Simple Christmas decorating

  Margaret RyallWe all have our Christmas rituals and mine usually start December 1st..  I  always make something for my entrance first.   I am not one to overdo things.  I re-use what I have or forage in  my garden or the gardens of friends. Then I added some LED lighted twigs and silver balls and a hit of mesh ribbon.   The purple connects with my front door. The blown leaves remind me that we are between seasons. Margaret Ryall Each year I allow myself one  or two new purchases and send at least one small bag of assorted objects to a local...

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8 Ways to fill empty corners

The four corners of a room are often a no man's land when it comes to design.  I am not saying that you have to fill up every corner with something, but I am advocating thinking about your space to determine if  it might need to look more "fulfilled". Here are some of my favourite solutions:Art Using Art to fill an empty corner Margaret Ryall Usually you can't walk right up art you place in a corner,  so choose something that can be read from a distance. This lovely matted and framed wood sculpture is stunning for corner purposes.  It brightens up the space, fills...

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Accessories: Making it all work

 Decorators get all kinds of requests for services from furniture layout to full home designs. I like the variety of smaller jobs with  the ones that go on forever.  Two of my favourite tasks are rehanging art to best advantage and providing the last layer of accessories in a home. Sometimes I get to do both in the same house! Over the next several posts I want to provide a glimpse into the thought processes I use when accessorizing a client's space.   Think about it as adding the icing to an already great cake. If you do it for your own home or as a professional service,...

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Are you feeling blue?

Hopefully you are into blue!  Blue seems to be a dominant colour in Pantone's colour forceasting for  both spring 2013 and upcoming 2014. Here's how it's playing out.... Monaco Blue (Spring 2013) Dazzling Blue (Spring 2014)Two blues, but with great differences.  I can't say blue is a big favourite of mine, but I am really into Monaco blue because it is a warmer blue that is approaching navy. I don't think it is a blue that you would  catagorize as trendy. Perhaps timeless would be a better descriptor.   Dazzling Blue seems to be a colour that will not be ...

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The making of an interior decorator

  What's your interior design aesthetic?             ""What's that you ask?  Design aesthetic? Should I have one ?  Perhaps I do! " This is not a question I could have answered in my teenage years, but it was those early years that laid the foundation for what I would come to understand and appreciate about design in my adult life.  I believe our  interior design aesthetic (aspects of interior environments we are attracted to) is developed from what we've been exposed to  through our life experiences: ...

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Design Solutions: A bed between two windows

Work is keeping me quite busy over the last several weeks and blogging always drops off when this happens.  I'm beginning a series of posts called Design Solutions that will  address common design issues that often crop up when I work with clients.This is a great way for me to come to  terms with options and at the same time it provides a written commentary that I can send clients to in the future.  If I can help my readers in any way, it's a bonus. Being a lover of asymmetrical balance, I can't explain why I am so attracted to the placement of a bed between two windows. ...

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