the beautiful side of rain

Clouds reflect off the mirrored surface of Lake Eyre SA, by Peter Elfes

It was announced this week that Australia has had its wettest two years on record.

Again large areas of Queensland and New South Wales are currently under water with many towns and communities cut off. In the 13 months the rain at its worse has caused many loss of life, devastation to property and disruptions to thousands of peoples lives.

Brisbane floods 2011
(source University of Queensland, Brisbane)  

The rain at its best, is showing a beautiful side with dramatic changes to the landscape.

One particular landscape is a desert, usually and unsurprisingly known for its dryness. La Nina has brought water flowing, filling the lowest point in Australia, Lake Eyre. 

With the rarity of the lake having so much water comes a wonderful array of colours, erupting with life and breathtaking landscapes on a very large scale.  To give you an idea of size, at its fullest the lake is 9,500km²  which is roughly 6 times the size of Greater London.

This unusual event has inspired new art.

John Olsen, a great Australian artist takes inspiration for many of his pieces from the Australian landscape, in particular he has been fascinated by Lake Eyre since his first visit in 1974.  His latest series of Lake Eyre paintings captures the landscape, viewing it in such a unique way, that continues to fill me with awe.  The collection can be viewed on the Tim Olsen Gallery website

source Tim Olsen Gallery

Currently exhibiting in Sydney is Peter Elfes collection of photographs taken at low levels from a helicopter. Life and colour is captured in a place normally barren of such features

A selection of postcards showing Peter Elfes 'The Green Desert'

Enjoy the beautiful side of rain.  'The Green Desert' is on until 27 May 2012 at Custom House, Circular Quay Sydney (free entry M-F 10am- 7pm, weekend 11am-4pm).

are you playing it safe with white?

Whether you are redecorating, extending or building a new house it is exciting yet at the same time very daunting choosing the colours for everything from the floor to the ceiling and everything in-between.  Faced with all the choices it is easy to opt for white, after all it is the safe choice.  Isn't it?  

Lets have a look at some of the reasons given for choosing white and why it is not always the best choice.

a few subtle variations of white

   

white is simple

White is not just pure white.  There are many subtle variations that may show hints of colour, that will be difficult to see unless applied to a large area.  Just like with colours there are combinations that work and those that don't.

white = bigger + brighter

Whilst this can be true for some rooms, for instance, applying it to a room with little natural light can look dirty.  Applying some colour would be a better choice.  

On Robben Island the lime quarry mined by Nelson Mandela and his fellow inmates, with their back to the sun the harsh rays reflected against the dazzling white lime.  The glare meant the inmates squinted their eyes during the day and then took a long time to adjust to the lower light in their cells (Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom).  Choosing a white that is too light can be hard on the eyes just like the lime quarry.

  

these are just some of the colours in the full Dulux range

indecision

In Australia, Dulux make it easier for you by only showing around 1500 of their colours in places like Bunnings, when the full range from Dulux is nearer to the 5000 mark.  And that is just one paint company. Even if you manage to eliminate your least favourite colour you are still left with hundreds, if not thousands of colours to choose from.  No wonder it so difficult to make a final decision when you don't what direction to take, that you give up and look at the smaller range of whites.

safe choice

Maybe you are thinking of being bold with a colour but remain unsure, so you ask a friend or a family member what they think.  Doing this there is the strong likelihood you will receive a negative comment. You start doubting yourself, start considering other colours, become confused which one to go with.  Then you decide that white is going to be the safe choice.  

Would it not be best to choose a scheme that makes you happy, after all it is you that lives in your house, not your friend. Also, unlike your friend/ family member I can give you the whys of a colour scheme so you can have the confidence that they are the right selections for you and your home.

which white best suits your home?
could it be yellow white, grey white, pinkish white?

white won't date

Many will think that white will always look good, that it won't date.  One colour by itself will have a harder time to look dated, it is the combination of colours, the materials used, style of fixtures and fittings that are all guilty together of dating a space.  Again just like colours there are some whites that look more yesterday than today.

white adds more to resale value

Many real estate agents will advice you to keep it neutral to avoid offending any potential buyer.  I say, what do they know about colour?  Applied well colour can be used to highlight features, add character and probably more importantly, in a tough selling market, stand out (for all the right reasons) from the crowd.

Most reference have been to paint colour, as this is where the widest selection of colours are available, however the principles applies to any kind of material or furnishings applied in your home.  You now have plenty of reasons why white is not always the safe or best choice, so go on be bold choose some colour.  If you are still feeling daunted, you will benefit from a colour consultation.  If you are on North Shore of Sydney contact me at enquiries@decoroci.com.au

Why does the same colour look so different?

I spent the last few years studying colour indepth - and what a journey!

I have always been intrigued about colour, how (or not) to combine them and where etc. I could judge if a colour scheme applied to a room looked good or not, but was lost when it came to the starting point of deciding which colours to use and where. (I will cover why we can judge, but find applying difficult in a later post)

One place we apply and change colour often, is through paint on the walls of our homes.

• How is it that the same paint colour in my friends lounge looks so different in my bedroom?
• Why does the paint I have just spent ages applying to my walls, does not look like the paint sample in the paint company's brochure or the chips I pick up the the hardware store?
• I have not changed the colour or even the brand of paint, so why is it so different?

I discovered that the colour we see, is so much more than just the pigments that are in that tin of paint. Colour is far more complex than I could have ever thought and is so much more fascinating (well at least to me) than I could have imagined.

So OK, you have a colour. A bit of blue, a good dose of yellow, along with a large helping of white and black, and there maybe even a hint of red (even though you can't see it) thrown in for good measure. It might look a bit like this (or does it?)

What you see is not what I see: You see a picture on your computer monitor, I see a sample. Amazingly, it is the same sample in all three images.

The sample is true to the real paint. The scanned image and pictures by the camera sees the sample different to how the eye sees it. Your monitor and how you have it set up again changes how it looks. We are looking at the same thing but what you see is not what I see.

What I see on my monitor is a scanned image that has pink not seen in the sample. The photos (taken at different areas in the same room with slightly different camera settings) shows the image a lot greyer and darker than the sample. If you like the colours you see in the images and you paint your wall the colour used for those images you will end up a totally different result.

So the issues of me trying to show you a colour aside. The first major obstacle being able to detect the colour 'ingredients' of the colour to be applied? Isn't that it?

Nope, that is just the starting point.

In addition to the pigments in the tin, two other major players in how a colour appears are light and surrounding colours. Back to my friends lounge versus my bedroom: When I have been to their house it has been during the day and the room is lit with natural light. I go to bed after sunset and up before sunrise, so I am not in the room when natural light illuminates the bedroom. These two different sources of light affects the way we see the same colour. So that is the first reason it looks so different.

Hers is a lounge, mine is bedroom: the furniture is different, the colour and textures of the floor are different, the placement of the furnishings are different, the proportions of all the other colours in the room that is not the wall paint colour are different. All these differences add up to another reason the same colour on her walls looks so different to mine. The surrounding colours and the proportions they are in will effect how the same wall paint looks.

'windswept' sculptures by the sea, bondi 2011
the yellow looks more intense with the strong daylight and contrasted against the blue sky

If this was not enough to throw you off course, there are the brochures the paint companies produce:

1) Often printed, thus not an accurate representation of the true colour (to an untrained eye they may look the same).

2) You pick a colour from the brochure that is surrounded by other colours in the range - unwittingly you will pick up hues in the surrounding colours that will not be there surrounding your chosen colour in the room you paint, making your chosen paint looks different in reality to the brochure.

3) The brochure shows a 25mm by 25mm of the colour, and your wall is how big? They don't compare! Even for the expert it can be difficult to pick up the complexities of the colour 'ingredients' on such a small sample, so it is no wonder the sample you choose looks so different when it surrounds you in your room. One reason the paint companies push for you to try paint samples, and how many do you buy before choosing which one to use?

We feel we know so much about colour we feel we ought to be able to choose them ourselves, but many it is daunting just looking at all the thousands of paint colours that are out there, let alone what colour tile, floor, furniture selection to make.

Knowing more about colour shows that using an expert in colour whom will know a scheme that works for you before the tins of paint are bought, save you time, save money on sample pots, maybe avoid a few arguments with your partner, I'm sure more people will realise the benefits of hiring expert colour advice.

I have touched on few areas that are considered when a colour scheme is being created, with so much more to come.

Welcome to 2012 wonderful year of colour.

feeling the heat?

Last week your mind was whisked away to a tropical island just with a colour.

This weeks' colour turns up the heat.  It shows aggression, warns of danger, yet it can be exciting, passionate and sexy.  Living life a little dangerously, we are attracted to this colour even though we know sometimes we ought not to be.

This colour not just wants your attention, it demands it.

How could it be any other colour?

In it's pure vivid form think fire engine red. The eye catching colour advances, making it appear nearer, which makes it appropriate for fire engine or stop lights.

Given its' eye catching nature and that it can stimulate appetite, it is not surprising red features in the logos and interiors of certain international fast food establishments. 

Red is a sign that food is ripe.

So why is red eye catching and makes you feel warm?
A person sees the colour of an object by the size of a wavelength reflected off the object.  For a red object it reflects the longest wavelengths that can be seen by a human eye.  Your eyes have rods and cones which processes longer wavelengths quicker.  Thus your eye will pick up red quicker, which also makes it looks closer than other colours.

Our physical reaction to it can increase blood pressure and adrenaline that creates a sense of warmth. 

Infrared produces a sensation of heat and has longer wavelengths than the colours that can be seen by a human eye.  As it is red that has the longest wavelengths this colour is closest to infrared red.

I hope you see the love of red - have a good weekend

a girl can dream

Which calming colour can bring you thoughts that whisks you away to some tropical waters lapping up over your toes as you wander along the shoreline of an exotic island somewhere far away from the chores and grind of daily life? 

Are you on that island yet?  Do you see it? 

Maybe you have dived into the warm waters, snorkelling over the corals you have immersed yourself in this colour.

A bit of green mixed with some blue, put in some white to lighten it up, is all it takes. No wonder turquoise is a colour equally liked by both males & females.

It is amazing how a colour can stir up a memory, or a dream, or change how we feel.  Yet there maybe some reading this who just don't feel the same reaction to this colour as I do - and that is fine, and that is part of what makes colour such a fascinating subject.   

turquoise on watson beach, sydney

tropical waters in maldives

tropical queensland waters

The winter chill is continuing, no wonder I am dreaming of an escape to somewhere warm dominated by turquoise.

Anyone else could do with a holiday?

light me up

Hi there, it has been a while, how are you?
Well I lost a bit of creativity for a time, trust Sydney to help bring it back as currently she is all alight for the Vivid festival.

Customs House is taking on many forms from being set on fire, splatted with paint, filled with water before it comes gushing out, covered in fluro patterns, and crumbling down all before your eyes.

Many of the city buildings are lite up with changing colours and patterns.

A short stroll to Circular Quay will take you past more installations (many interactive) than we had time for, and views over to the Opera house decorated with constantly changing detailed 3D light projection.

Eating chocolate ice cream, watching the fire dance with the back drop of the Harbour Bridge, does Sydney get any better?

If you are in town, then the Vivid Festival is on every night starting at 6pm until Monday (13 June).  Wrap up warm though, Sydney is being hit with a rather cold winter wind this week.

colour to write about

• take some old doors
• sand them down and in the process burn out the electric sander

•  do some more prep work

•  add a bit of colour 

•  add some more colour

• leave for a few days to thoroughly dry
• start making notes, drawing, doodling and generally having fun

sydney sunday walking

You can always find unexpected surprises around Sydney, like a maze... 

Neild Avenue Maze, Paddington

Neild Avenue Maze, Paddington

For those that have not been to Sydney, it may come as a surprise how hilly it can be.

Even house numbers can be a work of art.

Kinghorn Cancer Centre is being constructed in Darlinghurst next to St Vincent Hospital, funded by Government grant and private donations.  Instead of seeing plain ugly boards to hide the construction site, colourful hand prints cover the wall including this lovely mural.  The far end includes Delta Goodrem's glittering gold hand prints, who was treated and recovered from cancer, now is the Patron of the centre.

'helping hands, healing hands' mural created by the children of Darlinghurst Primary School

A little bit of fun with the water feature at Taylor Square

purple autumn

A week into autumn the darker mornings with a slight chill are creeping in. Once the sun comes out and warms the day up, it becomes one of those beautiful Sydney autumn days topped off with the sight of a lasiandra in full bloom.


© decoro creativity 2011

"I think it pisses God off if you walk by the colour purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."

 Alice Walker

 

© decoro creativity 2011



© decoro creativity 2011



something old, something new & everything blue

Did you know that blue is the most favoured colour in the world?

It is a colour that is with us where ever we are - just look upwards and even if you can't see it today, you know that it is there behind the clouds.  You can go swimming or diving in it, sailing on it or just watch the tide come in.  In the right shades it has a calming, soothing and relaxing nature.  How could you not love blue when it is such a part of our everyday life? 


a few years ago in the waters of Fiji © decoro creativity 2011



a past creation designed and made © decoro creativity 2011



a creation made this week © decoro creativity 2011

another creation this week © decoro creativity 2011


What something blue did you enjoy today...

inspiration: harry seidler

They are many places to find inspiration. What to do with that inspiration can sometimes come quickly, other times there can be many steps of development to not only come up with a design, but where and what it can be applied to.


Having in mind that Seidler like to connected the indoors with views to the outdoors, as was the case at Rose Seidler House which has large floor to ceiling windows looking out onto the bush, the product subject to the design became curtains.

He like to incorporate art to his buildings, so the aim was that the curtains could be seen in some small way be seen as a piece of art.

His commercial work were many high-rise buildings, I wanted to portray this grandeur of tallness.

I'm particularly fond of Australia Square in Sydney, and have lovely memories of taking my parents to the revolving restaurant at the top, which of course has some wonder views.  I also am partial to patterns, so the  lines from the window frames and waffle slab ceiling leapt out at me.

Image by roryrory via Flickr

Turning these lines 180° created the pattern for the curtains.  The heading was kept simple and helped to emphasis the lines to create the tallness.


© decoro creativity 2011


Taking it several steps further can lead to a design that can be difficult to recognised from the original inspiration.  The curtains kept to the straightness of the lines, in this design those lines became more fluid and playing with colour creates new patterns within the design. 



© decoro creativity 2011

Don't you find it amazing that the same inspiration can result in drastically different results?

Have a good weekend.

incredible journeys: harry seidler (part 1)

Next month marks 5 years since the passing of the great architect Harry Seidler.  Today we look back at his incredible journey that brought him to Australia.

Rose Seidler House, Wahroonga, NSW Australia

Born in Austria, as a young boy building work caught his imagination. During the Second World War he was sent to England where he studied building and construction. He attended Harvard and another place in America, where he studied under and was greatly influenced by Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius, former Bauhaus teachers Marcel Breuer and Josef Albers. The space in America was also a key influence in his designs.

His parent emigrated to Sydney, but he was reluctant to join them. When his mother, Rose, asked the 24 year old Harry to design and build their home, it was an offer he could not refuse.

He brought the Bauhaus philosophy fully for the first time to an Australian residence. The Rose Seidler House (1948-1950 in Wahroonga) was a design not seen before, challenging many conventions and had several firsts. His input was in all areas, they were part of his design! The furniture (including pieces by Charles Eames), furnishing, artwork, he decided what they would be and where they would be placed. Most items were also new to Australia, either they were imported with him or custom made locally.

Grasshopper chair in main bedroom,  Rose Seidler House

Seidler said he had no particular style over his career, rather the design evolved to embrace the elements of:

1. Social Use
2. Technology
3. Aesthetic Expression

All of his 3 elements can be seen in the Rose Seidler House: Breuer influenced flexible open plan living areas (the scene of many social gatherings); modern labour saving devices (especially in the kitchen); connected the indoors with views to the outdoors; artwork (all Josef Albers) as an integral part, including his focal mural using the bold colours seen throughout the house.

Rose Seidler House has been maintained as Harry envisioned it by the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales, open to the public at 71 Clissold Road Wahoroonga On Sundays (10am to 5pm)

Harry Seidler's incredible journey continues in part 2