Design Event At Toute Suite in Mississauga

Yesterday was not such a great day with all the rain we experienced but last evening turned into a great night.  The rain ceased and the fun began with a Spring Open House Event at Toute Suite Custom Decor.  Many of the public and Designers/Decorators were seen enjoying the  incredible hors d'oeuvres from Rocos Plum Tomato Catering & Restaurants which can be found on Islington Ave and The Queensway;  while viewing the great Canadian Made furnishings as well.  Toute Suite has everything including beautiful ready made drapery from Faab.   To top that off Jane Lockhart, well known and extremely talented designer was on hand to present some spring design tips and her new line Jane by Jane Lockhart which will be available at Toute Suite.  

Some of the Design Tips shared were that we will be seeing a lot of colour and pattern.  She talked about graphics, geometric, and the all time favourite stripes.  You will also see a lot of furniture with the nail head treatment, contrast piping, tufting and once again yellow metal is showing up as in brass and copper.  As for colour there is an abundance with Pantonne's Colour of the Year being Emerald Green leading the way. We also see mirrored case goods which really help to expand a space.

One can start small with the accessories to add colour to our neutral larger pieces.  White will always be popular and when you add colour and pattern it really gives it some impact.  Below I share some of the photos from last night and you will see I selected mostly grey and light neutral pieces, which I am personally fond of, but there is a myriad of colourful and patterned fabrics available to have smaller custom pieces created to work with your neutrals. If you are ready to go full out any of the pieces below and in the showroom can definitely be fabricated in a bright and colourful pattern!

As we had a chance to network, check out the newest in home decor and of course eat very well, we were also treated to live music from Angelica Ganea who has the voice of an angel.  Check her out on you tube as well.  www.youtube.com/AngelicaGanea

Wow, I would say that Toute Suite really knows how to host a party!!  Thanks to Vish and staff

  

 

I just had to add this one of a kind piece - Wow!

Designing & Decorating with Grids, Graphics & Geometric Patterns

One of the Elements of Design is Pattern.  After the years of plain, understated and simplistic design looks, we are seeing an abundance of Colour and Pattern.  Adding pattern to our spaces offers a feeling of joy and can be done in bold and bright or subdued and elegant ways.  Pattern is an easy way to make a dramatic or fun statement and add style, sophistication and interest to our interior spaces.  

This spring we are definitely seeing both colour and pattern on the runways and as we know, this in turn leads to home decor.  Patterns, and especially graphic patterns are making a steady comeback in design, from chevrons to stripes which will always be popular and versatile.  Add graphic and geometric to the mix and you will definitely find something that will work in your space.  They can work in modern, traditional and basically any style you like as long as they are done correctly.  We have seen chevron for a couple of years now and it is so popular it will most likely stay around for some time to come.  It has actually always been around in one way or the other for centuries.

If you are not sure about such pattern, why not start small with accessories.  Toss cushions, throws, small decor pieces and small poufs could be a great starting point.  IF you are ready to really add impact, go for wallpaper which is getting stronger each year.  Or, maybe an area rug, drapery or something that will really make a bold statement.  Do not mix too many colours when going for large area coverage, stick to two colours.  It is very important to select the pattern which will work best with your design style, be it traditional or modern.

In looking for some photos to show the different types of patterns mentioned above I checked several great sites and this is some of what I found.

From Fresh home

From Clippings

From Dwell Studio

From Elle Decor

From Decoist we even see this in our outdoor settings

Canadian Decorators Association AGM

As we do every spring, the Canadian Decorators Association held it's annual AGM at Sunnybrook Estates.
Following the AGM, we enjoyed a lovely lunch, networking and then our speaker of the day - Robin Siegerman who spoke on "Renovation Bootcamp" and offered some good ideas for designers and decorators working on large projects.  The day closed with our annual Decorating Contest Awards.
Congratulations to all our talented winners!

It's a Steal..... GTA West Chapter Event

The March GTA West Chapter meeting was hosted by It’s A Steal located at 2530 Speers Road in Oakville.  Kathleen Steele, one of the business partners, provided us with an overview of the business

It's a Steal Furniture Consignment and Decor Finds specializes in high style on a budget. They opened their doors in 2011.  We offer a bright, cheerful, and fun environment with 2800 square feet of previously loved, in great shape, and sparkling clean furniture and home decor items for the discerning consignment buyer. 

It is intended to be a source for the decorating community for lifestyle transitions, staging and replacement pieces.  Items that sell include nightstands, upholstered pieces, buffets (but no hutches) and bedroom furniture.  What doesn’t sell is dining room sets, hutches and headboards.  The agreed-on price is valid for 60 days and is reduced at intervals to 30% and 10%. The listed price cannot be negotiated.  Sales are split 50%-50%.  If an item does not sell, it can be picked up by the owner or sold for charity.  Kathleen noted that charities generally prefer money to goods.  More information and a copy of the agreement can be found on www.itsastealfurniture.com.

Furniture and decor finds are displayed in stylish vignettes created by design partner, Kathleen Steele. We help customers see the look and get the look they want for their home.  

Want to sell something? Great!  Send us a picture of your couch, loveseat, chair, dresser, night stand, dining room suite, kitchenette, settee, lamp, rug, artwork, cushions... the list goes on and on. Our fabulous Design Partner, Kathleen Steele will take a peek at your treasures and be in touch with you. If technology isn't your best buddy, just give us a call and we'll figure something out together. 

It's a Steal Furniture Consignment and Decor Finds is the real deal when buying and selling the consignment way.

Dundas Valley School of Art Annual Auction

For anybody into original art including painting, watercolours, drawing, photography, jewellery sculpture, and pottery this will be one show not to miss.  The Dundas Valley School of Art is hosting it's 43rd Annual Auction and it is a great place to obtain those one-of-a-kind items at great price points.  I have been and seen these works in the past and they are not to be missed!  Check it out yourself.  Details Below.

Dundas Valley School of Art

presents it's 43rd Annual Art Auction, 

Saturday April 13, 2013 at 7 pm.  

Over 1200 original works of art from established and new artists and estate items.

Oils, Pastels, Watercolours, Sculpture, Pottery, Jewellery.

FREE PREVIEWS:

Thursday, April 11 & Friday April 12 - 9 am - 9 pm and

Saturday April 13 from 9 am - 4 pm

Silent Auction bids accepted during these hours.

Admission is $25 in advance and $30 at the door

21 Ogilvie Street, Dundas, Ontario

905·628·6357

National Home Show, Part 2

Well I went, I saw and now I am writing.....  I also took many photos and then made a HUGE  mistake and deleted them somehow.  Hate taking photos with my phone but when I arrived with my trusty camera in hand it turned out that the battery was dead?  Yikes.

So unfortunately all the wonderful booths I visited and photos I took are gone.  I have a few from the Canada Blooms exhibits

 How about this 'Bed of Flowers'

 Not a bad size koy

A beautiful Kitchen Reno

CLASSIC ELEGANCE in the Kingsway

Below is a recent Kitchen reno of mine as well as a short impomptu video

link to my Design Savvy website for more photos

Check out my video which was done without any prep so not quite as polished as I would like but good nonetheless!