“Please contact me if you would like a consultation or further information about any of the products you see here at Decorum.”Posts Tagged ‘Outdoor’
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.
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.
Before and After
You may remember I mentioned last week that I had spent a day photographing some of the houses I have been working on.
Original Front Gable
Each year, or thereabouts, I book a day with the lovely Lyn Johnston and we do a circuit of my recent projects. It’s so much fun to revisit these homes and see how the family is enjoying their new spaces.
Freshly Painted Front Gable
In most cases, I take a number of happy snaps on my first visit. This is mainly to help me remember the layout, colours, styles and features of the home which we may want to change or that need attention.
Original Back of House
It’s always alot of fun going back through these initial photos and comparing them to the end results.
Freshly painted back of house
One thing that makes a HUGE difference is a lick of paint. Of course, choosing a colour that sits harmoniously with the surroundings, architecture and family is imperative and creates a really individual family home.
Original Window
If you would like assistance choosing paint colours for your home, contact us to enquire about our colour consulting services.
Freshly painted window
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.
Choosing Exterior Paint Colours
It’s the dead of winter here in Sydney and absolutely freezing. Yet many people are starting to plan paint colours for the outside of their homes in readiness for summer. I’ve been choosing colours all over Sydney so thought I would give you some ideas.
Painting a house via Freefoto.com
A general rule of thumb is to choose three colours – a white or off white for the window frames, and eaves, a colour for the walls and a contrasting colour for the trims.
Modern Architecture via Domain.com.au
Depending on the architecture of the building the trim could be battens and shingles on Federation or Californian Bungalow style homes, or gutters, garage doors and railings for more modern style homes.
Californian Bungalow Photographer Lyn Johnston
This is only a guide and more or less colours could be selected. Window frames could be darker rather than lighter. However, I think that three gives enough variance and difference between each of the architectural features.
Of course, if the house is brick then you don’t need to choose a wall colour, but the colour of the bricks will have a huge influence on the other colours.
Brick Federation Home Photographer Lyn Johnston
If you are painting every surface, then choose the wall colour first as it will be the main colour and the one most people will notice.
If gutters are Colorbond and not being painted, you need to consider their colour.
Colorbond Guttering
If windows are powder coated and will not be painted, then make sure you focus on the colour and choose wall colours that blend or contrast with them.
Windows by Stegbar
If the roof can be seen from the street or the garden, then you must consider the roof colour too.
Expansive roof via Real Estate View
Have a look at the colours your neighbours have chosen. You don’t want to stand out too far from the crowd and you certainly don’t want to be exactly the same. Make sure you’ve considered what you want to achieve by painting your house. Do you want it to look larger or smaller? Do you want it to look updated or keep a traditional look?
All in a row
The architectural style of the home must be considered. A modern style house would not really suit a Heritage palette. You also need to think about what architectural elements you would like to enhance and which ones you would like to hide. I usually try to choose the same colour as the wall for the downpipes. I can’t imagine anyone thinking that they are worthy of being made a feature!
Tuscan Style Home
Choosing a colour is the easy part. Getting the right shade is a bit more difficult. Buy test pots and paint large pieces of paper in the shades of your choice. A Colour Consultant will bring large samples to show you, so you don’t have to do this step. Look at the swatch on all important parts of the house – the northern side that gets most of the sunlight will look completely different from the southern side which never receives any direct light. If it’s overcast, make sure it’s not too pale as full sun will lighten the colour considerably.
Using a professional will help take the angst out of choosing the right colour. Contact me if you would like some assistance.
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.
Give me a home among the gum trees
Here we are, Monday again. Did you have a nice weekend?
The House's Study
I dragged the family along to Burke’s Backyard on Sunday afternoon. I’ve been talking about the 30 days of home and entertainment that is currently happening here in Sydney. Well the organisers have taken over a warehouse at Waterloo and converted it to their headquarters. Inside there are display rooms set up along with a kitchen classroom, market area and lecture room. The carpark has been converted to Burke’s Backyard.
The House's Living Room
For those of you who don’t know, Don Burke was the original lifestyle guru in Australia and for many years the nation would sit down to watch his one hour television show primarily on gardening but also touching on other backyard ideas like entertaining, cooking, pets, children’s play areas, etc. As with many of the television shows, a magazine was born and whilst Don no longer graces our televisions on a regular basis the magazine comes out each month.
Espaliered Kaffir Lime Tree
It’s amazing what they have done with the carpark. The area is a concrete slab yet for this month it has been converted into a relaxing oasis. There’s a chicken coup, pergola, raised platforms, paved areas, fruit trees, lavender bushes, magnolias, vegie patch and grass. (Ok so the grass is synthetic but it’s very realistic looking and feeling.)
Pergola and platforms
We sat and listened to the Lifestyle Editor of the magazine explain some of the trends of today’s garden which is pretty much everything they had in the space there.
Lush green grass on top of concrete
There is a big trend towards growing your own fruit, vegetables and herbs and instead of having a dedicated vegie patch, you can mix them with ornamental plants to create a blended garden. Growing vegies in a raised bed is also a good idea as it’s less back breaking when it comes to tending and harvesting. The display garden had the vegies growing in water tanks sitting on the ground.
Vegies grown in water tanks
If you have a large garden, consider breaking it up into smaller more manageable spaces that can be used for different purposes. Living and entertaining in our gardens has become a way of life. Whatever goes into a home can also go into a garden – day beds, pizza ovens, kitchens, fireplaces.
Outdoor entertaining via The Kitchen Place
There’s no limit when it comes to entertaining outdoors.
