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Questions for July, 2007

Help With Colours!

Sarah, Toronto, Ontario asks...
I know this might sound silly or just the typical “husband & wife” dilemma, but we can't decide on a colour for our living room. We've both agreed that we want a neutral, elegant taupe. The problem is – which one? Every morning I spread the chips out on the kitchen table and think I've picked the perfect shade. Then my husband comes home at night and when we look at them they all seem different. Some are browner and some greyer and a couple even look pink! I keep getting more colour chips and we keep getting more confused. HELP!

It's not silly at all, but it is a typical problem that lots of people face. Paint is the easiest decorating tool to apply or change and is often the most difficult to choose. Believe it or not, what's probably confusing you is LIGHT not colour. Light affects how we see colour.

So the first thing to do is to take the chips out of the kitchen and into the living room. Each room will have it's own light quality based on which direction the windows face and how much light they let in. Second, don't look at sample colours on a horizontal surface, like a table. The light will bounce off them in a different way and affect how you see them. Always look at colours on a vertical surface. That would be the wall! If you still see pink in your taupe and you don't want pink then get rid off that one. Toss any samples that either of you don't like on first viewing. The goal is to have less to choose from. Now, each of you choose your two favourites and stick to those.

The next step is where the real decision making happens. Buy a small quantity of each of your choices and paint a 12 to 18 inch swatch of each colour on all four walls. This is because the light will also reflect differently off each of the walls and sometimes make the colur look lighter or darker. If you're afraid of messing up your walls, you can also paint the colour on artist boards and move them around. Now, just sit back and look. Live with the colours. Look at them at different times of the day. As the sun shifts so will the quality of the light and the colour. Don't forget to look at them at night as well. Incandescent light will also affect how you see the colour and can change it dramatically. Trust your feelings. I'm sure that a clear winner will emerge in a few days.

Living in a shoebox

Heather, Calgary, Alberta asks...
Most people are probably trying to make their ceilings look higher. I need to know how to make mine look lower. I live in an apartment above a store in an old building and the ceilings are 12 feet high! This is great in the main space. However, my bedroom is 8x10 feet and looks like a shoebox on end. The room is all a pretty, rich French blue and everything else is white with touches of blue accents. It makes me feel all cozy, like I'm by the sea, and I love it. Except for the white ceiling looking like it's miles away. What can I do?

There are a couple of tricks that can help you out. Your rich blue has given the illusion of pulling the walls in and that's why it feels “cozy”. However, the white on the ceiling has done the opposite and pushed it OUT. Therefore your “shoebox” effect!

If you really love your French blue, paint the ceiling the same colour. I guarantee you that it'll lower the ceiling and bring the room back to scale. If that feels like it might be too much for you, choose something lighter in the baby blue family. You'll feel like you're looking at the sky while you're “by the sea”.

Since it's an old building, I'm sure there's a light fixture in the middle of the ceiling. Whether you lean toward traditional or modern, find a chandelier you like and suspend it on a long chain so its' bottom is 8 feet from the floor. Look for something in a fairly large scale because this will help in the illusion of bringing the ceiling down.

Finally, if you're really adventurous, you could drape simple panels of white muslin across the width of the ceiling.

Traditional window coverings...

Josh, Vancouver, BC asks...
We've just moved into our new home. It was built in the 1930's and so we have hot water rads under all of our windows. What would you recommend for window treatments. We like a contemporary look with some traditional accents. We'd also like to be able to have some privacy and yet still let light in. Are we asking too much?

Figuring out how to give a client what they want is what a designer does. So, no, you’re not asking too much.

A number of good blind companies make a product that not only rises from the bottom but, lowers from the top. Once they are fitted to the individual window they can be lowered from the top to 1/3rd of the window height. This allows light to come in the top third while keeping the bottom 2/3rd covered for privacy. Most homes are slightly raised from the street. So, you should be able to still look out when you’re standing in the room and be obscured from the street when you’re sitting. The blinds can also be pulled up entirely from the bottom and sit folded at the top, if you want to open up the window entirely. Privacy and Light!

These blinds come in a number of different fabrics and colours. I usually opt for simple and neutral when it comes to fitted window coverings. Choose fabrics that relate to the types of fabric on your furniture. Depending on linings, they can go from completely opaque to admitting softly filtered light.

That’s a personal choice depending on what the room is used for. For a contemporary look, just use the blinds. If you want a more traditional accent, say in a living room or bedroom, add full length drapery panels to each side of the window. These can be as neutral as your blinds or make more of a statement by using one of your accent colours. Once again, that’s a personal choice. Either way, they should meet all your needs.

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If you are stuck on anything to do with interior design or decorating, send your question to Hal! We will do our best to answer all of the questions we receive, and may feature yours on our web site. Send an email to askhal@homeinteriorguide.com with your name, location, and question.

About Hal Eisen

Halcyon Designs

Hal Eisen is currently the on camera Co-host and Design Consultant for the series DESIGN MATCH, which airs on HGTV Canada and USA. Hal has designed for personal clients across both countries and created events everywhere, from the pool at the old L.A. Athletic Club to the penthouse of the new Trump World Tower in New York.

He is no stranger to the "Lifestyle" T.V. airways either; having appeared as one of the resident, on camera designers on HGTV Canada's LOVE BY DESIGN and HGTV USA's DATE WITH DESIGN.

As a Co-Production Designer, with partner Andrew Bottecchia, Hal has worked on two seasons of HDTV's TRASH TO TREASURE, a FOOD Network pilot called PIECE OF CAKE and a new pilot for West Wind Pictures called PLASTERED; where he also appeared as the guest designer. Before Design Match, he was the Associate Production Designer on HGTV Canada/USA "new" DESIGNER GUYS series for their first season.

You can contact Hal at (416) 533-5508 or at eisen333@hotmail.com