Glam Living Room

via Traditional Home, Gerri Wiley Design Group 

Whenever a client asks me what to do with their "designated" living rooms 

I always ask them "what would you like it to be?"

It's often a decent size space at the front of the house with good natural light

It could be an office

it could be a den

it could be a tea room

it could be a lounge

The last one is my favourite and often the direction the client takes

A space to serve drinks & apps before a dinner party

or for those that don't entertain formally

it can become a lounge for hanging out with a bevy and some friends
before going out or relaxing at the end of a busy day with a stiff drink!

My clients just bought a newly built custom home
and we are furnishing their front room as a lounge for drinks or tea

We start with this chic boxy tufted loveseat with chrome nailhead trim
in a luxe cream coloured velvet

Then we will add in a couple of stream-lined, sloped arm chairs

in a textured cream chenille fabric

I like to mix up the shape of the seating to create interest, 

the clean lines of the chairs is a nice contrast to the "busyness" of the tufted sofa

A patterned rug in muted blue and cream tones

these two are being debated

A glass coffee table with lucite & chrome legs feels light

in the room but still sculptural

anything that goes on this table looks amazing

For our bar cabinet

a mirrored piece with patterned doors to store bottles and barware

while lovely glassware is displayed on top

A large mirror on top and maybe some sconces

Cap off the space with a contemporary crystal pendant

this one is definitely a statement piece

One wall behind the bar cabinet will have wallpaper

we are considering something like this with a soft grey background

and a metallic pattern

We are looking at various artwork options

we may keep ethereal with muted blues, creams & grays

or bump it up a notch with some deeper indigo and cobalt pops

Drapery fabric is going to be a luxurious silver damask I'm still sourcing

The overall plan looks luxurious and inviting

Drinks anyone?

New for Spring Decorating

I was sourcing some wallpaper for a client and came across so many great ideas that it spawned the need for a post about what's new for Spring decor.

If you have an aversion to wallpaper because it conjures up images of your grandmother's tiny floral print wallpaper all over the house - get over it!

The new wallpaper's that are out there are printed on paper that is easier to install and some are removable (for renters and non-committers).  

The advancement of digital imaging has infiltrated all aspects of design including walls.

These wallpapers imitate the look of metallic cork (left), the Canadian Shield rock formations (top) and the look of textured grasscloth on a vinyl  (aka commercial grade durability).

I'm also excited to see what's on the horizon for outdoor furniture.

I came across these at one of my supplier's and I just love the unique shapes.  

This chair comes in several bright hues and a coordinating footstool to dress up any backyard.

If bold colour isn't your thing, 

check out these great options in outdoor furniture.

Can you believe the amazing designs for outdoor rugs!

Another thing I'm excited about seeing more of is COPPER.

It goes really well in the Industrial - Rustic - Reclaimed look that's very appealing to so many people.

I love the mix of burnished copper with polished and sections of brass on the table top (right).

Goes well with leather, cowhide, forged iron and all kinds of interesting wood pieces I'm seeing out there.

This is just some of my findings.

I will have to do a few of these posts to capture all the new Spring decor I'm loving right now.

You'll have to contact me to get the deets on these goods for your space.

More Masculine Chic - For the Office

I have to admit that as much as I love doing glamorous spaces for the ladies, a cool and chic masculine space  is not only a welcome challenge, but a blast for the senses.  

The trick, as with all well designed spaces, is to balance the textures, styles and shapes in the space so that although it's being designed for a man, anyone can feel welcome being there.  

My new clients are sophisticated, well traveled executives who appreciate good design, great quality and the quiet luxuries they've come to enjoy.  For the man of the house, his frequently used work space does double duty as the guest room - so the trick is making it functional for use on a regular basis, yet inviting enough to share with overnight guests while not making them feel like they are invading your work place.

This room was the inspiration for the "office" side of the space

Contemporary, sophisticated, dark walls, large area rug, 

shelving for display with closed storage for the not so attractive essentials.

We also have a cathedral ceiling that will get a paint treatment, not so bold as this gold metallic paint!

We were working with a much loved, recently purchased desk in a reclaimed wood top (shown below)  with rusted iron base.  This desk is a  key feature in the room - not to dictate a "rustic" scheme, but to be a nice contrast to the more sophisticated ambiance of the rest of the space.

We also had this clean-lined Mitchell Gold - Bob Williams sleeper sofa 

in a lovely, neutral linen fabric to work with

Here's the floor plan so you can get an appreciation for the space.  

The room is 16' wide by 13' deep with windows along the entire north wall.

The left side of the room is the sleeping space and to the right, the office space 

with access to the closet and ensuite bathroom down the hall.

Placing the desk against the wall allows for good flow even if the sofa bed is opened.

Book cases flank either side of the desk.

The red "X" in the middle is the existing stainless steel ceiling fan light fixture.

This large framed world map was a special piece the couple picked up in Italy and contributes nicely to the well traveled aesthetic - we just need to lighten the frame to work with our colour palette.

So I picked up on the blue as an accent colour - using navy for the pillows and a pale, grey blue for the ceiling.  Benjamin Moore Mount Rainier Gray to contrast with Kendall Charcoal for the walls.

I added a beautiful silvery grass-cloth wallpaper from Joanne Fabrics behind the sofa to ground the space and make it more cozy for guests.  It would be a good balance for the tall, grey bookcases that will flank the desk on the other side of the room.  

Elegant wood sconces with nickle tips and linen shades add softness the space while freeing up the side tables for guests to place their personal items on.

Client's wood floor is a cherry colour, so we downplay it by placing a neutral light/silver grey wool rug with a diamond Moroccan pattern - so beautiful and luxe!

Based on the preferred layout for the room, I designed a custom built unit to maximize on storage space, while allowing the desk to remain in the same spot when the sleeper sofa was open for guests.

The client actually has some vintage luggage and globes that we'll use to accessorize later.

The wall mounted, swing-arm sconce will keep the space below open for leather filing trays.

Although we looked at some beautiful leather executive chairs, the client decided he wanted 

a Herman Miller Aeron chair for maximum comfort!  We're going with this Smoke colour.

We've also selected horizontal window shades to add some light control when needed.

The existing custom drapery is a bit "delicate" for the look that's coming together, so once some of the bigger pieces are in, we may decide to have some new panels made in this fabric.  

This fabric would be gorgeous against the grasscloth wallpaper and the dark walls while keeping the softer organic feeling of the existing drape fabric, but having a bit more weight and a masculine slant.

Can't wait to see it all pulled together!

Swirls and Curls and Graphics, Oh My!

One sure way to add drama to any room is to add a bold statement wallpaper.  Used on a feature wall it can elevate any space from drab to fab instantly and even cover up imperfect walls.  If you cringe at the thought of using it because the walls at your grandma's house were covered in tiny faded floral prints or pink kitchen utensils, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how far they've come.  Here are some of the papers I'm pondering for my powder room makeover that I wrote about here.

Very soft and elegant, I could definitely build a scheme around this paper 

in black and white... maybe wrought iron sconces.

This is the print Candice Olson designed for York Wallcoverings Designer Series. 

If you watch Divine Design, you can see it on her office wall.

I love bold graphics when I'm doing a feature wall. 

But, this one would be way too much for me to use on all four walls.

You know somebody is gonna read in there, right? 

The muted colour and aged look is very charming. 

Miles Redd decorated this New York powder room covering all the walls

for a library setting.  What do you think?

Art-deco inspired ladies with wide brimmed hats

I'm just a sucker for anything with butterflies,

or as Colin & Justin like to call them, flutter-bys (so true!)

Graphic but understated and very elegant.  Bonus is that you can add virtually any

colour as an accent.  This sunny hue is perfect, and so is the vintage screen.

Very low-key but still graphic and modern.

This one packs a punch, love it!

This homage to Paris would leave me wishing for more than the few days I spent there a couple of years ago.  It also has an aged quality to it with the faded background. 

So next time you're struggling with paint colours, go have a look at the wallpaper books.

You just might find your inspiration for a whole room, right there. 

Au revoir mes amis!

via Osborne & Little, York Wallcoverings, and Designer Wallcoverings (trade only)