It's Christmas Time...

So here we are, into December and we are officially allowed to talk about Christmas (cause really I hate hearing Christmas music and seeing Christmas trees already up in the middle of Nov, it just seems wrong to me)!  Now however, the countdown is on, and we need to get to decorating...
I've been thinking that we should talk about decorating your door, front porch, yard and all those things.

Let's be realistic, most of us aren't trying to win "the most lights in your yard" award, or even trying to get onto the Christmas lights tour in your home town; what we really want is a pretty/beautiful home that invites our guests and expresses our joy of the season.

Most of you are fans of coloured lights, and that's OK, so each there own, that is the beauty of individuality; I however am of the white lights camp.  I think they had a glow and touch of elegance to things - I confess, I have been known to mix red and white lights, but that was then and this is now ;)

If you have stairs leading up to your house, how pretty and simple is this? 

Glass bowls, some holly, cranberry and the white stuff is salt!  Course rain is an issue for us, but try some type of glass lantern or hurricane lamp with the same combination.


Regardless of the colours you choose, try to do it tastefully, doors and front porches are an amazingly simply way to do it.  Even if you live in a flat or apartment, I've wrapped my door like it was a huge present, with really wide gold (insert colour of choice) ribbon that I attached to the bottom and top of the door with tape, literally tying a ribbon.  Wreaths are beautiful, and can be done in so many ways.

But don't forget those big beautiful pots or urns you usually have filled with flowers.  Take greenery (you live on the Coast, you can find pine branches easily) like pine or holly or both, add in some red berries on stems from the local craft store.  and if you have an electrical outlet handy just randomly stick white lights within the mix.

Regardless of what you do, do it with intent, try to keep a colour theme, whether it's lime green and purple, traditional white, green and red, metallic's or navy blue and white.  Just give it a sense of intention.  Your beautifully decorated front door and porch is the the invitation to your guests during this happy and festive season.  They will feel welcomed and enticed as they enter your home!

Now all that being said, I'm going to just give you lot's of pictures for inspiration rather than bore you with words, pictures as they say speak a thousand words!  Enjoy, and I hope you'll send me some pictures of your beautifully decorated front doors, porches, steps, yards, whatever it is you choose to do!

Just don't worry about it being too perfect, it's about expressing your own personal taste; and since none of us are perfect, your friends will love it because it was something you did!

The urns with the Christmas trees are tomato cages, and here's what you need to make them.

• a tomato cage, one for each urn
• medium gauge garden or fencing wire, lighter cage craft wire
• outdoor Christmas lights, one string for each tree
• decorative polyester mesh for wrapping, approximately 7 feet per urn
• decorative mesh or wide ribbon in a complementary colour to wrap the base and create a bow, about 3-4 feet per urn
• a variety of shatterproof ornaments in different sizes in whatever colour you choose
• some artificial greenery — I used holly leaves, poinsettia, more bows, bells, snowflakes, whatever tickles your fancy, just remember it has to be able to handle the elements.
• 15 feet of 2 inch decorator ribbon per urn
• two large bells or a large bow for the bottom
• hot glue gun
• tall pole, bungee cords and tent pegs for securing

Wreathes, beautiful wreaths - as you can see for all my contemporary style, I'm a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas, so these are the ideas that appeal to me.

 Front entrances as a whole can also be done big or simply as the black garden pot above shows, or as I love it, all in white white lights with greenery.  If you can get your adorable little dog to sit with a Santa hat, well all the better lol :)

So a red door is obviously a fabulous choice for Christmas, but I'm not suggesting that you paint your door unless of course you wanted to...

And like I said, wreaths they come in endless options.

 This is a clever idea from Martha Stewart.  You'd have to use something that can withstand the elements, but all it would take is white "boxes" with plastic ribbon and some outdoor lights.


And the combination to your right, is so clever and yet so simple.

Take white balloons and white tissue paper.  Blow up balloons, dip tissue in glue, cover balloons and let dry. cut out a space for battery tea light and use in either indoors or out.  The size will be proportionate to the urn and location.

There you have it, some simple and yet lovely ideas for decorating your outdoor spaces this Christmas season!  Have fun everyone.

Curbside Beauty

www.livebeautifuldesigns.com

Well I can't believe it's almost December, time is flying, and even though the rains are here I am somehow loving the weather regardless.  Every time I drive across the Lions Gate Bridge (and it doesn't matter in which direction) I find the poet in me come alive.  Like the other day, heading into the city ...The depth of forest that is Stanley park loomed below me, the skyline encased in hazy shades of grey, with only a handful of buildings illuminating an otherwise dark day... it just seems to capture me each time, but I promise I won't write about it every single time ;)

Basically it comes down to this, Vancouver is a beautiful city whether the sun shines or not, and let's face it we have to just enjoy it in the rain, because it is the "Wet Coast" after all!

Today I think I'm going to talk about ... And we're back, if you saw the draft of this you'd note that I stopped there yesterday because I couldn't decided what to talk about!  But after taking a look at one of my many sources for ideas and inspiration I thought I'd talk about Curb appeal.  This great description is from designer Carson Arthur (yeah I don't know who he is either lol), but he is right.

Picking an accent colour for your home is not unlike picking the right eye shadow for your face. While they both do wonders to highlight the positive, the wrong combinations can come off as a hot mess. 

Hide the Awkward and Unsightly
Start by objectively looking at the front of your home. Ask yourself "What are the areas I want to draw attention to and what would I rather people not notice?" Quite often, homeowners go with one trim colour for everything and that is a big mistake. For those areas that you'd like to add punch, use a darker more dramatic tone. For the awkward spaces like under the eaves, go with a shade lighter than the siding colour as the eye will always focus on the deeper pigments. 

Designing a New Build
For those lucky folks working on new homes or playing with the façade of a modern space, the sky is the limit. Keep in mind a few simple things. You may need to add a third choice as the main colour for the body of your home. The accent colours need to be chosen based on this main colour: lighten and darken appropriately. Also, if you are planning some horizontal banding, stay away from using the darker colour as it will draw the eye from side-to-side. Go with the lighter option in this case.
Just remember that the front of your home is its face, and the accents are there to make it shine, not stand out like a brightly painted clown at the circus.


But I won't leave you stranded, I'm going to give you one colour palette idea, shades of brown, because they are the colour of choice here ont he Coast, and because I find them rich and inviting.

Now don't forget, beautiful rich neutrals are all well and good, but make sure your door is an interesting colour as well.  Let that be how you express your individuality.  If you're selling it won't freak people out because they know it's easy to paint a door as compared to a whole house in brilliant purple and yellow.  If it's long term, why wouldn't you?!

Well now we know next weeks topic, bold, beautiful and interesting doors...stay tuned!

This seasons colours and why they're here...

Welcome to Live Beautiful Designs where living beautiful is what it's all about!

livebeautifuldesigns.com 

This week, we're going to talk about some of the fall colour trends according to one of my fabric suppliers, Maxwell.  They have gorgeous fabrics, and if you ever see something you love, let me know and I'll get it for you!

But before I get into the colours of the season, I have to tell you the reasons behind each colour trend; it comes down to guessing the mood of the country 2 years in advance, and that includes understanding the economy, and I know that sounds crazy, but it does.  Each season is about capturing the mood or influencing it based on how things stand economically.  Here in North America (let's face it what trends in the US trends in Canada) the The Color Association of the United States (CAUS), Roberts and her team directly influence the shades that define each season — from the hues found on the runway to those found at home goods stores and even makeup palettes.

"Basically, it's about capturing the mood of our ever changing culture.  The trends are forecasted by a panel of committee members who are experts within their industry, such as designers, buyers and textile manufacturers. This group of eight to 12 people brings in research on and examples of colors that are resonating with them. “We’ve had committee members come in with a stone they found on a street, a scrap of fabric, a flower, a spice, anything that really has a color,” Roberts says. 

So, for example, the color trends for Fall/Winter 2012 that Fashion Week attendees are noticing now were actually defined and developed in 2010. The extensive lead time is necessary, Roberts says, so that textile manufacturers can produce the materials that designers will be looking to use. But the delay does pose certain challenges. (taken from newsfeedtime.com)

How crazy is all that?! But there you have it, it's about capturing the mood and essence of our lives before they even happen.  Si I am going to go out on a limb and guess that in the depths of the US economic crisis these experts looked toward Winter 2012 with optimism.  And really these colours make us feel good, and when we feel optimistic we spend our money, redecorate our homes, travel, etc., so economics and colour trends go hand in hand.

Well all that being said, let's talk about some of this season's colours.

Turquoise, it apparently never really goes out of style.  And for the record, I want that bag!

"This trendy blue re"ects serenity and well-being and is loved for its soothing tranquility when paired with soft neutrals, and for its bold showiness when accented with lime green and citrus yellow.  Turquoise continues to add excitement as an important trend for seasons to come."



And Orange, I know most of us can't wear it well, but we can throw it in amongst our neutrals for that splash of colour; even a wall painted orange won't hurt, it's not difficult to paint a wall nor to change the colour when you're tired of it after all!

 
"Tangerine, carrot, apricot; orange is this year's biggest color trend.  Orange is a power color known to stimulate creativity and positive energy.  Pair this warm vibrant color with teal blue and yellow for this season's most dynamic color statement."


And because very few of us can live with an orange or turquoise room, here's a lovely neutral palette to use as your base.  Shades of Grey, pardon the reference, but we (meaning the world of colour) had the term first, and there's nothing like beautifully mixed shades of the same palette to make a room feel complete. 

Well that's it for today, it's a lot I know, but understanding whey we choose the colours we do allows us to decide what works for us, without being so strongly influenced by the "trends" of the season.  That's not to say we shouldn't embrace them; I just think that we need to choose colours that appeal to us for the right reasons!

The start of something beautiful...

Welcome to Live Beautiful Designs where living beautiful is what it's all about!  

This blog will mainly be about all things design, my business focuses on window coverings and interior design, but I'll be talking about things that I think make my world (and hopefully yours too) more beautiful.  I'll be writing about design trends, colour trends, talking about a specific style of window covering and even drapery.  But I'll also cover things like art, photography, fashion if something really strikes me as beautiful, because I believe it's about the beautiful moments, those things that make us stop and step out of our increasingly busy lives for just that moment.  Like today as I drove across the Lions Gate bridge.  I actually had to write it down because the words came to me, and now it's my comment on FB.  

"Clouds the colour of smudged charcoal shrouded the snow caped peaks of the North Shore as I crested the Lions Gate bridge, the ocean almost the same colour as the sky, as it cradled giant rust coloured cargo ships in the mists of November..."

And that's my moment for the day as I ran around doing errands it stuck with me - a picture would have been great, but not so smart when driving across a busy bridge!

S