If you are anything like me, your are getting sick of being at home. Getting bored of staring at the same spaces, day in and day out. I am. It’s exhausting being at home. Which is funny, because when we are all out in our regular lives, all we want is a few days at home to enjoy our families and relax. But, as in any aspect of life when one has no choice, that’s all one wants. So, how can we change our environment a bit, to make the days feel a little newer and not stale and boring? One thing I do when home staging, or even just redesigning a space, is look at what is there already. Often my clients want to toss out everything and start over. But, just as often, they have wonderful pieces that, in the right location, can really change the feeling of a space. When I first started out…many, many years ago… I was called by a retired couple (well into retirement), that were unhappy with their condo living space. They had a limited budget, but wanted it to be less cluttered, cramped and awkward. In one hour, we moved so much […]
I am humbled. There comes a day, in most adults lives, if you have been working at your career long enough, when being humbled happens. Click. Humbled. For me, this happens often. Over our years, as we grow, our lives change, we move in different directions, our friendships morph as well. People we once saw and spoke to daily become people we see at parties. Our neighbours, specific friends, people we make time for, take the front seat. As does, in my married life; swim class, ski lessons, guitar, gymnastics, school, playdates, travel, blah blah. But it is when those people, those friends, whom you facebook with but never see, never speak to, when they call you and they ask: “Can you help us. Can you do our home.” That’s the moment. Click. Humbled. They are going to trust me. Me. The person they knew when I started my business 16 years ago. The person who they saw dance at 2am, pre-married, pre-kids, act like a buffoon, me. Yes, I was once an unruly young adult. It’s true. And those people, whom I still love dearly, they want to hire me. It’s happened twice this year. Once, I got to create […]
Why a second opinion, and possibly a third, is sometimes necessary. When Sonia and Jay first called us in, they had spoken to other contractors first. I can’t remember if it was 1 or 2. What I do remember, is they had some grand plans for their main floor, and when they laid it all out for me, I truly felt they were planning too much for their space. Their intent was to open up their kitchen to their den/living room/family room, whatever you want to call it. For a townhouse whose main floor consisted of those two spaces plus a dining area, in my opinion, it seemed a bit much. I am fully aware that the new “in thing” is to have giant, open spaces. But those spaces should make sense to the home and the lifestyle of the people in it. Also, budget is always a factor. If you spend more money on a renovation than your home’s value can tolerate, then A) you have to live there for many years to recuperate your investment or B) you can never leave without a loss. So, a part of what any good designer or contractor does, is evaluate that […]
I have been working in the design industry for over twenty years now. Most of those years have been fabric filled. It’s really an obsession of sorts. My reps come to visit my office, they bring armfulls of new books. The books are filled with swatches of new and exciting fabrics, textures, colours and patterns. The smell of the fabric fills the room. The colours bounce around and the patterns dance like butterflies around my head. Okay that’s super hokey. But seriously. One the the best parts of my job is finding the perfect fabrics for a space. Drapery fabric. Makes a statement. Warms up a room. Creates mood and a luxe vibe. As long as ice-cream kiddie fingers aren’t grabbing them, they will look good for a really long time. And furniture! Who doesn’t love a soft velvety sofa with cushions that scream pretty, or industrial or chic or fun or bright or carribean or a combo of any of those and so many more! Those toss cushions! How we designers love thee! And how many hours have I spent picking out the perfect fabrics ?!?!? It sometimes drives me mad. But it’s fun. And I love it. […]
Well, last year Santa gave us the task of working on his living room design. I think we did a great job. You can see the feed on our instagram from December 2015… This year, we tackled his bedroom which was quite the challenge. It was full of random Christmas items from bygone years (thing #TBT). A bit of overkill if you please. Mrs. Claus was really concerned when we started. “You know, Nicholas really likes to have Christmas all year round. He won’t be happy if you completely take it away.” Then, guiding me out of the room by the elbow, she whispered softly, “But I am a little tired of all the hooplah, if you know what I mean.” She winked. “I wouldn’t mind a little more…glam.” A giggle escaped. She really was looking for a change. Often, as a designer, I encounter times when husband and wife have different ideas about what they are looking for in design, function and budget. It’s like being a home therapist. We have to balance their desires, without making either feel that their opinion is worth less. It’s delicate. But can be, and is often, a part of what makes us […]
In the 60s, shag rugs began to surface. The TV show Mad Men has one designed space that blows my mind. The bohemian vibe, and shag rug over high pile rug make me feel a little nostalgic for the 70s, when this was all the rage, I am pretty sure one can link the rise of asthma with the popularity of these rugs. People went wall to wall. Often making catastrophic mistakes, that within a year or so, they regretted. As shown here…sometimes you really have to stand back and think about what you are doing. What is this really going to look like? Is there any possibility it will be a little too over the top? Too committed to the trend du jour? Shags have come a long way. We use them now as cozy rugs. Fun and inviting floor dressings that we can snuggle on, roll around on, and sink our feet into. I love this one. It’s contemporary, yet soft, and the large scale design makes it feel more like art than just an area rug. For hits of colour. Shag rugs are available to be custom made too! They come in so many colours, and […]
All the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow -Leo Tolstoy “Shadow”. It sounds so dark, exotic, sexy. It’s Benjamin Moore’s colour of the year. And it’s a good one. Can I be tacky for a second? It’s like an aged grape. Hints of gray, notes of neutral. A smoky, warm aroma. Goes well paired with a “dark burgundy” dressed with a pale “porcelain”. The muted shade honestly goes well with almost anything. I think a powder room completely enveloped in this shade would be dramatic and rich. While I am pretty much done with painting a feature wall (wallpaper and plaster finishes are much more inviting), I could imagine a staircase cove, or library. This photo by Benjamin Moore displays it perfectly. A slightly brighter tone of this colour, would be amazing as a velvet sofa. How luscious would you feel lounging on this? Wallpaper, as I often suggest! One here, uses golds to offset the darker grape hues. It’s modern AND classic in design, and injects the colour without over-committing. The second wallpaper, a complimentary shade. Imagine using this one a wall, and shadow on the ceiling. Talk about an intense and dynamic paring! […]
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 […]
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 […]
