12 Ways to make a small space look and feel bigger.

Small spaces when executed well can be zen-like and cozy. But on the other hand, If you’re a hoarder or have a lot of wordly possessions, your space can end up cramped, claustrophobic, cluttered and an unappealing.

In this post, I will be giving out 12 tips on how to make your small space feel and look bigger and a lot more functional.

Expanding a small room is all about fooling the eyes by employing three simple concepts : LIGHT, SCALE and MOVEMENT.

1. DE-CLUTTER: This is no rocket science.. There is nothing that makes a small space feel more cramped than having too much stuff. If you don’t need it, haven’t used it in a year and won’t buy it now, please! LET IT GO! Yes i see you hoarders rolling your eyes thinking this babe doesn’t know what she’s talking about but hey! You know its the truth. KEEP, TOSS, DONATE. In that order.
   

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2. LET NATURAL LIGHT PREVAIL: In a small space you need all the airiness and light that you can get. I know majority of us are of the opinion that you must have curtains or a form of drapery against your windows. Welcome to 2016! Please ditch that mentality now! (As a matter of fact, there are so many things we need to ditch in 2016.) A major element in Interior decorating is functionality. Leave the windows open to create a sense of depth and if you’re worried about your privacy, you can use simple and minimalist roman blinds, sheer white drapes or lightweight shutters for an airy feel that will keep prying eyes out.
   

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3. AND IF YOU MUST USE DRAPES: Use floor to ceiling curtains and drapes and in the same colour as your walls. Your choice of fabric is also very important, avoid heavy fabric that absorb light. Linen is a perfect example of a material that will increase the airiness in the room.
   

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4. WHITE AND NEUTRALS: We all know about the reflective qualities of white. The same way wearing a white pair of jeans will make you look bigger, having white walls and floors in a small space opens it up and makes it feel calm, serene, airy and bigger. Stick to neutral colours like cream, beige, pale greys, and light blues.
   

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5. KEEP THINGS OFF THE FLOOR: Think floating shelves, furnitures with exposed legs.. Creating the illusion of more space is all about creating a sense of openness and movement.
   

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6. SMALL FURNITURE IN SMALL ROOM: Like i said earlier, one of the concepts to employ in making a small room look bigger is scale. Its all about proportions, Avoid weighty and visually heavy pieces that take up space.
   

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7. ART IS AN EXCEPTION: Make sure you use one large piece of art as opposed to several small pieces. Instantly add a  focal point to your room by using a large artwork that has an interesting story and can easily draw attention away from the size of the room. Or use a large abstract art to introduce colours and personality to your space.
   

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8. MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL: Mirrors reflect both natural and artificial light and trick the eye into perceiving more space. In your bedroom, Place mirrors in strategic places like a closet door, or for example in the photo below an architectural designer Elizabeth Roberts cleverly positions a mirror so that it looks like another mirror.
   

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9. GLASS, ACRYLIC AND LUCITE: Transparent furniture don’t take up visual space, and are actually totally in style now. They are functional and do a great job of fooling the eye into thinking theres more space than there is.
   

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10. MULTIFUNCTIONAL FURNITURE : Storage ottomans that serve as storage for keeping away clutter or towels and other knick-knacks, as a coffee table, and an extra seating all at once. Isn’t that Genius?
    

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11. PRINTS AND PATTERNS : Sorry to reiterate but SCALE AND PROPORTION my dear friends. If you have to do patterns and prints, make sure to use small and simple prints. Big and busy prints in a small space tend to be overwhelming and take up the visual space. Just like wearing clothes  with vertical stripes, Striped floorings or striped area rugs  will elongate your space and make your room look like it goes on forever.
    

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12. GO AHEAD! BREAK ALL THE RULES: Just because its a living room doesn’t mean you need to have the usual sofa and coffee table. Its all about priorities and allocating accordingly. Bring personality into your space,  make it fun, open and a space that you would love to come home to at the end of a crazy day. Its 2016, You don’t have to decorate your home the traditional way. If you want a large bean bag as your sofa or a hanging chair, DO THAT! Or maybe you’re not a big dining table user and would prefer a work desk in your living room. By all means. Whatever works for you. Its your home after all. NOW GO AHEAD! BREAK ALL THE RULES AND LOVE YOUR SPACE.
    

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Happy decorating!

Ciao!

Lami.

High Ceilings; AIM FOR THE STARS.. LAND ON THE MOON.

A few years ago, marketing scholars Joan Meyers-Levy and Rui Zhu wanted to see whether the height of a ceiling had any impact on the way a person thinks. So they recruited test participants for a number of different experiments and modified the study rooms so that some had 10-foot ceilings and others had (false) eight-foot ceilings. Meyers-Levy and Zhu also hung up Chinese lanterns so participants would look up and, consciously or not, process the ceiling height.

Working in a high-ceiling environment (left) put participants in a freer, more abstract mindset than did a low-ceiling setting.
Via Journal of Consumer Research

Across several experiments, the researchers found evidence that high ceilings seemed to put test participants in a mindset of freedom, creativity, and abstraction, whereas the lower ceilings prompting more confined thinking.

High ceilings mean lots of wall space above a height of 8 feet. And many times that space is double the height or more. So how do you address all this empty wall and window space? First of all, do not ignore it; rather, embrace all the drama and beauty you loved about the space when you first saw it.

Approximately 2 years ago, i worked with an amazing interior designer friend on a residential property with really high ceilings. The first thing that came to my mind when i saw the huge windows was WOW… Lami we have a problem. WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THIS?
In this post i will give you 4 key tips I personally and strongly feel will help solve this “interior problem”. (Even though i wouldn’t call it a problem anymore)

1. FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES

Furniture to an interior space is like clothes to a human being. The furniture you put in your room can make or break the room. When it comes to furnishing, proportion is key! in a small room, you use smaller furnitures to make the room look bigger while in a larger room, who use large furniture to create a vertical balance. Like i said before, its all about proportion. Likewise, in a room with tall ceilings you are going to apply the same logic horizontally. ANYTHING THAT DRAWS THE EYE UPWARD.

Make use of :
Sofas and Chairs with tall backs (wing chairs )
Grandfather clocks
Tall mirrors rather than wide
Four Poster Beds
Torchere lamps (taller than floor lamps, its more of an accent lamp when it comes to room illumination)
Large vases with tall branches in them.
Upright Pianos, open-top Baby and Grand Pianos
Highboys, Secretaries and other tall dresser-desks
Tall Plant stands with plant on top of them
Potted trees (real or artificial)
Vertical striped wallpaper
Tall floor lamps (about 64 inches)

2) WINDOW TREATMENTS

Windows on high walls can range from picturesque ‘window walls’ that can consume the entire wall, or they can be confined to sliding doors and standard height windows. Decide how you’d like to adorn the windows in your space. If you have a killer view and no one can see in, you may prefer to leave your windows bare. If you need the option of privacy then use window treatments that fits your decorative style.

• Long, simple “floor to ceiling” drapery

This can bring so much height and drama to a high window. It just makes the space soar!

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In this illustration, you can easily see how hanging draperies up near the ceiling and out on the walls create a much better look for the windows, and the room as well. You can see how much more, light, air, and view, are revealed. The drapery placement frames the window, makes the window look twice as big, and lifts the room in perceived height. It’s kind of an optical illusion, but it really works wonders.

White curtains will ensure a breezy feel, red will bring in extra energy and darker hues will add an intriguing sense of drama. Black fabric will contribute to shrinking the room and making it more cozy.

• Wooden blinds and fabric Shades

If you don’t plan on raising or lowering your shades much, you can choose a cellular shade with the opacity that fits your needs and simply leave it down or you can set the slats of a wood blind in an upward position, allowing in light but blocking direct sun and providing privacy.

Technology has made life so much easier that you don’t have to get up to manually open and close your heavy drapes, there are motorised options with remote control to operate the window treatment from anywhere in your property.

3. LIGHTING 

When you’re charged with making a huge space feel full and cozy like a home, things can get real. Suddenly, the room is an ocean, and you are drowning. While you can add furniture and wall hangings to your heart’s content, there’s nothing like quality lighting to fill a room without making it feel cluttered.

You’ve probably heard of the rule of thirds. This rule applied to your room will split the wall into 3 equal, balanced parts – the top, the middle, and the bottom.

By adding lights to each of these layers which serve as focal points, the space will feel less intimidating and more cohesive. Add table lamps, step lights, or uplights to the bottom portion. Floor lamps, wall sconces, or low-hanging pendants in the middle and recessed lights, track lighting, or larger, higher hanging lights or chandeliers or fans at the top.

You now have permission to go wild. You have the space so make a statement with your chandeliers or elegant set of lanterns or giant glass pendant light. Don’t be afraid to light your room with multiple chandeliers of different styles.

I LOVE RECESSED LIGHTS;  Their sleek, modern design allows them to provide great ambient lighting without making the ceiling look too cluttered. You can use them on their own, or to supplement the ambient light provided by a hanging fixture.
Tip: To get rid of those creepy shadows against the walls, install lights closer to the edge of your ceiling. To pull focus on a single point, install the lights in a square or circle around the central fixture.

4) WALL ART 

When decorating a room with a tall ceiling, having an assortment of different sized pictures, mirrors and other kinds of wall art in the room is an ideal. If you can, have that really big picture over the sofa that is 40 inches wide and 60 inches tall. It would definitely be an eye-catching focal point in the room. Also think about adding some smaller pieces to the mix for visual interest. I bet you already have some of those around the house to work with.

When hanging groupings of paintings, prints, photos, dishes, plaques, or any kind of wall sculpture, etc, the rule of thumb is Larger and/or Visually Heavier looking pieces are always hung above smaller lighter looking pieces. The smaller piece(s) act as a pedestal holding the larger piece up in space to draw the eye up into the volume of the space.

You can also hang a beautiful large contemporary or persian rug on the wall. Many contemporary rugs look like modern art. Have a carpet store sew in a sleeve on top so you can insert a heavy rod to hang it. How cool is that?

That said, the most important thing like i always say is bring your own originality to it and make use of what you love so you can enjoy your space. After all, its all yours!

Well, there you have it.

Here are a few pictures to give you inspiration..

Click to see larger images.

Interesting ceiling and artwork placement

lights and interesting fireplace

Floor to ceiling drapes

killer view and tall accessories

Tall bookshelf

Long fans and recessed lights

Placement of the artwork, recessed lights, flower pot!

modern fireplace, killer view! tall furnitures.

Love the light fixture and open window

artwork, lighting! everything is spot on.

Rustic bedroom. love the wall border and slope ceiling

Very unique and eye catching ceiling fixture

large chandelier and recessed lights

tall shelves and great lighting

Nailed the rule of the third, statement chandelier, wall lamps and table lamps! love the tall mirror!

interesting artwork and tall accessories.

Living Space, High Ceilings, Art, SF Loft in San Francisco, California by Wardell + Sagan Projekt

rihannas living room, lights, artwork, everything!

Everything in this photo1

Artwork, telescope, lighting. gorgeous!

The lighting!!!! Check out that light fixture!! and the blue backlight.

Happy decorating!

Ciao!

Lami.

The Modern “MINIMALIST”

Allow me to start by explaining minimalism according to design..

I want to assume that we all know the logic behind minimalism which is “LESS IS MORE”

Minimalism according to decor is the art of aesthetically,conveniently and comfortably “Living With Less”

Leonardo da Vinci states that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication“

If you agree with this, then a home with minimalist style is definitely for you.

The major characteristics of a minimalist home are sticking TO A COLOR PALETTE OF mostly WHITE and black, using NATURAL AND METAL hues, CLEAR SURFACES, and MINIMAL FURNITURE. Yea i know this might feel like a piece of cake but in reality, creating a minimalist home can be one of the most difficult to design as you’ll need a lot of discipline and self-restraint. Especially for shopaholics and those who seem to bring home everything they lay their hands on when they travel. (i know a few people who are guilty of this but i won’t name any names. lol)

Minimalism can be interpreted as cold, boring, desolate, lacking of personality, and devoid of character, fun and life.

Personally i think nothing oozes sophistication and elegance more than clean straight lines and clear surfaces,

There’s this satisfaction i get from looking around and seeing a home free of clutter. It’s calming, and liberating, and just peaceful. Apart from the aesthetic benefits of having a minimalist home, it is also less visually stressful and easier to clean.

Although i find that there is a very thin line between a gorgeous minimal interior and a boring monotonous interior.. This is where creativity comes in to avoid being on the wrong side of this line. There’s plenty you can do to add personality and character to your home while sticking to the minimalist style.

Here are a few of my tips for creating your minimalist home

1) DECLUTTER!

This has to be number one on my list.

A true minimalist home is free of clutter and is very organised. What better way to achieve this than to purge items that you don’t use or want anymore? Furnitures, artworks, clothes etc. Let em’ GO! sell, keep in storage or donate to those in need. This will not only bring order to your home but also relieve you of a lot of stress. Incase you didn’t know, clutter is one of the greatest sources of stress in a home.

2) MINIMALIST COLOUR PALLET

In a minimalist home, white is the supreme colour but in a modern minimalist home incorporating hues of whites, greys, pastel colours is very common. As long as you don’t derail from the colour pallet, all is well in a minimalist home. If you are going monochromatic, make sure that your key pieces such as your furnitures remain one colour. If you are incorporating a pop of colour to your space, make sure to stay consistent with your colour story. Repeat it throughout the space to tie everything together.

Make use of a rug to add a dash of colour, Nature lovers can also use indoor plants as their pop of colour, and if you’re an art lover, the dominance of neutrals makes everything even better.

Minimalism detests anything but the bare minimum!

Always remember this every time you are tempted to go a little extra on your minimalist-themed living room.

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3) SIMPLE FURNITURE

Minimalism is synonymous to simplicity .. Your furnitures are the biggest pieces in the room, therefore choose simple furnitures, with minimal ornaments or decorations. With minimalist furnitures, the main focus is usually for the form to follow function without sacrificing comfort of course. Think of which of your furnitures can stay or should go, if you can you live without it, then let it go. Always remember, bare minimum!

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4) CLEAR YOUR WALLS, FLOORS AND SURFACES

Minimalism is about reducing to the necessary elements so after choosing your simple furnitures, you have to make sure that’s about the only thing that stays on the floor.
A minimal look is all about the creation of space. Try and leave plenty of open space around each decor item to bring in a sense of uncluttered ambience and airiness. Acrylic and glass tables, suspended accessories and floating shelves help immensely in this aspect.

As for the walls, photos and artwork i must say are almost a NO NO! Although you can pick a few (2 or 3) simple but nice artwork, In minimalist homes, the artwork is usually the icing on the cake. So you’re going to have to pick something that says show stopper but still in line with your minimalist theme.

As for surfaces, you cannot have anything on them except one or 2 simple decoration.

Conceal as much stuff as you can behind cabinets, drawers, or in boxes or baskets.

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5) WARMTH

A minimalist home can come off as cold, clinical or feeling like an office space .. A good way to add warmth is by playing with a different key things that change the overall ambience of your home.

Lighting is a very interesting and fun way to change the mood of a room. Using soft lights will help tone down the coldness and give the room a restful feeling.

Don’t forget that too much soft light can also make the room feel dull, gloomy and depressing. Balance is the key!

Adding textures, patterns and using a few curved lines here and there as opposed to squares and straight lines also helps to tone down the rigidity of a minimalist home. After all decor it’s all about originality, adding personality to your space and having fun with it right? Add a rounded or oval shape coffee table, a subtle patterned throw pillow, using dark wood and greenery adds a natural feel to the room and faux fur will add all the warmth in the world, a shaggy rug to add texture, velvets, tweed, leather..  BUT always remember BARE MINIMUM. The lines still need to be clean and well-defined.

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I will make a post on minimalist space goals to help with your visuals and help you bring that room to LIFE!

Happy decorating guys!

Ciao!

Lami.

How to stylishly transform your walls from plain and boring to VA VA VOOM!

In my last post, I gave you 10 TIPS on how to create your own art gallery at home. 

I feel like thats the more technical part of it and once you get that out of the way, its all FUN! I know most of you think its just about getting a bunch of pictures, drilling some holes in your walls and arranging them on the wall. Well yea, you could do that.. But your gallery is something you want to walk past everyday or take a glance at when you’re having dinner on your dining table and be like WOW!! That looks AMAZING!!!  I DID THAT???DAMN I’M ACTUALLY A G! So how about going all out, and giving your walls LIFE!!! THE RIGHT WAY.

Creating a stylish gallery wall can be accomplished even on a small budget, if you’re creative.

If you don’t have any art collections for a gallery wall, try picking up some unique items at flea markets, yard sales, gifts and mix them with a few key pieces that you have purchased from a store or from globetrotting. You can also use old calendars, pages from your favourite book and magazine photos and frame them, or pictures that you have taken, blow them up and have them framed. I had been thinking about doing a post on wall gallery for weeks then i found this brilliant idea by Linda Crisolo (Art.com director of merchandising) and i just knew it was time. She says

Save yourself the frustration — and your walls the trauma — of hanging, and rehanging, and rehanging a grouping of art. Instead, trace each piece on kraft paper, label the tracing, and cut it out. If you’re hanging portraits, draw arrows on the paper to indicate which way the subject is looking. Use painter’s tape to try out placements and arrangements without covering your wall with holes.

This is just brilliant!! Don’t you think?

OVERSIZED GALLERY I’m obsessed with oversized wall art.. i love the fact that it can serve as a statement piece in your home and also draw away attention from anything you don’t want.

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You can also make use of smaller frames to achieve the oversized gallery.  STAIRWAYS  I love how the use of the same colour of frame helps to tie the gallery together.

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KIDS ART is very inexpensive and also has sentimental values.

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USE A MIRROR AS THE CENTER PIECE

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BLACK AND WHITE

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I’m in love with this DIY wall art by Alisa burke. Link below

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MAKE USE OF TWO WALLS 

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BLOW UP A PAGE FROM YOUR FAVORITE BOOK

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USE YOUR PHOTOBOOTH PHOTOS

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USE YOUR BABY PICTURES OR BABY PICTURES OF YOUR KIDS

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A COOL FAMILY POTRAIT 

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PRINT OUT YOUR INSTAGRAM PICTURES AND PUT THEM IN A FRAME.. Cool Right? 

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DO A COLLECTORS GALLERY. Display photos of a particular thing you collect, i love this barbie collection

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OR A COLLECTION OF ANIMAL PICTURES

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USE DIFFERENT FRAMES FOR YOUR PICTURES OR USE UNIQUE THINGS YOU LOVE (skulls, buddha heads, taxidermy’s etc ) this oozes originality

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USE CLOCKS

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TAXIDERMYS

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HALLWAY GALLERY

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USE TYPOGRAPHY WITH YOUR FRAMES

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USE CLOTHES PIN, LINE AND A FRAME. 🙂 my favorite! Very innovative and cool. My favourite! very innovative and cool

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PLACE YOUR GALLERY ON A LEDGE

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A GALLERY OF YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC ALBUM COVERS. 

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NUDE GALLERY

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WALL OF FRAME

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I hope you got a few useful tips from this post.

Now start decorating!

Ciao!

Lami

How to spice up : STORAGE

Do you have old chests, dressers, sideboards, wardrobes that have been passed on to you that you just can’t stand looking at? or are you just looking to spice up a boring storage or storage area..

Well look no further, today is your lucky day! Here are several tips to help bring them back to life.

1. PAINT THE INSIDES!

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2. OR WALLPAPER IT!

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3. USE WALLPAPER OR WALL DECALS ON THE EXTERIOR

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4. LOSE THE DRAWERS AND DOORS

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5. REPLACE DRAWERS WITH BASKETS AND STORAGE BINS OR LUGGAGE!

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6. OR TURN IT INTO A KENNEL 🙂

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7. ASSEMBLE THE DRAWERS YOU’VE TAKEN OUT TO MAKE A BOOKSHELF!

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8. WALLPAPER OR PAINT INSIDE THE DRAWERS!

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9. PUT WALLPAPER ON THE WALL BEHIND OR PAINT THE WALL A BOLD COLOUR!

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10. COLOUR BLOCK!

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11. OMBRE IT!

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12. BE BOLD WITH PRINTS USING FABRIC AND PAINT!

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13. BE CREATIVE WITH PAINT!

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LET IT DRIP DROP! DRIP DRIPPITY DROP! HAHA!

14. PUT MIRRORS ON IT AND ON THE SIDES!

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15. PERSONALISE WITH BLOWN UP PICTURES OF YOR LOVED ONES.

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Ciao!

Lami.