“Please contact me if you would like a consultation or further information about any of the products you see here at Decorum.”Archive for October 2009
Keep them in the air
I feel like this woman, this week. There are so many things going on I just hope I keep everything up in the air.
I do love the diversity of this job and the many and varied projects I get to tackle.
I started the week choosing a colour scheme for clients who have recently bought a beautiful Federation Home. Each room is painted a different colour and all windows have very fussy curtains. Whilst my clients like the traditional look, they also like the more relaxed feel of neutral walls and more simple window coverings. So after the colour selection I had fun choosing a selection of Sanderson fabrics to show them next week.
Country Linens by Sanderson
Borocay by Sanderson
I have also been tile shopping looking for a hard wearing, easily maintained, travertine look-alike for an entry and hall. This particular home has a Tuscan influence and the clients here love colour. We are considering a metallic paint for the walls of the dining room and black and sage green upholstery on the chairs. It will be very dramatic.
Maybe something like this for the entry but travertine look not marble
Then I had a step back in time to a lovely home in an amazing location but very 80′s. Did you read Millie’s post a while back on the 80′s? Boy that brought back memories. This house has some of those features and the clients would like to make it a comfortable, family entertainer. First to go is the swags and tails and the busy bathrooms…oh and the massive chandelier at the entry.
1980's Style Lightfitting
And today I’m off to advise a client on a new kitchen. She wants contemporary, handleless white cupboards with Ceasarstone benchtops and a red splashback. Red is a great colour for the kitchen as it increases gastronomic juices. Not so good if you are perpetually on a diet, though!
Maybe something like this except red, not orange. Photo from Australian House and Garden
Throw into this mix a daughter who wants to go to a Halloween Disco tonight as a “Dead Diva” and it’s been one hectic week. My head is spinning so I’m off to have a coffee and get cracking to have all these things sorted before 5pm.
Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Halloween.
Apologies
I’m so sorry, I don’t have a Worst Dressed Wednesday house for you today. I have been so busy. Not that I haven’t seen any, I just haven’t been able to stop and take a snap as I drive past.
Screaming Yellow via Butt Ugly Houses
So I decided to do a Google search and came across this site which I must say, leaves some of my earlier posts for dead. Have a look for yourself.
Pink
Just in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past 3 and a bit weeks, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And today, 26 October is Pink Ribbon Day.
So in honour of Breast Cancer, I thought I’d show you some pink images that have caught my eye.
Barbie House by Jonathan Adler
Harlequin Fabrics
Glamorous bedroom
Pink Ottoman by Cafe Lighting
The colour psychology behind pink is that it reduces tension, it has a calming effect and represents unconditional love.
Because of its soft, cosy and romantic nature, pink is perfect for the bedroom. It makes the skin glow with health and what better place to make use of those flattering reflections? As it is perceived as sweet tasting, too much pink can get a little cloying for living and dining rooms. How much is “too much” is in the eye of the beholder. But imagine pink on major areas such as walls and upholstery fabrics or carpeting.
People who prefer pink are the soft, tender friends. Romantic and refined, they are upset by violence of any kind. If you love pink, you are talented but not overambitious. People are drawn to you by your charm and warmth, but you don’t expose your feelings to everyone. While red is assertive, pink is gently and innocent; more subtle, more contemplative, more cautious. You can’t hide behind red, but you can conceal yourself with pink.
Make a pin purchase, buy some products especially designed to support Pink Ribbon Day or give a donation and do your bit.
Colour psychology from Leatrice Eisemann’s book “Colors For Your Every Mood”.
What to do this weekend?
It’s Thursday and time to think about the weekend. There are a few things on this weekend that may be of interest to you.
First up is Art Sydney 2009 which is being held at the Royal Hall of Industries, Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park. The official opening is tonight with a special preview party from 5pm – 9pm. You can book tickets here. The show continues on Friday from midday – 9pm, Saturday 10am – 6pm and Sunday 10am – 5pm. There will be lots to look at including artworks from over 100 galleries all under the one roof. You might like to take an Art Walk and Talk or take the kids to a free workshop or spot fresh talent at the Off The Wall exhibit where 12 of the best up-and -coming artists from across Australia are exhibiting with works from as little as $250.
On Sunday head to the Danks St Festival which will showcase the art galleries and gourmet food that have made Danks Street, Waterloo a drawcard for people from all over Sydney. Crowds can expect culinary delights from Danks Street Depot, Wah Wah Lounge, Grosvenor Hotel, Thai Pie, Red Star Pizza and Mason Rose, The French House and Patisse.
Making its first appearance at the Festival this year is the Live Green Kitchen hosted by Lyndey Milan, with leading local chefs including Jared Ingersoll, Kylie Kwong, Alex Herbert, Dave Campbell and Ashley Hughes demonstrating cooking techniques that focus on sustainable food.
Also new for 2009 is a “Handmade Market” selling all the things you love about your local fete – everything from handcrafts to sweet treats, supporting local artists and charities. There will be more performers than ever before in some surprise shows you’ll never forget and a great music line up that is guaranteed to have you cruising on a Sunday afternoon.
Festival favourites return such as the Produce Market, bar and “Arty Pants” – interactive art for kids. The PYD Building (so named because it sits on the corner of Philip, Danks and Young Streets) has the Vogue Living designer markets running over both Saturday and Sunday in the car park.
Anzac Bridge
Sunday is also the Seven Bridges Walk which is a 25 Km course that takes in Sydney Harbour Bridge, Pyrmont Bridge, ANZAC Bridge, Iron Cove Bridge, Gladesville Bridge, Tarban Creek Bridge and the Fig Tree Bridge.
Gladesville Bridge
Join the fun and see this beautiful city while helping to raise money for beyondblue: the national depression initiative, The Cancer Council NSW, Diabetes Australia – NSW and The Heart Foundation NSW.
Iron Cove Bridge
What would you choose?
Worst Dressed Wednesday
On our way back from our day out in Berry last Saturday, we stopped for an icecream at a town called Gerringong. It’s a pretty little town on the coast and the icecream shop was on the ridge. We sat on the grassy bank and licked away taking in the view.
But this monstrosity blocked it. What were they thinking? I know there is a saying that all blue’s go together but I think I may have found the exception. The roof of the building is Colorbond Deep Ocean and the bricks are a cream colour. A mocha brown has been chosen for the flat board but it’s the turquoise blue on the paneling that just doesn’t work with the rest of the colours.
They would’ve been better to continue with the mocha colour or else match the paint to the Colorbond colour or even use an off white. But this turquoise just doesn’t cut it!
Brick Colour
Roof Colour
Paint Colour
Now substitute
Turquoise
with
Darker Mocha Colour like Dulux Arrow Shaft
or
Off White like Dulux Hog Bristle Half
And the left hand suite is occupied by an Architectural Firm. I hope they’re renting!
Must Be The White Time
Isn’t it weird how one thing sets off a chain, or at least appears to?
Yesterday I sent out our monthly e-newsletter. For the past 12 months we’ve been working through Leatrice Eiseman’s book “Colors for Your Every Mood” and each month I discuss a colour – what psychology is attached to it, a little history and where to use the colour to best advantage. This month the colour (or non colour) was White.
White Bedroom via Elle Decor
Today I received an email from Australian paint company Murobond and they were discussing the same thing. Well they’ve listed their top 10 whites and given an explanation for each one. I called my newsletter “It’ll be all white” and their’s is “It’s all white.” How bizarre!
Murobond Top 10 Whites
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Berry Nice
It’s the last weekend of the school holidays and my little darling is complaining because “We haven’t been anywhere!” We’ve been shopping, to the movies, over to friends but apparently that doesn’t count. She wants to go horse riding. She’s been once before and as we are city dwellers it’s not that easy or cost effective to do it too often. Besides, you wouldn’t want to spoil a good thing now.
So tomorrow I’ve planned a day to appease us all. We are going for a 2 hour drive south to a quaint little township called Berry. Berry has a population of less than 2000 and is famous for its gardens, trees, arts, crafts, antiques and markets.
Mister gets to drive faster than 60km per hour, we can pull in to a horse stud on the way and darling can have a 45 minute Mini Bush Ride (where someone leads the horse around a paddock) and then we can arrive in Berry where I can stroll through the myriad of arts and crafts stores, antique stores and gardens.
Let’s hope the weather is good otherwise everyone’s day will be ruined. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Worst Dressed Wednesdays
Cold and uninteresting. Dark and foreboding. I think that sums up the look of this house from the outside.
The house is set slightly below the road so from the street you can see ALOT of roof. The roof tiles are charcoal and for some unknown reason, the paint colour chosen is barely a shade lighter than the roof tiles. The window frames are also grey but again, not enough variation from the wall colours.
When choosing colours for the exterior of a property, it is imperative that the swatches be viewed out in the open so you can see the full effects of the daylight. There is a large tree shading the front of this south-west facing house. Southerly aspects in Sydney receive no direct sunlight at any time of the day or year and so a lighter shade is usually recommended for rooms or walls facing this way. With the tree also causing shade the colour appears to be much darker than what it probably is.
The introduction of another colour for the front door and garage door is giving some relief but in my mind, it is still not light enough to lift the somber mood the house portrays.
Is your cup half full?
I can’t wait to head over to Eva Breuer Gallery this weekend and have a look at the exhibition of works by Rosemary Valadon.
The exhibition is called Euphoria ; The Tea Party and the paintings look fantastic. Beautiful vintage tea cups and saucers with tea and blossoms and lemon and spoons.
Makes you want to sit down and have a cuppa right now.
I would like a set of four to place in the casual dining room or perhaps one of the tablescapes in the dining room.
Decisions, decisions!
From Little Things
It’s school holidays here in Sydney and my daughter has been begging to go to the zoo for the past three months.
There’s a new attraction at Taronga Zoo and finally we agreed. Little Luk Chai the baby Asian elephant was out and about with his mum and Aunt.
He was so cute when the keepers came in to feed the elephants. Luk Chai watched the others and then grabbed a piece of palm frond and held it with his feet while his trunk went to work trying to shred the leaves from it.
I think he’s still weaning so he wasn’t really eating anything just copying the big kids.
He got bored pretty quickly though and decided to enjoy some water play.
He’s just too cute.
I’m just glad I’m not an elephant – with a gestation period of 22 months and then delivering a 100kg baby……
