Ask the Expert 
Decorating our cottage
QUESTION: We recently made an addition on our cottage. The existing part of the cottage included the kitchen and dining room, what have knotty pine walls (gold-colour), cupboards and a vaulted ceiling. The new addition part includes the entrance and sitting room but in a pale cedar. Since the interior is open concept, the darker and lighter woods are clearly noticeable. I want to to paint the pine area with a colour similar to the cedar. My husband disagrees. How can I brighten up the old part?
-- Sally B. from Thunder Bay, ON
ANSWER:
Be brave and paint! Men seem to have an inherent aversion to painting wood so you may need some help to show him what it could look like… go to a paint store, like Benjamin Moore, and ask about their computer tools that allow you to (virtually) “paint” your room photos. Why paint the same colour as the cedar? Choose a colour that is on the warm side and is light and airy. Look to cottage magazines and books for inspiration.
About the Designer
Michelle Lavoie’s twenty-five plus years in hospitality at private clubs and luxury hotels lead her to founding Calgary-based, A Man’s Home, in 2007. Given her lifelong love of architecture and aesthetics, shifting her career focus was a natural leap. Since most of her career was spent working for and with men, she developed an affinity for addressing their needs (hence the company name). Her goal is to create spaces that reflect the personalities of their dwellers; homes both inspiration and refuge. She works with a broad range of budgets and design styles that are as enticing as they are cost effective. Michelle hails from ethnically diverse Ottawa, has lived in four provinces and has called Alberta home for the last 8 years. Food, travel and all aspects of design continue to inspire her.
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