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 Creating
an environment that says YOU
Are you creating stimulation when you want peace and serenity?
Or are you lost in a sea of bland in fear of introducing the wrong
colour into your environment?
We are overloaded with images from countless decorating and design
magazines and barraged from DIY shows on television telling us the
easy way to put our home together. But when you get down to it,
it really isn’t that simple.
In past years of decorating we were given sets of rules to follow
of how to put the style of our house together. Victorian style has
lace work and its own traditional colour scheme, as Art Deco has
its blending of geometrical shapes and a stark contrasting colour
scheme.
Even up to five years ago we had the rules of minimalism and if
we were ‘in doubt - to take it out’. But in today’s
interiors we have never been more lost. We have been told it’s
about being eclectic, ‘anything goes’, and mixing the
old and new and an almost clashing of colours is very ‘high-fashion’.
No wonder there are screams of frustration emanating from behind
closed doors and stubbed toes from walking into that high stack
of magazines!
To get the most out of your home you have to rely on your own style
to put together the myriad of choices available today. What if you
don’t’ know your style? In fact you aren’t alone.
Some people stumble through collections of family hand-me-downs
thrust upon them when they first moved out of home next high-impulse
bargains that really are just fashion items of the moment.
Your style is made from you, for you. It is about your dreams of
how you want to live. The environment you want to be surrounded
in. The lifestyle you lead and what your family or living situation
is at this present time. All these questions need to be raised before
working on your interior. Questions such as, how many people will
be living in this area? What type of entertaining will I be doing?
What do I need to store?
Make yourself a list of everything you need and want to do in this
space before you even walk into a shop as going in confused will
set you up for definite mistakes. Once you have the needs sorted
out you can look at the feel you are trying to create. Put that
stack of magazines to use and cut pictures from them (they’re
not library books!), that give you the ‘mood’ you want
rather than concentrating on whether the tables match the chairs.
When you have established your style this is when your home colour
scheme comes into play. We naturally gravitate towards the colours
that make us comfortable and make us feel great in our own skin.
So it seems logical to surround your home with colours that compliment
you. More often that not the colours you chose will be swayed by
the mood and style you are hoping for.
For example if you want to re-create that Balinese holiday, you
will be drawn to rich timbers, vibrant purples and reds. But don’t
forget about the soothing colours of the ocean such as sandy beiges
and cool blues and turquoise will help create a fresh ‘getaway’
environment.
Getting the most out of your interior is not just about looking
good but how it works in your daily life. As a designer I spend
a lot of time working with my clients to draw out all the elements
needed that bring out the best for them and their home.
Decorating your home or work space should be treated like a journey,
threading together the stories of you and your family’s and
friends life that will deliver you an interior that reflects you
— and not a copy of someone else’s dreams.
by Shaynna Blaze-Vaughan
blankcanvas INTERIORS
www.blankcanvasint.com
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