Choosing great end tables

It requires a lot of patience to find the perfect end tables for a room. These tables are  part of your overall room design and you should follow some general guidelines to make sure they don't distract from your focal point or create too much conflict with everything else that is going on in the room. It's a delicate balance between your personal preferences and basic standards of design.  Do end tables have to match the coffee table?NO!  Having three tables in a space all matching sounds like a recipe for boredom in my opinion.  I know it's easy when you buy a set and ...

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Where do I put my bed?

 Some  bedrooms are so small that you have no option other than placing the bed in front of a window. Even in large rooms sometimes putting the bed in front of the window is just the right placement for it.  So much for "design rules".  It's all in how you do it!   In some rooms that are narrow you can dress the window across the wall ending up with wall to wall drapes providing a soft backdrop for the bed.  When the headboard is upholstered you have the option to layer various fabrics for a totally soft look.  This solution can also rectify a window that...

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Thursday tip # 9 - small rooms

Hugh Jefferson Randolph ArchitectsThere are many options when one has to decorate a small room.  These ideas are built on the principle of keeping all aspects of the decor as minimal and connected as possible. Since this is the look I prefer in any room, small rooms are never a challenge and I even prefer them.  choose a monochromatic colour scheme (as above), or a neutral one with pops of colour keep accessories in one colour range (in this room it's brass)use multipurpose furniture ( stacking tables)consider adding a shelf for storage/display to move things  off the flooruse...

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5 ways to use a screen

I'm surprised I don't see more screens used in decorating because they are very versatile and there are so many styles to choose. Have you thought about using a screen in a recent home decorating re do?People have been using them for centuries in their homes beginning in 4th century BC in China. Through the centuries Chinese folding screens were ornately decorated with traditional symbols of health, prosperity, and joy and some were  painted with up to 30 layers of lacquer making them appear illuminated from within. In contrast, when screens migrated to Japan they took on a much...

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Inspiration snaps

When I travel my camera is always with me because I don't want to miss any inspirational moments for art or design.  I thought my readers might enjoy seeing some of the "snaps" that I found interesting. This was the table decoration in the lobby of a boutique hotel in London.  Carnations last forever and made an interesting colour shape statement when pulled apart and floated on water in a very large stainless steel bowl.  We were there 3 days and the arrangement still looked fresh when we left.  I spied this chair poking out of an opened patio door in a restaurant in a small...

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Thursday Tip # 8 - make it white

Coastal LivingThere is something so soothing about a monochromatic colour scheme.  I have friends who would say boring not soothing. but to each his own.  It might seem easy to have a room is varying tones of one hue but not so.  It's even more difficult to design a white room to look interesting.  The trick is to emphasize shape and texture through repetition above all else. Don't forget that there are hundreds of whites with varying undertones and temperatures. Why does this room work? white shows up all the textures and lines in the room;the small mirrors arranged in...

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Subtle adjustments

Small changes can create large impact in design; sometimes the changes are not so large, but there's an improvement.  Either way move around your home with a critical eye for small tweaks you can make... add a pillow here, reposition artwork, remove a pile of books... When I am at my summer home, I often have too much time on my hands so things get moved around quite a bit.  Here's an example of a small tweaks adding a little impact and interest.  Remember this is a summer home , so everything in it is recycled from somewhere else.  Isn't a summer home all about looking...

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What's your kitchen style?

I like my kitchens clean lined, and light  with lots of storage.  Medium to dark wood tones  make me fell heavy and closed in.  It's a personal preference and that usually  gets left behind when you are designing for a client.   In my locale there is a strong trend toward darker kitchens with the richness of wood showing through. Photography: Brian Ricks   Sometimes there are factors that negate the cave feeling I often get from dark wood cabinets. In a recent job this sleek modern kitchen design won me over.The client had very definite ideas about...

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Thursday Tip #7- Editing a bookcase

Control your bookcaseIf you're like me this is easier said than done.  I don't like a bookcase to look too edited, but grouping objects and books is a must.  I won't go so far as to suggest covering books with the same colour paper  or lining them up by colour as I've seen in some magazines.  What works in his arrangement ?the bookcase has been treated as an accent wall by painting the back a beautiful bluesculptural objects are massed and are  the same colour - white- which shows against the bluethere's a range of objects including books, vases, photos and found objectsthe...

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