Decorum » Dining Rooms

Dining Room Lights

Jennifer — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:47:21 +0000

I am currently working with clients who are renovating their home by adding a new extension. It will be the new hub of the house containing the kitchen, dining and living areas.

Simple drum shade

The electrician has been in this week so our attention has moved to light placement and fittings.

Two lights work beautifully in this dining nook by Windsor Smith

Most of the area will have downlights installed but the dining table deserves a feature light. In a wide open space, it’s always good to define the areas. The kitchen will be a galley style, so a bench will separate it from the rest of the area. Placement of the sofa will define the living area and a large light fixture will define the dining area.

Oversized Ikea Maskros Light

An oversized light fitting creates drama in a dining room. When the table is set ready for a meal, the crockery, cutlery and napery add interest to the room but when the table is not in use, it’s usually the light fitting that becomes the focal point.

via Sherrill Canet Interiors

The light fitting in an open plan dining room doesn’t need to be the sole source of light so it’s not necessary to swamp the room with maximum wattage. Often times, the table will be decorated with candles and there will be lamps on in the adjacent living room and a light on in the kitchen.

Nelson Bubble Light hung low over the dining room table

My advice in choosing a dining room light fitting is to choose more for aesthetics than pracitcalities – form over function!

Gorgeous lantern light

You can find these images and more on my Dining Room Pinterest Board.

Dining Room Pendant with adjacent kitchen downlights

If you require assistance with choosing light fittings for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

MIA

Jennifer — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:19:53 +0000

I’m so sorry I’ve been Missing In Action this past week and a half. The time is just flying bye and I can’t believe I’ve missed so many posts.

It’s such a hectic time for everyone. Apart from finishing off the Christmas shopping, we have a number of December birthdays and I have been helping to celebrate and trying out four new restaurants in Sydney.

The first was The Winery in Crown Street. I’d been there earlier in the year for lunch and although it’s been around for a while thought the family might like to see the quirky decor.

We also went to a new local Italian restaurant. The decor there was very sleek, which in my mind doesn’t really suit the Italian food. I imagine Italian food to be more comfort food and therefore want the decor to be more cosy and homey. The red and black glass mosaics on the stark white walls were out of keeping for me.

I tried Pony Dining at Neutral Bay too. What a great space! And the food and service were excellent. Lots of use of timber on the inside made the decor very warm but it still had an air of sophistication.

Then one last birthday was celebrated at Felix in the city. It’s a little spot of Paris right in the heart of Sydney. Food and service were great and the decor was so very authentic.

I’m still helping clients with Colour Consultations before Christmas as they have painters lined up for early in the New Year and I have been buying bed linen for another client.

But the highlight of the past ten days would have to be my darling daughter being appointed as girl School Captain for 2012. We are all so proud of you sweetheart.

I’m going to now, officially, take a few weeks off to celebrate Christmas and New Year and recharge the batteries after a very busy year. I trust you have an enjoyable holiday season. I thank you for joining me throughout 2011 and look forward to your company again in 2012.

See you soon.

If you would like assistance with colour or decor for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

The C Word

Jennifer — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:06:34 +0000

I really don’t want to say it. Not yet anyway. But it would appear I can’t avoid it any longer.

Christmas is just around the corner.

via Pottery Barn

But there’s still time to create some beautiful linen for your Christmas table.

Very talented Brisbane lady, Jacqueline has created a range of designs for you to decorate your own Christmas tablecloth, runner or napkins.

Take a look and create something stunning that will be passed down through the generations.

If you would like assistance getting your home ready for Christmas, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

Fashion Colours for Spring

Jennifer — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 19:21:51 +0000

I managed to take some time out last week and have a stroll around my local shopping centre checking out the new season fashions. I love the change of seasons and seeing the new colours gracing the shop windows and soon to be our wardrobes and then of course our home decor.

Many of the shops were featuring the classic black and white stripes.

Jessica Stripe Dress from Queenspark

Black and white has been gracing our lives for the longest time. It looks very modern yet can be at home in any decor. And no matter what decorator colour you add, your room is going to look fabulous.

via Decorpad

Coloured jeans are also this season’s “must haves”. Watermelon, Steel and Desert are the colours of one particular fashion store.

Sportscraft Coloured Jeans

Those colours sound a bit better than red, blue and brown, don’t they? But watermelon is softer than red and much easier to live with as decor pieces in the home.

Jonathan Adler via Elle Decor

Steel is like a washed out navy and is ideal for a more relaxed room. You could even paint a wall or two in steel rather than the stronger navy blue.

Stel Blue Dining Room

We’ve all been through the browns over the past decade or so. Many of our houses (and wardrobes) still have remnants of chocolate, latte, cappuccino and mocha so Desert is a way to add depth without having to start all over again. It can be teamed with a wide variety of colours too!

Bianca Bed Linen from KAS Australia

And then I saw this stunning colour combination.

via Kookai

The zing of the orange is balanced beautifully with the depth of the cranberry.

Orange and Cranberry for Warwick Fabrics

So what colours are you wearing or decorating with this Spring?

If you would like assistance choosing the right colours for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

Speak to me

Jennifer — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 19:17:30 +0000

Sometimes I see an interior that somehow speaks to me.

Click on image for source

I saw this on the Better Homes and Gardens website and immediately was drawn to it. I feel it epitomises the look of today with the mixture of old and new, handmade and bought. The shiny modern table in glass and metal with the vintage bench seats, the handmade lampshade and sheer curtains along side the newish armchair all make up a “collected” room. Even the dishes and glassware on the table look as if they have been bought on numerous visits to the second-hand stores. And of course the cupcakes are homemade and the flowers are freshly picked from the garden outside.

There’s something comforting about this room. Would you care to join me for a cup of tea?

If you would like assistance creating a “collected” home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

What do you think of wallpaper?

Jennifer — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 19:40:17 +0000

I stumbled across a forum the other day where the topic of discussion was wallpaper. I was surprised to read that a number of people in the forum STRONGLY disliked wallpaper.

via superstock.com

However, I think many people are confusing today’s wallpaper with the papers that were most probably in their childhood homes. Those patterns were very busy in strong colours and the paper was difficult to both instal and remove. And the trend was to have just as much pattern on the soft furnishings and flooring as there was on the walls and curtains. No wonder we all had to have a Bex and a good lie down!

via decodir.com

Todays papers are much more elegant in their colour and design and are used in moderation.

A wall behind a bed that has been wallpapered looks fabulous.

Interior by Inside Out Colour and Design

Wallpaper under glass in the kitchen splashback creates interest and texture.

via Inside Out Magazine

Adventurous homeowners can even wallpaper the ceiling.

via cocokelleyblogspot.com

By using the wallpaper in moderation, it’s not that onerous a task to change it when required.

Wallpaper in the smallest room of the house via Pinkwallpaper.blogspot.com

So have I convinced you? Do you like today’s wallpapers or have you been scarred for life by the wallpapers of the 60′s and 70′s?

If you would like assistance choosing wallpaper for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

Island Style

Jennifer — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 19:13:07 +0000

I’m currently working on the interior of a house that makes me think of this style.

Bahamas

So I’ve put together some items for their newly renovated open plan living dining area that flows to the pool terrace.

Bahamas Style

Hope they like it!

If you would like assistance creating the right style for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

The Right Piece

Jennifer — Tue, 03 May 2011 19:47:01 +0000

This week I received a lovely email from an on-line client I worked with last year. “We continue to be thrilled with the finished product and have had many wonderful family and friends at our family dining table since its completion. Thank-you once again.”

Chris had been looking for a square french provincial table and was not having much luck. She placed a phone call to my father-in-law who is a painter and decorator in Brisbane under the name of French Interiors. (well it is his last name!) Bill passed on the details to me.

The House Painters by Gustave Caillebotte via www.arthistory.about.com

I spoke with Chris and emails ensued. Chris had 8 french provincial dining chairs and required a table 150cm x 150cm. She had been intending to purchase a table 8 years earlier as a wedding present to themselves but it just never happened.

I scoured my suppliers looking for a suitable table and came up with an oak table and a white table with an oak top.

Neither ticked all the boxes. So I took a drawing and measurements to one of my custom furniture makers and they made up a table in Tasmanian Oak to our specifications.

As we needed the table to match the chair colour, we arranged for the table to be left unpainted and my father-in-law matched the paint colour and painted the table when it arrived at the client’s home in Brisbane.

It took some time, but Chris now has her wedding present and the table has already seen many dinner parties with friends and family.

If you need assistance finding that elusive piece of furniture to finish your home, contact us for on on-line or in-person consultation.

Build A Room From Scratch

Jennifer — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 03:01:06 +0000

Live House Bathroom

Did you manage to venture over to the Hordern Pavilion during the past week? The Live House of the 30 Days of Home, Food and Entertaining was there for 7 days.

Live House Dining Room

I managed to squeeze in a couple of visits and took these photos of the “rooms” to show you.

Live House Family Dining Table

Girl's Bedroom

Boy's Bedroom

The lounge room came to life before my very eyes as I attended the Build A Room From Scratch workshop with Real Living Magazine Editor Deb Bibby and Senior Stylist Sarah Ellison.

Deb Bibby and Sarah Ellison before the transformations

They put together two rooms with completely different looks using all items from Freedom Furniture. As Deb said, ordinarily she wouldn’t recommend purchasing everything from the one place as it can end up looking too matchy, matchy with not much personality. However, Freedom have extended their range considerably over the years and now stock items from many different styles including industrial, provincial, modern, retro, and contemporary. Putting a little bit of everything into one room is challenging but does create a unique space.

Metropolitan Sofa from Freedom

Starting with a black leather sofa and 2 white leather swivel chairs, Sarah created a comfortable living room for adults.

Completed Room

The “other” room was to become the children’s TV room or fun family area. The swivel chairs were turned around to sit adjacent to the limited edition Digital Sofa which would become the main furniture piece in the room. The end result was a bright, fun space for relaxing and watching television or playing games.

Digital Sofa and side tables

Sarah layered items into the room keeping in mind proportion, colour and height of objects to give an interesting result.

Completed Fun Family Room

There’s still time to check out the remaining events of 30 Days of Home, Food and Entertaining before the end of the month.

If you would like assistance, building a room from scratch, or just layering some more pieces to give it that unique look, contact us for an on-line or in-person consultation.

Colourful, Quirky Style

Jennifer — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 18:52:40 +0000

Yesterday I spent the day roaming the aisles at the Life In Style trade fair here in Sydney.

Life In Style

If you’ve been following my blog, you will know that I LOVE colour. So it’s not surprising the following items grabbed my attention. We are stocking these items at Inside Out Colour and Design at great on-line prices. If you are interested in any, send me an email.

These watches are designed in Sweden and are made from polyurethane, leather, acetate and German rubber.They are water resistant and have a 2 year warranty but the best news is that they come in a variety of fabulous colours.

Funky watches in a myriad of colours from $160 each

And look at these cute little chairs. Wouldn’t you love one of these in the bedroom.

Fabulous, affordable feature chairs from $370

But my favourite were these quirky, colourful dining chair slip covers. They are made in France and imported into Australia.

Quirky dining chair slip covers from $180 each

The bright colours and versatility make them a great buy for an easy update of your dining furniture.

Retro Kitchen Chair on a slip cover

If you would like to add some colour and a little quirkiness to your decor, contact us for an online or in person consultation.