From Babies To Young Adults

Need help to create a special place for kids? Here are some ideas to help you to achieve a look that your child can grow with.

We all want our newborn to have the perfect nursery; but how to cover all bases from baby to teenager? Unless you can afford to change the décor every couple of years; you are most likely looking to decorate with a décor your child can grow with, and use temporary decorating tricks like adding removable wall decals as their interests change. (Think love hearts, butterflies, super heroes, sports stars.)

If you want smart and timeless you can’t go wrong with a  black and white base theme.  For small windows use white Roman shades framed with black window architraves then add combinations of black and white furniture; finished off with pops of colour in scatter cushions and upholstered pieces. For a full length window use a plain neutral light coloured fabric for curtains and toning slimline pelmet.  Or use a combination of roller blinds for blocking out light teamed with full length sheer curtains.  Remember that a child’s bedroom may amass lots of toys in bright colours that will add the colourful element to a neutral décor.

This neutral room can easily be changed as your child grows…

Cover a wall with a big picture mural, vinyl decals or posters. Add décor that reflects your child’s interests or where you live.

A beach theme always looks fabulous for coastal living and suits both sexes. Blue and white is not gender specific, is easy to live with and always fresh and crisp. Add oars and bold stripes for a masculine look. For a feminine look add a chandelier light fitting – little girls and big girls love them! Then just add favourite colours in cushions and accessories.

Your teenage daughter may not want the cute pink and purple love hearts and butterflies she used to crave…how about a chic sophisticated Parisian look? A sleek Roman blind in black with some diamante bling along the lower edge, teamed with sheer black side drapes pulled back in a dramatic sweep held in place with a gorgeous tassel tieback –maybe puddle the sheer on the floor for added drama? Add a glass top desk, acrylic Louis chair, chandelier light and some French poster prints – Voila!
Prefer New York? Change the posters to the Manhattan skyline, Times Square or any other iconic Big Apple image. Add a picture of the iconic Yellow Cab and some splashes of yellow in scatter cushions.

London? Add the Union Jack as a scatter cushion, posters of a red London Bus, red telephone box…you get the idea!

When your teenage son has outgrown the Super heroes and Thomas the Tank Engine look, he needs a very cool but masculine and stylish room! Striped Roman blinds with a pelmet in a plain fabric (pick out one of the colours in the stripes) is a look that is timeless. A bedhead or headboard in a coordinated fabric finishes off the décor.
There are heaps of fabulous geometric and retro prints available too – you will be spoilt for choice!

Teenagers need their own space; and how to incorporate a study area as well as some casual living space can be a dilemma in a small bedroom.

Think about using a day bed that can double as a hang out area.  For a corner space use two simple upholstered bedhead panels attached at right angles to the walls to provide something to lean against; add some funky cushions and you have an instant chill out area.

Upholstered Bed Heads are a fantastic and very inexpensive way to make the transition between ages.  I regularly changed the bed heads in both my children’s bedrooms for a quick and easy facelift. If you keep the window coverings neutral then you can go all out on the bedhead – bright bold stripes, pretty soft dimity prints, dramatic animal prints – anything at all will go with a neutral base décor. As the fabric required is so minimal, an expensive fabric can be used without the finished product blowing your budget. If you want the room converted to a guest room, just replace with a stylish bed head and add coordinating scatter cushions.

Happy decorating!

By Coleen Radford

This time of the year everybody is a bit over winter and eagerly awaiting the first warm sunny days of spring!  We’ve cocooned ourselves over the chilly months, creating cosy spaces in our homes. Now it’s almost time to open up the house and embrace the outdoors again!

Bring the garden into your home with green – the new colour movement across all home wares.  If you are confident with colour, mix different shades of green with white – a simple but stunning combination!  Or, begin with a rug, and then layer your room from the floor up. Bring softness into your home with fabrics – curtains, upholstery, cushions, throws.

Sheer curtains filter the bright summer light, creating a restful ambience and look gorgeous with the gentle breeze softly billowing the hems….

Scaled up florals are ideal for bringing nature indoors. Use them also on a statement chair, ottoman or bedhead.
As always comfort is key; tactile fabrics enhance the experience. Cushions with embroidery detail provide a tactile and folksy touch.

You don’t have to completely redecorate to achieve a summery look – be selective and choose one colour that will inject new interest into your room. Repeat the colour in various shades and patterns.
Mix up the patterns in the same colour palette for an original décor, team large scale floral print curtains with a bold chevron stripe on an ottoman or cushion – the effect is Wow!

Orange is still a strong decorating colour – team with naturally warm timber tones.

Fifty shades of blue – from royal, marine and cobalt to pastel, sky and powder – blues are perennial favourites and never go out of style.  Classic blue and white works so well in Beach Hamptons style décor. For a masculine touch work the blues together with sleek, modern feature pieces in black.

My secret ingredient for redecorating has always been to have at least one piece of furniture with a provenance. It provides an intriguing talking point and anchors the room with a history that brings intangible layers to your décor, to create an inviting and welcoming home. A room with brand new everything is not relaxing and inviting. Redecorate slowly. Try moving pieces from room to room. I have a dressing table that has done duty in bedrooms, living area and a hallway!

If you need any guidance with selecting fabrics for spring / summer decorating – we are here to help! Call Spring Crest on (07) 55922200

By Coleen Radford

Your home office should be the most inspiring room in your house. When designing your own home office, see yourself as a client –it takes the emotion out and demystifies the process. As our lives get busier, home offices and study nooks are becoming essential to our homes and lifestyle. From juggling the kids’ homework schedules to balancing the budget, late night Skype sessions to social media fixes, our needs for a dedicated work space are as diverse as the spaces we call a study!

Work in layers when designing a space. Think architecturally first: choices for walls and floors and windows. If using an existing space think about window coverings before you mentally position the furniture. Do you want the desk under the window? Do you have a view you want to face? Then work your way down to the tiniest detail. Prevent a mishmash looking space by sticking to a colour and pattern palette.

Don’t forget to dress the windows! This decision should be made when considering the lighting. You don’t want glare from outside bouncing on your computer screen, nor into your eyes if you face the window.

The best window covering is one that diffuses direct light and allows you to control the natural light as the sun moves. Plantation Shutters or Venetian Blinds are an excellent choice as the light can be controlled by tilting the blades. If the window is long, consider covering only the lower half and allowing natural light to spill in from the top. Roman blinds look smart and sleek, and are a way of introducing colour, pattern and texture to the décor. The fabric can also be coordinated back to other soft furnishing elements in the room such as scatter cushions, or an upholstered piece of furniture.

Tip: Create a room scheme using Pinterest or a mood board as your facilitator before you start buying. The key aspects to any home office design should also include: Storage and Organisation. If everything in your home office has its own place, work life automatically becomes more streamlined.

It's a simple way to make sure everything is systemised and looking beautiful. Consider adding extra cabinetry, file draws or bookshelves.

Technology. This is an integral part of the home office. Using things such as cable covers, cable trays and printer trays will allow your technology to work seamlessly in your space. Making your home office as wireless as possible is the priority in any modern workspace. Lighting. Both ambient and task lighting are necessary for functional and aesthetics uses. Consider a mixture of overhead light, table lamps and adequate natural light.

Personality (colour). Personal preference will dictate how much of your personality you choose to inject in your office space.

Some may prefer clean and simple spaces, while others like to incorporate a splash of colour and character. The influence of colour in a home office can't be ignored. Shades of blue create a feeling of calm; the vibrancy of red can feel quite dramatic; while yellow tones are happy and signify communication.

If you’re in an environment where having a strong sense of balance is the most important, green might just be the colour that makes you the most productive. Whites - White is good to use in a small space, since it gives an airy quality.

Using white in a room of blues and greens makes the room feel more open and spacious.

Interestingly, it is not a colour itself that affects your behaviour, it’s how intense a colour is that affects how you respond to it. What defines whether a colour is stimulating or soothing is not the colour, it’s the intensity. A strong bright colour will stimulate, and a colour with low saturation will soothe. Still can’t decide where to start with colour? A very cool decorating trick is to start with whiteboard paint. It looks as fresh and crisp as regular interior paint; with the added advantage of being able to write on it, erase and write again. A whole wall of whiteboard paint goes with everything....

By Coleen Radford

Used cleverly, fabric walls can add a mysterious element to your home décor. Fabric is a great way to discreetly divide a room space without building a wall; or buying a specific piece of furniture to visually achieve the illusion of two spaces within one. It is also a very clever decorating tool for small spaces.

Firstly, decide what you want to visually achieve. Do you want to still see through your fabric wall, have light filter through the fabric? If so, then you need to select a sheer fabric. Depending on the sheerness of the fabric will determine how much fullness, gathering or pleating you need. Or, do you want a solid fabric that is not transparent? Next, how are you going to attach the fabric? Top fixed to the ceiling; or if using the fabric on an internal glass wall or window it could be face fitted to the window frame.

What type of track do you want your fabric panels / curtains to hang from? S Fold or Ripple Fold track top fixed to the ceiling has a discreet barely there look – the eye is not drawn to the track, but rather to the fabric. Or maybe you prefer a bold metal eyelet heading along the top of the fabric? In some situations the track can be hidden altogether – think using the fabric as a “door” on a closet or cupboard. 

Now I am going to give you some ideas to get you thinking outside the solid décor square - start thinking how to use fabric differently and creatively!

Dividing a bedroom so the sleeping area (bed) is visually separated from study / sitting area. Think parents retreat or studio bedroom. Great solution to darken the sleeping area from the living area if one partner prefers to sit up and the other to sleep! I have seen this concept used in hotel rooms – makes for happy room sharing.

Use sheer fabric as a door in a kid’s bedroom to cover the closet. This is a neat trick in a small room as a solid door can be very heavy looking. And for girls, they just love opening the fabric panels to reveal the entire contents of their wardrobe rather than having sliding doors that partly cover the clothing or doors that stick out and take up too much space.

Hide all the TV and electronic equipment in a living area that doubles as the media room. A solid fabric is best, and can look stunning when closed and covering the media area. It creates an instant tidy and elegant sitting area!

Section your dining area from the living area. This creates two intimate spaces, or open the fabric panels and have one big space – gives you lots of options depending on the size and style of your gathering.

Create an instant private entry area from your front door. This is terrific trick to give your living area some privacy. I have seen this done many times, one of the most visually stunning ways to create mysteriousness to your home if a sheer fabric is used. Visitors can’t quite see into your home, but they are intrigued and want to!

Keep the warmth in winter confined to a small space. We have often used fabric as doors between rooms. This is a clever trick if you have a large space that is heated by a fireplace. During winter it keeps that space snug and cosy and adds drama if the right fabric is chosen. I have seen this idea used in homes that have long deep verandahs – enclose the draughty space in winter and in summer tie the fabric panels back and let the breeze through!

Are you thinking outside the solid square yet?

By Coleen Radford

Banding is a designer trick we use to add drama without detracting from the room. This designer detail crosses all décor genres, and looks equally at home in minimal and modern décor, Shabby Chic or Hampton’s beach style.

When your décor calls for a little something special, add banding to your curtains along the leading edges -- the vertical edges where curtains meet. This is an ideal place for a permanent pop of colour or change of texture.

Banding your curtains on the leading and return edges of curtain panels provides contrast and helps define the architecture of your windows. Using contrasting colours and fabrics when banding curtain panels is a great way to give your curtains a dramatic, two-toned effect.

Banding is also very effective when used horizontally – either along the lower edge or across the top. Bands can be solid, accented colours or patterns.

There’s no rule against mixing your fabrics. In fact, when you mix fabrics, you can add texture or sheen to an otherwise bland design. If the drapery in a young girl’s room, for example, is grey fabric, a hot-pink or white border may be just the thing to perk up the space. Or if the living room’s dark curtains feel a bit too weighty, lighten then with a cream band.

When choosing solid bands for patterned curtains or vice versa, pull a colour from the pattern.

For example, if your drapery has a vibrant orange and blue ikat print on a white background, use orange banding along the curtains’ inner edges for high impact or blue bands for a mellower touch. Mixing patterns can be a design no-no, but not when done correctly. As long as the prints vary -- polka dots against stripes, large flowers alongside tiny posies -- the look can be interesting, bold and aesthetically pleasing.

Your curtain bands can be any width. Choose the width by factors such as how the fabric hangs when the curtains are gathered or open.

Banding can be skilfully used to tie a room décor together. For example, use a banding that is the same colour as a piece of furniture – this will anchor the space. Or, have the banding in a pattern that ties back with scatter cushions.

Banding looks particularly stunning on Roman blinds – it is a good way to add drama and interest to an otherwise small window, or to make a very wide Roman blind look less bland if a plain colour with no pattern is the main fabric.

I love Roman blinds trimmed with banding along the lower edge. We use this trick in girl’s rooms - and then add a bit of bling such as coloured beading or pom poms. For young girls rooms a pretty two tone stripe such as pink and green with a polka dot band is gorgeous! For a teenager, try a black Roman trimmed with silver and then add clear drop beads along lower edge – the effect looks like a chandelier.

For a boy’s room, a navy Roman blind trimmed in white is smart and masculine. This look crosses many age groups and is not limited to child’s décor.

Happy Banding! By Coleen Radford

Once you have dressed your windows, have some fun with chairs! We can help you with this – we can source the fabric, and organise the upholstery for you. A statement armchair, chaise, or daybed can set the mood.

Often all it takes to pull a room together is one perfect piece, and a chair, Ottoman or bench seat is ideal for that purpose.

There should be a surprise element in every space and having a statement chair is a brilliant, useful and beautiful thing to include in any room.

If a room is classic but bordering on safe you can afford to add a little drama with pattern and colour or contrasting accents.

A classic Louis chair looks fantastic used this way.

Chairs that are going to get high use need to be upholstered in heavy duty fabric. If a chair in a bedroom is more for show than practical use you can afford to indulge in less resilient fabrics such as velvet or other drapery fabrics.

As with fashion, chairs are a great way to make a statement in a room. Try putting one or two interesting chairs in a room and see how they not only liven up the room, but define the mood. Here are a few ideas to show you how.

Go big with colour and form. If you are going to experiment with a bold shape for a chair, you may as well throw in big colour too. Contrast bold colour with crisp white for a modern, fresh feeling aesthetic.Try something whimsical and unexpected. A hot pink chair in neutral room of white and grey is a great attention grabber!

Use Animal print – but in moderation. Just a splash, you don’t want the whole zoo!

Wing chairs painted in a sassy colour with complementary fabric. It’s OK to paint furniture – makes traditional pieces look less stuffy.

A little black chair in a room always works. Black is classic and anchors a room; it looks good with everything and gives the eye a focal point.

Don’t forget the scatter cushions! A cushion looks fabulous in either contrast or complimentary fabrics and colours.

By Coleen Radford

A custom made bed head or head board to suit your décor is the ultimate in finishing touches! From upholstered bedheads in fabric to faux leather will give that finishing personalised touch to your bedroom. Not only that, they are practical – something to lean against if you like to sit up in bed and read.

Co-ordinate the bedhead fabric and colour palette back to your window furnishings – or maybe a leather look or metallic fabric for a big wow factor. Do you want your bed head to be the hero of the room? Contrasting the colour of the bedhead to the wall colour looks so dramatic, especially if bright colours are used!

There are some gorgeous fabrics that may be a bit over the top for curtains, but in a simple tailored headboard and cushions add just the right amount of drama. The bright Moroccan influence in fabric design looks wonderful on a headboard – especially the geometric patterns in bold colours. For a modern slick look a neutral fabric with buttoning looks stunning.

Or, the monochromatic look that gives you a practical headboard but doesn’t shout? (This is
achieved by blending the headboard into its surroundings with a subtle colour shift – paint the wall behind the headboard a shade or two lighter than the headboard’s fabric).

When designing your bedhead think about how wide it needs to be – just as wide as the bed or wider to include bedside tables? Do you want it resting on the floor, or just attached to the wall so that it appears to be floating?

Bed head boards that attach to the wall are so easy and inexpensive to take off and reupholster in a different fabric to change the mood of the room. (Think the transition from kids to teenager décor.) 

Or maybe just change the headboard with the seasons to suit your bed coverings. Why not co-ordinate the bed head back to a bed runner or bedspread? Bedspreads can be made in any style – quilted, tailored corners, throw overs. A simple bed runner looks so stylish when coordinated back to the bed linen (why not have two runners to quickly change the look?) and teamed with scatter cushions.

Bed heads also look fantastic when teamed with a matching (fitted) valance to cover the mattress sides.

Talk to Coleen about how we can co-ordinate your bedroom to bring all the fabric elements together: curtains, blinds, upholstered bed head, valance, bed throw, scatter cushions….

By Coleen Radford

Pink is the IT colour at the moment – it is not just for little girls. Pink is sophisticated, cheery and even sexy. Pink is a feel good colour. Read my decorating tips on how to get the hue right – whether you are eight or eighty eight.

Grown up ways to decorate with pink:
Use pink as a surprise! Adding pink in a small space, like on the walls in an entrance foyer or on the walls behind book shelves, makes a statement without too much investment. You can go intense in a space where you don’t spend that much time; it’s a “Wow!” moment that says I am brave, I am bold.

As an accent, the colour pink is an attention grabber. It can be strong, authoritative, and complex. Teamed with black and white, or dark grey it is stunning.

Pink is diverse. Pale pink can be calming to the senses while a bolder shade can be energising. Pink creates energy and adds a fun funky element to any room – particularly when used in an unexpected and random way.

Think - one pink cushion nestled amongst other colours - the piping or trim on a cushion, pelmet or chair.

Pink is a wonderful backdrop for contrasting colour. Mixed with white, turquoise, yellow, green and neutrals, it makes for a fresh and stylish décor.

Pink hues match well not only with neutrals and brights but also with complementary tones. For example, fuchsia and baby pink. Reds, purples and greys add colour diversity to pink colour schemes.

The paler and brighter hues can be used in pure white and more colourful interiors in throw pillows, rugs, furniture items and glassware. White interiors can be brightened up with splashes of bright pink here and there. Multicolour interiors that have blues, purples and greens can also withstand pink accents.

Pink is one of those colours that people shy away from sometimes, because they don’t want a room to appear too girly. But there are ways of using pink that really bring warmth and subtlety to a bedroom for a couple—it doesn’t have to be just for a girl’s bedroom. Pink looks beautiful with chocolate browns, greys, and woods.

Pinks work well with neutrals especially white that accentuates the bright pinks. Dark tones can be brightened up with pinks in mix with other bright colours like yellow, green, orange and red. Pink and cream, pale green or grey can make a great colour scheme both calm and stylish.

Ready to try pink? Contact me and I will help you get started!

Coleen Radford