“Please contact me if you would like a consultation or further information about any of the products you see here at Decorum.”Outdoors
What’s been happening?
Heaps!
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you will know that we’ve been renovating our Californian Bungalow on Sydney’s North Shore.
Of course once the builders have left and the house is looking fabulous, the gardens need attention.
When we moved in to the house ten years ago, the front garden was a tree and bark chips.
We built a sandstone, crazy path through the bark chip and planted a garden.
Fortunately the builders were not working in the front garden and it has stayed in tact. A couple of weekends of weeding and pruning and it will be as good as new.
The side garden, however is in a very bad way. There was a paved area adjacent to the pool and plants forming a barrier between the driveway and garden.
Love this photo! His first ever lawnmower having lived at home, then a unit, then overseas. And look at my little baby!
This area was totally trashed during the building process.
We needed a path from the driveway to the back door as well as a path to the front door and I wanted visitors to make their way to the front door. I also wanted some screening between the pool and the garden to make the pool more private. There were a few different levels to be considered and it was all too much for me to design. Interiors are my thing, not gardens.
So I called the landscape designer in The Designer Chicks. Nadia Pomare from Stylish Gardens met with me and listened to my wants and needs. We discussed the types of plants I liked and loathed and a couple of weeks later she came up with a lovely plan.
Next up was calling in the heavy artillery from Brisbane. My Dad’s a bit of a dab hand at the garden so he came down from Brisbane for a week and it was all hands on deck.
There’s still heaps to do (I think I’ll be saying that for the next 12 months!) but the back is broken and the garden is starting to take shape.
So that’s what’s been happening around here. What have you been up to?
If you would like colour and design assistance with your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
Latest Colour Combinations
It must be the weather! It seems everyone is about to paint their houses.
I’ve been helping people all over Sydney lately choose colours for the inside and outside of their homes.
People usually have a bit of an idea as what colours they like and we also need to consider the items that are staying in the home.
The style and period of the home also comes into play. Whether it be a modern home, a Californian Bungalow, Federation or Post War Home, paint colours make a big difference to the look of the house.
There are never any two jobs that are exactly the same, which is why I LOVE being a Colour Consultant. These are the most recent combinations I have specified.
If you would like assistance choosing colours for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
The Subtleties of Colour
If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you will know that not only do I assist my clients who are renovating, but we are actually renovating our home in Sydney. Naturally I’ve had a very close involvement in designing, sourcing and selecting all of the items in the house.
The New South Wales government require all homes undergoing major renovations include a rainwater tank. Ours will be under the house and hooked up to the washing machine, downstairs toilet and have an outlet for the garden hose.
The builder asked my husband what colour would we like the rainwater tanks? Of course, I was consulted (he wouldn’t be game to make a decision without at least asking!) and I said “a grey – as long as it wasn’t visible under the house”. The men agreed on a dark grey as apparently it came in light grey or dark grey.
Rainwater Tanks come in many colours
Guess what? They are green!!!!
Rainwater Tanks ready to be put in place
Fortunately the colour will be fine. Some things are just not that important to worry about. However, it made me realise once again, how the subtleties of colour are often lost on men.
Green Tanks ready to built in
If you would like assistance choosing colours for your home renovation, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
Love Rules
With Valentine’s Day tomorrow, it’s time to look at a few items for your Love Shack.
Heart Shaped Truffles
When looking to inject some romance into your interior, go no further than the colour Pink. Red is for passion but pink is for romance. Because of its soft, cosy and romantic nature, pink is perfect for the bedroom. It makes the skin glow and what better place to make use of those flattering reflections?
Pink Bedroom
Putting some romance into your home can also be achieved by pairing things together. In the bathroom, if you have the space, instal twin basins in the vanity. This allows for two people to use the bathroom at the same time and also makes sure your toothpaste doesn’t get mixed up with your partner’s shaving cream!
Twin Vanity
A double shower is another luxury that can be installed if space permits. This is a great time to use different shower heads in each shower so you have the choice of a rain shower or a standard shower.
Double Shower
You could always add a little two seater sofa into the lounge room. This little piece from Jardan would suit any decor.
Loveseat by Jardan
Or you could recover an existing chair in heart fabric.
Heart fabric covered chair
Matching His and Hers sunlounges around the pool or on the patio make a great place to sit and relax and read the Sunday papers.
His and Hers Sunlounges
So once you’ve redecorated to create your cosy little shack, don’t forget to fill the table with candles and flowers and indulge in a romantic dinner for two.
Dinner for Two
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Click on images to be taken to their source.
If you would like assistance creating your Love Shack, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
Walkin’ the ‘hood
Whilst I am technically back at work, many of my clients and some of my suppliers are still on holidays so I can enjoy a slower pace. However, I am enjoying my walks around the suburb each afternoon and watching the houses changing colours.
I live amongst Californian Bungalows and Federation homes in Sydney’s North Shore and many of them have undergone renovations over the last few years to accommodate the families that have moved into the area.
It’s interesting to see the colour palette moving towards grey rather than brown which is what the colour forecasters have been predicting.
Most of the houses subscribe to my 3 colour formula and I must say, I think the homes look smart with a light, medium and dark colour.
It’s a shame this homeowner hasn’t read my blog or decided to spend a nominal outlay on a Colour Consultant to get the overall look just right.
This was the house before via Google Street View and I really think it would’ve benefitted from a dark colour on the barge boards (they’re the wide boards at the top of the gable). Alternatively, the shingles could’ve been painted a colour between the dark grey and the white.
Remember a Colour Consultation is the cheapest part of repainting your home but will make all the difference.
If your home is brick then the brickwork is considered a colour so you only need to choose two colours. What do you think – two colours or three?
If you would like assistance choosing exterior paint colours for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
Presenting……..the Front Door!
I love a coloured front door.
Yellow Front Door in Cape Cod
I think a front door should say “Here I am!”, “Entry this way” or “Come inside.”
Turquoise Door via The House Of Turquoise
Usually when using colour, I try to repeat it somewhere so it doesn’t look like we’ve run out of paint and used something to tie us over. Like in a bathroom if you use a feature tile as a vertical stripe in the shower, you should repeat it somewhere else, otherwise it might look like you ran out tiles and used any old thing. After all, Repetition is one of the Principles of Design.
Red Front Door in New York
But where a front door is concerned, I believe you can choose a colour from anywhere in the spectrum and place it on the front door. No repetition required.
Lime Green Front Door in Darlinghurst, Sydney
What about you? Do you like a coloured front door?
Pink Front Door via Colour Me Happy
Jennifer
If you require assistance choosing paint colours for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
It’s here again!
via Pinterest
Happy Weekend!
Folding Chairs
Now that title probably makes you think of something you’d pick up at the local hardware store. Something you’d keep in the shed for that camping trip or when there’s one too many around the outdoor table.
Folding Chair from Officeworks
Well let me introduce you to a new kid on the block – the Flux.
The Flux
It is made from a single piece of weather proof plastic that can eventually be recycled. The piece of plastic has fold lines and notches and with a quick (once you get the hang of it) flick of the wrists it becomes a comfortable chair for either inside or outside use.
Designed in Holland by industrial designers Douwe Jacobs and Tom Schouten it was awarded the Grand Designs Product of The Year in May this year.
Flux Founders
It is available in a range of colours and now has a mini-me to add to the stable. Flux Junior has been specifically designed with kids in mind and also comes in a range of child friendly colours.
Flux Junior
The chairs aren’t cheap at around $250 each for the adult versions but they are a work of art and will last much longer than that one you picked up at Bunnings.
If you would like further information on the range of Flux chairs or need help with seating for your home, contact us.
Adirondack Chairs
The days are warming up here in Sydney (at last!) and the weather is beckoning us to live outdoors. Not right outdoors in tents but to take a cup of tea out into the garden and enjoy the sunshine.
There are so many varieties of outdoor furniture but one I kept seeing on the East Coast of America was the Adirondack Chair. You know that chair with the funny name.
Spotted at Bar Harbor, Maine
Originally made from wood, many of the US varieties were made from plastic which is ideal for leaving them out in the garden all day. They came in a great range of colours too.
In the garden at Cape Cod, Massachusetts
They were originally made in 1903 by Thomas Lee who was on vacation in Westport, NY in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. The original Adirondack chair was made with eleven pieces of wood, cut from a single board. It had a straight back and seat, which were set at a slant to sit better on the steep mountain inclines of the area. It also featured wide armrests, which became a hallmark of the Adirondack chair and are perfect for resting a cup or glass.
On the beach in Malibu, California
Jamie Durie has an Adirondack Chair in his outdoor range available from Big W. The Porch Furniture have a range of Adirondack Chairs including one from recycled milk bottles so they don’t need any maintenance. I like that idea!
Ready for a party, Bar Harbor again.
Would you like a pair in your garden? I think they look very inviting and I could imagine sitting with a cup of tea each Sunday afternoon resting up before I tackle the ironing basket after dinner.
If you would like assistance choosing furniture for your outdoor area, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.
Saturday in Design 2011
Well after a wet and miserable Friday, the sun came out shining on Saturday for Saturday in Design 2011.
We started our day at Reece who always serve a fabulous breakfast. Orange juice, Bircher muesli and Brushetta with smoked salmon. All while checking out the new range of toilets and basins.
via Reece website
Next door to Reece at Surry Hills is Poliform. They have my dream wardrobes as well as other furniture items. Their Miele display kitchen was getting a workout and we were able to give our stamp of approval to the egg and prosciutto rolls that had just come out of the oven. Mmm mmm!
A short courtesy bus ride delivered us to Great Dane at Redfern. The showroom was full as guest designer Benjamin Hubert was about to explain his design process.
Great Dane
Tait Outdoor is right next door to Great Dane. I love their outdoor range. I’m not sure if it was coming out of a cold wet winter that made me think everything was so colourful or whether it was more colourful than past releases.
Colourful umbrellas
The street outside these showrooms was set up like a market with stalls providing an array of food options.
Market stalls
We then ventured further south to a specially leased warehouse that housed a number of displays. I love it when I find a new supplier or one I hadn’t used for a while. Giati Designs were showcasing their range of outdoor fabrics. 100% solution-dyed acrylics are guaranteed sunfast, durable, scrubbable, stain and mildew resistant. I hadn’t seen them before.
Range of outdoor fabrics
Also in the same venue was Bloom with their wonderful lit planter pots. These make spectacular talking pieces on a deck or in a courtyard with their warm glow in various colours. And they’ve recently released cubes in various sizes which make great outdoor seats.
Bloom Pots and other shapes
And next to Bloom was Wallcandy with a great range of wallpapers. I loved the shoe wallpaper.
Wallcandy Wallpapers
We left Waterloo and headed to Chippendale to Insitu. They have a great range of chairs for all occasions. Insitu had a lovely lunch set out so naturally we had to oblige. We enjoyed the atmosphere of the showroom for a while as we ate and planned our next port of call.
Lunch at Insitu
Hub Furniture was the place to be by the looks of the crowds in the showroom. A selection of rugs, lamps, sofas and chairs were on display as well as some funky homewares.
Favourite light fitting from Hub Furniture
Our last stop of the day was at Alexandria where we looked at Cosh Living, Ke-zu, Splash and Space before we headed home foot-sore and weary.
It was a great day, as usual, and fabulous to be able to see so many design precincts and showrooms all on the one day. Thanks to the organisers for arranging such a wonderful day.
