Many people are looking to recreate the perfect design they found on Pinterest, but for Keem Mazni, the perfect home begins with an expression of who you are: a representation of your preferences, ideas, and experiences. For Keem Mazni, this manifests in the keepsakes that decorate his space, including a pottery piece from his mom, who teaches art with a rehab centre’s educational programme. 

This is not to say that you should not look for inspiration: Keem Mazni himself likes reading articles and watching videos by other interior designers to gain insights on their process, choices, and rationale. For him, inspiration goes beyond looking at pretty images – it is about getting into the mindset of a designer to understand why things are done in certain ways, rather than simply copying another’s work. 

“Layered, warm, and compact” is how Keem Mazni describes his space, and he even has a song to go with it: “Parachute” by Cheryl Cole, as a parachute is how he envisions his home – a shelter and a place of safety. These are Keem Mazni’s three tips to designing a perfect home: 

Keem Mazni’s Perfect Home Tip #1: Avoid Cramping Your Space with Big, Bulky Furniture 

Especially when it comes to smaller spaces, having a collection of bulky furniture tend to make the whole space feel small and cramped. But this is not to say that they must be completely eliminated: when you have a bulky piece like a sofa that anchors the space, you can break up the bulkiness with armchairs or side chairs with wooden or steel frames. 

Keem Mazni’s Perfect Home Tip #2: Treat Your Space Like a Blank Canvas 

Starting with plain, empty walls, Keem Mazni’s advice is to keep it simple with just one colour. While this may run counter to advice given by other designers, keep in mind that the wall is just one element of the space – there will be artwork to be hung on the walls, curtains to drape over the windows, fabrics of every kind, and all the items you would have collected along your journey. All of these add colour and diversity to your space, and they all need a strong, stable base to build from. 

Keem Mazni’s Perfect Home Tip #3: Make Sure Your Carpet is Big Enough 

When placing a carpet beneath your coffee or dining table to bring the space together, Keem Mazni believes that size matters. In fact, the carpet should be big enough that your chairs still sit squarely within its borders when you pull them out. Beyond aesthetic reasons, this tip is also practical: with a smaller carpet, your chair legs might catch on the edges of the carpet as you move them. So go big!