Glow

Posts Tagged ‘decorate’

Beach Living -

With their house hunt over, Robin and Jason were anxious to hunt again – this time to find a Toronto Interior Designer to decorate their new Beaches-area home. “We knew what colours and style we liked, but we needed help pulling things together,” says Robin.  An internet search led her to Liz Watkinson and Susan Pollock’s company, 5th Business Associates. “we all met and hit it off,” says Robyn, who loved the comfy yet classy feel of their work. The hunt was over, but the adventure was just the beginning. Here’s what Liz and Susan did to give Jason and Robyn a personalized, polished space.

A charming stained glass window was the jumping-off point for the palette. The designers chose the paint colours – blues, greens and golds – directly from the stained glass colors.Painting the original wood panelling might be controversial for some, but even while house hunting, the homeowners knew a coat of white on the wainscotting would brighten up the dark house.  Two tufted chairs were custom made to fit the cosy bay window nook in the living area. Short arms keep sightlines clear, while pale neutral colour upholstery maintains a light look.

New built-ins transformed the small space. To the left of the fireplace, screened doors mask electronic equipment yet allow the signals from the remotes to be transmitted. To the right a big-screen TV is concealed behind identical doors. By converting the wood burning fireplace to gas, the couple can up the comfort factor at the touch of a button.

The dining room embodies the transitional spirit that both the designers and the homeowners were striving for – definitely more traditional than Robyn and Jason’s old place and respectful of the Arts and Crafts pedigree of the architecture but also of today. Robyn and Jason love the tiny, bright sunroom off the kitchen. “We have a bird feeder right outside the the window, so on weekends we have long breakfasts, read the paper and watch birds” says Robyn. Her collection of yellowware bowls made the move from the old house. they fit well with the golden colour scheme and look great behind glass doors on the side of the kitchen. On the sink wall, the upper cabinets were removed. “It really opens up the space.” says Liz.

Liz and Susan’s 5 tricks for living large in a small space.
1) Incorporate storage: built ins reduce the number of separate pieces of furniture you need and multi-purpose items save space.
2) Use monochromatic colour to some degree or at least use soft shades.
3) Carefully select accessories: you need only a few
4) Install good lighting to eliminate dark corners and ensure there’s a wash of light on the walls, use dimmers everywhere.
5)Simplify window treatments, keep them plain and light, like sheers; forgo them altogether were privacy isn’t an issue.

5th Business Associates has been providing interior design services in Toronto since 1997.

Is your family room or den screaming for a bit of colour or a make-over but your budget is tight or lacking? Sometimes a little  green can be an uplifting alternative. Along with colourful flowers and  showy looking greenery, silk plants can provide a lovely new visual treat at a very low cost compared to other choices such as renovation, painting or the addition of new furniture pieces.  Placement next to a window to capture daylight or by using spot lighting to provide a riot of colours and dramatic looks will call for rave reviews. Trailing vines and exotic trees together with ground covering silk plants can bring an awesome tropical attraction.

As any gardener knows real plants can be a pain and a constant source of labor. They require constant watering, are in many cases sensitive to adverse changes in temperature. Real plants only bloom for limited amounts of time then just when you think you have those challenges under control along come the pests. Many of them just as at home in your indoor plants as they would be outside. Have I talked about fertilizer and frequent re-potting as their root systems expand. Well you must have to be committed to plants to continue with all that labor. And if it’s your office you’re changing is that really your purpose in being there? Don’t listen to a friend who tells you that real plants will not be that expensive? A good size “real” tree will often cost in the thousands of dollars. Thousands of dollars that you’ll be out of pocket if transporting it or if other factors kill it. This is one of many reasons so many offices and residential homes have moved to redecorate with silk plants.

Whether you’re thinking you would like to redecorate your home or office it is worth it to shop for silk plants. With little maintenance other than the occasional dusting and an amazing variety of bewilderingly beautiful colours, shapes, sizes and designs it is easy to magnify the beauty of any room. Whether it is for your residential room or a high end office environment silk plants can produce a striking vista capable of impressing the most over-indulged of tastes.