How to spruce up your bachelortte pad

We talk to the kingpins of interior design for the free spirits who wish to get a taste of living alone.

LAHORE:

Between graduating college and getting married, every boy wishes for a separate space, which gives him free reign to entertain his friends, play video games and basically do as he pleases. Over the course of time, the average age at which girls get married has increased, meaning that they get ample time to either work or live with their parents.

Amid the fast-paced life of today, what could be better to have a private space where one can unwind? To unshackle the free spirits out there, The Express Tribune talks to the kingpins of interior design to get insight into how you can spruce up your bachelorette pad.

“It is important to decide on a style, look at the functionality of the space and then the scale of the furniture and pieces required,” says Saima Farrukh, a representative of the creative department at SanaSafinaz Home. “Fresh textured paint is always good to start with. It adds character to the space and instantly brightens it up.”

One investment that you can make at any time is in a good quality accent rug. It will make your room look vibrant and is likely to last a lifetime. Those days are long gone when it was out of fashion to have faux-fur throw rugs laying around in your bedroom or lounge.

Farrukh suggests adding a few quirky wall hangings to add character to the room. “Accessories make a difference and if you are not in the mood to splurge too much, add personal black and white photographs to fill up some of the walls,” advises Farrukh. “Books, indoor plants and candle stands are all easy fixes.” As far as the accessories are concerned, we suggest Lahoris to explore Shahalmi Market and Karachiites, Sunday Bazaar, of course.

Contrarily, Beena Asim, Design Director at Beena Asim Designer Furniture, prefers empty walls. “I prefer empty walls, furniture pieces should be the prime focus rather than the walls,” she says. At the same time, the colour of the walls in your room makes a huge impact.

“For girls, wall-colour favourites include white or ivory with pink or purple. Boys opt for all kinds of colours such as red, orange, yellow and green. Teenagers love black and young boys no longer play it safe with blue,” explains Asim.

The correct lighting can do wonders to a space, so add mood lighting to your pad and make use of candles to up the cosy feel of your room. If you have a smaller space to work with, the correct lighting will add warmth to the space and make it inviting. “It is time to switch to lamps,” says Farrukh.

From Chinese pottery to vintage clocks, if you have an eye for interior, you are bound to pick up some interesting things. Chinese pottery drums are en vogue and can be converted into side tables by adding a glass top to them.

Nothing brightens up a room like throw pillows, which can instantly change the atmosphere of any room. Ensemble in Karachi, and Home Couture and White by Mehar in Lahore offer some great options that are stylish for youngsters. If you do not have the luxury of having an entire lounge to yourself, you can always make an attractive window nook in your bedroom to add a different dimension to it. Your room, Asim suggests, should essentially define your personality.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2014.

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