Design Folder: Your Online Design and Decorating Resource

q&a: black, white and red

Last night, we got an email from a reader asking for a ideas for her three-bedroom condo space which she intends to style in a black, white, and red color scheme.

Personally, I think that the black, white, and red combination is pretty tricky to execute. If you don’t get the balance right, especially for black and red, your space could either end up looking like a cheesy bachelor’s pad or an interior ready for Halloween.

Good thing is that I’ve recently been browsing through pictures featuring the color scheme. I’m helping my brother and his fiancée with their wedding on December which will use the same color motif. It’s not a popular color scheme for weddings because of the combination of black and red. However, when done right, the palette could possibly lend a modern and elegant setting for the event.

Styling for an event and decorating a home are quite similar because both deal with space. After looking through pictures, here are my suggestions:

1)      Get the proportion right. Individually, black and red are already bold hues. Imagine the impact when you pair them together. To soften their intensity, use a generous helping of white, a small amount of black, and a little touch of red. You can do it the other way around and use more red than black.

2)      Ease the transition. Aside from the right “color proportion”, you can also consider adding a few touches of in-between colors like gray (black+white) and maroon (red+black) to further soften the color palette. For a softer version of the color scheme, you can replace black with charcoal gray, and red with maroon or wine.

3)      Plus one. Pair the black, white and red scheme with another color or a natural finish. A pale turquoise can make the palette look “friendlier” while wood can add warmth to a possibly cold composition.

Hope this helps.

* images via thelennoxx,  sarahkchen, halcyonhousedesign

q & a: local furniture suppliers

A couple of weeks ago, we received an email from a df reader asking for local furniture suppliers and I thought of posting the email and my reply for the benefit of those readers who may have a similar concern:

Hi! I really enjoyed reading your articles.  I’m in the process of finishing my new home. My question is, do you have any recommended contemporary, modern  furniture makers or contractors in Metro Manila ?

Thanks!

C. Y.

Based on my experience, I have three furniture suppliers/makers that I can recommend:

1) BIARA in LRI Plaza, N. Garcia St., Makati and in Alabang Town Center (near True Value)

2) AGP FURNITURE at the 3/F Towne’s Bldg., Pasay Rd./Arnaiz Ave. (look for Lea Purungganan)

3) 1903 FURNITURE, Home Furnishings Center in Market!Market! (look for Joan)

I’m personally happy with these suppliers. They have great customer service, their prices are very reasonable, and the workmanship is good. In short, you’ll get great value for your (limited) money.

Biara and AGP can do all sorts of furniture using different materials. For most of my custom upholstered furniture (especially sofas), i go to AGP. On the other hand, 1903 Furniture is a Pampanga-based supplier which means they are very good with furniture pieces in wood and indigenous materials.

If you know other good furniture makers that you would like to recommend, share them with us! -

q&a: dealing with a high ceiling

Last week, we got an email from our reader, Kathy, asking for advice on how to deal with decorating their living room with a high ceiling.

Given our hot and humid climate, a high ceiling is always a desirable feature in a house as it provides room for warm air to rise. However, it can be quite a challenge to fill up the additional vertical space to make everything look balanced and proportioned.

Here are three things that you might want to consider to achieve a cozier space in spite of the height.

1)  LOWER THE CEILING

It’s difficult to achieve an intimate and cozy atmosphere in a room that has a high ceiling. To scale down the height, incorporate false beams and trusses  (top photo, via elements of style) into the design if you have the budget for the additional interior work.

For a quick fix, use drop/pendant lamps instead of ceiling-mounted lamps. Pendant lamps lower the light source, darkening the upper half of the room to downplay the height.

2)  HIGH CEILING = TALL FURNISHINGS

A high ceiling naturally calls for tall interior furnishings to create a balanced composition. Furnishing it with mainly low or short items will only create contrast, highlighting the height of the space.

Install longer curtains by hanging them a few more inches above the window. Add vertical items like a tall plant (photo above, via brown design), tall twigs on a vase, and a few tall furniture pieces such as an armoire or an upright bookcase. Like pendant lamps, these pieces create a middle or transition point between the floor and the ceiling above.

3)  FILL YOUR WALLS

A high ceiling also means more wall space. Avoid hanging a single row of small to medium-sized frames. They will just look tiny and lonely against the tall wall. To minimize the appearance of bare, boring surfaces, fill up at least one wall with an assortment of framed photos or artworks (see ana’s post on photo walls). This strategy minimizes the height of the room by visually dividing the height into several horizontal sections created by the display. (photo above via housetohome)