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!