As we fast during the month of Ramadan and Raya inches closer, all sorts of home décor ideas start swimming in our minds. How should we entertain our guests? What colours should we paint the house? What new appliances should we get? And don’t even get us started on the spring cleaning.
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Well, before you panic over ways to make your house presentable, here are 10 useful tips to spruce it up this Raya. We guarantee that your guests will look forward to visiting again in the years thereafter ?
P.S. Sony will be holding a private shopping session with special discounts exclusively for HHWT readers at Sony Store Serangoon NEX! Come on down on 2 June, 3-4pm (just in time for Sony’s mid-year sale!) to check out Sony’s huge range of products and… meet the HHWT team! Sign up here: http://bit.ly/HHWTSonyShopping18
1. Make spring cleaning as fun as possible!
Spring cleaning can be such a dread to some of us, especially when there’s so much on the to-do list. But we have to do it anyway, because who wouldn’t want to give their guests a comfortable place to rest in?
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To make spring cleaning more enjoyable, how about playing festive Raya songs on a soundbar while you’re at it? When you’re rocking out to your favourite tunes, time will surely pass by faster and before you know it, all your spring cleaning’s done and dusted!
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We highly recommend Sony’s Soundbars as they are sleek yet powerful! Pump yourself up for the festive season by easily streaming your favourite playlists from your phone wirelessly through Bluetooth or via USB.
After spring cleaning, reward yourself by watching a movie and immerse in the three-dimensional sound effects of Sony’s Dolby Atmos®Soundbars – giving you the cinematic experience in the comforts of home!
#HHWT Tip: Enhance your home’s aesthetic by getting the HT-X9000F with the Sony Bravia TV! Its slim design complements the speakers and gives your living room a clean, modern finish that’s sure to impress your guests ?
2. Use wireless headphones if you’re scared of disturbing neighbours
Don’t want to disturb your neighbours while spring cleaning to the music? Investing in a pair of wireless headphones should do the trick! This way, you can immerse yourself without worrying about being too loud. Plus, these headphones are perfect for your post-Raya travels!
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With wireless headphones, say goodbye to wires tangling up around your vacuum or getting caught on the corner of your furniture. The freedom of movement is yours, enabling you to be even more productive as you go about cleaning your house!
We highly recommend the highly raved about Sony Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones! With touch control and Ambient Sound Control, you can easily customise your listening experience. For instance, you can even adjust your sound such that you’re more aware of your surroundings, especially if your family members are calling you!
3. Have a coloured theme to your house so it’s easy on the eye
Now on to the aesthetics! If your walls are painted, small details like the colour of your cushions and kuih containers can really affect the whole atmosphere! Coordinate the colours of your items at home with your walls so that it’s all easy on the eye.
However, it’s best not to overdo it as it might look too messy. Keep to a palette of matching colours or play with different hues! And where there are more patterns, strike the right balance by having milder colours such as white.
Colours can also evoke different emotions and contribute to the overall ambience. For example, blue and green are colours that evoke calmness and tranquillity whereas purple will give your house a sense of grandeur and royalty. Think about the sort of vibe you’d like to exude and take your pick of colours wisely!
4. Hang fabric on the wall creatively for the best photo-taking sessions
Now that you have your house all sparkling clean, it’s time to bring out the decorations! This tip is especially for the families who love taking pictures on Raya ?
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Fancy a picture-perfect backdrop in your house? Secure a large decorated or patterned fabric on the wall and you’re all set! Not only does this easy step give your guests a fun place to take their OOTD or family shots, it also adds some flavour to your house.
#HHWT Tip: Use removable Velcro walls fasteners to secure your backdrops and prevent any damage to your wall paint!
5. Make some unique ketupat decorations
Ring in the festive mood with some quintessential ketupat décor! But instead of the traditional ketupat décor, why not try these quilled ones? With just some quilled or shredded paper, a slotted quilling tool, a circle template and glue, these pretty and adorable decorations are simple to make!
Credit: @leona_quill on Instagram
Here’s how you can do it: make 4 to 9 small quilling squares with 2 frills, stick them together with glue and tada – your ketupat decorations are ready to be pasted on the walls around your house.
#HHWT Tip: You can also cut A4-sized papers length wise to the size of 3mm X 297mm if you do not have a mini paper shredder at home.
6. Forget blinking lights – DIY your own fairy lights for a warm ambience!
When you see colourful blinking lights outside someone’s windows, don’t you just feel warm basking in the festive mood? If you’d like your home to feel the same but prefer a time- (and money!) saving option, the most ideal alternative are fairy lights!
Fairy lights will also suit the modern home a lot better with its subtle elegance and minimalistic appeal. To amp it up, try putting it in lamps or cut-out Hari Raya décor, and your home is all set for the celebratory season!
7. Entertain your guests with a Smart TV!
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Do you have a Smart TV? It’s time to tap into its potential for entertaining your guests! Not only will it blend into the modern home seamlessly, it’s the perfect tool for family bonding over hilarious YouTube videos, movies on *Netflix and TV shows with high-definition picture quality.
Take it to the next level by compiling past photos and videos of your family’s annual Raya visiting! Create a slideshow of these memorable moments with some background Raya music and play them on TV for everyone to watch and reminisce over. You can also make it a recurring thing every year so that everyone looks forward to coming to your house for this unique bonding activity.
The perfect type of Smart TV for these experiences would be Sony’s series of Bravia TVs. Recommended by Netflix, these Android 4K TVs are designed such that there are no visible wires to distract you from your movie marathon! Plus, with so many kids running around during Raya gatherings, you don’t have to worry about them tripping all over. Best of all, we love the Voice Search function so that we can find our favourite YouTube videos or movies faster than ever, without having to type out the full title with the remote control.
*Note: Netflix® subscription required. 4K availability subject to your plan, Internet service, device capabilities, and content availability. www.netflix.com/TermsOfUse.
8. Play family-friendly movies for your guests to watch together
That said, movies are a foolproof way of keeping your guests entertained! Why not make use of those old Blu-rays or DVDs you have and play some nostalgic movies?
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It’s also an effective way of keeping kids well-behaved, especially since so many of Pixar’s movies are on Blu-ray DVD Player. You could also show them some of your generation’s childhood favourites, entertaining both the adults and kids in one go ?
If there’s a Blu-ray DVD Player you’re looking to get, it’d have to be Sony’s 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player! Easily play movies via USB or stream your favourite movies over your home network. It also supports most popular video types so that you won’t have to worry about having to exclude old favourites.
9. Prepare family-bonding games for your visiting relatives
Nothing bonds people like games! For this reason, having games in your house when they come over is almost mandatory!
Make use of your Sony PlayStation to get your family engaged, especially if they’re huge gamers! From FIFA 18 to Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, you’ll surely find something to cater to the multitude of interests in one house. How’s that for an unforgettable Raya visit?
Alternatively, whip out your board games for a merry time!
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10. Have designated spaces to meet your guests’ needs
If you have a big family, guests of all ages and sizes crowding your home is probably a common sight. And when kids meet other like-minded ones, we all know the house can get pretty loud!
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With so many people and things around the house, the kids are vulnerable to accidents when play time gains momentum. To prevent this, it’ll be wise to have a room where kids can play in. If your house happens to have a sizeable area outside, all the better to whip out your sparklers to keep them occupied!
And of course, a designated quiet space or room for prayers will always be a great idea for your guests’ convenience. Remember to place some prayer mats and garments!
Now that you have these 10 tips, you’re all ready to prep your house for Raya! Let us know if you’ve followed any of these steps – we’d love to see how your house looks! Happy spring cleaning! ?
P.S. Sony will be holding a private shopping session with special discounts and door gifts exclusively for HHWT readers at Sony Store Serangoon NEX! Come on down on 2 June, 3-4pm to check out Sony’s huge range of products and… meet the HHWT team! It’s the perfect opportunity for us to meet you guys and we’re all looking forward to it. So don’t miss out, and we’ll see you there! SIGN UP here: http://bit.ly/HHWTSonyShopping18
This article is brought to you by Sony.