Neutral Colour Palettes: DARK vs LIGHT

If you’re considering a neutral colour palette for a room, the paint colour which immediately springs to most people’s mind is the great British painter’s staple: Magnolia. But there are various different ways to approach a neutral colour palette.

If you ask an Architect to pick a neutral paint colour for a design, the answer will invariably be White. Brilliant White. This is because white highlights Architectural designs without distracting. White looks lovely on smooth plastered walls and it helps people notice the building design and room proportions: exactly the parts which an Architect is most proud of.

If you ask an Interior Designer to select a neutral paint colour, they’ll offer you anything but white. Taupe, Dove Grey, Camel, Pebble, Mink – just to name a few. Often, these will be from the darker end of the neutral scale – used to create intimate spaces with light pockets and dark corners. This removes the boundaries of a room, making the actual proportions less noticeable and therefore highlighting the room content.

I’ve selected a few choice images of neutral bedroom schemes from both ends of the neutral scale – from light airy beige through to deep earthy browns. You'll notice the paler palettes use darker tones or patterns as a feature, whereas the dark rooms use punches of light to frame or enhance the details.

I think that ultimately, the darker the palette, the more sophisticated the overall look becomes. Is this because we grown ups maybe don't like how things look in the harsh light of day? Perhaps! But also, a darker palette conceals a multitude of sins and therefore stands a better chance of creating a pleasing result.

So... which colour will you be painting your room? Are you a fan of the classic Magnolia, or would you prefer a dove grey backdrop, we'd love to know!

Mx

DESIGNER FOCUS: Orla Kiely

She’s become such a success of recent years, chances are you’ve come across Orla Kiely designs in numerous forms. Her fashion line is right up my street – 50’s and 60’s revival, using textured fabrics and retro proportions and cuts to create timeless designs. Her homeware products bend a little bit more towards the 50’s I think, using nature to inspire geometric patterns and neat colour palettes. The most common design I’m aware of is the multi coloured stem print design which has been transferred onto a wealth of merchandise from Radios to cushions to mugs.

Here are a few of my favourite images showing her Interior items. I’m loving the wallpaper in the kitchens but sadly I cannot afford £62 a roll… but if you can, then Heals is the place to go. But I bet there are a few copycat designs available – I shall be perusing Graham & Brown later to see if I can find one for my own home. Also, check out the fab “carpark” duvet covers, currently on sale at Dotmaison.com – I just love the simplicity.

NURSERY RHYMES: moodboard

So, having thoroughly scoured the internet for design inspiration and having had some excellent luck in stumbling across some great products, suppliers and DIY tutorials, I am now officially ready to unveil my nursery moodboard.

Drumroll please. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…..

Ta da! I’ve finally decided to go with a woodland theme. Think Alice in Wonderland meets the Gruffalo. I really want to create a space which inspires my daughter’s imagination; so when she’s older and playing with her toys, the room becomes part of the adventure. I want it to last for her childhood, so don’t really want to make it too babyish, so am keen to incorporate some aspects which she won’t necessarily appreciate just yet.

I love these paper pom poms which I’m very keen to make. The wall tranfers have already arrived and I’m about to press the order button on the art print. Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming completed room post! :D

Mx

Weekly Inspiration #2

So, this week I’ve been looking at adding a splash of colour to the Nursery and for those of you who read last weeks’ Nursery Design post, you’ll know I was also looking at wall transfers and some very inspiring nurseries on Cheap & Chic blog. So here is a little sampleboard of this weeks’ inspirational images. I’m LOVING Ann Kelle’s fabrics which I came across accidentally and in particular the Argyle pattern, Remix. I’m seriously looking at using this for curtains in the Nursery. And I’ve also been looking at neat storage solutions and am loving the suggestion to take photos of shoes and put them in plain boxes to give a clean closet interior. Yum.

Nursery Design: Essential Buys and Inspiration

I’ve not yet begun to decorate my Daughters nursery but have been looking around for ideas. As our previous home was rented and we planned to buy a house shortly after the birth, we never actually did the “decorating the nursery” bit before she was born. But as we’d have gone down a very neutral route anyway, having not known whether she was in fact a she, I’m sort of grateful we didn’t waste our money.

Most of the furniture we acquired pre-birth was done on less than a shoestring budget. I was really overwhelmed during my pregnancy as to how much money you apparently need to fork out on a baby. Cot, car seat, pram, clothes, bedding etc is all uber expensive. And when you haven’t a clue as to what a baby actually needs, it can be really overwhelming as to what you should or shouldn’t buy. So we were really thrifty and spent less that £200 getting ready – including all the big purchases. I’m really proud of that. If any of you are expecting, here is my take on nursery equipment: what’s worth spending your money on and what really can be ignored.

MUST HAVE BUYS:

·         A Cot Bed – Ours cost £40 second hand and it’s a good, sturdy make. And its suitable from birth up to about 4 years of age so you really get your money’s worth.

·         Cot Mattress – if you go with a cot bed, it’s worth bearing in mind that your child will be using the same mattress for up to 4 years, so it needs to be durable and provide them with good support. It can be tempting to opt for a foam mattress if your budget is really tight (as they retail at about £40 on the highstreet) but don’t be hasty. We shopped around and bought a sprung mattress off an Ebay shop for just £34. Its brilliant quality and would cost upwards of £90 for one from mothercare and over £120 from Mamas & Papas.

·         Changing Mat – Nothing prepares you for how many nappies you’ll be changing in the first few weeks after childbirth. And how messy the whole process is. Though we had a girl, we still had many an “accident” during nappy change – the fresh air on a naked bottom causes all kinds of mishaps! So a mat is essential. I never bought the small towels which lie on top of the mat as I found an old towel was more than adequate.      

·         Wardrobe – We’ve only just bought a wardrobe and we really struggled up until now in terms of storage. So many people buy your child clothes after they’re born, you’ll be amazed at how many styles are available. And you end up having a whole load of clothes which don’t yet fit but still need storing. We opted for a robe with 3 drawers along the bottom too as that gave a storage solution for the bedding and blankets too.

·         Small Basket – I found that babies need a lot of toiletries – it’s almost unbelievable. It’s really helpful to have somewhere to store all the bits together, if only to keep the room in some sort of order. So I recommend getting a little basket to keep all toiletries in for nappy changes and bathtime, meaning everything is easy to find and nearby.

·         Fitted Sheets, Sleeping bag & Swaddle blanket – all essential bedding. Don’t underestimate how good swaddle blankets are for helping get your baby off to sleep in the first few weeks! And the sleeping bags remove any worry about them getting tangles up in blankets when they start moving about the cot.

OPTIONALS:

·         Moses Basket or crib– our daughter is quite small and got good use out of her moses basket, but some babies are literally only in them for the first month. Considering that moses baskets cost upwards of £50, its not absolutely essential. But if you do get one, you’ll need a stand too, and they often cost about £30.

·         Nappy Stacker – for aesthetics, its much nicer to have your nappies stored away rather than just piled on the side or in the wrapper but again, you could live without it.

·         Cot Top Changer – we used the cot & mat for changes and never bought a changer at all, but I did want one of these and would have used it. But as we proved, you can get by without.

CAN DO WITHOUT:

·         Cot Bumpers – these are a complete waste of time. They look good but can only be used when your baby is not moving about or pulling themselves up. Our daughter is already standing and the bumper has been taken down as it’s now dangerous. But now is the actual time she needs it as often bumps her head toppling over or crawling in her sleep. For at least £50, it’s a complete waste of cash. Some bedding bales again cost in excess of £100 and I think realistically all you need are fitted sheets. Babies don’t need lots of layers as can overheat very easily when asleep – a sleeping bag of the appropriate tog is much better.

·         Changing Unit – again, these are more of an aesthetic unit really. And they can be dangerous if your child likes to roll over a lot. Most parents I know who had one used it for the first few weeks, then took to changing on the floor with a mat instead.

I hope this helps if you are looking for advice on nursery essentials. Of course, these are just my opinions and will mostly help if your budget is very tight, like ours was. You’re not a bad parent if you don’t spend a fortune on your baby’s nursery and it’s important to remember that. In terms of design, there are lots of ways to be creative. There is a fantastic blog, Chic & Cheap, which showcases some brilliant nurseries which have been done on minimal budgets and they’re really inspiring.

How have you decided to decorate your little one’s nursery? I’d love to hear from you if you think your nursery is worth sharing!

Mx

Weekly Inspiration #1

One of my New Year's Resolutions was to broaden my blog posts in 2012 and post more regularly. So, in what can only be described as a blatant copying off one of my favourite blogs, Elegant Musings, I have decided to post a weekly (!) inspirational post showing the things on the web which have caught my beedy eye this week, as well as anything which is particuarly influencing my current tastes, be it a newspaper article, upcoming event or film which i've recently watched.

This week, I'm feeling the vintage vibe. I'm looking at our kitchen and none-existant dining area and mulling over the possibilites. The space restrictions have lead me to look at making a boothed seating area, a la the 1950s. Also, i've been looking at vintage pieces for our master bedroom to dress the room. Finally, I saw the film, Revolutionary Road, earlier this week and spent the whole film drooling over the decor, so i've been googling that a fair bit too.

What's been catching your eye this week?
M x

HOME IMPROVEMENT: Master Bedroom

We’ve been in our new abode for a little over a month now, and I’m disappointed with myself that it hasn’t all been completely converted to reflect my tastes. But, as keen as I am to transform this place into my dream home, there have been a few things hindering the process: Christmas for one thing, and my daughter for another. Before motherhood, I saw my maternity leave as a wonderful, restful place where I could finally focus on completing my dream of writing a childrens book, improve my sewing ability and explore new and exciting recipes in the kitchen, and of course redecorate our new house. But as it turns out, children need nurturing. They need entertaining and you really need to keep your attention focused on them. Hmmm. So I’m now just three weeks away from returning to work (albeit part time) and have achieved none of the above. Hmpf.

But it hasn’t all been dirty nappies and bottle feeds this past month. I did manage to make chutneys and pickled onions for Christmas gifts, as well as mince pies and Christmas cake. And in the very miniscule amount of spare time I had, I painted our new Master Bedroom. Hurrah! And what wonderful scheme have I gone with, I hear you ask? Well, it’s all very exciting. The room was painted BRILLIANT WHITE (gasp) which in my opinion, really should only be used in rooms with immaculately plastered walls and excellent light. Our room does not have these things – it has textured wallpaper (double gasp) which I despise. I could have stripped the walls, or have applied Polycell filler everywhere but I didn’t. I’ve just painted on top, but I’ve managed to achieve a much better finish by opting for matt paint as this doesn’t highlight the texture as a silk paint would. And the colour of the newly painted walls is (drumroll please)….. CONTEMPORARY. Oh, that’s not a colour? Well, it’s what it says on the tin. It’s actually the colour of Double Cream. Yes, that’s right – its off-white. Haha! A whole month and I’ve transformed the room from BRILLIANT WHITE to OFF WHITE. But it looks much better, I swear! I’ve also covered up the feature wallpaper which was had a floral vine design on in black and blue-grey.

Now the canvas is restored to a more aesthetically pleasing neutral tone, the room is looking much bigger and lighter. The textured wallpaper, though still present, is not nearly as noticeable. I’ve recycled the curtains from our old house’s living room (as curtains can be a costly affair for good quality and we simply can’t afford that at the moment) and have been hunting for an appropriate light fitting. The new bed has arrived (hurrah) and the wardrobe is on its way. When the main furniture is all in situ, I’ve got to start looking at dressing the room which I’m in two minds over. For the moment, I’ve just used bits we already had and I’m not very happy with the overall look at all.

The curtains are a green/yellow leafy design on an ivory shimmer background, They aren’t my first choice for bedroom curtains really – like I said they were in our living room. And with duel aspect windows, they affect the feel of the room quite a lot. And unfortunately, they don’t fit in with either of the schemes I had in mind. I had been toying very indecisively between a Kelly Hoppen inspired room of very sophisticated taupe and grey and a desperate housewives Susan Mayer style room of a more country, homey feel. I’m not decided yet. But then I came across an article on vintage bedrooms with reconditioned antique finds and REALLY liked the look. So I’m going to sit on it until the robe arrives and decide then. At the moment, vintage is winning out, but it depends on how I feel tomorrow. Hmmm.

So, here for your viewing pleasure are some snapshots of the room at the moment. I will of course post a Completed Room post at a later date, so bets are being taken on which design route we decide to go down.