Kintsugi: Beauty in the Imperfect

I’ve been obsessed with these tiles, but for the longest time, I couldn’t put my finger on why. Then one day, as I was watching the last episode of ‘Killing Eve’ (no spoilers, I promise), I understood why.

Ever heard of kintsugi? It’s the beautiful Japanese art of mending broken pottery with gold. The philosophy behind kintsugi really resonated with me. As a mum of two energetic boys, I’ve learned that life rarely goes as planned. There’s always something that doesn’t quite fit the picture-perfect image we have in our minds—whether it’s the mess in the living room that never seems to disappear or the unexpected challenges that come with balancing work, family, and everything in between.

Kintsugi

Kintsugi dates back to the late 15th century. Legend has it that a Japanese shogun sent a damaged tea bowl to China for repairs. Dissatisfied with the unappealing metal staples used to fix it, Japanese craftsmen sought a more elegant solution, creating a technique that highlighted the cracks with lacquer mixed with precious metals. Kintsugi embodies the philosophy of wabi-sabi, which finds beauty in imperfection and transience, celebrating the history and resilience of an object rather than disguising its flaws.

Just like in life, our homes aren’t perfect. There are scratches, dents, and marks that tell a story - a cracked tile backsplash in the kitchen, a beloved wooden coffee table with its scars, or that mark left when you moved the couch for the first time. These ‘imperfections’ add character and a sense of history to your home. I often find those ‘picture perfect’ homes on Instagram or Pinterest unattainable and simply not real. I believe it’s important to create spaces that are not just beautiful but meaningful.

How can you bring kintsugi into your own home?

Start by looking at your space with fresh eyes. Do you have any items that are chipped or cracked? Instead of discarding or replacing them, think about how you might repair and highlight these imperfections. Embrace the idea that your home doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.

Share your kintsugi-inspired projects on social media and tag me—I’d love to see how you’re celebrating the beauty of imperfection in your own space. Let’s start a conversation about how we can all find beauty in the ‘broken’ and create homes that reflect our unique journeys.

COVID-19

I wanted to take this time to reach out to you all, to show appreciation to our key workers, and update you on what we as Patique are doing during this unprecedented time. The global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of us in so many different ways and my heart goes out to everybody that has lost a loved one.

Let me start by saying

Thank you to the nurses, doctors, social workers, healthcare providers, and hospital employees worldwide who are putting their health at risk to protect ours. Thank you to everybody working at grocery shops, farm workers, emergency service workers, police and fire and rescue staff, public transport workers, everybody working in media, utilities, and many more key workers, allowing all of us to continue with our lives, safe and at home.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank all our clients, partners, suppliers and everybody else we worked with in the past and are currently working with.

Many of you reached out to us to see how we’re doing and if we need help. We feel incredibly grateful to be surrounded by amazing people who continue to work with us via online channels.

What are we doing in the midst of the pandemic

Here at Patique, we continue to provide interior design services, as we have done for many years, but decided about a month ago to exclusively work remotely. We remain ready to work on your interior design projects during this period. We continue to work through online design meetings, colour consultations, mood boards, and of course discussions on the phone. Whether it’s on finding the right items for your home or helping you unleash your creative side, we’re here for you with virtual meetings using Zoom, Totok, WhatsApp, email or old fashioned phone call.

We know this is a difficult time for you and you are not alone. Our website (which we still need to update!) and our Instagram page remain ‘open’ to inspire you with beautiful homes, to update you with your virtual projects and to spread positivity and kindness. Sending positive vibes your way.

Stay safe,

The Patique team

We’re excited to announce that we are hiring an intern for Patique Interiors.

The ideal person:

• is reliable, honest, organised and dedicated

• has interior design accreditation

• can help with both interior design work such as concept design, furniture sourcing

• and with back office activities such as marketing, accounting, sales, project management

• can be client facing and work with suppliers/contractors

• experience/expertise in visualisation tools is a plus

• additional language skills (hindi and/or Arabic) is a plus

If you feel this is a fit for you, please get in touch and send your CV and portfolio to elmas@patiqueinteriors.com.

This is a paid job and can be either part-time or full-time.

Our thoughts on pantone’s 2020 colour of the year: Classic Blue

If there’s one thing interior designers are obsessed with, it’s colour and seeing how different designers get creative with colour. In December 2019 Pantone announced the 2020 colour of the year: Classic Blue and we are very excited to see how we can include it in interiors in 2020.

Described by Pantone as a ‘timeless and enduring blue, elegant in its simplicity’, Classic Blue is a calming and reliable colour.

Review

Considering we’ve been super impressed with the impact the colour of the year announcements had in the previous years, we are excited to have a look how we can use Classic Blue in its own right and as part of colour combinations. So here is our honest review.

What we liked

What we love about Classic Blue is its timeless and restful look. It is incredibly elegant in its simplicity, it is dependable and genderless. And while Classic Blue is calming and traditional, it is easy to combine it with bold colours such as coral or mustard, or keep it simple with whites and soft greys.

Downside

But let’s be honest, Classic Blue doesn’t set us on fire. It’s a safe colour. A colour that can come across dull if not used correctly.

To conclude

Overall, we’re really feeling this colour, it can easily be used in all spaces of a home, but it’s probably a colour for someone who loves or needs serenity in their space.

Inspo

So, in case you needed a little inspo for using Classic Blue in your interiors, here’s all the gorgeous low-key inspo and subtle looks you need to try!

What is Classic Blue (Pantone 19-4052)

Classic Blue brings to mind calmness, the sky at dusk, and deep sea waters.

Pantone said ‘the reassuring qualities of the thought-provoking Classic Blue highlight our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era. Imprinted in our psyches as a restful color, Classic Blue brings a sense of peace and tranquility to the human spirit, offering refuge. Aiding concentration and bringing laser like clarity, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue re-centers our thoughts. A reflective blue tone, Classic Blue fosters resilience.’

What is Pantone

Each year for the last 20 years The Pantone Color Institute has selected the Pantone Colour of the Year. It has influenced product development, fashion, home furnishing, industrial design, product packaging and graphic design.

The process of selecting the Colour of the Year is not taken lightly. Pantone analysis trends, works with colour experts across the globe, looking at colour influences in different industries such as entertainment, film, travel, art, fashion, technology, materials, social media, and sporting.

Three new year's resolutions for 2020

So… I’ve never been the kind of person that thinks about or shares new year’s resolutions, but 2020 is going to be different. It feels different. And F it, I’m not only going to think about my resolutions, but share them with the WORLD (eek!).

I could set these crazy goals like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or meeting the Dalai Lama (things I really REALLY want to do), and yes these are on my bucket list, but let’s be real, they are difficult to achieve in a single year. So instead I’ve compiled a list of three realistic AND aspirational resolutions.

Patique Interiors

I feel like I birthed two babies in 2019, my beautiful 9 month old son Ilkay, who is the sun and the moon of my life. And my even younger baby Patique Interiors in September 2019. Patique has been in the making for over a decade and even though I qualified as an interior designer over three years ago, I’ve never had the time to properly set up my interior design studio. Yes, I’ve been doing projects throughout the years, but 2020 has to be different.

2020 is the year of blogging and sharing. The year of exciting interior design projects. The year of Dubai. And I can’t wait to share it all with you!

Health and Well-being

It’s time to finally shed that baby weight in 2020 and feel physically strong again. I cannot wait to get back in the gym (and also, I cannot believe I actually want to go to the gym lol). I found these Instagram videos and apps that have incredible workout plans that suit my first-time-mum and setting-up-your-own-business lifestyle.

A few examples I’m dying to try out: Alexandra Cane’s thehappybodyplan, Casey Batchelor’s yogablitz and Tammy Hembrow’s Tammyhembrowfitness.

My inner circle

Every passing year I realise how much quicker time goes. One year ago I was newly wed, in my second trimester pregnant, working full time as a managing consultant and living in Wimbledon London. How life has changed in twelve months!

This year is the year of family holidays, taking the time to breathe and spend quality time with family and friends. I’m thinking of date nights, a spa day every month, travelling back home to Belgium and the UK, exploring Turkey (where my parents emigrated from) and Jamaica (my husband’s family homeland), less time in front of the TV and on my phone, more time reading books and generally just being in the moment. More yoga, mindfulness and meditation.

Here’s to 2020. To a new beginning, a new chapter and a new mindset. Let’s do this!

Let me know what your resolutions for 2020 are in the comments below.