Paint Colours

More times that not I immediately say “White” as I’m definitely a white ceiling girl. And now I’ll explain my reasons and the exceptions, because as you know there are always exceptions to every rule.

Colour and Interiors by Inside Out Colour and Design

A white ceiling will give context to the other colours you have chosen for the walls.

White walls, white floor, white furniture

This is especially important when the wall colours are neutrals or off whites. The walls will just look white unless there is a whiter white adjacent to it.

Same room with a white ceiling, suddenly the walls have depth

White ceilings also assist in bouncing light around the room. If your room is dark or doesn’t receive much natural light, a white ceiling will help to lighten the room.

Our bathroom ceiling in half strength of wall colour

I have seen many times, in recently bought houses, the same colour on the walls as on the ceilings. This is an easy way to paint as there’s no cutting in and it probably saves money and time for the previous owner. The problem with this look is that the ceiling tends to look dirty. Even if the ceilings are painted a half strength of the wall colour the ceiling will still look dirty.

Our dining room where we've painted the ceiling white

The only time I would take the wall colour up onto the ceiling is if the ceiling is raked and the lines between walls and ceiling are blurred.

Colours and interiors by Inside Out Colour and Design

The angles seem to disappear and the room appears bigger as everything is the one colour. That is of course assuming that the colour is a light neutral colour.

via www.decotrends.blogspot.com

The room above does not have any mouldings between the walls and the ceiling so it has made sense to carry the wall colour above the picture rail onto the ceiling. It would be much easier to paint and as the colour is lighter than the wall colour it works.

via www.houzz.com

The ceilings need to be quite high if you do wish to paint the ceiling a colour. A darker colour on the ceiling will make the ceiling advance and appear to come down on top of you so it really needs to be in a room where the ceiling is at least 2.9m high.

via www.peacockfeatherevents.blogspot.com

It can look very effective in rooms where you look at the ceiling – like the bedroom or in a room that needs some drama like an entry or a dining room.

via www.lightroomtools.com

So what do you prefer? Coloured or white ceilings?

Katie Ridder via Simplified Bee. The gloss on the ceiling helps bounce the light around

If you would like assistance with choosing colours for the interior of your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

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Simple drum shade

The electrician has been in this week so our attention has moved to light placement and fittings.

Two lights work beautifully in this dining nook by Windsor Smith

Most of the area will have downlights installed but the dining table deserves a feature light. In a wide open space, it’s always good to define the areas. The kitchen will be a galley style, so a bench will separate it from the rest of the area. Placement of the sofa will define the living area and a large light fixture will define the dining area.

Oversized Ikea Maskros Light

An oversized light fitting creates drama in a dining room. When the table is set ready for a meal, the crockery, cutlery and napery add interest to the room but when the table is not in use, it’s usually the light fitting that becomes the focal point.

via Sherrill Canet Interiors

The light fitting in an open plan dining room doesn’t need to be the sole source of light so it’s not necessary to swamp the room with maximum wattage. Often times, the table will be decorated with candles and there will be lamps on in the adjacent living room and a light on in the kitchen.

Nelson Bubble Light hung low over the dining room table

My advice in choosing a dining room light fitting is to choose more for aesthetics than pracitcalities – form over function!

Gorgeous lantern light

You can find these images and more on my Dining Room Pinterest Board.

Dining Room Pendant with adjacent kitchen downlights

If you require assistance with choosing light fittings for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

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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.

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Like all things, there are just so many choices and it really depends on the homeowner as to what they like and what function the rooms will have.

However, I do have a couple of guidelines that make choosing a little easier.

Roller Blinds have been around for years. You can choose your own fabric and have it bonded onto a backing fabric to create a roller blind. That way you can match your décor and personalize the blind.

Bonded Roller Blinds by Inside Out Colour and Design

Ready-made roller blinds can be purchased from hardware stores and fabric stores like Lincraft or Spotlight. These are usually plain white or off white. The blind mechanism is at the top and when the blind is up you still see the mechanism but get left with a thin roll. They are usually spring loaded so no need for cords or chains. You will need a base bar or a ring pull to raise the blind.

Ready Made roller blinds

I usually recommend a roller blind for a kitchen, bathroom or laundry. They are cost effective, so if you are wanting a covering but don’t want to spend a lot of money, roller blinds could be the answer. If you are using a decorative fabric, make sure the roller is made with a reverse roll so when raised the fabric shows into the room.

Roller Blind with Reverse Roll

Sunscreen roller blinds have become popular lately. This fabric is a PVC or fiberglass coated mesh and allows the light in but still provides thermal qualities as well as the ability to reduce glare. It gives privacy and is a very streamlined look. My preferred area for installing sunscreen roller blinds is in the family living areas as usually these rooms are open to the outdoor living areas and as much light as possible is required.

Sunscreen Roller Blinds by Inside Out Colour and Design

For children’s bedrooms, I usually recommend roman blinds. They sit in the window reveal or just on the outside of the architrave so do not fall to the floor which is ideal if a bed or other furniture sits under the window.

Roman Blinds via Pottery Barn Kids

Any fabric can be made into a roman blind which means the blind will add a splash of colour or texture to the room. Blockout lining can be added to create maximum light control however light will still enter down the sides of the blind between the blind and the architrave.

Roman Blinds by Inside Out Colour and Design

They usually have a side cord that wraps around a cleat (gold or silver), which is screwed into the architrave or onto the wall. Australia safety standards dictate the cleat must be at least 150cm above the ground so the cord does not become a hazard to children.

Roman Blind Cleat

Curtains provide the best insulation as well as the best light control capabilities when blockout lining is added. The styles are endless but the most important aspect is to not be stingy with the amount of fabric used.It will make a big difference to the way the curtain hangs and looks.

Curtains just "kissing" the floor by Inside Out Colour and Design

Consider the style of heading of the curtain as well as the length. Personally, I prefer curtains that hang to the floor as short curtains don’t look right. If there is furniture in the way, then usually I would recommend a blind rather than a curtain but of course all rules are meant to be broken.

Interiors by Sherrill Canet

Curtains that puddle can harbour dust and bugs as well as become tripping hazards for pets and children. My preference is curtains that “kiss” the floor i.e. they sit just above the floor. Curtains are a more formal look so suit formal lounge rooms, dining rooms and master bedrooms.

Puddling via Country Living

Shutters are a smart, streamlined, option which are custom made to suit the window. They can be painted in any colour, however most companies provide a standard range of colours with custom colours incurring a surcharge. Where possible we try and choose a colour from the standard range to help control costs.

Shutters by Inside Out Colour and Design

Shutters can make a room look clinical especially if there are limited soft surfaces in the room so soften the look with fabric sofas, rugs or carpet and textured cushions.

Interior Decor by Inside Out Colour and Design

Each panel is usually split horizontally so if privacy is an issue, the bottom section can be closed while the top section can be tilted to allow light and air to enter the room. Shutters are a good option if occupants have allergies.

Coddington Design via VT Interiors

There are many other alternatives but these are the ones I usually have clients requesting.

If you would like assistance choosing window coverings for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

Don’t forget, all these images and more can be found on my Pinterest boards.

Jennifer

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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

If you require assistance choosing paint colours for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

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Fae Rentoul says, “Badly hung artwork, often hung too high. It is well worth spending what is often a small amount of money to get a professional to hang any artwork.”

Artwork hung too high

Paintings, when hung as a single piece of artwork, should be placed at a height so the average person looks straight into the middle of the piece. Naturally if you are hanging more than one artwork, such as a pair underneath each other or a photo wall, then the centre of the overall size of the combined pieces should be at head height.

Suzie Beirne says, “A complete lack of attention to balance, proportion and lighting. If you don’t know what you are doing, even with the tiniest budget, ask a professional for one good session to guide you on your way. I can’t count the number of times I have been asked to try to fix expensive mistakes that cannot be returned. Men are particularly stubborn when it comes to this – women seem to understand that you don’t fill your own teeth, cut your own hair or make your own clothes unless you are skilled – so why decorate your own home without professional guidance. The time to ask for help is before you buy, not after – it’s often too late. How can this problem be addressed? Not many people are prepared to throw away new furniture and start again but it has been done, believe me.”

Out of proportion

It’s true, so many people try to fit their old furniture into their new house, or set about making changes and then realize it doesn’t fit or they have made a drastic mistake with their choices and then call in the professionals. It pays to engage a decorator as early as possible and formulate some sort of plan so you can then move forward at your leisure.

Helen Glover said the mistake she sees the most is, “Bad bathroom tiles! Generally by the time people are choosing the bathroom tiles, they are over the process and are often under pressure from the builder to “just pick one”. Eeek – this can be a 15 year decision and one that can plague you every morning when you brush your teeth. Don’t rush this one, get professional help if you need to but don’t tick the box until you feel comfortable with your choices – remember that trends will change over the life of the bathroom as will you and your family, so go for neutrals or something that really matches the home you live in so that as it ages, it ages gracefully.”

So many choices

NEVER feel pressured by your builder. Don’t get yourself in that position in the first place by making sure you choose everything in advance. Too often I have seen clients leave it until the last minute and then the item they have their hearts set on is out of stock or won’t be available in time. Somehow, nothing matches up to our first preference and we have to make do.

Tonie Robertson said, “The most common decorating mistake I see is not knowing when to stop. People get an idea, which can be a good one, and then want to use it everywhere, so the initial idea is no longer special. Keep it simple, if it looks good then leave it.”

Too much pattern

I laughed at this one. Sometimes it is very hard to stop, but keep on telling yourself – less is more!

And Deborah Atkins went in to bat for us all. “Not using an interior designer! Good interior designers will actually save you money by avoiding costly mistakes that can easily be made by the inexperienced.”

Call in a professional

Hear Hear!

If you would like to avoid making costly mistakes, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

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Ensuite ready to be tiled

It looked fabulous and the client is so happy with the extra room they now have.

Shower area in esuite ready for tiling

You see, there was a spare bedroom next to the master bedroom that had become the family dump-all. We all have those, right? And next to that was a long walk in linen closet.

Floor plan of proposed alterations

As you can see, the spare bedroom was home to drum kits, extra clothes, bench press and husband’s paraphenalia.

Spare Bedroom Before

So we decided to convert the two areas into a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite bathroom. This involved knocking holes in walls, relocating the access door to the master bedroom and creating a new linen cupboard.

New walk in wardrobe

Then, seeing we were giving the home an ensuite, we decided the existing upstairs bathroom needed updating too.

New Ensuite

Ensuite Shower

The shower was under the window, which wasn’t ideal, so we moved things around and gave the room a more streamlined look by getting rid of the feature tiles and installing a frameless shower screen.

Bathroom Before

Bathroom Before

New Bathroom

New bathroom vanity

The family home has a separate toilet next to the bathroom so we updated it with a back-to-wall suite and lay new tiles the same as in the bathroom.

New toilet

The end result is a better use of space for this family as well as giving everything a fresh new look.

If you would like assistance with your family home renovation, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

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Just racing out the door to visit a client who has finally finished their second floor alterations. We changed a bedroom to a dressing room and ensuite, gave the original bathroom a makeover and had new carpet laid.

One thing I love in a bathroom is a bit of display space. A niche where you can display lovely bottles of perfume or some fluffy towels just seems to soften the room that is usually full of hard surfaces.

What about you? Do you like open shelving or do all those dust collectors bother you?

If you would like assistance creating a new look for your bathroom, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

PS. I’m afraid I have had these in my folder of tear sheets for ages and so have no idea where they are from. Most likely, I’ve ripped them out of House and Garden, Home Beautiful, Inside Out or Queensland Homes magazines over the last 10 years. I do apologise.

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Retro Style

Most of us see things we like online, in magazines, in nature or out and about. Sometimes we don’t even know why we like them but we know that they appeal to us. The best idea is to capture these images and articles and keep them together. Technology today makes this so easy as we can save images from the internet, take photos with cameras and mobile phones and of course, the good old fashioned way of tearing pages out of magazines.

African Style

You might even jot down a few words that come to mind when you see these images which will help convey the mood you want in a room.

When you have collected your inspiration, put the items and images into a folder. Kiki K have a great folder called “My Dream Home” full of plastic sleeves ready for you to fill. If you have bulky items, like a shell you’ve collected on your last beach holiday, you could purchase a lidded box from a Variety Store. Whatever you do, make sure you keep all your bits together. This will be invaluable when you meet with your architect and/or designer to convey the types of things you like.

French Provincial Style

Rarely do we want exactly the same as in our inspiration file, but collectively the images and items will tell you and your designer the type of things you like. It’s then up to the designer to create those features in your home bearing in mind the type of lifestyle you lead and the architecture of the building.

Beach Style Decor

Never lose sight of the big picture and make sure everyone is working towards the same end result.

Queensland Style

If you would like assistance creating your Dream Home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

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I have long been an avid fan of the TV show Grand Designs, and have marvelled at the amazing creations Kevin McCloud finds on his travels in the UK and further abroad. I have also marvelled at the sheer tenacity of the home owners who tackle the building process with naivety and determination. And naturally I marvel at the end result and how, most times, it all works out and they all live happily ever after.

The Gap House via www.dailymail.co.uk

So I was intrigued as to how the TV show would translate to a Live event. I had no idea what to expect.

Grand Design Live Official Opening via Facebook

It turned out to be more like every other home related show I have been to, for both trade and the general public, however the difference was the appearance of Kevin McCloud. And doesn’t he have a following? About 200 – 300 people packed the area of the Grand Stage with seating quickly snaffled up by the early birds. The doors only opened at 10am and Kevin was due on stage at 11am, but by 10.35am it was standing room only.

Kevin McCloud - photographer Mark Fairhurst. Image via www.dailymail.co.uk

Kevin is naturally passionate about homes and building and his 40 minute talk centred around the fact that all homes, in fact all things, we love have three main attributes. They have firmness, commodity and delight. Like the Fiat Spider, Kevins’ favourite car. It is solidly built, very comfortable and has the WOW factor.

Fiat Spider via Wikipedia

And of course the interesting point, and one that I have so often mentioned here and in my work, is what one person finds comfortable or attractive, may not have the same effect on the next person. He spoke about the famed Eames chair and how for years he had coveted an original. However, when he finally did sit in one, it was not comfortable for him as he is fairly tall and therefore it lost all it’s appeal. The one perfect piece that is perfect for and to everyone, does not exist.

The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman

However in our homes, we should fill them with things we love because of their meaning. The things we touch every day, like the humble light switch, should be top quality and beautiful to touch. Kevin’s parting piece of advice was that the story in things is what makes the design.

What piece or pieces do you have in your home that tells a story?

If you would like assistance with colour or design for your home, contact us for an online or in-person consultation.

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