Talk about Red and White.....

In my previous post of deriving colour schemes from nature, I had promised my readers about the discussion of the psychology of every colour in detail. Today, I observed that everywhere I see and read....its about the entry of a royal combination of plain white and bright red combined with either Silver or Gold for the elegance. White as we all know signifies cleanliness, purity and serenity. This is most opted for in a contemporary setting due to the neat feel of space it portrays. On the other hand, Red is the most prominent colour that we pay attention to. It is the warmest and most energic colour in the spectrum. Some of the associations of red include love,valentines, danger, desire, stop signs and many more. Here are a few pictures (via zu hause wohnen) for your view. ENJOY !!!!

Please share some of your thoughts on this colour scheme......or share a picture on this blog. Please email the picture to my email id vasudha.dilip@hotmail.com

Delicious Decoration...ummmm

When you are inviting some guests over for lunch or dinner...........and are desperate to bring about new looks to your spaces..........try these mouth watering bouquets which not only act as a deco....but can also be eaten....This solves two problems at one shot....a new decoration and a fruit salad.....Here are some pictures for your inspiration.....

Photocredit: kristenstein (Flickr) Photocredit: kristenstein (Flickr)

Photocredit: apollodan(Flickr)

Photocredit: cdgleason(Flickr)Photocredit: oregon jess(Flickr)

Photocredit: the cookieladycc(Flickr)

Photocredit: the cookieladycc(Flickr)

The simplest way to do this is to identify a pot or a vase. Place a bouquet sponge which is readily available at flower shops. Pierce wooden sticks onto this sponge at different heights. Then using different cookie cutters, shape out the fruits and veggies. Add a few salad leaves for the natural leaf look. With a little imagination and creativity, you can turn out beautiful fruit and veggie bouquets. So, Have you already started cutting out your pineapple flowers???????????????

Enjoy your YUMMYyyyyyyyyyy bouquets.......

Stenciling ....

Stenciling in simple terms is the art of using templates to paint or draw a particular design or pattern, number or letters, shapes or symbols on walls, furniture, fabric etc., Almost all surfaces can be stenciled by using the right medium of paint. Here are a few pictures of stenciling on fabric. At the end of this post, I have given a few easy steps to stenciling.....at home....

(All pictures from Marabu home deco)

Steps to doing some stencil work at home.

1. First identify the surface that needs to be stenciled like walls, cupboard surfaces, soft furnishings, headboards, cornices, pelmets, furniture, art pieces....etc., almost everything can be stenciled.

2. Clean this surface neatly.

3. Identify the design that needs to be stenciled. eg: Some roosters, leaves or pictures of vegetables and fruits for a country theme, some floral patterns for a classic theme etc.,

4. Take a thick plastic sheet.....I normally use the Presentation transparencies which are thick and transparent. Keep this sheet on the design and trace it using a thin black permanent marker pen.

5. Now, use a scalpel (sharp surgical knife) or an X-acto knife to cut out the design. The template or stencil is now ready for use.

6. Keep this stencil firmly on the place that needs to be stenciled. Identify the right medium of paint....eg., oil based for wood, fabric paint for textiles and so on.

7. The paints can either be sprayed or painted using a brush. If you are using a brush, ensure that the design is initially stenciled on the surface using a pencil and then painted with a brush.

All these steps will soon become easy after you have attempted the first one. Please write to me for any queries.

Deriving Colour Schemes from Nature....

I am sure this post would be more interesting to non-designers as you can start training your eye in identifying some colour schemes from the nature. One of my personality traits has always been my plus point.....I Observe....Observe and simply Observe.....As soon as I am out of my house....I look at the pavements for anything new that has grown....I observe the sky for the lovely shades of blue and grey and on the bright day one can see the blue sky with patches of white clouds in it. Let me assure you that if you pick up such colour schemes from nature and directly use them in your decor, you need not be afraid of the outcome. In this post, I have borrowed a few pictures of nature from various professionals and used the same colour scheme in decorating some interior spaces. I am thankful to all the people for the lovely photographs.

Photo Credit: Wynand Van Poortvliet (Flickr)

Interiors using the above colour scheme done using Paint editor from Dulux Photo Credit: tomanthony(Flickr)Interiors using the above colour scheme done using paint editor from DuluxPhoto Credit: African Grey Parrot againt a red background (http://flyfishtips.com/images/African-Grey-Parrot.jpg) Interiors using the above colour scheme done using paint editor from DuluxPhoto Credit: Wynand van Poortvliet (Flickr)Interiors using the above colour scheme done using paint editor from Dulux Photo Credit: http://i.pbase.com/u48/rtwo/large/40115939.Bougenvilla.jpg

Interiors using the above colour scheme done using paint editor from Dulux

Photo Credit: Janny Brocken (Flickr)Interiors using the above colour scheme done using paint editor from Dulux Photo Credit: Kuzeytac(Flickr)
Interiors using the above colour scheme done using paint editor from Dulux

Photo Credit: Vamapaull (Flickr) Interiors using the above colour scheme done using paint editor from Dulux
Photo Credit: Magnummavis(Flickr)

Interiors using the above colour scheme done using paint editor from Dulux Photo Credit: Philippe Sainte - Laudy (Flickr)

Interiors using the above colour scheme done using paint editor from DuluxPhoto Credit: Nicolas Valentin(Flickr)

Interiors using the above colour scheme done using paint editor from Dulux So, now you know what to do.....the next time you go out....train your eye by observing each and every detail in the nature. That is the best way to understand more about colours.....how they are in nature and how they can be made use of while decorating. Try to keep your camera handy and picture everything that you like. In the next posts, I will discuss the colour Psychology in detail.