Colour me happy

Now Spring is upon us we often feel the desire to give our homes a Spring clean, a splash of new colour and perhaps decide to even go as far as to create a whole new look for the home. Last year, I qualified as a colour consultant and I am often asked what does this really mean?

Well, if you wanted a new bathroom you would call a plumber. If you wanted a new kitchen you would call a kitchen designer, carpenter, electrician, tiler and so on. Basically, you need a large number of professional trades to complete the job to a high standard and to achieve a look you desire. So when choosing a colour scheme for your home, why not call a colour consultant?

Your home reflects how you live your life. Before choosing paint, wallpaper, curtains and carpets you need to consider a number of things. The style of the house, the age of the property, the design and mood you want to achieve, whether it be a contemporary, minimalist, cosy, or of an old character look. Your personality and your home reflect how you are as a person.

Colour consultants are vital in making your home personal to your life style, they can advise on what suits each room taking into consideration its functionality whilst maintaining a natural flow and the feeling of space and light throughout the house.

Many homeowners already know what colours they like and the colours that repel them, but what many people struggle with is getting the tone or shade right.

Our perceptions of colour with everyday items often affect our view of things, for example we may dismiss food, clothing, choice of car and art work purely by their colour; colour is a powerful communication tool.

Colour says a lot about our personalities and this often can be illustrated in our homes. In the study of colour psychology there are four main seasons and each has its own distinctive personality. Below are a few key words to describe the type of personality someone may have and their preference to colour and style in their home.

Spring: Warmth, optimistic, animated, friendly, impulsive.

Home-style: Plenty of light, contemporary, open plan.

Colour: Light, bright, warm.

Summer: Elegant, calm, perfectionist, sensitive, practical.

Home-style: High ceilings, formal, elegance.

Colour: Cool, delicate, muted

Autumn: Reliable, intense, enthusiastic, passionate

Home-style: Comfort, less formal, quirky.

Colour: Warm, intense, earthy.

Winter: Strong, motivated intelligent, dramatic.

Home-style: Theatrical, minimalist, uncluttered.

Colour: Bright, intense, opulent.

For your first meeting with a colour consultant, what should you expect?

You already have an idea of what colours you like and don’t like which will help you decide on colours for your home and may also illustrate your personality type. This is important information for your first meeting with a colour consultant. 

A good exercise to complete before you meet is to browse through a number of home-style magazines and cut out a dozen pictures you like; you will often be drawn by the colours in the pictures regardless of the image.

A colour consultant will want to meet you in your home, take a guided tour looking at furniture, flooring, windows, floor plan and focal points like fireplaces, these can all influence your colour choices and provide ideas about you and others that may live at the house. The next step will be to understand your objective and desires; from here your colour consultant will create a mood board illustrating a suitable colour palette and furnishings for your home that will make you happy and create those "Gorgeous Rooms" you have always wanted.

Love is in the air... x

So you are all loved up with Valentines weekend just around the corner. There is nothing nicer than sitting by a log fire, cuddling up under a warm cosy throw, with a glass of Champagne.  It’s bitterly cold outside so I have a few tips on how to make your home a little bit warmer and inviting!

A few candles placed around the home always makes it very inviting, there are some great smelling candles around in the shops but I love the St Eval Candles made in Cornwall, the orange and cinnamon is my favourite and a must for those cold winter nights.

Fifty shades of grey..hmm grey is definitely still a favourite of mine so here are some fabulous cushions, throws and paint colours that can be used to warm up your living room, dining room or bedroom this February.

 

 Lamp Room Grey - Farrow & Ball

If you are more of the outside type then here are a few gardening tips that will certainly bring some colour to your cheeks!

Rake up the last of any leaves or twigs still blowing around the garden. Prepare vegetable beds and start to sow new seeds under cover and start to prune back any winter flowering shrubs. Continue to protect any fruit trees or delicate plants from frost.

                                           Happy Valentines! 

Love GRx

New Year, new home?

Now the New Year is well underway we start to look at what we might do differently this year; some of us say, "I must loose weight", some say "I must get fitter" and some of us say "we must look at decorating our home"; that is stuck in the last decade... 

We all agree it is often cheaper to refurbish or extend your house than it is to move, but where do you start? The television and radio is full of adverts telling us we need a new bed or sofa to create that "dream room".  So although there are some great bargains to be had we don't always need to throw away our furniture to create a new look.  In this blog I will guide you on some new paint colour trends for 2015 that can create a completely new style with the addition of perhaps a new rug, throw, cushions and curtains.

It is important that your house reflects your lifestyle and feels like home. So your choice of colour will always differ from one person to another and more importantly from one room to another whilst maintaining a positive flow throughout. "Your home is your sanctuary."

To create that "gorgeous room" this year, I have taken a look at some new colours that this year will inspire us to get decorating!

Farrow & Ball have recently launched 4 new colour trends for 2015.

Breakfast Room Green: Inspires a fresh, botanical and calm feel.

Light Blue: Inspires an oasis of calm, softness and relaxation.

Pink Ground: Inspires a feeling of warmth, natural beauty and softness.

Tanner's Brown: Inspires a dramatic, timeless, artisan look.

The trend for 2015 is definitely moving towards the pastels tones and there are many paint companies following these trends, with their own variation on shades and names to suit every taste.  It is important to express there is also a desire for more saturated colours that will give a powerful statement to any room, use carefully with lighter colours on ceilings and floors to give a feeling of space and expression.

Accent colours - these are colours that are complimentary to the main colour of a room, Farrow & Ball along with other top quality paint companies will advise on accent colours to compliment the main colour. Remember to use sparingly but sufficient to make an impact, often vibrant. You can also use painted furniture, a vase, cushion or rug to illustrate this.

Happy New Year... happy painting!

Christmas is here!

The tree is up, cards have been sent, presents wrapped and so the cooking begins.

Gorgeous Rooms wishes you all a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2015. 

Keep reading my blog as I look forward to advising you of the new seasonal trends from January 2015.

X

Christmas is coming!

Now November is drawing to a close, the days are shorter, quite grey and some what chillier, it is time to think of Christmas and the start of the festive season. Indoors, look to warm up your home with a cosy fireplace or log burner; a heating specialist will assist you in choosing the right choice of fuel sources, heat output and fitting. If you have a chimney you may need to check that the flue is in a good working order and has a good draw to avoid any smoked filled rooms and other hazards. Once this has all been checked then there is a wide choice of log burners or solid fuel fires available; alternatively if this is not an option there are plenty of models available that create a focal point in most rooms; and finally, always remember to use a registered installer.

Christmas is a wonderful time where the shops are full of candles and sparkling lights, these will create a warm festive feel to any room and can be used as an alternative to a fireplace.

Finally, in the garden your spring bulbs should now be planted and tubs full of winter foliage, remember to keep bird feeders full of seed too.    

Embrace all that Winter brings...

Remember, remember the 5^th November… It’s a time of celebration, fireworks and bonfires to keep us warm and sizzling hot sausages to enjoy!

As Winter fast approaches and Autumn fades, we look for ways to keep us feeling cheery and warm during the long Winter months; with just a few weeks until Christmas there are lots of beautiful, sparkly gifts filling the shops. There is a huge selection of candles, cushions and throws to help us feel cosy and snug.

Choose a selection of different sized candles and cluster them together around your house to create a bright and warm homely feeling.  Use hurricane lanterns as a feature or a selection of brightly coloured Moroccan lamps to ooze warmth and glamour to any room.

At this time of year the garden can start to look a little grey and dreary but for those garden enthusiasts, it is a good time to start planning ahead for Spring.

The garden centers will be full of different spring bulbs and will offer some great deals to spur up sales. Plant out winter bedding to keep a little colour in your pots.

Remember the wildlife too; fill up bird feeders to attract the birds and finally, create dark and warm areas in your garden for our lovely hedgehogs to begin hibernation.