“Please contact me if you would like a consultation or further information about any of the products you see here at Decorum.”Living Rooms
Mixing it up
Don’t you just love the new seasons and all the exciting new colours that come with it?
It can certainly have challenges though. Like how do you mix a pair of brown boots that you bought new last winter with this year’s predominently grey clothing?
The same thing can happen in your home. You want to rush out and buy up the latest cushions and throws but will they go with your chocolate brown sofa?
This was the topic of my article in the latest edition of St Ives Village Life.
You can read my suggestions here by going to the June 2011 article.
If you would like assistance mixing the latest trends with your existing decor, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
Island Style
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.
Console Dilemma
TGIF! It’s been a big week again with lots of things happening on all different levels. I am looking forward to the weekend, which unfortunatley goes all too quickly.
I thought I’d show you the finishing touches I have recently added to a room makeover.
You remember this one, Country to Hamptons.
Orange checks before
We painted the walls, reupholstered the sofas, purchased new coffee and side table, had new cushions made and bought new lamps.
Revamped Lounge Room
The clients had a console table on the wall behind one of the sofas and we now needed to “dress” the table.
Console Table Before
I was inpsired by this image from Taylor Howes and loved the symmetry of the two lamps and two tall ginger jars. Fortuantely, my clients did too.
Decor by Taylor Howes
I set about sourcing the jars and lamps, but wasn’t really happy with anything I could find. Many of the ginger jars were very Asian, with dragons or the longevity character on them.
Chinese Ginger Jar
The lamps weren’t right either.
I then started thinking that we would end up with four lamps in a confined area and the lounge may end up looking like a lamp showroom! I love lamps, but……
We had used this wonderful fabric for cushions on the sofa, so that led me to thinking about coral. Then instead of lamps, maybe we could use candlesticks?
Coral Trellis Fabric in Porcelain
And I found these wonderful, modern ginger jars from OB Collection.
Bamboo Ginger Jars
So that was it, I had all my pieces. Now I needed to work out how to display them. Fortunately I have a console table too, so I set about mocking up a couple of alternatives.
Option 1
I had a large and a small ginger jar but felt the height was wrong for the two of them to sit together.
Option 2
So back to the original symmetrical look.
My clients loved it and I was able to use a couple of their favourite books to prop up the bowl of coral and shells.
Completed Console Table
You too can create this look, as I have a piece of the Coral Trellis fabric for sale in The Store Room as well as the two smaller ginger jars that I didn’t end up using.
Have a fabulous weekend.
If you would like assistance sourcing items for your home, contact us for an on-line or in-person consultation.
Sit for a while
I really love the shape of the Porter’s Chair.
via Living etc
It dates back to medival times when one of these chairs was placed at the front door for the gatekeeper to use. It was designed to wrap around the occupant and keep them warm.
Porter's Chair c.1890
There are a number of variations to the original shape, on the market today and I love them all.
Taylor Howes Interior Design via VT Interiors
They look like a great place to sit and read or sip a cup of coffee while contemplating the week ahead.
Kelly Weastler via Colour Me Happy Blog
I could use one of them right now. Hope you have a great week.
even Freedom have a version!
If you would like a feature chair in your decor, contact us for an on-line or in-person consultation.
Top Three Tips on Decorating for Pet Owners
I trust you had an enjoyable weekend. Sunday was perfect weather here in Sydney and we joined the thousands of other pet lovers who took part in this year’s RSPCA Million Paws Walk. It was so much fun seeing so many of the dogs (and their owners) dressed for the occasion!
via Million Paws Website
So today I thought I’d give you my top 3 concerns when decorating with pets in mind and some suggestions to overcome them.
- Flooring – all animals have accidents from time to time so steer away from shag pile rugs or light coloured carpet. When accidents happen, treat stains straight away.
Oops
- Window Coverings – If you have curtains, then I would not recommend you have them “puddling”. That is when they sit in a little puddle on the floor. Your pets will LOVE sitting on this soft spot and could cause damage to the fabric.
Curtains Puddling
There is also the risk of pulling the entire curtains and rod down if they are getting frisky and playing with them. Try to have your curtains “kissing” the floor instead where they sit about 1cm above floor level. Silk and sheer curtain fabrics can be magnets to cats and will rip very easily with sharp claws climbing on it. Choose a flat cotton instead.
via funnycatsnao.blogspot.com
- Upholstery – Fabric choice is paramount here if your pets are allowed on the furniture. Darker colours are better to hide any marks although if you have an animal that sheds then perhaps it would be easier to choose a fabric the same colour as the pet. Leather can be wiped clean and macrosuede is also strong and stain resistant. Upholstery can be treated too, to repel stains. So if you want to keep the furniture in tip top condition, I would recommend treating before you allow the pets in.
via VisualPhotos.com
I don’t believe a home is a home without a pet, so sometimes you just have to embrace the pitfalls and as Interior Designer, Kathryn Ireland says, put them down to “the patina of life”.
Pablo and Coco
Alternatively, put your white shag rug and silk curtains in a room that’s a “no go zone” for your beloved pet.
via Phoenixcarpetcleaner.com
If you would like assistance in decorating your home to suit your pets, contact us for an on-line or in-person consultation.
Moody Blues
Since seeing the cover image on the May issue of Home Beautiful, I’ve been itching to paint a room navy.
I’ve always preferred Navy to Black in my wardrobe and get very excited when the winter clothes start appearing in the stores and there is navy amongst them.
Treena Textured Cardigan from Sportscraft
I think painting the walls a dark colour is a great way to cosy up your decor. The bedroom on the cover of Home Beautiful looks so inviting as does this room from Aura.
Bedlinen from Aura available through Inside Out Colour and Design
Some of the navy blues that would work on the walls in your home include:-
Madison by Resene
Biscay by Resene
Blue Velvet by Dulux
Academic Blue by Dulux
Just remember if you are going to paint your walls a dark colour then most of the furnishings need to be light to balance it up.
Diane Bergeron has chosen off white sofas and window coverings to complement the navy walls.
One of my other favourite combinations is Navy and Taupe and this fabric would look fantastic on a sofa in a navy room.
Zahra from Mokum Textiles
Perhaps if all this navy talk has you hankering for a touch of blue in your home, but you don’t want to go overboard, you might like these beautiful Ginger Jars available from The Store Room.
Blue Ginger Jars from The Store Room
If you would like assistance in creating a cosy and welcoming interior for your home, contact us for an on-line or in-person consultation.
Royal Wedding Colour Scheme
Did you enjoy watching the Royal Wedding? I did. I loved all the bright colours and thought the neutral bridesmaid and flower girls were such a sensible option with so much colour on the men.
Bridal Party via mirror.co.uk
I’m a bit partial to red and yellow in my decor and have it in my own home. Although I do have a lot of neutral and just splashes of red and yellow.
Photography by Lyn Johnston
Artwork with red and yellow by Karen Benton
Others like a bit of it too.
via palatialliving.blogspot.com
If you would like to add some bold colour to your interiors, contact us for an on-line or in-person consultation.
Build A Room From Scratch
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.
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.
Federation Style on Australia Day
One of the most popular style of houses around my area, is the Federation House. It was an early style of Australian architecture and consists of a sprawling, assymetrical structure. It often will have a verandah that encircles the house and roofs with gables, turrets and dormer windows.
via Domain
There are often unlikely angles, bay windows and towers at corners. It was developed to meet the demands of the prosperous middle classes who wanted to show off their new-found wealth that coincided with Federation itself in 1901. The Federation House borrowed styles from many countries and eras which is fitting for this melting pot of a nation, we call home.
via Domain
Inside the house, colours were muted but decoration was ornate. Australian motifs abound with flora and fauna both displayed in the plaster ceilings or used in fabrics, wallpaper or tiles.
from "The Federation House" by Hugh Fraser and Ray Joyce
Coloured glass or lead-light was used throughout Federation homes and the top panels of the front door often featured panels of colour in soft pastels with Art Nouveau or Australian motifs. Round bulls-eye windows as well as bay windows were popular. The bay window would often house a window seat which is such a versatile design.
Colour choice by Inside Out Colour and Design
Fortunately today, these houses are being remodelled (rather than bulldozed) to include many of the period details but with an emphasis on more contemporary living. The dark, muted tones of the turn of the century are gone and the window coverings are more streamlined and suited to today’s busy lifestyles.
Modern take on a Federation Living room by Inside Out Colour and Design
The verandahs are sought after and have often been extended to create an outdoor living space adjacent to the modern kitchen.
Wide verandah
The bathrooms have been updated but still include that old world charm.
Bathroom Design by Inside Out Colour and Design
I love working with these houses. Not just because they are iconic Australian houses but they lend so well to being enhanced and modified to suit today’s families. If you require assistance with colour or decor for your Federation Home, contact us for an on-line or in-person consultation.
Happy Australia Day
