Colour scheme
Think pink A pink-heavy room might sound like a child’s Barbie-themed dream, but change the tone from bright to dusty, and pink suddenly makes an elegant entrance. Keep at least one area plain, as was done with the floor here; a pale grey rug forms the background for this bold suite and patterned wallpaper. Ramp up the rosy saturation even further with matching woodwork in a more muted tone.
Centrestage If you have a large walk-in closet with a sizeable chunk of unused space smack bang in the middle of the room, put the spot to good use by filling it with an island bench, as seen in this roomy wardrobe. The multitasking island houses several drawers, a large benchtop and a cushioned seat where you can sit comfortably while you put on shoes or plan your outfit for the day.
Baby pink and blue Pantone’s somewhat controversial decision to showcase not one, but two colours for this year’s Colour of the Year, seems a natural place to kick-start our pair ups. The thought leaders in colour have predicted that sweet pink ‘Rose Quartz’ and soft purplish-blue ‘Serenity’ are going to be big colours for this year, bringing light and peace into our lives over more oppressive hues such as Marsala red (Pantone’s pick last year).
How to apply Wildland colours in your home This colour palette embraces organic imperfections and should be paired with raw materials such as brown leathers, natural timber pieces and fur throws. DESIGNER TIP: Consider using up to two colours on a wall. You can choose to have your accent colour up the top or the bottom of the wall, as both effects are interesting and effective. You could use a light grey such as ‘Lexicon’ (always a wonderful alternative to white) next to your accent colour so it doesn’t look too stark. At the top of this image we can see the ‘Powdered Gum,’ in the centre we can see the ever popular ‘Lexicon,’ and going further down is the ‘Manorburn Double’ and ‘Tuparoa.’ DESIGNER TIP: Grey muted tones create a calming atmosphere and also complement most other colours. Create more interest with these greys through texture.
Embrace the Australian landscape Wildland, the first of the four colour palettes, was a creative collaboration with Edwards Moore. It showcases colours from across the spectrum of the Australian landscape, from the arid deserts and wild bushland all the way to our icy peaks.
Earthwerks Nature Pallet
How to apply Earthwerks colours in your homeWhen pairing materials with this theme, keep it natural. Enhance raw timbers with beeswax and keep your eye out for brown leather furniture or decor, as this leather works well with the green tones. Brown can also apply to metallics, a design trend that is still huge and I am glad to say is not going anywhere. As you can see in this living room, metallics have been used in the light fixture, base of the arm chair and the top of the coffee table. The subtle shine of metallics provides some elegance to this earthy palette. This palette features tonal and varied hues of greens and blues that will bring a serene feeling to your home so it becomes a sanctuary for you to enjoy and really relax in. Again, we see this connection with nature pushing this palette forward and are urged to enhance this by using texture in furnishings.
Nature The final palette from the Bonnie and Neil collaboration is Earthwerks, which follows our society’s interest in reducing our impact environmentally. Dulux predicts this palette to be the most popular – pointing to the popularity of everything from gardening shows on TV to product design in Europe as evidence people are feeling the need to reconnect with nature on a personal level.
Notice that the two different tones of wood don't clash and that the paint doesn't either.
The good thing about light palettes of grey is that they are neutral enough to accompany your favourite colours.
Note how paint goes right to the slanted ceiling.
Note how the grey paint has been taken right up to the ceiling on the slanted roof.
I like it. Painting the wall a bold call 3/4 of the way up and painting the top of the wall white, makes the wall fade into the ceiling and makes it feel more light and cosy rather than dark and cavernous?
Metallic switches.
I don't mind that splash-back. I also like the purplish pipe, the floor and the fruit.
I like the foliage in the vase and the rough texture of the wood of the table.
I love the green of this chair.
This is a we'll put together room. Notice how the couches are different colours. White couches have blue-grey pillows and blue-grey couches have white pillows and throws. The couch colour also is similar to the wall colour. The white is also repeated in the photo frames, curtains, candles, cup, carpet and lampshade. Black is repeated throughout the room too, in the bookcases, tables, cabinet, photo frames, carpet and boxes. Brown is repeated throughout the room in the floor, ornaments and books. Personally I would also add a few green plants around. This room would need a lot of good lighting to prevent it feeling too dark. The window in the photo would help but it seems that a large unseen window to the left is also helping bring in natural light. I could do something like this in my living room and add a TV to the right where a couch is. Alternatively I could have a projector that comes down.
Note bookcase, niche, floor and ceiling.
I like the makeup station and the free standing bath.
Go With the Grain: If your many different woods all have a prominent grain, try keeping the patterns similar and retain the "mood" of the room. (In general, larger wood grains read more casual, while finer grain signal formality.) Here, the various pieces of wood all have a different finish, but the open, rustic nature of the wood makes it work across the board.
Use color to tie a mix of two wood finishes together. This photo is a great example of how you can tie two different woods, finishes and styles together. The traditional table and more country cupboard work well because of the accent color. Add a color, like the blue used in this gorgeous dining room, to both pieces. For a coffee table or accent table, add color to the top through accents.
Purposely contrast the floor and the furniture to make an impact. Pair light wood floors with furniture that has a deep chocolate stain. The dark pieces do not have to match; they should complement each other.
Create a mood. The juxtaposition of very warm and very light woods can create a seaside feel that is light and airy. You can also choose to go more country or rustic with more natural elements.
Change the style of a room by adding mixed wood finishes. If your style has changed from strictly contemporary to a more rustic look, you do not have to give up your bed frame! Soften a modern bed frame by adding light distressed wood side tables. The linen hemp pillows on the bed tie the look together.
When mixing woods, go for varying textures. Add lighter, more rustic wood pieces or accents in with your sleek wood floors to add interest to the space, or add sleek, modern dark furniture in with your rustic knotty pine floors. The contrast in texture will add interest and dimension to your room.
Repeat your accent wood at least twice. Here you can see that the homeowners took the darker shade of wood that is used on the window frames and repeated it with the dark wood chairs. Repetition is key, but to know when to stop, follow the the 80/20 rule I talked about here. Resist the urge to add too many shades of wood into your space by keeping the main shade (which is usually the floor in most cases) in about 80% of the design, then adding about 20% of the accent color. This will maintain balance in the space and make it visually appealing.
START WITH AN ANCHOR PIECE An easy way to create impact is by using a larger piece of wood furniture, such as a coffee table or buffet, as your starting point and mixing in two to three contrasting wood tones around it. You can always experiment by switching out wood accessories to see what appeals to you.
Look for Common Undertones when mixing wood. As you can see in the picture below, the shades of wood vary from light to dark, but the thing they have in common is that they share the same rich, warm, reddish undertone. What you don’t see is any cool, grey wood undertones here, or any light blonde shades of wood either.
SOFTEN THE MIX WITH A RUG When you’ve got a lot of legs in various wood tones, give them common ground with an area rug. A rug also helps to create a soothing transition between the furniture and wood floor.
CREATE CONTINUITY WITH ACCENT COLOR If you’re worried your mismatched wood grains have gotten out of hand, tie the different finishes and styles together with an accent color. We used our accessories — throw pillows, lamp shade and stools — to create a harmonious flow through color.
PICK A DOMINANT WOOD TONE Nothing says you have to go crazy mixing wood tones, especially if you’re feeling a bit out of your element. Here, the neutral, graywash stain of the wall adds just enough contrast while letting the dramatic, dark painted wood pieces and accessories in the room really anchor the space.
CREATE A HARMONIOUS BALANCE To prevent your room from looking lopsided, balance different wood finishes throughout your space. Here, the dark-stained furniture grounds the room, allowing the whitewashed elements to have a greater contrast for an airy effect.
Go for High Contrast. One dark wood focal piece in a space when all the other wood in the room is much lighter really makes an impact! Imagine if the table was the same shade as the floor and the chairs? They would blend together and look bland, don’t you think? Read more at http://www.remodelaholic.com/mix-wood-tones-pro/#OiP9zBoW6AHWLA0Q.99
Furnishings can get lost against the backdrop of a similarly toned wood floor. Break up the monotony by pairing dark furniture with flooring that has a lighter stain — as we did here — or vice versa.
Furnishings can get lost against the backdrop of a similarly toned wood floor. Break up the monotony by pairing light furniture with flooring that has a darker stain — as we did here — or vice versa.
Furnishings can get lost against the backdrop of a similarly toned wood floor. Break up the monotony by pairing light furniture with flooring that has a darker stain — as we did here — or vice versa.
If you choose pieces with more than two wood stains, bounce them around the room and repeat one more than once so they communicate a master plan at work.
Think in Layers. Layered interiors look curated over time. It’s fine to mix a dark stain with a graywash or a blonde wood with a walnut stain. Most importantly avoid mixing intense yellow undertones with red undertones, and instead opt for a common brown undertone to unite.
The same is true for dark stained floors, when they’re underfoot they ground a space and you can mix a different stain wood above.
I love this dining room! I think it works because of the contrast between the rough and straight lines/edges; the large expanse of white nearby acting as a negative space and contrasting with the wood; the table runner, vase and plant breakup the wood on wood look; and because of the brown-orange, purple and green/yellow colour scheme. I would probably also want some more purple, green and a to lesser extent yellow splashed around nearby as well.
Q