I receieved this request for interiors help from a reader today. Thought I’d throw it open to all you experts out there! Feel free to comment below. Thanks!
“Hi, I’ve recently painted our whole 2 bedroom flat in a dove grey colour with white trims, I’m a bit scared it will look too bland and hopefully I’ll be able to lift it with colourful accessories , but I’m stuck with the window coverings. I was thinking of using blinds with some privacy light curtains in the bedrooms, any other ideas? This total reno has been an absolute money-pit with plumbing etc so I have to keep costs down. Also I want to have carpet in the bedrooms but can only think of some sort of ‘wood’ vinyl for the rest, do you have any thought there too? Thanks heaps. Jane.”
5 replies on “Anyone have some advice for this reader?”
Sounds like you’ve been through the ringer with the remodel. So first off, bravo for surviving!! The gray and white is such a beautiful palette to work from. I think you’ll find that as you bring in bedding, curtains, artwork, etc, that each space will develop its own character. And don’t be afraid to wallpaper a wall, paint an accent somewhere. What about a chalkboard wall? Best advice I can give right now: sit back an enjoy what you’ve done so far. Let your home tell you how to move forward. Enjoy the process– you’re at the fun part now! If you want help (or just a cheerleader), find me on Twitter @JMayerDesign and send me pics. I would love to give you ideas as you move forward.
So excited for you!
Best,
Jennifer
Hi Jane grey and white are a great starting place. You have so many options. You could introduce a medium tone timber to add warmth to the room. It can be in furniture or blinds.
My personal favourite is to introduce black so it is about 30% of the total room colour. You could do the blinds and sheers in black – it looks great and very popular. Then finish with an accent colour that is 10-15% of the total colour in the room. My favourite accent colours are either a lime green or a deep purple. But yellow or orange are very popular colours at the moment. Finish off with a nice dark grey carpet.
Hope this helps:)
Hi Jane,
I would stick to similar neutrals for the curtains, maybe with some texture to break it up a little, like a linen or dupion silk looking fabric (not the actual thing cause it’ll break the budget!). Maybe the same grey colour family but a couple of shades darker. If you’re on a budget I would stick to getting pre-made curtains – visit Spotlight, they sometimes have great curtain fabrics with pre-made holes for the rod to go through, also Ikea has some great pre-made curtains. I bought some really nice natural linen sheer curtains for my living room for $100. With such a great base of grey and white, you can introduce accents of bright oranges, yellows, even neons if you want a really modern look or for something a bit more traditional and feminine, peach and apricot colours go great with dove grey and white. I would go for more warmer tones when looking for pillows, throws etc. since grey is already quite a cold colour. Ahhh, you’re bringing back memories of my reno. Would do it all over again in a flash! I’m all about practicality when it comes to flooring. I’ve installed laminate ‘wood’ flooring in a mid-toned chestnut colour and it looks great and I don’t feel guilty if I neglect it a little by stomping all over it with my heels. Again, I would go with warm wooden tones and don’t get anything too dark or too light because of the age old rule – dark, you’ll see all the white stuff and white, you’ll see all the dark stuff. Good luck! I’d love to see some pics when it’s all done.
The paint scheme I’ve gone with in my house is the same as yours! I’ve played up the monotone colour scheme in most of my furnishings, then made a splash with jewel-toned velvet curtains (purple in the living room, dark turquoise in the bedroom) and lots of metallic accents. The walls are also a great base to make framed artwork really pop. Good luck – I hope you love your results as much as I love mine!
Hello Jen, I have only just found this post! I wish I had found it earlier for your reader. I wanted to let her know about The DecoGlide, as an alternative choice for window treatments. The DecoGlide is a screening system, comprised of an overhead track and a series of designed + perforated screens. We offer three material choices in a range of colours and designs. We cost per square meter and this ranges from between $70-$370 per square meter which means there is a material/design combination to suit every budget. The DecoGlide was designed to all the light into a room whilst maintaining privacy and of course to add that additional visual impact to a space. I would love to let your reader know more about The DecoGlide as a window treatment if she is interested. She can contact me at [email protected] or on (03) 9016 2627. Thank you Jen!