Decorum » Art

When Three is Not A Crowd

Jennifer — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:58:27 +0000

I was in a store yesterday and a lady was buying a number of ceramic balls to place on a tray in her entry. She was looking at two balls and I overheard the shop assistant say, “it has to be three”.

Yes, I thought, it has to be three or five or seven, never two or four or six.

Flower arrangement with three focal flowers

You see, odd numbers of items appear to be thrown together rather than arranged. Our eyes try to split even numbers into smaller groups but that can’t be done with odd numbers.

Margaret Olley's Artichokes via ANG Art Consulting

The asymmetrical arrangement of odd numbers will add visual interest to an area or collection and help create visual flow. Objects that appear in threes or fives are more appealing, memorable and effective than even number groupings.

We Three Kings photograph by Emily J Photography

Odd numbers also give dimension as we can create a front, middle and back and this creates a sense of balance.

3 cushions on a bed by Inside Out Colour and Design

We find odd numbers pleasing to the eye as well as being more intriguing.

Cushions on a sofa by Inside Out Colour and Design

If you would like assistance in making your home more intriguing, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

PS. And look, it’s my 300th post on the 30th of November. Freud would have alot to say about that!

Designer Boys Collections

Jennifer — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:05:12 +0000

Remember those lovable larrikins from The Block, the first time around – Gav and Waz?

Gav and Waz via Novafm.com.au

They were great fun on the show and went on to become highly sought after interior designers.

Message Sticks from The Signature Collection $545

I’ve mentioned before that they then went on to develop an artwork collection which is timeless and elegant.

Elder from The Raffles Collection $895

The boys have just released a new website and more gorgeous artworks.

Stratum 1 from The Print Collection $255

If you would like to purchase these artworks, or need assistance in selecting artworks for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

Spoilt for choice

Jennifer — Tue, 17 May 2011 19:59:58 +0000

Wednesday, half way through the week and time to think about the weekend. And what a weekend it is too. Look at all the events, sales and shows that are on. Great for those planning to renovate or decorate their home.

First, there is the HIA Sydney Home Show at Darling Harbour which starts tomorrow and runs until Sunday. It’s a great place to wander around and gather some ideas and see what products are available.

via www.sydneyhomeshow.com.au

Or if you are in the midst of renovating or building and need some tiles or stone slabs, Aeria Country Floors is holding a Warehouse Sale at their factory in Frenchs Forest. The sale will get under way at 8.30am tomorrow morning at 2 Aquatic Drive, French’s Forest and will be open each day between 8.30 and 3.30 finishing on Sunday.

Stone Basin and Tiles form Aeria Country Floors

Read and Bell are having a Trunk Sale at Newtown. If you are looking for a touch of ethnicism for your wardrobe or decor, you must take a look.

Quilts from recycled saris via Read and Bell

Markets? Finders Keepers is on again in Sydney at Eveleigh on Friday night and all day Saturday.

Click Image for Source

Need new bedding? KAS Australia is holding a Warehouse Sale at their factory, 78 O’Riordan Street, Alexandria from 9 – 5 on Sautrday and Sunday. Items start from $5.

KAS Australia Faraday Bedding

If art is more your thang and you are in Melbourne, head over to the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton for Art Melbourne. Over 80 galleries and 600 artists will be displaying their work and you could pick up a new piece for your home starting from $500.

via Art Melbourne website

And if you’re a US reader and happen to be in New York this weekend, Jonathan Adler is holding a Warehouse Sale at 513 Irving Ave, Bushwick, Brooklyn. You can expect 70% off furniture, rugs, lighting and homewares. Wish I was there. I just love his OTT style.

Jonathan Adler Interior Design

And if you are about to build or renovate but are overwhelmed with all the choices available and decisions to make, contact us for an on-line or in-person consultation.

Crimson Stripes

Jennifer — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 19:52:32 +0000

I’m loving the new red rugs from Armadillo & Co.

Band Stripe Rug

Sally Potharst and Jodie Fried founded rug company Armadillo & Co when they were working together on a rug for Jodie’s Bholu collection.

Sas Lena from Bholu

Made by artisans who are cared for under the Fair Trade practices, these rugs are Armadillo’s first adventure into colour.

I love the combination of strong stripes and bold colour and made from 100% wool, they are soft underfoot. Perfect for winter.

Ribbon Stripe Rug

What about you? Would you like some colour on your floor?

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder

Jennifer — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 18:33:04 +0000

Art is such a subjective piece of decor. Hold up an artwork and everyone has an opinion. And those opinions are very rarely those of the artist or the art owner.

Interior Decorating by Inside Out Colour and Design

I believe the art you have in your home should be a true reflection of you – your style, your history or your emotions.

My advice to clients, is to always buy something that YOU like. Don’t buy it because it is the same colour as the cushions or it is supposedly going to increase in value. If it does, then that’s a bonus but first and foremost it should tug at your heartstrings.

Brett Hayes via Gallery Oscar

Canadian Interior Decorator and Colourist, Maria Killam is currently in the market for art for her new home and has asked the blogging world to jump on board with some advice on what to choose. It’s an interesting discussion with loads of great advice. You can check it out here.

In the meantime, if you are looking for some artworks for your walls, Art Sydney is being held this weekend.

Vencent Ko via Sydney Galleries

The show used to be called Affordable Art but was renamed Art Sydney and showcases artists from around Australia.

It was at last year’s show that I first met Chris Chun. His almost naive paintings of food really tugged at my hearstrings! I don’t think Chris will be there this year as he is touring the globe and is currently in Malaysia.

Chris Chun

Another favourite artist of mine will be exhibiting this year. Robyn Kennedy creates amazing artworks from textiles. I first saw Robyn’s work about 5 years ago and bought a piece for my collection. She uses antique Asian textiles and other fabrics to create stunning collages.

Robyn Kennedy

So think about what you have on your walls. Does it tell a story? Does it transport you to another time or place?

Enjoy a walk around Art Sydney but only buy what you truly love.

If you would like assistance in creating your harmonious environment, contact us to enquire about our design services.

My Makeover

Jennifer — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 23:18:15 +0000

Whilst I’ve been away enjoying myself, the fairies have been giving my blog a makeover.

Firstly, I decided after blogging for 18 months and writing some 170 plus posts, the name Inside Out Colour and Design Blog was a bit cumbersome. You see that is my business name and at them time I couldn’t think of anything better. So after having time to reflect I have decided to be henceforth known as Decorum!

Choosing names is so much harder than choosing paint colours, I think. When I started my business I wanted a name that didn’t need an explanation. As I am both an Interior Decorator AND a Colour Consultant and I choose colours for both inside and outside, I needed something that said as much. It’s a bit of a mouthful, and many people get writer’s cramp when I tell them my email address but I figure it works as a descriptive title.

I also wanted to add a little of me to the header I wanted it to reflect my personal style so I engaged the very talented Caitlin McGauley to design an artwork that typifies me and what I’m about. A couple of emails later and this is the fabulous painting that now sits at the top of my blog.

Web Chameleon is my online marketing guru and Belinda and her team are hard at work revamping the layout to include easy links and navigation so we can all stay connected and find out more about each other. I also wanted to use bigger images. For me it’s all about the images as I am a very visual person and think most people that read a design blog also want to see more images than text. Do you agree?

Blogs are not the only string to Web Chameleon’s bow. Belinda designed my email newsletter that I send out each month. If you don’t receive one, you can sign up here.

So a million thank yous to the ladies behind my makoever and also to you my readers for dropping by and leaving comments.

No related posts.

Strike me Pink……and Aqua

Jennifer — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:24:10 +0000

I wanted to share with you a new piece of art we have hanging in our home.

As you know, it was my daughter’s birthday recently and she has aspirations of being a fashion designer. She is also ready to redecorate her bedroom and has decided that her new colour scheme will be pink and aqua.

We found this image at Better Homes and Gardens and will be taking our colour inspiration from it.

via Better Homes and Gardens

So when I came across the works of Laura Trevey I knew it would be a welcome addition to the room – aqua, pink and fashion.

Chic in Pink by Laura Trevey

Girlie Girl by Laura Trevey

I bought four prints the same size and had them all framed together in one large white frame.I must admit I was a little worried the colours wouldn’t be as bright in the flesh as they were on my computer screen. But I had no cause for concern as they were exactly as I had expected.

Framed artwork

I love all of Laura’s watercolours for their bright colours and her whimsical style. She writes a fabulous blog on art, photography, fashion, design and entertainment.

Chesapeake Bay Crab by Laura Trevey

They would look great in any room in any home.

Caribbean Time by Laura Trevey

What do you think?

Dresses on the Rack by Laura Trevey

If you would like assistance sourcing the perfect artwork for your home, contact us to arrange an appointment either online or in person.

To become a fan of Inside Out Colour and Design on Facebook, click here.

Quirky Decor

Jennifer — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 02:23:48 +0000

Do you like quirky things?

Vintage Stage Circa 1950's

I must admit a I am a little quirky. I like the unexpected and try to put that in my decorating schemes.

So I am always interested in what DavidMetNicole has in their ever-changing store. Just the name is quirky enough, right? I have subscribed to their newsletter and each month get excited by the myriad of items they have found. I start dreaming and scheming of where I can use the various treasures.

But I’m really stumped this month. Where on earth could I use one or more of these?

1960's Teeth Model

Or these?

1840's Porcelain Doll Heads

And let’s not forget these?

Vintage Glass Dolls Eyes

Do you have any ideas? What would YOU do with a fistful of body parts, albeit from dolls?

Have a wonderful weekend.

I See Red

Jennifer — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 20:13:04 +0000

Today is Go Red for Women Day to draw attention to the Heart Foundation’s fight against heart disease in women. What a good day to talk about Red!

Red Paint

I have used red in my own home in both the casual and formal living areas. The casual area because it is dominated by a large artwork by Sydney artist Karen Benton, which my husband bought.

Karen Benton Painting - The Journey

The formal area has red accessories because we have a number of Asian furniture pieces from our time living in Hong Kong and we fell in love with a Jim Thompson silk that HAD to be in the scheme.

Touches of red from Jim Thompson

I love reading Leatrice Eiseman’s book, Color For Your Every Mood. Here is an extract from her chapter on red.

Red Sofas

“Throughout history, red has signalled excitement, dynamism, danger and sex. It elicits the strongest of emotions in every culture: love and the pulsating heart; anarchy and the waving war banner; Satan and the martyred saint. It is the colour of life and the colour of evil, the colour of danger and colour of excitement.

Red Dining Room

People don’t just like red – they love it. People whose favourite colour is red have a zest for life, they are, quite literally “movers and shakers.” They need to be well informed, involved. Because of its psychological associations with fire, heat, blood and danger, red is impossible to ignore and so is the person who prefers this most exciting colour. They are passionate in their pursuits, ardent and extroverted. Red lovers are achievers, intense, impulsive, competitive, energetic, daring and aggressive. They are exciting optimistic, animated people, leaders who like to be the centre of attention. Red people can also be restless and driven. Routine drives them crazy. They crave new things and new experiences. Because they are assertive, they can be opinionated and overbearing as well. They can be moody, bossy and fickly in the pursuit of new challenges. But what would the world be without these exciting people?”

Red Bedroom by Inside Out Colour and Design

Red can be used in so many rooms. It stimulates the appetite so is a good choice for restaurants and therefore works well in the kitchen and the dining room. It’s great for a library, family room, lounge room and even in a bedroom, especially if the red wall is behind the bed and you are not waking up staring at a red wall!

Red Feature Wall via Dulux.com

Enjoy some red in your life but also take check of your risk to heart disease by following these steps.

Red Living Room via HGTV

If you would like to add a touch of red to your home interiors, contact us for an appointment.

Who’s Afraid Of Big Bad Colour?

Jennifer — Sun, 02 May 2010 20:00:57 +0000

I recently went along to a talk with this title. Unfortunately, the content did not live up to the title and along with colleagues I left a little underwhelmed. You see, the entire panel of speakers, along with the MC, all agreed that white was their preferred colour.

To say I was disappointed was an understatement. but I did get to thinking later. One of the speakers (not an Aussie) commented that Australians don’t put colour on their walls. He went on to say that he found that remarkable when we were surrounded by colour.

Kata Tjuta at Sunset

Our landscape, fashion and indigenous art is all extremely colourful yet nearly every home has white or off white walls.

Art by Minnie Pwerle

What I found amazing was that, wouldn’t that be preferred? I mean why would you want a riot of colours on your walls all competing with the colours of the view, or the artworks or the owners and their possessions?

Australian Fashion

I think it makes perfect sense that we have neutral walls so that the rest of our colourful world can take centre stage. Of course being a Colour Consultant I can’t resist but put colour on at least one wall in a house, but not every room a different colour.

Photo by Willem Rethmeier via Australian House and Garden

What do you think do you like colour on the walls or would you prefer your colour to be in other things?

PS. Don’t forget to head over to my Facebook Fan Page and become a fan (or like me) to go into the draw to win a pair of colourful cushion covers. Drawn this Wednesday!