Style & Decor Blog

If you snapped up the January 2009 issue of STYLE AT HOME, you might remember the paint colour forecast for 2009 that I produced for the “Home & Style” section. Debbie Travis has weighed in on her predictions for the new year’s palette, and came up with a stunning combo of four of her paint colours — a combination she’s referring to as “Passage” — that she says fits her “Dramatic” bill for Fall 2009:

“The borderlines between vintage and current, past and present, blur with a wide acceptance of global culture and quest for originality. These earthy, timeless neutrals provide a backdrop for treasures and accents of leather and rich woods. Warm, intense shades in this mood evoke feelings of solidity, quality, durability and authenticity.”

From left:

D3A - Cloud Dance (A wonderful lavender grey - one of my favourite colours right now.)

D2A - Sultry Satin (SO sexy… I’ve always wanted to do a dining room in this colour!)

CM22N - Silent Mist

D5A - Truffle

Price: From $45 per gallon

Available at: Canadian Tire, 866-746-7287

Does the code “CC-40″ mean anything to you? Chances are, you’ve painted your ceiling and/or trim in this colour — better known as Benjamin Moore’s Cloud White — at some point over the past 20 years. The iconic warm-white was, for a very long time, the *only* white in the Canadian design community, and a staple of any design show’s “Ask An Expert” solution to your decorating dilemmas. But why this particular white, amongst the hundreds of options out there? Maria Killam, a Vancouver-based colour designer, addresses this very question in her lovely blog, “Colour Me Happy”. Check out Maria’s tips on how to get white right, and exactly when in the design process that white should be chosen.

What’s your fave white? I’d love to hear from you!

One of the highlights of the Dream Master Bedroom Suite that we created for the STYLE AT HOME Show back in October were the sumptuous silk drapes by inVU Drapery Co. They added so much to the space with their luxurious silk sheen and cosy neutral palette! Now, in addition to their trademark window treatments, inVU is offering the inVU inHOME consultation service. For a flat rate of $75, an inHOME drapery and design consultant can visit you at home to offer guidance on window treatments, custom furnishings and reupholstering services, furniture placement, and even paint selection! What’s more, once you’ve paid the flat rate, you can call back for assistance down the road — for free. What an amazing resource!

Price: $75

Available through: inVU Drapery Co., 800-665-9227.