Monday, April 02, 2007

Playing with Colour Scheme

I have an odd hours workday which isn`t too often luckily. The only good thing about it is that I`m not too tired or busy to do some things around here for the morning. One of them was to put something up about my re-doing the front room furniture etc.
My Mum called wanting to know if I`d like to pop out with her to Lens Mills Warehouse yesterday so I took this piece of cardboard just in case I could find a good bargain. The cloth beside it was my original sample, having collected all the green paint chips at Home Hardware. The cloth was just something I dug out of a drawer and I layed it over a chair to keep looking at the chips I had stapled to it. It`s not the shade of green I`m using anywhere. The cardboard one ( colours are a little different on camera) is the final descisions minus that pink paint chip and I haven`t yet added the new bits of fabric onto it for future use.

I found two packages of queen size sheet sets in the right colour green I wanted. $35.99 a set. Loads cheaper than apholstery fabric and washable. They have a pattern on them of some sort....tiny two tone lines, so should break up the "sheets on my couch" look hehe. My Mum has offered to help me make removable slip covers. They`re the largest last batch to the left in below picture. The colour is a little more brillint than is showing here. Also found some gorgeous fuschia/raspberry for a pillow frame and backing. 3 meters for $19 and change. The darker is an old tablecloth I had. Maybe another pillow backing. I want just a hint of this colour amongst the green as well as black. The fireplace is black so I thought a bit more might add some drama to this colour combo with the white walls.

I re-painted that green mirror in black and like it much better. It bothered me and I set it up and kept looking at it over a few days.
Those bright fake peonies are something I picked up at the dollor store for the kitchen at one time and I thought I`d use them against the greens I had to see how those two colours sat with me. Decided to go with, but maybe later get some more "real" looking ones when our short peony season is over and fresh aren`t available.
Things are evolving into something that I hope ends up looking nice. Hopefully when it comes time to find a round area rug for this part of the room, I can find something to match. As you can see the rug there now clashes horribly, but will go nice in the spare bedroom eventually.

Teddy seems to like trying out the tablecloth I threw over this little chair to see what it would look like......

This is that decorating book I picked up in St Jacobs on Saturday and a peek inside...

Not all of the pages are to my taste but it`s a nice find and E-Bay is amazing to find wonderful things as I have done in the past.

The camera isn`t capturing very well, just how lovely these pictures are....


Isn`t this cute how she`s set all these sock monkies on the bed? What a great kids room....

She bought furniture which would be great, but the shipping would be insane I would think.

Love these green dishes....

16 comments:

Diana LaMarre said...

Hi Tea,
It looks like you've been doing a lot of neat stuff. The Maple Syrup Festival looks like it was fun.

I've never heard of that Ebay decorating book, but it does look like an interesting read.

I like the colors for your front room. I'm trying to get inspired to redecorate. It's so much work! Can't wait to see how everything turns out for you.

rel said...

Tea,
Glad you've been keeping busy this spring!
I envy your interior decorators eye. Not only am I hampered by color-blidness, I just have no sense of style. ;-(
rel

Anonymous said...

Well it looks like you and your Mother are going to have a lot of sewing, gret buys, love the book.

Rowan said...

You're very disciplined with your sample card of paint chips and fabrics. I'd probably do better if I did the same sort of thing instead of trusting to luck. I like the greens lifted by the fuschia - Teddy seems to think the green looks pretty good too:)

Kahshe Cottager said...

Good heavens Tea ... I miss dropping by for a few days and you cram in a month's worth of activity in one weekend! Wish I had your energy!!!

Your decorating plans are taking shape. Nice that you have your Mom to help you too! I can't wait to see some of your projects when they are completed. I am sure that everything is going to look wonderful!

Sheila said...

You found some bargains TEA..!
the sample board is a good idea, you are so disciplined.
The plates in the bottom photo look like they may be Portuguese, and they have similar ones in Home Sense from time to time.
Good luck with your project, keep us posted..!

Scribe With Gold said...

Hi Tea,
It's always so nice to read your blog. I love your ideas and can hardly wait to see the finished room. I would have never thought of a bed sheet. Cool idea. Have a great day.

James Higham said...

We can just see it all coming together here, T&M.

Saur said...

You know, it's funny: I've always found that bed sheets (new) beat spending money on fabric at a cloth shop. My grandmother used to convert bedsheets into beautiful curtains, and she's the one that really convinced me of this.

A lot of our cloth shops have gone out of business in this area. People have found that it's cheaper to buy clothes and other household items, and it's simply not cost-effective to buy material any more. It's odd... I remember when we were kids and it was cheaper to wear "homespun."

JacquiG said...

Your colours are looking really nice. Everything seems to be coming together for you and I can't wait to see pictures of the finished room. You really have a good eye for this kind of thing.

Gina E. said...

When are you coming to Australia? I need you to visit our house and put some style into it! You have such taste and style, and that is a great idea to use sheets for upholstery! They come in such a huge array of colors and designs these days, and like Saur said, I also know of people who use sheets for curtains.
Thanks for visiting my blogs - always happy to see you!

Kahshe Cottager said...

Happy Easter Tea!!!

BTW ... I have chosen you for a Thinking Blog Award!! Please visit my site for more info and the button for your blog! *-)

Gill said...

Happy Easter Tea~!
Don't you just love redoing!
Your green choices are the best.
Green has staying power I think. Can survive any trend.
xo

Tea said...

Wow kahshe! Thank you so much!

Bob said...

Hi tea, my mum has some green dishes like that.

Rosa said...

I'll take any of those rooms, please?