Thursday, April 28, 2011

Colour and Design Trends 2011


I am doing some research on trends at the moment and find it quite interesting that there is not a 'go to' person, website or blog that pulls all the trend information together and presents it to the public in a cohesive manner.



I have trauled through google using various key words and I have tried visiting blogs to find links to other blogs that might discuss this but all my efforts seem fruitless.


Yes I know there are lots of 'trend forecasters' that have information on consumer trends and yes I have found that there is endless information on fashion trends, but what about design, colour, interiors and decor?


So I think I have two things to say... firstly, is google really structuring its search engine effectively? and secondly, why has nobody (that I know of) created a colour and design trend website?



I will be posting information on trends as I collate it and hopefully I can make some of sense of the various elements I find.



To start us off... a report from Milan 'Salone del Mobile' has been posted on trends.voyce with a taster of what is happening over there.















Click here to read the full article

Sunday, March 27, 2011

DesignEx Melbourne 2011

Its that time of year again. When all designers head to designEx (this year it is in melbourne) for fun, forcasts, freebies and forums. It is on from 13-15th April at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. As a trade only event, deisgnEX offers information on all the latest trends and products. Hopefully there will be some interesting things to report. Unfortunately I won't be getting there this year, however I will be holding out for Saturday InDesign in August in Sydney. The dates are 19&20th of August if you want to put it in your diary now.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Favourite quotes

I have collated some of my favourite quotes that I am considering for a business card and/or website. Please comment - and let me know what you think!

  1. Our opportunity, as designers, is to learn how to handle the complexity, rather than shy away from it, and to realize that the big art of design is to make complicated things simple.
    — Tim Parsey
  2. The quality of any creative endeavor tends to approach the level of taste of whoever is in charge.
    — John Gruber
  3. Color is a creative element, not a trimming.
    — Piet Zwart
  4. A good designer may not have all the answers, but he knows which questions to ask.
    — Rudy Duke
  5. Life beats down and crushes the soul, and art reminds you that you have one.
    — Stella Adler
  6. The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.
    — Neil Gaiman
  7. The landscape belongs to the person who looks at it - Ralph Waldo Emerson
  8. The silence of nature is very real. It surrounds you . . . you can feel it.
    - Ted Trueblood
  9. We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts.
    - William Hazlett
  10. A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.
    — Frank Capra
  11. There is something of the marvelous in all things of nature.
    - Aristotle

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

India's Colour celebration

What a lovely idea, and such a beautiful celebration of something so pure and vibrant that you can't help but smile. Colour. This image just makes me want to be there, surrounded by colour and HAPPY!
People in India have painted the streets in vibrant colour during the annual Holi festival, also known as the Festival of Colours, to celebrate the begining of spring.

Read the full story here

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Design Seminars

Home Ideas Centre is a great resource for design related seminars in Sydney. Each topic is run approximately once a month and is a great opportunity for learning, gathering and sharing information as well as networking. Some categories include:

- Architect talks
- Kitchen design
- Bathroom design
- Landscape design
- Interior Design

But best of all, most of them are free!

Find out more here

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Brighten your interior up

Just a quick one...


This is a lovely idea posted by ddffaaa on Apartment Therapy. Brighten up the rainy days with something that makes you smile.




Read the full story here

Painting tip

I was at a Resene talk the other night and found out a really interesting fact.



On a paint roller, the soft part that slides on the roller is called a roller nap. There is a misconception amongst some painters and DIYers that the thicker the Nap the more paint you can hold and therefore the quicker you can do it, and the less coats you need.



This is wrong!



Because the thick nap holds more paint it is more likely to create an uneven and irregular finish.



Bunnings explains it well here:
Roller sleeves are sold in short, medium and long nap lengths. A short nap, usually about 5 to 8mm deep, does not hold as much paint as the others, but is the best kind to use with glossy paint since it leaves a thin, very smooth coating. The all-purpose medium nap, about 8 - 12mm deep, holds any type of paint well and produces a soft-looking stippled effect. The pile of a long nap, about 20mm, works a heavy load of paint into the irregularities of a textured, damaged or extremely porous surface, and can create a deeply stippled effect on any surface.


This is particularly important with high gloss paints and metallic finishes.

Design for Bushfire safety


I was reading a steel magazine "Stramit" about the RAL kit houses which are not only designed to be energy efficient, and easy to construct but have a high tolerance to surviving bushfires. Two RAL homes survived bushfires in the Grampians intact which was a great surprise to the firefighters who expected them to be in ruins.


I am impressed to see such an innovative Australian design, the only shame is that they aren't particularly attractive from the outside.


You can read more about their products here.

Image source: ralhomes.com.au

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Colour personality

I didn't know a person could have a colour personality! but according to the Resene website you can. I took a short quiz about colours, shapes, preferences in a home etc and the result was my primary is a Spring Personality and my secondary is a Summer Personality.


A spring Personality is:

Spring is the time for warm weather, sunshine, young lambs, fresh flowers and springcleaning. Not surprisingly Spring colour personalities love daylight and prefer airy homes with lots of windows and natural light.

Colours are fresh, bright, clean and warm complemented by light coloured wood. Furniture, cushions and decorative accessories have rounded corners, making them easy on the eye and easy to live with. A tendency towards greenfingers means Spring homes are generally home to numerous well tended indoor plants.

Springs aren't afraid to get stuck in and get their hands dirty. Hardworking and practical, they love getting a bargain. Springs are sociable and enthusiastic with lots of energy and flexibility. Extroverted and friendly, they tend to make new friends easily, though will avoid weighty issues and conflict where they can. Springs are quick thinkers so if they do find themselves in conflict they can normally negotiate their way back out of it! Their easygoing sociable nature often makes them look and seem younger than their age. Spring homes are usually contemporary, modern and well kept - must be the springcleaning tendencies!

The nature colours we associate with Spring are reflected in the Spring palette. Yellows dominate the Spring palette, reminiscent of fresh flowers and sunlight and act as undertones across the palette embuing a sense of warmth. Dark colours and blacks are banished. Warm neutrals in hues of light greys, creams, ivories and beiges act as the backdrop in place of pure white. Fresh crisp greens reflect the green of young leaves. Reds have pink undertones.
Springs love conservatories and rooms where they can bridge the gap between inside and out. French doors, large sliding doors and pristine lightweight curtains maximise sunlight.


  • Sociable, welcoming, informal.
  • Contemporary, airy, light, basking in sunlight.
  • Warm, bright and clear palette.
  • Windows and window treatments designed to maximise natural sunlight, soft curtains or blinds likely.
  • Small floral patterns and gingham checks - picnic feel.
  • Accessories include glass and crystal, coloured or clear, brass and golden finishes such as gilded objects. Room to display keepsakes important.
  • Watercolour artworks keep the look fresh, clean and bright.
  • Textures and fabrics are soft, often translucent to play with the sunlight.
  • Light woods, avoids chunky furniture as they reduce the sense of space.
  • Greenfingered, fresh flowers, pot plants commonplace.
And a Summer Personality is:

Hot sun, cool breezes and the haven of shade under trees are all associated with Summer. lowers fresh in spring start to burn under the relentness heat of the sun, grass turns from lush green to muddier lighter tones and heat rising off land results in a haze softening the scene beyond. This softening of hues is reflected in the Summer palette packed with cool colours softened back with grey undertones.

Close to nature, blues and greens are important in the Summer palette, with blue often being the favourite colour perhaps contrasted with soft pinks and yellows. Oranges are banished from the palette - too hot to sit comfortably with the cool palette. The Summer palette is subtle. Primary colours are greyed off eliminating the clean brightness of the original hues. Neutrals are drawn from soft greys, taupes, oysters and whites for a cooling touch. Creams are too warm to suit the summer palette. Decorating is cool, elegant and understated.

Combining with the softened palette, furniture and furnishings have curved edges. Patterns are subtle, if present at all.

Summers are the perfect host, calm and collected, with everything planned down to the minute details - events at a Summer home will generally be elegant and run smoothly. Summer homes are usually tidily kept and are more formal than a Spring home because of the perfectionist tendencies of Summers. Lofty ceilings, well proportioned rooms and careful architectural detailing including coving between floor and ceiling are considered important. Dark beams running across a ceiling or low ceilings will make a Summer feel boxed in. Balance and order is important in colour selection, room detailing and accessory positioning.

Summers are nurturing, comfortable looking after guests and family, possibly appearing cool to outsiders until they are part of the circle of friends. Highly perceptive they will notice small details that others may not and act as natural peacemakers working in the background to keep harmony. Practicality mixed with a reserved nature means that classic elegance, traditional decorating, antiques, fine china, music and the arts is more comfortable to a Summer than modernity and sophistication. The appreciation of these elements will be incorporated into a Summer's home in hanging embroidery works, musical instruments, such as a piano, and so on.
The touches of formality lend an overall air of elegance - quiet and restrained. Delicate luxurious fabrics and vases of traditional roses or fresh summer flowers reinforce the elegant atmsophere.



  • Elegant, classic, antiques, touches of formality, reserved.
  • Well proportioned spaces, architectural detailing and finishing touches important.
  • Everything has a place.
  • Softened palette influenced with undertones of grey to cool the hues.
  • Furniture - formal and classic, draws on the traditional.
  • Accessories influenced by the past with traditional styled glass, ornaments and lamps.
  • Artistic - impressionist paintings, traditional works, fine china.
  • Window treatments are traditional, decorative, often encompassing trimmings, pelmets, tiebacks.
  • Textures are delicate, luxurious quality silks; patterns may be floral or scenes.

Check it out for yourself and see what your Colour Personality is

Take the Resene Colour Me test here

Resene iPhone app

Just had to quickly share with you a new app I came across today. The Resene products - iSwatch and Colourmatch.


If you're a fan of colour, a decorator, designer, colour consultant or stylist - this could be your new best friend.