Desperately seeking answers....a colour quandry

 Today was spent doing more painting....and finally the last of the upstairs ceilings are finished. Phew!
I have been told by 'the boss' David, that I am NEVER to design a house with these style of ceilings again. LOL. ATM, I don't think I want to design a house again, EVER.

 The time to commit to the wall colour has now arrived.
They are currently undercoated in un-tinted white which is very cold and stark. I'll paint most of the walls in the same white I've chosen elsewhere in the house; Dulux Natural White (ceilings are 25% strength). I want to break up the cavernous open plan area upstairs by adding charcoal features (Dulux Domino) and also to tie with downstairs.
It's just the where to start / stop issue that's making me nervous!

 Feature walls look best when used to highlight a single wall with no openings and paint starts and stops in internal corners. I'm wanting the feature walls here to be dark to recede them and to delineate the hall as a separate entity to the large lounge room.
I'm happy that the contrast achieves this in the renderings above.

 I also want some WOW factor when looking up the stairwell from the entry, to the main living above, so had planned that shallow recess to be dark too...

See the little nib wall on the right, above. According to 'ideal plan' it should be white but does that look odd? Unbalanced? Help!

And is it too much ?

 I had envisaged the end wall (with the two windows) and seen below, to be charcoal too. Eeeek!
I am SO overcome with indecision!

Some more deets: The floors are to be a wide plank, light to mid toned oak. The kitchen charcoal with a white island. A large dark hued carpet square will be inserted into the lounge room where there will be white slip-covered sofas. All of those dark walls will have substantially sized artwork on them.

Here's a plan, the RED lines showing where I'm considering using the dark wall colour.

I would dearly like your input on this...and be forever grateful!
...if you've never commented before,
or do so regularly,  
PLEASE share your thoughts!

x KL 

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A speedy reno....

 What seems like an eternity for my parents, has been the speediest renovation project for us!

The new kitchen cabinetry is 95% installed with a few minor tweaks / adjustments still to come. The bench tops and splash backs are being installed Wednesday with the plumbing being completed then too. The new Limed Oak flooring looks fantastic!

Paint colours have been updated, Mum selecting various strengths of Dulux Hogs Bristle throughout and built in robes created in all bedrooms; the joint wall between Beds 1 and 2 cleverly sharing the space to actually increase floorspace in both rooms.

The main bathroom has had most fixtures installed, Wednesday will see the vanity top arrive along with the custom made mirrored shaving cabinet.

Carpet laying is scheduled for a week's time, curtains due and then the outside deck will get a minor spruce up. Whew! 

Mum and Dad are true troupers, tonight 'glamping' in the home they've very comfortably lived in for 50 years, temporarily without kitchen bench tops or sink and without a word of complaint!

My hat's off to you both...

....oh, and Christmas can be at your place!....

x KL 

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback!

On a roll!

 Dulux Silver Illusion it is! 

Everywhere. Though I may revisit the bedhead wall with Domino or wallpaper when the other room elements are in place. (Sshh- don't tell Davey!) And I may need a new bedhead too. Eeek.

Best news? I'm happy with the decision. Thank God!

One coat finished, one more gloss and wall coat to go before fitting out with lights, fan and door hardware. 

Whilst we're far from 'full steam' ahead, at least the tide is taking us in the correct direction!

TIP: Always buy good quality branded paint and ensure three coats are done on new walls / woodwork. Sealer / undercoat is a step that should not be skipped. Enamel painted woodwork is far superior to water based paint's durability...definitely worth the hassle and unpleasant fumes for a few days.

x KL 

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

Indecision

Damn. After thinking the main bedroom colours through for THREE YEARS I am in a serious quandary. Dulux Silver Illusion, Natural White or Domino?

(Detailing and ideas posted HERE before)

The problem is the bedhead. It is made from a beige-y French linen and looks icky against the grey which is the Silver Illusion; my top contender for all those years. It looks great in the Guest room against Natural White but the Main Bedroom is a much larger space and I'm concerned it will look too bland.

So... I'm considering leaving the French Linen bedhead in the guest room and buying a new bedhead for our bedroom. Perhaps a similar style but in charcoal linen or white leather?

Or a greyer coloured linen?

or velvet?

In our last house (seen below; no bedhead to cause drama!) I loved the darker palette than elsewhere in the house so maybe I could use my chosen greys and replicate that concept?

Or throw some of my favourite wallpaper in too?

David's on his way to buy paint as I type....he'll call for a decision any minute! 

Eeeeeek!

x KL 

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

A recommended abode!

 Looking for a ready to be inhabited beach side home? This could well be it....and I can vouch for it being well built!  My husband was contracted to construct this house for a lovely couple who resided in Singapore. This became their holiday home but they are now selling and it is ready to be loved by another family! 

 It's so nice to see the extensive professionally landscaped grounds at maturity. A friend of the owner who lived locally made the decor decisions. My wee input? Betcha can't guess....

The stairwell dark wall! LOL! It is Dulux PG1F9 Spanish Eyes.

Upstairs, the owner added red as a bold accent. Not my cuppa tea but it's only one wall. Certainly memorable and makes the custom wall unit a stand-out feature.

The main bedroom is very spacious with a to-die-for en suite. 

The children's rooms seen above and below are spacious too and have a clever feature head board coloured specifically to the teens taste. It is painted MDF board hung on the wall so colour changing is easy peasy. I thought this was a brilliant idea and would work equally well using wallpaper.

 Oh, and the views aren't too shabby either...and you'd be close enough to pop in and have a champers with Moi!

All the deets including address, price and a myriad of features can be found HERE.

x KL

 Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

Decision S.O.S.

 Did you have a nice break over Easter?

David got the dining room walls and ceiling sealed ready for painting and I made lots of tea and yummy food for sustenance. We're a good team! LOL!

Finishing this room (sans floor) is next and so it's decision time. 

The ceiling will be painted first; 25% Dulux Natural White as downstairs. TIP: We always paint our ceilings with a touch of colour in them; plain 'ceiling white' is too cold and contrasts jarringly. We've even educated a few very experienced painters about this and they have all been 'converts'!

Anyhoo, after the ceilings it will be onto the walls and colour decisions need to be made! 

You'd think that after three years of anticipating this moment, I'd be prepared.... 

eeeeek! not bloody likely! 

The thing is, the house ATM is a shell that could readily be moulded in any style. 

Contemporary. Modern. Classic. Minimal. Beach. Sophisticated.

Blogging, Pinterest and the Web are phenomenal tools but they can also provide visual overload.

 As time has expanded with this project so have my inspiration files and, as I have eclectic taste, no one clear direction has emerged. I need help.

If you are so inclined, have a wee squiz at the plans above showing the middle and top levels. On the middle level we have the entry, pool, laundry / kitchenette, three bedrooms (including guest room / en suite), family room, main bathroom and study. If entertaining during the day / summer months, this is where it'll be happening!  Upstairs is the main kitchen, lounge with fireplace, dining, master bedroom, another bedroom, playroom / T.V, and the best ocean views. This is where I anticipate evening / winter entertaining occurring.

Are you still with me?

So, the entry level is all neutral with marble, white walls and a touch of moody charcoal. Upstairs, I plan to reverse this with a darker palette offset with white, but which bits where?

What I have so far....

Dulux Natural White and Domino.Crema Perla Marble.

So....the gazillion dollar question is...do I have a white and black kitchen OR a black and white kitchen because the answer to that determines the dining room wall colour!!!!

Daggy renderings of the colour choice I'm agonising over! Worse than childbirth! (Nah. Major exageration!)

White and Black                            OR                        Black and White

Your opinion / vote / additional thoughts / illustrative images are all very gratefully received!

x KL

Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment. I love receiving feedback! I also love watching a new pretty picture box added to my followers - would love you to join me so I can get to know you too!

Small steps

After an emotional and torturous week full of family problems that of course took full priority, our ceilings in the new rooms are sanded and painted! Wall colours are next and decisions need to be made. Hubby likes Dulux paints so from their palette I've chosen Domino (a dark charcoal) as the hall colour, Red Box (Small features in son's bedroom; lovely, slightly dirty red), Natural White (a warm white) in varying strengths for ceilings, architraves and most other walls, and Silver Illusion (muted grey / taupe) for TV / Playroom walls.
We've been quite addicted in this household to the 'Grand Designs' programmes for a while now and at Christmas received some more of the series on DVD. We love the idea of the British 'Snug'. Our understanding of it is that it represents a small family TV area, possibly more easily heated. Hence our warmer colour choice for this room.

I hope we're on a winner here, as i am going for a sophisticated, grown up theme upstairs to contrast with a more relaxed, beachy feel downstairs. "It's only paint", I tell myself, easily re-done if a disaster! Now, choosing bathroom tiles is a bit more permanent! I am drawn to dark, perhaps black tiles and lots of mirror for the bathroom since it will be utilised as guest / evening entertaining powder room and boys ensuite too. Loving the contrast between dark and light tones in between rooms! 
Your comments and thoughts are all gratefully received!