Christmas Decor Ideas

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.... to your favourite Home Decor store and select some of the great items on display this year.  I absolutely loooovvvve this time of year and go crazy with my decorating.  Ok, not so crazy that it looks junky but I really like to pull out all the stops.  My idea of cutting down on decorating is more than most people ever consider so I guess I am a Christmas nut.  My home is also known as the House of Trees.  In summer our back garden is like a forest but at Christmas the inside has many trees spread over different rooms.   One year I did a little group of three trees in our Living Room bay window - sort of a family of trees with just clear mini lights.  My kids friends thought I was a little out there but I loved it.  I have a special tree in the Living Room with special ornaments; a country style in the Family Room, a Kitchen tree with gingerbread and then a casual red decorated tree in the lower level.  I also have a small tree in the Master Bedroom. So I guess I really am a Christmas nut.      Here are a few of my ideas from past years.  My photography isn't the best and I didn't have my talented photographer daughter home to take them for me.  Perhaps she will take some new ones from this year  .....

WELCOME TO OUR HOME

A LITTLE SPARKLE IN THE ENTRANCE AND LIVING AREA

  

CASUAL DECORATING IN FAMILY ROOM

COUNTRY AND FUN DECOR IN KITCHEN

A SNOWY DECK AND GARDEN

 

Home Show at the International Centre

Well I always try to prepare for the fall home shows and trade shows but they just pop up and what wonderful products to be found.  This year the Home Show held at the International Centre in Burlington had an added feature - The Interior Decorating Show.  This was the first year and hopefully more to follow in years to come.  Great speakers, great products.  Our local CDECA Chapter hit the show and enjoyed some individual private showroom tours of a couple of great vendors located at SOFA.  Thanks to Sandra at Buhler for a lovely breakfast and also to Shari at Canadel for the great refreshments and a peek at the new technology available to decorators and designers.

Revenge....

If you haven't had a chance to catch the new TV Show 'REVENGE' you must tune in during re-runs.  This has been stated to be one of the best new shows of the season.  It is somewhat reminescent of nighttime soaps of earlier years like Dynasty, Knots Landing and Dallas .  This show is a look into the fantasy life of the rich and powerful, set in the East Hampton's, but actually shot in North Carolina.  The theme is clear from the title.  We have Emily returning to the place she grew up and where her father was destroyed and we have the many other people involved in that, most especially the Grayson family headed up by Victoria Grayson.  The tables have been turned on those rich and powerful people and Emily, in a calculating manner, is destroying them one by one.  One of the main reasons I love this show is the set design.  Take a look.......

Emily's Beach House which is a very casual space

 Emily's porch

The Grayson Mansion

  Grayson Living Room

 A close knockoff of Victoria's chair found at

Victoria's Washroom 

 Grayson Kitchen

 Grayson Entrance Foyer

Flooring, flooring and wallpaper....

Prosource Floorings in Mississauga, hosted a group of decorators and designers for their first Designer/Decorator Event of the coming season in early fall.  We were introduced to new wood flooring options from Model, some great carpet ideas from Manly and the most beautiful wall coverings from Prime Walls.

If anything can inspire one to start decorating it is new flooring and wall coverings.  Wallpaper has come a long way and it is our job to educate our clients on these changes thus making it much easier to apply and remove,  which was the bugaboo of the 80's.  Wallpaper can not only add colour but it enhances a space with texture and instant sophistication.  So many to choose from......

Of course our hostess Elvira, served up a fabulous lunch and there were draws for some area carpets.
We love food and draws.  Thanks Elvira.

Some of Prime Walls Wall coverings

I went with a black theme, however they have many different colours and textures in both residential and commercial

The Decorating Centre Annual Trade Show

September is here and so is the annual Decorating Centre Trade Show.  As decorators and designers we look forward to this event as it is always a great time to network, learn from the fabulous speakers and of course wonderful prizes donated by the generous suppliers and not the least, wonderful food.

This year we were treated to a presentation by Yannick Simard who we all have seen on Cityline as well as in various magazines.  The second presenter was the famous Larry Laslo - WOW what a talented designer.  His presentation was a slide show of his many incredible projects along with his own special touch of humour.  I could have listened to him all day.  Of course he was gracious enough to post for pictures with us. 

Thank you to our wonderful hosts - Lynn and Doug Munro and their great staff for such a great day.

Lynn and Doug

some of the fab prizes

  

various vendors

A few decorators having a little rest at the end of the day

A photo op with Yannick

 and another with Larry

The International Interior Design Exhibition - IIDEX 2011

The fall brings around many Trade Shows for Designers and Decorators.  Recently at IIDEX, held at Exhibition Place I had the opportunity to view many new products.  One product which I love and it has been around for a few years, is Surface Innovations, a company who supplies natural slate, granite and now bark and capeze shells in as flexdible veneers which can be bent, thus making it great for curved applications.