It's a Complementary kinda thing

Colour is something that I absolutely love when designing a space so in today's post I've decided to talk about using colours which complement each other on the colour wheel in a colourful feature like way.

This gorgeous purple and yellow colour scheme has created such an eye popping chic look in such a simple yet effective way. The purple and yellow have been used through out the space to help Emphasis a put together look that captures the true boldness of the colours used. The strong bold statement purple paint complements the fab yellow couch which pops perfectly in front, as well as through the additions of both a lamp shade and one feature picture frame on the wall. To finish the look a cute purple textured pillow is placed on the couch and the purple coloured glass vase is a great addition to balance the space.

The repetition of both colours in the space creates harmony, neither colour is overpowering so a sense of balance is created.

How to get this look:

Referring to the colour wheel:  The rule with complementary colours is to use the colour directly opposite the colour that your intending to use. 

In this case we get an idea of both the purple shades intended to be used directly opposite the yellow shade wedge which will be how we create the perfect the look.

My Tip:
The next step to creating the look is compiling the a range of  light and dark purple and yellow colour shades that you may possibly need to create this look. I think this is an important first step before getting stuck in to searching for paint samples etc. By taking the time to plan ahead you will get a much clearer picture of all the possible shades that could be included in your design, this way you don't feel overwhelmed.

Below I've included some general swatches to help get me inspired when I come to selecting a paint colour.

It's paint time, referring back to the picture of the look we are wanting to achieve the paint colour is a very vibrant grape colour - I love the colour but don't get upset if you can't find an exact colour match at your local paint store, I've found this great Resene paint called Pasifika Purple Flax which is a shade or two darker but will definitely still fit perfectly for the overall look.

Resene - Pasifika Purple Flax

My Tip: Make sure you stick to the true purple colours if you can, if this isn't possible go into more blue-purple shades vs. purple-red shades as it wont contrast as nicely but also because blue contracts with the yellow-orange shades as well.



Next is finding a fabulous couch as closely identical to the couch in the above picture was a real challenge, especially being within the restrictions of finding New Zealand suppliers. I did find a couch which is similar in its colour which I think will still create the same mood for the space.


On a personal note to really achieve the look id gone on a hunt at my local op shop and found a similar sofa then had it re upholstered with a fabric sourced from James Dunlop or Wawrick.

However I still love this couch and I think with the addition of some really cool purple textured soft furnishings like cushions or a throw this look will be on point.



Lastly I couldn't forget to include a pillow on my sofa to tie the look together. I went for This small Vibrant purple pillow from www.zazzle.co.nz , this website have some really cool pillow options to suit everyone's style and preference.

This is called the Vibrant Purple Damask Pattern Lumbar Pillow. It's the perfect shape and texture as a comparison to the original picture. It's important to have fun with your combinations so feel free to run wild with your texture choices but as I said above don't go for purple-reds or purple-blues because it will offset the contrast between the shades.

Here's an example of a similar pillow which has to much of a blue toned influence to really work within creating the space. This pillow also lacks vibrancy which will be a real problem to the overall look of the space.

My Tip: It's easier to change a simple pillow than it is to repaint and entire wall so when shopping for the perfect match a good idea is to take the purple paint sample with you too match against along the way.

The most important thing when undertaking a project like this is to have fun and enjoy the experience.

Monochromania in the Home

Monochrome or "black and white" trend has become such a popular trend in the home. As much as we say to ourselves that we want to stop wearing so much black and we need more colour the more black and white seems to be introduced into the home.

The monochrome theme has essentially become such a staple in either your home or wardrobe that I couldn't help myself but add in my personal thoughts as well.


Below Ive added both interior and fashion pictures that I think achieve the Monochrome look perfectly, on trend in a simple way with a cool twist:

I absolutely love the way black and white have been added into this space. With the addition of a third colour, in this case yellow to break up the starkness of the white walls combined with black picture frames and armchair a softness to the space has been created.

My tip: If you feel your space is looking very stark and cold add in the addition of a third colour, this can easily be done through soft furnishings but id recommend something like a print or even some bright greenery as a center piece on the coffee table. So inexpensive but still really current.

Generally we associate the black and white trend with stripes but in this space the trend has been taken to a different level. You can still say that this is striped because it is but I love that it has a tribal zig zag pattern. To me it compliments the space perfectly and is such a cool contrast with the fresh colours on top.

My Tip: If you aren't game enough to go all out with this look through carpet then it can easily be achieved through a rug.

 www.bespokerugs.co.au have so really cool affordable variations of the style to suit your liking.
www.rugsusa.com love this website for rugs, they offer free shipping in the US (lucky!) and are so affordable - as well as offering different colours.

Another tip would be cushion covers, easily done yourself on a lazy Sunday, this look can happen so simply without having to buy new chairs.

And lastly, ready made curtains or window treatments. Here in New Zealand you can easily find some at the local fabric shop - Just my idea.


Although I work in the fashion industry there are so many blogs around that have spoken about the black and white trend so I'm just going to insert some fashion pictures which I love and are my inspiration.

So inspiring, I think ill always love monochrome in the home, so chic and stylish .

G's Quirky - Recreate the Look

How many times do we flick through a magazine and say to ourselves " I want that" - for me often doesn't even describe it well..

So for today's post I've decided to recreate this look in my own way with some quirky twists, lets get started...

             

                     

Working from the ground up I love this carpet, the colour gives so much depth to the room that I knew I had to keep it so I found this beautiful carpet which is very similar in colour. Not only that but Ryalux Quality Carpets are amazing quality and have one of the best colour ranges throughout all there collections - There website doesn't specify prices but I definitely think you get what you pay for with this carpet - love it!

V&A Twist (Madeira Topaz)

In the original picture I wasn't a huge fan of the original rug so I decided to go a little bit colourful which I think will help the carpet pop more and just in general set a really great tone for the space. Alone I think this rug is fabulous and would work on most flooring surfaces.

Irvine International have some really cool flooring products but this rug was exactly what I was looking for, the pops of colour will make the over all look more fun and unique.

Xian Confetti

When choosing a Sofa for the space I decided to go to no other place but Ikea, Although New Zealand aren't lucky enough to be gifted with this fabulous, affordable store I have been lucky to browse through a few on my travels around the world so it would be rude to leave them out. I chose two different sofa options - one which is a little bit more out there and the other a simple safe option for those who are a little more conservative.

Karlstad (Husie Orange)

I would put this orange sofa bed in my house any day and I think it will go great with my recreation look although I do understand that it may be too much for some people. Ikea do offer this sofa bed in different colours as well which is really cool because the style is nice and simple but still looks really comfortable. - who doesn't love a sofa that can be a bed as well, such great value when you think about it. A sofa and bed for $849.00 is a steal in my opinion.

 

Karlstad (Korndal dark gray)

This sofa is also from the Karlstad range, its basic and simple but I still really love it and think it would create more depth to the space - also great as a contrast against bright soft furnishings etc. Still value for money at $848.00 and larger than the previous sofa.

Winchester - Grey

Lets talk wallpaper! When looking at the original image I couldn't help but love the grey wallpaper that was a stunning soft contrast with all the mustard and white going on around it. So why fix something that isn't broken - Graham & Brown have an amazing selection of wallpaper products so it was really hard to chose one which wasn't really quirky. I came across this subtle textured grey wallpaper which I thought would fit perfect in recreating the look,, after browsing through many grey wallpaper options I really started to become hooked - moral of the story I will definitely be using grey wallpaper in one of my next projects.

• below is a picture of the wallpaper in action
  
  
  

Graham & Brown

When looking for a side table and coffee table I decided to splurge on one and be very conservative with the other.

I found this really cheap side table from Ikea which I think will be prefect for the space so I decided to spend a little extra on a cool coffee table. Below are both pictures, I decided to keep these both white for the recreation of the look because its easier to add colourful accessories and have that break of colour with the white tables than be too much with full on colour.

Lindved Side table

Pipa Cocktail table - cocorepublic

On a side note I really recommend checking out Cocorepublic's website they are in Melbourne and have amazing collections and there website is so easy to follow - love it.

 Lastly my most favorite piece of all, from ECC literally one of the coolest shops that New Zealand are lucky to have - every time I visit the store a have a better appreciation for furniture and the beauty behind it. The floor lamp was an easy pick for me given that I myself have been eyeing it up for my own home for a short while.

Although its not white I still think it would go perfectly in the space and I just cant get over how simple it is, yet it has something so eye capturing about it.

Artemide Pipe Floor Lamp.

 You have to look at there website, if you don't go away with some sort of inspiration or excitement then id be very surprised.

So those are the main aspects of the space, the rest is just accessories which I think could easily be sourced from any antique store. I really love Bed, Bath and Table and source a lot of my accessory add on's from them. Its all up to your imagination - I really enjoyed looking around to recreate this look and I definitely think its achievable for someone with no design experience. I say have fun and challenge yourself because I'm definitely inspired and even fuller of quirk...

The multi-purpose bench..

As our lives get busier and everyone has there own schedules the idea of having a dining room table and only using it at Christmas or thanksgiving is quickly starting to go out of fashion. Now i love a good dining room table that can be styled with candles and flowers, place settings etc but the love starts to fade when its only used twice a year - to me that's a waste of important space in the home.

It is now that people are becoming more smart with there space and are turning to axing the dining room table and extending the kitchen bench top to create a multi-purpose working/eating area. For homes that aren't open planned this becomes a tricky challenge and possibly not visible for you but for those who have the space i highly recommend it.

I think its something to consider if your someone who only uses there dining room table twice a year or if your on the other hand someone who is having trouble fitting one into your already crammed space. These are just a couple of ways i think the multi-purpose bench can be put into action.




From: artcenton

This kitchen space is a personal favourite of mine. I love the way the dining space is attached to the kitchen bench top, it's almost inviting you to sit down and relax. Its a great touch when entertaining - all your guests can relax at the table and still be able to communicate with you. The cool thing about this idea is that you chose whether you want the bench top manufactured as one attached piece or you can easily find a table (potentially something colorful or patterned) and push it up against the bench which still creates a similar space for a much affordable price. A quirky touch could be mixing up the chairs by having two different settings in different colours to give some variation visually, giving an identity to both separate furniture pieces.





From: Counties Kitchens

From: Absolute Kitchens

Both kitchens above are more simple ways to create a multi-purpose bench/dining areas. The first one which has no cook top or sink on the island area is nice and simple which i really like - a cool way to make it stand out more would maybe having a textured bench top or a variation in colour to make it more interesting but if this simple version is more you then i highly recommend. Adding a really cool industrial light or wacky chandelier would really help lift the space also and make that area a statement in a subtle way.

The last picture shown doesn't appeal to me at all. This is a good example that this kitchen hasn't been designed for a multi-purpose bench/dining area. Cook tops by seating areas like island benches are really dangerous, a sink would work a lot better and be more ascetically pleasing as the range hood blocks the flow through the space. From the angle of this picture an add on of more bench space could be achieved in a similar way to the first picture but to be honest I'd rather have a new wider bench top to achieve a more cohesive look.


These are just a couple of ideas to get you thinking because its not until you've installed your kitchen or not taken into account a dining room table in your small space that you wish you'd thought about a better alternative to solving those issues - Multi-purpose seems to be the way these days and I'm loving it when its achieved well.

From the floor up..

In interior design flooring can either make or break the whole style of the room and in most cases that's why people always go for the ''safe'' option. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with going for a flooring option which  is nice and contemporary and will appeal to potential buyers in the event of resale but for me the way to make a statement in the room is from the floor up.

Now everyone has a preference when it comes to there ideal floor, for me i do have an appreciation for wood flooring but it wouldn't be my first pick - only because i feel that it can also be a really safe option.

Even though wood isn't my first option i really wanted to include some wood flooring's with twists that make the space unique and help add to surrounding furniture.

From Staged to Sell (or Keep)

This flooring is genius, absolutely stunning and such a great way to give this blank white space vibrancy and lift. Generally we wouldn't associate this natural wood and white painted wood combination together but i think that's what makes it that more unique, its that unexpected twist which would have left this space otherwise fairly stark and bland.

The cool thing about this is that  if your over your plain wooden floor you can easily do it yourself with a floor paint and masking tape, its an easy way to liven the place up and create a new space.

This striped flooring style for some will be daring so id advise to start in a contained area, for example the scullery or laundry area, this way your not committing yourself to a large space.

Max Azria's home

This carpet makes such a statement in such a good way ! What draws me to this carpet is that its a standout on its own, classic black and white colouring with a pattern which isn't too in your face. The chic, stylish and put together feel that it gives the appeal of high end luxury which I'm sure most would be more than happy to live in.

Another alternative if ripping your flooring up isn't an option would be to find a rug in a similar print and add that to your space. On top of polished concrete or dark oak wood or flooring would recreate this look to a T. A rug is a less expensive easily accessible option which isn't a permanent commitment.

From: Australian Homes

The classic checkered floor has to be my most favorite right now. After doing a project for a client who wanted checkered flooring i fell in love. This classic timeless style to me hasn't gone out of fashion and continues to recreate itself in a timeless way. Whether using tiles or vinyl this look can be achieved at a lower cost if the product is sourced through the right company. Again the checkered floor makes the green chair pop without overpowering the overall feel of the space.


Any of the three flooring options shown above are just the start of creating a unique space, if your not willing to do the whole shebang then start small - I know flooring is important in the home and for me it wouldn't feel like a place of my own if my flooring didn't make a statement of its own.

G's a Little quirky

As a design student it didn't take me long to find out where I'd fit in the interior world.... Quirk Appeal !

For as long as i can remember I've always loved all things odd and unique, finding myself drawn to the weird, wacky and uniqueness of most things fashion and design. It was only until i started studying interior design that i realized my quirkiness couldn't help but spill over into very project i started or even thought about.

I think everyone has a little quirkiness to them whether its deep down inside or presented to you smack bang on a plate.

To me there is no right or wrong when it comes to having a different look or idea, its only up to ones imagination as to how its expressed..

Spring 2009, House of Holland 

WeeWillDoodle

Interiors, fashion inspirations and artwork will all appear in my posts, i hope you enjoy what is to come and become inspired, i know way too many people who fear being different. However, I'm all for embracing it..