December's Top 3 Interior Design Tips - How to Prepare for Your Winter Hibernation

What, you're not thinking about interior design this month? Well we are ! So bookmark this for January as it's a good one.

Tip #1 - Move your furniture away from the wall and windows as much as possible [without crowding the pieces] so that warm air circulates around each piece :

Tip #2 - Add sparkle & warmth using lighting & candles - look at the the fabulous, playful reflections of this lighting :

Tip #3 - Treat yourself to a new lounge chair/ pillows/ wool or pony skin rug/ draperies, plants - anything that helps fluff and warm up the hibernation nest ....8-12 weeks can seem like an eternity without these comforts!

Blogatchalater and Merry Merry ! xo

November's Top 3 Interior Design Tips : How to Mix Styles [aka Eclectic]

With such a vast number of interior design products available to you, it is easy to just go out and buy one of everything you love right!!!?  Will it all work together? Can you effectively mix styles and keep your sanctuary in tact ? The answer is yes it and here's how :

1] Select unifying/ complimentary characteristics [e.g. colour, texture, pattern, etc...] : In this case, shape (curves) and colour (warm neutrals with turquoise details) :

 Here we see shape (circles), materials (glass and metal) and tone working together to unify this grouping

2] Keep "mismatched" items in different areas of the room and on a neutral background. 

3] Give each piece breathing room [edit, edit, edit].

Every great object truly deserves it's own special place.....

Blogatchalater....

October's Top 3 Tips : How to Retrofit your Pre-Loved Condominium

So someone has already selected your flooring, cabinets, tiles, etc. What can you do to make your new condo yours without expensive renovations?

1] Window coverings : 

We list window coverings as the number one item to attend to because they can take from 4  to 12 weeks...that can be a long time living with bed sheets on the windows! 

Take stock of your views and the amount of sun coming in during the day. For large condo windows a popular look is modern, sunscreen, roll down blinds which provide some sunlight control and do not take away from the window architecture or views. If you require sun filtering for south-facing units, then add lined drapes.

For a more contemporary look, Roman blinds are an elegant way to add warmth and privacy to any room.

Condo boards often impose restrictions on what you can hang on your windows, in order to maintain a uniform look for the building. You can get around this by using double sided coverings with the condo-approved material facing out.

2] Paint :

Paint can be an inexpensive way of freshening up and adding drama at the same time to a pre-loved condo.

You will want to look at the amount of natural light in each room and determine the direction it is coming from...eg Northern is cooler southern is warmer.

This will affect your choice of colour.

Then determine how the space will be used and your furniture lay out before painting an accent wall (usually the wall you see first as you enter a room.)  Get inspiration from a carpet or accent pillow.  You will also want to take into consideration the amount of contrast the colour on the wall will have against the sofa or pictures being placed on it and make sure the wall colour works with your flooring.

Have fun with childrens' rooms and laundry rooms by using blackboard paint. By the way, it comes in colours other than black.

Buy test pots to determine how the colour will look in your room...paint on a board no smaller than 12" x 18" or purchase large sample sheets and place them around the room.
Remember, painting a dark room a light colour will not make the room light.

If you want a specific look, don't be afraid to call a designer for a colour consultation...this can save you a lot of time and money.

3] Review and edit your furniture : 

You say you already own a sofa and dining table, but do they really fit the new space? We all know you can't fit a round peg in a square hole ...here is a real life application.  Additionally, the sofa and dining table are usually the 2 largest pieces of furniture and need to be carefully considered. They are also the anchor or benchmark for all your other furnishings. 

Make sure you have ample room to move around them including space behind the dining chairs to comfortably get up from. The rule of thumb is 48" if the space behind the chairs is also a passageway. Generally, passageways should be a minimum of 30".

You may not like the idea of selling your existing furniture and buying new, but when you are moving it may be necessary in order to create your soothing, harmonious, not-too-crowded [or conversely not-too-empty] sanctuary.

Blogatchalater mates !

 

September Top 3 Interior Design Tips : Condo Customization

Working with  Your Condominium Developer to Create Your Perfect Sanctuary

Having designed for a lot of Ottawa condominium buyers lately, we have noticed certain aspects of the interior design that developers seem to overlook. Here are our top 3 tips you should review and consider when buying a brand new condominium :

1] Lighting.  Please, please, please review what the developer is offering. We have noticed that all-too-often only the minimum lighting is installed. For example, bedrooms often come with no lighting....not even a junction box to add a fixture later. Make sure you have enough recessed lighting in hall ways, the bathrooms, kitchen and living room so that you can perform required tasks in these rooms such as make up application, food prep and reading.

Great examples of living room (don't forget about your artwork! ) and bathroom lighting.

How fabulous and easy it would be to do something like this :

2] Electrical, Cable, Data Outlets. Again, in our experience, this is an area where attention to detail is very low. But in the developers' defense, how do they know that you want you television above your fireplace with no cables showing ?

3] Kitchen Cabinet Configuration.  Although you might not be able to afford a custom kitchen, you will be able to choose drawers vs. doors etc. Also think about grounding your kitchen by putting lighter colored upper cabinets and darker lowers.  Make sure you take a mental inventory of your kitchen items and decide if you need the height afforded by a door cabinet [e.g. soup pots, olive oil bottles] or do you prefer the accessibility of pot drawers?

Blogatchalater !

October's Top 3 Tips : How to Retrofit your Pre-Loved Condominium

Dilemma of a Modern Home Owner : How to Live Large in a Small Condo

With the desire to reduce urban sprawl, commuting and offer affordable housing to urbanites, several Ottawa developers have built several downtown condos with many more on the way,  including Central by Urban Capital - but how do you create your new modern sanctuary for more than just sleeping??  We advise choosing versatile furniture that has multiple uses for multiple activities :

1] The Calypso sofa bed - a throughly modern, sexy sofa which also opens up into a comfortable bed.

2] The Faze end table, shown here in oak wenge and brushed stainless steel frame, can be tucked into a sofa or bed and can be opened up to be a tv table.

3] The Cabo console table's clear thick glass practically disappears, and it also doubles as a sleek, modern desk.  

4] We just matched the modern classic Veuve chair with the above glass Cabo console / desk for a client. It looks and feels superb as a dining, side, desk or guest chair!  It's totally comfortable and doesn't take up as much space as an armchair or the Aeron chair.

5] We love this beautifully designed modern glass dining table called Enigma. It has a wood extension to accommodate guests or extra prep and serving room.  The black glass reflects the surroundings hence almost disappears while making a statement.

6] The sculptural Y Design Daybed can be used in a variety of ways such as a chaise between dining and living spaces or a guest bed as the name implies. (designed by cky's multi-talented Yvonne). Also serves as a gift wrapping or laundry folding surface !!

For more modern, condo style furniture options check out cky design group's new furniture pricelist

Blogatchalater xo

August 3 Monthy Interior Design Tips : The Perfect Kitchen

3 Tips for designing the perfect contemporary kitchen :

1] Cabinet Height

Build your upper kitchen cabinets up to the ceiling [or bulkhead as the case may be] :

If you don't, you will likely get a deep dark shadow,  more visual "clutter" not to mention an area for dust to collect as seen here :

2]  Layered Lighting

Make sure you have layered lighting in your kitchen for both tasks and ambiance

For proper implementation of a kitchen lightning design, there are four kinds of lights that you can use.
These are the task, accent, ambient and decorative lighting.
The task lighting focuses on making the kitchen a working one. This is the most appropriate lightning that lets you see your sharp knife as you prepare food. Task lighting is usually situated between the work surface and the person running the kitchen.
The accent lighting, as its name denotes, accentuates the whole kitchen. It adds dimension and depth to the whole space. Accent lighting is usually low voltage. An example of accent lighting are the fixtures placed underside cabinets to spotlight back splash and counter top materials.
The third kind of kitchen lighting design is the ambient lighting. This kind of kitchen lighting can immediately improve your kitchen look. Make sure your have enough recessed lighting to create a soft yet warm glow that soften shadows.
The last type of kitchen lighting design is the decorative lighting (pendants above an island for instance). Decorative lighting adds sparkle to your kitchen but make sure not to overdo it. It can make your space look overdone and cluttered.

3] Consider Your Finishes

Remember that high gloss finishes on cabinets and counter tops will show every finger print for heavy traffic kitchens. If you are a childless couple who love to clean, go for this modern and sexy look!

If you have children and spend a lot of time in your kitchen consider a honed granite or quartz counter top finish and satin finished cabinets, rather than high gloss, for less maintenance.

Blogatchlater!

Top 10 Movie Interiors

More Fabulous Sources of Design Inspiration

Down with Love, 1993

- a really fluffy girl movie with wonderfully re-created 1960's interiors throughout the film; we love the black, yellow, pink and white color palettes!

The Dark Knight, 2008

- New York's dark side - multiple amazing interiors especially the Mayor's gala event that the Joker crashes

The Big Lebowski, 1998

- one of my favorite actors John Turturro and architects Richard Neutra

Diamonds are Forever, 1958

- another Neutra interior

Auntie Mame, 1958

- an amazingly styled authentic 1950's film; again, we love the all white interior!

 Scarface, 1983

- Tony Montana's bathtub - almost makes us want to be a drug dealers!

Quantum of Solace, 2008

- partly designed by Italian architect/ designer Antonio Citterio, who Y met during her design internship in Milan, 1996.

What Women Want, 2000

- Mel sucks but his apartment in the movie is awesome !

Lost in Translation, 2003

- So Japanese - so Zen - what's not to love ?

I Am Love, 2009

- So Italian !!! Love the richness and classic details [not to mention Tilde's clothing]

The Cook the Thief  His Wife & Her Lover, 1989

 - another fabulous Jean Paul Gaultier project

ok so who's counting?

Other movies with fabulous interiors not included, but should be :

- American Psycho

- Babel

- Austin Powers [both films]

- Something's Gotta Give

- Single White Female

- Ghost

- Year of the Locust

- Sex in the City [first one]

Blogatchalater !

3 Design Goals of Our Glebe Bathroom Project

Our 3 design goals of any renovation are 1] improving the function of the space 2] create a more contemporary, visually exciting space while incorporating new environmentally friendly materials and 3] exceeding the expectations of the client.

Here is a bathroom we recently finished below.

The BEFORE

The AFTER. Just dazzling and much more accessible ::

tile detail

Things to keep in mind when renovating a bathroom:

- it's important to detail the tile work right down to the grout width

- remember not everything comes with a sink [i.e. the sink stop]

- keep line clean and simple in a small space

- be prepared to make changes on the job site

- bathrooms are difficult to photograph !

Our client is very happy, especially since the construction took place while they were away on vacation this past winter !

Blogatchlater

Design Inspiration Mecca Montreal : cky and Jean Paul Gaultier

We always get asked where we get our inspiration from ... and usually our response is "Montreal".  Hence our most recent trip to the Jean Paul Gaultier show at the Musee des Beaux-Arts on Sherbrooke.

We decided to become part of the show by wearing wigs from Studio B Salon. Here we are with our friends Christine Shaikin of Justine & Justina on Sussex and Margaret Trudeau.

The exhibits were magical and haunting at the same time. Many of the mannequins had animated facial videos projected onto their heads, as well as an audio feed of them singing or talking ...

Needless to say, the clothing designs were divine and absolutely revolutionary....we were flabbergasted by the materials and details you do not see on Fashion Television....

Then there were the guests and the interior of the after-party !! It was a non-stop feast for our design hungry eyes and brains.!!! A definite must-see for anyone even remotely interested in clothing and design.

Blogatchalater !!!
Yvonne and Karyn