so perfectly well in this quaint English home.

7. LONDON -  Park Walk IV, Chelsea, London 

The color Ultra Violet is so daringly used here to cover the walls in this narrow dining hall which is beautifully complemented with gold accents for a whole regal look.

8. LONDON -  Priory Road, West Hampstead, London

A bold, velvet couch is the perfect statement piece for a home in the middle of an incredibly social and fashionable city like London where stylish meets comfort.

9. NEW YORK, UNITED STATES -  Park Avenue Mansion, Upper East Side, Manhattan

The quirky color combination of dark green and violet works perfectly in a lounge that is full of character for the bold and audacious! 

10. NEW YORK - Finn Place II, Tribeca, New York

What a better way to stand out than to add a dramatic flare by using unusual colored tiles for your lovely bathroom while also incorporating an intricate design? A bathroom, which in most cases is left stark and white, can be instantly sublimed with a bold tile and color accents!

Raise your hand if your bedside table is actually your dumping ground for whatever things that you have on your hand when you get ready for bed. Well, more often than not we take for granted just how necessary it is. Your bedside table should really be an aesthetic decor for the eyes as it’s one of the first things you see when you wake up and the last thing you see before hitting the sack at night! Show some love towards it and transform your bedside table into a reflection of your personal classy, chic and elegant or even quirky style, giving it the attention it so rightfully deserves. Trust me, it makes a difference to how you start your morning and you'll be happier about it.

COLOUR PLAN

Most rooms already have a colour scheme or a specific look to follow e.g. contemporary, rustic, vibrant. Plan out what kind you’re going for, what sets your mood, what theme you’d like and vibe you want to project and from there, create.

SIZE MATTERS

Tables come in many forms so pick wisely based on your needs. Sometimes you may need extra storage space so an ideal table would be one with drawers or space that allows you to store items like your favourite books, pens and notebooks to write down last minute ideas, snacks although snacking in the middle of the night is never ideal but sometimes you just get hungry! Either way, make sure you check the sizing to suit the look you want for the room and for yourself!

NIGHT LIGHT

A lot of people, including me like having a night lamp (I love those weirdly shaped ones which intrigued me) for when I want to finish reading or jotting down last minute ideas and dreams that I want to remember when I wake up in the middle of the night while still in bed. Here's when a bedside table comes in handy as we're half blind in the dark anyways. Gone are the days of lamps being just you know, functional and bland, they now come with fashion and flair. From different colors and designs, there's tons to pick from.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Travel back to basics and try not to overdo the entire set up for the beside table. The idea is to keep it minimalistic, chic and still serve its purpose as a space to keep your bedtime necessities. A cluttered table is never ideal and never let's be honest, aesthetic, so arrange your items to create a more neat and simple look.  

ESSENTIALS

There's always a few must have items by your bedside that calms you or help make life easier for you. For me, it's always my really loud alarm clock so that I won't snooze it and drift back into dreamland, a bottle of water in case I get thirsty in the middle of the night and a selected indoor plant to bring in some fresh air. 

ADD-ONS

The actual best part of decorating anything at all is being able to add my own personal touch, making the space my very own! In this case, scented candles and fresh flowers are a great way to add fragrance as well as fill up the space with something beautiful to look at. If that's too feminine for you, step it up a notch by adding a sculpture or artwork that inspires you to be productive every morning when you wake up. Either way, the goal is to create a look that you'd love waking up to and feast your eyes on. 

There’s a lot of talk going on in the flooring industry right now and you and I both know that tile is where it all begins as it has always been a huge part of the interior design world.

There's not only tons of modern, chic tile trends to choose from, but tile itself is trending in a big way. The best way you do it is to choose something well-made and stylish that will stay in style for the lifetime of your floor. Here's just a few of my favorite floor home tile trends that I wanted to share with you all!

Chevron Tiles

The chevron pattern is a fabulous yet bold pattern that has a significant upshot on any room. It is very much like a herringbone pattern which is like a zig-zag of v’s on the floor. The pattern is almost mesmerizing in appearance and gives off a retro vibe too! Even with its bold and daring design, it'll fit right inside the most serene of homes.

And you're probably aware, it is not approved to install wood flooring in wet and warm areas as it can damage the material and ruin your floor. So by using the chevron effect tiles you can be right on trend to imitate or create a wood effect for your interior and sleep easier at night having the knowledge that your floor isn’t going to expand or become warped one day when you wake up!

Matte Tiles

Now you've known about matte colored cars, matte phones and even matte lipsticks but here's the new thing: matte tiles! These tiles shows sophistication, modernism, and keeps the dirt hidden - an all round winner.

Matte tiles also provides great grip and traction and blend in really well with the increasingly popular industrial trend. They’re perfect for bathrooms and wet-rooms and are the perfect combination if you’re looking to create the traditional/rustic infused with a splash of contemporary appearance within a room.

Marble Tiles

The tile nominated for the most classy, timeless, and elegant look award. Natural marble is soft and porous, susceptible to rings and challenging to keep clean. That’s the reason so many homeowners and interior designers choose tile for their floorings instead of natural marble.

Marble tiles have a great way of allowing light to bounce around a room, almost like a mirror effect. This is basically the reason why they’re so customarily used in bathrooms as they make the space seem bigger and lighter than it is!

Patterned Tiles

This is definitely my favorite type of tile and if I ever want to remodel my flooring, you can bet that patterned tiles are gonna be my absolute go-to tile! Patterned tiles have gone from strong to strongest in adding substance and color to the floor in a room. With an endless amount of patterns and designs available you are given total free reign when it comes to making a room your own. But just what is the right way to do it without it being “too much”?

To be honest, I really don't think there is such a thing as "too much" when it comes to patterned floors. Making a statement and showing off your personality with your home decor is all the rage and it definitely shows the real you! One of the best ideas I've ever gotten with utilizing patterned floors is to install them right at the front door area of your house. That way it will surely be the first focal point for your guests and it'll up the wow factor.

So you just got yourself a fresh bouquet of gorgeous flower arrangement from the farmer's market, only to come home and place it in a vase that doesn't do it justice at all! While it's fun to pair, mix and match different types and colors of blooms to suit your taste and liking, the real deal come from the vases and containers that the bouquets will be living in. I've recently read up on how certain blooms pair best with certain vases (safe to say that I've experienced the struggle too) and here's the matches that works best together! So the next time you take home one, you'll know precisely the perfect way to showcase it.

1. SUNFLOWERS

Mason Jars

A mason jar is a simple and quirky way to showcase the bold and cheerful sunflower! Plus you can even decorate your mason jars beforehand for a flair of creativity!

Tall Cylinder

If you're a sunflower lover, you'll know that actual sunflowers are known to grow up to 12 feet tall! So using a tall vase not only shows how stunning they are but also ensures that they won't topple over.

Galvanized Pot

These containers give it the perfect rusty feel which pairs nicely with the carefree, laid back sunflower. If you're looking for farmhouse cottage vibes then this pairing is definitely for you!

2. ROSES

Fit and Flare

The fit and flare is the best vase to stylishly show off a slightly fuller rose bouquet. Works best with different coloured roses!

Trumpet vase

Roses are definitely statement flowers, so pair it with elegant shapes like the trumpet to up the luxe and wow factor.

Vintage Cut

Nothing shows off the timeless grace of roses more than an old fashioned vintage vase that you've uncovered from the basement.

3. CARNATIONS

Bubble Vase

Carnations are perfect for a small bubble bowl for its short and sturdy stems that can be cut to any length without harming them!

Short Cylinder

There's only one lone carnation here but a short vase actually adds more control to a larger bouquet of carnations.

Vintage Patterned Vases

It's a quirky match of the retro carnations with a beautifully patterned vase.

4. LILIES

Square Vase

The square vase is the perfect vase for lilies to blossom into a full bouquet that is sure to intrigued your guests.

Tall Slender Vase

Lilies are known to require fresh water daily and a tall and slender vase allows for easy refills and less spillage.

Bubble Vase

For those of you who prefers or have a smaller bouquet, this vase is perfect and looks super cute for the full blooms!

5. Orchids

Square Vase

A tall square vase will show off the elegant stems of your fresh orchids!

Oval Round Vase

The rounded shape at the bottom of the vase encourages the elegant curve of an orchid stem.

Bud Vase

By placing these stunning flowers inside a small, slim vase, the flowers do all the talking!

Are you feeling overwhelmed by clutter? Are you the type to spend your whole day on Pinterest staring at pictures of pristine minimalistic homes and thinking that your home could never be that way? Do you want to declutter your home but don’t know where to start? Well, chin up and think again! It could work!  Welcome to the 30 Day Clutter Free Home Challenge by Kismet! You may feel like it's too much of a challenge now but I promise, 30 days really can turn your whole life around.

The 30 Day Clutter Free Home Challenge is all about clearing out clutter from your home and your life (yes, removing all the toxic people around you too!). It is not about organizing everything perfectly and tidying out every nook of your home. The aim is to make huge invasions into clutter in a short time and set you up for a neat, organised clutter free home. There will be some real challenging days but it shouldn’t take you too much time to do the challenges each day. It is aimed to be achievable, practical and effective. 

Keep in mind to be merciless. Be fearless and audacious! Do not try to hold on to your clutter! Purge out as much clutter from your home as you can!

Living Room

Day 1: Mantel

We're going to start with the living room, as it is one of the most important focal point in the house and it's the first thing your family and guests see. A fireplace is not exactly lovely when it's covered in clutter and junk. It takes away the beauty of a warm, blazing fire! So if your mantel is a dumping ground for spare change, DVDs, flyers you've picked up or opened and unopened mail and other clutter-ish items that don't belong, get yourself a big plastic bag and voila! Problem solved. 

Day 2: Bookshelves

Bookshelves are great for displaying and flourishing your interest in literature, art, accent decor, lovely family pictures and more. But they always become the breeding ground for extra clutter whenever there's a blank spot. Clutters like keys, receipts from the grocery you went to two years ago, scratch tickets maybe and also random knick knacks that makes them look less attractive. Give your bookshelves a scan to see if there's anything that doesn't belong. Then re-position the items so it looks wanton, not chaotic.

Day 3: Storage Furniture 
Go through your console table in the living room. You will not only see your TV and radio consoles, but also other stuffs that will make you wish you have a trash bag in hand (you will understand if you have kids) and if you do have one, lucky you!

Hallway

Day 4:  Entryway/Mudroom 

This is the place where you welcome your family members and also your guests and first impression matters. A lot. Check the entrances to your house for out-of-place clutter. Kids kick off shoes with mud, soil, and all the other bacteria they picked up from the outer world and drop bags and coats; adults leave house keys, car keys, scarfs, hats and mail. Set up a system for stuff that should be there (like hanging hooks or a coat rack or shoe cubbies) and ingrain habits to keep the space clear otherwise, if the system doesn't work.

Day 5: Coat Closet

Coat closets often become hiding places for more than just winter jackets. For examples caps or scarfs from long forgotten guests. See what's been concealed in its depths that belongs somewhere else and what you can pull out to donate or toss.

Bathroom

Day 6: Medicine Cabinet

Chuck expired medications, hotel shampoos that you've "stolen" yet have never ever used it, and throw out lotions you've had since 1989 which have probably became ultra watery lotion by now. While you're at it, give the dusty, gross splattered with a lot of gross stuffs mirror a quick wipe, too.

Day 7: Shower 

Get rid of the shower and conditioner containers in your shower. Invest in a shower caddy (I have one and honestly, it's a life saver - please get yourself one too) to keep everything efficient, neat and in one spot.

Day 8: Bathroom Drawer/Bag 

Go through your makeup bag or drawer and re-evaluate some of the items. Neon green eye shadow that has since died in 1972? Chuck! Broken lipsticks that with textures that doesn't seem quite right anymore? Toss! Make ups and face care has expire dates and if you haven't used it in a year, please don't get it anywhere near your face and know that it's time to trash it.

Day 9: Linen Closet

Over time and I actually mean all the time, those neatly stacked bundle of fluffy towels start to transpose and folded linen sheets in some way always seem to end up somewhere on the floor. And why are your kiddo's' toy cars and coloring pencils in there, anyway? Appraise what's in your linen closet, sort out what you want and contemplate donating items you haven't used in more than a year to charity - usable and safe items, I mean.