{ Posts Tagged ‘farrow & ball’ }

the essential earth tones

Our designer secrets special issue is out on stands now and I love all the tips inside from some of our fave design experts. I always get stuck trying to choose the perfect paint {hey, some shades just look too darned alike}, so I really enjoyed the paint section of the issue with designers sharing their fave shades. Here are the earth tones that are making the experts swoon.

earth tones the essential earth tones
1 Split Pea 16-28, Pratt & Lambert
“I use this yellowy green in bathrooms and bedrooms to create a serene ambience.” -Michelle Mawby, Lucid Interior Design


2 Floating Islands P5127-34, Para Paints
“”think Florida home circa 1990 meets Mies van der Rohe. This ‘blush’ adds a light, soft hue to any space and looks amazing when paired with charcoal, cream, navy or white.” -Angela Robinson, AR Design


3 Never Land P5026-85, Para Paints
“I’ve always had a weakness for jewel tones! I recommend painting this green on walls in a semi-gloss finish to create drama, elegance and sophistication, then accenting the colour with accessories in burnt orange, electric blue, eggplant, black or white.” -Angela Robinson


4 Granny Smith SD008, Style at Home Collection, Beauti-Tone Paint

“When used to create a feature wall, this shade provides a gorgeous pop of colour that doesn’t overpower a room. It’s a huge trend right now to use a chartreuse or citron.” -Jessica Kelly, Jessica Kelly Design


5 Folly Green 76, Farrow & Ball
“This green, one of my most asked-about colours, looks great on library walls broken up with lots of bookshelves and neutral elements.” -Stacey-Litwin-Davies, Litwin-Davies Design


6 Willow CC-542, Benjamin Moore

“This rich wall colour adds dimension to any room. I’ve used it on the walls in a panelled library, a dramatic dining room and a tiny jewel-box powder room. I love pairing it with brilliant colours like indigo blue or saturated colour.” -Samantha Farjo, Farjo Design


7 Rockies Brown 2107-30, Benjamin Moore

“This colour, best in a pearl finish, pairs well with one of favourite David Hicks wallpapers called The Vase, which was actually inspired by his famous Coca-Cola-coloured walls.” -Timothy Mather, TM Design


8 Kendall Charcoal HC-166, Benjamin Moore

“We’ve used this warm grey to make a bold statement and give rooms weight and depth. Whether it’s used on a piece of furniture, built-ins, interior doors, or to accent a handrail, that bit of darkness creates a layered effect.” -Cindy Bleeks, Feasby & Bleeks Design


9 Black Blue 95, Farrow & Ball
“This paint colour, which has a hint of blue, looks great on exterior doors.” -Cindy Bleeks

how to paint wall stripes

There’s really not a whole lot that I don’t love about our June 2011 issue. It’s so bright and fresh and filled with amazing decorating ideas. And that cover? Oy. Our design editors amaze me on a daily basis.

dressing room how to paint wall stripes

One interior I particularly fell in love with was the high/low feature of the dressing room. I mean, what woman wouldn’t love to come home after a long day and get changed while surrounded by a sea of Tiffany blue? The stripes are what really stand out in the room, and you can get the look with paint instead of buying pricey wallpaper. Contributing design editor Christine Hanlon gives her top 6 tips for painting perfect wall stripes.

paint stripes how to paint wall stripes

1 Pick your colours. Aim for high contrast hues, advises Christine.

2 Use high quality painter’s tape. It will ensure less bleeding and smudges as well as avoid bubbles.

3 Paint the full wall in the lighter of your chosen colours.

4 Measure the width of your entire wall and divide into equal parts to determine the width of your darker-coloured stripes.

5 Use a pencil to mark each stripe at the top and bottom of the wall.

6 Place the tape on the outside of your markings for each dark-coloured stripe.

Paint colours: Cabbage White 269, Arsenic 214; Farrow & Ball.
{Photography by Nina Texeira}

design book giveaway!

design book giveaway design book giveaway!
Our cookbook giveaway was such a success {you guys really love your beautiful books, huh?} that we’re now holding a contest for all you design freaks! Yup, we’re giving away 3 simply fabulous books that we know you will swoon over: Happy Chic Colors and Happy Chic Accessorizing by Jonathan Adler, and Farrow & Ball’s Living with Colour. These gorgeous hardcovers feature page-after-page of delicious design eye candy and colourful inspiration.

Here’s how to enter:

Jonathan Adler is the king of decorating with bold colours, and nobody does neutrals like Farrow & Ball, but we want to know how you decorate with colour. Leave a comment below letting us know your favourite hue for decorating your home {whether it’s a paint colour or one inspired by your favourite bloom}, and we’ll pick the best answer as the winner.

Good luck!

xo,

Lauren

*This contest is now closed; winner of the books is Beth Ferguson  from Vancouver. Contest closes December 3rd, 2010 at 12pm EST. Open to all residents of Canada, except those in Quebec. Not open to any Transcontinental Media employees, their families, or any other persons with whom they reside.*

baroque wallpaper from farrow & ball

The latest issue of Style at Home just landed on my desk. If you subscribe, you should be getting your copy soon. If you don’t, what are you waiting for? Subscribe here! I love flipping through the magazine and checking out the pages and pages of design inspiration. The first thing that caught my eye? This gorgeous wallpaper/paint combo that jumped right off the page. This luxurious wallpaper (Baroque Papers Versailles BP 2611, $295 per roll, farrow-ball.com) paired with sun-bright yellow baseboards (Babouche 223, farrow-ball.com) is a stunning combination. And I just love the idea of painting the baseboards to match the wallpaper, instead of sticking with tried-and-true white. What do you think? Would you paint your baseboards a vibrant colour? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

farrow ball baroque wallpaper from farrow & ball

trendspotting – dark high-gloss walls

I loved how my colleague Margot Austin responded to the always-difficult “what’s your fave paint colour” question in a recent interview (which you can read here). Instead of choosing a specific hue, the divine Miss M said her current obsession isn’t a colour, but rather a finish. “I’m planning to paint my house in a deep dark high gloss finish,” she says. “Very Billy Baldwin.” Now, Margot’s new dilemma is narrowing down her current glossy options — chocolate, navy or charcoal grey. I’d love to see her go navy, if only because I fell in love with this Miles Redd-designed interior that originally ran in the July 2009 issue of House Beautiful, which took Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue No. 30 down the lacquered route. The high-gloss finish adds such a rich depth of colour. So decadent and glamorous! (The drop-dead herringbone floor and superconfident hits of orange don’t hurt, either.)

picture 51 trendspotting dark high gloss wallsSource: House Beautiful, photography by Thomas Loof

picture 62 trendspotting dark high gloss wallsSource: House Beautiful, photography by Thomas Loof

picture 71 trendspotting dark high gloss wallsSource: House Beautiful, photography by Thomas Loof

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