Decor items that speak to your guests

Make your house interesting with art. PHOTO/unsplash.com

What you need to know:

Decorate with unique or customised pieces and your creativity will leave tongues wagging.

While some persons are good at talking to strangers for curiosity’s sake, some others would prefer that there was an icebreaker, a peculiar item that facilitates a conversation between a host and their guest(s)

Some of such items include:

Décor pieces

The items you use as art pieces within your home can work as conversation starters. “These could be artefacts, a sculpture, and tapestry that draw the eye of your guest(s). That is because these pieces reflect our character. It is the finesse of such items, the attention to detail, and rarity that cause people to ask after it,” Winnie Kyomuhendo, an artist, shares about a wall tapestry she saw in a friend’s home. The piece was so real that she felt the water would flow out of the river into the living room.  “It hung above an immaculately white settee with black throw pillows so there was no competition at all. That allowed me to appreciate the richness of the piece that as real as it would ever be because the water seemed as though it were about to flow out to the room,”  she recalls, adding that it is such décor pieces that prompt conversations even from seemingly quiet people.

Home furniture

When buying furniture, Fred Kavuma, a carpenter, says, if possible, let these ‘speak’. “Many people avoid bespoke furniture, saying it is very costly. However, oftentimes, these relay your character and personality and will more often than not get people talking in appreciation. For example, rather than get an ordinary glass coffee table, get one with various shapes making up its stand or one with peculiar legs, say double rods rather than one. How about a metallic one with wheels similar to those of a mini wagon for stands?” He believes that breaking the norm is important when creating conversation starter furniture. “That is monotony and does not allow for your personality to come through. However, if customising a furniture piece is beyond your budget, having a keen eye will also help so that you look out for peculiar pieces,” he advises.

Windows

For a more eye-catching, conversation-starting living room space, Adrian Obonyo, an interior designer with MacFaj Concepts, says French windows are the answer. “Apart from being energy efficient since they bring in lots of light, they bring the outside in and create a beautiful focal point for the guests. In that case, one needs to ensure that the outdoors is not a sore thumb lest it becomes a put-off.”

Photos

Family photos can also work as a great conversation starter. Kyomuhendo says the way you lay them out matters as this can make or break the project. “One of the ways could be in form of a tree to showcase the family. You could also put them in frames of various sizes but similar shapes, say if you are going for rectangles and squares, and keep it that way without adding other shapes.”

Plant life

A living wall is a great feature in any living room. However, Aloysius Nangosha, an interior designer, says you can accentuate it by adding bright coloured flowers to add a colour splash to the space. “Besides that, a miniature tree can draw the attention of your guests. That is because such trees are not a common occurrence and to achieve them requires a lot of love which the host will be willing to share with their guests.”

Many may think that these pieces, as coined, are just to help foster conversation. However, they do more than that because they make the room interesting as they attract the guests’ attention enough to spur conversation. “In the long run, they add character and a personal touch to the space,” says Joy Kiisa, a homeowner,

That said, while customised pieces can be pricey, not every conversation starter should be very costly. “The peculiar effect of a conversation piece can be achieved without having to part with a big sum of money. All it takes is allowing your personality to have free rein so that your character is painted in these pieces for people to appreciate. It could be something as simple as an abstract painting,” Kenneth Kiyimba, an interior designer, shares. So if you have an ottoman or pouf that has seen better years, it could be time to redress it in a manner that causes it to stand out than ever before. Or if you have seen a collection of vases of various shapes and sizes, why not bring them home, paint them as you desire and have them sit on the once vacant bookcase? “It ought to make people stop, sit upright and talk about that piece,” adds Kiyimba.

Where to find them

Kavuma says, depending on one’s creativity, some of these pieces can be made from home. “For example, using straws, one can weave a small mat that they can later frame and turn into a decoration. One can also carve something out of wood if they have the right tools.”

Placement

While the living room is often the centre of activity, these items can be placed elsewhere in the house. Jolly Kamurasi, a homeowner, says it could be a brass swing in the garden, a clown cutlery holder in the kitchen, a treasure chest box, a rabbit table lamp, uniquely designed mirrors above the sinks, a coloured bottle chandelier above the dining table. “The options are unlimited. However, these conversation starters need not be at every turn. Allow for some normalcy lest your home turns into a museum.