I wanted to feature this particular dining-room photograph today because of its unconventional design. Dana Tomic Hughes, the designer who created this avant-garde space for Dulux Paints, has piqued my interest.
You're probably asking yourself if this room is actually finished, and the answer is yes. How brilliant of the designer to use the unfinished painted wall as a focal point of this room. It's a familiar image to those who've painted their own homes, but to have stopped in what appears to be the middle of the project and create a unique visual statement is just superb.
This particular look is not for everyone but that's not really the point. There's something about the room that makes one think outside of the box and imagine other unusual possibilities for the decor. For instance, you might use this idea on a smaller, less permanent scale by painting an oversized canvas in this unfinished technique, rather than an entire wall. Maybe you'd choose different colours, maybe you'd try this on a ceiling, maybe... The point is there are lots of 'maybes'. This picture is a keeper.
A recipe book for success
Viewing decor images, whether from photos or television, is a great way to garner ideas for your home. It's difficult to remember all of the neat things you see over the years so it's a good idea to keep track of them for future reference. Make an idea book with notes and clippings of images that resonate with you.
I usually go through my decor magazines twice a year and clip out the photos and ideas I really like and use a glue stick to paste them into my 'idea' binder. This keeps everything in one place for handy reference and helps keep the magazine from piling up.
You can recycle the old magazines to make way for the new ones. You can use an inexpensive, three-ring binder with dividers for each room and a few additional sections for photos of unique storage and display ideas, accessories and miscellaneous ideas that can't be categorized. This way, you can refer to the idea book from time to time to review the inspiring ideas that you may have forgotten about.
It's like keeping a book of your favourite recipes. You forget about them after a while so it's good to go back from time to time, especially if you're planning to redo a room or two in your home.
Helpful reference
It's quite difficult to remember exact colour, so it's great to have an actual photo to refer back to when it comes time to start a decor project. If you saw a photograph of a blue and green room a year ago and you'd now like to replicate the look, are you going to remember the intensity of the colours -- whether they were warm or cool -- and what other elements made the room so lovely? Probably not. If you have a picture to reference you'll have a much more successful outcome to your project. You can also take the picture with you to get design assistance when shopping for supplies.
Small changes
It will take time to amass a collection of great ideas but once you do, even everyday chores can become a decorating adventure. Something as simple as reorganizing a closet can become a fun update if you have some unique storage and display ideas in your idea binder.
Some great ideas I've come across over the years include projects like storing shoes in shoe boxes (covered with wallpaper, fabric or what-have-you) that have an actual photograph of your shoes right on the end of the box. Installing simple curtains on plain bi-fold closet doors can soften and create visual interest. What about creating a small office space inside a closet?
Some ideas that you add to your book may not be used for years, or maybe never, but still inspire change and are fun to share.
If you want to start your idea book but don't have any magazines on hand, you can usually find them for a great price at thrift stores and even at library book sales. Who knows? Maybe this column will be your starting point.
You can also go a little higher-tech and keep an online idea file on your computer. It's fun to browse the Internet and download your favourite decor photographs and ideas from trusted sites and decorating shows.
Ideas inspire change. Keep your creative juices flowing.
connieoliver@shaw.ca
