The art of interior designing
Art forms such as ceramics, drawings, paintings, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, photography, video, filmmaking and architecture are primarily visual in nature. Other forms are the applied arts such as industrial design, graphic design, fashion design, interior design and decorative art. We can tell a lot about an interior designer’s approach at first glance of their work. We can even argue that the mood of a room is a direct reflection of their vision. So when one comes across the designs of Sekile Mangani, what is impressive is the sophisticated and artful way she layers a space as YVONNIE SUNDU discovers.
As a young up-and-coming interior designer based in Lilongwe, Sekile Mangani admits that one important consideration she makes when decorating a room is striking a balance between comfort and style.
“Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities that are to take place there,” she explains for starters in an interview.
A website for interior designers, interiordesignarts.com describes interior design as part art and part science and that it goes far beyond decorating.
“Interior designers have a profound impact of people’s lives by creating the surroundings, in which they live, work and play. Interior design arts strive to translate what people want into their own story as told throughout the entire home or business environment,” states the site.
“Just give us empty space and we know how to fill it. In fact we love to start from a scratch and all the way we diligently decorate your home spaces. Even furniture designing we also do it.
“From classic, contemporary to nature, we go with people’s needs so as to give them satisfaction. We can decorate a room based on one’s character, what he/she likes or anything that determines who you are like handbags, clothes, nature of job among others,” said the soft spoken 25-year-old Mangani.
But how did it all begin?
Said Mangani: “I got the experience in South Africa where I was studying at the Damelin College for two years from 2007 to 2009.
Before I came home in 2010, I decorated an event to do with World Cup and that has since been the biggest and best I have ever handled.”
To manage well her business, she enrolled in business administration at Share World Open University. Since then her story has moved from leaps to bounds.
“I and my young sister Pilirani, whom we are running the business together, decorated our parent’s house. After getting compliments from people who visited, that gave us the courage to focus on decorating as a business. So we have been running The Artistic and Creative Decorators for the past few months,” she said.
Within a space of six months, the firm has grown. And Mangani is also into events planning.
“We have decorated several weddings in Lilongwe. And so far feedback has been good because of what we use in our decor,” she mused.
Mangani’s love for natural stuff is what makes her designs stand out.
“I love natural materials but of course not limited to that. I work with anything from newspapers, candle wax, to flowers, tall grass pods, sand and stones. In fact, anything goes for me.
“With all resources available, it takes two days to fully decorate a room. We give it that look that brightens your face all day, everyday. Our favourite projects will help you make use of objects you likely have lying around the house to transform them into creative and stylish wall displays.”
Mangani is calling on people to: “Browse through our best wall art display advice and find ideas and inspiration to take your space from blur to beautiful.”
