b'room, working out where the bathroom, kitchen and bedrooms would be.do the builds. Plus, I worked in a paint shop as a colour consultant and I loved the smell of freshly cut timber shavings, and still do to this day! also a carpet showroom to gain more knowledge to assist customers Her mum influenced her in subtler ways, too, empowering Karenwanting to choose new carpets for their renovation or new build.to make changes as they suited her. My mother would change the curtains in our dining area twice a year and move the furniture aroundHow do you approach colour and what importance does it hold in your work?from one area to the other. I was able to change rooms as my olderIn my initial consultation, I conduct a Colour Psychology Analysis siblings got married and moved out, so I decided that one room wasReportwithmyclients.Thisapproachprovidesmewithvaluable better as my bedroom and the other room as my hangout sitting roominformationand,ultimately,moreaccuratecolourselectionsasit where I could play my music loudly on my stereo, she recalls. taps into what resonates with each client. From there, I can provide When it comes to selecting materials, finishes and artwork, Karenbeautiful colour palettes for the areas they live in that are guided by not only has an eye for design but also an ear for it. Shes a great listenerhow they want to feel in each room, tailored to their own personal and makes it a top priority that her clients feel heard. From residentialemotions. Colour is a very personal element of our being. It is a bit like homesandtownhousedevelopmentstocommercialprojectsthatchoosing perfumenot everyone likes the same scent, so we need to include aged care facilities, cafs, beauty salons and a wine bar, thecustomise each design with what resonates with the client.results of Karens commitment to accurate colour consultations and assessing the needs of her clients is evident from the diversity of herWhat has been your favourite or most successful project to date and portfolio and the shining testimonies from those shes helped. what made it special?Karen looks back at the successes of her first 25 years of industryI think I enjoy doing full transformations of homes the most, as those experience, discusses gaps in design education and underscores theclients know they want a change but dont know what to do or how to importance colour plays in decorating. go about it, so I come in and transform their tired and cluttered spaces into a beautiful home for them to enjoy living in with their families.Where else did you work prior to starting Blank Canvas Living? One client in particular was a single elderly gentleman, a few years Prior to starting my current business in 2017, Blank Canvas Living, Idivorced and wanting to find a partner. His townhouse was cluttered worked from a home studio under the name of KMB Design Conceptswith antique furniture, mostly dark timber, and there were no particularly for 15 years and then was in a partnership with another designer at aninviting areas to sit. He had odd pieces of small mats used as rugs and a interior design showroom in North Fitzroy for three years. table with bench seating that was not very comfortable if you were sitting I knew that I wanted the opportunity to work for myself once I haddown for a meal for a length of time. Every bedroom was cluttered with finished my studies, but I wanted to gain experience elsewhere first,furniture or cycling equipment. My task was to make it a comfortable, so I took on a number of part-time roles. After graduating, I workedinviting and bright home to entertain family and friends. I worked with in Melbourne with Myer Grace Brothers in their Interiors Departmentcolours that would bring conversation, fun and adventure. We brought for three years. There, I learnt more about fabrics and assisted sixin a custom-made plectrum-shaped (guitar pick) Blackbutt dining table designers with collecting fabrics to take out to clients at their homes,and bookcase, fabric dining chairs, new sofas for the living and family I did the visual merchandising of the display areas in our departmentrooms,acustombedhead,newbedlinen,cushionsanddecorated above: In her recently completed design for a Melbourne- and assisted customers coming in to look at fabrics before decoratorswith photos of overseas skiing trips and other artwork from his travels area residential home, Karen was inspired by thewould come out to their homes. Next, I worked part-time with athat we framed and displayed on the walls throughout his home. The chameleon-like nature of Resene Triple Merino and how itdecorator at Finer Home Furnishings in Heidelberg for 12 months.transformation was idyllic, and he loved how it all came togetherand could be applied across a sitting room and primary bedroomThen, I was asked by a lecturer to do a term of teaching at the institutehe then found a lady friend to complete his happy life.through two different colour palettes. In the bedroom, she used crisper Resene Eighth Black White to contrast withwhere I studied Interior Design, as a sessional teacher had left. I ended the soft, fleecy white and tie together moulding detailsup teaching first and second year students from 2001-2010 betweenDo you feel that we use too little colour, too much colour or just throughout the space. Ceiling and walls painted in Resenetwo campuses part-time while building up my own business. Later, Ienough colour in the design of our homes?SpaceCote Low Sheen tinted to Resene Triple Merino andworked with a builder selecting materials, finishes, fixtures and fittingsI think most use too little colour in their homes. Everything you see in ceiling medallion, ceiling mouldings, architraves and skirtingfor their clients, then I freelanced with an architectural firm that didmagazines is white walls, white furniture, white rugs, white homewares board in Resene Eighth Black White. government school fit-outs and I would go out on site to meet withand white window coverings. I mean, how boring and bland is that? The Resene Resene the principal and steering committee to get a feel for each school thenrooms have no souls. Its like looking at a ghost town! Unfortunately, Eighth Black White Triple Merino I did the selections for the architects to pass onto the contractors toso much of the upholstered furniture that is being manufactured is 62 blackwhitemag.com'