Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
Splash of personality
Paint by these numbers
THE secret to the right colour scheme isn't always found in design magazines or trendy paint samples at the store.
It's easy to follow the latest trends, but pre-fab looks don't account for the individual, according to Pat Wickware Tweten, an interior designer of 30 years. "It's more important to consider the personality of a client," Wickware Tweten says. "I try to use colour to enhance the emotion, to decorate with colours that reflect their personalities."
She says the use of either vibrant or subdued colours can affect the mood of a room's occupants, either infusing them with energy or creating an environment that calms and relaxes.
She offers the following tips to help people choose colours that match their personality, location and living conditions.
1. What is the function of the room?
Ensuite bathrooms, for example, should feature high-energy colours to help wake up occupants in the morning. Bedrooms should have calming colours to help homeowners relax and unwind. Love to cook? Give the kitchen a deeper, stronger and richer colour. Family/entertainment rooms, on the other hand, should have softer colours to foster relaxation.
2. Don't choose a colour in a vacuum
Always take into account the room's furnishings -- the colour of the couch, the pattern in window coverings, even the type of flooring -- before making a decision. The colour should tie together the different elements of a room.
3. Sunlight and artificial light
Calculate the number of hours the room will have sunlight. A bright room's colour needs differ from those of a dark room. What direction does the room face? Light coming from a north-facing window is cooler than light from a south-facing window.
In painting a room, Wickware Tweten sometimes uses a lighter hue on the wall opposite the windows. The side walls will be a shade or two darker and the wall with the window will be the darkest colour.
She says skylights are a good way to introduce natural light into a room but "be careful they don't turn into glare bombs."
4. Room size
Generally speaking, warm colours make a room seem smaller. Cool colours, such as blues and greens, open up the space. Attention should be given to scale. There is a need to balance the weight and size of furniture and bookcases. The size and shape of artwork can also help balance a room and introduce different colours.
5. Different hues of a colour
Simply lightening or darkening a colour can have an effect similar to using a dimmer switch on a light. Deeper shades soften a colour. Adding white takes the light out of a colour.
6. Outside colour
The outside of a house should look inviting and give visitors a preview of the interior theme. The colour should be chosen taking into consideration the neighbourhood homes and environment. "One of the saddest things (in a neighbourhood) is when someone plunks down a glare bomb that shocks the senses," Wickware Tweten notes.
7. Different rooms
A colour can be a common denominator and be used to tie the different rooms together. Wickware Tweten uses neutral or "relief colours" in hallways so that the eye can relax and get ready as it transitions from room to room.
-- Postmedia News
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Save water, shower with a plant
QUESTION: I am a fan of yours and read your column weekly. It is wonderful that you can recommend so many solutions that involve products that most of us have in our kitchens. I live in a highrise condominium and we have artificial plants in our front lobby that get really dusty and look awful. Can you suggest something that will remove the dust and yet not destroy the "plants"? Thank you so much. Sincerely, Myrna, Winnipeg
ANSWER: It sounds as though the plants are too large to lift into the shower and then hose down with water. You can vacuum the dust off of your plants. Cover the hose of your vacuum with an old pantyhose leg (secure with an elastic band). This will keep the suction from pulling your plant into the hose and damaging it. Also, a dryer sheet can be used to wipe down larger petals and leaves. The coarse, tacky sheet removes dust with ease. Or make your own artificial plant cleaner at home: mix a small amount of lemon dish soap (to help get any grease off) with water in a spray bottle. Spray onto plant and wipe off.
QUESTION: I have recently felt the need to polish a fibreglass boat and a motorhome, both of which needed to be given a shine. The polishing products I purchased were not as magical as their labels claimed. They were offered in sizes that were not large enough and were very expensive. Do you happen to have any homemade recipes for waxes or polishing solutions that might accomplish the same or better results? Thanks, Rob (Gladstone, Man.)
ANSWER: Maguire's remover is a very popular product with good results but of course the trick is to experiment to see which works best for you. You can try a variety of oxidation removers and test for results. The polymer-based liquid waxes are quite good. You don't have to buff and rub hard to achieve a shine. Just wipe product off with a terry cloth towel. The following is a list of household products that you can use to clean different parts of your boat and motorhome:
Fibreglass: Baking soda, salt and water;
Aluminum: One tablespoon cream of tartar in half a litre of hot water;
Wood: Polish with olive oil;
Windows/plastic: one part vinegar to two parts water;
Brass: Worcestershire sauce;
Chrome: Polish with baby oil;
Degreaser: Paste of lemon juice and borax;
Scouring: Baking soda and water;
Mildew: Equal parts of lemon juice or vinegar and salt.
A reader sent me the following homemade recipe for cleaning fibreglass. In a pot heat to dissolve one-quarter pound shredded beeswax, cool. Add half cup of turpentine, quarter cup of liquid Ivory soap, one cup of warm to boiling water and quarter cup of pine oil. Mix until solution dissolves and congeals.
QUESTION: I am wondering if you can give me a non-toxic solution for removing mould on windows. The windows are a cheap variety as we have a 1980 house. In appreciation, Rachel (Brandon, Man.)
ANSWER: While wearing a mask scrub the area with an unscented dish soap and water solution, then sponge with a clean, wet rag and dry quickly. Another option is to fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and 10 drops of tea tree oil. Spray the mouldy area and scrub with an old toothbrush. Wipe with a clean cloth to dry.
Fabulous tips from readers:
-- Instead of storing dish soap in a bottle, decant it into a plastic bottle with a squeeze nozzle. That bottle of dish soap will last about three times as long. Save money and the planet. (The pull-up tops of detergent often dispense more than you need. Cheers, Rowena
-- I like to reduce the flour amount in most cookie recipes by one-quarter cup to make the tenderest cookies that do not dry out even after several days. Tina
-- I make icing with confectioners' sugar and milk. I make it fairly thin, as I 'paint' the icing onto the cookies with a pastry brush. Make it thin enough to spread easily but not so thin that it just makes your cookies wet and runny. Jessica
Reena Nerbas is the author of the national bestselling Household Solutions series. Her website is www.householdsolutions.org. You can contact her at Box 429, Blumenort, Man., R0A 0C0.
