“Please contact me if you would like a consultation or further information about any of the products you see here at Decorum.”My Work
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.
Colour will brighten your life
Last year I was asked to choose colours for an Aged Care Facility. I had alot of fun trying to inject some interest into what were rather dull and dated rooms.
Craft Room Before
Craft Room After
This week I had the opportunity to return and view the results. The residents have enjoyed watching the transformation and are apparently suddenly more convivial. The staff have a spring in their steps too with such energetic surroundings to be in all day.
Notice Board Before
Notice Board After
It’s amazing the effect of colours on the soul. Do you think they look better with a little more colour around?
Hallway Before
Hallway After
If you would like assistance choosing colours for your home, contact us for an on-line or in-person consultation.
New Lamp
I do hope you enjoyed your day yesterday celebrating Mother’s Day.
I thought I’d show you one more instalment into my daughter’s very gradual bedroom makeover.
Remember I found these gorgeous pink ceramic pieces a couple of months ago.
Pink Ceramics
And this fabulous new fabric from Crowson.
Equinox
I put the two together and came up with this fabulous new lamp.
Custom Made Lamp
She loves it!
If you are having difficulty trying to find lamps or other accessories, contact us and take advantage of our extensive list of suppliers or visit The Store Room to see the two I have for sale there.
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.
For Sale
I do hope you had an enjoyable long, long weekend. I took the opportunity to clean out my store room and found a number of styling items I have purchased in the past but never used. I’ve decided to offer them to you. So if you are looking for a new piece to add to your decor, have a look at The Store Room.
Email me if you are interested in anything and I will calculate postage for you. And don’t forget to pop back every now and then as I put up more items.
Enjoy your very short week.
The Making Of A Kitchen
A couple of years ago, I received a phone call from a home owner in the next suburb. They were about to embark on a major renovation and had decided to hire an interior decorator who could help them with the myriad of decisions that needed to be made. One of the main reasons they contacted me, was that I was local and would be able to help with troubleshooting, as both partners worked full time and had two primary school aged children. The other reason was because I had worked on similar Federation houses in the area and the renovation would be sympathetic to the era of the home and they didn’t want to lose that period feel.
Fast forward to this week and the beautiful kitchen I designed for them is featured in Country Home Ideas.
The kitchen was part of the new extension and as all members of the family like to cook, it was to become the centrepiece of the home. Linda and Kevin knew what they wanted, a sort of cross between French Provincial and Farmhouse style. So I dubbed it the “Farmincial” Kitchen. After designing the layout, we went through every pot, pan and utensil in their kitchen and worked out which would be the best location for them in the new set up.
Linda fell in love with the granite slab which worked beautifully with the existing colour scheme we had chosen for the home. The splashback presented a problem as we liked the look of glass but it was far too modern for the style of kitchen. We didn’t like the traditional ceramic tiles either. Linda had seen an image of a splashback that had two colours and liked the idea of a mixture. So in the end we settled on glass 100 x 100 tiles in 4 colours.
We didn’t want it too contrived, so I asked the tiler if he would just put them up, any old how. He was too scared to be left with that weight on his shoulders, so I drew up a plan and he tiled by colours!
The end result is a beautiful family kitchen that is the main attraction in this fantastic home.
A big thank you to Editor, Margaret and Sub Editor, Zoe for featuring my work and to my wonderful clients, Kevin and Linda for not only being fabulous to work with, but also allowing the magazine to feature them.
If you would like assistance with your home renovation, contact us to see how we can help.
Before and After
Another week rolls around. I thought I’d start the week with a before and after I’ve recently completed.
Completed Bedroom
My client wanted a fresh look to her bedroom and replace the bedhead and side tables she’d had for many years.
Before
We had new a new linen doona cover custom made as well as padded headboard and matching valance.
After
The buttercup yellow toile cushions were already in the room with co-ordinating roman blinds so that set our colour palette.
Yellow Toile Cushion
Black bedside tables and antique brass lamps were added along with a yellow and linen coloured bed runner to pull the whole scheme together.
Bedside Tables from La Maison
My client is very happy with her new look bedroom, as is her husband, who is pleased that it’s not too feminine!
After
If you would like assistance with your master bedroom, contact us for an on-line or in-person consultation.
Californian Bungalows in Australia
I’ve mentioned before that many of the homes in my area are Federation style homes. The other architectural style that’s prominent around here, is the Californian Bungalow.
via L J Hooker
The Cal Bung, as it is affectionately called, became popular in Australia in the 1920′s. It was imported from Pasadena, California in 1916 by an Australian Real Estate Agent who assembled it for show in the Sydney suburb of Rosebery. It caught on rapidly and was so popular that not many other styles were built in the 1920′s.
via Real Estate View
It even underwent regional adaptations being built in local red brick in Melbourne, local liver-coloured brick in Sydney and in limestone in South Australia. The Queensland version was elevated and made from timber and galvanised iron roofing.
They were typically of sound and solid construction. They were often built of rustic materials including rough-hewn sandstone, heavy timber and wood shingles. The roofs were low pitched with two or three assymetrical gables with pillars supporting the front verandah. They were generally positioned on a good-sized block with a large backyard and usually had room for a driveway and a garage as cars were becoming more popular during the time of construction.
via Simplified Bee
The attractive brickwork at the front often changed to common brick, which was cheaper, down the sides and to the rear of the house. On the inside, the floor plan was more open than the Victorian and Federation homes which came before.
Colour and decor by Inside Out Colour and Design
They are ripe for renovating, as they are usually close to public transport within a relatively short distance of the capital cities. Families tend to add another level either into the roofline or ontop in the southern states, or build in underneath in the north. The back of the house can fairly easily be extended to take further advantage of the indoor/outdoor living and create open-plan family areas. Usually the many period features such as exposed beams, leadlight windows and ornate ceilings are retained.
Decor by Inside Out Colour and Design
If you would like assistance with renovating your Californian Bungalow, contact us for on on-line or in-person consultation.
Stylish Styling
Tomorrow I’m heading north to take a one day workshop with Shannon Fricke.
Styled by Shannon Fricke
I’m very excited as I’ve long admired Shannon’s work and when I saw she was holding a Styling 101 workshop, I decided that was just what I needed.We are going to learn the ins and outs of being a stylist on a photo shoot.
Styling by me Photography by Lyn Johnston
Now I’m not looking at changing tacks, but I do struggle when it comes to putting the finishing touches on things. And I’m not good at moving things around once I’ve got it the way I like.Why mess with perfection, right?
Styled by me
When studying interior decorating, I learnt the Principles and Elements of Design so I do know what should go where and the idea of odd numbers and repetition, etc. But seeing it through a camera lens seems to be completely different and needs some fine tuning.
via Habitually Chic
I am required to take some images of still lifes I like and I’ve been scouring magazines and websites trying to find some.I like lots of negative space in my arrangements (read “do not like clutter!”) but then I wonder if it’s all too minimalist.
via House and Garden
So by Monday, I’ll be able to tell you some of the tricks and whether Shannon has been able to cure me of my affliction.
Interiors by Inside Out Colour and Design
Have a great weekend and see you next week.
Which white is right?
I recently received an email from a reader asking, “What is the best white to use?” It’s a really hard question to answer as I believe every white has a right place and there are just too many variables to give a definitive reply.
Dulux Whites
Here in Sydney we tend to want warmer tones on the walls, colours that are easy on the eye and won’t appear too stark. Whereas in Queensland, cooler colours are required, due to the tropical climate and stronger sun.
Paint Colours and Interiors by Inside Out Colour and Design
Therefore, when choosing a “white” you need to consider the undertones of the colour. Some whites have a touch of pink, others a touch of blue and some a touch of yellow. The funny thing is that all these “whites” look white until you hold a whiter white next to it.
The wall looks white
When the window frame is in a pure white the wall colour has depth
That’s one of the reasons I prefer to paint the timber trim in a home, like skirting boards, window frames and doors, in a pure white. It adds a crisp finishing touch or accent. White trim helps define a space. It is also used as a thread throughout the house. If you have some rooms, like the dining room or master bedroom, painted in a colour, then the same trim will unite the scheme.
White window frames and skirting boards reveal the colour on the walls
So as a little exercise I reviewed the numerous internal colour consultations I have done and listed all the Dulux “whites” I have used on walls. I do consult on Resene, Wattyl, Porters and Murobond colours too, but find most times the homeowner requires Dulux.
Colour scheme selected by Inside Out Colour and Design
For wall colours
10% of houses used Dulux Sago
8% used Ecru Half Strength, Natural White and White Watsonia
5% used Ecru Full Strength, Hog Bristle Half Strength and Shell Haven
Vivid White trim with Ecru walls
For trim colours
30% used Natural White
13% Vivid White
11% Antique White USA
Choosing which white to paint the walls is not an easy decision, one that needs careful consideration.
via Flickr.com by Manuel Jiminez
If you would like assistance in choosing the right white for your home, contact us for an on-line or in-person consultation.
All photos of interiors by Lyn Johnston Photography.
