Kidili

This week I attended one of the Coco Republic Lifestyle Series Lectures held at their new design centre in Alexandria which also houses the new Coco Republic Design School.

The guest speaker was Karen McCartney, Editor for the last 10 years, of Inside Out Magazine. Karen addressed the topic “What Makes An Interior Work” and illustrated her points with lovely images of a New York Apartment, an Australian Beach House and an apartment in Paris.

Australian Beach House

Karen agreed that decorating is hard. Television shows indicate that it can all be done in a weekend but in reality it should be created slowly and filled with treasures that create passion and interest.

via Point Click Home

I was pleased to hear that Karen, like me, believes the most important aspect of decorating your own home is to stay true to yourself and decorate for you and your family, not the latest trends. Many people get carried away on different tangents when they enter the decorating arena because there are so many choices and new products and ideas coming out all the time. It’s important to keep focused on your original plan.

Karen also talked about a new room in the house I had not heard before – the Kidili (pronounced kai-de-lie). It’s that big room that many renovators add to older houses, a combination kitchen, dining room and living room.

The problem can be that there’s lots of wall space and no character with these rooms. Many have the tendency to become one big barn. It’s a good idea to maintain a neutral palette and add colour and texture to create interest.

via Australian House & Garden Photographer Simon Kenny

There was a question about this room being a concern because the messy kitchen is visible to all, but there are always ways of hiding the mess by clever screening and furniture placement. They are great for families with children as everyone is in the same space and the children can be easily supervised.

Not sure where this one came from. I had it in a tear sheet.

What do you think, do you like the Kidili or do you prefer separate rooms?

PS. Karen credited Queensland architect Timothy Hill with introducing her to the phrase.

If you would like assistance sourcing furniture or decorating your KiDiLi, contact us for an appointment.