Colour Effects - Embroidered & Print Pattern Cushions

 

 

I simply cannot resist any of these cushions... those who know me, and have tried to sit on any of my lounges know that need to move the 5, 7, 9, 11 or so cushions out of the way just to sit down! Yes I love cushions... I make them - fabric I have collected, beautiful tea towels are a fave way of mine, and ones i have just found esp from Jim Thompson [original home, museum and shop in Bangkok Thailand].

Here's a few I loved mixing up the print, pattern, and textures...

It's amazing when you mix pattern and print - the main thing is to join them wih the same or complimentary colour palette - that way you've got a winning combination!

Have a go - Enjoy!

 

 

images via pinterest, tumblr.

Colour Colour Colour....

Fell in love with all these wonderful hues!

Some colours from manufactured looks - Pink Apple. I simply couldn't resist the painted pink apple - so cool. And most are from nature  - like these gorgeous foxglove flowers, they show us where we can take inspiration from - to make these inspired colour wheels! 

Enjoy,

images via crushculdesac, tumblr, pinterest, misswallflower

Landscape Palettes...

I love the colour relationship with all of these images [together]...

This shows you that inspiration for colour palettes for interior| exterior projects can be drawn from so many places...  

I have recently had some of my design students finishing their monochromatic palettes and now they are moving into their reduced chroma and landscape palettes... intermixing their mid colours with one another to create these sublime 'Forrest', 'Desert' and 'Metal' palettes... This palette looks like you could intermixed Process Cyan & Mid Orange together then tinting up and shading down.

See what you can do with your intermixed hues...

Enjoy,

images via patterson maker, chloe1952,  sarah is cool, tumblr

Gorgeous Graphic Hampton's Look.

I love the bold, striking, contemporary, sophisticated yet simple lines & palette of these Hampton's inspired rooms. Just goes to show you how a refined palette doesn't have to mean beige or boring!

And if this isn't enough for you colour wise - then it's certainly a great foundation to start adding high chroma colours into the accessory mix. Then if you want to create a different mood again, all you have to do is change up the cushions, some artwork & the cha-chi's! Voila another look!

Enjoy,

image 1] via coastal living; 2] & 3] [australia] belle magazine feb/mar 2011 decorating issue.

Long Weekend Palatial House Tour... A Weekend Cottage on Fire Island N.Y

I'm on a lovely long weekend, June Long Weekend, here in Australia, and with that in mind was thinking of weekenders & home-away-from-home cottages and I came across this gorgeous 'weekend home' located on Fire Island NY,  in Country Living magazine...it belongs to Alex Bates, who is the creative director of [U.S Home Decor & Furniture company] 'West Elm'.

By using a crisp, clean palette and pared back, simple furnishings Alex has successfully created a calm, serene presence that 's not comprised by 'just' being a weekender! I know you'll love this cottage as much as I do... Enjoy! x

[above] A vintage breadbox, earthy vessels by Heath Ceramics, and blue Martha Stewart bowls stitch together the room's beach-inspired color scheme.

[above] In the kitchen, Alex Bates paired contemporary West Elm chairs with a weathered farm table that belonged to the home's previous owners. The oyster plates were a gift from Bates's mother-in-law.

[above] For the guest room, Bates added cotton slipcovers with contrast piping to twin headboards from her own childhood.

[above] Bates furnished the master bedroom with a headboard and linens from West Elm, plus a couple of vintage paintings. A linen tablecloth draped over an upholstered headboard adds a subtle sense of depth.

 

[above] The couple's enclosed front porch doubles as a guest room, thanks to a built-in daybed decorated with pillows from West Elm. Alex found the turtle shells at an antiques store.

[above] Sun hats & green grocer bags hung on the front porch also add a welcoming feeling.

[click on image to enlarge]

[above] The owners, Alex and Andrew Bates - bicycle along one of Fire Island's boardwalks. Berry bushes line the boardwalk behind their home, where they pick fresh blueberries for making pancakes. So jealous! 

[above] The vintage sofa is covered in easy-to-wash white canvas, [you can have your upholsterer or interior decorator organise removable slip covers for a favourite lounge or chairs that you'd like to keep, or check Ikea for similar styles]   and on the floor for a fuss-­free look is an affordable jute rug. An antique sea coral print hangs between the windows. High-gloss white paint on a ceiling reflects natural light, painted floorboards in white also helps keep the space clean, bright & fresh.

Images from Country Living.

Flowers for Friday...

[click on image to enlarge]

Flowers for Friday - this week are from a wonderfully inspirational spread from Australian Country Style, April 2010 issue. Here a beautiful 'neutral' floral arrangement is utilised by extracting the colours from this gorgeous arrangement into an inspirational, livable natural mood & colour palette.
I'm super excited for this weekend - tomorrow afternoon - I am having my Baby Shower with lots of family & friends attending.. And with my Mum as host & caterer extraordinaire & my best girlfriend, Alisa, as Shower Event & Games Organiser I am sure to have a wonderful & memorable time!! My darling sister-in-law Kylie is kindly photographing the afternoon so hope to have some pics to share soon! Not too long now til we're due to meet 'Baby Verity' - expected on/ around 8 May, the day before Mother's Day [Sunday 9 May]!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend - be sure to think about your decorating & chocolate egg needs this weekend - as from Friday 2nd April [Good Friday] - everything will be in full swing for Easter and limited retail hours!
Have Fun & Thank You for making Palatial Living your blog to visit this week!
Enjoy S xxx

Images from Australian Country Style, April 2010 issue

Friday Flowers - Pretty Palatial Pastels...

Not sure how much more alliteration I could try to achieve in 1 post title... but it certainly explains this post!

How lovely are these very pretty pastel floral arrangements from a fave mag of mine - Australian Country Style [April 2010 issue]! I particularly love the mood & style boards they have created from the extracted colours of the floral arrangements. A wonderful way to cue your inspiration directly from nature. This issue also explores two more floral palettes that have inspired me & I will post about in the upcoming Fridays... so stay tuned!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend & get the chance to have some fresh flowers of your own! Thank you for stopping by at Palatial Living this week. See you soon. S x

Images from Australian Country Style - April 2010 issue, out now.

Make It Reds & Pinks...For Christmas Too!

Table settings - utilising the right balance of colour - plains [solid colours]with pattern & stripes, combined with visual textures - of soft napkin fringing, smooth linen and raised embossed pattern on cutlery & crockery... make for an fun & elegant - welcoming pace to eat.

Striking - Simple wreaths on a coloured [Red] Door - here is a sustainable way of making a wreath, by using old newspapers into rosettes and folds make this 'green' wreath.
Turn your bedroom, a guest bedroom or bathroom into something bright, festive & colourful too!

Striped Table Cloth for your Dining Table - easy to do, mask out your stripes and using fabric paint with a roller sponge add your stripes... wonderful for Christmas and the whole year round!

Your Red & White gift wrapping...

It's shown as a bit of trend this year through visual merchandising in store windows, to home ware products, to decorating & styling ideas for Christmas as seen in many of our favourite home & garden magazine....using Reds & Whites for Christmas. From my colour & style file for you today I have found some wonderful ways to bring colour & the Christmas season into your home through your dining table, your bed & bathroom, your front door, your gift wrapping...Be Bold & Colourful, Enjoy!

Images from Country Living, Southern Living, Sunset, & Martha Stewart

Colour Block For Christmas...

For the Front Door

Fior your Kitchen Shelves

For your Kitchen Window

For your Living Room

For your Lounge Room

If you're still stuck sorting out your decor for Christmas and feel like time is running ahead of you - then take comfort in the good news you're probably not the only one, and you don't need to make too hard for yourself!! So here's a few spaces I found from my colour & style files, that show from the Front Door, to the Kitchen, and to the Lounge Room, that have used a traditional Christmas colour - Green - in various shades, to show that you can colour block your decorations to provide a very festive stylish look... You could also achieve this with your own favourite colour be it blues, reds, whites & neutrals, metallics, or pinks & oranges. Just have fun with it...and so you're not playing favourites on the colour wheel - you can always rotate your colours & shades year by year - just to be fair! Have fun with it!

Images from Country Living

Fab Esty Finds for Christmas...

[Image 1] Rate my space HHGTV, Neutral Colour Scheme

[Image 2] Beaded Treasure etc's Beaded Treasure Light Christmas Tree

[Image3] The Robin & Sparrow's - Six Shabby Chic Vintage Spoon Ornaments

[Image 4] CreekBed Thread's - Christmas Pine Tree Felt Applique Pillow Cover

[Image 5] Bookity's - Paper Shakespearian tree or room garland

[Image 6] One World One Gift's - [Single] Spruce Tree Ornament

I love the fab 'Christmas Etsy Finds' from my one of the most recent newsletters received from Etsy... Here they have a gorgeous room [image 1] from HGTV & matched these great items that are perfectly suited to a neutral Christmas palette that you could purchase from Etsy. If you're not familiar with Etsy [where have you been!!] it's a gorgeous site for items that are all handmade that you you can purchase online]... Why not take a look at Etsy.com today & see what you can add to your Christmas decorations or some one's stocking!! Have Fun!

Images from Etsy & HGTV

The Power of Styling Placement - Ocassional Lamps & Chairs...

Top & Centre Images - Nate Berkus

Above: Design Trend Forecast: Fall 2009 Trend: Industrial Chic - A surprising amount of metal is being used for furniture. The circle cutouts, matte finish, ring pulls and wheeled feet make this chest of drawers feel like a product of the industrial revolution. Adjacent is a metal chair based on a classic form; the rust marks give a cheeky nod to the past.

How could you ignore the power of 'styling placement' when it comes to occasional lamps & chairs... Here I have found some of my favourite room images - of colour palette: tonally neutral natural hues - creating a somber-elegant- sophisticated - natural atmosphere; of ambient lighting with distinctive urn-pedestal style lamp bases and large drum shaped fabric covered shades; partnered with a trophy occasional chair - with either a feature painted frame work or unique button or contrast upholstery. Each small space making for a place to sit, rest, retreat and relax...

Images from Nate Berkus & Asiatides

A Green Kind of Week... Colour Week

Muted Blue Grey Greens play an important role in this living room's colour palette through the mural wall scape - creating a soft dreamlike, serene elegance...
Using a photo of an object or a landscape can be a fabulous way to extract a colour scheme or palette - here a vintage art deco cover book is used with these grey blue greens as a muted palette. This palette can also be seen replicated in an interior space with the muted blue grey greens in the the mural style wall scape in the living room above.

After being inspired by colour on the weekend - I was putting together some palettes for some living rooms - I thought I would colour block a week in a month to beautifully styled rooms & spaces, designs and accessories...
This week for the month of March I am focusing on 'Green - and all its forms' - be it a Forest, Lime, Bottle, Sage, Clover, Pistachio, Avocado, Emerald, Chartreuse or Grass Green.... I think there's a green hue for everyone in the spectrum, don't you?

Images from Elle Decor & WGSN