FIREPLACE AND WINDOWS

Hey Everyone....For the past couple of weeks I have done a couple of postings on Fireplaces and Windows..see here and here.  I suppose you can tell by those postings that I really am NOT a fan of Fireplaces and windows all on the same wall.  However, like many things in life there are exceptions to the rule.  The room below is that exception:

Vogue

This room for me is perfection!!  They got it so right!  Forget soaring 20 ft ceilings.  Look at that coffering.  LOVE IT!!  And I love those French Doors with the transoms.  Could they have had the fireplace on the wall instead of that birdcage?  Yes I suppose so.... but the fireplace looks so amazing flanked by those doors.  Why do you ask does it work here and not for the posting I previously spoke of.  I suppose that what makes this room perfection is everything is in proportion.  In the previous posting they had a too small fireplace being overwhelmed by the stone work and the windows.  The wainscoting in this room is the right height.  The fireplace isn't too small on that wall between the doors.  The sofas, the rug....I could go on and on.  The only issue- and it isn't one for me, is the lack of drapery flanking the windows.  It works so well in this instance. What about privacy you say?  Perhaps the owners have no issue.  What about sound reduction without draperies?   That is the one thing about having drapes, they really do dampen sound.  But if you look you will see that sound in this room is not and issue- why?  The large furnishings, the rug, the grass cloth wallpaper and the coffering.
This is how you do a Fireplace and Windows/Doors everyone- Perfection.

Here is a closeup of the fireplace;

Vogue

I love this fireplace.  I love how they left it natural-not painted.  It is just stunning and the painting is so lovely.

There you have it everyone.  The exception to the rule- well at least in my books anyways.....
Have a great day everyone.
Megan

LIVING ROOM- VALSPAR MORNING JOG

Just wanted  share a few pics of my Living Room with it's new "coat" on.  The colour is Valspar-Allen & Roth-"Morning Jog".  I am so in love with this colour- it is a watery blue with a green undertone to it.  Every time I walk in to the house I smile.  And really isn't that what you are supposed to do??
Anyways.... here is a few pics.

Have a great day everyone.

Megan

ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER........

As I talked about in a previous post we are currently working on our dining room.  The wainscoting is now all primed and I will be starting to paint it tonight or tomorrow- There is a light at the end of the tunnel.  But then I have to wait for my man to finish with the trim.  He has to make Frieze boards for the top of the windows and the door/doorway.  He has to make 3 in all.  And it may be a little while before he can get to that because he is super busy at work.  Don't you hate it when Work gets in the way of life and renos!!
Anyways.....  So now that I have painted the top part of the wall red- that gorgeous red I told you about-

It is  Hottie by Para.  I just love the name of it.  It really is a gorgeous red.  The above sample actually makes it look a lot more pinky than it actually is.

This is an actual pic of the wall.
So now the can of worms is opened as it were....  Since the red I chose is not an overly muted red the colour that my living room is currently just isn't sitting right with me!  What a surprise that will be to those who know me!!  My Living Room, Dining Room and Kitchen are all very open to one another so the colours have to relate to one another.  You shouldn't mix clean with dirty colours- it just doesn't look right.  Even if you are one of those people that doesn't understand colour theory you would still notice that something was off with my colours-you may not be able to put your finger on it-but you would know something wasn't quite right.  So I have been pondering what colour do I paint the living room and the kitchen to make it flow better.  You see...  you would think that it would be super easy for someone like myself to just pick a colour.  The problem is I could probably pick one of a half dozen colours.  Sometimes a little knowledge is dangerous.  Since the majority of the colours I have in my space is Red, White and Blue, I thought I would stick to a Tan or a Gold.  I currently have a muted tan in the space.  Only problem is it is a little too muted now that the Red is in the dining room.
So off I went to my Habitat Restore and low and behold I actually found something.  You have to understand that usually you can only get 1 can of a certain colour-makes sense right.  But today I was able to get.... wait for it.....  4 CANS!!!!!  Woo Hoo!!  So now I can repaint the living room, kitchen and hallway.  And at $10.00 per can it was so affordable I just had to get it.

The colour I picked up was:

ICI Desert Valley

It isn't as muted in real life as it is in this sample as shown.  It is a lovely golden tan colour.  It certainly goes better with my stuff and the red in the dining room.   So I will be very busy over the next little while.  Plus, I wanted to update some of my pillows.  I sort of got the inspiration for the colour scheme and the types of textiles from this pic below:

Pinterest

I adore this room.  The Desert Valley is much closer to the wall colour in this pic. I know that the lovely golden colour is actually grass cloth but the colour is close!  It has such a nice warmth to it.  I would love to jump on the whole gray bandwagon, however, the main thing stopping me from doing so it that my kitchen cabinets have a very definite yellow undertone to them- a real gray would not go at all.  Sometimes you have to just go with the flow.  If I put a gray like Benjamin Moore's Stonington Gray or Wickham Gray (which I would love too!) it would not relate in any way to the undertone in my kitchen cabinets or the Granite counter tops I have.  So onward without gray I go.

So I was looking at the following fabrics. 

Tonic Living

Tonic Living

DesignerFabrics

DesignerFabrics

DesignerFabrics

I wanted to pick up a navy and white fabric that had a slightly modern feel to them.  What I really want is the Kelly Wearstler Imperial Trellis in navy- but that is SO NOT going to happen my friends.  It is way out of my budget right now!

It is so nice.  And I really want it, but I don't want to pay the price.  So unless I come across a deal I will have to make do with some other fabric- which is fine!

So that is what I will be up to.  I will be keeping you posted as to our progress.

Have a great day everyone.
Megan

SILK -THE SHORT AND SWEET VERSION!

As I have stated in a previous post, my first passion is Fabrics. And one of my absolute favourites is SILK!! I won't go into a detailed Textile Class right now about Silk, but I just wanted to arm you with a little info on this fabulous fibre.

Silk- Designer Fabrics



There is nothing as beautiful as Silk Draperies. 

Silk Drapes

Especially those that have been done just right!  To me Silk Drapes are like a ballgown for the windows- a little overly dramatic, maybe,  but that's how I think of it.  The way that silk hangs:

Silk Drapes

the way the light catches on the fabric, the way it feels.........  Can you tell how much I LOVE it?  Silk has been highly prized for thousands of years.  Really, do we have to wonder why?  A little silk worm spins a very fine thread, that thread is collected and processed and Voila- Fabric!  So amazing!!  Not that Simple but so very amazing!

When Silk Drapes are done correctly there is nothing like it on the planet!  And when I mean done right I mean the following: Style, Cut and Construction.  Here is an awesome example of just that:

Sue Ellen Gregory

   Here is a close up of those gorgeous drapes:

Sue Ellen Gregory

Sue Ellen Gregory

Just from the photo (especially the close up), I can see the level of detail that went into these drapes.  When a Silk Drape is constructed correctly they will ALWAYS be lined.  Not only does this help the drape to hang correctly, but it also protects the drape (somewhat) to sunlight, protects it  from heat (somewhat), gives a consistent colour when observed from the outside (all draperies should look consistent when viewed from outside), and helps to give the drape "body".  When I say body I mean it gives the fabric a bit more "beef", be a little more sturdy if you will.  One of Silk Draperies' worst enemies is the sun.  The UV rays and the heat produced can completely destroy the fibre.  Hang an unlined silk drapery in a very bright location and within a year it will have faded and will have fallen apart.  Sad but true.  YOU SHOULD NEVER, NEVER hang Silk Drapes in a South facing window.  This includes Southwest.  This is due to the fact that this type of sun is the most intense and damaging.  The only way to slow the ravages of the sun is to use Blackout Lining, and Interlining.  Only by this, will this slow the progression.  If it were me, I wouldn't hang Silk in a harsh lighted window- you have spent so much money and you don't want to ruin your investment.  Even when you line and interline the drape, the leading edge of the drape will still be visible to the suns rays, your edging will take a beating!

When I talk of Interlining I mean this is an extra layer between the main fabric and the Lining.  Think of it as a Fabric Sandwich: Fabric, Interlining, and then Lining.  Why would you want to line and interline your Drapes?  Well to begin, it helps to further protect the drapes from heat and UV.  Another reason is to add "body" to the drape.  In the close up in the above pics, I can tell that Interlining was used.  This is why the drapes look so "plump".  Interlining gives drapes the "ballgown" look they can achieve.  In addition, interlining helps the drapes to hang beautifully.  A good Interlining will also provide added protection from heat and UV.  Most Interlinings used to achieve this "ballgown" look is called "bump cloth". 

Bump Cloth is a very lofty fabric much like heavy Flannel.  It really gives a lovely weight to drapes:

Bump Cloth

So for those of you out there brave enough to make your own Silk Drapes- PLEASE......  Use Lining and if you can Interlining.  It will be completely worth it in the end.  I know it is a little more effort but you have already spent a small fortune on the Silk fabric-  you might as well go all the way.  If you do, they will last for years to come.

For those that wish to purchase custom drapes, I hope that this little bit of knowledge I have given will do you well in the future.  By knowing just the few things I have spoken of it will help you make better decisions: 

1. Always have Lined Silk Drapes.  If you can get Blackout Lining that's even better.

2.  Do not put Silk Drapes in a South facing window -if possible!

3.  If at all possible, buy interlined Silk Drapes ( I know it can be expensive).  They can be Interlined with a special Interlining Fabric or use Bump Cloth for an even better look and better protection.

If you are going to buy Silk Drapes at a store or online then please make sure they are at least Cotton lined- Cotton holds up well.

Here are some places you may want to look at for inspiration and purchasing:

Drape Style

Restoration Hardware

InVu (Canada)

Calico Corners

Pottery Barn





You can always go the route of Custom Drapes but I realize that for the majority of consumers this is way out of range- I too am on a tight budget!  You may be able to find cheaper alternatives to Silk such as Faux Silk- which most likely will be made of Polyester- most times they are more than 1/2-3/4 of what you would pay for real silk.
 Here is a little inspiration and eye candy.  Enjoy:

Sue Ellen Gregory

Van H Robinson

Tracy Murdock

Anticmystic

Ball Gown Drapes

DecorPad



Silk Drapes

Silk Drapes- The Lennoxx

Silk Taffeta Drapes







Decorpad

I believe that the Wall colour for the above photo is BM Amherst Gray HC 167

Silk Draperies

Drape Style

Lucan Fabrics

This above photo is just like a ballgown- I know that this kind of "puddling" is not for everyone- but boy is it beautiful to look at!

Miles Redd- Elle Decor

Visual Vamp



Sarah Gilbane Interiors

One last thing- I may have mentioned in a previous post- REMEMBER:  Drapes are lined, Curtains are unlined.

I hope this has enlightened and been helpful.  Happy shopping!

Have a great day!

Megan







I KNOW IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS!!!

Now that Christmas is long past, I got to thinking about the traditional colours of that season- Red and Green!
Red and Green isn't just for Christmas- look at all of these examples below.  I have tried to get a variety of styles and rooms to prove "RED AND GREEN ISN'T JUST FOR CHRISTMAS":

Country Living

Kim Nichols- Houzz

Kelly Starr- Houzz

Country Living- Houzz

Tim Cuppett- Houzz

Country Living

Country Living

Country Living

Birdhouse Interior Design- Houzz

Alisborg Parker Architects- Home Bunch

See- Red and Green work great together!  They should, they are complinmentary colours.  But you have to be careful how you do it otherwise it ends up looking like Christmasville!

 I think a lot of these rooms work because of the green chosen.  The greens used tend to have a yellow undertone to it.  I feel and it's my opinion, that if a blue/minty green were used it would not be as effective.

Here are some examples of fabrics that incorporate red and green: 

House of Fabrics

House of Fabric

House of Fabric

House of Fabric

If you want to go the Red Green route, you may want to stick to greens with a yellow undertone.  Colours such as these might work for you:

ICI- Wood Fern 10GY 62/168

Sherwin Williams:  Svelte Sage SW 6164



Martha Stewart- Lemongrass MSL090

Martha Stewart- Timothy Hay MSL091



Benjamin Moore Aura- Urban Nature AF-440

Benjamin Moore- Fernwood Green 2145-40

Benjamin Moore- Brookside Moss 2145-30

Benjamin Moore- Stem Green 2029-40

Benjamin Moore- Rosemary Green 2029-30

I couldn't talk about greens without mentioning 2 of my favourite go to greens:

Benjamin Moore- Old Prairie 2143-50



Benjamin Moore- Camouflage 2143-40

These are but a few that could be appropriate greens to work with if you wanted to paint your walls green.  If in doubt ask a professional-like me!  But remember to start with some fabric, a rug or a large piece of furniture first as your "jumping off" point!  There are thousands of paint colours to choose from so it will be easier to pick that after you start with the more "set" item.

Hope this shows that Red and Green aren't just for Christmas.  Have a great day!

Megan