Decorating is all about making your spaces cosy yet modern and sophisticated, and when trying to imagine how to decorate your home there are huge numbers of things to consider. One thing many people often don't take seriously enough is selecting perfect colours. The colour scheme of your home is just as important as the furniture and style that you use. After all, if you're going to be entertaining guests in your home, you want to make sure that it looks great. It's no secret that certain colours evoke different emotions, and you want to make sure that the colours you choose help people have a positive experience while visiting your home. Some people prefer dark, conservative colours, while others prefer to be bright and bold. But no matter what your preference is, there's no denying that you can't go wrong by choosing classic earth tones. Sometimes, if only because of their beauty and earthy touch, people are compelled to use colours called safe, but really better called natural, such as earth-toned colours. These consist of an array of browns, greys, lavenders, greens and olives, as well as other colours reminiscent of rocks, trees and earth. Egypt's interior design market is going through an interesting phase of using earth-tone colours and enriching them with an Egyptian touch. As a result, your home can be elegant and chic as well as having an Egyptian spirit. Strolling through a showroom in Maadi recently, the present writer was surprised at the beauty of the home accessories collections using earth-tone colours with an Egyptian touch and crafting. It was evident in the embroidery of the sheets and in the lavender colour, which was inspired by Siwan embroidery from the oasis of the same name. Earth tones go very gracefully with bright colours for bedrooms, such as iris purple, lavender, grey, brown and off-white, which can make lovely complements to subtle earth tones. These combinations of colours couldn't be cosier. Adding grey or vibrant purple bed runners or cushions can add glamour to any bedroom. Adding an Egyptian touch to the mattress designs and knowing that products are purely handmade make them even more unique and beautiful. Other designs were available in olives, greens, browns and off-white. Just as the new shoots of young onion plants look at home poking up out of a rich soil, a few vibrant green or chartreuse cushions or palm leaf baskets can liven up a room done in soft, earthy hues. What was interesting and eye-catching as well was seeing the ability of the designer to mix alabaster and copper together in table lampshade designs with foliage embroidery, enhancing the design's beauty and adding to its uniqueness. Earth tones can add a sophisticated touch to dining rooms as well. A casual dining space can benefit from an ambience of warm earth tones, textures and patterns. Reclaimed ethnic wood art pieces can create a visual focus and set the overall tone of any space, bringing the contrast of modern glamour and organic elements. The space can be enhanced with pottery handmade in Fayoum. Earth-tone colours were not only introduced in the décor at the Maadi store, but also in the furnishings. What was interesting and environmentally friendly was the fact that all the glass in the showroom was made out of recycled glass. On a side note, earth tones are also trending for clothes and personal accessories as well. According to Hayam, one of the showroom's marketing specialists, “dealing in Egyptian products and enhancing the Egyptian heritage is a whole new experience and is about focusing on the details in each and every inch of the product design.” Decorating your home with earth-tone colours and enriching it with an Egyptian essence will not only bring elegance and beauty, but also uniqueness, since many products are handmade and from different governorates. Sarsou, a type of wood from Luxor, can be used for trays, whereas pottery comes from Fayoum, bed covers and carpets from Beheira, curtain linen from Gharbiya and recycled glass from workshops in Downtown Cairo. Moreover, handmade products are more than just products, as each of them contains an ample measure of love, creativity and uniqueness. But the designs also have modernity and elegance, making them perfect for the ideal home. Using these colours in your home can also help create a calm and relaxing environment and can help spice up your space. If you've been thinking of redecorating your home, using earth tones may be a very good move. The writer is a freelance journalist.
