How to bring out the best in your home

Compare your colours

Condo renovation by Interior Designs by Adrienne. — Photo by Stephanie Moore

You have bought your dream house, or are in the process of building it. Now you have to decide how you want to decorate your home.

No doubt you have many ideas running through your head, as you have probably been poring over decorating magazines, visiting local decorating stores, searching through Pinterest or other sites for ideas. But how can you really bring out the best of your home by decorating?

I spoke to interior decorator Adrienne Gerein from Interior Designs by Adrienne in Cranbrook to ask for some advice for those who either want to decorate a new home or are thinking of updating their current home.  

Adrienne Gerein of Interior Designs by Adrienne. — Photo courtesy of Adrienne Gerein

If there was anything I took away from my conversation with Gerein it was to watch for the undertones in colours. 

If you are picking out fixed elements such as countertops, backsplash tile or flooring, make sure you really study the undertone of the colours you see. 

“There is no such thing as just grey, no such thing as just beige," said Gerein. "You either have a pink beige, a green beige or a yellow beige.

"So many times I walk into people’s homes and people say ‘I am really trying to decide on a new paint colour but I don’t know what to do’ and I look and they have got pink beige flooring, yellow beige countertop. Now you have to pick the lesser of two evils to work with.” 

Gerein explained that often when people walk into a room they can tell something just isn’t working right, but don’t know exactly what it is. 

“Nine times out of ten it is the undertones clash,“ she said.

Gerein suggests that you do your homework and compare, compare, compare. Pick up a tile and put it with another one, then carefully study how the colours work together. At first you may not see the subtle difference of the yellow, green or pink undertones, but as you check colours against each another you will start to see how some work together and others clash. If you really can’t see the difference, ask someone who has a trained eye. 

Once you have your fixed elements, you can choose a paint colour. Again, undertone is everything. Do you want neutral walls? Choose a neutral with the same undertone as your fixed elements. If you want to add colour to your walls, again, choose the colour that will go with the undertones of your fixed elements. 

Decorating styles

When you are thinking about a decorating style, the most important thing is to decide on what you really like.

“The goal of putting together a room is making it that you want to come in and you want to sit down and you want to stay,” said Gerein. “It has to be something that you are comfortable with. If the trend fits into it, then great.” 

Gerein explained that we are in a grey trend right now, and probably will be for the next 10 years. But not everyone likes grey, or likes the feeling that grey will give their homes. When she consults with clients, Gerein will ask homeowners what feeling they would like to have from their homes and will often get the answer that they are looking for something warm and welcoming. 

“Sometimes you can’t get that from grey,” said Gerein.

Then there are some trends that are very much Kootenays, including rustic wood accents or post-and-beam-style homes. Homeowners in the Kootenays also stay away from being pretentious, Gerein noted. Many prefer a casual feel and choose furniture and styles that will help owners and guests alike to feel comfortable and at home.

There are a number of ways for a homeowner to achieve this and keep up with trends. A trend that a lot of people use to fit into the Kootenay style is mixing contemporary pieces of furniture with distressed pieces. This keeps a rustic, casual look but also fits into a modern trend.  

Painted furniture is really on trend now, too, and this is a great DIY project. You might redo a piece of dinged-up furniture from the secondhand store. The wood colour might not be to your taste, so you can paint it a vibrant, fun colour. It will brighten up a room and you will get the satisfaction of doing your own project.