Holiday Mood Lighting Lessons from Twilight

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I was at a Christmas party last weekend hosted by one of my dearest friends Tami Rode, (below). During the evening, I was having a conversation with a guest about Christmas trees and she said "I love mine so much I cry when it comes down in January". 

Maria Killam & Tami Rode

And in that moment, I realized that it's because a Christmas tree suddenly becomes this beacon of atmosphere, in everyone’s home. And the whole time that tree is up over the holidays, it doesn’t matter if you still haven’t found the perfect lamp for that corner. For 2 – 4 weeks, you don’t need one.

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I also suddenly understood why sometimes Christmas lights are seen in bedrooms. In the past, I see the straggly looking string of lights hanging haphazardly--in a movie set for example--like Bella's in her bedroom in Twilight. . . (above) and I think why?

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So now, I get it, it makes total sense! So please, if buying new lights is intimidating for you (trust me I know, every single client that hires me to decorate their home rarely has enough lighting and is always surprised and delighted with the effect of 4-5 new lamps has in a living room) you have my permission to hang a string of white lights in your bedroom.  My new opinion is that it's quite the designer look indeed. And you can even buy these (below) from The Pottery Barn to last year round if you like the fuzz!

Yesterday, when I had a conversation with my mother (she's 64) who is too tired from taking care of my 83 year old dad with Parkinsons to put up a tree I rushed out to Abbotsford in the late afternoon and made it happen (below):

My mom loves pink and turquoise and she must have coloured lights on her tree!

I also grabbed a string of leftover white lights (of course mine are white) that I had in my Christmas box and hung them up in my Dad's bedroom (he spends most of his days in bed now).

Photo by Maria Killam

When they were hanging just like this (above) my Dad said, "Leave it like that, I like it". I said "Don't you want me to at least hang them so they frame the window?  “No”,  he said “I like it just like that.”

So there you have it, a real live example proving that ambient lighting = happy :)  So get some however you can, especially after Christmas, it will make me (and you) happy.

If you would like your home to fill you with happiness every time you walk in, contact me for on-line or in-person consultations.


Related posts:

The Enchanting World of Atmosphere
The 5 Accessories Everyone should Have in their Home
Embrace the Dark Side of your House; Lighting 101
3 Things I Learned about Design while Decorating for my Mother

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Five Accessories Everyone should have in their Home

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The most exciting thing about my new place is that I have space--which equals endless opportunities for vignettes and tablescapes--which play a huge part in creating atmosphere in your home. In the years that I have been decorating, there is a common theme on accessories that are usually missing in a client’s home and the top 5 accessories are just for my newsletter subscribers this August.

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My August newsletter, will be sent out early this week. Click here to subscribe, it’s free, and you’ll be able to read the rest of the article when it arrives in your in-box (just once a month). You will also receive my special free report, Top 3 Decorating mistakes homeowners make and how to avoid them, and a bonus, my go-to colours. You will also get access to a years worth of special articles only available to my subscribers!

We managed to get our entertainment console assembled and I took some photos which I’ll post tomorrow! So much better than the ‘before’, it’s so nice to sit in my living room now!

Hope you are having a happy weekend!

If you would like your home to fill you with happiness every time you walk in, contact me for on-line or in-person consultations.

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The Enchanting World of Atmosphere

10 Ways to make your Home look more Expensive

Who else knows Steampunk Style?

New to this Blog? Click here ; Subscribe to my free Monthly Newsletter; Become a True Colour Expert

How to Create an Ethereal Colour Scheme

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One of my on-line clients posted the sweetest comment when I wrote this article asking about the hottest paint colours for 2010, here is what she said:

“Huge thanks to you Maria!! Per our phone consultation, your recommendation is nothing short of genius. Wickham Grey [Living room walls] is beautiful beyond my imagination; ethereal. The other pick, Shale [Kitchen Cabinets], is also brilliant; it's quite dissimilar to any of the typical neutrals and very chameleon, which I love. The consultation was money very well spent. To anyone thinking about it, do schedule a Maria Killam consultation! You will not be disappointed.” Jan

Photograph by Maria Killam

This morning I went out for a run down to the Capilano River (since I live right beside it now), and it was so beautiful, when I got to the riverbank I started thinking about the word ethereal because even the ferns along the path, still new and untouched were such an amazing shade of green! Here’s the definition: Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible; highly refined, delicate; Not of this World.

Photograph by Maria Killam

Colour that is defined as ethereal is usually light and found in light-filled spaces. This is why Donald Kaufman says “A light colour will never come to life in a dark room”. I have had that experience in my Tiffany blue office (sneak peak below) since it was painted. Sitting here I often just sit and admire every corner of my office because the colour is so wonderful!

Interior Design by Maria Killam Colour is BM 652 Caribbean Breeze

Here are my tips for creating ethereal colour in your home:

1. Choose a light filled room. If your space is dark already, better to paint it a richer colour and install some lighting (not all recessed lighting--although that would add extra dimension--you still need lamps for atmosphere), because a rich warm colour is what’s necessary to bring a dark room to life.

2. Choose a colour that pulls your space together. Which means the colour should relate to the largest furnishings in the room, so the first place to look is at the broadloom, sofa or drapery. One of the reasons I love the colour in my office so much is because it goes so well with the artwork and the turquise in the linen drapes. Click here to subscribe to my newsletter (it’s free) get a list of my go-to colours if you need some inspiration.

Colour by Maria Killam Colour is BM 652 Caribbean Breeze

3. Pick one of the top two colours in the strip so that the colour stays light, instead of going to a mid-tone which may not give you the same effect. Remember this is just a guideline, ethereal feeling colour certainly exists past the first 2 colour chips, it depends on how dark the colours are in the first place—some are darker than others--in addition to how large the space is. The room below is a darker colour but it’s large and the quality of light is simply stunning (and the lighting at the opposite side of the room certainly enhance the atmospheric lighting here)!

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One more thing, there is a big difference between colour that looks ethereal and quite frankly just ‘washed out’. A colour that might seem washed out will happen when it doesn’t relate to anything in the space, like an entry or hallway for example. Colour always looks the best when it either relates to other elements in the room or simply is the perfect pale shade with the correct undertone that makes everything else against it look wonderful!

If you would like your home to fill you with happiness every time you walk in, contact me for on-line or in-person consultations.

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Are your Colours Married?

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New to this Blog? Click here ; Subscribe to my Monthly Newsletter; Become a True Colour Expert

Do you Dream about Decorating your House?

Sometimes when I get to the “Here’s what my fee’s are” conversation with a client, they say “But I just need colour/s”. And it seems really simple and straightforward—like anybody could come over and just choose a colour. However, rarely do the people that hire me have a simple colour problem. If colour was all that was required, you could take your sofa cushion or drapery fabric and head over to your nearest paint store and get a colour chip.

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No, you hire me because what you want to create in your home is a look and a feel which (as I have said in previous posts) equals atmosphere. My clients have said “I am tired of thinking about my house, I would just like to enjoy it!”

Sometimes I’m called in to choose colours from scratch. ‘It’s an empty house and we’re moving in’. In this case, major colour decisions regarding furniture have yet to be made, and I am a part of that conversation. Sometimes it's tile or granite (or which colour cabinet?) that's about to be installed and you want to be able to sleep at night!

Sometimes, major purchases (sofa/loveseat) have already been made and my client is convinced they have made a mistake and they are stressed out!! My job then becomes about pulling in all the missing elements of a room that have simply not been purchased yet. Maybe the drapery is still old and needs to be replaced before the new furniture has context in the space, maybe toss cushions are missing, or coffee tables, etc.

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Years ago (in my 20’s) I bought a sofa for my apartment. When it arrived and I placed it in my living room with my existing furniture, I was horrified. Convinced that I had made a terrible mistake I was about to return it--thanking the furniture God’s that the department store had a return policy--I got on the phone with a designer friend of mine who came over, re-arranged my furniture, took me shopping for end tables and lighting (which were sorely missing) and suddenly my sofa looked right as rain.

One client called me, worried that she had bought too much brown furniture for her living room (as her blinds were brown as well). We went shopping, bought a great striped area rug in blues, toss cushions, an upholstered slipper chair, lighting and accessories and then her living room too became a sanctuary to relax in. (sorry it was too long ago for a good picture, if you want to see my work click here.)

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The main living areas of your house, the kitchen, great room and living room are the most important because that’s what all your friends see when they come over and a True Colour Expert needs to be a designer too, otherwise you will be left with pretty paint chips and no plan to pull it all together.

So, before you start throwing good money after something you think is bad (because now you are willing to spend anything to take away the pain), it’s best to call me (or your designer) first to see what can be done that might not be obvious to you. After all if you don’t like your house, you won’t want to spend time in it.

If you want your home to have atmosphere including colours that flow to fill you with happiness every time you walk in. Contact me by email info@mariakillam.com for on-line rates or call me at 604.318.9725 if you are local.

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The 5 Designer Secrets that will Make or Break your Paint Colours

Insider Secrets to Testing and Selecting Paint Colours

New to this Blog? Click here ; Subscribe to my Monthly Newsletter; Become a True Colour Expert

The Enchanting World of Atmosphere

It’s the reason you are reading this blog (or any other design blog) right now. Because you are looking for atmosphere. Atmosphere is the feeling that gets created when you finally get the right colour on the walls. It’s what you get when you install a lamp in a minimum of 3 but preferably 4 corners of your living room or Master Bedroom (More on this in my February, newsletter, free to subscribers).

 

It’s also why a designer should pay for professional photography if they want to get clients to hire them based on their portfolio. It’s rare (unless you are a photographer yourself) that you can convey atmosphere in an image without the right angles and professional lighting!

This morning I was reading Seth Godin’s blog and he was talking about the luxury market and how it was first created in France to improve their balance of trade. I usually agree with Seth--he is a master of marketing after all and I get the point he was making which is different from mine--but he said:

Four Seasons

“In every city there are expensive hotels that are noisy, with $56 breakfasts, no parking, blinds that don't make the room dark and rooms that don't have enough closets. But the very waste of paying extra to stay there ensures that you'll be surrounded by others just as wealthy and just as interested in proving it.” S. Godin

Viceroy Hotel lobby designed by Kelly Wearstler

 

That I totally disagree with. The reason why people stay in luxury hotels is because of the atmosphere that get’s created first of all by the grandeur of the lobby and then by the luxurious fabrics, beautiful furniture, soft lighting, and wonderful colour in the guest rooms.

Viceroy Hotel lobby designed by Kelly Wearstler

 

It’s also the reason why a new design trend generally begins in a luxury hotel because they have the money to do it. That is what started a sleeker more contemporary look in residential interiors, hotels started that trend first.

Ever notice how many lamps hotel rooms have? Usually they have a minimum of five! And it’s also the reason why the real estate agent will turn on every single light in the house when they are showing it. Lamps create atmosphere faster than anything else in your space. It’s also the reason why--when I decorate my clients homes—one of the first items on the list is lighting! 

What do you think? Would you stay in an expensive hotel to be around other wealthy people or because you want to experience the look and feel of luxury!

If you would like your home to fill you with happiness every time you walk in, contact me for on-line or in-person consultations.

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Atmosphere; The one Thing you cannot Buy
10 Ways to save money Now by Creating a Focal Point
How to choose the right Beige

New to this Blog? Click here ; Subscribe to my Monthly Newsletter; Become a True Colour Expert

Vancouver Interior Decorator talks about Atmosphere; The one thing you cannot Buy

The talented ladies at The Skirted Roundtable recently interviewed Charlotte Moss and I loved her answer to the question: What is the most essential element of a room? Atmosphere. It’s the one thing you cannot buy, it’s not about an object; it’s about the end result.

Interior by Charlotte Moss

Atmosphere, is the reason I always encourage my clients to just skim right past the cost of a custom toss cushion or pillow sham and rather, look at the total cost of the entire project. Why a toss cushion you ask? Because the cost difference between an off-the-shelf cushion and a custom made throw pillow is so big, clients always question it. And the difference between a store-bought cushion and a custom made--specifically chosen for your home--is of course the look and feel that is being created.

Charlotte Moss Interiors

Elle Decor interviewed Charlotte in their November issue and one of the questions they asked was; ‘Clients are becoming increasingly design-savvy and sophisticated. Has that influenced your work?’ It’s a double-edged sword, because possessing a lot of information doesn’t necessarily connote knowledge. At the end of the day all that information is good for people to know, because it means they are taking an interest in their surroundings. But I’m the one who has to put it all together and make A plus B equal C.

This week a client called and asked if she could pay me for half an hour to come and choose a colour for her living room. I said “You just need one colour?” Her response was “Well no, I need you to come and tell me what other furniture I need to buy, and help me create the look and feel for the room as well”. Exactly. Which [by the way] takes longer than half an hour :)

Charlotte Moss Interior

When [with a designers help] you have created the look and feel that you want, you’ll get happy just walking into your home!

And, if you are spending money anyway, a designer will save you their fee many times over because you will be buying the right furniture, because the space planning has been done in the first place, etc, etc. I explored this at length in my post; Hiring a Designer; Luxury or Necessity. If you don't have the money to hire a designer for everything, one day of shopping will get you all the basics and a little extra.

Charlotte Moss is famous for her canopy beds! Now how much are those cushions :)

It’s funny, the money saving aspect of hiring a designer is mostly lost on people? Can someone enlighten me here? Why does it always seem like it would cost more? You are spending money anyway (if you are buying new furniture, etc) doesn’t it just seem like it would make sense to have everything you place in your home including the colour be absolutely perfect (or certainly as perfect as your budget will allow)? It costs exactly the same to paint the right colour as it does the wrong one, but if it’s wrong. . . well now it costs you even more.

If you want your home to have atmosphere including colours that flow to fill you with happiness every time you walk in. Contact me by email for on-line rates or call me directly if you are local.

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Interior Design may look Easy; It’s not

The Three most important Words in a Colour Consultation

10 Ways to save money Now by Creating a Focal Point

New to this Blog? Click here ; Subscribe to my Monthly Newsletter; Become a True Colour Expert