Hints & Tips by Miraje Home Décor & Soft Furnishings In Cleveland, Qld

Create a tropical resort in Plantation Style with lush flora, vibrant greens, botanical motifs and natural elements. An Island Oasis where swaying palms and the lush jungle and exotic bird life give way to the beach and the sea.   Fresh green lends a sense of vitality. Geometric patterns give a definite tribal feel.  Here, homewares and furnishings have a strong organic influence. Daybeds, rattan furniture, hessian, driftwood, muslin, terrariums, coconuts, pineapples and tea grass matting suggest hardy, island ready purpose.  These layers of tropical elements create an inviting setting with cushions, fabric and wallpaper in leafy green prints, adding comfort and tactile interest.  Shell and Coconut husks and pineapples and staghorn add to the equatorial zone.  Tropical green reigns supreme against light raw and sandy beige tones. Indoor palms create a green oasis.  Add hanging plants or pots with delicate ferns or wall

Miraje Home has an exciting new ambiance with our latest focus - a new " Interior Design Shop" and workroom.  Beautiful fabrics add warmth and style. With doorway access through from Miraje to the former Cafe 401, this area is dedicated to fabric selection, soft furnishing design, interior consultations and custom manufacturing.  Things have certainly moved on when it comes to furnishing fabrics and window dressing with modern and classical styles and tracking echoing other decorative elements in the home. Small touches give a more defined and decorative feel. Beautiful tones can capture your mood and style  Imaginative use of fabrics for windows, lounges, cushions and other furnishings can transform your home and bring a level of sophistication unmatched by anything else in the room.  From a simple sheer fabric threaded on a rod to a Roman Blind with its classic lines, to an ornate luxurious velvet pooling on the floor, cur

Share a dramatic decorating moment with a Stripe! – All you need to transform a room from “drab to fab”.  Versatile to the core, this workhorse simple pattern combines effortlessly with solids, florals and other graphics - enhancing classic, modern and whimsical decor.  It is just a matter of how you use the stripes.  Add visual interest to all themes and styles. With their strong visual interest, stripes have the power to reshape a space.  Vertically orientated stripes will draw the eye up, creating the illusion of more height.  On the other hand, horizontal stripes will encourage a side to side gaze, widening a room.  A Chevron Striped Cushion creates a focal point on a sofa.  What colours do you use?.  The answer lies in the final effect you desire.  Create classic drama with bold contrasting colours in wide uniform stripes, e.g – black and white wallpaper will provide an impressive backdrop. 

What is more lovely than Christmas by the seaside.... Coastal Christmas elegance. The haven we call home captures a special space in our hearts. As, surrounded by all we hold most dear, we gather with loved ones during this magical time of the year. Our spirits soar amidst the expectant wonder and pre-Christmas anticipation.  That buzz in the air is tangible. This special time means so many things - fellowship, feasting, giving and receiving, a time of good cheer, loving your family and home!  Enjoy!. Then, after we rest for a little while, take a few deep breaths and welcome in the New Year with more good cheer!!  Hooray! Traditional Christmas cheer in tones of red and green. Our lovely Jane with her beautiful Christmas Wreath.

From Retro and Vintage, Cottage to Modern, Beach to Hollywood Regency, Mediterranean and Moroccan, let us meet the versatile blue green hue which colours water - AQUA. Accessories add character  Is it Green, or is it blue? Being on the cool side of the spectrum, it turns down the heat in summers and makes small spaces appear larger- perfect for the bayside. Nothing emphasises the magic of coastal living like splashes of aqua in décor pieces, accent walls, cushions, towels, tiles, lamps. Against a background of white or off-white and a mixture of natural materials and fibres, aqua really pops. A perfect example of this is Thea and Sami Aqualicious Fretwork fabric shown here. Not Surprisingly, aqua can give a retro feel to spaces because many vintage items from the 40s to 70s have hints of aqua. Can you remember this? The Hollywood Regency style used plush aqua in furnishing fabrics, wallpaper, sometimes with pink and black!! – very dramatic and lux.

The navy is here and summer time is not far away! Give your space the new summer look of classic navy and white. An oldie but a goodie; always a favourite of mine, navy blue and white can be used in any room for a cooling, calming effect - clean and crisp, but casual and very livable. White plantation cane lounge, navy upholstery and white piping.     Recently we fell in love with this gorgeous white plantation cane lounge, with navy upholstery. So Queensland! The bright white of the cane offsets the darkening effect of the navy blue to create a dramatically stylish statement. Imagine lying back on your porch, pavilion, verandah, feet up, relaxing in this classic piece of furniture, sipping a 5 o’clock sauvignon blanc!! Life on the porch Striking floor rug, white cane foot stool You can adapt this palette to your home as it works well in lounge, dining, bedrooms and bathrooms. Choose accessories in the room which do not fight or overwhelm.

Ahh... the aura of an island vista! We have drifted to a tropical resort and perched ourselves under the fronds of the iconic palm tree. Enter a world of relaxed luxury and serenity with the style of the Bahamas. One of the original purveyors of this tropical chic, Tommy Bahamas Home uses abundant natural motifs and woven materials to reflect a natural coastal environment. With a less is more approach and a few carefully chosen accessories, a feeling of lush minimalism makes an instant impression. Your room décor can be easily styled around this Bahamian feel. Using light airy colours on walls, breezy light sheers and natural fibres in furnishings, you can create your own mini resort. Apart from the obvious palm tree motif, one could use banana leaf, pineapple, bamboo or monkey images on soft furnishings and ottomans. Avoid overdoing these accents. Green, ranging from light sage to avocado, yellow, greens to almost black, is a major element in these patterns.

Owing to the popularity of our recent Hamptons blog at the start of June, I am posting a few more images.  These are of my home - Bayside Redlands. Although it is called a 'Queenslander' it would fit  quite comfortably in the Hamptons. Cooking in the Hamptons Details showing the Kitchen Bench View from the dining table Dining table and beyond Take a break on our Hampton's Verandah Hamptons inspired Decor More Hamptons Decor Breezy Hamptons designers sheers .

Enjoy the intoxicating blend of colour, texture  and pattern or Moroccan style décor.   Morocco has always been at the crossroads of so many cultures  and has subsequently developed its own unique  and extravagant decorating style. The jewel like colours of turquoise blue, ox blood red, orange, emerald green and pink mixed with shimming gold, silver and copper are exemplified in our dazzling display of home furnishings and accessories in our front window display. Texture and pattern are also vital in creating the richness and mystique of Morocco. Cushions of silk brocade and velvet, colourful glassware, ceramics and mosaics, ornately designed mirrors, intricate pressed metal work, inlaid bone, wrought iron, ottoman’s and the fascinating lanterns are distinctive features of this style. Take the time to come in and absorb the magical world of Morocco. Create an oasis in the sand dunes of suburban living with some of these t

“Those ginger plant flowers are beautiful” proclaims  Mandy as we peer into my neighbour's garden. So a few moments later and with the kind permission of our friendly neighbour's, there we were in the lush under growth, snapping away. As you can see, our piece de resistance this month is the new wing chair, ottoman and footstool, featured on this page. These eye-catching occasional furniture pieces are upholstered in a soft, velvet flocked fabric in a riot of summer colou