Outdoors And Back In

We've been jumping again.
 
First, here is the painting, not done yet, but in the place where it will hang.  I needed to see the different lighting on it, to continue it.

 

It is coming along pretty good, although I feel the background may be to bright.  We will see when I finish the leaves.  I will put I the purplish banana pods today, that may help.  In doing a painting, you have to feel it.  It is so visual.  Then again, I may not even like it there.  No Rules!  See how yellow green the bushes and trees are in the back right side.  To me this must all blend together.  It does however, match the dish, my first goal.

 

We will start focusing on goals in your decorating.  Do you have any?  If not, start making a list, even if it is a door knob or a handle.  My lists have lists.  Actually this picture is a long overdue project,  probably made at least 1 of my lists, but I keep adding new ones.

 

A goal is to make this a very comfortable area.  It is in the master bath, and no one actually uses it except the owners.  I will take it from here today and finished tomorrow.

 

Now a bit on bathrooms.  Here are some before pictures in the small water closet as they are called.  It is 4'4" x 3'4", actually very small.

 

 

This very small water closet has a cream color on the walls.  I used a floral border with yellows, pinks, turquoises and greens on a blue background.   It works well above the woodwork in small areas.  It gives interest.  You can't even imagine how much tasteful stuff can go into a small space.

 

 Tomorrow, I will add paintings and accessories.  This is again the visual part.  When you see the difference little things make, you will start thinking of areas in a different way.

 

 

A bit of white

Since 1973, I have owned my own business.  You sure learn a lot of tricks, from many sources in the 40 years I have been n business.

Most of the time, just walking into a client's home, tells me their immediate style, color combinations, favorite color, preferences, and what their passion is.  When I walk into even a friends house, I pay attention to the smallest of details.  Moldings, flooring, small pieces, interesting door pulls, paintings ( of course since I am an artist myself ), even the views out the windows.  Sometimes the views are so stunning, that they take your breath away.  It is like that in Florida.  Sunrises and sunsets are so very spectacular, that you can actually capture their essence in a room.

A quote from Edie Wadsworth, " Life is to short o follow the rules".

So let's talk white first. " Painting a room white or shade of white, is like giving a room a big tall glass of water.  It's an instant cleansing of the palette".  A quote from Elaine Griffin" 

Both of the above quotes are out of Better Homes and Gardens.  This is how I read a magazine.  I take bits and pieces from there and what I have learned over the years and put them together for my clients.  So be ready to break the rules.

White velvet - Gorgeous, movie star fabric, but being white may look to sterile.  However, cotton velvet is one of the best long wearing fabrics to upholster with.

White eyelet - casual elegant but a little feminine.

White duck cloth -  is very casual, great for slipcovers, upholstery of any pieces of furniture.

White silk - luxurious, extremely feminine, soft looking and sexy.

White linen - wrinkles easy, suitable for draperies, throw pillows.

All of the above add texture to your room.  Actually a combination of several of those looks great, because of the different textures.

Back to the walls.  Faux textures add some of this feel to your room.  So to understand all that I have said, you can do this same thing with all fabrics.  Write down how you feel about each fabric, just like I just did above. I love white in  room, or a shade of it.  A white chair, sofa, pillows, or accessories of white.


Gold is another color I like to use.  Whether it is brass, copper or gold tone fabrics, they add warmth to a room as well as a sleekness and add shine.  Silver does the same thing, but I feel is much more formal.  I use both as well as crystal.  I love to mix.

Some rooms are just made to be very casual like a mudroom, or a laundry room.  But you can add your own taste to it.
First, the color, then what you are going to do on the walls.  If you choose a faux paint, do that first.  Below is a floor cloth, that I made many years ago just for the purpose of adding something artsy into the room.  They are fun to do, even if you paint it rather plain.  There are a lot of beautiful, washable rugs suitable for this type of room also.  I have even used an oriental rug, or a shag rug in front of a washer, or at an entrance into the room from the outside.

 

You can buy the materials on the internet or at local craft stores, such as Joanne's, Michaels or Hobby Lobby or any other craft store to make your own floor cloth.

 

Another neat trick is to find a border and cut out the designs and paste them to the wall instead of the whole border.  Paintable borders work well in these types of rooms.

 

A smaller piece tomorrow as it is a holiday.  Happy 4th