When is White just Right?

I consider white to be just as important as any other colour.  However, I do draw the line at white-on-white walls unless it’s a contemporary space and you plan to repeat the colour in your decorating, see my White is a Snob post for more on that. 

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Here are my 10 tips on when you should choose white over any other colour:

1.  White Textured Towels

Usually the plumbing fixtures [sink/toilet] are white so even if your tiles or the walls are not white, the towels relate to the fixtures which creates a ‘spa’ feeling.

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Just make sure they have a texture in them.  I have white towels with a daisy texture, stripes and squares, even paisley.  They are the only colour I own [besides my favourite Martha Stewart Beach Towels].  Same with the shower curtain, I like it white as well!

2.  White Molding in Bathrooms

Even if your woodwork is creamier throughout the house because your colours are richer (which works better with creamier trim) or you have finishes that are cream which dictate the trim, if the plumbing fixtures in your bathroom are white along with the tile, I like the trim painted white.  Otherwise the only cream sometimes in a bathroom is the moldings.

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3. White Sheets & Duvet Covers in the Bedroom. 

I love the hotel look in a bedroom.  Upholstered headboard, bed skirt and two decorative pillow shams with a white [cream fits in the white category too] duvet cover.

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4. White Vinyl Windows

Generally the ‘standard’ colours for vinyl windows are white or greeny beige (that is the undertone by the way, some people call it tan).  Inside the house you should always choose white or suddenly you are forced to coordinate your moldings and woodwork with a dirty beige window!!  Exterior windows, beige  works if you have enough contrast on the exterior colour.  Otherwise go with white there too.

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5. White Shutters

Any other colour cuts out more light, so unless you have a dark space anyway go with white.

6.  White Dishes

Before my designer days I chose white for my wedding china.  Today I think they are too traditional for me but I still like them because they are white and go with everything!

 Country Living

7.  White Kitchens

Well we already know how I feel about White Kitchens!

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8. White + Black

There’s a reason why black and white are always together, because they are both just as crisp. 

9. White + Fresh Colour

In January’s Newsletter I wrote about Which Colours you’ll be Decorating with Next. And White is perfect with all of them!

White + Turquoise (credit)

10. If you simply adore White in any shape or form but you have kids and pets? Get the Ektorp sofa from IKEA.  It’s an amazing price and the slipcovers alone are under $200.

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What about you my lovelies?  What do you own that MUST be White (I feel like I’ve missed a few)?

Related posts:

White Kitchen Cabinets

The Best Trim Colours—NOT Cloud White

5 Steps to a Kitchen you will Love

If you want your home to have atmosphere including colours that flow to fill you with happiness every time you walk in. Contact me by email for on-line rates or call me directly if you are local.

Are you a Do-it-Yourself Blogger?

This week I found the perfect spot for the colour course I’m scheduling here in May (dates coming soon) and I am renting the space from an instructor who has her own school. It’s not this house (below) but wouldn’t that be fabulous?

She mentioned a popular national shelter magazine and said she has banned it from her design resources (for inspiration) because of their annual “Do-it-Yourself/Decorating on a budget/how to get the look for less” issue.

But do you know what I think? It’s probably one of their best sellers. Not everyone can afford to hire a designer to decorate their home from top to bottom but a large percentage of the population certainly want to live in a home that has the feeling that a designer has been there.

It’s also the reason some of the most popular blogs (see this blog ranking site to view) are about budget decorating, thrifty shopping, etc.

Why do designers get cranky about a ‘How to get a designer look for less’ magazine issue? I guess the same reason some designers get exasperated with Home & Garden Television that show spaces that get transformed for almost nothing and the viewer has no idea the huge team and operation behind producing that kind of result!

I’ve heard designers in the industry say that it distorts the actual time, money and effort it takes to really have a beautifully designed room. We show up and price out custom drapery and well, it’s not $20 a panel is it?

10 years ago the statistic I heard was that 6% of the population will hire a designer; however I would not be surprised if the decorating shows on TV have increased that number with more people getting educated about living in a beautiful space!

Just some gorgeous photography by Matthew Millman for your enjoyment while I muse about blogging!

So if you are in the process of decorating or designing your own home on a budget and you have design talent? Start up a blog to document what you are doing, and who knows, you might end up on the first page of the rankings very soon!

So here’s the question, Do you think DIY magazines and TV diminish the necessity of a designer?

Related posts:

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Is hiring a Designer a Luxury or Necessity?

If you are new to this blog, click here to see the Best of Colour me Happy

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Successful Interiors start with Space Planning

The header of my newsletter this month is hot pink (for Valentine’s Day). Because I wanted to coordinate the first photo with the colour of the header I ended up featuring this short post I wrote about Small Space Layout; Sofa and two chairs vs. a loveseat.  This got me thinking about space planning which is the first step to any successful interior!

Yesterday I was consulting in a beautiful home with a stunning newly renovated, contemporary kitchen and an addition with 2 bedrooms (one was a guest room).

Ralph Lauren

My client’s living room is potentially large enough to accommodate two seating areas. She already has a wonderful, cozy sectional (and 2 chairs) from Living Space and just assumed (as most people would) that the furniture should be arranged around the fireplace.  However, the obvious way to position the sectional around the fireplace did not work for them, so they ended up splitting it up and flanking it on either side of the fireplace, this left one longer than the other and it looked awkward.

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However, the more important focal point of this room are the large floor-to-ceiling windows (at the back of the living room) overlooking trees and a private garden and this arrangement did not take the garden into consideration whatsoever.  My client has a great sense of humour and she told me I was not the first person to walk into her house and say,’Can we talk about how the living room is arranged?’

Not her house but this is the feeling of the garden (flickr)

Once we moved it to where it should be (back together as a sectional) and closer to the windows (and the view) it immediately became a more inviting space and the furniture we need to buy is now much more defined.  Five hours later, we had also made decisions on millwork in the playroom/media room, chosen a colour for the front door as well as discussed the furniture plan for the entry and guest room. (Sorry I only have an ‘after’ picture of the living room and it’s far from being finished, so that photo will have to come later).

  This is the calm feeling she wants in her guest room

So back to space planning, What if you have a flat screen TV that needs to be installed directly into the wall?  Gone will be the days when you could re-arrange your living room on a whim.  Once you install the TV into the wall,  you could go for years without being able to move it!

The biggest piece of advice I could give you is to move your furniture away from the walls.  Nate Berkus said it best once on Oprah, “When you have all your furniture lined up against the wall it looks like it’s under arrest”.  Let it breathe, and create a conversation area.  You should avoid an arrangement that forces you to walk through the room to get to another room or the patio doors (if possible).

Jeffrey Bilhuber

And if you are still not having an ‘aha moment’?  Best to hire a professional to organize it for you.  Then you can go shopping armed with the confidence that you are buying the right pieces!

Related posts:

Do you need a Tree for your Interior?

Happiness is. . . A Beautiful Vignette

Must have custom order for your Bedroom

Embrace the Dark Side of your House; Lighting 101

It’s time to send out my monthly newsletter again this month.  Since it’s February and still winter in many parts of the country (here in Vancouver we are about to host the 2010 Olympics and some of the trees are blossoming with the warmer weather we are having) I thought I would give you my best tips on lighting the dark corners of your house with this months special article!

Interior by Ron Marvin

Click here to subscribe (it’s free) and you’ll get it this week and along with access to all of my past articles which include, Which Colours you’ll be Decorating with Next and What’s Holding your room hostage? 4 Places to Look!

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Have you made these Decorating Mistakes?

Is your Flooring bossing you Around?

How a Smart Colour choice can Save you Money

If you are new to this blog, click here to see the Best of Colour me Happy

How to Choose an Area Rug

I have received a few emails asking about area rugs so here are 10 guidelines to follow:

Taylor Howes Design

1. Unless you are getting one custom made, rugs usually come in standard sizes; 4 x 6, 5 x 8, 6 x 9, 8 x 10, 9 x 12, 12 x 14, I’m sure I’ve missed a few but these are pretty common in most stores.

Before you go shopping, take out your measuring tape and find out which one would be the best size for your space. Now that you know the standard sizes, it makes it easier to measure for each one to find out.

2. If your furniture is arranged in a square or your living room is a square shape, (unless you want to order one custom made) find some broadloom that you like and get it cut and bound to size. Just know that most of it comes maximum 12 ft wide (check they do vary in width) you won’t want a seam in an area rug.

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3. I have spoken to clients that say they have brought carpets home to try for years and never found the right one. Obviously if you are starting without furniture (which in a perfect world is what you should do) it won’t be that difficult; however if you need to coordinate with your existing furniture DO NOT leave home without a cushion (or fabric) from your sofa and chairs.

Having the fabric can work well but if you have a hard time visualizing, better to bring the entire cushion or take the foam out to make it easier but this way you have a larger piece of fabric to look at in the showroom!

If the carpet is hanging up in the showroom, ask the clerk to take it down, the colour of the rug can change dramatically and you want to see what it will look like on the floor, NOT hanging up.

It’s much easier to see which one will work in your home if you have all the important coordinating fabrics with you.

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Price is not the biggest indication of whether it will look wonderful or not. I have picked out a $1,000 rug from the sale section and a $10,000 rug [which my client was prepared to buy if it worked] and it ended up the cheaper one looked the best.

However, the point I’m making is, I have rarely failed (in one trip) to select the right area rug because I had all these items with me. Being able to see the undertones in a rug certainly goes a long way to knowing whether it will work in the space as well (of course). If you can’t take it with you, get the closest match to a paint chip and then paint up a larger sample so you have the colour with you!

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4. Which size is right for your space? This isn’t standard and depends on the arrangement of the room; however you don’t want your area rug to look like an island in the middle of the room.

It is okay to have one that is on the edge of your furniture feet or even right under them but it depends on your furniture. If you have a lot of leggy furniture and a large room than it may need to be defined with the area rug itself, like in this photo below:

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5. Some stores offer a service where they will deliver the rugs and even lay them out for you in the hopes of selling it! Check to see if that option is available in your area.

6. Never buy a rug without trying it at home first. Or at least if you are 99% sure it will work, never agree to a final sale without knowing if it will work at home. May I take this on approval? is the question and the only way designers do business (which most stores understand). Some stores might not want to put the charge through until it is a final sale, therefore they will require your credit card and a phone call the next day to confirm that you will be keeping the rug.

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7. If you are installing one in your dining room, make sure it is a minimum of 2 feet larger than than the table going all the way around.

8. Even if you can’t see the dining room from the living room, in the interest of creating flow, the rugs should coordinate in some way. If they are right beside each other and you are doing broadloom, they should be the same, however I would not buy two matching persian rugs (in most cases) as I think that is too contrived. The dining room could have more pattern and the living room less as a guideline.

9. Sometimes you can get away with a smaller rug in the bedroom if you want to step out of bed onto cozy not cold. Just position it lengthwise underneath the bed (like this one below).

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10. Don’t forget one on the kitchen or at least right by the kitchen sink where you spend the most time!

**Tip from the comments, to determine the size lay out the room with towels, that is a good idea and using green painters tape works too! I used tape when working with a client to determine whether an area rug or cut and bound broadloom for the entire room was required.

Hopefully this helps! There are a lot of living rooms out there without a warm and cozy rug to define the space so get shopping :)

If you want your home to have atmosphere including colours that flow to fill you with happiness every time you walk in. Contact me by email for on-line rates or call me directly if you are local.

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Interior Design may look Easy, It’s not!

The Colour of Wood vs. Wall Colour. How Important is it Really?

How to make your Old carpet look New Using Colour

If you are new to this blog, click here to see the Best of Colour me Happy

Carnival Colour Schemes

The difference between the architecture in America vs. Europe is that you can always tell which era the buildings are from [here] and it was no different at the Harrison Hot Springs Hotel this weekend!

This is the lake view outside our hotel room. What made it extra pretty was all the moss which remained a fresh spring green even though it’s January! Being in the colour business, and especially because I write this blog, I find I am even more affected by colour everywhere I go!

You can tell this addition was put on in the 80’s because of the green windows and flashing. How much more timeless this would look if it was black instead (below).

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In my colour courses I like to have students define decorating styles (like modern, traditional, countrified) using only colour.

Styling by Maria Killam

This way, (for example) as a colour consultant/designer, if you are asked for a palette of ‘French Country’ colours (above) you would know what they are.

Walking into our room, with the burgandy drapes, fuscia bedskirt (not shown) and striped duvet and valance, I felt like I was inside a circus tent! Yet another perfect example of how colour instantly creates a feeling. What made this hotel great though,was the spa and the Hot Springs outdoor pools and we had a great meal in the Copper Room Restaurant on Saturday night!

The carnival theme continued when we stopped into Milestones for lunch on the way home! There was 2 different shades of orange, yellow, green, and a striped accent wall along with striped carpeting! This time I’m sure the theme was intentional!

There is a reason why decorating guidelines say to limit your colours to 3 or 4 shades maximum! Unless a busy, playful space is what you are going for! I’m guessing they are going for a younger demographic with this colour scheme!

On Friday night my sister Anita organized a fundraiser for Haiti. She is currently participating in the Self Expression & Leadership Course through Landmark Education which is a 3 month program where you create a project that makes a difference in your community!

Jennifer Searcy & Anita Junttila

Anita, along with her good friend Jennifer (above) held a pub night in Abbotsford at the Rain Bar & Grill, sold tickets and accepted donations for a silent auction! They raised almost $3,500 and the event was sold out!!

Here I am with my tickets!

So that’s my recap of this weekend! I’m off to watch the Grammy’s now!

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If you are new to this blog, click here to see the Best of Colour me Happy

Love your House and your Closet!

I am fashion challenged. I know, you’re shocked right? When I announced this to my sister Elizabeth (whom I shop with every Spring & Fall so that she looks good) she said “If you’re fashion challenged, what about me?” My other sister Anita, (who writes this blog) agreed.

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I’m 42 years old and trying to be current and fashionable without spending a fortune. The problem is I’m not sure how far I should go with the skinny jean trend (for example) before it’s too ‘young’ of a look for me. I have bought 2 pairs of skinny jeans (the dark ones—below--I bought right before Christmas when I had slimmed down even more and I was so smug. . . sigh) and a second pair I bought this January that I wore for almost 2 weeks and then thought “Maybe they should be washed” oops.

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So this week I decided to take the advice I’m always dishing out on this blog and hire a professional for everything I can’t do professionally myself. I hired a stylist, Amber Foreman (click here to email her). It took 4 1/2 hours to go through my entire closet. I have 2 huge bags of clothes that are going out to the local thrift store! Anyone in Vancouver a size 6-8, you would love me right now!

Here are my dark skinny jeans!

I consider myself to be a practical shopper who buys ‘classics’ so I was a bit sheepish about the 2 bags of clothes. Most of them I have barely worn. I try to shop outside of the box but then I don’t end up with clothes that are ‘me’. And I still stick a turtleneck on in the end because I hate to be cold. I have 11 turtlenecks.

I have four black ones :)

The other reason I don’t need to spend a lot of money on clothes is I don’t go to an office everyday (like I used to) where I didn’t like to wear the same thing for 3 weeks. I see different clients and different suppliers every day so I just want to look designerish (is that a word?). Plus when I do on-line consults, I could be in my bathrobe, which honestly does happen sometimes. When I’m working from home I get annoyed when I look up at 11:00 am and I’m still in my robe!

I love this ring!

So back to the moral of my story; I had bought 2 sweaters last week which my stylist pointed out were all wrong for me so I returned them (Value $130.00). My consultation with her cost $250.00 - $130.00 which she immediately saved me, actually reducing the total cost to $120.00.

I would not be happy if I started adding up the cost of all the clothes in those 2 bags that I have barely worn. So I have decided to only buy clothes with my stylist. Is this only for the rich and famous. Hardly. But isn’t that how we think about hiring these professionals?

Turquoise is my colour I need a sweater like this she said

When I arrive at a clients house, many times they’ll say to me “Just ignore that rug it was only $200, that was only $50 bucks I can toss it, and the list goes on. Wouldn’t you rather just pay for a designer to buy the right pieces in the first place so that your house looks finished and most of all has ‘atmosphere?’.

How about the gallons of paint you buy in the wrong colour? I have never left a consultation without the client saying (or thinking—I can tell :) I never would have thought of that! Just this week a client (in a kitchen renovation) was going to replace all the laminate flooring in the house because it had faded from the sun in the kitchen dining area (and they couldn’t find a match to the existing flooring). I suggested they take the tile that was going into the kitchen into the dining area as well, saving them thousands in labour and new flooring!

Image via House of Turquoise

Well that’s where I’m at with my wardrobe. I would rather pay my stylist and buy a few quality pieces that I’ll add to my favorites pile than waste a bunch of money on clothes I don’t wear.

She pointed out simple things like the length of my tops (many were too short) necklaces (should be longer for me) and my favourite Bebe jeans were wearing out so she told me to hem them so they could be my weekend jeans (and then I could wear them with flats)! Things that did NOT even remotely occur to me!

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Just like when I’m in your house. There’s a fine line between your colour and furniture having a relationship with each other and being too ‘matchy matchy’ or the opposite extreme. You know the “Just-moved-in-need-to-paint-moving-out-soon-look”. The latter a client said to me once and I wrote it down I thought it was so funny—and true!

So just before you decide design advice is only for the rich? Think about what I’m saying. Professional help is not free but we don’t value the help we get for free the same anyway!

Image via House of Turquoise

When I’m being paid, my clients are listening and paying attention, vs. my family or friends (quick email questions excluded) who take my advice for granted and sometimes waste my time because they are not paying for it! Okay, that’s another post so I’ll stop there, but I think you see what I mean.

You know that post I wrote, 20% of the colours we use 80% of the time? Isn’t it true that we tend to wear 20% of our wardrobe 80% of the time?

I’m thinking a Designer or Stylist equals Stylish homes and Sylish wardrobes, period!

If you want your home to have atmosphere including colours that flow to fill you with happiness every time you walk in. Contact me by email for on-line rates or call me directly if you are local.

Related posts:

Why you can’t afford NOT to hire a Colour Expert

When it comes to your Decor, your friends are Polite

Signature look or your clients look; Which one works the Best?