Decorating for the holidays is: Fun? Daunting? Mystifying? Stressful? Got a mixed up family full of: Hanukkah? Christmas? Kwanzaa? Newtonmas? Festivus? Wanting to make it: Classy? Fun? Youthful? Colourful? Taseful? Cheery? Cozy? Oy. My head hurts too. So let’s simplify a little, shall we? I grew up in a Jewish home. Super envious of my bestie down the street, whose dad was a minister and whose Christmas seemed glorious! And, as the years passed, they invited me for tree trimming…I remember all too well having to figure out where the fake limbs went years after their colour coded stickers had fallen off. There was always a little gift for me under that tree. And I even got to go to the church a few times and listen to all the beautiful songs. It was amazing. And at my place? Hanukkah was a bit more, um, chill? Gifts: Check. Doughnuts: Check. Menorah with candles: Check. That’s it. BO-RING! So now that I’m a grown up, with a hubby and some kiddies and my own home, that Hanukkah celebration has reached for the stars!!! And here’s a little of how I get my holiday decorating in order: Your Colour Choice I’ve seen […]
Drapery hardware is a huge mystery to those who do not manufacture or install it. Many clients of mine will stare up at their windows and look at me, a blank look on their faces, and say “I don’t know what to do. How do we hang it?” I generally smile back and respond with a bunch of technical information and then let them know that I’ll just email them some finial options for their decorative rods, or I’ll pull a piece of I-beam out of my bag and hold it up for them. The explanation of the hardware ends up taking up more time than deciding on the actual style of the drapery and its glorious fabric. Here are some basic hardware options, and their applications. I-Beam I-beam is generally made of aluminum and comes in white for most drapery applications. Any pleated drapery can be hung on I-beam through the rings that hand off of it. While the hardware itself isn’t considered decorative, it’s very versatile. This type of beam can be clipped together to virtually any length imaginable. It’s pliable, so can be bent around corners and along rounded window areas such as bay and bow […]
Our final goal at this residence was to make the very small and outdated bathroom more functional, and, of course, more visually appealing. The clients originally intended on increasing the size of the bathroom, but time constraints and the loss of much needed bedroom space quickly changed all of our minds. As you look at the ‘before’ photos, notice how the space between the bathtub and the toilet was severely limited. The vanity came past the doorway, an ouchie almost every time someone walked into it. The tiles were, well, not so pretty, and all the fixtures were old, moldy and basically falling apart. The most interesting part of the bathroom was the space between the end of the tub and the window. It was almost a no-brainer. The vanity needed to be custom built to fit into the space allotted for it. That meant a thinner vanity with a very limited sink area. The bowl style vessel sink fit perfectly! What a coo! And the faucet, narrow and high, literally just fit. The drawers underneath the sink have cut-outs in them for the plumbing, and maximize storage space in an area where getting down to open doors and search […]
It was March of 2013 when I received the call from a young couple, referred to us by a great client. They had just purchased a semi-detached home in mid-town Toronto that was in urgent need of a renovation. Urgent, you see, because their baby was due around July 26th, and they wanted to move in at least two weeks before the little one was born. That meant, that we had to be done the renovation within about four months, and we hadn’t even met yet! I rushed over at my earliest available opening, and took a look. The real estate agent let us in, we didn’t even have the keys yet. The place was a disaster. The kitchen was basically rotten, with old cigarette buts in the cupboards and peeling floors. There were walls everywhere. The refrigerator was even built on a step, inset to a wall with a hidden cabinet on the side. The stair rails were not to code. The floors were an ancient mess. The bathroom…let’s not go there. I cannot believe they had such trust in us, that we could turn this place around in such a short amount of time. Within weeks, the cabinets […]
For how many years have we been swarming silver tones? Chrome. Nickel. Stainless. Platinum. It’s been a decade? At least. Well, it’s finally time to warm up and get some classic back. Gold is making its comeback. Some of it is still brassy…but most of it has that satin or brushed finish that’s, well, simply divine. I heard a designer recently comment, “Gold has gone from shiny and brassy to satin and sassy.” Wish I could remember his name. What a stellar remark. And it’s true. We’ve grown up since our super gold glow days, into a more sophisticated bunch. We no longer want that ‘in your face’ gold. We covet the warmer tones of these new golds, and it’s popping up everywhere from jewellery to light fixtures and furnishings. Let’s look at some of my current favourites. Jewellery Since we’ve spent too many hard earned dollars on platinum and silver, one wouldn’t dare go totally gold, for risk of the dreaded ‘clash’. So what better way to mix and match than to start with a ring that combines the two tones! These awesome rings by MeditationRings combine golds and silver in unique ways. Spinning […]
Paint above: Benjamin Moore Welcome to the new age of design. As the new generation starts to move into their new homes, condos, apartments and swanky lofts, they long for something different than what they grew up with. They want to spread their fashion wings, and let their individuality shine. We spent most of the 80s and 90s saturating homes in greens and burgundies. One of my first jobs, as a designer, was to help a client who spent a fortune on a turquoise leather sofa in the late 80s. Yes, you just read that. The millennium arrived, and as my amazing faux finisher/decorative painter Suzanne Pratt of Venetian Studios rants, “boring, blah, beige, took over!” So here we are. Most of us, are sickened at the thought of hunter green and deep wine, and bored with white and beige. So, in efforts to help us out, the world of design is giving us BLUE! And, just in time for summer! Blue, as a “staple” colour, is a leap for most people. A blue sofa? A blue dresser? A blue rug? Really? It’s not just an accent colour? NO! If you are one of those people who has been […]
Any designer will tell you, they have a secret obsession with the accent chair. Accent chairs offer us easy and fun ways to fill little empty spaces, create punch in an otherwise boring room, use our favourite fabrics, indulge in a sculptural piece, or repurpose the cutest, sweetest, possibly not even usable, old chair that we can live without. But the insistence that every chair in your house must serve as seating holds us back. As does the misconception that your chairs must “match” your sofa, or your entire dining set. Think of it this way. An accent chair can be purposeful or just visual, funky or vintage, cheap and cheerful or expensive and luxurious. Here are some of my top picks for this season! Define your space: A living room does not have to conform to a sofa, loveseat and wing chair combination. Creativity is paramount when defining space. Remember too, when company is over, people would prefer to sit in a chair, than be the person in the middle seat on a sofa. Here, you see the building of the rooms character with two bold green chairs, and two fantastic printed chairs. The conversation area is defined, […]
The sun has finally decided to rear its beautiful head. The snow is GONE (if you live here in Toronto, this might be the happiest day of your life)!! And, I don’t know about you, but my deck has been torn apart! It came with the house. It’s rotting. Not very safe. Not our style. So, my husband and I are getting the back yard ‘decked out’ for a summer of fun. And what better time than to start right now? Before the warmest part of our year starts, so we haven’t wasted any precious summer time? Above: My husband ripping out the old, rotten deck. But alas, with the deck coming out, come many zillions of questions my dear husband wants answered. How many people in the new hot tub? What type of wood on the deck? Composite or real? Stain colours? Pergola? Planter boxes? Furniture? I wasn’t truly prepared for the barrage of questions. Nor was I really sure of what I wanted? I know I want the words Cabana, Beach and Zen to come to mind when I’m out there. And maybe a bit Party too, but how do I accomplish that? And, let’s face it, I […]
Figuring out what size your area rug should be is a question we get quite often. Clients have an old rug that was passed on from their mother, or grandmother, and they really want to use it, but does it fit? And now that you have all of this lovely hardwood flooring, do you really have to cover it up? The honest answer is no. If you want your hardwood to shine, then just leave the rug out. But if the comfort and ‘look’ of a rug is something that you are after, go big or go home. Rule #1: The living room rug There are three approaches to the living room rug: All legs on: The standard rule is that, in a living room, your furniture should be completely sitting on the rug. This creates a “dedicated space” for your living room furniture, and a cozier atmosphere. Leave about 8” or so as a border around the rug, so your lovely hardwood can show through, and it doesn’t feel like broadloom. Photo/Design: Monaco Interiors Front legs on: Sometimes you find the perfect rug, in an imperfect size. It is important, then, that all your legs fit onto the rug. […]
How to choose the RIGHT blinds for your home?? Often, as the sun FINALLY emerges after the long winter months, it blares its rays into our homes. Aside from the obviously wonderful emotional benefits, there are a few drawbacks to its intrusive behaviour. Rooms warm up, more than we want them to and watching our televisions with the intense glare becomes impossible. We worry about our wood floors fading, our silk drapery rotting and our precious early hours of sleep. While sheers can act as a barrier, true control is measured by the hard working blind. And all the while, we really don’t want that pesky blind interrupting our hard laboured décor. Here are some different blind options, and the pros and cons related to their functions. Horizontal Shades Royal Wood Shutters By Elite WF available through Monaco Interiors Pros: 1. You can purchase most with a privacy feature, which lessens light coming into the room 2. There is this great wand or rope that allows you to “turn” them and move them up or down, to your preferred level of light control 3. Relatively inexpensive, unless you move into the real wood zone 4. The aluminum ones are fairly […]
