Colin and Justin: Who are you at home?
October 30, 2010
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Colin and Justin
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Filming in Edinburgh last week (we’ve been in Scotland for 12 days on a work junket), we got chatting to our old friend Steve, a cameraman, and between takes he vented his spleen. Not at us, you understand — we’re one-take wonders — but at the state of the inner-city pad he’s been “fixing” for years.
By his accounts the, ahem, “humble” two-bedroom conversion is pretty desperate although, being in Edinburgh, it has astonishingly high value. Somewhere in the region of a million bucks, to be precise. For that princely sum, our friend with the lens boasts around 1,200-square-feet of tall rooms, as well as views to Edinburgh Castle and the preened splendour of Princes Street Gardens. Quite the address, certainly, but, having witnessed the damning evidence on his iPhone, we can attest to its dismal condition.
Our shooter described buying the flat in 1997 for a fraction of its current value and, while he admitted to bags of inclination, he also admitted to none of the required style awareness to fashion a beautiful home. And his biggest problem? Simple: He’d never taken the time to analyze that which actually inspires him. Jealous of friends with cooler abodes he’d tried — vainly — to follow their lead and copy all manner of looks from antique French to benign minimalism, from pop art to retro chic. Hmm. Quite the combo of attempts, we mused as Steve’s face crumpled in defeat. And which, if any, had been successful? Agonizing, he volunteered that none had yielded good results. And, what’s more, he’d spent a small fortune along the way. Via various snatch and grab shopping trips, he’d flown in the face of his home’s Georgian architecture. He’d fought unsuccessfully with space, light, form and function. Our prescription was simple — he needed to take a breath before flexing the plastic. In short, he needed to work out “who” he is at home.
When bad decor happens to good people
Consider this scenario: You’re at the mall shopping for home accessories but can’t decide what you need. You wander aimlessly searching for things. Any thing. Every now and then something catches your eye and, though it mightn’t be exactly what you’re looking for, you think, “What the hell! I’m tired, I’m bored and I have to buy something.” What happens next is classic — you get the item home, it does nothing for your room and you either put up with it or take it back to the store.
As far as we’re concerned, bad design comes from bad shopping. It makes better sense to accurately plan what you hope to achieve so “your lifestyle can dictate your home style.” Base your buying decisions on how you use each space. Consider architectural period and analyze the relevant styles to which you’re genuinely drawn. Forget those impulse buys and dispatch your lily livered attempts at copycat decor inspired by more stylish friends. While their spaces may be beautiful, their homes are theirs . . . and not necessarily you.
To properly discover who you are — and what you like — it helps to do “the flick,” so start pouring through home magazines and assemble a mountain of tear-outs. Acquire an interest (if you don’t already have one) in design TV and jot down everything that excites you. Visit Chapters (or your local library) and pour over glossy design tomes, many of which are property porn to self respecting style aficionados like us. This done, appraise the period of your home and assemble a mental identikit of elements you’d like to include, drawing, as you do, upon your research. With any luck you should start to see an identity emerging.
The next step to discovering who you are chez vous is to analyze typical looks. Becoming clued up on basic principles will give you a better grasp of how you should go about defining your own style. And in doing so you’ll begin to understand the rules of design. Feel free to mix and match and, wherever possible, avoid being overly thematic.
• Traditional: Those who appreciate this direction enjoy decorated furnishings with rich, lavish fabrics and atmospheric timbers such as cherry or mahogany. Think Regency striped paper, deep buttoned sofas and ornate chandeliers.
• Cottage: Ah, gorgeous! A simple, friendly look that features lots of naïve painted wood (even ex-knotty pine) mixed with “junktiques” and collectibles. Imagine a hazy scene with tapestry fabrics, mismatched crockery and all manner of family heirloom pieces. This assembly evokes a cozy, warm vibe and is one of our favourite directions.
• Coastal: Devotees are inspired by the sea and things beachy. This look is traditionally clean and cool, mixing a myriad of blue, turquoise and aquamarine shades with stone, yellow and sand. Twisty driftwood artworks are key, as are wicker and raffia detailing and white, loose cover upholstery.
• Neutral: Oh, please. Beige. Why self impose delusions of blandeur when there exist wonderful options from which to draw inspiration. Cream carpets, cream sofa, cream ceramics, cream ad infinitum. Hello? At the very least sling in a slab of block colour to enliven proceedings. Even a brightly toned cushion, for goodness sake, or a dramatic floor rug would provide visual lift and a popping accent. If you don’t mind we’ll move on: our hackles are up.
• Contemporary: This style can best be described as spacious with clean lines, natural light, acres of glass and simple rectilinear furniture. Mood is generally dramatic in a pared down, technological way. Think dark floors, white walls, abstract artwork and enough shine to make a magpie swoon.
• Romantic: Rich damask prints, soft linens and time-worn furnishings all conspire to create direction that’s timeless and elegant. This look can be slightly girly if assembled with pink and lace or surprisingly masculine if deeper tones such as aubergine or grey are selected. Remember that a little Bo Ho goes a long, long way so take a tip; don’t overdo it or your home will end up looking like Helena Bonham Carter in a wind tunnel.
Shabby Chic: Mixing old and new (with the emphasis on old) is order of the day if you hope to achieve this casual mood. Worn around the edges is your holy grail, which means finished results actually benefit from a battered and slightly “time travelled” feel. But remember that shabby chic is a two word composure: rush into things and you’ll only get it half right. And shabby, without chic is, well, just plain shabby.
Pan Asian: Square cut, pared down Japanese minimalism played concurrently with, for example, adorned Chinoiserie, Balinese or Thai detailing. Furniture is generally sculptural with dark wood notes played against linen, limestone, bamboo and teak Add a little Indonesian wood and a spot of religious iconography and you’re almost there.
• English Country House: Imagine Buck House in miniature to get the gist. Luxurious fabrics, chandeliers, patterned Axminster carpets and duck egg blue paintwork with cream and gold accents. Oh yes, and a smattering of antiques.
Need more?
Still not sure what you’re all about? Here are some more pointers:
• Shopping habits: Do you gravitate towards chunky Pottery Barn kit or is low-slung sexy Minotti more your thang? Does a rummage in the local flea market send you into high orbit? Where and how you source says much about you, so don’t ignore these signals and style your world appropriately.
• What was your last ‘brave’ purchase? Do you possess one item of furniture that’s completely out of step with the rest of your home? And is this (if you’re honest) your favourite piece? Addressing this could be the first step towards creating a new overall style which you — as yet — don’t even realize you love. Appraise how other connected pieces might look and if you’re excited, then maybe it’s time to — budget permitting — start from scratch. Craigslist and eBay here you come?
• Think about your favourite hotel or holiday destination: Are cozy, chintzy English B&B’s your thing or are Manhattan hotel suites and city escapes more relevant? Or maybe barefoot living in hot tropical climes is your idea of heaven. The “hotel at home” vibe remains massively popular, so you’ll have no trouble whatsoever tracking down inspirational books to guide you. If you listen closely to inner signals and remain, as you do, decoratively inspired by your travels, you’ll soon find confidence. Let the staycation begin!
For the record, it transpires that Steve, our erstwhile Edinburgh cameraman, is all about contemporary home styling, though it’s fair to say he hadn’t quite realized this, accustomed as he’d become to living with his ex-wife’s discard. Over lunch we delved deep into his life and harvested information about what makes him tick. He’s a sharp dresser. He likes modern cinema. He drinks in the city’s coolest bars. And, for the love of God, he works with us! Yet his home was utterly at odds with everything he stands for and it hadn’t seen an ounce of planning.
Cohesive, quite simply, didn't figure. So we’ve sent him off for “correction.” He’s got to paint out the rag-rolled walls, a legacy of his ex, suffered graciously, we might add, by his current girlfriend. He’ll need a gorgeous new ebony floor to replace the threadbare berber that currently travels wall to wall. A low slung sofa wouldn’t go amiss, nor would slick architectural lighting. We’re thinking flatscreen TVs and modular storage. He’s only in his late 30s, yet he’s been living like Old Lady Mrs. Brady on acid for more than a decade. Next time we film in Scotland’s Capital, we’ll be examining his iPhone again. Aye, we have VERY high expectations, and we can be VERY unforgiving.
Next week: Minimal spend, maximum visual return: a dowdy dining room reborn.
• See Colin and Justin live at the Delta Meadowvale Resort and Conference Centre, 6750 Mississauga Rd., on Wednesday, Nov. 3. Cocktails at 6:15, seminar at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35. Go to www.erinmillspaint.com for more information or call 908-858-1708 to reserve a seat.
Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan are the hosts of HGTV’s Colin & Justin’s Home Heist (Tuesdays at 10 p.m.) and the authors of Colin & Justin’s Home Heist Style Guide, published by Penguin Group (Canada). Follow them on twitter @colinjustin or on Facebook (ColinJustin). Contact them through their website, www.colinandjustin.tv.
Read more Colin and
Justin here.
Check out
their top 10 shopping destinations and watch
the video of their makeover of the Star
editor's office. Scope out some of their previous transformations:
- Turn that ugly basement cave into a space to rave about
- The fall of summer decor
- Dining - and reclining - in full bloom
- Enthralled by all things Indian
- Take a peek at Colin and Justin's Toronto Penthouse
- Everything in moderation ...
- Dining out on a kitchen facelift
- Shopping on the virtual high streets
- Alice lands in Wonderland
- Modern country? You bet!
- 60 minutes equals one BIG makeover
- Let the sunshine in
- Bringing justice to a crime of design
- Black and white and red all over
- A
room recipe that's tasty to the max
- Making
a grand entrance
- A
walk on the wild side
- A
very big garage gamble
- Make
room for baby
- Nantucket
inspired bedroom
- The
great outdoors
- Dressing
room rehabilitation
- It's
a miracle of garage-sized proportions
- Delicious
dining
- New
York state of mind
- A
master stroke in the master suite
- Treasures
from the trash
- Happy
Days are here again
- Head
towards the light
- Crisis
relief for a design disaster
- Design
on a dime
- Sleeping
with Colin and Justin
- Freshly
squeezed style
- Extravaganza
in orange
- Blue
and white make it right
- Baby
blue strikes the right chord
- Taking
it up a notch
- Well-planned
kitchen really cooks
- Asian-inspired
glamour
- Reaching
new heights
- Tweaking
for a new decade
- Crazy
for Canadiana, eh!
- Create
a holiday affair to remember
- Please
pass the mustard
- Hallelujah!
Designer salvation
- Mauving
right along