Spring has sprung.....

I think it is here - Yes not only has spring sprung but we are now entering Summer.....

You can see by the way we walk with a lift in our gait and a smile on our faces.  Yes it is finally here and the birds are tweeting, and the flowers are trying to emerge.  So let's get out there and enjoy!  After the long winter we all want to be outdoors and cherish the time we have to enjoy our short lived warm weather.  Why not make it a pleasing place to be.   The transition from inside to outside should be simple and coordinated.  We often bring the outside in so why not take the inside out.

Having a comfy and functional outdoor space is quite simple and not all that expensive.  There are so many choices for every price point.

Decks......

 The first thing one should do is to take a good look at your outdoor space and decide how you want to use it.  Do you want a cooking/dining area; or perhaps a place to sit and lounge?  When you have made that decision, you then purchase the appropriate furniture and some king of sun protection, be it an umbrella, gazebo awning or whatever. 

Covered spaces.....

Outdoor Kitchens.....

Accessorizing your outdoor space can be so much fun and this is where you can go a little wild and try things you may not be ready to do inside. This is where you add some interest.  You can be starting fresh or simply adding to what you already own.  The accessories are what really finish the space and can be the most inexpensive way of refreshing your décor.

You can go for the bright colours for a fun look; or go with natural colours for a calm look.  There are so many options.

Throw cushions are a great way to add some colour and the fabrics that are intended for outdoor use these days are fabulous.  There are so many patterns to choose from.  It is also a good idea to add a throw for cool evenings.

Dinnerware is another way to add some colour and fun to your space.  The great acrylic pieces are so much nicer than paper, and much more eco-friendly.

Garden décor such as ponds, fountains, statues and sculpture create drama not to mention the relaxing mood while listening to the trickling water.  Outdoor art and mirrors really add some interest and can make the space appear as a continuation of your indoor space.

Fireplaces, pits and outdoor heaters are another way of increasing your use of the short lived summer season.

Of course lighting is a major piece of this plan – lanterns, garden lights, candles all add to the complete picture.

The final and most important part of our outdoor spaces is the plants – whether you are living with a large garden or with a small balcony, you can have many wonderful bushes, flowers and trees all displayed throughout your space.

When planning and creating your outdoor haven, using colours and a style that is similar to your inside décor will give you a cohesive look.  Also important is to keep in mind the style of your home when selecting your furniture and accessories.  Generally extremely ultra-modern would work better with a contemporary style house while more traditional would work with an older style home.

So….. Get out there and have a wonderful summer!

CDECA AGM

Once again we held our Annual General Meeting at the wonderful Vaughan Estates behind Sunnybrook Hospital.
As anybody who reads this blog knows, I am an active member of CDECATM, and this year for our Annual AGM I was entrusted with creating the table centrepieces as well as arrangements flanking our podium.  The great thing was that Crate & Barrel, www.crateandbarrel.ca, an affiliate of CDECA TM,  donated all of the containers and floral pieces to us, which made my job all that much easier.  What fun it was to go through that store and select whatever I liked.  Many thanks to Crate and Barrel.   Below are my arrangements and my photography skills do not do them justice.

Our Keynote Speaker, who was sponsored by our affiliate, was Sue Kenny www.suekenney.ca , who walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, the famous pilgrimage route across Spain was sponsored by our affiliate Hunter Douglas www.hunterdouglas.com.  Her talk was incredibly inspirational and enjoyed by all.   During her walk and talk, stones were a special part so I decided to create centrepieces which carried that theme, thus the stones and moss surrounding the orchids.  Not that orchids are natural in Spain, but you get the idea.  The centrepieces were drawn for as gifts which delighted the people who won them.  Alas, I did not win one but I will be going back to Crate and Barrel very soon in order to pick up the supplies to make myself one!!

Our workshop speaker of the day, was Janice Lindsay of PPG Pittsburgh Paints, www.pittsburghpaints.com another wonderful CDECA TM affiliate,  who spoke of the upcoming color trends which offered inspiration to us all. PPG also had a display and were responsible for the wonderful goodie bags we all received.  Many thanks to PPG for all their support.

We had a great day, with excellent food and many of our wonderful affiliates donated prizes and offered financial support to us in order that we could have this day.  Thank you to everyone!!

Karndean International - sponsored the Kitchen award winners
Watermarks - sponsored the Bathroom award winners
Royal Lighting - sponsored the Interior Decoration Under $25,000
Pittsburgh Paints - sponsored the Interior decoration over $25,000
Speers Broadloom - sponsored the Challenging Budget Award Winners
SOFA - sponsored the Green Project Winner
Sun Glow Window Covering Products of Canada Ltd. - sponsored the Commercial Aware Winners
ICS Canada - sponsored the Student Category
Crown Wallpaper and Fabrics - sponsored our photographer for the day.

I was enjoying myself so much during the day, I forgot to take pictures, however our professional photographer did and when I get some I will certainly post here.

Savvy Decor...

Welcome to Polyvore! by jw@designsavvy.ca on Polyvore.com

Crate and Barrel now in the GTA......

By now everybody who loves home decor knows that we have a local Crate & Barrel store at Square One in Mississauga. I used to go south of the border to shop there and now I can go anytime right here in Canada. As anybody who reads this blog knows, I am an active member of CDECATM and this year for our Annual AGM I was entrusted with creating the table centrepieces as well as arrangements flanking our podium. The great thing was that Crate & Barrel, www.crateandbarrel.ca, an affiliate of CDECA TM, donated all of the containers and floral pieces to us, which made my job all that much easier. What fun it was to go through that store and select whatever I liked. Many thanks to Cathy Miller from Crate & Barrel. Below are some photos I took of their wonderful store while I was shopping as well as my "loot" and the arrangements I made. Unfortunately, my photography skills do not do them justice.

Thanks to Nima and colleague for all the assistance

Just a few of the fabulous choices at C & B

 

Here I am going through all the goodies! 

 My 'Assistant' is checking it out

Where do I begin??!!

 My arrangements which looked much nicer in person

"in the Pink"

"in the Pink" by jw@designsavvy.ca on Polyvore.com

A Day At SOFA

The GTA West Chapter of CDECA are on the road again..... we were up at SOFA http://www.visitsofa.com/, (Source Of Furniture & Accessories) a Trade Only Resource Centre at the International Centre in Mississauga, and an affiliate of CDECA.  We were offered a window space to showcase our association and highlight what we actually do; so we decorated it of course. 

Our mandate was to bring attention to the Canadian Decorators Association and to impress how important it is to hire a qualified Decorator and that by hiring a CDECA Decorator or Designer, you can be assured that you are getting a qualified Decorator or Designer and the and the end result would be successful.

Our theme is  'GLITZ & GLAM' and we were highlighting the Pantonne Colour for 2011 - 'Honeysuckle'

 a mix of red and pink.  Such a fun colour especially after all the neutrals and it really makes one think of Spring being here - Hooray!!

Our window focuses on a small area which could be anywhere in the home and illustrates how to bring it together with the correct balance, proportion and continuity of a theme.  We also used several different textures which gives interest the overall look. Our glitzy space flows well with just the right amount of bling without going overboard.  Selecting the correct accessories is really like 'the icing on a cake' so to speak, when you have finished with the furniture, flooring, window coverings, etc.

The CDECA Banner is displayed and it depicts all the 100's of Decisions people have when looking to decorate their homes.   A decorator can take away the uncertainty and give you expert advise and in turn you you have a cohesive space designed to your specific needs and budget.
We had a great time selecting our accessories and furniture, most of which was donated or loaned to us by our generous affiliates and the showrooms located at SOFA.  I have to say the craziest part of this undertaking, was the five of us trying to attach a very  gorgeous but extremely heavy chandelier to the ceiling beams and getting is level.  We finally lured Sid, a rep from Van Gogh Furniture to help us and he was incredible.  Thanks so much Sid.  We can do most anything in our profession but we really did need another pair of capable hands and you fit the bill.  We laughed about 'how many decorators it took to hang a chandelier' as you will see from the photos below.

Drop in to one of the many seminars and events held at SOFA and the International Centre and look for our fabulous window -we hope you like it!

We had a lot of  laughs and fun doing this window

 Here are 4 of the eventual 6 people it took to get this chandelier up - It was extremely heavy but well worth the effort.  We know it is a wee bit high but when you spend as much time as we did with this baby, you are glad it is up and you just leave it alone.  In person it looks great and our sign is not blocked so much.

This chandelier is nothing short of magnificent with all its crystals hanging.  It was loaned to us by an affiliate of CDECA, Royal Lighting in Toronto.  http://www.royallighting.com/

Below are some of the photos of our completed space.  In the very near future, we will some magnificent floor to ceiling window blinds as our backdrop, from another of our affiliates, Sun Glow Window Coverings, http://www.mysunglow.com/,  and at that time I will take some updated photos

Here is the space we are so proud of - Our gorgeous chair is on loan from Van Gogh Designs http://www.vangoghdesigns.com/,   and the black and gray area carpet is from Beaulieu Canada http://www.beaulieucanada.ca/,   both located at SOFA

Artage International    http://www.artageinternational.com/, also from SOFA, loaned us a classy transitional glass and chrome coffee table

A secondary vignette with another area carpet donated to us by Prosource Flooring, Mississauga  http://www.prosourcefloors.com/.   We wanted to show how the two different selections could work together or separately.

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO DONATED AND LOANED US THE PIECES IN THIS WINDOW

Fabric, Drapery, Great Decor Items, Custom Upholstery, etc, etc.....

Yes!  In Vu has it all.  This past week the  GTA West Chapter of CDECA spent an informative evening  with the owner and staff of In Vu  http://www.invudraperyco.com/  checking out the latest in fabric colours and trends and how by mixing many different patterns and prints in the same colouration you can have exciting and beautiful decor.  The trick is knowing how and what to mix together and they presented some fabulous ideas to us.  In Vu  specializes in window treatment design & construction as well as other custom services such as duvet covers, shams, coverlets, etc etc.  The also do custom upholstery and re-upholstery.  Rounding off their many services, In Vu carries a wide range of designer fabrics and elegant accessories to complete your space.

We also saw some of Cobi Ladner's new line which is really on trend in the bright colours she has added to her collection. Colour is happy and fun.  It has been a long while of neutrals and now we are going gangbusters with colour.  About time don't you think?  We can still have restful rooms but adding just a punch of a bright colour in accessories will change up any room.  I could go on and on about colour, in fact I  will have a post on that very subject in the near future. 
In Vu In the meanwhile, here are some photos of the lovely fabrics and decor items at InVu.

So many beautiful fabrics and colour combinations

 Thanks to everyone at InVu for a lovely evening

DABBLE, daBBLE, DAbble......

It's the newest on-line magazine which focuses on design, architecture and food.   Kimberly Seldon and staff have a great new magazine and from reading the first issue it is sure to be a success!!  Dabble http://www.dabblemag.com/ held their launch party at Elte in Toronto last Thursday, March 24.  This party was the place to be and be seen.  Such an amazing turnout of support.  It seemed that everyone was there - from celebrity decorators, designers, the Cityline and Benjmain Moore celebs and everybody in between.  It was like no other event that I have been to recently, and I go to many events, as you know from reading this blog.  There was great food and beverages - wine, water and vodka and of course some amazing draws.  It was so crowded that you just had to laugh and have fun.  I was enjoying myself  so much that I didn't take many photos.  Oh well, the main thing is that we all had a great time. 

The Dabble photographer were taking photos of anyone what wanted and of course I went for it and may appear on the pages of Dabble sometime in future.

Kimberly Seldon welcoming everyone to the party.

As you can see my photography skills need some refinement and consistency.  Oh well you get the picture (no pun) I am a decorator not a photographer, my daughter takes on that role.....

Tons of people mingling and enjoying themselves

I promise I will practice and get better at taking photos