Dustbuster

Carol O’Callaghan on how to give those little dust attracting demons that take over our knick-knacks the kiss of death

Hands up, who hates dusting? That’s all of you then. The time we spend tackling this chore is in direct proportion to the amount of knick-knacks we possess. Look up from the paper for just a minute and identify your very own dust gatherers. Are they the decorative wall plates brought back from foreign trips, or your collection of pottery? Unless you live in the most slick version of minimalism, you’re guaranteed to have plenty of little dust attracting demons.

Then there’s that piece of furniture with complicated inlays and turned legs that seems to send out an invitation to dust to settle in its crusty crevices. It’s worse still if you don’t even like the piece but being a so-called heirloom, guilt means you’ve kept it. Check to see if it has any value and sell it. Then use the proceeds to buy something sleek and contemporary you actually want displayed in your home.

We’ve long since developed an appreciation for the understated, pared down look. It’s in complete contrast to our parents’ generation which aspired to the soft woolly world of carpet which we’ve spent the last 10 years replacing in favour of the aspirational solid wood floor sprinkled with blonde wood streamlined furniture. This pared down look is about fashion, but also about function and ease of maintenance. At its extreme, it can be utilitarian, at its best it’s elegant simplicity.

But opting for a stream-lined contemporary look does not mean everything has to be about sharp angles. It’s more about clean lines and lack of unnecessary embellishment, while retaining comfort, if not luxury. Streamlined simplicity is indeed beautiful, but it takes courage to opt for it because a step too far and you can end up with something that’s a tad clinical and without personality.

Before the craving to hit the shops gets a grip on you, test how the pared back look will work by having a cull of your ornaments, pictures and other accessories. Reconsider the number of items you have and how they’re displayed. There’s a handy rule in interior design of arranging ornaments — lamps, picture frames, candle sticks, vases and knick-knacks — in odd numbers. In other words, have just a single item standing alone, or displayed in groups of three or five and so on. This arrangement is ‘lighter’, gives your surfaces a styled and uncluttered finish, requiring less dusting.

Once you know you like this clean look and haven’t put everything back where it was, then go shopping. A streamlined piece slotted in with heavier furniture can almost air a space and help remove the sensation of oppressiveness. There’s also something appealing about the lack of fuss. It’s somehow easier on the eye, and doesn’t have to be all transparent and monochrome, finished in leather and overtly masculine. Our new found love of colour has put paid to all that.

* Next week we look at new styles in coffee tables.