using your space properly utilising space using space

Love your space

Using your space properly

Creating the perfect living area that is comfortable yet stylish is not a difficult task. However, a living space that is perfectly laid out, comfortable, have enough storage space and is pleasing to the eye, now that sounds hard to accomplish. Luckily, we as Born Furniture is here to show you how easy it can be to use your space properly.

 

You have to find the right balance in your space, you have to consider the colour you use, the lighting and the design. Colour has everything to do with the ambiance in a room. Choosing the colour for a room is based on the mood you want and how well the light supports that illusion. Using light colours will open a room and create a sense of space and dark colours contract a space. Therefore, use colours that suit your space.

 

Furthermore, create harmony in your space by considering balance and proportion. Balance the elements in your space, for instance if you have large pieces of artwork on a wall, pair it with a floor lamp on the opposite wall. The proportion of your furniture also should be considered.

 

Whether you are planning your living space for a new home or just want to change things up a bit, you have to understand the scale of furniture and its relationship to the room. Understanding this can help you create a comfortable and functional space. We can also advise you on the size of your furniture when we help you choose the right pieces for your room

Keep in mind the proportions of your furniture you want it to coordinate with the proportions of the room. Bulky and overstuffed furniture are overwhelmingly comfortable, however if your space is small large furniture will let your space seem overcrowded. Likewise, if your space is large and you use small-scale furniture the furniture will fade in the room. Therefore, use furniture that will suite your space.

 

Frequently used in most households are sofas. Buy a good-quality sofa that is durable, comfortable and maintains its look. Using a sofa in your living space will vary due to your personal requirements. If you want two sofas and have a large space go for it, if you have a small space and want to use a sofa have a look at all your options. In a small space a sofa can seem quite overpowering as it takes most of your space, and it overs minimal seating. Therefore, use a sofa that fits your space. However, if you struggle to find a sofa suited for you consider love seats, they are lovely small pieces of furniture providing enough extra seating space. Another option is to use a Chaise or a window seat.

 

To provide extra seating in your space you can add occasional chairs to your space. Additionally, ottomans can also be used. A wonderful advantage of an ottoman is to multi-purpose use, the ottoman provides extra seating, can be used as a table and can be easily stored away once it is no longer needed. In addition it also carries aesthetic value that serves.

In most homes there is always a shortage of storage space. You can either choose to create more storage space or you can buy furniture with a multi purpose. Firstly, you can create more storage space by use the space between the tops of furniture and the ceiling with hanging or high-mounted elements, for example, space above the stove can be filled with kitchen cabinets for extra storage space. Furthermore, you can also build shelves in the open areas in your home or use the space under your staircase as storage units.

 

Secondly, there is a large variety of multi purpose furniture like a storage unit that can function as an ottoman or table. Another alternative is furniture that can be a sofa by day and a bed by night. 

 

Have some open spaces that you have no idea what to do with? You can fill the space by creating a personal space to relax. Place a comfortable chair in a corner that can be used as extra seating for guests or a reading corner for you to relax in. High-back chairs are perfect for corners, the height of the chairs fills open spaces effortlessly. Another possible solution is to use a table, the table can be used as a desk as well. This will give the space an elegant and calm ambience. As creators of empowering furniture, Born Furniture can manufacture any item according to your required measurements, so filling those empty spaces can be done effortlessly.

 

Have fun creating your perfect living space, contact us to let us help in the process.

The Born Team

Visit our online showroom for some home furniture

Born Furniture can provide you with customized furniture for your home, get in touch with us today and let us create a master piece.

Opportunity is missed by most people

because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

GET SOCIAL WITH US FOR MORE INSPIRATION ABOUT UTILISING SPACE

VIEW MORE

Black Forest trifle recipe

Black Forest trifle

A true Born Christmas is nothing without a delicious dessert. In South Africa, traditionally a trifle is made and something everyone looks forward too. This year we suggest you give it a bit of a twist like BBC Good Food did, a Black Forest trifle with enough chocolate for everyone. This scrumptious inspiration will be a delight for everyone and is sure to bring the festive cheer to your table.
 
 Ingredients
  • 500ml tub ready-made chilled custard – look for one with real vanilla seeds
  • 100g plain chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 400g chocolate brownies
  • 2 x 390g jars cherries in kirsch or similar
  • 300g tub double cream
  • 200ml tub crème fraîche
  • 25g icing sugar
  • grated chocolate, to decorate, and fresh cherries (optional)
Method
  1. Put the custard into a pan with the chocolate pieces. Gently heat, stirring, until the chocolate has melted into the custard. Cover with cling film and cool.
  2. Arrange the brownies in the base of a trifle bowl. Drain the jars of cherries, reserving the liquid, and scatter over the brownies. Drizzle over 100ml reserved liquid. Spoon the cooled chocolate custard over and chill while you make the topping.
  3. Lightly whip the cream with the crème fraîche and icing sugar until soft peaks form. Chill until ready to serve, then pile on top of the trifle and decorate with grated chocolate and fresh cherries, if you like.

 

This delicious trifle is a must have at you Christmas dinner table. Shared with friends and family this festive season will be a lasting memory for years to come. What do you think of this delicious trifle?

Have a wonderful Christmas

The Born Team

* The recipe and photo from the BBC Good Food website.

Visit our online showroom for some dining room furniture

Born Furniture can provide you with exclusive furniture for your dining room, have a look at our Dining Room Chairs, Tub chairs and Wingback Chairs

The fondest memories are made when

gathered around the table

GET SOCIAL WITH US FOR MORE INSPIRATION FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON

VIEW MORE

Rainbow Cake Recipe

Rainbow Cake Recipe

Planning a Christmas dinner can be a hefty task, especially the dessert. Making something that everyone will enjoy might become daunting because everyone has their preferences. There is traditional foodies and then again you also want to spice things up a bit. We found our bold inspiration in the colours of the rainbow. A colourful delight this Christmas will be a Rainbow Cake. We found a scrumptuous recipe on BBC Good Food, it is sure to bring a bright and colorful delight to the table.

 

Ingredients

You’ll need 3 x these ingredients for six sponges

  • 125g butter, softened, plus a little extra for greasing
  • 225g plain flour
  • 150g golden caster sugar
  • 3 medium egg (very important to use the correct size)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • edible food colouring – red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple, plus optional pink (see below)

For the icing

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 x 250g tubs cream cheese or mascarpone
  • 350g icing sugar
Method
  1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease 2 x 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment. Tip all the sponge ingredients, apart from the food colouring, into a mixing bowl, then beat with an electric whisk until smooth.
  2. Working quickly, weigh the mixture into another bowl to work out the total weight, then weigh exactly half the mixture back into the mixing bowl. Pick 2 of your colours and stir a little into each mix. Keep going until you are happy with the colour – the colour of the batter now will be very similar to the finished cake, so be brave! Scrape the different batters into the tins, trying to spread and smooth as much as possible – but try not to waste a drop of the batter – a rubber spatula will help you. Bake on the same oven shelf for 12 mins until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean.
  3. Gently turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool. Wash the tins and bowls thoroughly, and start again from step 1 – this time using another 2 colours. Unless you’re making the optional pink layer, repeat one more time to get 6 sponges, all of different colours. Leave them all to cool.
  4. To make the icing, very briefly beat the vanilla and cream cheese or mascarpone with an electric whisk until smooth. Sift in the icing sugar and gently fold in with a spatula. Be careful – the more you work it, the runnier it will get, increasing the chance of splitting.
  5. Smear a little icing on your cake stand or plate – just a splodge to stick the first sponge. Start with the red, then spread with some icing right to the very edge. Repeat, sandwiching on top the orange, yellow, green, blue and finally purple sponges. Spread the remaining icing thickly all over the sides and top of the cake.

 

This colourful dessert is a wonderful adision to your Christmas table and will defenitly be a highlight for the festivities. Share your endresult with us and inspire other families with your bold choise for a festive dessert.

Have a wonderful festive season

The Born Team

Visit our online showroom for some dining room furniture

Born Furniture can provide you with lavish furniture for your dining room have a look at our Dining Chairs, Coffee Tables and Ottomans

A party without cake is just a meeting 

Julia Child

GET SOCIAL WITH US FOR MORE INSPIRATION FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON

VIEW MORE

christmas cookies

Sugar Cookies Recipe

Sugar Cookies

This Christmas Santa won’t be the only one enjoying some sugar cookies! A true delight for everyone in the family and it is so easy to make with the kids as a holiday event. We at Born found this recipe on the Food Network and the results are delightful. These sugar cookies will be the perfect snack to enjoy around the Christmas tree with friends and family, whilst enjoying a festive movie.

Let’s dig in:

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup butter or 1 cup margarine
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 3cups flour

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cream butter and sugar.
  2. Add egg and vanilla.
  3. Mix all dry ingredients and add slowly to buttercream mixture until incorporated.
  4. Roll out on lightly floured board to desired thickness.
  5. Cut out different shapes and bake at 200 degrees for 7- 10 minutes.
  6. Should be light in color with light browning on the edges.

This Sugar Cookie recipe is easy to make and is a guaranteed success. Share your end results with us on social media.

Have a wonderful festive season

The Born Team

For some last minute Christmas Shopping

Visit our online shop for the perfect gift to make your house a home.

Life is short

surround yourself with wonderful people and

only eat delicious cookies.

GET SOCIAL WITH US FOR MORE INSPIRATION FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON

VIEW MORE

coastal inspired homes coastal decor

Coastal inspired homes

Coastal inspired homes

Summer is here and means vacation is around the corner. Some of us are lucky enough to have a holiday home at the sea, others are dreaming about it. No matter where you live you can get the coastal ambience in your space and we are here to help.

The main goal of beach house decorating is to give your space an airy, effortless style. There are some decor elements that embrace this way of living and brings a contemporary coastal style to your home all year round. Born Furniture has put together a few ideas for your coastal-inspired decor.

Firstly, the colours you use can affect the ambience of your space. A beautiful coastal colour palette includes different shades of blue, white, green, grey and neutrals. These hues echo the colours seen in nature and will create and effortless and breathable space.

Furthermore, embrace unique paradoxes and contrasting elements. Pair different patterns, textures and colours throughout your beach-inspired home to enhance this ambience. In addition, mix and match metallic decor pieces with white colours. For example a copper colour lamp with a white countertop. When the setting sun illuminates these metallic colours, your home will be able to touch the magic in the atmosphere.

Other comfortable decor pieces is, of course, throws and pillows. These decor elements contribute to creating a relazed and comfortable sensation making your space welcoming and inviting with a comfortable style.

Another theme of a coastal home is comfort and convenience. You should invest in furniture throughout the house that is comfortable for dining and living. Born Furniture has a collection of furniture that is comfortable, durable and timeless. We suggest a Timberlandia Classic Couch in a grey colour fabric paired with hues of ocean blue scatter cushion. Also, a Zinio Contemporary Chair in a light coral blue colour to create a serene relaxation ambience in your space.

Get started with your coastal home decor, contact us today for amazing deals and more inspiration.

 

 

 

 

The Born Team

Visit our online showroom for some coastal inspired furniture

Born Furniture can provide you with quality furniture for your home, have a look at our Classic Couches, Contemporary Chairs and Wingback Chairs

Coastal life

is the GOOD life

🙂

GET SOCIAL WITH US FOR MORE HOME INSPIRATIONS

VIEW MORE

setting the perfect Christmas table rainbow

Creating the perfect Christmas dinner table

Creating the perfect Christmas dinner table

The food is ready, gifts are wrapped and the Christmas tree’s lights are sparkling. Everything is in place for a delightful Christmas, except for your table. Here are some ideas to bring the joy of Christmas to your dining table.

The traditional Christmas theme colours are green, red and white. You can use these colours to create the perfect combination. However, Born is having a rainbow inspired Christmas in light of the summer time.

Our perfect colourful Christmas dining table is as follows. Start with a white tablecloth, it creates a base to combine your colours effortlessly.  The place-mats can be colourful with a variety of designs. Your plates should also be a neutral colour like for example white, place a side plate on top of your plate to create depth on your table. The glassware can be the different hues you choose for your table or your normal crystal glasses, both will create an opulent image. In addition, the cutlery you use can be anything from stainless steel to rosegold metallics.

Notably, the centrepiece will be the focal point of your Christmas dining table, be creative with the different colours. Use a vase and place different colour Christmas ornaments inside to create a Christmas ambiance, or another alternative is a small Christmas tree with colourful decorations. Furthermore, you can can also use colourful candles or flowers for a natural effect.

In addition to bring more colour to your table, colourful napkins are a lovely solution. Use different patterns, textures or designs are wonderful for a colourful Christmas tree. Add a small surprise for each guest to the table, place a colourful candy cane or chocolate on each set of place. Notably, a tradition around a Christmas table is the Christmas crackers, place crackers with colourful designs at each seat. This brightens the mood around the table, perfect for the summer time.

Tell us what you think of our colourful Christmas dining table. How do you set your table for Christmas?

We wish you a wonderful festive season.

Visit our online shop for some festive furniture inspiration

Born Furniture can provide you with luxurious furniture for your home, have a look at our Chesterfield sofas, Dining chairs and Headboards.

Make it a festive season to remember.

🙂

GET SOCIAL WITH US FOR MORE INSPIRATION ABOUT FESTIVE DINING

VIEW MORE

VIEW MORE

christmas activities

Fun activities for the holiday

Fun activities for the holiday

During the holidays keeping everyone entertained and happy is a challenge, especially when you have younger children. Luckily, Born Furniture has put together a list of fun activities to keep everyone in the house entertained.

Everyone loves good food and that is why we suggest baking cupcakes/cookies and decorating them with the help of your children. In addition, homemade pizza is always a winner for everyone. Other activities in the house include; building a tent using blankets and cushions or building an obstacle course.

Furthermore, on a lovely day spend it outside. Have fun building an obstacle course, go for a swim or have a backyard picnic. Another alternative is to play games like cat and mouse, tag, what’s the time Mr. Wolf, thief, stuck in the mud.  Any of your favourite games will be fun for all age groups.

Similarly, arts and crafts are always fun for the little ones. Spend some time coloring in or painting picture. Learn a new skill like pottery, art, rock art climbing or drama at a place near you. Another way to get the creative juices flowing is by making masks, let the children’s imaginations run wild by making masks of their favourite superhero or animal, whatever they want to.

Moreover, go out and about, visit a museum, go see a new movie. Another favourite amongst children is fruit picking, and going to a farm or market. Go visit a theme park and enjoy the thrilling rides.

At night time make dinner together as a family, your children will love the experience. Have a movie marathon with buckets filled with popcorn and candy. Luckily, Disney movies are wonderful for the entire family. How about changing things up a bit and get behind the camera? Make your own family movie, the children will enjoy the roleplay and dressing up. Another favourite is a trivia night, choose different topics and fill your space with the laughter of your family enjoying the time together.

Other activities you can do is to play board or card games like Monopoly, Snakes and Ladders, Snap, Uno etc. Have a themed day like pirates or princesses, dress up and roleplay for the day. Invite friends over to enjoy the fun. A slumber party is another fabulous choice, invite friends over pitch indoor tents and play party games, what a wonderful way to spend the night.

These are only a few ideas to entertain your family over the holiday. How do you keep your family busy over the holidays?

Visit our online showroom for some home furniture

Born Furniture can provide you with lovely furniture for your home, have a look at our collection of home furniture.

Together is the most wonderful place to be 

this holiday season.

GET SOCIAL WITH US FOR MORE INSPIRATION ON HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES

VIEW MORE

not so traditional christmas tree

The not so traditional Christmas tree

The not so traditional Christmas tree

Christmas is around the corner and decorating your home is part of the Christmas tradition. However this year Born Furniture suggests that you should go for the not so traditional Christmas tree. That is why we have put together a few ideas for you to try.

Everyone has a Christmas tree packed away in a box only to be opened once a year.  Instead of using your packed away Christmas tree rather use a step ladder. Yes, we do mean the one that is somewhere in the garage! You can be creative, paint the ladder with joyful colours and brighten it up by using colourful Christmas lights. Another option is to use your Christmas ornaments and other decorations to decorate the ladder. 

Furthermore, if you are a bit stressed about time head down to your local crafts store and get yourself a beautiful Christmas tree wall sticker. In addition, the stickers can be placed on almost any wall and it comes off without any trouble. There is a variety of colours and designs to choose from so finding the right, not so traditional tree will be quite easy.

Another wonderful idea is to have a Christmas tree made from wood. Wood is a very versatile product and can be used in endless amounts of ways. Most noteworthy, the wood can be painted and combined with matching colour decorations for a modern Christmas look. Alternatively, to create a more natural look you can leave the wood untreated. Wood alone creates a lovely ambience of warmth in any space, combined with the Christmas spirit it will create a magnificent atmosphere.

Lastly, as we are in summer and the flowers are in full bloom we thought a floral Christmas tree will be perfect. Use the gifts mother nature gives you. Like a tree full of colourful flowers creates a summer ambience in your space and it will leave your space smelling lovely. 

There are so many alternatives for the original Christmas tree, these are just a few of our favourites. Tell us what you think and share your unique Christmas ideas with us for the jolly season.

Visit our online shop for some festive specials

Born Furniture can provide you with luxurious furniture for your home, have a look at our Dining Chairs, Tub chairs and Wingback Chairs

Closing the closet doors makes the mess go away…

SAID NO FENG SHUI EXPERT EVER

🙂

GET SOCIAL WITH US FOR MORE INSPIRATION THIS CHRISTMAS

VIEW MORE

Born Furniture, balance, Working women, finding your balance,

Balance between your Work and Family life as a Woman – a couple of tips from Born Furniture

Balancing your Work and Family life as a Woman – a couple of tips from Born Furniture

At Born Furniture we celebrate women during the month of August. Because we care we also know that finding a balance between work and family can be a challenge. So we decided to give you a couple of tips and tricks.

This is something that most of us find difficult, however it is an achievable concept. If you do meet someone who has it all figured out, chances are they will be back at it again in a year’s time. Trying to schedule an equal number of hours for each of your various work and personal activities is usually unrewarding and unrealistic. You need to work hard in order to achieve your personal and/or family goals. The one cannot survive without the other. You cannot get the full value from life without BOTH Achievement and Enjoyment.

The right balance for you when you are single will be different when you marry, or if you have children. It will also be difficult when you start a new career versus when you are nearing retirement. Our work and family circumstances vary significantly. Personal, family and work needs vary and are ever-changing, so you have to be more flexible. Being a full-time working parent can lead to feelings of guilt and stress because of divided attention between work and family.

The key is to develop creative solutions as you approach the challenges of balancing the responsibilities and joys of your many roles. Work life balance is something most parents really crave. Recent surveys reveal that many parents are eager to make changes so they can work more flexibly, even if it affects their pay. They do this because they know that having time with their children is important. This leaves us with the question; What can we do to attain the best possible from both worlds? Unfortunately, there is no formula to make this easier. Furthermore, your hierarchy of values will change as you move through the different phases of your life. These are merely guidelines and will make you feel better one way or another by practicing different ideas as well as thought processes.

Write down your hierarchy of values: Write down your values, from the highest to the lowest. This will enable you to see what is most important and least important to you. This will turn your focus towards certain values or show your weakness and where you should improve. For example, is your friends and/or your PlayStation more important than your family or your business. Woman and men’s values will vary as we are built differently. Limit time-wasting activities and people.

Meditate and create time for yourself: Being a good parent, partner and professional means being good to yourself first. Most of the time, when faced with challenging situations, the difficulty is in thinking what will I do. Also comparing it with past experiences or comparing it with other’s experiences. Don’t, these are the hurdles that we create for ourselves. Life is too complicated to be a perfectionist. We are all human and do not own Super Man’s genes. Meditate often (calming your mind) and revisit your written hierarchy of values.

Make one night your special night (If you have children and/or only married.) Movie night, Lego night or computer game night. Whatever they fancy. Few moms and dads can join in with their children’s post-school fun and games every evening. However, your children will love to know that there’s one night when everything stops, just for them.

Achieve an Integrated life: Keep things in perspective. Create harmony in your life, a mixture of work, family and friends. Remember there is no single formula for balancing work and family. It is a personal decision how one combines your spouse, children and career. Remember to divide your time. All of these different masks that we wear require a certain amount of attention. It is up to you to get to know what is more important than the other and make it work.

The Born Team

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR MORE TIPS AND TRICKS

VIEW MORE