Places to Spaces

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We all know interior design is often inspired by the fashion world.

I love seeing the runway trends that are translated into room decor 

around the Pinter-sphere. 

So I wanted to show how inspiration comes from many places - like travel.

When I came across this beautiful island shot I was immediately inspired by the colour palette and filed it away in my Inspiration board on Pinterest.  

I wanted to show how this picture can inspire a mood for a room 

and inform the colour scheme and design concept as well.

It could be a picture you took on your honeymoon or anniversary that conjures up feelings of serenity, comfort and sheer bliss! You want to bring that feeling home after the vacay.
So, how do you do it?  Here’s my take.

My first response is an emotional one – how would I feel being in this space (aka water’s edge at dusk).  It immediately feels very serene and peaceful; a lovely sunset over gently rolling waves.
 At the same time, it evokes an edgy, modern, sophisticated vibe; and a sense of mystery as the evening transitions to night and all the colour fades into the darkness.

If I was decorating a living room inspired by this picture, 

I would see light silvery blue-grey walls with a steely-grey ceiling & trim
to pick up on the colours of the approaching night sky and make the space feel cozy.

  

Benjamin Moore - Glacier Lake & Tweed Coat Paints

The bubble chandeliers in multiples provide the lightness and ethereal qualities
of the billowy clouds accenting the vast evening sky. 

A curved charcoal sofa with silver nail heads and the graphic lines of the side table
feature asymmetrical shapes similar to the side of the cliffs.   

 The black shades on this modern brass floor lamp
repeat the edges of the spiked rocks that accent the water's edge.

The linen tufted ottoman with bleached wood legs and base
adds contrast to the dark sofa and brings in another texture
 like the sand against the water. 

The wavy dark grey lines on the rug create the foundation for the room and
mimic the waves of the ocean, giving the whole room a sense of fluidity and motion.  

Lavender, cream, pink and metallic finishes splashed about in accent pillows, flowers, and accessories lighten the space like the night sky’s showcase… as it sets.

  

What do you think?

Does this space look like that place?

If you can't get to the oasis, bring the oasis to your home.

All it takes is a little inspiration to get you started.

Kitchen Design Tips

House Beautiful

Every kitchen I've designed, although all different in style and space, all started with the same issues:

dated finishes
not enough storage

not functioning well

poor layout

In every case when I start a project it always starts with the 20 questions!

Although it's obvious that the main function of the kitchen is to cook there are many nuances that go into a good design plan that works specifically for you.

How many cooks in the kitchen?

This is a baseline question because if the answer is more than one,  than I have to consider multiple work zones or stations are required to be used at the same time. 

Or, it may simply mean we take turns cooking, or we cook with the kids on the weekends, or I want to be able to bake with my grand kids when they come over.
All of these answers feed into the plan and each one translates into a different feature of the kitchen that changes as a result.

In this client's kitchen I added a second sink for prep, with the main sink on the back wall for clean up next to the dishwasher.  There's also 46" between them so that two cooks can easily work simultaneously.  I've also separated the cook top (left) from the wall oven (not shown) to ensure lots of space to move around.

Do you like to entertain?  

If so, how often, and how large a group?

Based on this conversation, I may create an island with bar stools so the cook can be part of the fun or we take down a wall between the kitchen and dining room to open up the entertaining space.
I may bring in a free standing credenza or sideboard that can act as a buffet to accommodate frequent large cocktail parties or a small bistro table for small dinner parties for four.
For someone that has frequent dinner parties, I may recommend coordination or extension of kitchen cabinetry into an open plan dining space.

In this client's kitchen (pictured above), I actually removed the raised bar counter on the peninsula because the client's never used it and their top priority was storage.  I was able to extend the cabinetry behind the sink to add an additional 7 foot x 12 inches of storage space that was just used for bar stools.

If you have the space, a Butler's Pantry between the kitchen and dining room is the way to go.  Leave some shelves open for display and easy access to items you use often.  This is also a great place for a small wine fridge.

Do you need to have a dining table in the kitchen?

You may think this is an odd question, but in a small space forgoing a separate table for a large island with required seating could be the best option.  

See below Before picture (with table) and After (with seating for 4 at the island).

This was an IKEA kitchen makeover.  See the whole project HERE

Change the material of the counter top and the height to create a cozy dining space.  The reclaimed wood on the back wall helps keep the white space with concrete floors from feeling too cold.  And check out that view!!

Nothing like Black and White and Marble all over to create big drama!
Over sized pendants are the right size for an island this large.
Keep in mind scale as well as function when designing your space.

What small appliances do you like to use?

Bread maker, toaster oven, food processor, stand mixer, crock pot,

all of these items can be stored out of the way if they are considered up front in the design plan.

Notice a coffee maker was not on the list?  In my world this daily use appliance should be out front and center, and space permitting, should be housed in a Coffee Station with lovely mugs, pretty serving pieces and a chocolate shaker for your latte.

This coffee station would wake up any kitchen!  Open shelves above give it a Bistro feeling.

This is a design concept I did for a client with a cabinet wall built to hide all the kitchen gizmos

Here pocket doors are installed so you can choose to display or hide the appliances.

Do you want a desk or computer area?

This is a big one!  Almost every client I work with has some requirement for a space to sort mail, pay bills, store paperwork, to place a computer or laptop, store cook books or other books.  Depending on the age of the children in the home, this may be the place for homework as well.  

A dedicated area can be built into the design of cabinetry if you plan ahead, even small kitchens can use a practical space like this that may have been otherwise unused.

These are just some of the basics for planning your kitchen design.
Find all the links to pictures above and lots of great ideas on my KITCHENS board on Pinterest.

The most important thing is to give yourself lots of time in the planning stage to consider all your options.  Spend time visiting showrooms and looking at lots of pictures so that you can really hone in on your desired style once the practical elements are figured out.

Of course, if it all feels overwhelming please contact me for some professional help!

Style Files

This was a crazy week for me - crazy good, though!

Things are getting quite busy around here, as they do when Spring is near.  

I've had to wear many hats lately working on projects with vastly different needs and aesthetics.   

This is why designers need true vision, an open mind, a great ear, and a ton of patience...

plus the ability to shift gears on a dime as the need arises!

Here's a look at some of the projects we're working on.

Classic Glamour

An empty-nester's luxe dream bathroom

One wall came down and we almost doubled the space of the original bathroom.  

A glamorous, contemporary sanctuary for the lady of the house, please.

The tiles in the pictures are more gray then they appear here.

Earthy Chic Dining & Living Room

custom details with an elegant and modern edge for young family with two kids

This elegant living & dining room is coming together (more info here and the before pic here) 

with the final accessories being selected shortly it should be ready for a close-up very soon.

Cool Contemporary Media Room 

on a tight budget for a young adult getaway in the basement of a classic home

The "grown" children in this house needed a space of their own and the main floor's elegant style just cramps their style!  A fresh & fun colour palate, solid furniture, and durable fabrics were the objectives here.  

Who says you can't have great style on a budget? 

Traditional Arts & Crafts Living Room

for an established writer living with beautiful antiques

Refreshing a dated living & dining room by replacing period wallpaper with historic paint colours, reframing art, reupholstering furniture and adding a couple of new pieces for modern living.

Just another week of 

breathing new life into tired spaces!

Spa Bathroom Bliss

I love redesigning bathrooms that start with the client saying 

"get rid of everything and give me a modern, spa bathroom"!  

This bachelor's bath used to look like this (more photos below) and was the main bathroom for the house.  

It was cold, dark, cramped, and just downright fugly!

So we stole some space from a linen closet in the hallway outside the bathroom, then opened up the wall where the tub used to be and found an additional 10 inches of unused space!  

Do you know how big a deal 10" in a bathroom can be when it runs the length of the whole wall? It's huge! 

Once the walls were gutted, we knew we had to invest in getting the structure right.  So we did a complete overhaul on the 1920's insulation and put in additional framing support for the floors to provide a solid foundation for the natural stone tiles and radiant floor heating to come.

The client knew he wanted dark cabinetry and light floors and that was it.  What he didn't know was that he would need to get rid of the stand alone claw-foot tub to make better use of the space with a tub and shower combination.  Not to worry, we saved the tub for another project.  

I spent quite a bit of time planning the layout of this newly enlarged space and designed a few floor plans, both with and without a separate tub to make my point! Removing the stand alone tub made a huge difference in the layout and allowed for a double-sink vanity and a free standing cabinet to replace the much needed storage with the hall closet removed.  We also added a bigger, eco-wise window to maximize the light coming in and keep the cold out.

In order to achieve that relaxed, spa feeling I wanted to keep the colour palette light and the finishes simple, so we went with 12"x24" honed ivory travertine tile for the  floors and carried it up onto the shower walls for a seamless transition.  Both were laid in a stacked pattern going in the same direction to keep the look fresh, yet refined.  We also installed radiant floor heating underneath - so nice on a cold winter morning!

We added a classic marble & travertine mosaic tile as an accent around the shower which nicely ties into the chocolate brown cabinetry.  In order to keep the classic shaker cabinetry from being too dark & heavy, we topped it with a creamy-white marble counter top with rectangular sinks for a clean, modern look and painted the walls in Benjamin Moore Vanilla Ice Cream - how yummy!

I initially proposed a large mirror for the end wall to bring in more light and open up the space further- but my single male client just didn't appreciate the need for a full length mirror in the bathroom (go figure?!).

I found this piece of art on canvas and knew it would look amazing on the end wall - so elegant and perfect for a this bathroom.  

I love to bring art into bathrooms, they really need some drama among the practicality of the space - Here's another example I wrote about here.  

I really wanted to glam up the space with unique mirrors over the vanity, but the "man" insisted on keeping it simple with dark wood framed mirrors - believe me, I tried!  

"Sorry Ana, you'll have to be dramatic with someone else.." he explained!  

Sometimes, you just gotta give in to the person paying the bill. 

So, instead of glam, we have a tailored and classic look.  

I added modern, sleek lighting in brushed nickle and frosted glass. 

A custom roman shade in linen adds softness and is totally practical in a bathroom.  

We put in new crown molding and larger baseboards to match the rest of the house.

A small, aged brass and metal side table offers just enough space for some extra towels 

and a bit of contrast in the otherwise serene space.  

Client's own art hangs above the toilet.

I had glass shower panels added with a swing-out door keeping the clean lines & airy feeling in the space.  Three new recessed light fixtures were also added for extra lighting when needed.

And finally, you gotta love this toilet by Luna Decora - it's low, sleek and eco-friendly!

Just to recap - here's the Before & After

What do you think?

Design Inspiration

I've been "un-blogged" for a couple of weeks as the summer wound down and we ramped back up for the new school year.  For me, autumn is a time of renewal, back to routines and often fresh starts.  Lucky for me, I also acquired two new clients over the past couple of weeks and have been busy with design plans.

I've been doing the rounds at the showrooms.  Camilla House Imports is one of my faves with a funky, cool vibe as well as a fresh take on traditional pieces.  They have gorgeous tables made from rail ties and barnboard which they place on brushed stainless or chrome legs.  One of these is sure to be a conversation piece in any room.

Here is a picture I took from the Canadian Gift and Tableware Show which I blogged about here.

  

Barn board and rail ties up close. 

I love these chairs that I'm thinking of using for my client's elegant but casual dining

room where she loves to host dinner parties. 

 

Here's a close-up of the chair arm, I just love the patina on these

chairs and they only get better over time.
 

This is our inspiration shot for the living room designed by Tobi Fairley,

one of Traditional Homes Magazine's top 20 young designers in America for 2009.

  

 The Camilla House showroom is gorgeous but I like to check out the back warehouse

that is filled to the brim with unfinished furniture, cool accessories, and miles of aisles

stocked with amazing decor items ... it's a designer's candy shop!

My other client is looking for a Tuscan inspired living room where she hosts frequent

casual wine and cheese soirees, so comfort is key in this well used living room.  

A pair of these chairs would be cozy.

 

The well-aged patina on this vintage scroll light fixture would add some drama to the space,

wrought iron is a strong element in Tuscan design 

Choosing fabrics and a colour scheme for another busy and active young couple with two small children and a dog means durability, pattern to hide little messy fingers, and yet fun and lively to capture their personalities.  This is the palette we will be working with for the family room of this trendy Danforth neighbourhood home.

Now I'm off to scour the town for more goodies.  Let me know which are your favourites!