SOFA... Seminar by David Behr

Many people in the Design business spent the morning up at SOFA www.visitsofa.com, attending a seminar by David Behr on the "Characteristics of Top Producers in Any Market - "The YES Attitude".  I was inspired.  What an interesting speaker and a lot of great ideas and many different ways of doing business.  He offered many ways to say what we normally say, but with a different slant, much more positive.  It really was a worthwhile event.  We all want to improve our business and be more motivated.  What David did was give us some tools on how to make some changes that would be pertinent to our individual selves and businesses.  I came away thinking I would really start to put into practice what he spoke of.  Once again, many thanks to the staff at SOFA for another great seminar.

Inspiration in the name of Fabric.....

I am like a kid in a candy store when I enter a Fabric showroom.  Since I was a young girl I have always loved fabrics.  Back then for doll clothes, moving on to clothes 'pour moi',  and that lead me to take Fashion Design in college.  I really loved working with all the lovely fabrics.  I am now an Interior Decorator and once again I am lucky enough to be back in the world of beautiful fabrics.  I get so inspired whenever I am near fabric.  I could spend many days just going through all the wonderful textiles available in our industry today.  A great deal of my design inspiration comes from fabrics. I see something and my mind start to churn and the next thing I know, I have created a scheme with a few different fabrics and I can envision them in a space.   The textile business has come a long way,  as the saying goes and nowadays there are so many improvements with all the new technology that has been developed, we are now thinking of our environment while having fabric that has improved performance.  I found an interesting fabric from Maxwell that offers a 'Nanotex"  Technology which is a permanent spill & stain protection that does not change the structure of how the fabric feels and functions, yet is totally recyclable making it environmentally friendly.  It is so safe it is used on baby wear.  Now that is a great! 

Oh, but I digress..... I wanted to share some of the fab finds out there from many of the great textile manufacturers, so here are just a few great fabrics.  Don't they just make you want to get out and get some and do something with them??

 

 

 

 

Decorators and Designers can put different fabrics together in a pleasing manner and create a pulled together space with personality.  Using a mix of plain, patterned, check or stripe can add interest to your space.  This can also help define a room's style.  A room will have a cohesive look if you keep each fabric in the same palette with a common color,  as well as keep in mind the scale of the patterns used. Varying the scale of patterns adds interest and variety as well as balance.

 

And here is a little look at how they can look when all pulled together.....

FALL TRADE SHOWS & HOME SHOWS FOR DESIGN & DECOR INFO.....

This post is a little late due to the fact that I caught it!! Yup got the bug going around and have been in bed since the weekend.  Going a bit stir crazy so decided to write something about the recent shows I attended.

Last week was a busy one with both The Decorating Centre Annual Trade Show,  www.thedecoratingcentre.ca and then IIDEX. I am loaded down with great information, and tons of reading material which I have been going through during my stay in bed.  Unfortunately I deleted all my photos this morning in error.  Guess I am not quite myself yet.  Better stay away from heavy equipment!! and the camera and possibly my computer.  Nah.... got to write.

AS in the past, the Decorating Centre put on a great day for us.  We were able to browse the suppliers new products and they are really great.  We heard some interesting speakers from Norwalk Furniture, www.norwalkfurniture.com giving us the Color Trends for fall, winter, spring and summer as well as Interior Designer, Kimberley Seldon www.kimberleyseldon.com and  Marysia Czarski of Velocity Partnership, www.velocity-partnership.com.  In addition to all of that we had a lovely lunch compliments of the Decorating Centre and many prizes were won.  Yeah!!  Sorry no photos this time.
IIDEX 2012 was this past week and there were many great new products to view.  I am hoping to borrow some photos from a colleague so I can show you some of these wonderful offerings.
Coming up will be the International Home Show and Interior Decorating Show, www.interiordecoratingshow.com, both at the International Centre on November 1 - 4, so mark your calendars.  With the line up of celebrity speakers it promises to be a great day.

Stripes.....

You either love them or or you don't.  They can be a little intimidating to some people as well but most people like them..... I love stripes and how they are always on trend, no matter what the style of the space or what the space is.  They can look elegant, fun, and everything in between depending on how they are used.  Stripes can visually expand a space - either add height or width and are easily mixed with other patterns and art. Stripes visually carry the eye where you want it to go.They become somewhat architectural in that way.  They can reshape a space.  
 
Stripes can offer drama or can be subtle.  We find striping in many forms, paint, wallpaper, fabric, tile and so on and on.....
 
A few ideas and a few pictures to think about.  Scale, Direction, Colour and Balance play important roles in 'getting it right'.
 
Think horizontal stripes on walls - they extend and carry the space, especially in a small corridor or room.  They give off a  modern/contemporary look, and a little fun.  Not only do they extend and widen the space they can be fun and playful if used in different colours.
Great in kids rooms.  If you are looking for a more sophisticated yet fun look, do a tone on tone or monochromatic stripe.  Unlike vertical stripes, they will lower a ceiling which is great in a space with high ceilings.

Vertical Stripes on walls or drapery create the illusion of more height and seem to raise the ceiling, especially great if you have low ceilings as in a basement.  Vertical stripes are the most commonly used and can give a contemporary look as well as a simple traditional look.

The scale of stripes is important as well.  It really comes down to the look you want.  Large, wide stripes are more contemporary, with thin stripes being more traditional. If you want to make a bold statement then use wide large stripes.  You should keep in mind where you are using the stripes - walls, furniture, ceilings, accessories as it makes a great difference in how the room plays out.  Putting over large stripes in a small room will overpower it just as very tiny thin stripes in a large room will look washed out and not even seen from a distance.

Think colour.... If  you want a playful look for a child's room then a variety of colours and different widths would be fine.  For a more classic look using low contrast colours in a mid width creates a timeless feeling.  Tone on tone is a great way to achieve the look of stripes without  too much tension, yet can be very elegant.  Using a cream or white with another darker colour will definitely give drama.  I love Black & White stripes or Navy and White.
You will find it easier to live with bright, or high contrast colours in your stripes when used in small doses such as a powder room where  you want a 'wow' factor but will not be spending a lot of time there.

Balance is important in creating a pleasing look for your room.  If  you are using stripes on the walls, then they should not be used on the furniture.  Keep it either plain or a different pattern with the same tones.  Using different stripes, plaids, floral or geometric along with plain will work as long as you stay within the same palette and keep the scale in mind.

Direction plays a part in how your stripes will work in your space.  For instance, using vertical stripes on drapery is more subtle to the eye than putting them horizontally.  That is not to say it will not work but you really have to be going for a particular look to do that.
In the photos below you will see many of the different ways that stripes work wonderfully.  Enjoy!!