Soft Furnishings

Easy Living Urban Country Style

September 3, 2011

There are many ways to get the Urban Country Look. There are also many ways to miss the mark and achieve only a drab, worn mish mash. A person’s home speaks volumes about that person. We love to surround ourselves with treasured objects, textures, colours and memories. Many people’s lifestyle has shifted from maintain formal rooms dedicated to one purpose, to a more casual lifestyle where rooms are more versatile and one purpose flows from one room to another. Living has also shifted outdoors due to advances in more weather resistant materials for use on decks, porches and patios. Many people work from a home office now, so spend much more time in the home than in the past. Read the rest of this entry »

Case Study: Space Planning for a Smaller Home in Burlington, Ontario

August 23, 2011

Small homes can be as beautiful as larger ones. The fact remains, however, that they are small. Today’s lifestyles are quite different from those of bygone years. For one thing, we have a lot more possessions. We have more furniture, clothing, décor items, hobby equipment and what have you. Many people simply don’t want a large home. Perhaps they have downsized from a larger home or they have decided to travel a lot. This does create the need for decorating and organizing compromises. Read the rest of this entry »

Beautiful White Rooms

August 4, 2011

We’ve all see rooms that are painted white but have missed the mark. This is not necessarily an easy style to achieve. Small spaces appear larger and the look is light, clean and airy. More attention is drawn to attention to the unique shapes, textures, and characteristics of all of the items within. Read the rest of this entry »

How to Get Classic Coastal Style

July 7, 2011

Stuck in the city, working hard to get ahead, but dreaming of better things? Even if you can’t get away physically, you may be able to enjoy the fresh and charming décor style know as coastal, or beach, style in your own home. It’s a budget friendly look because it’s a little worn, a little “found object”, and it’s easy care and quite forgiving. It’s one of the few looks that really lends itself to slip covered furniture. It’s also a nice look that do-it-yourselfers with a little spare time can have input into. Here’s the dilemma. Read the rest of this entry »

Colour Trends In The Relaxed Urban Home

July 4, 2011

In today’s busy family lifestyle, we find that a lot of client’s want to make their homes a serene haven to come home to. This is not to mean that they want pale pastel colours in their interior design plans. Read the rest of this entry »

Environmentally Friendly Custom Draperies

July 4, 2011

In home décor projects involving drapery, the normal process is to choose a face fabric and then line it with regular drapery lining. This is certainly adequate for décor, but the beauty of the draperies are actually enhanced by adding interlining between the face fabric and the regular lining. An ordinary drapery fabric is elevated to luxury status this way. Interlined custom draperies hang beautifully, and feel fabulous when touched (see photo below courtesy of Better Homes). English Bump cloth is the heaviest and softest interlining of all. It was used in drafty old European homes to provide indispensable protection from the elements. Our homes here in Canada are generally fairly well insulated, but we still lose a lot of heat through bare windows. Read the rest of this entry »

Classic Grey – The Ultimate Neutral

July 1, 2011

Grey can range from cool to warm and its classic looks pair with a great many cool and warm colours. Trim work can be white, cream or dark brown, even black, and it all looks good. Throw in some hot orange lamps or accessories and the room really pops. Glossy surfaces such as mirrored furniture or touches of bling add class and sophistication. It’s funny though. A surprising number of people resist using grey in their homes, thinking that it will be depressing. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, grey is the ultimate neutral. Certainly, when it is not sparked by accent colours or a bit of gloss, it can be boring, as can any neutral. A room needs accessories and accents to sing, no matter what colour is used as the base. Read the rest of this entry »

Today’s Eclectic Cottage

June 22, 2011

Whether your cottage is actually at a lake or it is an urban small home, décor is often a large part of the enjoyment. Comfort and easy living coupled with lots of personality convey the charm. Cottage style is a very loose term and therein lies the fun of it. In our more formal city homes, often one décor style is dominant and more edited. In cottage living, we are able to give greater rein to our eclectic leanings. Old can be mixed with new, as it can in city home décor, but there is often a more rustic look to the furnishings. Read the rest of this entry »

Casual Chic

June 18, 2011

Often, people who like a casual look in décor, still want the wow factor. The French are famous for having achieved this in their French country look. They put together this look by paying attention to the lines of the furnishings, the proportion of the room to the furnishings, quirky accessories, often a touch of rusticity or faded elegance, flowing fabrics, and interesting textures and variations in colour. Flea market finds lend themselves to this look. Read the rest of this entry »

Is It Practical To Use White in Home Décor?

June 17, 2011

Many of our clients are busy young families with young children. Often, they have seen beautiful white rooms in home décor magazines and enjoy the look. No matter how regularly you vacuum and scrub, the fact remains that furnishings used in homes with small children need to be carefully chosen. Furniture used for everyday family seating is likely not an option in white, even if you like to redecorate often. There are several practical ways that easy going families can have beautiful rooms with the light look that they crave. Read the rest of this entry »