Winter Colour Report | Your Home and Garden

The latest Your Home and Garden magazine is on the news stands, and I'm thrilled to have another colour story featured in it. This time it focusses on the hottest colours for the cool winter months.

Written in association with PPG Architectural Coatings, I share some handy tips and PPG Paint colours.

I also write the monthly "Nook of the Month", and this issue is a beauty. It was lovely to read in the front of the latest Your Home and Garden magazine how previous "Nooks" had inspired a couple of readers to create their own - that's awesome! If you haven't already, make sure you pick up your own copy, I'm sure you'll be inspired too.

From Fashion to Home

"Colour is key to creating your style, be it in the home or on the catwalk". I am in total agreement with these wise words from the team at Dulux, who collaborated with two amazing Australian fashion labels as part of the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival. Dulux teamed up with Gorman and Romance Was Born to combine the latest fashion and interior trends.

As you can see from previous posts, here and here, I love the crossover between the world of interiors and fashion. So I've taken a couple of New Zealand designers, Karen Walker and Trelise Cooper, and trawled through my Pinterest living rooms board to create these matches.

If you ever need inspiration for your interiors, look in your wardrobe or flick through a fashion magazine. You'll find clothes with colours and textures that you're drawn to, try including these into your home to reflect your style.

DIY Inspiration

If I'm being perfectly honest I'm not really that crafty! I'm pretty good at drawing but don't let me near a sewing machine. But I am constantly inspired by all the amazing DIY projects that you can find on the internet. I plan to regularly bring you some of my favourites - ones that I feel I could have a go at, and I'd love to see your photos if you tackle any of them.

Amy Moss, author of Eat Drink Chic, is a super clever graphic designer who often posts gorgeous DIY and free downloadable projects on her blog. These delightful printable donuts are multi-purpose. Here Amy has used them as a gift topper and a cute garland, pop over to see how she also turned them into a memory game and a party favour.

The geometric craze is far from over and with the magic of masking tape you can create a really cool painted pattern on your walls. This top one is quite random, or you could be more precise and create a gorgeous harlequin pattern.

Bri Emery is another blogger who frequently posts awesome things for you to make. We have a couple of skate board enthusiasts in our home, and Dael & I have also used skate boards on the wall to decorate a kid's bedroom we designed. So Bri's idea to 'pimp' her skate board with fabric definitely appeals to me. See how she does it here.

I also like the idea of having a paper roll hanger. Perfect for a shopping list or menu planner, or a constant paper supply for your little artists. I'd love to have my paper that I use to wrap all my Cush & Nooks' orders easily accessible like this. Both ideas are simple to achieve - one uses hooks and wooden dowels, and is attached to the inside of a cupboard so it can be closed away; the other eyelet hooks and rope.

One of my favourite projects is this yummy striped tablecloth from Oh Happy Day. Created simply by using a beige linen tablecloth (or you could hem some linen fabric), fabric paint and masking tape. The trick is to use the masking tape to paint straight lines first, and then add a final loose brush stroke down each side for that lovely imperfect look.

What do you think - would you give any of these ideas a go? If you do, please send me photos, I'd love to see your results.

Colour Writing | Your Home and Garden

Three of my favourite things are interior design, colour, and glossy magazines. So you can imagine how excited I am to be able to bring all three of these things together - I'm working with Your Home and Garden as a colour writer, and my first feature appeared in the March issue which is out now.

This feature focusses on renovations, and how important it is to work out your colour scheme before you get started. As I said in the article, colour can dramatically change the feel of a home and express it's owner's personality. We bring you four very different colour themes to help you with your choice. Each theme includes paint colours chosen from the PPG Paints range, as well as tips and advice from me.

Photography courtesy of bauersyndication.com.au

If you haven't already, make sure you pick up a copy of Your Home and Garden, it's packed full of inspiration. And keep your eye out for the next issue which will feature a new page, also written by me, called "Nook of the Month". Each month a little-used or under appreciated corner of a home will feature, and I'll share some ideas on how to use the nook in a new way.

Painted Walls

Phew, it's been a massive week for me! I've got a lot of exciting jobs on the go, and last night Dael & I held our first Bibby + Brady styling evening (more about that later). I'm on major catch-up mode now, even though all I feel like doing is curling up with a good book and chilling. I hope you all have a fabulous Friday and weekend ahead of you. I'll leave you with some beautifully painted walls. I hope it inspires you to be daring and get creative.

make a feature of your bed by painting a wide stripe behind it

yellow & gray are a perfect match, and this clever use of paint highlights the fire and adds to the warmth

a bit of masking tape and a lot of creativity can get you amazing results

more subtle, but oh so pretty in these soft tones

Introducing Chalk Paint™ decorative paint

With my frequent travels throughout the cyber world, I have recently become aware of a unique and fascinating product called Chalk Paint™ decorative paint. This amazing paint was developed by paint legend, Annie Sloan, over 20 years ago. Not chalkboard paint or paint with chalk added to it, Chalk Paint™ was named for it's velvety matt, almost chalky finish.

One of the things that really appeals to me about this paint is that it's extremely user-friendly and rarely requires any preparation such as sanding or priming. You can use it indoors and outdoors, and on just about any surface - wood, metal, matte plastic, terracotta... You can use it on furniture, walls, ceiling and floors, and it contains no lead and has no odour - sounds fantastic!

The great news for all of us down-under is that it has just been launched in New Zealand so we'll all be able to experience the brilliance! I was thrilled to receive a copy of Annie's latest book 'Colour Recipes for Painted Furniture and More' this week. Packed with 40 step-by-step projects, this book shows you how to update tired furniture and transform your home.

Working with her own range of paints, Annie teaches us how to work with colour and undertake projects in lots of different styles, from French to Swedish, Boho Chic to Modern Contemporary.

Annie has chosen her palette of colours carefully, inspired by 18th and 20th century décor and design. They range from soft, pale hues to bright, vivid tones. My favourites are the blue and green tones, in particular 'Florence' - found in neoclassical Italian and French interiors, this sophisticated colour springs from copper green minerals and malachite.

These delightful kitchen chairs are one of the projects outlined in the book. Annie wanted to introduce some colour to help brighten up the dark kitchen, and shows us exactly how she achieved the look.

My absolute favourite project is this gorgeous painted and gilded bed. By painting the bed Antibes Green then gilding the central laurel leaves, Annie has created a divine centrepiece for the room.

Close behind the bed is this spectacular copper leaf bath. Copper leaf is layered over my favourite Florence paint, which is similar to the colour of verdigris - perfect!

As well as the paint you can purchase everything else you might need to create these works of art - loose leaf copper, brass & aluminium; soft wax to achieve a subtle sheen as well as protection and durability; the most delicious looking, pure bristle paint brushes; and more. The leaf is due to to be launched in Australia soon, so I'm sure it will be available in new Zealand soon too.

Make sure you visit one of our local stockists and try Chalk Paint™ for yourself. And if you do, please send me photos, I'd love to see how you've used it.

Get This Look

When Rachelle Francey, editor of online kids' magazine, La Petite, wanted her home office transformed, she looked to her cousin, Kirsten Grove, for help. Kirsten helped create a gorgeous space where Rachelle could hold work meetings, as well as day to day activities related to the running of her business.

The wallpaper, subtle with a hint of metallic, is understated glamour, and allows the salmon pink ceiling to be the hero. Here's how to achieve a similar look...

Kaj Franck enamel heart bowl | Marimekko black & white bowl | Resene Contessa paint | Coco pendant light | Graham & Brown 'Darcy' wallpaper | Replica Eames DAW chair | Saw horse table