S@H: OK, so where do you start when performing your own decor miracles?
JR: First we figure out how much bad taste there is in the room. One is extremely bad and 10 is fairly good. If the homeowners score under eight, we bully them into doing what we want. We do listen to what they need and like, but we'll overrule them. We scare because we care. Then we work with colour. We play detective to determine the right hues for the household. We'll poke into their wardrobes, go to their favourite restaurants and pore over postcards from their travel destinations to get inspired.
CM: But we use moderation. People who follow fashion can become fashion victims. You might find yourself inspired by a country or colour, but when you go overboard, your home starts to resemble Disneyland.
JR: We build the room layer by layer, but really, once you've stripped away dodgy carpet and lilac walls, you're halfway there.
S@H: And no peach.
CM and JR (together): No peach!
CM: And ditch the avocado, too -- unless you're making guacamole.
Decorating Dos
The How Not to Decorate duo, Scots Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan, provide these tips for creating, in their own words, "rooms that won't make you gag."
Choose tasteful colours. Consult a colour wheel to determine complementary hues. Still in doubt? "We use a lot of antique cream," says Justin. "We also like chocolate brown and beige, mint green and white, toffee and burnt umber, and khaki and gold."
Ask yourself what one thing you can't afford to change. "Whether it's the fooring or the sofa, if you're stuck with it, base a plan around it," advises Colin. "People make the mistake of dreaming up decor schemes that clash with their burgundy broadloom."
Invest in staples. "Spend as much as you can on your sofa, dining table and bed," says Colin. "These items make or break a room."
Read more in Decorating & Design and Inside Design
You might also enjoy:
2 Comments
HELLO CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME. I am a huge fan of yours and am desperate to nominate a FRIEND IN NEED !!! IN DEED for your How Not To Decorate Program. Have searched the net and can only find this site to email you on. I hope that this message can get through to you boys. If this does then please can you kindly reply with the right email address for me. My telephone number is 07734510002. I would really appriciate your call. Thank you.
HELLO..... YOUR PROGRAMME IS VERY INTRESTING.......I AM MARRIED FOR THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS IN LONDON (MITCHAM-SURREY) I ALWAYS WANT THE BEST HOUSE LIKE BACK HOME........ I LIVE WITH MY IN-LAWS.....I HAVE MY HANDS FULL WITH THE FAMILY........ I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A VERY PRACTICAL HOUSE(A LOVELY HOME) I HAVE GOT MY HUSBAND'S RELATIVES COMING ALL THE TIME AND I WANT TO MAKE IT BEAUTIFUL AND COMFORTABLE FOR EVERYONE..... FOR ME MY HOME MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME.............. I HAVE A CHILD WHO IS 13 MONTHS........I WOULD LOVE THE BEST FOR MY FAMILY..... AFTER SEEING YOUR PROGRAM I THOUGHT IT MAY BE POSSIBLE FOR ME TO COME OUT OF THE DREAM WORLD AND LOOK FORWARD TO REALITY.... PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU GENTLEMEN CAN HELP ME OUT...... THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TAKECARE MRS.SYED 07718896445