Stay stylish!

Vondel in Amsterdam

The holidays are upon us once again! If you're anything like me the hotel you'll choose is more important than the city you're going to visit. One of my favorite hotels is the Vondel in Amsterdam. If you're thinking of heading to those parts, you can't possibly stay anywhere else. Hotel Vondel Amsterdam is a real design hotel distinguished by its extraordinary stylish interior which gives it a unique ambiance. The interior design is really up to par, in fact I love hanging out in the "living room" which is full of drama with it's black ceiling and fabulous wall covering. http://www.vondelhotels.com/

The living room


The garden

Be Dramatic!

Last week I came across the December 2007 issue of Canadian House and Home entitled The Canadian Issue: http://www.houseandhome.com/. What a great cover, and fantastic content; hurry up and go get it. As I read on, I came across these lovely photos of Red and White interiors and thought to myself: "how appropriate! I'm sure everyone knows that I love drama; and what better place for drama than a cottage. If you consider yourself a conservative person, with a difficulty for the thematic, you might want to experiment in an environment where you spend a limited amount of time, like a week end in the country. Consider how much your experience will be enhanced if your space feels like a home away from home, a resort or a bed and breakfast. The last thing you want is for your get away to be a duplicate of your home. Spice it up! Go away for the week end. Live a little and try, please try to move away from the beige.

How appropriate!

"Get me a hot apple cider"



Rustic with flare!

Think Big!

Think big, be bold! The exiting thing about design is that you can do pretty much anything as long as you do it right. Here are some examples of over sized objects that can truly create some much appreciated impact. Keep in mind that all you need in order to create the right buzz in a space is one key element.

Graphics, who would of thought!

Light it up!

Sit on this!

Cha-ching!

We've recently applied this material to the feature wall behind a bar in a residential project; it exceeded all our expectations and then some! This product is simply the "WoW" factor we needed. When the sun begins to set and reflects off the mother of pearl, we are graced with a light show bigger than the Las Vegas blvd. has ever seen. It's so impressive to see the movement created by its texture and light. It looks almost liquid...it's just an amazing thing to see. A pricey investment to say the least, but well worth every penny!

http://www.mayaromanoff.com/collection.pvx?;?Category=0201

Rooms with character

Listen, I'm feeling slightly particular today, so humour me. As I sip my coffee and peruse through one of these lovely design magazines, I realize I'm feeling slightly annoyed. Although a typical state for me, it is rather early for me to be quite so bothered. I quickly realize my general malaise is due to these generic images of rooms that all look more or less the same. I can't stand these "wishy washy" poor excuses for rooms that have nothing to say for themselves. People please, stop being so afraid to express yourselves. Give your rooms personality , pizazz. As we often tell our clients: "go big or go home". There is nothing sadder than a room that almost says something, a "shy" room. Here are some great examples of rooms with character!

"Could you just"

"Call me!"

" fabulous"

"I can't take it"

Unlikely themes!

The Napoleonic bee, with a twist!

Iguana, not your grand mother's wall covering!

The great thing about wall coverings is subject mater, anything is possible! Timorous Beasties, a

Glasgow company has taken taken contemporary themes to a whole new level. "By depicting uncompromisingly contemporary images on traditional textiles and wallpapers, Timorous Beasties has defined an iconoclastic style of design once described as “William Morris on acid.” Typical is the Glasgow Toile. At first glance it looks like one of the magnificent vistas portrayed on early 1800s Toile de Jouy wallpaper, but closer inspection reveals a nightmarish vision of contemporary Glasgow where crack addicts, prostitutes and the homeless are depicted against a forbidding backdrop of dilapidated tower blocks and scavenging seagulls".http://www.timorousbeasties.com/about/ Granted not a product for all, these bright talented designers truly offer a world of possibilities, based on traditional and classical design.

Stripes Galore!

For some great Striped wall paper patterns, be sure to check out i.e...wallpaper.
http://www.interiors-europe.co.uk/

Not so traditional after all...

Stripes, such a common theme for wallpaper patterns. Just when you thought stripes were out, they're not. The classic stripe is reinvented in numerous ways, bringing interest and sophistication to any environment. Such a play on a classical favorite, can really inspire some wonderful decor ideas. The contemporary direction of striped wall coverings can allow us to think inside the box without feeling dated, imagine that!

Not for the faint of heart!

Innovative Wallcoverings

Once you get over your initial fear, wall coverings can introduce you to an endless world of possibilities. A great example in use of colour and distinctive designs is Flavor Paper; they produce unique vintage, contemporary and custom hand screened wall coverings that will add a burst of flavor to any environment. http://www.flavorleague.com/. These wall coverings will not only add pizazz to any room, they will also leave you wanting more. Believe me, once you enter the wonderful universe of wall coverings, things are never quite the same without them.

Murano, a glass beaded wallcovering, is named for the famous glassmaking city in Italy. This luminescent addition to the Innvironments Collection brings a whole new light to earth-friendly wallcovering. Refined glass beads are applied to a flexible non-woven backing, enabling it to be used on the inside and outside of right angles. In the tradition of the elite glassmakers of Murano, this wall treatment is hand-made by Italian craftsmen. Available in 7 colors, in a 54-in width.www.innovationsusa.com