Toronto Designers Blog

octopus motif for your home

[POSTED BY: Toronto Designers | 18 May 2012 | No Comment | 73 views]

So apparently this octopus motif is all the rage right now so if you want to be trendy, guess you’ll have to put something with this motif in your home this year. Maybe just a coaster for me. What about you?

decorating with stripes

[POSTED BY: Toronto Designers | 15 May 2012 | No Comment | 133 views]

If you love stripes in your space then go bold and big with it this year! It doesn’t have to be all over everything, but can still be bold because of its colour, size or colour combination.

Since this year is all about colour, go for this look in colourful stripes. Have a look at how much of a wow factor this simple design can have.

simplified flowers

[POSTED BY: Toronto Designers | 13 May 2012 | No Comment | 125 views]

For Mother’s Day keep it simple. This is my favourite kind of flower arranging – so honest and easy. Love it!

create a cottage feel with colour

[POSTED BY: Toronto Designers | 10 May 2012 | No Comment | 153 views]

Even if you don’t have a cottage, you can fake the look in the city with some great colour options. Here are a few to try. Fantastic for a summer look!

easy ways with wallpaper

[POSTED BY: Toronto Designers | 7 May 2012 | No Comment | 142 views]

Wallpaper is hot right now and it is not the wallpaper of yesteryear that was so difficult to put up… and then take down! The design world is smarter now and the new wallpapers are so easy, not to mention more eco-friendly too. If you have thought about wallpaper but don’t know where to start, here are a few ideas that should help.

Start small – choose one wall in your bedroom or dining room for a hit of pizzazz and colour. It’s not committing to too much and is an easy way to experiment.

Wallpaper the powder room – if you are lucky enough to have a powder room, this could be your little jewel box. Make your guests (and yourself) feel awesome every time you enter. Go all out and have fun – it’s not like you spend so much time in here that you’ll tire of it.

Do a ceiling – why not? This is a great ‘fifth’ wall that might like a little attention.

Do wallpaper panels – this requires a bit of carpentry for the finishing mouldings, but it is less of a commitment than all over wallpaper, yet still gives the vibe of it throughout the space.

And as a last resort, if you just don’t want to put it on the walls but love a specific print, frame it like artwork – super easy and quite inexpensive compared to original artwork!

Here is an easy way to look through some papers to see if there is something out there for you. I like the option of choosing the primary colour of choice and then seeing what is available. Prime Walls Have fun dreaming!

turquoise in decor – so fresh

[POSTED BY: Toronto Designers | 3 May 2012 | No Comment | 131 views]

Adding turquoise to my space this season seems like the right thing to do. It is so fresh and I have always loved this colour. I am considering painting my wooden kitchen chairs in this brilliant colour (see the last photo which is my inspiration) and then I’ll add new tea towels and a pillow on my sofa to complete the look.

I hope you get inspired by a fresh colour this season too! Anything clear and crisp is hot this year, so add some trendiness to your living room or bedroom or kitchen… I guarantee you’ll go home and smile every time you see your favourite colour staring back at you.

CB2 – day 2 diy saturdays

[POSTED BY: Toronto Designers | 29 Apr 2012 | No Comment | 205 views]

This week at the CB2 DIY Saturday my station was placed on the landing to the second floor and it worked much better than being at the front door. I think the customers felt more comfortable in the store by the time they passed that area and they were more inclined to stop and ask questions. I had many. The most challenging was from a young man with a floor plan of his new condo that needed help with furniture lay-out. It was probably the most bizarre lay-out I have seen for a very long time and at 800 sq. ft. it shouldn’t have been so difficult. Those condo designers should really speak to designers and decorators before building such odd spaces that are not condusive to a simple sofa with TV and table and chairs. So annoying! But… we did come up with a plan that was a little different and he was thrilled beyond belief! He couldn’t believe he got free advice that made such a difference.

You too can come get free advice at my last DIY Saturday at CB2 next Saturday, May 5th from 2 – 4 PM at the Queen & Bathurst CB2. And if nothing else, you won’t regret a visit to this awesome new store located in the old Big-Bop night club. They did a great job preserving the integrity of the building too.

Hope to see you there! Come say hi.

las vegas – colour combination inspiration

[POSTED BY: Toronto Designers | 27 Apr 2012 | No Comment | 184 views]

It’s hard to see the beauty of the simpler things in a place like Las Vegas. But if you look more closely, there are ideas to inspire all of us. Here are some colour combinations I snapped photos of from around the main strip in Las Vegas, Nevada. I think I will remember to suggest some of these for my clients – they’re beautiful!

Red and White – with Green

Black, Gold and Red

Silver and Red

Pink on Pink with White

Magenta and Chartreuse

Classic Brown and White

DIY Saturdays at CB2

[POSTED BY: Toronto Designers | 21 Apr 2012 | No Comment | 203 views]

I am off very shortly to set up for my first of three DIY Saturdays at the Queen & Bathurst CB2 in Toronto. I am really looking forward to being there and have been dreaming about creative things I can do with their awesome products! That’s what I’m supposed to be there for so I better get it right! But I’m thinking, how hard can it be with things like this… are they not pretty gorgeous even on their own? I think so.

This week we will work with these Pony Planters:

And I’ll inject more with perhaps with some of these… love them!

Things sell quickly there so I hope these items are still available – they are so playful, hip and fun and of course on trend!!

Join me there for the next three Saturdays from 2 – 4 PM – April 21, April 28, May 5.

rope details in decor

[POSTED BY: Toronto Designers | 19 Apr 2012 | One Comment | 1,044 views]

Having something in your room with the texture and natural feel of real rope is a simple trend right now. It goes great with your nautical theme, but is really easy to just add a bit almost anywhere in your home. Here are a few examples of some great ways to add some rope detail to your space.

This last one is my favourite – SO clever!!