Season's Greetings

Breathe (2004) 10 x 30 acrylic, paper on canvas

Margaret Ryall

Merry Christmas 

and 

Happy New Year

from 

my house to yours

Yellow colour schemes

Bright or soft?

 Pure, bright yellow is a very visually demanding colour which is difficlult to ignore- in other words, a little goes a long way. Softer yellows work better on walls so save the bright yellows for accents.

Light or dark?

Yellow is a tricky colour because it always looks darker on walls that you expect when you choose it from a colour card. If you have a certain tint or shade of yellow in mind it is a good idea to choose something a little lighter than you think you want. 

Walls or accent?

When you choose to put yellow on a wall, it needs some space to shine,  therefore, grays and whites provide a perfect foil for it.

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Yellow looks great with citrus colours as accents so look for lime greens or oranges if you want a fresh, clean look. that will energize you every time you walk into a room. Yellows work well in north light.

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This is another room where yellow is used successfully on walls without overwhelming the rest of the decor. Again white provides a perfect accent to keep the yellow in check.

Sometimes people love yellow but are afraid to commit to yellow  walls because it can overwhelm a room.   For the faint of heart yellow accents can do the trick to warm up an otherwise cool decor.  

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The small splashes of yellow in these two rooms are all the convincing I need to say yes to yellow as an accent colour. Yellow accents with gray are my all time favourite.

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Bright yellow, white and black is a fresh colour scheme for a teen's room.  In this application no yellow is too bright!

As you can tell from the previous pics I'm obviously attracted to yellows used with white.  Let's move on to other combinations.

Cristi Holcombe

 Cristi Holcombe

I always appreciate how touches of yellow will warm up a room that would otherwise be cool.   I find an all cool or all warm palette boring ,and I always like to break it up with the addition of the opposite temperature if only in accents. 

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An orangy yellow and brown have been used to create a soft look in this bedroom. The hint of pink in the pillows and the soft buttery colour of the throw further softens the overall feel of the room. Don't be afraid to mix several yellows in one room.

Jenni Leasia Design

This soft cream and historical green create a perfect combination for a traditional kitchen.  There's nothing here to dazzle the eye; it's all about subtlety.

modern kids design

This is a brave combination for a baby's room.  Black is difficult to work with. but it's harshness is balanced by the striped  yellow ceiling.  I'm glad I'm not the one who had to paint it. I'd be tempted to paint the bureau yellow too to spread the colour around the room. 

eclectic bedroom design

  Jennifer Brouwer

If I could choose to live in any of the rooms shown in this post this would be the one I would like to see when I opened my door after a busy day.   It's the essence of sophistication and relaxation. 

Which room would you like to see when you opened your door at the end of a long day? 

Purple Love

Purple is a colour that inspires passionate reactions. You either love it  or hate it.  In my case,  I love it.  I'm always surprised by the strong reaction  I receive when I mention any tint or shade of purple as a design solution to clients.

Purple combines the tranquility of blue with the excitement of red. It is said that purple is associated with non-conformists such as artists or designers.  It draws out intuition and encourages creativity. Shades of purple are restful and comforting and can often be found in religious symbols.  Purple has long been a symbol of royalty and mystery.

 So where can you go with purple in decorating?

Purple can be used as a complete envelope for a room. 

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You have to really love purple to take this approach to its use. Even when grays and white are added in,  there's still a lot of purple. 

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 This room depends almost totally on purple.  Much too saturated for my tastes, and I think one would tire of it quickly. There are lovely accents here that could be added into other schemes.

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While there's still a large percentage of purple in this room, the softness of the colour provides a calming backdrop for living. Purple and brown work well together and it is a combination rarely seen.

Playing it safe with accents.....

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The drapes in this room provide a great backdrop for the  green bedspread. I find spring greens and purples particularly pleasing to the eye.  

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Soft and playful..... 

 

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Going a little wild......

 

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One of the strengths of a neutral palette is the option to use a really strong splash of colour with it.  This ceiling is daring and inspired and makes this toned down decor rich and exciting while working well with the purplish gray cabinets and table.  The additional hints of purple around the room help to anchor the colour.

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A splash of purple in an area rug and a gentle hint in a pillow ties this room together. In this room the art is on the floor!

 For those that truly love purple, check out The Purple Store.

Design Tip: photograph trouble spots

• Do you want to discover trouble spots in your interior design? 

• Do you have a room where something seems off but you don't know what the problem is? 

• Are you wondering if your room is completed?

Take a photograph of the  room in question and have a critical look at what is happening.  There is something about the two dimensionality of photography that makes problem areas pop out especially scale /proportion. (Proportion involves the relationship of size between objects. Proportion  also includes the relative sizes of surface areas of different colors). Here's a telling photo of  my own living room.

This tiny chest of drawers looks minute and lost  next to the chair.  The area need something more substantial to balance the weight of the chair next to it. I'm still looking for the perfect piece and that is how it goes.

Keeping it simple

Gone are the days when I have every square inch of my house decorated for Christmas.  As  I grow older  I feel claustrophobic when surrounded by too many things.  I've spent the last five years simplifying my life and "re-gifting"  objects I'd acquired including many of my Christmas decorations.   They are now resting in someone else's house thanks to  the effectiveness of donations to thrift stores.

Each time I send a box  off I feel like I can breath a little easier.  My home is enjoying this freedom too.  While it is calm and comfortable, I still  want little touches of colour and the unexpected.  Some of the things I couldn't bear to part with get rotated from year to year and I enjoy them so much more when they take centre stage.    

The one thing I can't part with are tree ornaments because they represent so much family history. Contrary to what many people anticipate when they know I am a decorator, I do not design  a fancy themed tree each year. I admit I feel like I'm letting them down in some way, but  it's that family history  and warmth that are more important to me when I decorate for myself.

So here are some glimpses of Christmas at my house. You already know I rely on what is left in my garden, but I also like a little bling.  

Wall colour:  BM Rockport Gray HC 105

My kitchen always has a fresh plant for Christmas and the amaryllis is my favourite.  It shows up in my art work frequently.  More about that in a later post.

The artwork to the right of the window is an encaustic piece titled Thaw  (8 x 10 inches) painted by yours truly.  It is appropriate for the season.

The only addition to the window ledge in my kitchen is the glass of lime green berries which work well with the sea urchins and the first piece of stained glass my hubby made. 

walls: AF Fusion 675
shelf: AF Wish 680

I just repainted my entrance with AF Fusion which is a soft gray with a purple undertone.    One little wreath on a coat hook and a Santa that a dear friend gave me years ago is just enough to say it's Christmas. 


 Wall colour: BM Light Khaki  2148-40 

I always have candles on my dining room buffet (made by my man) so each year I just add one thing to the arrangement.  This year it is a pearl star that used to be a tree topper attached over a candle.

 

table:  BM Kendall Charcoal  HC 166

This year I painted my oak coffee table and end table and they are now  some of my favourite pieces of furniture in the house. Wood is prominent in my house because my husband is a woodworker.  I'm always battling the painting of solid wood horrors.  My IKEA bowl usually holds ornaments at Christmas time.  This year they are white and silver to honour the new look of my table.

 Wall colour: BM   Elephant Tusk  OC 8

Silver finials are my Christmas addition to  a red poppy and poppy coasters on the end table. They are just  enough to say it's Christmas

YES, I love gray and purple too ! 

Creating natural arrangements for Christmas

Arranging natural materials creatively requires knowledge of balance and proportion.  Some people seem to have natural instincts in this area, but  the skills can be learned from floral arranging books. 

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By using the following four elements you can achieve a stunning Christmas planter.

1. Droopers (Spillers)

While there are many places/ways to start, I usually start with the hanging material  to cover the edges of the pot. These have to be set in almost horizontally  as the cedar in the above image.  You want it to droop gracefully and cover the edges of the pot. 
 

- Spanish broom

-  pine

-spruce branches
- cedar

2.Uprights (Thrillers)

Sometimes if I have interesting tall materials  I arrange them first to establish height and then work out and down.  Thrillers are always tall and act as the apex of the triangle design.

- dried goats beard stalks

- corkscrew hazel

- yellow - twig dogwood, red dogwood

- spirea with dried seed heads

- forsythia stalks (which are very light and work well with dogwood branches)
-birch sticks

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Twigs make great uprights, and don't forget that small potted trees can be placed in the middle of a planter and other materials can be added to cover the pot. A planter within a planter!

3. Fillers 

Once these two aspects have been arranged you need to fill our the arrangement (fillers) by applying the branches at roughly 45 degrees. I have lots of possibilities in my garden:

- boxwood

-yellow mound cedar

- holly 

- blue spruce

- rhododendron leaves 

- dried hydrangea blooms

 

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4. Accents  

These are the final touches that hightlight and brighten your arrangements.   The sky is the limit here. 

- sprayed grapevine spheres

- brightly coloured plastic ornaments 

- wooden Santas

- plastic ribbons 

- plastic Christmas flowers
- artificial birds 
-woven twig stars

-toys 
- small colourful lanterns
- large sphere shaped ornaments 
- ribbons

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berries, pinecones, pods

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fresh fruit or plastic fruit

 

 

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and even birdhouses!

Rich and Simple Table Settings

 Christmas entertaining calls for an extra effort  in the decorating department.  Don't let  a busy lifestyle and budget restraints put a damper on your table settings.  A little ingenuity and do it yourself  is all you need to wow your guests.

Rich and Simple

 The addition of gold charger plates, simple gold  ornaments,  and a puffy silver and gold garland can  tie a table setting together. Of course, it helps to have beautiful china  and crystal, but your could  use plain white tableware and spray assorted napkin rings with gold metallic paint. Dollar stores offer a range of inexpensive containers for tea lights.

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A Little Crafting

Your table setting can echo metallic decorating schemes with a little crafting. White  napkins can be decorated with metallic paint using a stencil.  Check out Lumiere fabric paint. Ribbon and simple gold decorations complete the setting.

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A winter theme

There's nothing like blue and silver to give you that cool, shimmery feel of winter.  The white snowflakes, small clear glasses,  and silver glitter balls can be found at most dollar stores. And who knows what other ideas you will get when you start to look around for inspiration. 

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 Do you have a favouite table setting you would like to share?