Emerald Sighs

All interior décor buffs will be aware that ‘Pantone’s Color of the Year’ is Emerald Green.  This year’s colour really seems to have captured the collective imagination of the creatively inclined and has really hit the mark.  We certainly like it much more than some of the previous year’s difficult or insipid offerings – naturally, as we’ve always admired emerald!

How easy is this colour to use in the home?  Not easy, but used judiciously, cleverly or sparingly it can truly sparkle.  Take these examples – emerald elevates the space without overpowering, but the trick is to use it with white and naturals and add shots of other colours to add to the overall jewel-like effect. 

The first room can carry off such a confronting expanse of emerald because of the extra high ceilings and the clever use of clashing colours, quirky artifacts and eclectic furnishings prevent the whole being too sombre and serious.

The crafty chevrons on the drawers are cool without being self conscious and the fun additions of the hat, vase and flowers throw in other colour references making for a vibrant vignette.

Emerald paired with royal blue, aqua and turquoise and off-set against bright white will always work well, especially for rooms wishing to present as fresh yet sophisticated.

Like some of these looks?  For paint, try Resene Moxie or Dulux Pharoah’s Gem.  We have a fuschia bamileke feather headdress and the Aloha chair is along the same lines.  The Esmeralda bed head comes in – you guessed it! – emerald green, and check out our Boheme fabrics for some luscious patterns in emerald and a host of colours to mix and match.

Sleeping Beauty

 

 

Okay, we can’t help it, we’re getting rather festive here at Eco Chic, but as we are still in November, we don’t want to peak too soon!  That’s why we like the subtle Christmas wishes conveyed by this bedroom.

This room is not too over the top in its seasonal décor, but is certainly luxe enough for us to have high hopes for what might be left under the tree Christmas morning! 

Especially captivating is the bed - who wouldn’t want to wake up in this lavish creation! We appreciate how the decorative detail of the bedstead is allowed to shine against the pure white bed linen and complemented by the glorious Prussian blue velvet counterpane.  It’s a clever touch to add sumptuous dark blue on the bed as it saves the overall effect from being too dark and sombre and allows for the blue tone to be echoed in other furnishing items – most notably with the black desk and blue Perspex Eros chair.

The shot of shocking pink in the cute-yet-cool hot water bottle lifts the setting and adds depth and a focal point to the room, and we love the fact that it’s a hot water bottle – the good old fashioned eco way to keep warm!

Finally, how restrained and tasteful are these yuletide decorations?  The simple star hung over the bed, the bowl of baubles on the desk and fairy lights around the window add enough of a sense of anticipation to the room without going into garish plus the oh, so casual strand of perfectly placed tinsel over the end of the bed adds that touch of whimsy no Christmas should be without. 

Santa take note – this bedroom is on our wish list and we’ve been ever so good this year!



Gothic Cool or Cold and Creepy?

 

 

It’s Hallowe’en,  and our thoughts turn to the spooky and the kooky.  Hence this living room. A new and surprisingly ‘fresh’ take on the dark side of decorating, it still manages to send a clear message about the taste and lifestyle of the residents of this apartment. 

Do we like it, does it work and if so – why?

It’s easy to go over the top with a robust theme like gothic or emo, but here the use of lighter colours and unexpected touches give a ‘Gothic Lite’ result.  Black is kept to a minimum, appearing in  all the usual places such as the lamp and the fireplace -  apart from perhaps the radiator – there we can see a choice has been made to paint the radiator black and make a quiet statement. 

The white walls, floors and ceiling are actually rather uplifting and act as a clean foil to allow the hero pieces make their statement.  Same goes for the furniture – clean and modern keeps the room fresh and functional – black walls and heavy handed, dark and ornate furniture would surely have turned the room into a frightful cliché.

Decorating with skulls can be dangerous and stray into the realms of game lodge or, worse, ghost train.  Here, three skull references are made in very proximity but a touch of whimsy remains with the addition of the Staffordshire china dogs on the mantle and touches of colour in the cushions and books lighten the load.

The bookshelves are a clever idea!  Let the covers of your statement books shine, act as pieces of art in their own right – and you don’t need anywhere near as many books when they are displayed this way!  An idea to steal.

What do you think of this room – could you be comfortable and relaxed here or would you want to make a quick exit? Most of all, who does it make you think of? Rock star, writer, artist, designer or just a quirky accountant with a taste for the twilight zone?!



Tales of the Unexpected

 

 

Sometimes small adjustments can make dramatic differences.  Take this mood board featuring – in theory – very classic items.  A Persian rug, a coffee table, a wing chair and cushion, a side table.  Close your eyes, picture these pieces and a very traditional scene could present itself.  Here, simply changing colours and shapes allows a fresh interpretation of the familiar. 

·         Teal leather for the wing chair – unusual, lighter in look, perhaps more feminine than its classic tan leather counterpart.

·          Faceted gunmetal ceramic side table – more modern than the obvious asian style ceramic stool choice. 

·         Silver blue tones in the rug – selecting blues for an oriental rug rather than traditional reds takes this floor rug into the realms of contemporary glamour.

·         Circular coffee table – round and with a marble top is much less predictable than a rectangular wooden coffee table and deftly injects a cool crispness into the grouping.

Feel like something contemporary yet classic?  Eco Chic can help.  We can upholster the Yarra armchair in teal leather; the Facet stool has a similar silvery, angled style; the slate Maroc rug has silver blue tones in an exotic pattern or search on line for Turkish rugs; the Palermo accent table comes with a white marble top and can be custom ordered round.    

 

Bathing Beauty

We are wallpaper fans at Eco Chic, as it’s a very effective way of transforming a room without structural changes. Just think of the dramatic results achieved by wallpapers offering such things as faux brick finishes, library shelves and scenic vistas. 

Alternatively, more subtle changes can be brought about with an unusual wallpaper creatively used, as shown in this bathroom from House Beautiful. 

Such a dominant wallpaper isn’t an obvious choice for a small space, but one of the golden rules of decorating is to use large scale features in small rooms as it opens them up and lends an air of grandeur.  The sprawling botanic design of this paper is beautifully complemented by the dark tone of the ornate mirror and flattered by the charming floral arrangement displayed in a mercury glass vessel. 

The neutrality of the marble vanity works well with the duck egg blue tones of the wallpaper, providing contrast as well as crispness.  And of course the white touches in the lampshades and towels provide a bit of light relief. 

What do you think of this Cole & Son Orchid wallpaper – bravely botanical or boldly brash? Does it make the room and break the mould or is it not to your taste?  Do tell!

Did you know?  Eco Chic can source and supply wallpaper for you?  Seen something you love and want - just e mail us and we will assist!



Take a Leaf

Flowers are considered luxuries but perhaps should be viewed as essentials.  They are so uplifting and add such a fresh dimension to a room that, really, life should include flowers.

However, this time of year they aren’t so easy to pick from the garden and are expensive from the florist.  What about alternative solutions?  Here at Eco Chic we have always loved working with what’s at hand, and we have such lush tropical foliage here in Australia, why not use it to its best advantage?  Cut a few fronds from the garden or beg / borrow / steal some from a friend, artfully arrange in a big glass vase or funky vessel and you can add a whole new dimension to your living space!  Here are a few rooms we love that are doing just that – do you love too?

Keeping It Clean

A crisp and deceptively simple living room – is it clean and classic or cold and calculated?

·    Without the bold art and even bolder mantelpiece arrangement, this room would be almost unremarkable.  Further proof that Drama is in the Details

·    Blocks of solid tone anchor the room and prevent it from becoming too washed out; without the dark armchair and coffee table it would be a very blank space indeed

·    Pendant lights are always scene stealers and this one is no exception, stylish and simple it adds sparkle to the space

·    We love a fireplace and this one is a beauty – but how much nicer would this room be with a fire blazing away?!  A fire would light up the room, warm up the space and take this living area from sophisticated to stunning!

Like this look?  We have suggestions... Paloma stool is along these lines, ethnic and exciting.  The Lily sofa is gorgeous in pale linen. A large Isla coffee table would look great on a big, pale rug. Try the Parker lounge chair in charcoal velvet if you like the studded look. Our yellow Thorn Glass Vases look fabulous clustered along a mantle.  Finally, the Christina pendant is clear glass and eye catching or ask about our Custom Pendants.