ambiance...
by SHARON ALLAN
SUMMER
2015
ESCARPMENT
®
style essential
s
FINALLY…SUMMER!!
And just to let you knowhow special this particular Summer is—
August will have5 Fridays, 5Saturdays and5Sundays. This happens onlyonceevery823
years!But sinceneitheroneofuswillbehere thenext time thishappens, let’s enjoy thissummer.
After Ipullout ahalfdozenpairofwhiteorcreamcoloured jeans,andallmybrightlycoloured
shirts I switch thebed linens over to summer mode. Crispwhite sheets andquilted coverlets
takeover fromdownduvetsanddarker linens.Hallway runnersare rolledupandputaway—
tosscushions summer-ized—bright cottonorbamboo throws insteadofwoollyones.Now, I’m
ready for pondparties, diningal fresco - under the stars—completewith candle light and fire
flies.
Onenightwe linedup tablesunder thewillow tree,usedvintage linen tablecloths,everychair
we could findand invited twodozenneighbours toamid-summer’s evedinner. Soeager to
use an antique silver candelabraand candle sticks I didn’t account for the slight westerly
breeze that caused thewax todripand formhugewax icicleson theheirloomsandpud-
dleson the tables.A reminderas towhyoneshoulduse lanternswithglasschimneys
toblock thewind. For inside candles there is a handy item calleda
‘bobeche’—love theword—a small saucer, oftenmadeof glass,with
ahole in thecenter thatallows it tobeslippedovera taperedcandle
and restedon thecandle stick—preventingwax fromdrippingpast.
Keepingeasycleaning inmind, if youareusinga largecandle in
a shade that will holdwater, just put somewater in thebottomof
the holder and it will keep themeltingwax from sticking to the
glass. For thosewhouse largepillar candles (andyouknowhow
much they can cost)—once the pillar burns down three or more
inches you can burn a tea light (minus themetal foil some come
with) inside the pillar for the same glowing effect andgreatly ex-
tending thepillar’sburn time.OR…ohheck,onecanalways invest
inbatteryoperatedcandlesand save themess too.
Forme summer isa time toenjoy riotsof colour. Havinghada sneak
peek at décor product that will be shown shortly at the TorontoGift
Fair—thenewname for theCanadianGiftShow—Ipredict that in2016—
yes, that’sNEXT summer!—wewill be seeing bright teal and turquoise
teamedwithmanyhuesofdriftwoodandbarnboard. Thisyear’sPantone
colourof theyear is ‘marsala’—adustywarm sherrycolour thatworkswell
withvivid. Andyespaisley isalways in fashion.
Both driftwood and barn board keep up with eco sensibilities of
recycling/re-purposingand the beautiful varied tonesworkwith both the
grey-ish RestorationHardware style of reclaimedwoodaswell as natural
orwarmwood staincolours.Remember, just likewhite jeans formabase for
bright summer shirts andblouses, keeping thebasics simple in homedecor
lets thevividadditions ‘pop’. Wherehaveweheard that before?
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SharonAllan is an Interior Decor Specialist and owner of VanAllanDesigns, Collingwood.
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