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.

Living Room for Entertaining

When I first met this client at her midtown home in Toronto I knew that her space was not a reflection of her personality at all.  She's a busy family physician who loves to golf, travel and entertain regularly.  But, her living room was lackluster and hardly being used. She also loves art ... which is why she called me.

She was looking at making a major purchase in original art and wanted to know how to decorate her space not only to show off her colourful 40"x60"purchase, but to make the space more inviting, more interesting and definitely more sophisticated.

Here's what the living/dining room looked like BEFORE:

 

beige walls

bad furniture proportions

poor layout

dismal lighting

no pizzazz!!

I knew what to do with the layout right away, but the colour scheme was going to come from the diverse selection of ART

The original horses and east coast red farmhouse paintings were destined for the living room.

Marilyn was going to be in the glamorous dining room, already decked out with a modern crystal chandelier.

There was also a series of nautical photographs of my client's east coast home town that were grouped together in the family room.   Artwork all sorted out, on to the furniture.

We decided to keep the fairly new slipper chairs and have them recovered.  

I also took the black striped side cabinet to get a fresh coat of paint and some new blingy hardware.  

Here's the before shots of both with the client's mirrored coffee table that was also staying.

I wanted a streamlined sofa to be placed on the longest wall that would accommodate the two largest pieces of art.  So I selected this piece with a cushion back and a narrow sculpted arm in a navy blue chenille fabric.

Now I had the opportunity to bring in two more chairs that were a bit more sculptural and add some sophistication to the space.   

 I chose a dark peppercorn finish for the wood with a powder blue velvet for the fabric and pewter nailheads.  This chair is one of my favourite pieces in the room - and there are two of them! 

I wanted the pillows to bring in the colours from the artwork... pumpkin, gold, turquoise and cobalt.  So I came up with a fabric scheme to complement the upholstery fabrics selected.

It started with this textile festival ...

and was narrowed down to this final selection of 50 shades of blue, 

golds, and a bold hit of pumpkin orange in a floral medallion pattern. 

A geometric art silk rug sits in the background.

Once all the main piece were selected and fabrics for pillows and drapery chosen, we moved on to the accessories and I found some fun pieces that my client loved

Here's a closer look at the custom drapery in a luxe silvery chenille fabric with 6" fabric banding 

to match the pillows on the chair... so yummy!  

Client already had the custom roman blinds in a graphic silver & gold pattern, 

so I worked with them when choosing drapery fabric.

The final reveal comes in two parts

Part one - without drapery 

(note to self: don't order them so close to the holidays!)

It's amazing what a bit of paint and some new hardware can do for your dated furniture!

Part two - some new pillows added but without the rug 

- it was accidentally soiled by the family dog the night before I arrived for the photo!

Love ending the post with these gorgeous chairs!

My client has been entertaining a lot more since this room was completed.

Just goes to show that living rooms can be transformed for contemporary, real-life living!

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!

Small Space Love

This month's issue of House and Home featured some amazing small spaces and how great design transcends square footage short falls.  I have always found that the smaller the room, the more creative you are forced to be in order to max out the functional capacity of the room.  I absolutely fell in love with the beachy glamorous 828 sq. ft. condo in Vancouver owned by Leah Balderson, co-owner of Peridot a home decor store with designer Tamara Wouters.

How gorgeous is that artwork hanging on the back wall?  I'm not normally a fan of light wood floors, but these bleached hardwood floors are the perfect backdrop for the oyster palette chosen by Leah along with the complimentary fireplace surround, vintage chair and accessories.

White faux fur, ornate bed and mirror, gold Moroccan light fixture, and pillows made of sari fabric give the room a luxurious and glamorous feeling.  It seems like your moving through a dream with all the soft whites, creams, glass and sprinkles of sparkle.  I'm  thinking that no man was asked for permission to have such an ornate bed or "disco ball" glitter bust on the night stand.  I love it!! 

By the way, many of the items came from her store if you're ever home shopping in Vancouver.