Happy New Year . . . Chinese Style!

I haven’t forgotten that it’s not January 1st, even though I did previously proclaim I wanted to slow down the year of 2011, rather watching it zip by as in 2010.  I think it’s going to be a great year and I want to savor every minute!

I’m just happy to have an excuse to think of another new beginning.  We’ve literally stepped into February, so it’s the start of a new month and today is the start of the Chinese New Year!

2011 is the Year of The Rabbit! 

Rabbit years are supposed to be calmer and more serene.  They are a respite from the previous Year of the Tiger and the upcoming roller coaster Year of the Dragon.  I kind of imagine it as the year of happily hopping along!

According to USA Today writer, Rhonda Adams, The Year of the Rabbit should allow us to expect it to be good year for:

Creative and artistic. This is a good year for developing new products or new marketing campaigns, redesigning your logo or store. Use your imagination!  (How ironic, I’m in the process of that, right now!)

Calm. Rabbit years are traditionally more peaceful years. This means fewer things are likely to faze you, so you should approach problems with equanimity, expecting that you'll be able to handle them successfully.  (Since I always ponder how to do everything better, this should help move decisions forward, faster.)

Luck. Here's good news: Rabbit years are traditionally quite lucky years.  (No matter how much luck we may already have, an added bonus is always welcome!)

Some other fun factoids:

Paint it red.  This color is thought to promote a welcoming energy.  It also is a symbol of good luck and happiness.  The Chinese will often put a fresh coat of red paint on their doors and windows to bring both into the New Year.

Clean out the old.  The Chinese believe this is a great time to get rid of anything not useful or things which may be in disrepair.  The idea is that it opens up for the possibility of good fortune to arrive.  Hanging onto these things are thought to bog you down and stop the flow of good energy.  (If you missed getting on board with your January organization, here’s your “do-over”.)

Gifts of money are placed in red envelopes.  They are exchanged in the morning, amongst family members.  (I found some special ones, on Etsy, decorated with cherry blossoms.  Wouldn’t they be lovely keepsakes, showcased in a shadow box?)

Firecrackers are set off to scare away evil spirits and misfortunes at the beginning of the New Year.  The noise is also intended to wake up the sleeping dragon to bring rain to crops in the summer.  (It might wake up some sleeping neighbors, too, and your wish just might be fulfilled if they opt to turn the water hose on you!)

 

Gung hay fat choy, y’all! –

To great beginnings . . . again! ~ Wanda

Read more

Love Hue

Rosebud Red and Passionate Purple.  Both are dramatic hues and can be a perfect match for those who love color.  When you have two strong color “personalities”, you have to be sure one doesn’t overpower the other.  It always helps if they are complementary in nature.  A beautiful waltz also never works without one partner guiding the other. 

A gorgeous banquet setting, from David Kahoi, featured in “House Beautiful”, provides the perfect illustration of balancing the relationship of color.  While the room is saturated in purple, the red really captures your attention. 

Because purple is a marriage between blue and red, it depends on the combination as to whether it leans more towards the cool, (blue), family or the warm, (red), family.  Red, being a warm hue, will always advance.  If you look closely, a few touches of it are popped around the space . . . in the banding of the table skirt, in the napkin, and the wall art.  With such a rich surrounding of purple, it was the perfect solution to match the trim and shutters as they would have provided too much of a contrast in a traditional white or neutral.  Placing the white on the ceiling allows for a wash of light and plays nicely off the French Bergere chair, to the left.

It takes a leap of faith to move towards a dramatic color scheme.  It also helps if someone, (little shameless plug here), is there to hold your hand and guide you along the way.  It can be a true, color love match!

Love the home you’re in! ~ Wanda

Read more

Christmas Countdown – Day 17

The Christmas House

I think in every area, there is someone who can hardly contain themselves when it comes to the joy of Christmas and sharing it with others.  In my little city, just on the outskirts of Charlotte, NC, there is a house, in the historic district, we fondly refer to as the “Christmas House”.  Of course, depending on the time of year and the holiday, it’s always decked out in the appropriate seasonal attire!

This evening, after having dinner at one of the local cafes, I asked my husband to take a drive by . . . you know, just to be reassured the holiday home spirit still lived on. It didn’t disappoint!  Even though my night photography skills on my Droid phone couldn’t possibly do it justice, I just had to see if I could take a few shots to share with you. 

‘Tis the season to be jolly!

This Victorian Era home is painted in shades of green and cranberry.  All that has to be added is the icing.

I’m sure the owner experiences people getting out of their cars to take pictures, on a regular basis.  I was hoping our local police wouldn’t be dialed up with the idea someone was casing the place!

The lovely iron gates were tastefully dressed with a pair of wreaths.  These were some of the more subdued decorations. *wink*

Another small town, with a Victorian village charm, is Cape May, New Jersey.  I made a quick stop over, many years ago, while visiting with a high school chum.  The Bacchus Inn Main House is a vision in holiday red.

Another bed and breakfast, the Linda Lee, fits the description of a gingerbread house to a ‘t’.  I’m not sure if it’s a reflection but I think the lap board siding might have a tint of pink.  Suddenly I feel a peppermint craving coming on!

It’s always fun to share the holiday merriment.  Do you have a special “drive by” on your list?  Maybe it’s even your own home.  If you see lights flashing outdoors, don’t be worried, it might just be an admirer!

Jingling all the way! ~ Wanda

Read more

Living Room Inspirations & The Universe

Today, I’m meeting with a client about several different interior design projects.  Two will involve areas where demo work will create loud noises, as the guest and master baths are being remodeled, but there will also be lovely results.  The other area should provide a place for a soft landing – the living room.  (A comforting escape for whatever her heart desires.)  It’s a room, oft overlooked, for anything but to be “on show”.  I wonder why we refer to this space as the Living Room when there can be so little “living” taking place in it?

(If this room doesn’t just make you smile . . . from the “humble opinion gallery”.  The colors make it come alive!  I just want to sink into this living room’s sofa.)

Before I head out the door, for this meeting, I’m sharing the inspiration board I’ve created to show my client.  An inspiration board helps to move the discussion forward about the style and experience I envision for a room, as well as to see if I’m on track from the previous list of design desires.  It’s not a literal translation as everyone’s architecture is different.  (I can’t take a photo of a haircut, to my hair designer, and expect I’ll look like the model who is wearing it. *Smile*)  I also use these boards to pop in some unexpected combinations of hues, patterns, or textures.  It helps us to think outside of the box, while we are looking at a room in the present.  I want her to be able to have a clear vision for the future.

I do love working with many different color palettes.  Lately, there has been a big trend towards grays, neutrals, and subdued tones.  I’m ready for a big laugh in color!  I’ve decided to put it out to the Universe. What’s your color inspiration?  Are you ready to smile?

Read more

Flying Your Flag High – Inside and Out

We Americans are an odd lot.  Thankfully, it’s an inalienable right to be so!  It’s in our constitution to be able to express ourselves, freely and often, even if we don’t agree.  In fact, some may observe we are a nation, proliferate with a differing of opinions.  We can offer up a pretty good lot of criticism, especially during some of these trying times.  I view it a bit like being a part of a large family.  We can dish it out, but when it comes down to someone else stepping on the “family’s” toes, we band together with an immense source of protective pride!  The Fourth of July – or our Independence Day celebration – is to me, like a big family reunion.  We can be out-of-touch, for a time, but the day brings us together to recognize our roots, and we’ll fly our flags high, celebrate with great food, and make a lot of noise in the process! 

Here are some ideas for spreading the red,white, and blue theme, inside and out:

Bunting draped on this turn-of-the-century home leaves no doubt about the event being celebrated.

Some random accents add pops of color.

 

Pots bursting forth with patriotic pride! 

What a most creative way for this homeowner to display their quilt collection!  A cleverly placed screened-door, painted in ink blue, frames the contents.

 

We Southerners do love our porches! Nan Graham shares a fun poke at us, in her book, Turn South at the Next Magnolia.  To paraphrase . . . “Whereas others may hide their eccentric family members, we Southerners proudly display them on the porch, for everyone to see.”  Wonder if it’s like going “whole hog”, when it comes to decorating with the red, white, and blue?

I hope you’ll be inspired to show your true colors and fly them high.  You’ve been given permission!

Read more

An Homage to Love

I have a true confession to make . . . red is one of my most favorite colors.  While it is often associated with passion and fury, I prefer the other interpretations which move toward the direction of happiness and love.  And – oh how happy I am in a room with anything red!  It can be from head-to-toe or in a vase of flowers and my heart starts to sing.

As the special day for love, Valentine’s Day, is just around the corner, I wanted to share with you my adoration for red and an indulgence of the heart!

There are many shades and tints of red, just like we find in the beautiful blossoms in nature.

A perfectly pretty pagoda in pink!

This room, from the pages of House Beautiful, reminds me of a color scheme I used in a show house bedroom, a few years ago.  Often, when you speak of painting walls in a pink or blush color, and in a public area, people may cringe.  When they walk into a room, like the one above, you often instantly see them smile and relax.  While not exactly full-blown red, pink is what we refer to as a tint.  A tint is any color which has white added to it to soften its affect.

With this post, I send you my best wishes for a Happy Valentine’s Day!  Make sure you make a little time to enjoy the people and things you love. 

Heartfelt Cheers!  Wanda 

Read more