Christmas is just around the corner, and it makes the best excuse for a long anticipated get together! I must say, it is lots more fun to host a house party for Christmas than going out for a meal, since it is more intimate and you get to spend way longer just lounging around than in restaurants. Having said that, we are all busy with our daily lives, so we other than our ah-yi's weekly cleanings, we might have just left our homes right there to deteriorate. As a perfect host, the atmosphere is as important, if not more, than the food and wine we serve and the company we keep, so why don't we take a look at what we can do to get our flats to ooze the warm and welcoming feeling!
Sitting Room
Some may argue that the soul of a living room is in its sofa, so how can you refurbish your soul to show that you are trendy yet caring? SofaSale has came up with this fabulous idea of turning your old denim jeans into a brand new comfy sofa, giving your old jeans a well deserved second life. Don't have that many pairs of jeans ready on hand? Ask your friends to chip in, and surprise them with the unique piece of furniture when they come over to your place for Christmas! Rest assured that the sofas are in tip top quality, since the frames are made of dried solid wood that has undergone steam drying treatment to meet European furniture standards, making sure your uber chic sofa will last more than a lifetime.
Now start decorating your new sofa with Makaron's colourful cushions and quilted quilts! The brand is a pet project of Belgium luxury brand marketer, Jenny, and French airline crew, Catherine. Their contemporary classic designs are inspired by macaroons, which are sweet and represents the happy moments in life. Their cushions combine colourful vintage patterns with a single coloured cloth, as well as mixing different fabrics in a single piece, just to make sure that their pieces are both practical and trendy. Quilted quilts, on the other hand, are uniquely French, which would be perfect if you have small kids coming to your Christmas party. Lay it on the floor as a super fashionable playmat! You can get your hands on these classy yet affordable pieces by ordering online from their website.
Have you thought of how to keep your guests entertained while getting dinner ready? John Hardy has provided a luxurious yet environmentally friendly way with a Balinese twist! Their comprehensive collection of handmade home and lifestyle products includes traditional games like dominoes, cards, and tic tac toe. Made of black palm wood, the set shows off their fine craftsmanship with modern designs, so lay it around casually to add a touch of class to both your home and your entertainment experience.
Dining Room
Add a bit of the Mediterranean sunbeam onto your dining table with place mats from Les Toiles du Soleil. Made of an unique fabric manufactured exclusively in the South of France since 1860, it combines traditional Catalan weaving skills with contemporary interior designs. St. Laurent de Cerdans, though just a small village in France, had the charming powers to attract even the most celebrated artists, including Picasso and Dali, so see if these alluring place mats do anything of that sort for you and your guests!
Your silverware says a lot about your taste, so check out John Hardy's dining collection, which would translate your style as creative yet detail minded. From cups to napkin rings, the collection of contemporary classics in sterling silver, black palm wood, and crystal is designed to enhance your Christmas dinner, presenting a ravishing yet cozy feel to your home. Even the pickiest fine dinners among your company will be in awe of its smooth and elegant finish, having been entirely hand made in Bali.
Balcony
Sitting outside in the evening calls for candles, which add a touch of romance to the evening. Real candles can be a bit of a fuss though, since it can get blown out by the wind or the snow, and tipping it over can cause a real nightmare, which would be quite prone after a couple of eggnogs. So Philips is here to the rescue with their ambiance accessories, with a nice set of tea lights that flickers just like the real deal, and you never have to worry about when it will be out. The pack does come with its own stylish frosted glass cups, but since the artificial tea lights are actually the same size as wax tea lights, if you have any fancy candle holders you would like to show off, it can also fit in there snugly.
Decorate your balcony with the colourful strips of Les Toiles du Soleil! Not only do they supply sun chairs in over 100 styles of fabric, they also custom make cushions to whatever that takes your fancy, giving your balcony a contemporary and trendy look that has outlasted fashion trends after fashion trends. Offer you guests matching slippers, and show them to a world of versatility and style transmitted directly from southern France!
Do you have one of those boring ol' sundeck tables? Add a bit of colour to it with Makaron's table cloths and runners! They focus upon offering Western home linen items that aren't typically sold around the region, and play around with colour blocking, as well as obsessing over the quality of their fabrics and finishings, just to make sure what you have on hand is of superb shape.
If you get your act together quickly enough, you just might have your flat ready for an extra Thanksgiving meal! Gather your friends and find a prized turkey from City Shop!
Shopping List
Emoi: http://www.emoi.com/en/catalogue.php
John Hardy: http://global.johnhardy.com/lifestyle
Les Toiles du Soleil: http://www.toiles-du-soleil.com/
Makaron: http://www.makaron-home.com/
Philips: http://www.philips.com.cn/index.page
SofaSale: http://www.sofasale.com.hk/collections/eco-series.html