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26 Your Home & Garden

By Sarah Kerr, interior designer.

HOW TO TRANSFORM YOUR HOME

colour

Blue is always in as it tops and tails our environment in the wide skies and shifting oceans, so you simply can’t go wrong in using blue in a coastal country like New Zealand no matter what season.

Aqua and chocolate continues to be popular and gives your home in winter a bold punch of colour. However, there is a new blue on our radar for winter 2011; it’s an inky indigo blue. Kate Middleton wore this gorgeous blue in her recent engagement announcement to Prince William to complement Princess Diana’s blue sapphire ring.

This colour way makes me think of the Ralph Lauren design style – elegant navy and linen stripe chairs. Think inky blue walls with camel suede chesterfield buttoned sofas and pale oak furniture.

Blue is a colour of contemplation and its smoothes those prone to anxiety or stress. So, it’s great in a bedroom for a good night’s rest. Paint the walls a pale blue or soft duck egg.

InKY BlueS

BotanIcal GreenS Botanicals patterns and classic florals continue to be huge this winter. The botanical images bring all shades of green into our homes from deep greens, muddy greens through to fresh citrus shades.

Birds are popping up everywhere in fabrics and wallpapers, in nests, trees, perched on branches or in-flight. Many designs date back to the 17th century retaining a handcrafted look of pre-industrial manufactured designs which have been reworked in upscale forms so they look less fussy and more dramatic than in the past.

when I think of winter

I imagine snuggling up beside a roaring

fire with a glass of Central Otago Pinor Noir. The colder weather makes us crave warmer colours in our clothing and our surroundings. Winter 2011 revisits neutrals, warm reds and deep greens, colours that have been on the circuit for some time through to the new wintery moody colours of inky blues, dusty pinks and purples.

WINTER IS HERE AND WHAT

BETTER WAY TO MEET IT THAN

BY GIVING YOUR HOME A STYLISH

LIFT. DISCOVER THE NEW TRENDS THAT

ARE ADDING RICH COLOUR AND

VIBRANCY TO HOMES TODAY

FURNITURE IN MUDDY GREEN WORKS WITH CITRUS OR DEEP SHADES

A POUFF OR FOOTREST IS

A PERFECT WAY TO USE A BOLD COLOUR

IN A CALM ROOM

CHOOSE CUSHIONS IN

SOFT SHADES OF BLUES,

CREMES AND GREYS

Sheer curtains offer privacy but allow the

light to enter a room. Try two styles in different

patterns hung together.with...

62 Your Home & Garden

neutralS on the big screen of colour, neutrals are major stars. Texture and natural materials are their supporting cast. Winter 2011 sees khaki in military motifs and camel from creams to cappuccinos next to golden or red browns and mahogany.

Create a feeling of colour within a neutral room by laying textured neutrals together, such as light and dark timber, woven linen, shag-pile rugs, natural stone and animal prints.

Bedrooms are a great place to play with classic neutral-mix combinations. Make a statement with your bed’s euro cushions in an expressive fabric. First choose your neutral, and then team with your preferred accent colour, i.e. navy and linens, chocolate and warm reds; purple and dusky pinks or blacks and whites. If you keep your curtains neutral you simply change your bedding and your euro cushions for a seasonal look.

People often feel they need to keep their homes neutrals to future-proof them against fashion faux pas and for re-sale. The question you need to ask is how long you are planning to live in your home. If its 5-10 years, personalise it and enjoy the space in the time you are there. A neutral kitchen can still have a colour glass splashback, a neutral bathroom can still have a strip of coloured mosaic tiles to give it impact and a tactile quality. These items can easily be changed out in the future.

In the 1990’s aubergine was the colour that grabbed us. The 2011 purple is in no way muddy, it’s a regal purple and we are seeing it everywhere in lush velvet fabrics to ornate purple wallpapers that are showcasing handcrafted designs from the 17th century.

This new deep purple is best combined with whites, dove greys and darker charcoals. Consider a purple statement

PurPle & DuSKY roSe

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bedroom chair with white waffle weave bedding, soft grey accents in cushions and throws.

Purple sits next to dusty pink for a vintage romantique look. For a luxurious and feminine bathroom, consider dusty pink mosaic tiles around the tub and relax into a bubble bath beneath the subtle glow of a gorgeous chandelier.

SUBTLE PINKS AND BROWNS

WORK WELL WITH PURPLE

INSTEAD OF CHOOSING A PLAIN BEDHEAD, GO FOR A STUNNING PATTERN.

Winter sees khaki in military motifs and camel from creams to cappuccinos next to

golden or red browns and mahogany

Splurge on a dramatic wallpaper but make it a small feature of a room

Your Home & Garden 29

the fabric houses are introducing us to ikat designs inspired by ancient tribal designs. Fabrics with Persian rug imagery in rich reds, navy and ochre can be used in scatter cushions to add spice to a neutral décor. The blurred and broken edges and rich textural interest of these ikat designs lend themselves well to our preference for informal and relaxed living spaces.

Red can be effectively used in a naturally cold room or a room that lacks natural light to increase the feeling of

warmth. Make sure you use blue-based reds not an orange-based red to maximise the feeling of warmth in the space. Be careful in painting the walls red to only do this in a good size room as the colour tends to bring the walls in and make space appear smaller.

Consider wallpapering your entrance or lounge wall. Complement black and metallic wallpaper with red accents.

Red combines beautifully with charcoals and greys in throws and blankets for those chilly months.

Warm reDS

Red can be effectively used in a naturally cold room or a room that lacks natrual light to increase the feeling of warmth. Make sure you use blue-based reds not an orange-based red to maximise the feeling of warmth in the space.

ANCHOR A ROOM WITH A RUG THAT

MATCHES ACCENTS IN THE SAME COLOUR

THROUGHOUT THE ROOM

RED NEED NOT

OVERPOWER A ROOM, BUT

SIMPLY WARM IT UP WITH

SUBTLE HINTS

62 Your Home & Garden

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Don’t be afraid to get Nana’s old chair out of the garage and give it a new lease of life

this new design trend is all about rediscovering old objects and either restoring them or creating new pieces with a twist from the past. Don’t be afraid to get Nana’s old chair out of the garage and give it a new lease of life. Mix 1960’s timber cabinets with modern artwork and soft feathered sofas. It’s all about heirloom colours and distressed finishes.

Classic-shaped furniture such as wing chairs and retro sofas are being reupholstered in wintery textured woollens, leathers or lush raised velvets with geometrical patterns.

Mix ages and materials to create a home that is relaxed and comfortable this winter.

VIntaGe