Beautiful fall colour trends

Well I'm back, after having had a fabulous summer and goofing off for most of it, can't believe we are pretty much into September.  I thought I'd talk colour trends for this coming fall/winter season 2013/14. This info comes from Mix Global Colour conference held in London - they work with Pantone and are why I'm using their info!

These trends are determined by a secret panel of 10 people in conjunction with Pantone - who basically set the standard for all shades.  Think about it, all of our printer ink is Pantone based, so are the colours that your computer uses when you choose a font colour or even to "see" the pictures I'm posting.  So let's just say that Pantone is an authority, if not 'the' authority on colour. 

The thing is, whether you like the colours of the season or not, they are hard to avoid. Showing up in fashion first, they make into our home decor not long after.  If it's not a colour you like, or one that looks good on your or with anything else in your home, then it becomes limiting and pretty difficult to freshen up personal decor with new pillows or accent pieces.  But there you have it - we have to learn to work with or around it!

The descriptors attached to each colour are written by Gudy Herder, she is trained in retail trade and specializes in what she calls styling services, and also teaches Strategic Visual Merchandising in the Luxury field.  Travelling the world through her work.  Decorating and training in different markets such as Europe, Dubai, Brazil, Panama and Mexico most recently.

So without further ado, here are the colours (in their varying shades) that you can expect to see this coming fall and winter.


STORM

'Climate changes such as floods have been a big deal globally, leading to uncertainty and a certain surrealism reflected in hot and cold colours, bright and smokey shades. Feminine is meeting masculine. Colours range from different blues evoking a storm mood to a softer sand, salmon and bright red, always aiming to combine hot and cold colours.  Changing structures and ethereal layers given through semi-opaque layers are translated into cool tie dye effects, blurred and monofilament weaves.  Holographic and metallic touches add reflective qualities, deep structures and deep monofilament weaves are key here.'

FLINT

'We need to step back to an honest approach to design.  There is a certain Neolithic style going back to our roots reflected by rich earth soil colours, warm neutrals, rust.  Primitive aesthetics, organic and handmade themes, found objects meant to express our own personality.  Sophisticated and soft, rough and ready are the opposites that play nicely together.  Thick leathers, hemp yarns and rustic fossil textures are key here.'

CLASH

The main message is that we need to be positive.  Traditional design shall be reconstructed in new colour-ways.  Bold colours are mixed with pastels.  Blacks are not black but got a dark blue underground. Tutti Frutti colours are combined with neutral colours such as dark brown so they still work in a luxury environment.  Pattern on pattern with a "more is more" approach are the way to go.  It is a very expressive trend with intermixed styles.  Mother of pearl shall be observed with a shiny and reflective quality.  Plastic is not used as a cheap material but high end due to innovative finishing's.  Bold wallpapers are key here.

ALPINE
This trend brings the outdoors in, there is a need of comfort, of time, being together and a friendly approach to a real folk feeling.  The colours are warm (reds) and natural (greens and brown).  Materials such as cork and wood shouldn't be hidden but enhanced and embraced in any design. It's all about sustainability and renewing of energies.  Organic material is used in an honest way to make people feel happy and healthy.

So there you have it - colours I think that each and every one of us can work with to some extent or another.  I quite like several from each palette!  

Let me know what you think.  And if you haven't signed up to follow my blog yet, please do!  All you have to do is scroll down to the bottom and click 'subscribe by email'.  It would really help me out if you did.

Summertime all that much better with beautiful window coverings...

So we are well into summer and what can I say, it's amazing.  I love this time of the year, and I love that we've had one of the best July's I've seen in a long time!  It's more than welcome to continue through to October as far as I'm concerned.

Well today's topic is...I so wish I knew!  Oh I know, let's talk window coverings, it is a topic I know lot's about after all.  The weather is hot, and while we love it, it is affecting everything to do with your house. Your windows while offering a great view, are also the greatest source for heat retention and loss, or as Hunter Douglas calls them - 'windows are energy holes'.  Simply put, even if they are triple pane, they are still making your house so much hotter (or colder depending on the time of year) than it needs to be; so basically despite the fact that your windows only make up about 10% of your house, you loose about 50% of your energy through them.  Add to that the UV damage to your floors, furniture, artwork, drapery (and the list goes on) caused by the suns rays, windows are to blame for a large percentage your heating and cooling bills all year round.  

I know what you're thinking, who's got the funds for "those" kinds of window coverings, well big picture, and long term, they pay for themselves in the energy savings and protection of your floors and belongings.  Course I'm not trying to "sell" you on any particular product today, I just want you think about it, so that when you finally do decide on replacing what you have, you'll consider the long term value of a good window covering!

I'm going to touch on two products today, not extensively, but more to make you aware of what they look like and what purposes they serve.

The most cost effective are the screen shade. They are essentially a roller blind, but are designed to provide you with a small % of light (ranging from 3 - 14% openness).  They come in a variety of neutrals, and look best within a cassette (meaning that the roller and mechanism are hidden from view within a casing).  There are also some beautiful patterns, still neutral, but with a bit more style than the blinds you see in Starbucks!  

Screen shades with a 3-5% openness block more than 85% of UV rays, and make a significant difference to the temperature of your room.  They are also easy to clean! Also in my professional opinion, should you go with the product please never go with more than 5%, anything higher and you can forget about privacy and real light/UV control, at 14% openness they won't even help with heat control.

While the photo's show living rooms, and more formal spaces, my personal preference is that they be used in a sunroom, kitchen or very casual space.  If you put them in your living room, remember that what you can see out during the day, others can see in come night when your lights are on.  It's why I don't recommend them for spaces that you want evening privacy.  The back of house is fine, but generally the front not so much.  However, if you live in a high-rise as featured in the below image by Hunter Douglas Blinds, then privacy in the evening isn't as big an issue, but again, if you put them in your bedroom, there is no guarantee that people in the space across from you can't see you or at least what's going on via shadows at night.

They are also great out of doors, designed specifically for outside by Hunter Douglas, you can use them on one side of your deck just for some privacy and help with the days heat, or everywhere.  Check out this gorgeous patio idea.

Next I want to talk about Hunter Douglas Honeycomb shades, and while others make them, they are but a poor cousin to the inventors of the brand. The Duette Architella blind is the most versatile product in the entire range of blinds, hands down.  They fall in the middle price point, meaning that there are many cheaper products and many much more expensive products. They are called honeycomb because from the side, that's just what they look like. 

Offering superior sun protection, they come in an amazing array of fabrics and styles.  From top down/bottom up, to duo lights, they can be controlled by remote, and work superbly in skylights.  Offering 95% UV protection when closed.  They can reduce your heat gain from 76% down to as little as 15%.  Imagine how cool your house would feel if you closed them all before going to work, and didn't open them till the sun had passed.  This is probably my favorite product on the market for the sake of versatility and efficiency.  While there are "prettier" blinds on the market, none come close to the versatility and energy savings that you get with the Hunter Douglas Architella Shade.

These two examples are called top down / bottom up, and come cordless or with a lifting system.

Now imagine how much better they'd be if you motorize them, you can add the free app to your portable device (smart phone/iPad, etc.) and set your blinds to open and close at specific times of the day, optimizing the efficiency of this product!  I won't go on about it any further, I think that the pictures will speak for themselves!

The duo-light show here is lovely, and this particular one is of an opaque (meaning black out) with a sheer, so basically you get two shades in one. The Opaque Duette is also the best blackout product on the market, leaving such a small light bleed that most light sensitive people have no problem sleeping with this product in their windows.

And last but not least is the sheer Duette, this photo shows the product with the sheer alone, offering a contemporary level of privacy (over traditional sheer drapery), and while it offers more than 60% UV protection, it won't do for you with a semi opaque can and will do.  It does however, look beautiful.

So that's it just a little taste of two beautiful but very different styles of window covering.  

Whether you need them today or next year, there's always room for a little knowledge when making your choices.

If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask.  You can also find me on Houzz under Live Beautiful Designs.  Yeah I just realized that this last bit sounded like a bit of a sales pitch, but hey I'm a self employed designer, I guess it needs to be once in a while!  Hope you found it of interest.

Beautiful Curb Appeal...

Well I'm back, and it's been far too long.  But it's almost June, which means summer is on its way (really it is I'm sure of it!).  I haven't written in so long that I'm not sure where to begin, but I think I'm going to talk about house exteriors.  We're spending more time outside now, and as soon as we do, we begin to think about how our house looks.  Not just decorating like at Christmas, but more about the things you can do to "freshen up" the exterior of your house. 

So here are some ideas, and it's not just about mowing the lawn and having some plants, but making it feel like you've changed the house without breaking the bank to do so!  Though weeding and adding some beautiful planters makes an amazing impact, that and all that tedious edging that makes a lawn look like a golf course!

If you need to paint the exterior, do it the next time the sun comes out (for more than 15 minutes of course).  Don't put it off until the middle of summer, then it's just too hot and you won't want to do it all. But a fresh coat of paint  has many benefits, protecting your siding being at the top of the list.  But also enjoying seeing your house every time you pull up in front of it.  Choosing the right colour is always a challenge, but be a bit bold; I'm not talking pink siding, but maybe a couple of Grey and slate tones with a beautiful black door or lovely yellow as shown, or maybe white and navy trim with a red door.  You get the idea, use sophisticated colours that don't clash with all the houses in your neighbourhood.  You want to stand out as unique not colour blind or as the below picture illustrates a whole kind of crazy (this people is what NOT to do!)

OK so I know, that's the biggest possible project I could have chosen for you, but it doesn't need to be such a big thing.  If your paint is looking good, then let's move on!

1. House numbers are a simple but fabulous extra to freshen up the exterior.  There are dozens and dozens of gorgeous number out there, especially via online shopping.  Find some that suit you and the style of your house.  Bigger is better because it's easier for your guests to see.

2. Does your exterior lighting look dated, rather than replacing it, remove and paint it; I find that spray paint gives you the cleanest paint job, and goes the fastest.

3. If your front door is looking shabby and can't be saved with a coat of paint and some sand paper, buy a new door, make it interesting and unique.  I don't always like glass myself because it does make it easy for someone to see in and easier to break to get in...but that's just me.

4. Go out and buy those beautiful urns and flower pots that you've been wanting for years, but could never justify or get around to picking up.

5. Pressure wash your house (if it doesn't need painting of course), walkway and front entrance.  You scrub the interior of your house, why not the exterior, especially after a long drab winter.

6. It may not seem obvious, but your interior blinds may need replacing (if they do call me!), they are one of the first things guests will notice as they arrive at your front door. Interestingly enough they make as big a statement from the outside as they do from the inside.

7. If you have a front porch, and have enough space for furniture, put out a really nice piece of outdoor furniture, whether it's an attracitve chair or a whole set, something inviting will always be welcomed by your guests and family alike!

8. If you have a path or gateway between the front and back yard, lay down a pathway, lovely white rocks, stones, brick, something to help lead people down the garden path as it were.  

9. This one ties in with the pathway, lead them between the front and back gardens with a beautiful pergola and gorgeous floral hedging.  

10. Lighting, with all the lovely lighting (solar and hard wired) available these days, there is simply no excuse for not finding a place for them, they glow beautifully in the summer night, gently illuminate the steps of anyone making their way to your front door or back if you have number 7 and 8 in place! I'm particularly fond of solar lighting as it's quite soft and gentle.

11.  More on lighting ideas, there is also luminescent paint that will glow all evening after a full day of sun.  You can paint some floral pots and they look will look like they are alight from within! (As shown on the left)

12. Now here's a simple idea for all you crafty people, take some mason jars or any glass jars with a neck, and some wire and string them up in a tree (if you have one in your front yard all the better) put tea lights inside and hang them out there for your guests as they arrive for an evening BBQ.

13. And last but not least your fence, do you have one in the front yard, or along the sides, give it a good power wash as well; then odds are that it needs a fresh coat of stain or paint.  Just do it, you know it needs it.  Then plant something that climbs like clematis.  They are beautiful, but not invasive or impossible to remove like wisteria.

Well there you have it.  I hope you have some new inspiration for sprucing up the front of your house this spring/summer.  It's amazing what a beautiful exterior will do for how you feel about the house itself.  It's not just for your guests and neighbours, but it's for you too!  Taking as much pride in your house exterior as the interior will help you love your house just that little bit more!