Colour Trend - Winter Blues

What a stunning evening winter sky!

Left to right - Dulux Blue Boater, Dulux Blue Flag, Dulux Blue Quarry

Dulux Blue Boater - Half Strength is a great colour for a little boys room alongside colours like Dulux Natural White, Dulux Whisper White and Dulux Hog Bristle. Dulux Blue Flag is quite a strong hue but looks striking as a feature wall.  Dulux Blue Quarry looks fantastic on exterior trims accompanied with Dulux Apparition.  The small sample of Deep Ocean above is a great Colourbond colour.

Styling Tip - Little blue glass vases, in all shapes and sizes, look fantastic grouped together on a mantle piece or display shelf. 

Styling with Lanterns

What's new in Interiors.  Lanterns can be seen everywhere.

What better way to create visual impact then grouping lanterns in a space.  Here are some of my favourite:

Coastal. Lanterns that take pride of place on a entertainers deck looking out to the ocean or indoors to create a stunning visual display of candles.  

Love of Lace a stainless steel sleeved lantern with warmth and charm.  

Ratten Feel can create a warm glow on any table top.  

The current interior trend is to create a relaxed style in your home with minimal fuss. Simplicity. 

Contemporary Whites & Neutrals

Building new or updating your existing home with contemporary colours.  Here are just a few of my favourite whites and neutrals from Dulux: 

Whisper White, White on White and Natural White are all beautiful contemporary hues. 

Hog Bristle - Quarter Strength and White Duck - Quarter Strength are gorgeous neutrals. Hog Bristle will complement most colours and White Duck looks fantastic in a house surrounded by beautiful green leafy trees.  It has a green undertone.     

Whether you are using these hues on their own or as a trim colour you will need to take into consideration the "Environment and it's surroundings" especially when renovating an existing home.  Natural light at different times of the day can change a hue dramatically. Interior - consider your flooring, lighting, etc. Exterior - consider bricks, garden, paving, etc. 

A new beginning is always exciting so have some fun with paint!! Use it as a backdrop to that beautiful sofa, gorgeous dresser or in your new kitchen.    

If you require assistance in choosing a paint colour please do not hesitate to contact Lynette Dawson at La Porta Designs. 

Contemporary Styling with Country Charm

The country side is such a great place to relax and unwind.  It's also a great place to get inspired!

If your wanting to create a country theme with a contemporary look, then why not mix the two together.  This statement piece accompanied with a cow hide rug and cushion will have your lounge room looking stylish.  Add a beautiful floor lamp, stainless steel side table and a few books to finish the look. 

www.globewest.com

Stylish Plants

Here are a couple of little finds I had last week for the garden.  

Leucadendron 'Fireglow' Ground cover

Cycad

Cycad's have been used as a decorative piece in gardens all over the world.  With it's gorgeous green foliage, these plants look fantastic in pots beside a pool area or clumped together in a garden bed.  Be aware though, they do take quiet a long time to grow and aren't super tolerant of the afternoon sun.

 If you're looking for the perfect ground cover with plenty of colour then look no further than this beautiful "Fireglow" plant.  

What stylish looking plants!

A Little Coastal Inspiration

Rosebud, VIC

I love the coast and what it brings, Summer or Winter!

Inspiration can be found everywhere and so can Colour!

  

Who would've thought, you could be inspired by a cold sandy beach in Melbourne, on a winters day.  

Weather Boards - Dulux Calf Skin and Window Trims - Dulux Whisper White

After months of looking at colour charts, I finally found the right hues for my home. Who would've thought it would be so hard, especially being a colour consultant. 

I decided to start with my brief. I have an old Californian Bungalow that was updated in the 1980's with a beautiful Australian bull nose verandah around the front and down one side. I wanted to update from the traditional colour scheme - cream, burgundy and heritage green.  The hues needed to be contemporary but also complement the character of the home.  

This is were I needed a little inspiration to bring the old and new together.  Who would have guessed I'd find it sitting on a beach, on a cold winters day in Melbourne.  I have to admit, I think I may have been dreaming about being in the Hampton's on a nice warm sunny beach.

Decorating for Children

Over the years a child's needs and wants in a space may change but here are a couple of things to consider when decorating your child's room. 

Fads come and go, so try and avoid cartoon characters...they will date and before long your child will grow out of them.  Use simple crisp bedlinen and artwork / framed prints that will stand the test of time. 

Declutter and store things away at sleep time.  Apply this rule from toddlers to tweens. Ikea, Howards Storage World and Kikiki have some fantastic storage solutions. Clear plastic buckets are a great idea for storing toys away neatly and when it comes to tweens why not try some little storage boxes with labels for trinkets and other special belongings. 

Trigger their imaginations and inspire creativity with a chalkboard. I have very fond memories of drawing and playing for hours with my chalkboard as a child. Porter's Paint have some very playful coloured chalkboard paints and Dulux stock a traditional black chalkboard paint too.


Have a little fun with it, write little messages of "I Love You!" or draw a smiley face to brighten their day! 

Traditional Whites & Neutrals

Sometimes, finding the right paint colour can be a daunting task.  I can't begin to tell you how many times I've stood at the paint shop and from across the room I can here the mutterings of a person peering into a wall full of colour and saying, "But I just want white!".  Well I'm here to share a few of my favourite traditional whites and neutrals with you.


Here a just a few of my favourites...

Dulux - Fair Bianca

Dulux - Hog Bristle Quarter Strength

Dulux - Chalk USA

Porter's Paint - Cashmere

Porter's Paint - Bianca

Porter's Paint - Mont Blanc

A few others are Murobond - Chalk, Chenille and Chino. Wattyl - Chalkdust, Classic White and Organic Rice.  


There's quite a lot of history in a beautiful old home, so to create a new beginning for your home you need to consider a few things before rushing in to choosing a hue for your walls or ceiling.  Whether it be interior or exterior you will need to consider the "Environment and it's surroundings". Natural light at different times of the day can change a hue dramatically.  Interior - consider flooring, lighting, etc. Exterior - consider bricks, garden, paving, etc.


If you require assistance in choosing a paint colour please do not hesitate to contact Lynette Dawson at La Porta Designs.


Please note: these photo's do not show the true colour, so if you're interested in taking a better look at these hues please refer to the paint company samples. These are just a few of my favourites...you may have one of your own.  Please check colour samples before committing to one hue and check the relevant paint company websites for technical advice.

Welcome!!!

La Porta Designs creates beautiful residential interiors and exteriors. We work closely with our clients to develop a styling plan, source furnishings and colour. At La Porta Designs our role is to help you apply your personal style to turn your house into the home you’ve always wanted. We also offer a range of hand cut paper artwork for that special space.

Looking for a Bargain?

Calling all bargain hunters... 

There are a number of furniture stores on sale at the moment and if you looking to update a table, sofa or just adding a few cushions to your couch then why not head down to Church Street, Richmond VIC. 

I stumbled across the Coco Republic - Property Styling Warehouse Sale today on Church Street and was pleasantly surprise to find some fantastic buys. Why not check it out this weekend Sat-Mon.

This winter why not add some beautiful candles to your space.