Posted by admin on February 8, 2010
Over the years, one of the last requests many of my clients often make has to with selecting art to finish off their new space. For many, after going through a renovation and having to select so many different finishes, when it comes down to art pieces, they are baffled. What colours will go with the rest of the room? How big should it be? What would be considered too big? Should it be a painting, photograph, or print? Where should I look for art? If only there was just one place where you can find the perfect piece of art! Well if this was the case, there wouldn’t be anything unique or interesting about your home would there?
If you often visit galleries and museums, then you probably have a good idea of what kind of art appeals to you. If you haven’t, now is a great time to start exploring all those local talents in our city. Art is very personal so take your time to find something that you can live with. Personally, your first thought in purchasing should not be whether or not it will be suitable for the room you have in mind. Rather, find something you absolutely love and then find a place to put it. If you see something you just cannot part with, this is absolutely the way to go. However, if you are not particular about the art itself and is simply looking for something that’s just right for the room, size and colour should be considered during your search. Art that is too big in size will overwhelm and anything too small will look out of place and incomplete. The nature of the art should also be considered. If it is for a room where guests will frequent, I would personally stay away from anything too intimate, inappropriate or offensive…save those for your boudoir.
A general rule in hanging art is to keep the center of the painting at eye level. Sculptural pieces may sit on the floor, a table or pedestal. However, I prefer to keep these rules as guidelines, as with anything personal preference should be considering. After all, you probably spent an exorbitant amount of money to purchase it, you might as well have it somewhere that’s in view and can be enjoyed daily.
As for colours, choose one or two of the boldest colours in your room and look for art that has those colours in it. It doesn’t have to be an exact match; a shade or two off would work just as well. Just picking up some of these colours will unify the art and the room. For rooms that are already bold in colours, select art that is a bit muted…black and white art provides the perfect balance to a brightly coloured room.
Style is the next thing to consider, although as this is a personal preference, it may not be in your best interest to consider it. Consider the style of the room. Do you see more traditional details than modern or the other way around? Allow this to be your guide: modern for modern antique for antique, etc. But as I said, your preference should be considered. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of eclecticism.
When visiting galleries or museums, observe how the art is displayed. From wall colour to placement on walls, you can take away many hints to help you not only select art but also find the perfect place to hang/place it.
Some examples of excellent art display:
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Posted by admin on January 20, 2010
My previous post featured a local tile manufacturer, and I thought it would be interesting to continue telling you about the resources available to us here in Canada.
Omer Arbel is a Canadian designer architect. Graduated from the University of Waterloo School of Architecture in 2000, and apprenticed with notable architects like Enric Miralles, John & Patricia Patkau, and Peter Busby. In 2003, he began working as a freelance designer, focusing on conceptually motivated & materially explorative furniture and objects. Eventually, he opened two companies. The first, Omer Arbel Office (OAO), a small, experimental, Vancouver-based design practice that blends the traditionally defined fields of architecture, industrial design, and materials research. It is known for its commitment to the creative potential of intuition and this is one the reasons I am a fan. Design that transcends time often relies on intuition and taking a risk on something different; something you have not been taught in school.
Bocci, a contemporary design & manufacturing house, also located in Vancouver, carries an eclectic collection that includes custom chandeliers, furniture & cutting edge electrical components. These works of art can been found in showrooms around the globe (in fact you may have already seen some of them).
I am truly inspired by Arbel’s works of art & hope that you too are inspired to explore the more cutting edge & risky side of interior design.
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Posted by admin on January 18, 2010
Whenever possible, I always prefer to support a local company when selecting finishes & materials for my clients. One company that has become quite popular among my clients is Interstyle located in Burnaby. They manufacture ceramic & glass tiles for kitchens, bathrooms, and swimming pools. They specialize in creating custom mosaics and large format tiles for wall & floor installations. What’s truly unique about them is their line of recycled glass manufactured locally in Burnaby. For those working on LEED certification, you know how important this is. Aside from the fact that they are a local business, their products are visually stunning and for special projects that call for unique designs, they’re an excellent alternative. A sampling of my favourites:
Aquarius
Agates
Icestix
Ribbon (countertops or wall panels)
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Posted by admin on November 21, 2009
When you think of a bathroom or kitchen sink, you tend to picture white porcelain or stainless steel. It’s never been the conversation piece or focal point of a room. I don’t usually get excited about selecting a sink! It’s there for function and as long as it’s not obnoxiously ugly, it doesn’t usually get the attention that I would give to the selection of a hood or a fireplace. Linkasink certainly changes this, however. And it’s very exciting to see manufacturers, across the spectrum, merging beauty and function when producing new product lines.
Linkasink offers your traditional, funtional sinks the beauty makeover it desperately needs. For those clients who are looking for something a bit more special, Linkasink provides a bedazzling update to the everyday sink. From onyx to bronze to mosaics, the possibilities are endless! These artistic pieces make me rethink the way I design and inspire new designs. Here’s a sampling of some of my favourites:
Stainless steel mosaic kitchen sink
Porcelain Swarovski Pearl Stripes (Cantu has one in their Vancouver showroom)
Tumbled Onyx Farm House Kitchen Sink
Mother of Pearl Mosaics (in dusk)
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Posted by admin on September 9, 2009
I experienced so many different things during my short vacation in NYC that deciding where to start my series of blogs on it was a task in itself. I somewhat regret not having blogged during the trip. However, that, too, would’ve been an impossible task. The organizer inside kept telling me that I needed to just inhale it all at once, then structure my blog later on. Smart thinking! But it literally took days to review all the pictures, recall where certain photos were taken, and decide how they fit into each other. It was a lot of fun to reminisce but on with it…
When you think of New York, you instantly think of skyscrapers like the Empire State, Rockefeller, and former Twin Towers. I love standing at street level, throwing my head as far back as it could go and still not be able to see the very top of some of these buildings. These are all wonders in themselves but what really stole my attention were all the architectural details sprinkled all over the city.
Ornate details decorated doors and windows. Sculptures flanked doorways to invoke the grandest of entrances. All the details seemed to want to say, someone important inhabits this space. Classical details scattered throughout provided a balance for the modern sky-high buildings.
Walking the streets of NYC felt whimsical. Perhaps because the New York image is so international, bracing magazines, television, advertisements, movies, and music, it felt familiar yet I wanted to explore every corner for surprises. I felt like a kid. Perhaps there’s something to be said about the effects of advertising. But we’ll leave that for another type of blog.
I am in love with brownstone and bricks. It made the streets of New York feel warm and inviting. Vancouver needs to replace some of its grey concrete with brownstone if only for a bit of interest.
Although it was exhausting, I loved walking around the city. I have never felt so insignificant and it was humbling to say the least.
There’s much more to talk about so stay tuned.
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Posted by admin on September 8, 2009
If you have been following, then you know we have moved! Yep brand new website and blog all united. I have also moved and have been swamped with a few new renovation projects, unpacking, and of course designing my own space. It’s all very exciting and I am happy to say I can finally settle down to BLOG! It’s been so long. But I have been busy collecting blog material, travelling, and designing. Stay tuned as the following posts will be on my wonderful adventure with the Hubby to the Big Apple! Here’s a photo sneak peak:
The Metropolitan Museum - Great Hall ceiling detail
S. Guggenheim Museum - Interior ceiling
St. Patricks Cathedral
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Posted by admin on July 13, 2009
I’ve never really been a fan of table runners. Perhaps because the ones I remember all have christmas themes and often look garish. However, Sylvania’s new LED table runner certainly changes things. 
The LED table runner illuminates and decorates any table in a classy way. It will last up to 10 hours on a single charge and comes with a rechargeable battery pack. If you really want to be creative, try it as decorative fabric on walls or mantels.
To order, visit Sylvania Online Store.
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Posted by admin on July 10, 2009
Are libraries too boring? Do you crave adventure & intrique inside & outside of your many books? For those of us who need an interesting, unique abode where we can sit back & enjoy our favourite novels, Point Design Studio in Tokyo, has created the perfect solution…an igloo style room to store books. Bookshelves are designed to allow you to grab your books from inside or outside this hut style creation. The design is whimsical, fun, creative and makes me want to spend hours in bed reading, while surrounded by books!
Image courtesy of point-tokyo.jp
Image courtesy of Inhabitots.com
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Posted by admin on July 8, 2009
Jim Thompson has partnered with designer Hutton Wilkinson, owner & creative director of Tony Duquette Inc., to create an exclusive collection of woven & printed textiles for decorative home & commercial installations. Duquette, in his early days, designed costumes & sets for Fred Astair musicals. He also designed costumes for various theatre productions. The new Jim Thompson/Tony Duquett collection is reminiscent of the spell-binding bejewelled stages. Here’s a sampling of some of my favourites.
Octavian
Fireworks
Asia Minor
Feu D'Artifices
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