X Marks the Headboard Wall
An earthquake does not have to be the “big one” to cause damage and there are some things we should – or should not be doing to minimize that potential damage. One thing we should NOT be doing is hanging anything breakable above our beds. In an earthquake, it is very common for pictures to “jump” off their hooks and crash onto the floor. If the picture is above your bed, it will most likely come crashing down onto your forehead (OW) and then fall flat onto your face and break (BIGGER OW). A great alternative to hanging art or wallpapering is to paint your headboard wall with a striking graphic that can be tied into your colour scheme to enhance the overall look of the room. Irene’s bedroom had a symmetrical layout which lent itself to this really cool criss cross pattern. The two colours were pulled from the colours already used in the room.

Green with Enviable Floor Squares

Kay wanted a green checkerboard floor for her kitchen in her summer cottage on Cortes Island. The only problem was that nothing in the home was squared off and the angle of the cabinets created by the two exterior walls was so askew that it would have been impossible to lay tile or lino in a checkered pattern – but that’s what she wanted. The solution to the problem was to lay high-grade plywood on the floor, fill the seams, prime, paint white and then draw lines with a slight angle that intersect into what appears to be a square pattern. The perfect squares are just an illusion; each line is angled just enough so all the squares line up with the cabinetry and the walls. In fact, these are not squares but rather quadrilaterals (all four sides are at a different angle). Once all the lines are laid out on the floor, one row is painted at a time, with painters Frog Tape surrounding each individual quadrilateral. Frog Tape is the best to create a clean line without any bleeding. The paint is brushed into the quadrilaterals in even strokes, always going in one direction. Once all the squares are painted and dry, two coats of clear coat are applied. The clear coat will need an additional topcoat every couple of years.

Garage turned Blue-tiful Girl Cave

Dawn wanted to keep her car on one side of her garage and her exercise equipment on the other. Since she was going to be using the space to train in, she wanted it to be bright, fun and full of energy. The first thing we did was paint everything bright white (for as much light reflection as possible) with the exception of the posts and beams that ran through the space. Those we painted in a jet-black semi gloss for the ultimate contrast. The next step was to do a large colour blocking of brilliant cobalt blue in an eggshell finish on one of the long walls. Once all the walls and ceiling were painted, it was time to tackle the floor. We primed it with epoxy grey, tossing in double the suggested amount of colour chips in black, grey, white and blue. When the epoxy was dry, we gave it a coat of clear epoxy with sand added for no slip grip. Steps were built to go from the floor up to the interior and exterior doors and they were treated the same as the floor. White floor trim finished off the look. Mirrors were hung on the wall and it was ready for Dawn to move in her home gym and car. We suggested she use a large car mat under her car to collect debris.

To see these and more projects by Evelyn M, go to the Design House portfolio page.

Evelyn M, Associate of Interior Design
250-204-4417
www.EvelynM.com
Evelyn M Interiors/Design House BC
Evelyn M Fine Art

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