G2 Η TORONTO STAR Η SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2007
BRIGHT IDEAS
3IN THE BEDROOM
Lighten up your bedroom with a new set of sheets inacontemporaryfloraldesign,suchasAuLitFine Linen’s new Swedish Collection. With its restrained
Bored with cool spa colour schemes? You’re not alone. Melanie Rice, colour advisor for Para Paints and a member of the Color Marketing Group, which tracks colour trends internationally, says consumers are moving away from neutrals. “Peo- ple want a punch of colour, especially clear, clean colours that are evocative of nature.” So go ahead, addajoltofspicyredorwarmyellowtoyourinterior landscape. If you’re wary of strong hues, start with subtle shades, like Para’s Cream Custard and Ming Gold, in a powder room. Or go big and bold by painting the family room in deep shades of red. Try Para’s Paris Red washed with Heart’s Desire.
Spring fling
Seize the day and invite spring into your home. Here are six upbeat ways to rid your house of winter ballast and create a lighter, more spacious environment.
1CRYSTAL CLEARCut crystal, formerly the staid dowager of the china cabinet, is chic this spring, now that designer Marc Jacobs has included it in his new line of tableware for Waterford Wedgwood, in stores this June. Impress your guests with an elegant bouquet of tulips, freesia and other spring flowers. Cathy Cox, director of horticulture for the Toronto Botanical Garden suggests bringing in branches pruned from apple or other fruit trees, placing them in water and watching the blossoms unfold.
2THE OFFICERevitalize and expand your workspace with a great new chair, like the Dialogue, whose broad arms provide a perch for a laptop, lunch tray or the hefty report you’re ploughing through. Inspired by retro design, particularly the Womb, designed by Modernist icon Saarinen in 1948, and featured in this NormanRockwellpainting,left,it’selegantenough for the living room as well. And unlike Rockwell’s
Celebrate the season by sharing a bottle of wine with friends. Serve in a decanter, such as Reidel’s new Colori, $80, at William Ashley. Wine snobs maydebatethemeritsofdecanting,butKonradEj- bich, author of A Portable Guide to Ontario Wines, Wineries, Vineyards & Vines, says they’re useful when you want to aerate a wine, filter sediment, or simply put together a pretty tabletop. His only ca- veat: Don’t leave wine in the decanter overnight. If there’s any left when the party’s over, he advises pouring into the smallest bottle or jar possible, and saving it to cook with — or drink — later.
DIY corner
Replace heavy winter drapes with sheer drapery panels. If the view is more urban grit than bucolic splendour, cover them with a translucent, reusable decorative window film, such as Artscape’s Bamboo or Magnolia designs, both $27 for a 24- by 36- inch roll. Artscape products are available at The Home Depot stores and at homedepot.ca.
EDITOR: ELIZABETH HOLLAND
A GREEN RENO
If you’re planning a spring renovation and are eager to know more about living light on the planet, the Kortright Centre for Conservation in Woodbridge is offering a series of seminars on environmentally friendly re- sources, technology and practices for the home. Topics range from concepts for green living, to a
THINK PINK, TOO
They say it takes a woman to do a man’s job, so why not look like one the next time you take a sledgehammer to the kitchen wall? Tomboy Trades offers a full line of
boots. Pamela Ander- son, Home Improvement ’s Tool Time Girl, would have loved them.
Check tomboy- trades.com for buying information.
EHOLLAND@THESTAR.CA DESIGN BY SHARIS SHAHMIRYAN AND NEIL COCHRANE/TORONTO STAR
KEITH BEATY/TORONTO STAR