
Roberto Caruso
Dear Virginie, I have a very open concept home. The kitchen opens to the living room and I am having issues with colour and carrying it into the hall and kitchen. I love the colour in my living room – it’s a greeny gold and it makes the room feel so warm and cozy. The kitchen counter is grey with pink and green flecks in it and the cupboards are a golden oak colour. Because the hall also runs alongside the kitchen and down into a stairwell from the front entrance (it’s a high rise bungalow), I have painted all three walls of the living room/dining room with the warm colour. But how do I carry it through without painting the whole hall and stairwell the same colour?
Thanks, Dolrana
A: Rather than try to incorporate every single one of the existing colours in your space, I think it’s important to focus on just a few to create an easy sense of flow between the rooms with a smaller palette of colours. You mentioned how much you love the green-gold tones in your living room, so perhaps this could be a great starting point. You haven’t mentioned the existing wall colour in the hall and stairwell, however, assuming it is white, or another comparable light neutral shade, why not bring some of the gold-green tones you love from the living area into this space using art and accessories? Something as easy as some framed Japanese paper that has some of the same green and gold tones (here are some ideas from The Paper Place) in simple white frames (for example, Ikea Ribba) would be a great way to carry this colour through the space. In the kitchen, I would bring in some of those green tones with a few colourful pieces – perhaps some fun tea towels or a lovely bright-coloured bowl on the counter for fruit. Use these same tones in a few accessories for the living area (throw pillows and small decorative pieces) to tie it all together. I would also consider replacing the kitchen counter with a darker grey colour to anchor the whole room.
Dear Virginie, I want to have a better curb appeal for my house. I was wondering if you could help in suggesting other colours than the white that’s on there, or maybe a combination of white and other colours. Thanks, Ibrahima

Dear Virginie, I have a builder grey cement porch with plastic picketed railing. How do I make it look nice? Thanks, Shawn
You’re actually in a fortunate position as neither of these features are very strong or imposing. You could easily grow a vine over the plastic fencing, and place an outdoor rug over the concrete floor (Ikea and West Elm have some great all-weather options). Rather than trying to hide the features you don’t like, you can create a new focal point by highlighting a feature you love. Paint the front door in your favourite colour; make the area comfortable and welcoming with some potted plants and inexpensive outdoor furniture accessorized with pretty fabric. When people are enjoying the lovely outdoor space you’ve created with these new additions, they won’t be focused on the more basic starting features.
Dear Virginie, I am looking for a good white paint colour for my wall. I know Cloud White from Benjamin Moore but are there others you might recommend? Thanks, Michael
Decorators White is a good, flat, art gallery type of white with very little undertones
White Down is a good slightly taupe, warm white
Ivory White is a creamy white
I’ve recently used Misty Gray in a contemporary home – it’s a lovely pale lavender-grey-white
Mayonnaise is good mellow creamy white
White Chocolate is another designer favourite – it’s a crisp yellowy-white
Remember that for most colours you can buy a tester size. It’s good to try the colour in your home, since the light and exposure of windows will really affect the colour.