The Rural Voice, 1998-11, Page 35Home Decorating
The newest trend in colours
By Patti Robertson
I take great pride in keeping you my
readers up to date and informed as to
"What's Happening" on the decor
scene ... so I would be very remiss if
right now I did not report on the latest
colour craze — yellow!
No less than six decorating
magazines have
featured yellow
colour combos
on their front
cover in the past
month. The
Design Trend
column in The
Toronto Star has
made note of the
latest fad and of
course Martha
(as in Martha
Stewart ..
design marketer
extra-ordinaire)
has not only
featured an
Yellow is a
bright new
colour idea
article in her Living magazine on
yellow, but she has also offered
consumers a wide possibility of mix
and match yellow combos in her new
line of fashions for the home!
Yellow — stimulating, bold,
cheerful. Think daffodils, saffron,
dandelion, sunshine or how about the
vigorous chrome yellow favoured by
Van Gogh in almost every painting!
On the quieter, softer side consider
honey, creme brulee, butterfly, mellow
jasmine, sunshiny yet quiet. Yellow is
currently being featured in fabrics, and
wallcovering fashions in combination
with white, navy or the newest colour
combo of soft lavender blue hues or
cornflower blue. This new use of
yellow is bound to make a body feel
their decor is out of date, but a word of
caution before you jump on the yellow
bandwagon: this colour is not for
everyone or every home, no matter
how trendy its use is!
A little use of this colour can go a
long way. I would offer the sage advice
of making yourself up a test board
painted in the shade of yellow you are
contemplating for your walls. Once
you have the test board painted let it sit
and be a colour test for at least one
week. Place your test board in various
areas throughout your room, view it
during various times of the day and
under various lighting conditions in
order to get the "true" feel of what the
effect will be. Usually it's best to select
what you consider the best tint and
then decrease your selection by yet one
tint again! Yellow has major intensity
and is visible from a greater distance
than any of the other hues on earth!
(Yellow is definitely a great colour for
school buses, road signs and of course
"the yellow line".) Yellow plays an
ingenious trick by retlecting other
colours, particularly red, orange and
green, making it almost impossible to
imagine the shade as it would appear
on your walls. I get a lot of phone calls
from people who are in trouble after
thinking they'd chosen a soft yellow
for their room only to discover the
finished effect was screaming back at
them. Like staring into intensive
sunshine 24 hours of the day!
I am not trying to scare you from
choosing yellow, as it can be ever so
fresh and delightful. Try starting small.
Add a few yellow accessories, or dress
your dinner table with yellow flowers
and table napkins. Paint the inside of
your kitchen cupboards yellow or a
small table or plant stand. Yellow toss
cushions are bound to add a breath of
fresh air to almost any decor. If you
love the effect you can always add
more.
Now, before you think I'm against
yellow, I'm currently working on a
kitchen, two bedrooms for teens, and a
sunroom. All of the projects feature a
yellow scheme. And last year I
decorated the guest room at my mom's
in two -toned soft honey shades in
combination with royal blue and navy.
What a glorious room to wake up in!
So with my words of caution in
mind, and a little background
homework on your own, give yellow a
chance.
It's bright, sunny, and at times
rambunctious, but ultimately "chic" if
used correctly.0
Patti Robertson operates Classic
Interiors in Wingham.
Seaforth Agricultural Society's 12th Annual
Mid -Western Ontario Show & Sale
Saturday, December 5, 1998
& Sunday, December 6, 1998
10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. BOTH DAYS
Each Show in a separate building
FARM TOYS & SPORTS CARDS
in the Agriplex
TEDDY BEAR, DOLL & GIFT SHOW & SALE
in the Community Centre Hall
Dolls, Teddy Bears, Related Items, Hand Crafted Products
Opportunity to have a 'made to order doll or have your
family heirloom doll repaired
CRAFT SHOW
in the High School
- All varieties of handmade crafts
"Something for Everyone"
3c Christmas a
Shopping
Opportunities2r,
Galore! ,�,
• FREE SKATING BOTH DAYS 2:30 - 4:00 P.M.
• FREE RIDES BETWEEN SHOWS
• FREE PARKING
• FOOD & REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE
Visit All 4 Shows For
$3.00 Admission/Day
Children under 10 with parent Free
- BUS LOADS WELCOME -
NOVEMBER 1998 31