Interior DesignTrends 2012

This picture exemplifies some of the design trends that I see developing for 2012: Handscraped, reclaimed, distressed, sunbleached hardwood floors; woodpanelling on ceilings and walls; lots of texture and visual interest; oiled bronze, circular shapes; personal imprints, handwriting; sleek, modern elements juxtaposed with those that are old and weathered.

Below are some interesting blogs that showcase a variety of design trends for 2012:

This one is out of the U.K. and points to Britishness, Nostalgia, Aztec and Tribal influences, and Typography as being the leading Interior Design Trends for 2012.

http://whoartnow.co.uk/interior-design-trends/253-interior-design-trends-for-2012

This blog talks about grey being the main neutral for 2012, with yellow as the main accent. Think industrial with antique, "Paris flea market meets driftwood salvage".

http://www.pr.com/press-release/369047

The idea of decorating a home for re-sale, in a generic, impersonal style, is becoming less popular. People are staying in their homes longer and are injecting their own personalities into their spaces. They're using more colour, more pattern, more unique art objects and furniture. This blog exemplifies these ideas:

http://www.adesignerspot.com/decorating-styles/2011-2012-trends-in-interior-design.html

This is a fascinating blog that categorizes and analyzes the following colour trends: Preservation, Heritage, Process, and Protection:

http://yourhomeonlybetter.com/color-trends-for-2012-balance-to-preservation/

This last blog is not about design trends, but about the top 10 lifestyle trends for 2012. Examples are community gardens, working from home, single-level houses and multi-generational homes.

http://ht.ly/7JVEp

OK I'm ready, now bring on the new year!

Photo credit: Contemporist.com. Loft Apartment by 2B Group.

Put a Cork in It - I Mean Your Floor, of Course!

Photo credits: Gord Whenham, flooring installer.

I helped some clients recently with a problem they thought would be impossible to solve.

They were tired of their outdated ceramic tile floors but didn't want the mess and cost of having the tiles removed. They also didn't want to raise the floor height too much, and most of the floors they looked at would have been too thick.

They wanted an eco-friendly, sustainable product that was warm and comfortable, low maintenance and high quality. They wanted a floor that could be used in the entry, kitchen, laundry and bath without risk of water damage.

It turned out that glue-down cork was the perfect solution for my clients. Unlike the floating, click-together cork planks that you see in most flooring retail stores, the Solida Cork tiles we chose could be glued to a properly levelled ceramic tile floor. They were then further sealed with 3 coats of a flexible water-based urethane specifically manufactured for cork floors.

We were able to do herringbone patterned inserts and borders in a contrasting colour. This is because with glue-down cork tiles there is a huge selection of tile sizes, formats, colours and patterns to play with, allowing you to do a truly unique custom design!

If you'd like to find out more about the sustainability of cork, and view some beautiful design possibilities, here's a great video featuring Candice Olson from Divine Design, talking about the merits of cork flooring:

To find out more about cork flooring, click here: http://www.eraco.com/cork_about_cork.asp

and here: http://solidacork.com/

Is It Waterproof Hardwood or Luxury Vinyl Planking?

I often have clients that would love to put hardwood throughout their entire house, including their bath, laundry, kithen and foyer.

Hardwood is beautiful, but not recommended in high moisture areas, so what to do?

When I show my clients samples of such realistic looking vinyl flooring as Karndean's Da Vinci Plank or Armstrong's Luxe Plank, they're amazed it's not hardwood. It looks and feels that realistic!

What I love about Karndean's product in particular, is that you can integrate such high-end details as the mitered double border shown here.

Karndean makes a luxury vinyl tile, as well as plank. This allows you to mix and match different looks without having to worry about height differences. For example, I will sometimes use a Karndean tile in the kitchen and foyer, bordered by a Karndean woodplank. I then carry that same wood plank into the living and dining areas, for a cohesive and ultra elegant look.

Armstrong's Luxe Plank doesn't allow for this type of design versatility, but it has the advantage of being easier for the homeowner to install than Karndean. This is because it does not have to be adhered to the subfloor, but is glued together with self adhesive tabs.

Luxury vinyl plank flooring now comes with a protective topcoat that doesn't require polish. You simply use a PH balanced cleaner for regular maintenance. It's that easy!

If you would like to see a beautiful example of Karndean, take a look at this year's PNE Prize Home, where it was used throughout the entire main floor!

If you would like to find out more, go to the following websites:

http://www.karndeancanada.com/site/home.cfm

and: http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/products/luxury-vinyl

Japanese Inspired Bath Tiles

Bath as restful retreat, natural sanctuary and ethereal spa is a concept that appeals to many homeowners with stressful, busy lives. This is why a Japanese-inspired zen look is becoming increasingly popular in bathrooms.

There is an enormous selection of natural stone and ceramic tiles available on the market now that help create a zen environment.

I have tiles in the showroom that simulate bamboo strips, tatami mats, pebbles, canvas, linen and hardwood planking. These tiles can be used either on the floor or wall, or as decorative accents.

The idea is to simplify the look. Don't use too much pattern; have one focal point only; and use muted, natural tones.

You should imagine yourself stepping outside into a natural forest clearing, where you've encountered soothing hot springs or a cool bubbling brook.

Make an appointment to see me and I'll help tie it all together for you. I want you to leave feeling both rested and energized!

Photo credits: www.juliantile.com.

Un-Decorating, and Why your Home is a Path, not a Place

This room might be a bit too cluttered for my taste, but I love how it oozes with personality!

The owner of this space isn't afraid to show the world who she is, what her interests are, what is meaningful to her. She is unique, fun and whimsical. She doesn't care about some expert's cookie-cutter approach to decorating or staging....wait, maybe she's un-decorating. Hmmmm, I see the beginnings of a new trend happening!

People are starting to tire of the blandness that often passes for tasteful interior design. In this high tech world we often feel the need for a high touch sanctuary to come home to.

We want to put our feet up, not worry about cookie crumbs on the floor. We want our homes to have the feel of a sun-faded beach house, where the timeworn, scratched,weather beaten look is oh so inviting, where we can have fun and be playful.

The picture shown here is from Michelle McCormick's "The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces".

Here is an excerpt from her book:

"Stuff comes and goes, as do styles, but the creation of home is something that we develop over time. Those skills stay with us. Which is to say that your home is a path, not a place. It’s something that you do with aspiration, it's an activity that never stops. It will help you learn, grow and change over the course of your life."

Yes it's so true...there's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.....

My Interview with Tom Lucas of Radio Real Estate and Graeme Huguet of My House Design/Build

In this latest interview I talk about the best flooring to use if you want lasting quality and style and are staying in your home for 10 years or more.

What Everyone Else is Doing, or Not?

I'm hooked on the steady stream of information from the design sources I follow on Twitter.

Twitter is stimulating and informative, but it never ends! After a while I can no longer absorb it all. There's only so much inspiration one can glean from it, or any other outside source of information for that matter. After a while it's important to sit quietly, look within, and figure out what's really going to work.

We usually know what works for us. We know in our gut when it feels right. When we look to exterior sources for inspiration we sometimes get caught up with what's in, what's trendy, what everyone else is doing, instead of listening to our own voice and extracting what it is we really want.

The kitchen in this picture is beautiful; it's stylish, trendy and sophisticated. It would look great in a showhome. Would it function well for the average person? Would it work for me? I don't think so.

This kitchen has hardwood flooring. Hardwood will cup if exposed to water, and will scratch and dent with regular wear and tear. Hardwood in a dark tone shows dust and dirt more than a lighter tone will, so requires constant cleaning to look 'showhome' perfect.

Marble countertops such as the ones in this picture, stain easily and need to be frequently sealed. Also, this particular colour and veining of marble is trendy, so will look dated in a few years.

The average person doesn't want the high maintenance this kitchen involves; but it's easy to get seduced by the emotional impact of the pretty picture, rather than asking what's really going to work for our own needs and lifestyle. I'm sometimes guilty of this myself. Are you?

photo credit: contemporist.com; Brentwood residence by MLK Studio.

Timeless Design

Despite the fact that trends come and go, a well designed space can be timeless.

To me, there are 3 crucial elements that make for good timeless interior design. They are the reason why certain spaces make me feel peaceful, comfortable and happy.

The first is to incorporate natural light through the use of large windows and skylights, and through the strategic placement of reflective materials, such as mirrors and glass.

The second is to bring the outdoors in, by maximizing views of nature through proper window placement, and by using natural materials such as hardwood, cork and stone.

The third is to create fluidity within the space, so that one can move freely without obstructions, removing all clutter and sharp corners and making sure that all objects are functional, beautiful and meaningful.

Ultimately, good timeless design is about what speaks to our essence as human beings. We need natural light; we need to feel close to nature; we need to have comfort and warmth; we need a peaceful sanctuary; we need to be surrounded by objects that are useful and meaningful to us.

photo credits: the Wurzburg Lakehouse, www.archimania.com.

Tile Jewelry

In a recent issue of Design Quarterly there was an article about the latest tile trends, one of which involved using accent pieces as "jewelry to dress up the field tile"....I liked that analogy!

Accent tiles are more interesting now than ever before. A variety of different materials are sometimes used in one decor piece of glass, metal, ceramic and stone.

Linear and square mosaics, put together on a mesh are the decor format of choice, rather than the 'listello' bars of a few years ago.

We have a wide selection of beautiful accent and field tiles in our showroom. I look forward to helping you put it all together, so that your kitchen or bathroom will glisten like fine jewelry!

I threw a few mosaic odds and ends into this chest and took a picture with my Iphone G3. Not the best resolution, but not too bad...or maybe I should have held out for the G4:)

Wabi-Sabi Interiors

I recently had beautiful, lustrous Brazilian Oak hardwood installed in my house. I proudly babied it, polished it, admired it....Then came the inevitable first scratch; I was mortified! Scratches and dents are part of life, so why was I vainly searching for perfection? Why did I want to stop the clock? Luckily I soon came to my senses and remembered Wabi-Sabi.

Wabi-Sabi is an ancient Japanese aesthetic that embraces the imperfect, the transient and the incomplete. It reminds us that there is beauty in objects that are time-worn, objects that bear our uniquely personal imprint, that evoke the cycles of nature.

The above picture is a good example of Wabi-Sabi. Note the driftwood table and rustic wood flooring. The room is highly personal: The mismatched chairs suggest there are individuals living here, each with their own seating preferences. The simplicity of the tea setting suggests that there is no need for extraneous ornament and fluff, it would just interfere with the pure appreciation of tea.

These two pictures also illustrate Wabi-Sabi. The man-made is juxtaposed with the organic, the new with the old. Nothing 'matches', but everything works together harmoniously. Objects are pared down to their essence. The idea is if it's beautiful and/or useful then keep it. If not, remove it from your life. Remember, though, that beauty can be imperfect, so appreciate those scratches and dents!

Photo Credits:

1. style-files.com.

2. trendis.com.

Radio Real Estate Show Interview

Tom Lucas from AM650's Radio Real Estate Show, and Graeme Huguet from MyHouse Design/Build, interviewed me about flooring trends for 2011. This is the audio clip.

Inspirations from a New York Espresso Bar

To me, being creative is about making fresh connections so that we see things in new ways and from different perspectives.

I love this picture because it makes me look twice; it doesn't state the obvious.

Why not have the illusion of bookshelves on the floor? Why not have wood flooring on the wall? Why not have pendant lamps protruding horizontally?

By the same token, why not install an area rug on the ceiling instead of the floor? Why not use shag carpeting to upholster a chair, or ceramic tiles on a bed's headboard? Why not use hardwood flooring on a kitchen backsplash?

It's fun to think of new possibilities rather than always staying with the tried and true.

In the renovation market we're often concerned with re-sale value. It's a legitimate concern, but we lose something in this. We're afraid of not seeming tasteful, we play it safe. In so doing our interiors are often too uniform, too impersonal, too "staged".

I say don't be afraid to show a little personality, to be a little different....even at the risk of not always seeming "tasteful"!

Photo Credits: "D'Espresso", www.Dezeen.com.