I am a big fan of the wonderful people Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan are, and the work they demand and produce. I discovered them in 2006 when I was in Canada for 3 months, watching HGTV day in, day out...
Colin and Justin's book, the Home Heist
Now they have finally arrived to Australia's FreetoAir on How Not to Decorate, which is such a cool move by Channel Seven! :) But of course, this is 2 years old stuff... But anyhow, I love their work and thought I'd gather some of my favourite before and afters floating around www from their Home Heist seasons:
LIke this fab basement makeover:
Black, white and yellow living/dining:
Nugget of wisdom from the duo: One of the easiest ways to create a changeable interior is to opt for a predominance of neutral walls against which other detailing can be layered as and when required.
One of the things I love about the duo is their versatility in being able to create stunning diverse styles... to suit the tastes of the home owner.. like this gorgeous bright country-feel living room:
I do love Justin's more flamboyant's personal style... esp his trademark OTT brooches:
And what about the gorgeous chocolate wall backdrop for these two funny designers? I love the sideboard with the white Ikea framing black and white shots, with the lime green vases ... mmm chic, no? A makeover for a office boss!
Another tip from the duo: Unify! If you're not starting from scratch, unify mismatched existing furniture with a coat of paint or spray varnish.
I love this next touch of the bright orange light shades in this Toronto loft space, so totally individual!
Another tip: To help create a successful kids bedroom, good storage is paramount. With this in mind, make sure you add loads of sleek drawer systems, tons of roomy storage boxes and legions of bottomless chests!
Not my favourite look, but this lustry bathroom is sensational!
And this masculine, and striking black, grey and white living room:
And this sweet yet modern purple and white living room, with custom stripes flanking the fireplace!
Tip: If your rooms are small and you have to work with a staircase, dispense with the idea of a drywall banister (that could have made an already small home feel even tighter). Opt instead for two- by two-inch timber struts placed at two-inch intervals at either side. Painted crisp white, they help sharpen the scheme and provide wondrous decorating pop against a backdrop.
And one of my favourite wow rooms, a glorious modern take on a very traditional foyer.. love the sharp navy blue and white wallpaper, painted staircase... with the traditional rounded base round table painted glorious white... mmmm:
Tip: An auspiciously hung mirror will help bounce natural light (not to mention a last place to check your pucker before leaving for work) while carefully positioned lamps will provide atmospheric glow upon entry. If you've space for a console, pop a lamp either side, and a mirror between, to make a wonderful statement.
Another tip: If you have a long skinny hall which you'd like to visually foreshorten, then choose a paint shade a tone or two darker than main areas and use this on the wall furthest from the entrance. You'll be amazed at the difference.
Yet another tip: Hallways with extra tall ceilings can be tamed with a dado rail. Paint the area above the rail a few shades darker than your main wall colour to bring down perceived height.
Love this raspberry (more watermelon to me) and white living room update too!
I love yellow as you might have discovered... but this BRIGHT yellow kitchen feels a little too much, but nevertheless, stunning!
Hot tip: If you're planning a top-tier shade such as this, the duo recommend detail-free doors. Extra carving or scribing plus such a bright colour spec would simply be a stage too far.
Another great point: Because the yellow is so eye poppingly bright, another dramatic shade on the walls would have confused matters. Select a soft colour to create diffused contrast. Warmer tones such as cream or magnolia would be completely wrong in tandem with our bright primary shade and would have diminished impact resulting in "muddy" or visually "dirty'' aesthetics.
A white bedroom with restrained red touches that feel almost restful!
Another tip, of course! The before walls was a deep red, so the duo advise to save money, using big-box-store budget latex for the first couple of coats of white, then finishing off with a coat of premier quality product.
I'm not a fan of feature/accent walls, but C&J assuade my trepidations with painting the adjoining wall AND the stair treads the same colour!
What about a tartan-check bedroom? Sounds awful? Not when C&J get to it!
Those gorgeous Home-Sense-prettied-up lamps were only $50 a pop!
Oooh. My heart stopped when I first saw this yellow, white and black bedroom...
Another country feel bedroom with a smart pale blue and white feel... and more white furniture:
Ohh. Another beautiful room in white and charcoal, restrained, smart and definitely chic.
What about pink? Soft pink living room
And this great idea for a bedhead: paint it on!
How funny that these two unabashedly gay comedic design gurus grace the covers of 2 Harlequin romances??
Lastly I leave you with Justin's oft-used phrase: To fail to plan is to plan to fail!
Any chance of getting full DVDs of seasons, guys??? Since we'll probably get to watch Home Heist on Australian TV in 2014!!
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