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Categories Decks, Interior Design, UncategorizedPosted on

To Heck with this Deck!

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?

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Categories Blinds, Interior Design, Shutters, Window CoveringsPosted on

Choosing the RIGHT Blinds!

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.

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Categories Coastal, Color Trends, Colour Trends, Decorating, Interior Design, UncategorizedPosted on

Newport Style

Newport style defined: classic design that lends its origins to Newport, Rhode Island, a seaside city along the east coast of the United States.  The city boasts beautiful sunsets over the Atlantic Ocean, and is well known as a summer resort destination.  Not as beachy as Cape Cod, or neon as Miami, Newport has its own niche style.  A style that has been coveted by today’s homeowner.  But it’s not super easy to create a space, in Canada, that reflects the vibe of this lovely city, while not looking like you’re trying too hard.  Design that looks too conspired never truly feels like a comfy home.  And if nothing else, Newport style is comfy, calm, organic and natural.  Maybe even a little, teensy bit, Ralph Lauren.

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Categories Color Trends, Colour Trends, Decorating, Interior Design, Uncategorized, WallpaperPosted on

Wallpaper Revival

It’s back!  It’s been back for quite a while, and although most of us associate wallpaper with the 1970s velvet flocked granny papers, modern times have propelled wallpapers into the future.  No matter your design ethic, wallpaper can add anything from some simple texture, a splash of colour or an artistic element.  Use it to complete your design, add sophistication or even frame it as an inexpensive, yet unique, piece of art.

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Categories Accessories, Color Trends, Colour Trends, Decorating, Interior DesignPosted on

What’s YOUR Colour Personality?

What’s your personality?  Laid-back? Super-charged? Fun and vibrant? Zen?

Are you sure?  Is that how others would describe you, or is it what you wish to be?

It’s just like your clothing.  You know, how some people always look so perfectly styled?  And it’s never the typical stuff that we all shop for.  It’s always bohemian chic, or classic tailored or the like.  Those people have already figured out what their story is, or at least, what they want you to believe it is.

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Categories Accessories, Color Trends, Colour Trends, DecoratingPosted on

Colour Trends 2014!!

The colour trend Guru of the design world is Pantone, a company offering up their “decision” of colour trends for the year to designers of fashion, interiors, textiles, accessories and so on.  We, like bees to coveted honey, lie in wait until the big announcement.  So, in the very end, what, exactly does this mean for you, our clients?  Well…

Let’s examine the last two years of trends announced by Pantone.  In 2012, it was Tangerine.  I seem to remember everything being turquoise. Ah…maybe with a hit of Tangerine.  In 2013, it was Emerald.  Things were still turquoise.  Maybe with a hit of Emerald?

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Categories Chairs, DiningPosted on

Chairs, Chairs, Chairs!

Toronto Furniture Show 2

Chairs!  They are often so expensive, and are an often overlooked opportunity for true design fun.  Pairing modern, fun chairs, with traditional dining tables is a great way to turn something old and dated (like your grandmother’s dining table), into something contemporary and chic.  Who made that rule that everything has to be all matchy matchy and boring?  Designers know that when you spice things up with some daring buys, your home can go from blah to fantastic!

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Categories AccessoriesPosted on

I found Cozy Throws!

The Toronto Furniture Show Part 1

What a day!  I got to the show and met my good friend, Jennyfer who is also a designer who prays for inspired trade shows.   We spent two hours roaming the International Center.  It was pretty boring to be honest.  I hate going to trade shows in general.  The buildings are always too hot or too cold, the air is stale and everyone is standing around their booths looking either worried, bored or slightly hysterical.  The furniture show pretty much sucks for appeal.  There’s no grand design spaces like the Interior Design Show always has.  The booths are very basic, the coffee is brown water and the atmosphere is almost sickly.

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Categories BathroomsPosted on

YONGE LAWRENCE BATHROOM

Well, it was a beautiful morning in July, and my brand new clients asked me to come over and take a look at their bathroom.  Ron, my contractor, told them how great I am and that before he even put a quote together, I should come up with a design.

That’s how it works, you see….how can the contractor quote something if he doesn’t know what crazy stuff the designer is going to ask for?

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