Colour | Sheila Zeller Interiors

Sunday Brunch on a Wednesday!

June 20, 2012

Okay, I’m a little late getting this post put together, but when it comes to Sunday brunch, it’s better late than never don’t you think? This past weekend we raised a toast to a milestone birthday for my Dad, and were joined by family and friends. Then on Sunday hubs and I hosted Father’s Day brunch at our place for everyone. Do you know, we had 5 dads and a dad-to-be around the table?

Here’s a little look at our Sunday brunch…

Cheery flowers and colourful napkins brought in some festive fun.

Vase Wrapped With Twine

And we joined two tables together so we were able to seat 12. It was set with china plates my hubby grew up with, and that his mom passed on to him about 6 years ago. We really enjoy using them, and love that there are enough to go ’round when we are hosting a gathering of this size.

Table Setting for Brunch

Can you see the vintage butter dish between the vases? The black and pink one? My sweet hubby gave that to me for a surprise Valentine’s gift one year. It matches a square cake plate my Mom passed on to me a long time ago… I also got to use our little tiny glass butter dish! And our very cool blown glass salt & pepper dish.

Table Setting for Brunch

Want to see them up close?

Glass Butter Dish, Salt & Pepper

You might remember my butter dish discovery, but I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned the salt & pepper dish. See it at the top right? It’s made by G.B.S. Glass Blowing in Shawnigan Lake, and was given to me by my Auntie Ada a few years ago. She was one of our out-of-town guests, so it was fun to use it while she was here!

Also on the table were these vintage cut-glass salt & pepper shakers. They were given to me by Kaleigh almost 7 years ago, and were purchased with her very own hard-earned money.

Vintage Cut Glass Salt & Pepper Set

She was barely 10 when she purchased them! Aren’t the memories behind special pieces the best?

We served three kinds of quiche made by hubs, and got to share some of the sweet basil we’re growing this year.

Fruit Platter, Quiche

I put together 2 fruit platters, and was super pleased at how fresh and tasty the fruit really was.

Fruit Platter

And we shared some local Cowichan Valley treats.

Fresh bread and pastries from True Grain Bread in Cowichan Bay…

Eccles Cakes, True Grain Bakery

Here you see Eccles cakes and pain au chocolat. Eccles cake is one of my Auntie Sharon’s favorites. We were so pleased that she and my Uncle Ken also joined us for brunch that day!

And French pastries from Saison Market Vineyard.

Saison Market Vineyard Pastries

Are you saying, mmmmmmm, yet?

I can’t even tell you what my favorite treat was, because everything was so good. The pastries and bread were baked fresh that morning, and hubs was there right for opening at each place! True Grain opened at 8am, and Saison at 9am, so the timing to hit both couldn’t have been better!

It was so much fun to do all this…

Table Setting

And enjoy it with some of the special people in our life, using special pieces we’ve acquired throughout our life. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

I love getting the house ready, and setting the table for occasions like these.

How about you? Is this something you like to do, too?

Thank you for taking the time to stop by!

Photography by Sheila Zeller

TaggedAccessorizing, Colour, Cowichan Valley, Decor, Decorating, Father's Day Brunch, GBS Glassblowing, Interior Styling, Saison Market Vineyard, True Grain Bread Filed UnderArticles 9 Comments

The Reach of Pinterest: Highschool Project Inspired by Mom’s Pin!

June 19, 2012

If you’re a Pinterest fan, then you know all about the pinning craze. And I bet you’ve been inspired to try an idea or two that you’ve pinned. But would you believe me if I told you Pinterest inspired my daughter’s History 12 project?

Here’s the pin that started it all.

Source: Pinterest

What dots would you connect between this and History 12? The dots of the cherry blossoms might be a clue

Here’s a little photo journey of the work in progress.

Starting with the supplies.

Drawing the branches in free-hand.

And then painting over them with dark brown.

You can see the pink paint ready to go in the background.

But first, a little test-run in making the blossoms. We printed the Pinterest pic for some visual help.

Just to check the colour and technique.

A little more white was added to lighten the pink…

And Kaleigh discovered that blotting the blossoms first was the way to go.

Then she set to work.

Have you figured out the History connection yet?

If I mentioned a timeline, would that help?

Can you picture a timeline here?

This is how Kaleigh incorporated the cherry blossom tree into her History 12 final project.

Photo by Kaleigh Duralia

Notice the blossoms have been finished with paint dabbed in the centres. And thankfully Kaleigh thought to take a final photograph, or I wouldn’t have the project reveal! I’m not sure what happened, but by the time the project was put together, I completely overlooked the last shot. Where was my head at?

Anyway, what do you think? From Pinterest inspiration to highschool project implementation! The reach of Pinterest just never ends!

Kaleigh has really enjoyed her History 12 class, in fact, has truly loved it. But she’s not a big fan of creative projects like this. Hard to tell from her focus in the photos, isn’t it? If you know Kaleigh, then you know that she’s actually very creative and has a great eye and attention for detail, but she’s just not into it. She likes to write, and if given a choice, would rather write an essay than create a visual with the content, so I’m pretty proud of what she’s done here!

Update: Kaleigh earned 23/25 on her project, with 5/5 for presentation! What do we think of Pinterest now?

Have you caught the Pinterest bug? Where have you put your Pinterest inspiration into action?

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO STOP BY!

Home… a special place that tells your story!

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All Photos by Sheila Zeller unless otherwise indicated

TaggedArtwork, Chinese Timeline, Colour, Display, DIY Project, History 12 Project, Painting, Pinterest, Pinterest Inspiration Filed UnderArticles 12 Comments

Zanatta al fresco anyone?

June 15, 2012

When the sun is shining, it puts a smile on my face.

Pink Poppy in Garden Edging

For outdoor dining, it’s quite the place!

Al Fresco Dining

It feels so calm and peaceful where time moves slow…

Zanatta Winery. A great place to go!

What are your plans for the weekend? Doing anything special for Father’s Day?

I feel so lucky to have my Dad close by. I bet you know by now that he’s my project guy. Dad is always there to lend a hand…

Sweet Peas in Pots

Dad installing a trellis for my sweet peas

And he always gets the job done!

Even if it means he might lose our friendly sweet pea competition {Click here to see who won!}

Between Dad and hubs, they’ve got me covered

Prepping Chandelier Installation

Hubs handling the wiring for the replacement chandelier

Love these guys!

This weekend is a busy one for us. It’s a milestone birthday for my Dad, and it’s Father’s Day! We’ll be spending time with family from out of town, and my brother and I are hosting a birthday BBQ for Dad with all our family peeps. On Sunday hubs and I are planning a casual brunch for everyone, and sharing some Cowichan Valley treats! {UPDATE: Click here to see how the brunch went!} So much fun!

Wishing all Dads out there a very Happy Father’s Day!

Photography by Sheila Zeller

TaggedColour, Cowichan Valley, Dining Al Fresco, Father's Day, Gardening, Summer, Vancouver Island Vineyard, Zanatta Winery Filed UnderArticles 3 Comments

Bistro Chairs Beachside!

June 6, 2012

The sun is shining today, so a postponed appointment from Monday has been re-scheduled for this afternoon. It’ll all make sense soon, but for now I’m just so happy to see the sunshine

So with high hopes and longing for more of that bright yellow stuff, I’ll leave you with these Andros bistro chairs from Pottery Barn…

I just love them in this setting.

Fun, right?

Colourful Metal Bistro Chairs

Pottery Barn via This Next

Are you ready for a little al fresco at the beach?

I know I sure am!

I hope your day is going well As long as the sun keeps shining, mine is full of smiles… and soon you’ll know what today’s appointment was all about!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

It’s about coming home… a special place that tells your story!

If you would like a little help with your space contact me here.

Looking for a colour consultation click here.

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TaggedAl Fresco, Beachside, Bistro Chairs, Colour, Exterior Styling, Furniture, Pottery Barn, Summer Filed UnderArticles 10 Comments

Sweeeet Car-o-line…

June 4, 2012

Do you remember that tune? You know, Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond? No, he wasn’t in my music collection either, but he was my Mom’s favorite!

Anyway, Sweet Caroline. What’s up with that?

Well, Sweet Caroline, Margarita, Marguerite, and Illusion Emerald Lace are the ornamental Sweet Potato Vine plants I was lucky enough to find on Saturday!

Illusion Emerald Lace, Marguerite, Margarita, Sweet Caroline

You see, when I showed you my planters last week they were actually missing the one plant I really wanted in them, and that was any limy green variety of an ornamental Sweet Potato Vine!

Now that I’ve found them, they have been added to the planters, and WOW, what a difference this zip of colour makes.

Here’s a couple of comparison photos, and then I promise to move on from the planters!

You might remember, this is the planter at the front door without the Sweet Potato Vine.

Spiky Red Star, Lavender Wave Petunia, Regatta Rose Lobelia

It’s pretty, and once it fills out it will be really showy.

Here’s what the planter looks like now with the ‘Illusion Emerald Lace‘ added.

Illusion Emerald Lace Sweet Potato Vine

I think it snaps the planter to life with its hit of chartreuse green.

And I have to thank my friend Holly over at West Pear Avenue for helping me out. You see, Holly planted this very variety in her own planter. I knew it was Sweet Potato Vine, but that’s all, and when I commented on it, she was so awesome by following up to tell me the name of it. This is why I love the world of blogging!

Here’s a look at Holly’s planter.

Illusion Emerald Lace, Sweet Potato Vine

Photo: West Pear Avenue

Isn’t it pretty? And look how full her potato vine is already! I hope you’ll pop by West Pear Avenue to see what Holly has been up to

And Holly, thanks so much for your help!

Here’s a look at a couple of my other planters prior to this showy addition.

Remember these ones from the terracotta planter makeovers?

The splash of red really works…

But what do you think about them with this hit of chartreuse?

How about from a bird’s-eye view?

Kind of looks like Christmas in summer! And the planters really pop from the street.

In the large planter I added Marguerite at the back, more Illusion Emerald Lace, and then Sweet Caroline at the front. The smaller planter has Margarita in it.

I added more of these to the other planters in the garden as well, but I promised you I’d move on! But seriously, isn’t it amazing what a difference one little colour tweak can make? And don’t forget, this is true for your inside decor, too!

Oh, did you notice the buds of new geranium flowers coming along? I can’t wait to see how all the planters fill out this summer!

Where are you spending your time these days, inside or out? Any projects taking place? Any needing a little colour tweak?

Today I was back to my painting projects, and one of them was painting the wood for the frame of the sweet pea trellis. There’ll be more on that! My sweet peas have been planted, and Dad has planted his. Let the games begin… or at least the friendly competition to see whose grow in the best!

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO STOP BY!

It’s about coming home… and home is a special place that tells your story!

If you would like a little help with your space contact me here.

Looking for a colour consultation click here.

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Photos by Sheila Zeller unless otherwise stated

TaggedColour, Container Gardening, Curb Appeal, Decorative Planters, Exterior Styling, Gardening, Home Exteriors, Illusion Emerald Lace Sweet Potato Vine, Margarita Sweet Potato Vine, Marguerite Sweet Potato Vine, Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine, Sweet Caroline Light Green Sweet Potato Vine Filed UnderArticles 11 Comments

DIY: Giving Terracotta Pots A Second Life

May 28, 2012

Last week I took a little gander at my random collection of plant pots, you know to start thinking about prettifying the yard a bit. I love terracotta pots, but mine have definitely seen better days.

Like this one!

Chipped Terracotta Plant Pot

This is the biggest one I have, and it’s been around for at least 10 years, not to mention through a move or two…

Here’s a few more added to the mix.

Prepping Terracotta Pots to Paint

See what I mean? The big pots are in pretty tough shape around the rim.

So I decided to paint this bunch and give them a new life. It’s not like there’s anything to lose, right?

I started by brushing off all the dust and dirt with a stiff-bristled hand broom, and then lightly primed each pot with spray primer.

Primed terracotta plant pots

The wind showed up just in time, and made spraying evenly almost impossible.

I decided to give this Krylon ‘Make-It-Stone’ textured spray paint a try.

Krylon Make It Stone Spraypaint

But I didn’t notice until it was too late that this paint is an indoor paint. Oops! Oh well, like I said, there’s not much to lose at this point.

The pots took the paint really well, but they looked a little boring all sprayed out in stone.

So I went over the rims and sprayed them black instead.

Painting Terracotta Pots

I was trying a little ombre touch here, but a few days later, decided I didn’t really like that either! My technique was a little too blotchy, don’t you think?

So I prepped the pots for another coat of the Krylon Stone to go over the Ombre attempt.

Taping Terracotta Pots to Paint

This additional coat made a big difference to the finished look. I liked the outcome much better than the first round.

Here’s a little peak at round two.

Krylon 'Make It Stone' & Black Rim

I think they look better like this, even up-side-down

And since I liked the way the pots looked, I gave them a few clear coats to seal them, and called it a wrap. Hopefully this will help protect the ‘indoor’ paint from the elements, at least for this season!

Want to see them all planted up?

I stayed with bright red Geraniums and Dracaena in all the pots. They’re pretty hardy plants that I usually manage to keep alive!

I wanted the red to pop against the black and stone colours of the pot, and once the Geraniums fill out, I think they’ll be showy.

The Rhodoes in the background are actually our neighbours, but we get to enjoy them as a backdrop!

Remember the ‘before’ of the big planter?

Chipped Terracotta Plant Pot

What do you think of it now?

Notice the water on the rim? I think that’s a good sign that the sealer is doing its job!

Have you painted terracotta pots for outside? Were you happy with the results?

We spent our weekend weeding, and planting up flowers, herbs, and some of Makaria Farm’s famous tomatoes. I hope you’ll pop back for a little tour of what we’ve done!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

It’s about coming home… and home is a special place that tells your story!

If you would like a little help with your space please contact me here.

Looking for a colour consultation click here.

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Photos: Sheila Zeller

TaggedColour, Curb Appeal, DIY Project, Exterior Styling, Home Exteriors, Painting, Painting Terracotta Pots, Refinishing, Spring, Summer Filed UnderArticles 13 Comments

Hey, Sweet Pea!

May 23, 2012

I’ve got a package of Sweet Peas all ready to go. But don’t really have a place for them to grow!

You see, our yard is mostly topsoil on rock, and there’s no great spot to plant the sweet peas and install a trellis… that is until now.

Remember the heat pump surround?

If you missed that post, you can catch up on it here.

I was thinking the lattice might work for a trellis. But that would mean growing the Sweet Peas in a planter. And somewhere along the way I heard they didn’t grow that well in planters… So I decided to investigate

And here’s what I learned:

You can use planters, but follow the planting rules!
Don’t put too many plants in one container… believe it or not, they actually need room to grow!
Use a porous container… plastic or glazed ceramic pots cause the roots to get too hot.

When I read tip #3 it all made sense. The problem wasn’t using a container, it was the type of container that mattered!

After searching Duncan high and low, this is what I found today.

2012 - Planters for Sweet Peas 007 rs550

Two rectangular terracotta planters at Buckerfield’s in Duncan… the only two I saw in all the places I stopped. And trust me, I searched! All the other rectangle planters were either glazed ceramic or plastic.

Today must have been my lucky day, because not only were these the only two I saw in my travels, but they were also 40% off! I was hoping to find gray, and didn’t exactly have a faux basket look in mind, but these will do the trick!

And just to give you an idea of what I have in mind, here’s a little staged shot (with the help of Photoshop) set up in our garage.

I plan to put the planters side-by-side in front of the heat pump surround.

Apparently Sweet Peas like a southern exposure, so this should be perfect for them. And since I just know these are going to thrive my only concern is the lattice won’t be quite high enough. But I’ll cross that bridge if when I have to.

My Dad and I like to have a little Sweet Pea challenge to see whose grow the best. If mine don’t grow, do you think he’ll know this photo was photoshopped?

{UPDATE: Click here to see who won this ‘sweet’ little challenge }

Do you grow Sweet Peas? What is your secret to success?

For more gardening ideas…

Kitchen Container Potager + Outdoor Extravaganza Link Party

You might want to check it out!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

Photography by Sheila Zeller

TaggedColour, Curb Appeal, Exterior Styling, Gardening, Spring, Summer, Sweet Peas, Sweet Peas in Planters Filed UnderArticles 13 Comments

A Mom & Daughter Day at Teafarm

May 14, 2012

Yesterday was a beautiful day, a perfect Mom-Daughter day to spend at Teafarm. Have you been? If not, it’s definitely an outing to make.

Here’s a little of what we got to enjoy…

Blue skies and bright sunshine.

Beautiful views.

Colourful gardens.

Shade from the rays of the sun.

With organic tea and sweet sampler pairing al fresco.

Look at the colour of the tea! I love the teapot – a quick flip of the lever on top, and you can steep the tea longer if you wish it to be stronger.

But this pot of organic artisan crafted tea was steeped perfectly for me! And how about the sweet sampler treats… shortbread, chocolate truffles and apple ceylon cake fresh out of the oven. Decadent and to die for!

All this was way more enjoyable, because I was with great company, too!

This day was on Kaleigh – it was her Mother’s Day treat! Pretty awesome daughter, don’t you think?

And for a little more Teafarm flair…

Notice the rusty chain attached to the post?

You know how I love rusty old things!

And here you see just a snippet of the original barn, which has been converted into usable indoor space.

That’s right. Teafarm is also home to Margit Nellemann’s gallery and studio where she creates, displays and sells her amazing pieces.

Here, a stunning Margit Nellemann clay vessel, and in the background, a beautifully patinaed rain chain.

Are you inspired to stop by Teafarm?

Kaleigh and I really appreciated the relaxing pace. We were able to linger over our tea, savor our sweets, and soak in the beauty around us. Conversation flowed, while time felt like it stood still… A perfect way to spend our day.

Thank you for stopping by!

Photography by Sheila Zeller / Kaleigh Duralia

TaggedArt, Ceramics, Colour, Curb Appeal, Exterior Styling, Margit Nellemann, Spring, Summer, Teafarm Duncan Filed UnderArticles 7 Comments

What Colour Are Those Antique Windows?

May 2, 2012

Do you remember these antique windows I bought back in the summer?

Well, my brother was over the other day and he asked if they were blue or gray. I’ve always looked at them as gray, but decided to get out my Benjamin Moore colour decks and see what they had to say.

It was interesting because the leading is definitely a blue-gray, and in person is almost a perfect match to BM’s Eclipse 2132-40.

Eclipse 2132-40

The paint on the frames is also blue-gray, but depending on the light, dances between two different colours…

Pilgrim Haze 2132-50, the bluer undertone of the two, and a lighter shade of Eclipse.

Pilgrim Haze 2132-50

And Gull Wing Gray 2134-50, still a cool undertone, but with less blue in it.

Gull Wing Gray 2134-50

You can hardly see the difference between them here.

So this is another view of these BM colours next to the window. Keep in mind how the computer skews colour.

This is just to show you the slight difference between Gull Wing Gray (top) and Pilgrim Haze (bottom). And also so you can see how close Eclipse (middle) is to the colour of the leading.

This next close-up shot gives you a better look at how slight the difference is between Gull Wing Gray and Pilgrim Haze, yet what a difference there actually is next to the frame. Notice how Pilgrim Haze (bottom) almost blends with the frame, compared to the slight contrast of Gull Wing Gray (top) against the frame?

So in answer to my brother’s question, the frames are actually gray… a blue-gray, but still gray. Did the frames look blue or gray to you?

I thought this was a great example of what it’s like to work with colour. One person’s perception or interpretation may not be another’s. Just like one computer may show the same colour completely different from another. And, if I was actually going to paint something to match the window, my next step would be to paint up large colour boards in these colours so they show true. Remember, the paint chips are only a place to begin!

Do you like to work with colour, or would you rather have someone work with it for you?

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

It’s about coming home… and home is a special place that tells your story!

If you would like a little help with your space contact me here.

Looking for a colour consultation click here.

Subscribe to SZInteriors by email or RSS feed

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Interested in a Sponsorship opportunity? Click here for details.

Photos: Sheila Zeller

TaggedAntiques, Benjamin Moore, Colour, Decor, Decorating, Eclipse 2132-40, Gull Wing Gray 2134-50, Interior Styling, Paint, Painting, Pilgrim Haze 2132-50 Filed UnderArticles 4 Comments

The Colours of a Cocktail

April 30, 2012

We popped into The Old Fire House Wine Bar on Saturday and capped off our Black Tie evening with the cocktail special of the night.

If I gave you a few clues, would you guess what it was?

This hand-blown glass is very close to the glass our ‘special’ was served in.

Source: Any Gifts Direct

Tiny and sweet with great curves. Kind of sets the tone, doesn’t it?

And these, the cognac of colours within it.

Know what it was yet?

Maybe this will give you one more clue…

If you guessed the ’Old Fashioned‘, you’re right!

We enjoyed the smooth blend of Bourbon, simple syrup, bitters and a few other finishing touches that completed this special ‘New Age Old Fashioned’ cocktail.

I’m so disappointed we didn’t take a photo, because everything about it was perfect. From the sweet little ‘Old Fashioned’ cocktail glass, to the incredible colours that danced within it… the unbelievable blend of flavors and aromas that escaped from it… and of course, the atmosphere and company surrounding it!

Here’s a stand-in photo for the one that got away!