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Preparation for Christmas is a long process. Especially in the Philippines, there are so many things to consider to complete the celebration. In addition to these, the Media Noche or the feast to welcome New Year’s eve is another important celebration that Filipinos prepare tediously. Moreover, there are also traditions that have been practiced over the years. 

Food on New Year’s Eve

Media Noche is again one of the most awaited events during the holidays. Aside from the Noche Buena or Christmas Eve meal, the meal during New Year’s Eve is also one of the meals that Filipinos prepare with many thoughts. Special food is prepared but not as lavish as the Noche Buena. Though there are families who spend much on the food they add to the table. Lechon is one of the most popular food. However, it may be too costly for many households. 

Pansit or noodles may never be absent on the table. It is served to signify long life. Sticky food like biko is also prepared so that good fortune will stick throughout the year. It is also common to come up with 12 round fruits to represent each month of the year. Round fruits such as grapes, oranges, cantaloupe, pomelo, watermelon, and others. 

What’s with the noise?

As Americans enjoy fireworks on the 4th of July, Filipinos also love fireworks on New Year’s eve. Fireworks come in different sizes and shapes and have fun names as well. In fact, some of them have been banned by the government as they can cause injury or death. Examples are Judas belt, Lolo thunder, Kwitis, 5 Star, Whistle Bomb, and others. 

In addition to fireworks or firecrackers, pots and pans are banged. Cars, motorcycles, and tricycles are revved. Horns are also tooted to cause as much noise as possible. Kids also drag empty cans around to add to the noise. These traditions are practiced since it is believed that the noise made can drive evil spirits away. 

Other traditions of Filipinos on New year’s Eve

Filipinos believe in many things. Especially when New Year’s Eve arrives. There are also many practices in which Filipinos believe will allow good luck to enter the house and stay for the rest of the year. Before the clock strikes 12 midnight, all doors, including cabinets, drawers, windows, and cupboards. It is also a custom to wear clothes in polka dots as the dots represent coins or wealth. Kids also jump at midnight because they believe this will make them taller. 

It is also advised to put cash in your wallet. It is believed that the condition of the wallet when the New Year arrives will be for the rest of the year. Spending on New Year’s day is also not recommended. This sets money management for the year. 

Grilling whole fish is also one of the oldest practices for New Year in the Philippines, It is believed that whole fish bribing good luck. The scales represent coins while its way of swimming in the ocean is a life moving forward.  

 

Green is a color that is considered to be a color for renewal and nature. Adding some green inside your home is a very good thing because of the many benefits that the color gives us. One of the first things that come into our mind when we want to add the color green is with the help of plants. Plants help clean the air and provide more oxygen. Plants can be placed anywhere in your home and they can help spruce up a space. 

Why add green?

Of all the colors in the color wheel, shades of green are probably the favorite of many designers and homeowners. Many believe that color is closely associated with nature and evokes many positive effects on the environment and health. As one of the cool colors, green can help relax the mind and body. The atmosphere is likewise less stressful when you are surrounded by shades of green. 

Adding indoor plants is one of the easiest and fastest ways to bring shades of green to your home. Plants offer lots of benefits to your home and environment. They release oxygen, filter, and purify the air. We all are aware that the level of pollution is rising and that having plants are of great help in reducing air pollutants. 

Adding green with accents

One of the trends in home design is by bringing the outside in. The addition of houseplants or indoor plants can have positive effects on both the environment and health. We all know that plants can reduce the carbon dioxide level from our surroundings thus lowering the greenhouse gases. On the other hand, we also understand that not all individuals have green thumbs. Do not lose hope since you can still add splashes of green with artificial plants or low-maintenance plants and other decorative items. 

Love the green with furniture pieces

You do not have to limit yourself to decorative items and wall paint. You can add shades of green to your home with furniture pieces. These will have more impact and will likewise make your interior look welcoming and relaxing. This may not also mean spending too much and buying new pieces. You can use old ones like a wooden desk and add soothing green shade. As such, working at home will be less stressful. 

Green to your walls

Just like in any other color, shades of green are suited for almost any room in your home. It encourages relaxation and promotes comfort and continuity in your rooms. Time to change those neutral colors and try using a relaxing shade of green. You will see that the effect is wonderful and extraordinary. 

If you are also worried about the expenses, you can always refinish cabinets and paint them with a shade of green. This can be done in the kitchen or the bedroom. The good thing about green is that you can add pops of complementary colors such as red. This color combination can cool down the room and make it more inviting for your friends and relatives. 

Over the years, art has been part of our lives. It helps us improve and express ourselves, as well as to make any space look wonderful. Abstract art is one of the styles that have been loved by many enthusiasts. There are many ways to describe them and the different designs can make a total transformation to your space. But when and where did it all begin? Read on to learn more about the history of abstract art and how it evolved through these years. 

Eastern Europe

History tells us that abstract art was born at the start of the 20th century. During that period, the platform was mostly about fauvism, cubism, and figurative expressionism. As a result, abstract art is known for its freedom use of color, shapes, and the subject. The subject can be anything, from geometric shapes to humans, abstract art can be anything. The goal is to highlight the form through experimentation with colors. This exhibits the freedom of the artist to be flexible from the strict rules of creating art. 

Though the exact origin of abstract art is not that clear, there are different artists who created their own styles using abstract art. Each can be determined with their respective periods. As agreed by many experts, abstract art started around 1910. This can be supported by the first abstract watercolor by Vassily Kandinsky. The artist was a Russian painter who was associated with the avant-garde movement in Eastern Europe. He was also the first painter who used no formal composition. 

The two ideas in abstract art

There are two ideas when it comes to abstract art: rationality and expressiveness. Abstract art aims for rationality and an independent order from external reality. It is also the development of the symbolic function of color, the rhythm of forms, and their independence from a subject. For instance, artists like Kandinsky and Kupka find a wide range of emotions with the use of colors. As such, the colors they use have effects on the viewers, as if the art itself is trying to communicate. 

The types of abstract art

Abstract art is not just about freedom of expression. In fact, there are different types or divisions. Kandinsky represented Lyrical Abstraction in which the interests focused on the power of emotions and the impact of anger on humans. Malevitch represented Suprematism where forms and colors are left to speak for themselves. Geometric Abstract Art was represented by Piet Mondrian with his use of squares, primary colors, and black lines. The development of Orphism was because of the Delaunays who used sharp colors and rounded shapes to cover the whole canvas. 

The abstract expressionism movement

The new abstract art movement started in the 1940s and 1950s. This new movement was started by the Americans after the Second World War. Artists like Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning made significant contributions to the development of the movement. The paintings of Pollock are marked by the vigorous movement of the painter creating splashes. 

From the 1960s, there emerged new trends: Optical Art and Minimalism. Optical Art was originated by Victor Vasarely and focused more on optical effects by playing with colors, shape, and light. Simultaneously, minimal art emerged that was started by artists like Sol LeWitt, Robert Morris, and Dan Flavin.

It seems like Scandinavian Design is taking the world like a storm. From the design of the furniture to the overall appearance of homes, the design style has been employed by many homeowners and designers. Not only that the style is about beauty, but the Scandinavian design style is also about functionality. Read on to learn more about Scandinavian design, its origins, and its characteristics. 

A brief history of the Scandinavian design

Scandinavian design is the name of the movement that is composed of designers, products, and companies. The design style is characterized by simplicity, minimalism, and functionality This emerged at the start of the 20th century that was developed in the 1950s from the Scandinavian countries, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. 

During the period between the two World Wars, European designers shared similar interests in modernity and innovation in design. As such, they created a new trend where the outcomes are the results of new industrial technologies. 

With the emergence of creativity and industrialization, the Scandinavian design focused more on the creation of shapes with delicate profiles, slight inclinations, and curves in creating light, soft, and flowing features. 

Since 1930, many individuals have contributed a lot to the development of the movement. The popular names behind the success of the Scandinavian design style are Alvar Aalto, Arne Jacobsen, Borge Mogensen, Hans J. Wegner, Verner Panton, Poul Henningsen, and Maija Isola. They played significant roles in creating the “golden period of Scandinavian design.”

The Scandinavian design is not limited to furniture, interior design, and household products. The concept is also applied to consumer electronics, mobile phones, and automobiles. It is common to see lighter colors, simple forms, and open-plan spaces. Rooms may also have multi-purposes. For example, the appearance of the dining room may not only be used for special events and family dinners. The open-plan and flexible spaces could give the dining room other activities other than the ones already mentioned. 

Characteristics of Scandinavian design

To summarize what Scandinavian design is all about, it can be described in two words: minimalism and functionality. Below are the characteristics of the Scandinavian design that you can use in your homes:

• White walls – this can be the starting point of Scandinavian style, simple and clean. 
• Neutral color palette – achieve the Scandinavian look with shades of white, gray, and black. These three colors are important for creating a cohesive and minimalist look.
• Pops of color – adding a colorful decor or two can still create a Scandinavian style making it more fun and exciting. 
• Natural materials – Scandinavians are very much inclined with nature and as such, natural materials are common in the design style. Examples are wood, stone, concrete, tile, brick, plants, and others. 
• Simple and non-fussy layouts – Scandinavian homes also are simple, clutter-free, and have cohesive interiors that emphasize elegant minimalist aesthetics. 

Final thoughts

As people stay in their homes more these days, it is no surprise that the Scandinavian design style is dominating the construction and design industries. It has a natural beauty that has a significant impact on the total well-being of the person. 

The minimalist interior design style is one of our favorites. It has the beauty and appeal that can give your freedom. Minimalism can be defined as a tool that assists you in finding the best with many opportunities available. The removal of any distraction so that one can focus on the more important things is the highlight of the minimalist interior design style. Being a minimalist is different from being simple. Minimalism means promoting the things that we value most and excluding the others that may cause distractions. 

What really is minimalism?

In the world of art and design, minimalism is expressed in a way that encompasses even beyond the social, geographical, and political divisions. The design style is very similar to modern interior design that involves only the bare essentials. As such, any living space will have a simple and uncluttered look. The minimalist design style is characterized by simplicity, clean lines, and a monochromatic palette with a few colors only used as accents. The interior also has an open floor plan, great lighting, functional furniture, and a handful of essentials. 

A brief history of minimalism

Minimalism is most commonly associated with the Western art movement that started in the 1950s. The movement focused on the idea that “art should have its own reality and not be an imitation of some other thing”. The style is influenced by many things such as abstract expressionism. However, minimalism focused more on geometric shapes, subtle colors, and the phrase “less is more”. 

The Japanese concept of wabi-sabi also influenced minimalism. The concept is all about imperfection and impermanence. Japanese minimalism uses clean lines, neutral tones, carefully placed tatami mats, and natural materials. In fact, many celebrity homes use the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi. 

The minimalist interior design style that we know today has a mixture of characteristics. Probably because of the different influences it had over the years. But the core concept of simplicity, clean lines, neutral tones, and unclutteredness never disappears. 

The Scandinavian decor and design style is also influenced by minimalism. It is common for Scandinavian homes to have light wood, dried greenery, and clean lines. 

Achieve the minimalist interior design style in your home

Since your home has different rooms, you can easily incorporate the design style by following some tips. For instance, the living room can look perfect with white or neutral walls, uncluttered coffee tables, soft colors, geometric patterns, and plants. These can help achieve an inviting and cozy atmosphere especially with lots of natural light getting in. For the dining room, the colors should likewise be simple. Choose neutral or black accents along with ceramic dinnerware in light hues to complete the view. 

The bedroom can be your sanctuary and should have an appearance that is relaxing and comfortable. It is all about creating a tranquil environment with the use of minimalist concepts. Use blankets and pillows in similar tones as well as a nightstand that appears simple. Be sure that they blend into the overall appearance of the room. 

Final thoughts

Decorating and styling your home is not a joke. It means that you have to be creative in your own way. The minimalist interior design style is not that hard to achieve. All you need to do is to incorporate the core concept of the style into your home and you will have the interior design of your dreams. 

Art Nouveau is a design style that is commonly used in architecture, applied art, and fine art. Its popularity rose in the 1890s until the beginning of World War I. The goal of the design style was to modernize the design and move away from the eclectic historical styles that were popular during that period. In fact, the concept of Art Nouveau originated from the stems and blossoms of plants. Read on to learn more about Art Nouveau and how it all began. 

A brief history of Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau was based on the name of an art gallery in Paris, “Maison de l’Art Nouveau”. The gallery was owned by an art collector, Siegfried Bing. The gallery featured artworks that were created in the Art Nouveau style. Along with modern furniture pieces, tapestries, and other decorative items during the 1900 Exposition Universelle made the place popular that the name of the place was used to denote the design style. 

Simultaneously, Les Vingt and La Libre Esthetique promoted the design style in Belgium. While the magazine, Youth, promoted the design style in Germany. It was an illustrated magazine on art and lifestyle in Munich. 

Though the exact origin of Art Nouveau is not really determined. Many art historians agree that the origin is linked with the English Arts and Crafts Movement. It also has influences from Celtic art to Japonism. The beauty of Art Nouveau is that it can be applied to other disciplines like architecture, interior design, fine arts, glassware, and illustrations. 

Its worldwide popularity is short-lived, however, because of the rise of the Art Deco movement. It made its comeback in the 1960s. The emergence of Art Nouveau is the response to the traditional design style. The goal was to do away with the traditional ones and modernize the concepts and ideas in the decorative arts. The design style is inspired by the organic and geometric forms, evolving elegant designs that mimic the stems and blossoms of plants. The beauty of Art Nouveau features lines and curves as well as colors and hues. 

Traits of Art Nouveau

Here are some of the traits of Art Nouveau that will make a difference to your homes:

• The design of the furniture pieces is styled with flowers, leaves, buds, and roots. 
• Designers have the freedom and flexibility to choose the color as long as they are light.
• The floor is usually made from hardwood that is stained and varnished with the addition of an oriental or colorful rug. 
• Tiffany lamps and stained glass windows create the atmosphere. 

Achieve the design style in your home

For homes that employ the design style, it is common to see elongated curves and linear shapes. The style is influenced by nature such as flowers, spider webs, and feathers. Here are some ideas and tips to achieve Art Nouveau interior to your home. 

• Wall colors – usually the colors of the wall are soft and muted mixed with palettes of gray, mustard, brown, olive, and lilac.
• Floors – parquet floor or wood finish will achieve the classic appearance, whitewash the floor, or mid-toned wood. 
• Lighting – Tiffany lamps were the popular ones during the period.
• Decors – add curved or straight lines which are geared upwards from the ground. Stained glasses can be used with the same design which resembles blossoms of plants.