Wherever you live now the temperatures are definitely higher than ever now that’s it’s July. This means it’s time to make your home feel as bright and airy as possible. You can do this easily by changing up your accessories in your home to give it that summer vibe, whether you prefer a coastal chic or more bohemian look here are top tips.

 Top Tips

• Opt for cotton or linen cushions. A stripy, nautical look instantly gives a joyful holiday feel or a Bohemian lux with Bamboo silk and tassels

• Add some Balearic vibes with some rattan rugs

• Transform your home into a Mediterranean or tropical location any day by elevating your wall with our wall décor. For the classic lovers we have Jane Birkin in Cannes, the Cuban car for the Caribbean lovers and summer vibes to give you pure relaxation looking out into the sea.

• Add a stylish lamp like the Grecian White Lulu lamp. This statement piece will improve your ambient lighting and add a retro lux feel to your home.

• Stylish beach rackets on display in your vacation home always attracts attention. Our rackets at Maison Demetriades are made of the best quality wood and will and encourage you and your guests to get active and have some tennis fun!

• Summer nights in the garden or poolside. Bring out your string lights and decorate the place for some colour and fun guaranteed to please.

• Scent is an element that sometimes gets overlooked. A home must be pleasing to the eye, comfortable and intriguing. However, all our senses must be served to truly experience a home and have a good feeling. A fresh zesty Lemongrass and Bergamot like our Precious Moments scented candle or diffuser goes a long way.

On May 9^th we are celebrating Mothers. The mother figure in your life is to be loved and appreciated. We would like to thank our mother for her endless support, her sunny attitude towards life and for teaching us that it is essential to follow your heart, be happy and grateful. Our mother is a creative soul, an excellent artist who has inspired us to follow our creativity in our own individual ways. Growing up we were always surrounded by colourful, joyful paintings. We take this opportunity to shine a light on her presence at Maison Demetriades with a small selection of her beautiful artwork in the Wall Decor section of our eShop.

Colour in your Home

In our Interior Design portfolio you can see that our appreciation for colour has come out through our work. We love neutral palettes, white sofas, oak floors and white walls however we always introduce colour. Colours help boost your mood and give personality to an interior.

Colour gives a room character. It provides structure and helps your room have a story of what you like and are about. You can invest in home accessories, wall decor and furniture or even just paint walls. The light of different colours can affect your emotions and there is a general psychology of colours. Of course someone’s personal response can be different to another but below are some general beliefs for you to consider when making choices for your home:

• White - Pure and even more luminous when combined with colour . White creates airiness, calming, simplicity and elegant space. White is perfect for Mediterranean living but Scandi design lovers like us love it too

• Blue – Soft, calming peaceful when you want relaxation and inspiration.
• Pink – Romantic, nurturing, sweet and playful. Pink has a sense of fun and enjoyment.

• Purple – Luxurious,  magical, and spiritual . It encourages creativity and lighter shades are very calming
• Yellow – Bright, magnetic and encourages creativity. Introduce for a positive vibe, it’s the colour of sunshine afterall.

• Green- Introduce green when seeking balance, and a harmonious, soothing vibe. Loved by those who appreciate nature.

• Neutrals of grey, brown, taupe and black are sophisticated , earthy, powerful and welcoming help to ground a space and add glamour.

Gift  Ideas for Mum

• Treat mum to one of our new arrivals! Mum equals big bag when she is thinking about what to carry for you and herself. We are sure she would prefer to do it stylishly. Our Reversible Tote Bags are multifunctional and with several compartments. You can take your tote bag with you anywhere; to the beach, for a weekend break, on a shopping trip….Once you have it you won’t be able to do without it!

• Cotton Kit for her creams and make – up. Goes perfectly with the Reversible Tote bag and Backpack

• The Wheat Warmer now in New calming and rebalancing colour Olive Green, available with lavender fragrant flowers so mum can enjoy all her senses and help her relax even more. Best served with her favourite drink

• Just Me candle in Lavender & Lovage to have a tranquil and calming harmonious aroma that evokes a sense of relaxation

• New colours of our Fedora hats back in stock! Such as Army Green for a sophisticated natural look

Spring is in bloom, the flowers are shining brightly and mad March with all that changeable weather is behind us now. Hopefully we can now spend more time outside enjoying all the gifts of spring. As you know we’re passionate about home décor, so this month we want to share our favourite ways to bring the spring time indoors.

Be inspired by the lovely bright red poppies, yellow daisies and blossomed almond trees in Mediterranean fields or the beautiful bluebells in the UK countryside.You can also treat yourself and start buying beautiful flower bouquets each week directly welcoming spring into your home.Pastels are colours where white has been introduced to create a calm, creamy colour palette. Introducing pastel accessories to your interior is a wonderful way to achieve a calm, soft, blossoming look this season.

Ideas on how to bring the perfect spring pastels to brighten up your home:

As feminists we believe that women can achieve anything, they set their mind on. We’re happy to be entering a new era where the feminine side isappreciated and revered. This means that nowadays even men can allow themselves to tap into their feminine side, and emotions without being judged. We think this is a great development and can lead to a more loving and compassionate world. Home Décor has traditionally been the responsibility of the woman to create a loving home, a refuge of relaxation and comfort. At Maison Demetriades we strive to provide homeware and lifestyle accessories that have a soft, cosy, luxurious, uplifting and natural feel.

Some of our favourite products guaranteed to evoke soft feminine, loving feelings:

• Soft and waffle weaved throw with a luxurious velvet border in Magnolia Pink coupled with our decorative cushion in Dusty Rose
• Beautifully scented candles which last for 45 hours
• Wheat warmers for those days you desperately need to relieve muscle tension and relax

 

New items in Store for Spring

We’re very excited to present to you some new items at our store.

• These gable velvet cushions (90x50) are the perfect accessory to make your bedroom feel luxurious and soft like a five-star hotel.
• We now have our popular Lulu Lamps back in stock and are happy to present the Lulu Lamp in Coal Black for a different seductive look.
• A New unisex scarf for Spring in pink and blue.
• Celebrate strong women from all decades with this gorgeous image of Francoise Hardy on a motorbike

Let go of what you no longer want to take with you into the New Year. Set intentions with good vibrations for the upcoming year. It’s our Maison Demetriades tradition to always make a wish as we light one of our beautiful candles – in the same way you do when you’re blowing out your birthday candles!

After a dark and heavy year, we are hopeful that 2021 will be a brighter year ahead and we are driven to provide you with more of our luxurious lifestyle and home décor items to keep you smiling daily. 

In 2020, despite the challenging circumstances, we had the pleasure of designing a few properties, including homes for kind and interesting people looking for a new start, a feminine touch and an exciting outdoor space. Our virtual and in person hourly consultations have also been very rewarding for us and our clients.

In the New Year, we’re excited that we are starting new interior design projects and becoming stockists for some new wonderful brands which we will be revealing in the Spring/Summer collection.

A big event for us this year is that we now have an interior design studio and showroom in the centre of Nicosia, our hometown, which is also our hub for sending our products worldwide. This was a great development as it has enabled our local customers the option of picking up their orders when it suits them. It is also possible for our valued customers to now come and see our products in person by appointment.

We hope in 2021 travelling will become easier and we will be able to spend more time in London as before and for now our virtual consultations will continue for our clients there.

New Year’s Resolutions for All of Us

• Less TV more reading time
• More Yoga to stretch and de-stress
• More quality time with old friends – virtually or physically if possible
• More focused thought on achieving what we want rather than thinking ahout what we don’t want
• Think less, act more and follow your intuition
• Play more
• Go for a walk in nature everyday
• Talk Less, Listen More
• Start a daily meditation practices

Our Best Sellers 

Taupe Bloon

• Bloon seat for new abs! If you have had your eye on the Bloon and want to make a conscious choice for your well-being. The Bloon seat is now available in a new colour - And we have this specific colour in extra large (XL) size for people over 185cm tall. 
• We always enjoy moving around or adding wall décor to our home interior or studio. Cheerful wall décor that makes you smile or remember beautiful trips is always a great idea. Choose from our colourful illustrations, photography or fun quotes.

 PS: Book a Free Consultation with us, valid until the 30th January 2021. Email hello@vedeeplays.com to book your free consultation, first come first serve! 

Halloween is approaching, the time has changed with shorter days and longer nights which are ideal for creating some Halloween fun and atmosphere at home! If you have children or are nostalgic for the days you would carve pumpkins then start carving those pumpkins as it is always a fun acitvity. And you can always make pumpkin pie with the ingredients.

If you have children you may want to go all out, and if you’re looking for some more discreet and chic ways to be inspired by Halloween here is some inspiration below: 

 Design Tips to create Halloween at Home

Introduce Black - For sure, Halloween is associated with the colour black . It makes you think of the night, witches, cats, and spiders and everything else you cannot see. You can add a temporary touch and be dramatic with a black table cloth. Black is versatile and now a basic, neutral colour that works in more interiors all year round. 

Add some Orange - Orange or warm yellow like the colours of pumpkins create that Halloween atmosphere too. You can accessorize with cushions or throws or maybe you love the colour so much you may paint a feature wall in a darker orange. It can work really well if you like warm, rustic interiors and earth tones.  

Create the Mood with Lighting - You can introduce orange and yellow colours in the form of mood lighting. This creates a warm, cosy atmosphere and is enjoyable all year round. We have some fun globe lights and string lights for this too. For characteristic Halloween spirit you also need more candlelight. You can find candles in many sizes, shapes and scents and can continue to enjoy them for the rest of the winter season.  In fact you can create a decorative Halloween vignette with clusters of candles and a carved pumpkin in a corner of your home. 

 Nature’s Touch - And finally you can change the option of buying flowers this week and choose some natural wood elements, bouquets of branches and other dried flowers to decorate your home and leave your straw broom on display for a change as if the witch came for a visit 😊

Halloween is here so that also means that Christmas is just around the corner! So, here is a special Gift Guide to get you thinking about Christmas presents:

Bloon seat - The perfect Christmas gift and health investment for your wife or husband. Your other half will have better posture and become happier and sexier because with the Bloon seat you get a workout while working. 

Globe Lamp – Fun to set up and romantic. All you need is a balloon and pump and voila, you have that special mood lighting you have been looking for! Check out Sophie’s demonstration on our YouTube page :)

Cotton Velvet Cushions – Every mother-in-law loves cushions and our cushions are perfect to add that new cosy feel

Wall Décor – Feel good Photography is always a lovely artistic gift for a busy person that loves art and who needs a little more sunshine in their life and home

Backpack – Practical and chic. Our canvas backpack is wonderful for the person who loves to carry everything with them. Either when hiking in the mountains on a nature trail or just a fun picnic day at the beach

Dusty Rose and Sand sandstone cotton velvet cushions in a lovely apartment in Limassol, Cyprus

HOME & TRAVEL ACCESSORIES THAT WE LOVED BY MAISON DEMETRIADES 

House decor reflects your personality and speaks about your taste in interior design, your understanding of color, and design choices. Likewise, one of the most important items you need when traveling is to choose the backpack to suit your needs. If you are searching for the best backpack or you are planning to decorate your home but too many designs are having you confused, then be rest assured, as Maison Demetriades has a super stylish collection to offer. 

Here are The El Stories personal choices

1.     Canvas Backpack 

This backpack in small size is ideal for busy summer workdays to-and-from the office or for your travels. Probably one of the best carry-on bags for travelers. One of the most comfortable bags we’ve ever traveled with thanks to its material (canvas/cotton/suede) and its adjustable straps. With one bag, you easily glide from location to location, always having just enough, but never too much. Last but least, we loved this bamboo green color and how easily you can match it with any outfit. We traveled around Greek islands wearing it and we couldn’t ask for something more stylish and ready-to-go backpack.

1.     Retro Lulu Table Lamp

If you have followed us for quite some time you will definitely know our love for interior design and deco items. This Lulu Table Lamp with soft, warm lighting, easy to place on both shelving and table, it’s ideal for enhancing your room with an ambient lighting effect. Fitting in a variety of design aesthetics, this one showcases an eye-catching silhouette. You can create a cozy bedside corner table, but you can also create a luxe look on your office table. theme

2. Wall Decoration

Photo Frames by Feel Good Photography. We picked the Pink Palm & the Cuban Car photography frames to decorate our office space. We turn a bare wall into a small gallery with these two frames. We couldn’t resist to pastel color photography, giving us the feeling of an exotic place that we have traveled before. Crafted from wood and glass, you can jazz up any blank wall and add a personalized touch to the room.

3.Decorative Cushions

 Who doesn’t love home coziness? The perfect addition to instantly update our space. These cushions are made from a soft and velvet cotton. Love the fact that they are double sided and super soft fiber. We picked dusty rose and sandstone colors, to liven up our living room and bedroom. You can choose your own favorite color that suits your style. It is definitely an essential decorative staple for the living room couch, armchair, lounge, sofa, bench or bedroom. 

About The El Stories 

Design Tips to bring Playful Design into your Home

•  Playful design involves bright colours throughout but in our view we think it’s best to introduce one or two bright colours to make a room feel exciting. Go ahead and choose to paint one wall a fun colour like we did in this Bachelor Pad

• Splash out on this BLOON inflated seat which is perfect to work on your abs while working at home! Or even put 2 Bloon seats together to create a playful setting for two friends catching up during cocktail hour

• Bring the sunshine in and a happy feeling with colourful furniture like we have with these mustard yellow Gubi designer chairs in a Little Venice pied à terre

• Invest in handmade beautiful designer beach rackets which will look cool in the entrance of your city home or beach villa for years to come

• Be Inspired by Luxury Toys like this sophisticated Riva Boat hanging proud in your home.

Décor Tips to bring the Summer Vibes into your Home

• Summer is all about feeling light and airy. You can enjoy these feelings in your home as well. White walls and white furniture instantly make your home feel light and fresh. Introducing soft pastel cushions and fabrics will perfect the look

• A summery rug is a sweet way to liven up and lift your summer space. Vivid colours and patterns will add visual interest and you can offer a statementpiece to your room.

• Summer is a state of mind - of being open and feeling more casual and relaxed. Introduce summer scents such as citrus, lavender or the ocean from beautifully placed candles to evoke that relaxed and carefree feeling.

• Bring the outside in with pops of greenery. It’s the simplest way to create those summer vibes. Bring an olive branch into your home, or some thyme leaves or even a framed photo of this Tropical Plant can do the trick.

• Colourful art on the walls from handwoven baskets, to designer plates to feel good summer photos are a great way to bring the summer in. If you are an ocean lover you can use this framed photo of the ocean called Summer Vibes from our shop

• Sheer curtains in your living space are a great way to evoke that romantic, carefree, relaxed vibe. Whatever time of year long sheer curtains billowing in the wind always echo summer holidays.

Lulu Lamp	Bloon Seat	Globe Lamp

Procurement is an essential and complex part of interior designing a space. It is a key component of project management in order to deliver a finished and polished result. We always consider procurement from the initial consultation, during interior design revisions all the way through to sourcing, budgeting, negotiating, value engineering, procurement, logistics and installation of all Furniture, Fittings & Equipment on site.

Interior Designers are often great at making the process appear very easy and seamless. However, this is a difficult process as it is a very complicated and time-consuming endeavour.

The actual procurement (purchasing) of items takes place after the design created has been presented and approved by the client. It is a very intensive second layer - often filled with obstacles and a lot of coordination is needed. Each order for a product or quote of a contractor must be reviewed and clarified several times checking all details are correct and ensuring accuracy. Payments need to be made on time and after orders are placed all deliveries must be thoroughly checked.

There are often problems that need to be resolved. Maybe the colour for a chosen fabric is not in stock – so do you wait until it is back in stock? Or choose something else? Maybe a specific product such as a tile which you initially sourced during the design process has been discontinued now that it is time to place orders! A myriad of such issues can occur while designing a house, and coordinating the orders and deliveries for many items.

Why hire an Interior Designer?

An Interior Designer will make the procurement stage run very smoothly but often behind the scenes this is not the case. It is our job to make sure that designing your space is headache free so you can focus on the other important aspects of your life such as work or family time. An Interior Designer uses their experience to make decisions quickly and knows how to adapt the designs or procurement orders so they still meet their clients’ expectations.

We will make sure that no time is wasted for the client and they do no experience stress building their dream home. We communicate with all suppliers regarding ordering, specifications, coordination, quality inspections, delivery, budgeting and financials.  

Our responsibility is to make sure time is not wasted and value engineering is carried out during the procurement phase to deliver a fantastic, stress-free result to our clients.

Working from Home 🏡 the new reality for many at the moment! Some have been doing it for longer, for others it’s a new experience. The only way forward now is to make the best out of the situation and accept that some days you will feel more motivated than others. Here we share what has worked for us:

1. Wake up and get dressed to feel good! Definitely no pyjamas or tracksuit. Be smart, comfortable and you will see that you won’t only look better, you will feel better too! 👗

2. Go for a morning walk, soak in the sun, nature & the buildings around you and enjoy the fresh air. Maybe you can still grab a coffee from the bakery or make a healthy breakfast to have in your kitchen, balcony or by the window ☀️

3. Create a designated work area. If you have a separate room that is your office -that’s perfect. This way you are not in areas you want to relax in or use for other activities. Maybe now is the time to give it more attention and love. If you do not have this option, or let’s face it after a month you need to move around and experience a different room in your home - we recommend your dining table and getting it ready for work time and completely clearing it when you’re done. Don’t leave it sitting there. A new day has to be a fresh start! 💻

4. Keep your desk tidy and inspired and leave things space to breathe. Have a good scent around you - add some fresh flowers or plants, a candle you love - citrus smells are refreshing and help to make you feel happier. Natural light is ideal and good task lighting is important ⭐️

5. Always place objects that inspire you and your business. Surround yourself with things that make you smile- you can add photos which inspire you or people you love like your family that support you as you support them 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

6. Take breaks, rest your eyes, stretch your body. Have video calls with your colleagues, face to face is always best. Have your lunch and coffee break away from your desk☕️

7. Put on some uplifting or calming music depending on what you like and when you need that extra inspiration or motivation! If you’re like us we even dance around to shake things off and celebrate the good stuff!🎶

8. Change clothing at the end of the day when you have finished your work as if you would when you come home🌃

We hope this helps and Here’s to another creative and productive week for all! 💪♥️

From a young age our parents taught us about the importance of meditation, breathing, exercise and prayer. All these activities calm down your nervous system and enable you to tap into the joy of life and the essence of being present.
There are many meditation groups you can follow on Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. Our current favourites are by Maggie Erotokritou in Cyprus and Damien Wynne in Greece. If you struggle to meditate alone they have very soothing, comforting meditations to help you go within yourself and connect to your higher self 😇

Group meditations are very powerful and raise your vibration and it’s lovely to connect to other people’s spirits during these challenging times and help raise each other up.  It is essential now more than ever to bring peace, health and unity to ourselves, Mother Earth and raise our consciousness 🌍

We recommend creating a sacred corner for yourself in your home. This can be a space or a room dedicated to your meditation and relaxation which you can also share with your loved ones💗 Make it a special corner with your favourite scented candles, perhaps a special photograph, crystals or objects you love that bring you joy and happiness. You can place some pretty plants and cushions around you ✨ It can be a room or a special corner you retreat to when you want to have a moment to yourself and find your centre through breathwork.

There are plenty of videos on YouTube which can assist with breathing, relaxation and also Yoga classes! After all Yoga is also a form of meditation and great exercise to do at home 🏡

 

March is usually a rainy month where you get bursts of sunshine and warm days peaking through the winter haze. It’s the end of the cold, cosy season when you may feel like brightening your home, inviting friends over (hopefully soon!) and letting in the sunshine.

A nice way to get started, is to take this opportunity to declutter and get rid of any items that have been idly lying around your home since Christmas. Choose a time, such as Monday evening or a weekend morning to dedicate a few hours to tidying up each room in your home. You can strive to do it all in one sitting or each week spend a few hours chucking old things out which you don’t need.

We highly recommend reading Marie Kondo’s book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying up. She is a Japanese consultant who has perfected the art of tidying up and organising your home.  She describes how to release items from you home you no longer really need, how to only hold on to items that Spark Joy and even how to organise all your kitchen utensils.

When you do a proper clear out, your home literally feels like it has lost a lot of unnecessary weight. When you come home you feel like your home is an old friend in a new body! Much like when you have finally lost the pounds during a period of going on a diet before summer. The added bonus of tidying your home is that you will have more clear, clutter-free counter tops and it will be easier to clean everything properly.

Our next tip is to start introducing some vibrant colour into your home. Spring is a time when nature starts to look its best, and everywhere you turn you may see pops of colour! Be it the lovely bright red poppies and blossomed almond trees in Mediterranean fields or the beautiful bluebells in the UK country side. You can change those furry, cosy cushions you have had on your sofa since Christmas to linen cushions with pops of colour. You can also treat yourself and start buying beautiful flower bouquets each week directly welcoming spring into your home.

As Interior Designers we often feel like Mary Poppins’ cousins, when we’re working on a new project. We feel it’s our responsibility to help our client create a fresh start in their life and bring in lots of love, fun and warmth into their home. We love our job and as Mary Poppins says “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and, snap, the job's a game!”

Springtime is an opportunity for everyone to try and be their own Mary Poppins and to work your spring cleaning magic on your home!

Our annual January trip to Paris for Maison et Objet is always a pleasure! We really enjoyed the exhibition and working hard to source some real treasures in design and homeware. Since our return back to the office we have been very busy working on curating some wonderful items for everyone which will be revealed at a later date. These items range from beautiful lighting to lifestyle goods, sustainable home accessories and jewelry for the home. We have been simply Buzzing from all the inspiration and great finds for upcoming projects which we would like to share with you here now so you can also join us in the interior design fun!

Really happy and grateful to have been contacted by lovely Interior Design magazine Spiti kai Zoi requesting to feature one of our latest projects. Out December 2019 in time for the New Year showcasing great interiors, designers, inspiration and the new year trends! More on this project Pindarou Bachelor Pad on our website’s Portfolio page.