Upstairs Downstairs

Sometimes I suffer from interiors overload because my brain sees colours and fabrics and mouldings on walls - even when I am relaxing and watching TV.  I do love period dramas as much for the costumes and sets as the plot line.  Tune in to Upstairs Downstairs on the ABC, set in 1936 just before the war, there is lots to inspire.

Images: BBC Television

Penny for your thoughts . .

Old chairs and shades of blue - two of my favourite things. These refurbished chairs are available through Penny Farthing Design House. You can read their story here. Love this little gem of a chair and the styling below.

Images: Penny Farthing Design House

Colours of The High Line

These shots are from The High Line in NYC the relatively new urban park constructed on a disused railway. The colours used in this glass installation in this old rail building are so subtly varied and effective and hard to photograph ! You can get an idea of the size from the little man in the second photo.

Images: Folder of Ideas

Colour in Dublin

So we are over the jet lag and enjoying some great weather in Dublin and this is where I go for my morning run ( or run - walk - look at the view - run - walk, would be a more truthful representation ). I have walked this pier many many times and it has been fully refurbished since my last visit. I have now finished my colour design diploma but the obsession with colour schemes remains. The bandstand has been painted in a gorgeous cream and blue colour scheme which I had to try to replicate and record. I'm sure all the other runners and walkers were wondering what I was doing - I am going to take my Resene colour matching app with me tomorrow to see what the iphone comes up with.

Images: Around Ireland, Farrow & Ball Castle Grey, Dulux Lunar Falls

Palm Beach Black

It is hard to convey a surface finish - especially wood finishes via this medium. I am now only weeks away from completing my diploma in Colour Design so my main interiors reading has been fandecks of paint chips and little pieces of Colorbond metal - not such great blog fodder. Anyway good old Porters have come to my rescue with a product I love - Palm Beach Black - a water based wood stain that you can use inside and out on any wood and - an inspiring image to match to break the blogging drought.

Image: Porters Paints

Back to school

I am back to school today starting my diploma in Colour Design so I imagine this will be the first of many colour decks I will be perusing in the coming months. Some companies are so creative. Perch in NYC make gorgeous ceramic bird feeders, pendant lights and planters and these are their colour chips which they sell for $5. Even if you didn't want to buy anything else I think the colour chips would be nice to own in themselves.

Image: Perch

Turquoise - Pantone colour of the year

Farewell Mimosa yellow and hello Turquoise. Pantone announced the 2010 colour of the year before Christmas. See link for all the background. Sydney is right on trend as on a good day like today the sea looks like this.

Images: Sculpture by the Sea, Pantone