Think colour, think creative before you take brush to wall

How would you decorate your home? Would you stick to self coloured walls or splash out with different shades and textures? They say a picture speaks a thousand words…so does your home, office or hotel, especially its interior… the walls, the furniture, the designs and other objects. So why not add some colour and make a statement. But remember, never go overboard, never copy, just keep it simple, practical and elegant…. after all it’s your home.

“Don’t just paint a wall, be creative,” says Nayani Epitawala, an interior decorator and fashion designer who is presently focusing mainly on wall effects and related designs. “It all depends on the particular individual (the designer or the client), their tastes, styles and needs. This is why I believe there are no rules or no established framework when it comes to designing - you need to be flexible and go with an open mind,” she explains.

So, what factors matter in interior design? “The client’s taste is of great importance and of course there are other factors such as lighting, the place and space available,” Nayani explains, citing the example of her own home which is an old house.

“Even though I changed the main entrance, enlarged the kitchen and added some wall effects, I want to preserve that ‘old’ quality’,” she says. “Also the many different aspects of a room need to blend with one another.” Nayani is of the belief that design is not a subject that can be taught. “You may need to learn the basics, but again, the design needs to come from within you,” she explains.

“I have always been a creative person, which I believe comes from my mother and constantly read books and magazines on the subject, but developed my own styles and designs.”

Over the years, as an interior designer (she is also a columnist for the Lanka Woman magazine), Nayani has worked on table linen, bed linen, items for pantry, kids’ rooms, furniture and much more. Her firm N.E. Crafts Interior Decorators has held a number of exhibitions and she has also exported her products to Australia and New York.

Dabbling in fashion design, Nayani focuses on what she refers to as ‘wearable fashion’.“I always design individual or unique clothes and try my best to avoid two of the same.

What suits one person, would not suit the other,” she says with a smile. She prefers a Sri Lankan touch in anything she does and uses material available in the country. “Why should people not buy Sri Lankan products?” she asks.