Nova Scotia is Red & White

Today we’ve driven almost entirely around the North side of the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island.

These were the muskoka chairs sitting outside the B&B we stayed at in Maitland. I love that so many people have one chair of each colour.

This is the main house that was built in 1859. The wood flooring was installed by shipbuilders and is approximately 2″ thick.

The house was moved back into the property in the 60’s because of the erosion, it sits right on the shores of the Bay of Fundy.

This was the view from our room (above).

Before we left the next morning, we sat (that’s me, above) and watched the tidal bore come in which is why Maitland is a huge destination for rafting.

I started a list on my iPhone of clothes I’m actually wearing on this trip because I’m convinced I have too many with me! This way, next time maybe I’ll get my packing right!

So far, this grey striped maxi-skirt from the Gap this Spring is a winner. So comfortable and cool yet covers me up when necessary. Also easy to slip on to go for breakfast in the mornings.

I was fascinated by the unusually high number of white painted homes! There’s colour too but really, most of the homes are white and many with red roofs.

Maybe it’s because they match the lighthouses that all look the same here in Nova Scotia. white with red (here’s one below).

I snapped this picture in a picturesque village we stopped in to re-fuel this morning.

I liked this house located on the edge of the cornfields because the casings looked like eyebrows.

There was a sign in front of this farm saying it had been a family farm since 1760!

So many white churches and most with black roofs. Classic. I started thinking maybe all churches should be white. White represents purity after all.

1. White is color at its most complete and pure, the color of perfection. The color meaning of white is purity, innocence, wholeness and completion. In color psychology white is the color of new beginnings, wiping the slate clean, so to speak.

Stunning scenery. Of course. That’s why travelling to Nova Scotia is on the bucket list of many and was for the two couples we met at the B&B in Maitland.

This image does look very similar to Vancouver island or when driving up to Whistler as well.

Last night we stayed at the Keltic Lodge Resort & Spa. It’s a government owned compound that’s located right inside the Cape Breton Highlands National Park at Ingonish Beach. Our server during dinner told us that they had just spent one million dollars on upgrades, I guess that’s why the lobby and rooms seemed current to me.

Oh and notice that it’s white with a red roof!

I liked the navy & gold colour scheme inside the front lobby warmed up by the orange stained panelling.

The stairs going up the our room. Have I mentioned there are no elevators in Nova Scotia. Another reason to pack lighter.

A couple pictures of Ingonish Beach nearby. Beautiful. I would have loved to spend a few hours here if the weather had been better.

Tonight we are in Baddeck staying in a funky little chalet type room with hardwood floors.

The first three places we stayed in since we arrived were all decorated in sage greens and golds. I forgot how much yellow I specified before 2002 when the brown trend arrived on the West Coast, but over and over all I was choosing for my clients (this was when I was doing a minimum of 5 consults a week working out of a Benjamin Moore paint store) was rust, golds/yellows and sage greens. There’s a lot of those colours here! Cape Breton has skipped the brown trend that’s for sure.

By the way my Vancouver Specify Colour with Confidence™ training is coming up October 1 – 3, 2014, there are still a few spaces left.

Today, one of my True Colour Experts posted this comment on our Private Facebook page:

I just have to say Amen, Praise Maria Killam, with a huge halleluja thank you! I walked into my client’s house this morning nervous and intimidated by their gorgeous huge home but I kicked color butt because of my Maria training and my samples. I just KNEW that their choices where fighting against themselves and their marble floor. At the end of the day, they decided I was right and it was worth repainting instead of purchasing rugs, sofa, etc to go with their first painting mistake.
YAY! Confidence feels so good! Tess Jenkins Leeds, Ruby Shoes Redesign

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