This little notepad is perfect ….. my current notebook looks like a mass of scribble by lunchtime….even I can’t read what I have written. I then spend time rewriting my lists into categories!!!
These categories just make sense……daily appointments, top 3 prioities, to do, water intake, tonights dinner, for tomorrow and what I am thankful for !!!
What I love is having an overview of your day at a glance.
Just read ‘tips for the modern girl’ in an October 11 Tatler while at the hairdresser….and thought they were gorgeous !!! Definitely passing these on to my 19 year old daughter.
Know your way around a wine list and hold your drink.
Know your credit card limit, interest rate or overdraft, mortgage terms and rate, health provider, insurance limit and excess. Pay bills on time.
Write prompt and witty thank you letters.
Accept compliments graciously.
Have effortless good manners including always remembering peoples names.
Play some non classical music on the piano or play a cool instrument.
Remove a spider without squealing.
Roll a cigarette while jumping a hedge on a horse !!!
Do an Arab spring or other form of nonsexual gymnastics !!!
Hold down a real job in a grown up way… don’t take your problems to work, contribute to the team, be enthusiastic and cheery about everything
Artframing Pty Ltd
29 Salisbury Street Botany NSW 2019
PH 93166644 /0418 112 643 (Speak to Darry)
Corporate and Designer Artwork Specialist…extremely well priced framing !!
E&M Greenfield
30-36 Anne St Surry Hills NSW 2010
PH 92121944
Fabric and Haberdashery for the fashion and design world….fabulous trims for soft furnishings!!
To be continued….
Koskela 91 Campbell street Surry Hills……The Country Trader 197 Young Street Waterloo……ici et la 7 Nickson Street Surry Hills……davidmetnicole 382 Cleveland Street Surry Hills……Doug Up On Bourke 901 Bourke Street Waterloo……Ondene 12 Transvaal Avenue Double Bay……Orient House 45 Bridge Street Glebe
January is a fabulous time to be in Sydney ….usually the weather has settled, the Festival of Sydney is in full swing and ….we have more time!! Take a day to have a fossick around and gain some inspiration for the new year.
Remember……Plan your route so as not to miss any of the above, take notepad and pen and/or digital device and enjoy stopping for coffee/lunch….. to discuss/jot down what you have seen, must have, will be going back to get, going home to measure up for.
Find the latest coffee shops you have read about, enroute. I just might have to share a few of my favourites before xmas.! Have fun.
General Rule of Thumb
As a general rule of thumb, your colour choices (colour palette) should be planned for the entire home. This will give you something to work with as you either work from room to room if starting from the beginning or over time with a gradual renovation.
The idea is that colours should flow harmoniously from room to room and form part of an overall palette rather than every room be completely independent. Each room can have a different feel based on either strength of colour, fabric choice etc as long as they sit within the overall palette chosen.
Preparation of a ‘Look and Feel’ Board (Sample Board)
By sitting samples together on a board the juxtaposition of colours, fabric and textures will allow you to create a visual image of the feel you are trying to create.
The preparation of a sample board will also allow you to create a look and feel (scheme) that will sit with your existing colours if required.
A good place to start is to find a photograph in a magazine of something that reflects the palette of colours that appeals. It could be of something in nature, a landscape, seashells etc.
By collecting paint chips or brushouts and samples of other materials to be used such as fabrics, floor material, tiles etc and arranging them on a piece of cardboard, you will build up a picture or image and feel of the room/ rooms.
It is important that the samples shown reflect in general the proportion of the material that is going to be used. For example, a fabric that is only to be used for cushions would only take up a small space on the board with floor and wall materials and colours predominating.
Things to think about when deciding on your colour palette
1. Your environment – Where you live will have a bearing on the colours you choose.
For example, the crisp, clear and brighter colours that work so well at the beach with its strong light, can look quite wrong when used in the country with the more subtle shades of the fields, gum trees etc.
2. Your surrounding landscape is an excellent place to start when putting together a palette of colours.
3. Climate is very important. In a very warm climate you may want to choose cooler colours and in a cooler climate your chosen colour palette can provide warmth. Colour can most definitely give the illusion of warmth or cold.
4. Orientation – The amount and quality of natural light that you receive at any given time of the day or each season will influence your choice of colour and can alter how that colour looks in your room. A certain colour used in one area can look quite different in another if the orientation of that room is different ie north or south facing. Artificial light ie use of lamps can have a similar impact on the colours used
5. How you use the room – The rooms use may affect the mood you would like to create. You will want a different mood to be created in a formal dining room to that of a family room or a bedroom.
Within your chosen palette of colours you may choose to select a darker or richer shade for the formal dining room giving a cosy warm feeling and a lighter shade for the family room. A family room will be a much busier area of the house with a greater number of elements and areas where colour can be added. Starting with a neutral palette is often best for these areas.
Different shades of the same colour can add sophistication and using texture in fabrics, matting or artwork can lift a neutral scheme.
Good Luck !!!
Whether you live in a studio apartment or a large
rambling country house there are lots of ways of creating a new look
without spending a huge amount of money. You can recreate spaces so
that they become far more warm and inviting. It’s all a matter of
restyling your own beautiful or even not so beautiful possessions, books
and nic nacs to create the new look and feel.
1. Group furniture, colours and textures to maximise the appeal of the pieces and add interest and impact.
2. Lamp light, fresh flowers in shades that compliment the furnishings and
3 Clever grouping of books and decorative items can turn a house into a home.
4 Look at your existing pieces with fresh eyes to
eliminate the pieces that you are just hoarding or have inherited and
don’t have the heart to dispose of.
5 A room can look very cluttered with a myriad of
small pieces of furniture. Choose your favourite of key pieces and note
what pieces you need to find for the room to function or work. Often
the right piece will bring the room together or be the focal point if
there isn’t already one. Often a lesser piece can find a home in another
less important room if it really must stay. Generally less is more
still applies and will create a more elegant feel and showcase the main
pieces you have.
6. Placement of furniture can depend on how you live
your life. If a sitting room needs to be the quiet haven where adults
retreat from teenage children then make sure you have lovely big
armchairs with a reading lamp or a small desk where you can bring some
work to do. A sunny corner or one with a view of a sitting or family
room can also be an inviting spot for a pair of comfortable armchairs.
7. A variety of seating options is important for different age groups and body shapes.
8. There is usually a focal point in a room which will
provide something to group furniture around. A fire place is an
obvious one or even an entertainment unit/TV or even French doors to a
garden can offer the same solution. The grouping of furniture should
allow for easy conversation with the practicalities of side tables or
coffee table s for drinks, books etc.
9. Generally furniture of ample proportion will
give a grander feel to a room as long as it doesn’t crowd the room too
much. It is important to have pieces that add height to a room such as a
higher sideboard/console or armoire/bookcase, otherwise you end up with
everything down at the same low level.
10. The scale of pieces can make or break a room. A
sofa with a higher back can be enough to break up the space. In the
dining room or space designated for dining you should buy the largest
table that will sit comfortably in the space. A small dining table in a
big space will never look right. If a large dining table is not ever a
requirement then create a small area to eat as part of another space.
For example a small dining table can be perfect at one end of the
sitting room or in a bay window.
This list is a starting point for you to get your head around and the sorts of decisions necessary when building/renovating an entire property or just one room. It may also form the basis for putting together a budget. I will elaborate further on some areas such as electrics at a later date.
Living/Dining/Family Rooms/Bedrooms
Kitchen/Laundry (Additional)
Bathrooms (Additional)
