Why do we flock to the garden centres in spring?

By mid-March we’re tired of our grey and black clothing and grey skies, particularly those of us living in northern climates.     New York decorator Mario Buatta says that ‘colour is a mood setter’.  How true is that?  Colour psychology is a huge topic for another time.  But simply put, it affects you more than you know.

So, after more than a decade of neutrals, colour is back!  Don’t worry, we’re not suggesting you have to go out and redo everything but it sure is nice to see some colour injected into neutral rooms.  That’s a good start after this way too long love affair with ‘beige’.  Forecast colours from Para Paints range from chartreuse to hot pink to orange.  (Come visit our in-studio event on May 25th for the full presentation!)

How do you inject some colour in an otherwise neutral room, you ask?  Easy.

• Recover a chair or two and co-ordinate some toss cushions in a cheery colour
• Wallpaper a focal wall in the master bedroom or living room
• accessorize with a colour and repeat the colour 2-3 times around the room
• add a vividly coloured area rug
• add some colourful, uplifting art

The beautiful coral on the headboard is repeated on benches and cushions.

Bright pillows and art perk up this neutral space

A pretty green wallpaper makes the room feel all dressed up.

Pantone announced its colour of the year for 2011 to be Honeysuckle.

Pantone Colour of the Year 2011 - Honeysuckle

According to Leatrice Eiseman of the Pantone company energizing colour Honeysuckle is uplifting and gives the confidence to face life’s many challenges today.

What an uplifting eating area this is!

You  gotta love designer to the stars Mario Buatta.  He embraces colour and pattern wholeheartedly. No tiptoeing around here.  In the April 2011 issue of Elle Decor Mario agrees with this maximalist approach.  He believes colour can make you feel great! (How true!)  He has favourite paint schemes that he shares:  for the living room – yellow walls, a pale-blue ceiling and white woodwork. (Sarah Richardson’s paint palette for Para Paints has a beautiful pale blue for ceilings).  For Kitchens – off white cabinets painted robin’s egg blue on the inside with a lemon yellow ceiling. (sounds perfect)  For bedrooms: apricot walls, a pale blue ceiling and off white  woodwork (sounds very feminine.  Just ask Mariah Carey-he did her bedroom).

Me and Luisa having dinner with Buatta in New York

Mario Buatta – The Prince of Chintz

So, I see colour everywhere these days:  in fashion, in home decor and yes, in the flowers outside…. Must be spring for Mario all the time…..

There is something authentic and stylish about that.

Who doesn’t love a bargain?  I don’t mean a bargain on junk but on good quality items.  Decorators ‘get’ it; you’ll find lots of ‘bargains’ in my home right along side the $$$$ down-filled sofa.  It usually isn’t just about the great price (although that really makes you feel like you’ve scored);  its usually something that catches your eye in the first place.  And you’ve got to seize the opportunity when faced with it or it will be gone before you know it.  So, you say you haven’t got the trained eye to make those quick decisions.  I say some practice helps but if you get things you love, it’ll always express YOU and you’ll find a place for it.  That’s what makes it authentic.  You’re not just going after the latest trends but reflecting what YOU like and what looks good in your mind.

Mirror over sofa: A Bombay Co. bargain from over 20 years ago!

This mirror over the sofa has had a few different homes within my home.  I bought it from the Bombay company on clearance over 20 years ago for about $75.  And that was before my eye became better trained.  I just loved it, so I bought it.  It sits over my beautiful, down-filled sofa and adds some glitter to the room.

Speaking of luxury, that raspberry coloured chair and pouf in my living room were also a great bargain find.  I was in the Brunswig and Fils showroom a few years ago and the shape and colour of this chair just caught my eye.  Then they told me they were clearing the furniture on the floor for half off my cost! Well, it wasn’t even a pattern I would have remotely considered had I done this from scratch.  But I kind of liked the element of surprise it gave to my otherwise traditional room. To this day it makes me smile when I look at it.  Totally unexpected – luxury at a bargain price!

The cheerful green chair greets you at the front door

I remember coming to a screeching halt on a quiet street in Richmond Hill as I passed a yard sale a few years ago.  This green chair caught my eye.  I was on my way to a client appointment.  I had to make a quick decision (as I was running late!).  For $40 how could I go wrong and I just loved the carving and it was done up  in one of my favourite colours – didn’t even need reupholstering!  Now it sits in my front hall under a light fixture that costs probably 6X the chair.  Luxury meets bargain….

Talk about luck – a few years before that I was driving along a major street in Richmond Hill where an upholsterer was clearing out his basement ‘leftover’ pieces.  I picked up these two chairs for my bedroom at $60 each.  They also didn’t need reupholstering.  And a charming antique slipper chair for my daughter’s room for $10.   Busy street – had to make quick decisions here too.

Chairs from a yard sale

Oh, and that chandelier…came from my good neighbour’s mother’s estate all the way from Montreal. Another $100 steal!  Didn’t need it for my dining room so I put it in my bedroom.  I removed 3/4 of the crystals just to lighten it up a bit and voila! a luxurious look for my bedroom.  (Made me giggle every time I entered it at first)

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I’m not an impulsive buyer at all.  Nor am I a bargain shopper.  (You probably don’t believe me)  Really, I just love beautiful things.  Sometimes we get caught up in waiting for the ‘perfect’ thing.  Sometimes, ‘perfect’ doesn’t exist.  Something better will always come along.  I say if you love it, buy it and get on with it.

That’s what makes it authentically you and stylish too!

SO,  HOW WOULD YOU LIKE A GREAT DEAL ON A PAIR OF LAMPS???

These are from Decorative Crafts. You may have seen this company advertised in Architectural Digest and Veranda.  They carry very high end product mostly from Italy and France.  These lamps originally sold for close to $900 each.  They are solid antiqued brass and cut crystal.  They only had a few left so we got an unbelievable price! Available through Lumar Interiors, these heirloom pieces cost $270! Contact us if you’re interested.  This is truly luxury meets bargain finds…..Stay tuned for more…..