The Rural Voice, 2002-08, Page 49Home Decorating
Don't be lazg in the hazg dags of summer
Patti
Robertson
operates
Classic
Interiors in
Wingham.
By Patti Robertson
Ahhh...the lazy days of summer
are upon us. and for this gal the
season is not nearly long enough.
Once I get a dose of sunshine I'm
into any summer project that will
keep me out and active in the
beautiful weather!
So...what a great time to paint the
entrance doors to one's home for a
new facelift. The front door should
always be treated to the most eye-
catching colourations so that the
entrance actually dominates the front
of your home. Yellow brick homes
sport colonial blues, mustard tones,
sage hues and the new aubergine
colourations with high style appeal.
Orange brick homes are smashing
when dressed with golden russet
tones, charcoals, mossy greens and
honey tones, and very exciting, a
combo of subtle rust and a
bittersweet peach. There are always
plenty of possibilities to add the
perfect punch to a front entrance and,
as always I highly recommend, test-
drive your chosen colours before
jumping right into the project.
Once you have made your exterior
colour choices, it's time to look at the
planters and plants that accessorize
your home.
All of these embellishments play a
supporting role to a home and
therefore should blend and colour co-
ordinate with the scheme chosen.
This doubles up the impact of the
finished effect and results in a
professionally decked out home that
equals "more bang for one's buck".
When colour co-ordinating plants
and planters the same theories apply
outside as do inside. Use the guide of
two-thirds of one colour to one-third
of the chosen accent hue. As an
example. if I had chosen burgundy
geraniums as the main plant there
would be approximately two-thirds of
this in my pot and then I would fill in
with the remainder of the selected
greens and florals. Remember always
add a little yellow or white to all
container plantings to get a true
vibrant lift and added eye appeal.
I find using a variety of containers,
really exciting and fun. Basically
anything that will hold earth can
become a planter, so look around the
house and see what is waiting to
provide this service: old crocks,
wicker baskets of all sizes either
fitted with plastic liners or pots,
bushel baskets, old soup tureens and
serving bowls or pretty teacups. I
have a lovely old crock biddy that I
personally cherish as a planter. I love
tinware in its many shapes and sizes
from wash basins to pitchers and
jugs. I've also used empty olive cans
and tobacco tins and old wooden
crates. Decide what suits the theme of
your home and go for it.
Both terra cotta and plastic can be
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46 THE RURAL VOICE
painted to work perfectly with an
exterior colour scheme and real fun
can be had if you decide to add a
little stencil motif to embellish your
painted planter. Scan craft books to
stimulate your creativity and bend the
rules. Just because a motif has been
used on a bathroom mirror does not
mean it also wouldn't be the perfect
pattern for your planter. There is a
lovely little colonial blue cottage here
in Wingham and the owner has
positioned a series of flower pots
meandering down the front stairway
that are in a -pretty dusty rose
featuring a stencil motif of blue and
white brimming with white and rose
florals ... what a pretty and inviting
setting this creates!
Now if you get all that achieved
there is always our exterior
furnishings to consider. Almost all
types will take a coat or two of paint
if need be and the real fun begins
when we tackle the molded plastic
tables and chairs. All of these
inexpensive patio accessories can be
treated to faux paint finishes to
resemble marble or verdigris or can
easily be embellished with folk art
doodles, daisies or even leopard
spots. When care is taken to first
prime your furniture, you will get
many seasons' fun out of your
creative endeavours.
This is also the best season to
cruise yard sales, flea markets
and "junque" shops for furniture,
accessories and what-nots that
will add a unique interest and
appeal to "outside" rooms. I do
not have one rule when collecting,
"if I own it, it must have a use",
so I find myself filling pretty
bottles and vases with garden
florals to adorn my outside tables,
using lace and linen tablecloths for
patio table coverings, filling tin boxes
and pails with plants or if in good
shape using them as serving
containers. All these projects jazz up
the exterior rooms for our all -too -
brief summer fling and keep us
looking for more possibilities to add
excitement when the warm season
rolls around next year.0