WALLPAPER

Wallpaper is making a huge comeback of late and for good reason!

Back in the 1700’s when the wealthy social elite were hanging tapestries on their walls, which were hugely expensive but fabulous for adding colour and warmth (and of course much needed insulation given they were hung on bare stone walls), the less wealthy of the elite classes used wallpaper to brighten their rooms. These were often stencilled or hand-painted and so began a love affair with wallpaper.

I am a huge fan of the beautiful Chinoiserie style wallpapers, so delicate and feminine, De Gournay have the most beautiful examples.  Perhaps consider wallpapering the back wall of your wardrobe so you are greeted each day with a glimpse of this very beautiful style.

Wallpaper is fabulous for introducing texture, it can be subtle if you stay within your existing colour palette.  To add some sheen/glamour try a foil wallpaper or a metallic - Kelly Wearstler’s metallic range is gorgeous.  Wallpaper will add another dimension and make your room more interesting.

You can have some fun with wallpaper in a powder room.  Invariably these spaces are small and there isn’t a lot else going on so why not try a beautiful wallpaper to liven things up! You needn’t be worried about water splashes, there are wallpapers that can withstand this.

My current favourite wallpaper is Ellie Cashman’s Black Saturated Floral, inspired by still life paintings of the Dutch Golden Age.  This design is simply stunning and makes quite a statement! I am about to use this in a laundry.  If you have a family it’s quite frightening just how much time you can spend ‘working’ in the laundry … so why not make it beautiful? Just think of the personality you are giving what is often a dull ‘services’ type room.

Try adding a little wallpaper to your home, I am sure it will make you smile each time you see it.

Al Paget

Phalaenopsis Orchids

These orchids are so beautiful and such an easy way to add some glamour and colour to your home.

They look beautiful in all sorts of vessels, glass bowls, or plain white pots for a classic look (sometimes hard to beat white with white) or quirky little vases for a more funky interesting look - easy to achieve as orchids don’t need a lot of potting mix or bark to be happy.

If you can find the perfect little spot for them, early morning sun is ideal, at the very least they need some light all day and no breeze, they will flower for months and months on end. If your bathroom has natural light then orchids will love it there, as it is a deliciously moist humid environment.

I had two small plants that were all but dead and decided to give them one last shot and re-potted them together in new potting mix and vowed to feed them every two weeks for a few months to see what happened. I was amazed and completely thrilled to see the leaves become glossy and firm and within three months I had flower stems. These two orchids have had at least 28 huge flowers on them non-stop for the last 18 months, at one point they had over 40 flowers!!  I have attached photos as I am very proud

Whilst out finding the perfect palm for an entrance way recently I spied a bright yellow specimen that I didn’t think was even possible, this was a gorgeous way to introduce colour, although a much smaller orchid, the large flowered plants are ‘export quality’ and normally only found at florists. The bright pink colour way is very popular and can be found anywhere, they look really beautiful with pewter and give life to rooms that are painted in neutral greys.

Enjoy these truly beautiful plants!

Al Paget

Colour

I have always had a major preoccupation with colour, as a child I would spend hours mixing paints to achieve the perfect shade as the standard colours were never quite right.

Over hundreds of buying trips I would find myself gravitating towards colour, the beautiful prints that catch your eye, the vibrant energy of colour amongst the quieter neutrals.

There is no doubt that colour affects your mood, be it in your environment or what you wear.  

Having said that, every house I have ever renovated has been painted in muted neutrals, I like to have splashes of colour in cushions and art and flowers - a beautiful vase or tray in a metallic for sheen and reflection of light.

Never underestimate the huge difference light will make on any given colour, your gorgeous pale blue in the North side of your house looks fabulous and makes the room seem airy and spacious, the same colour used on the Southern side will be chilly and maybe a little depressing.

Contrary to appearances, colour is not a property of objects, it’s rather the way our minds make sense of how our eyes perceive light.  A red apple isn’t red, any more than grass is green, What is actually happening is that when light falls on an apple that we see as ‘red’ all the wavelengths of light except the red are absorbed, while the red is reflected back to us.  Colour is, therefore akin to energy or vibration.  It is estimated we can distinguish between thousands of shales of white and near white alone, unbelievable really!!

“All colours are the friends of their neighbours and the lovers of their opposites”

— Artist Marc Chagall

A good quote to remember when thinking of a colour palette for your home, don’t try to be too clever, keep your colours simple, analogous colours (neighbours on the colour wheel) are easy on the eye and can be so subtle you barely register the difference, its just interesting. If you want to go the ‘lover’ approach this will be a bolder environment but it will still work.

Embrace colour, even if it means buying a small bunch of flowers, for yourself!!

Al Paget - Blog March 2016

HOW TO FIND YOUR STYLE →

PIPI DESIGN MARCH 2016

One of the hardest things to decide when embarking on a renovation, however small it is - what is my style??. There are so many magazines and aspirational books showcasing top decorators work not to mention Pinterest and Instagram. It’s confusing - which look do I like best? Which resonates with me? Which style would represent who I would like to be?

I did a beautiful Sydney terrace house renovation in 2009, the kitchen was sleek and modern, there was a designated place for everything, so no clutter, I loved it. However, when I moved house and rented while working on another renovation the rental kitchen had big old fashioned wide window sills which I put all my antique tea cups on and little cute pots with growing herbs, it gave me so much pleasure each morning seeing those pretty teacups, their gorgeous feminine colours and designs... I loved plucking leaves from my herb pots so easily while cooking dinner, also the greenery was calming. It really made me re-think my next kitchen design!!

It is always interesting to note that the lovely magazine shoots we drool over are so reliant on superficial styling, the colourful artfully arranged flowers, the clever photography showcasing gorgeous ‘pieces’, the pristine sparkling presentation that not one of us mere mortals would ever maintain, our children would surely knock that priceless vase over and those flowers would last 10 minutes in our hot humid summer ..... I personally do not keep my cake stands and glass bowls clustered on my kitchen island and certainly do not have three or four floral arrangements in my kitchen area either. There is a difference in finding your stye and “styling” a room.

The best way to try to whittle the endless options down is to simply immerse yourself in all magazines and books you can get your hands on and photograph or clip all the things you like - and just as importantly, do the same for the looks you don’t like. Eventually you will see a pattern emerge, it might be subtle to start, a colour palette or a combination of styles, perhaps traditional with glam or mid century modern but with a little more comfort - this will help you have a starting point at least!! Then we really do all have to consider life at home on a daily basis, sometimes the type of home we love in a magazine actually wouldn’t work for our busy families. However, we can always incorporate a coveted look or feel - tone it down and massage it to fit your home, your life. I really believe it is so important to come home to an environment that makes you feel happy and relaxed, somewhere that is a reflection of you and what you love. A sanctuary away from all the busyness of our daily lives!

Happy clipping!     Al Paget