“Please contact me if you would like a consultation or further information about any of the products you see here at Decorum.”Cushions
Here comes the bride
Union Jack
Union Jacks were HUGE at the three Sydney trade shows last week.
Trinket Box from CAM
I wonder if the forthcoming nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton are the inspiration of the latest wave of Union Jack decor?
Prince William and Kate Middleton
They are bright and colourful and look very smart with their straight lines and angles.
Boxes and cushions from Universal Enterprises
Would you put a Union Jack in your home?
Union Jack soft furnishings by Lakeland
If you would like assistance in decorating your home, contact us for an on-line or in-person consultation.
Hunted
Last week I received an email newsletter from one of my shoe shops of choice, Sambag and thought how cute the animal print loafers were.
Autumn Winter Shoes form Sambag
Within an hour, I received an email from another of my favourite shoe shops, Wittner which featured these shoes.
Shoes from Wittner
Then yesterday I was walking past a Sportscraft store and they had this outfit in the window.
Autumn Fashion from Sportscraft
So it looks like Animal Print fabrics are on trend for Autumn Winter here in Australia.
It made me think of this room, which I cut from a Queensland Homes magazine many years ago.
from Queensland Homes Magazine
I have used this image to inspire a client (who had a wood panelled sun room) to go with the architecture and create a room that enhances the panelling (which she hated) rather than covering it over with plasterboard.
Sun room by Inside Out Colour and Design
Vicki Archer of French Essence has also been on the hunt. She spotted these stairs in a shop in Melbourne.
via French Essence
If you would like to introduce a little animal into your home, you could add these scatter cushions and throws.
Masi Cushion and Throw from Rapee
Or contact us for some assistance.
I’m off to the Furniture Fair today, so I’ve packed my pith helmet and stun gun in case the place is swarming with animals. I’ll be back on Friday to show you my catch.
Window Seats
I keep on finding myself drawn to rooms with window seats.
Emily Gilbert Photography via VT Interiors
Many of the houses around my area have them and they are such versatile little spots.
via BHG.com
Great for sitting and reading or chatting on the phone.
Just as useful in a bedroom from here
They serve as extra storage and extra seating and always look inviting.
Frank Roop via Flickr
I love the wall mounted reading lights in the image above.
Even the dogs love the window seat
Do you have a window seat in your home? If you would like assistance in creating somewhere quiet in your home, contact us to enquire about our colour and design services.
Cool with Blue
Doesn’t this room look inviting?
Cover of Belle Magazine
I just love the splashes of royal blue with the white. I want to lie on that sofa and read my magazine.
Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.
If you would like your home to be a haven, contact us to enquire about our design services.
Country to Hamptons
I had the pleasure of visiting a client I have been working with, on the weekend.
Apricot and Green before
Since my last visit, they have had the house painted inside and out in the colours I had chosen. They were wanting something a little softer than the apricot tones they had had previously.
Sand and Blue now
And they have taken possession of the new dining chairs I helped select, which are much more comfortable.
Country style dining chairs
Smart new chairs
And my upholsterer had recovered their old sofas and tub chairs in fabric I had chosen to go with the Hamptons theme they were wanting.
Orange Checks before
Hamptons Style new look sofas
It was so exciting to visit and throw around the scatter cushions. My clients are absolutely thrilled with the way their home is coming together.
Now we’re moving on to coffee and side tables and lamps. I hope you enjoyed your weekend too!
via La Maison
If you would like assistance in creating a home that oozes your personality, contact us to enquire about our colour and design services.
Spots vs Stripes
I have never really been into spots. Even as a little kid, I didn’t like spotty fabrics.
Spotted curtains via Pink Wallpaper
As a decorator, I really haven’t come across too many places to use spots. Except maybe in a little girls room.
Spotted Stickers via Wall Sticker Company
I do however, adore the Mokum fabric called Angkor Wat II which comes in a range of fabulous colours.
Mokum Angkor Wat Bedhead by Inside Out Colour & Design
Now stripes are a totally different matter.
Red & White Stripes by Brain J McCarthy. Photographer William Waldron via Elle Decor
They are fresh and seem to go in any situation.
via Coastal Living Photographer Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn
I will often look for a stripe fabric to use on cushions or a feature chair. If I can find one that incorporates the other colours in the room then they just add the finishing touch by pulling the whole scheme together.
via Decorology
Jamie Drake via Coco + Kelley
As long as you have the right colouring, stripes will complement florals, damasks, spots, checks and almost any other pattern. Even though they are considered a pattern, somehow they introduce a sense of calm and order amongst all the other patterns and colours in a room.
If you would like to introduce some stripes into your decor, contact us for an appointment.
I See Red
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.
and the winner is……
Last week I celebrated my first year of blogging which was very exciting. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I embarked on the journey just over 12 months ago. It has been alot of fun and I’ve met some wonderful people out there who all have similar interests and tastes to me.
There’s a number of things that draw me to different blogs – location, personality, humour, great images, interest in decor and colour. I can’t imagine how I could get through a day without visiting someone via their blog. It’s a constant source of enlightenment and inspiration for me.
Keeping up with what’s happening in the world of colour and design is also high on my list and learning about different events that are on in Sydney and further afield is great. One such event I discovered through blogging was The Finders Keepers Markets. Unfortunately my planned visit to the December event was curtailed when we lost our beloved Ming but on Saturday I finally made it.
My pick of the stall holders were Elkhorn Design and Nell Design. Elkhorn had some lovely screen printed cushion covers and table runners as well as some fashion items. They have an Etsy shop but it’s a bit bare at the moment. Maybe they recalled all their stock for the market.
Dahlia Table Runner by Elkhorn Designs
I first met Nell a few years ago at a Business Planning (read boring) workshop. She was just starting out and has made great inroads. Her designs are so simple yet so beautiful. Her stand was extremely busy on Saturday so she’s probably back behind the sewing machine.
Striped Cushions by Nell Designs
And now for the winner of my giveaway. A-M it’s you! I couldn’t believe it when my daughter pulled your name out of the bowl. We’re very sophisticated with our drawing here.
For those of you who don’t know (like where have you been?) A-M has spent the last few years building a house. She has written about it at The House That A-M Built and was one of the first blogs I started reading. Maybe it’s her Brisbane roots that drew me in, or her gorgeous sense of humour. So when you pass the newsagent this month and see the enlarged version of Home Beautiful being advertised, that’s her porch on the cover.
The House That A-M Built
Thank you to all those readers who left a comment and those that read but chose not to. I look forward to having you with me for another year.
Let’s Celebrate!
Happy Blogday to me, Happy Blogday to me!
via *ojoyous1*'s photostream on Flickr
Yes it’s been one year since I sat down to write my first post. Amazing how time flys when you’re having fun.
And that’s exactly what I have been doing. This Blog business is loads of fun and has brought so much inspiration, friendships and laughs to my world. So thank you for being a part of it.
via Alice Palice's Photstream on Flickr
I recently set up a Facebook Fan Page and today am announcing the winner of the little giveaway I’ve been running there.
Option 1
Lindsey Griffin is now the proud owner of a pair of custom made cushion covers.
Option 2
I wonder which set she will choose?
Option 3
But the give-aways don’t finish there. If you live in Australia and would like to have 6 months of Australian Home Beautiful delivered to your door, leave me a comment between now and Sunday.
Australian Home Beautiful
Winner will be announced here on Monday. Good luck!
Cushion Fan
One of the last things I do when decorating a home is to scatter some cushions.
Daybed cover and cushions by Inside Out Colour and Design
I love cushions and find them a great, cost effective way to add some colour and pull a whole scheme together.
Custom silk cushions by Inside Out Colour and Design
I might buy some ready made cushions that aren’t too expensive if they are to sit on a sofa in the family room.
Custom and Ready Made cushions by Inside Out Colour and Design
Or I might use some of the curtain fabric and have the cushions custom made if they are to sit on a bed. That way the window coverings ties in with the bed and creates some repetition which is one of the principles of design.
Custom cushions by Inside Out Colour and Design
So to help celebrate my new Facebook Fan Page I am giving away a pair of cushion covers.
Master Bedroom by Inside Out Colour and Design
If you are on Facebook, all you have to do is go to my Fan Page and click on the Become A Fan button. I will draw the winner on 6 May which is my Blogiversary. A birthday and you get the present!
Custom Cushions in embroidered silk by Inside Out Colour and Design
There are three sets of covers and the winner can select which pair they would like to help decorate their home.
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Whilst you’re there, sign up to receive my monthly newsletter which is full of tips and advice on colour and design.
Good Luck!
