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Decorating Advice

How to Correctly Mix Furniture Arm Styles

01/13/2013
16 Comments

The second apartment that I decorated from top to bottom with a mix of garage sale/flea market finds and furniture that I took with me after my divorce when I was 29 was in downtown Vancouver. OMG is that a run-on sentence or what! Anyway, my ex-husband and I had decorated in the 80’s forest…

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4 Colour Guidelines for Choosing an Area Rug

09/22/2012
17 Comments

I’m here in Calgary and loving it! I got through my first stage presentation yesterday and all went well. I was worried I would forget what I was going to say with all those people looking at me but thankfully, that did not happen! source One of the questions I was asked at the end…

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Do’s and Don’ts on Decorating an Empty Room

09/05/2012
18 Comments

As a new decorator and colour consultant many years ago, when I was asked to choose colours for an empty room or to decorate one, I would get a little freaked out. source I would look around desperately for inspiration and if I was standing in a room with wood flooring, I would latch on…

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Why Homeowners Mix Styles that Don’t Work

06/22/2012
18 Comments

Now that I’m a homeowner I get it (because I notice I want to do it too). I have been in so many homes where there are conflicting styles all over the place. Interior and exterior. Tudor style trim slapped onto a 70’s box house. Horizontal stacked stone that should never have seen the inside of…

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10 Best Designer Secrets from the Experts

04/20/2012
62 Comments

My House Beautiful magazine just arrived and this month they are featuring 101 Tips from from the Experts. I love read little ‘best tips’ from designers because I always learn something. These are my favourite 10 Best Designer Secrets from the Experts: 1. Once you’ve used a fabric in a room, never use it anywhere…

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A Perfect Example of how Complex Colour Works

03/02/2012
7 Comments

Annie sent me this photo and with a question, ‘Are my sofa’s pink beige?’. She said in her current house (2nd photo) they looked yellow and in her last house (photo below) they looked pink. And she was absolutely right. The reason why complex neutrals are so complicated is because they change depending on which colours are beside them.

The wall colour below is BM HC-105 Rockport Gray (the whole room is the same colour but the light coming in from the left makes it look lighter in the photo) which has a green undertone. This pulls out the pink in her sofas.

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Round or Rectangle Dining Table: Yay or Nay?

02/18/2012
33 Comments

I have had a round dining table forever! I was so happy when we moved into a space big enough to accommodate a rectangle! Round tables are so boring when it comes to decorating. All you can do is plunk something in the middle and it’s over. This image below is the most creative one I could find.

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Vancouver Interior Designer: Four Ways to Decorate for Your Next House

01/20/2012
6 Comments

Recently a client asked if the chaise lounge chairs we were considering for her den could be designed so that they matched her living room furniture in the event she were to move. Another couple is redecorating their living room but they want to make sure that the furniture they select now will potentially fit into a condo when they downsize.

What about if you rent? That’s when a lot of people are even more inclined to wait until own before they purchase ‘custom’ furniture specifically for the rental they live in.

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Upholstery = Luxury

06/17/2011
28 Comments

Ever noticed when you look at designer spaces, it’s the abundance of upholstered items in a room that adds up to a luxurious feeling in many cases. I think extreme modern and contemporary decor is the only exception to this. Anything upholstered is always in style! Via full house  Master bedrooms are the most neglected…

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10 Ways to get a Fresh Look with a Black Sofa

04/20/2011
14 Comments

There are just as many black leather sofas in family rooms as brown ones these days all over the country so if you are looking for an update or need black or a dark colour because you have kids, here are my recommendations: 1. How about this one in fabric? This is IKEA’s Stockholm sofa….

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Mirrors = Magic + Dazzle

03/28/2011
30 Comments

‘Floor mirrors are like portals into a magical, faraway land where you are excessively rich and live a luxuriant lifestyle. Use and abuse them.’ Jonathan Adler ‘You can never go overboard (or wrong) with reflective surfaces. They add twinkly glamour, light and the illusion of space.’  Jonathan Adler. (above quote too) I just installed a fabulous…

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A Case for Decoration

03/17/2011
35 Comments

Lately I’ve noticed a trend with the questions my clients ask during consultations and I have developed my own personal little theory behind it.   Windsor Smith They’ll ask me questions like, “Should I install crown molding in here?” “Should I replace this countertop and introduce stone?”, “What about a tray ceiling?” Endless and many…

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All About Curtains

03/13/2011
42 Comments

For years I have saved clippings of my favourite looks in curtains or drapes and have carried them around in a binder in my car so that it’s easy to show clients what I’m designing when it comes time to discuss curtains.  I love drapery, they instantly add softness and vertical height to a room,…

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Top Ten Throw Pillows

08/23/2010
37 Comments

Lately I’ve been obsessed with toss cushions because I’m selecting fabrics for the pillows that will be on my new sofa and in the bedrooms. I never design a room for a client without them. Here are my favourites: Samantha Pynn 1. Love this big floral for the drama and the way it pulls together…

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How to Measure for a Curtain Rod

08/20/2010
curtain rods
39 Comments

The most common mistake that people make when measuring for off-the-shelf drapery is the rod itself. I see this mistake so often that I decided to write a post so that at least all my readers will be in the know. And, if you want to know which colour you should choose for your curtain…

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