“Please contact me if you would like a consultation or further information about any of the products you see here at Decorum.”Outdoors
Which Way Now?
As I mentioned last week, I went to a talk at the Australian International Furniture Fair given by Janice Lindsay. She is a fabulous speaker and I resonated with much of what she had to say. She was asked to speak on Colour Direction for 2011-2012.
via punchstock.com
Firstly, her mantra was
Janice likened good design to Roger Federer playing a game of tennis. He just does it without thinking as he has been playing for so long, returning a serve has become second nature. Good design, should be second nature.
Janice explained that Home is not a place but a feeling, and my by-line of “creating harmonious environments”, says just that. I endeavour to create a feeling for my clients when they walk in the door. One of the first questions I will ask a new client, is “How do you want to feel in this space? What mood do you wish to create?”
Uplifting interior via pidesignhouse.com
That’s one of the things I love about my job, no two clients are the same and I get to create beautiful spaces based on what the client believes to be harmonious or beautiful to them. It is important for a space to be personal and relevant.
Calm interior via Norm Architects
Janice also talked about colour and how there is no white in nature just like there are no colour mistakes in nature. If you are having difficulty coming up with a colour scheme, take a closer look at nature. That is something we all wish to do with our indoor outdoor living spaces too. By connecting with nature, we will find our way Home. We were born colour smart, but we GET colour stupid.
Colourful Cats via Dreamstime.com
Her predictions for future style and colour included animals, birds, made not manufactured goods and things to do with farm because farming suggests a more simple life. Do include texture like in nature and use more curves than straight lines, just like in nature. Use more pattern but co-ordinate it rather than match it to other things.
Texture and Curves in Nature
I thoroughly enjoyed the hour I had with Janice and loved her quote “Colour is a conversation, so make it interesting!”
Colourful beach house
If you would like assistance with the colours for your home, contact us for an on-line or in-person consultation.
Throw another shrimp on the barbie
The weather is superb here in Sydney at the moment. And that’s the ideal time to fire up the barbeque and head outdoors for dinner.
I came across these fabulous table cloths recently and thought how colourful they were and how suitable to outdoor dining.
Some come in quite a large size which is great for those big outdoor tables.
Almost good enough to use as an artwork.
Some patterns are also available in runners and most have matching napkins.
We can source these items for you. Contact us to enquire about our on-line or in person design services.
Choosing the right colour
I recently arrived at a home that was starting to look a little like this.
via Apartment Therapy
Apparently it had been that way for nearly two years. The problem was the homeowners couldn’t find the colour they liked.
They had a shed full of test pots and a spreadsheet of the different colours that were in each of their choices. So eventually they decided to bite the bullet and engage some professional advice.
Test Pots
Within an hour, we had chosen a suitable colour that worked with the existing guttering and powder coated window frames as well as the terracotta tiles on the back verandah and cream garage door.
It made me realise that many people are afraid to engage professional help and perhaps don’t quite comprehend what is involved when they call in a Colour Consultant.
A professionally trained Colour Consultant knows colour inside and out. They can look at a colour and immediately tell you it’s undertone (that is if it leans more to red or green or blue). For instance, the Colour of the Year, Honeysuckle may look pink to most people, but it also has yellow in it. That alone can narrow your search for the perfect colour.
Honeysuckle
A Colour Consultant will arrive with a supply of large paint swatches which makes choosing colour alot easier than using the chips you’ve collected at a hardware store or bending the brochure to reveal the colour.
Boot full of A4 size paint swatches
They will also move these colours to each of the areas you will be painting and see how they look in full sun, shade, next to existing substrates such as flooring and foundation stones.
Swatches in full sun
Swatches with existing flooring
Swatches with existing Sandstone foundations
From there it becomes a process of elimination. We slowly shed the colours that don’t work or you don’t like for some reason or another and eventually you are left with the perfect colour.
A professionally trained Colour Consultant will also advise what type of paint to use and where to place each colour you select.
image from Colour Schemes for Old Australian Houses
And provide you with a full specification sheet so you can just hand it to the painter.
External Specification Sheet
Painting a house is a very costly exercise and the cost of a Colour Consultation comes in somewhere under 2% of the cost of the paint job. Yet, if you choose the wrong colour, you have to live with it for the next 7 – 10 years or spend more money fixing up the mistake.
So really, the cost of the Colour Consultation is the cheapest part of the whole painting process.
If you would like assistance in choosing the right colour for your home, contact us for details of our online or in-person consultation.
Hangin’ Ten
I’m baaa-ack!
Happy New Year! I know it’s the 10 January and I should’ve said that ages ago. I’ve been having a few weeks off recharging the batteries for 2011. I do hope it’s a good year for you all.
Happy New Year 2011 via The Telegraph Click on photo for source
I thought I’d show you a couple of happy holiday snaps. We had a lovely week at a sleepy little village on the northern New South Wales coast called Angourie. It has a population of 300 and is better known for it’s great surf than anything else.
view from our balcony
Inspite of all the wet weather over the border in Queensland, we were blessed with blue skies and plenty of sunshine.
Digging in the sand
Just perfect for digging in the sand, going fishing and catching some waves.
Waiting for a bite
Learning to surf
There were some amazing houses in Angourie, even though there’s only 100 of them. The most impressive belongs to ex-Billabong chief, Gordon Merchant and is reported to be worth $12M. There didn’t appear to be anyone home during the week we were staying down the road, but the views were superb. The house sits on three blocks and the front door is reputed to be worth $80,000.
Gordon Merchant's Home via Flickr Click on photo for source
Well after all that R and R, I’m ready to tackle 2011. I have a number of jobs to complete from last year and already a number of lovely new clients to get to know.
I loved the colours and texture of these pebbles on the beach
If you would like assistance in creating your harmonious environment, contact us for an in-person or on-line consultation.
Hot in the City
With the barbecue season hotting up, Electrolux have launched the new E:Volution Barbecue.
Electrolux E:Volution BBQ
Barbecues are synonymous with summer in Australia, where most families cook a meal on the barbecue 2 – 3 times a week. This new barbecue has been designed here in Australia so will complement today’s contemporary outdoor spaces and deliver precise cooking results.
I was fortunate to be at the launch of the E:Volution Barbecue yesterday at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Sydney’s Circular Quay. It was a beautiful day and the view across the quay to the Opera House was sensational.
Ben O'Donoghue
Chef Ben O’Donoghue put the barbecue through it’s paces and served up a delicious Thai Style BBQ Fish and BBQ Vietnamese Lamb. Ben did say that most people think of barbecues as steak and sausages but there is a whole world of flavours that can just as easily be cooked on the barbecue as they can in the kitchen. And this new barbecue makes it very easy with it’s roasting hood and separate grilling plate.
I wondered if Ben had been playing Spotto with his kids.
Most of us love getting outdoors in the warmer weather and what better way to entertain friends and family than with a shared meal outdoors.
Outdoor room via Australian House and Garden Photography by Maree Homer
Fire up the barbie, gather round the friends and while away the afternoon in your outdoor room.
Thank you Electrolux for a lovely day and the goodie bag wasn’t half bad either!
Herbies BBQ Spices, Maggie Beer Vinegars and Oils and Ben's Barbecue Book
If you would like assistance creating an outdoor entertaining area to share with your friends and family, contact us to enquire about our design services.
Colour Coding
Whilst on holidays, I was flicking through the Spring edition of Queensland Homes and these jumped out at me.
Project Letterboxes
These practical yet stylish letterboxes, complete with newspaper holder, can be powder coated in any Dulux colour.
Brought to you by the same designer of the Ned Kelly Letterbox, they are perfect to match or complement your external house colours.
Ned Kelly Letterbox
What a great way to individualise your home. “Mine is the one with the Orangeade letterbox!”
Orangeade by Dulux
Inside Out Colour and Design can assist you choose the right colour letterbox for your home and arrange the purchase.
Colour in Echuca
Greetings from Australia’s Paddlesteamer Capital – Echuca.
Paddlesteamer Canberra
I’ve just dropped in to show you a few of the buildings in this river town that have caught my eye.
Local house painted in grey
Cute house with wide verandahs
Now an office in Echuca
Echuca Post Office now a cafe
I loved seeing all these old buildings with clever colour placement on their exteriors.
If you would like assistance in choosing the colours for your home, contact us to arrange a consultation.
On the road again
Tomorrow we’re heading off for our annual holiday.
We have tickets for Mary Poppins and Hairspray stage shows in Melbourne so decided to incorporate a detour and make the most of the break.
We visit Melbourne annually, as many of the trade shows are held there, so we thought we’d take a look at the countryside between Sydney and Melbourne this time.
Sydney, Echuca, Daylesford, Melbourne, Sydney
Back in the ’70′s my family would drive from Brisbane to Melbourne every other year to visit friends. We would take a different route each time and see different parts of the country. In 1975 we visited Mt Macedon and tasted mineral water direct from a spring in the ground. This was way before people were espousing it’s virtues and everyone carried a bottle of water with them wherever they went. We thought it tasted like rusty batteries!
Tasting Mineral Water at Mt Macedon in 1975
I haven’t been back to this are since, and as my husband is an Irish import, he’s never been at all! I’m looking forward to seeing what has changed.
Apparently, a lot! I’ve been scouring every magazine and blog for the past 6 months building a little black book of places to visit and things to see.
I’m looking forward to visiting Shed 4 courtesy of The Design Files.
David Bromely artwork via dailyserving.com
There are now heaps of holiday rentals in and around Daylesford including Comma which look very stylish but a bit too big for the three of us.
Studio Suite at Comma
We have rented a cute little cottage for a few days and will visit the Farmers’ Markets and Food and Wine Fair as well as check out the towns in the vicinity. I might even have a massage.
Our first stop tomorrow evening is the town of Echuca. If you were in Australia in the ’80′s surely you remember the television series, All The Rivers Run? It starred John Waters and Sigrid Thornton and was set in Echuca on a paddle steamer on the Murray River.
All The Rivers Run
So think of us as we cruise down the highway winding our way from Sydney to Melbourne and back again.
Image via www.dailyserving.com
Under The Sea
Many years ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to live in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. One of the main pastimes was diving, so we completed our certificates and I spent three years diving once or twice a week.
Uninhabited islands in the Solomon Islands
I couldn’t believe the spectacular colourful world that lay beneath the surface of the warm water.
Snorkeling in the Solomons
The sea was full of life in the form of colourful coral, fish, turtles and sharks.
Teeming with life and colour
But it was the tiny, weeny Nudibranches that I loved to find. These small “sea slugs” are the most colourful creatures on earth.
If you think you’ve seen a strange or unusual colour combination then it may very well have been inspired by these creatures.
via http://pt-lobos.com/nudibranch.html
Resene Silver Tree
Resene Pursuit
Resene Oxley
Resene Pulse
via sherid.wordpress.com
Resene Onepoto
Resene Ayres Rock
Resen Snap
Resene Pearl Lusta
via http://www.silvermermaid.com/
Resene Wonderland
Resene Sun
Resene Unicorn
Resene Bauhaus
via http://watertownscienceanimals.wikispaces.com/Groups+of+Mullusks
Resene Brandy Punch
Resene Wave Rider
Resene Solitude
Resene All Black
Where do you get your colour inspiration?
If you would like assistance in putting a colour scheme together for your home, contact us for an appointment either online or in person.
Luxscaping
As I mentioned earlier, I went to Designex last week and was fortunate to hear Jamie Durie speak on trends for outdoor living.
The Outdoor Room
Jamie’s concept of The Outdoor Room is alive and well here in Australia. With our mostly sunny days, the garden has become an extension of the home. Similarly we are looking to the interiors for inspiration. As Jamie said, we are “luxscaping”.
An Outdoor Room by Jamie Durie
Numerous other cultures have been living outdoors for many, many years. Places like Thailand, Indonesia and Japan provide wonderful education for our relatively young country. The wind and sun can make it uncomfortable to spend too much time outside but now we have products that meet our needs and provide solutions.
We have wallpaper made from steel which can enhance a wall or create a division. Vertical gardens are the fastest growing trend thanks to the foresight of Patrick Blanc.
via Eco Concepts
Jamie also suggests that our gardens should not only look good but should taste good too. More families are concerned about the quality of the food they put on the table so if it’s grown in your own backyard it can provide shelter, protection and beauty into the bargain. Pear trees make a wonderful screen. Clever plant placement and selection will see a useful as well as decorative garden.
via Eco Concepts
One thing Jamie is adamant about is garden lighting. It’s true, our hardwork should be admired day and night, so a few lights along the path or highlighting a fantastic tree will enable the garden to be enjoyed even from the comfort of the cosy living room.
via Gardens At Night
One of the products on display around The Outdoor Room at Designex was sandstone cladding. This sandstone is 30mm thick on a bendable backing so can be wrapped around columns and walls and gives the appearance of something much more solid.
via ME Lighting
So with the onset of winter, now is the time to plan and plant your outdoor room so it’s ready to enjoy once the warmer weather returns.
Jamie has written a number of books which are available from my Book Shop.
