design: arbour lake house final reveal

If you’ve been following my blog you may be familiar with this project. I began working with this couple at the beginning of June. The scope of the project was primarily the great room where my clients wanted to replace all of the furniture. The room elements that remained the same were the fireplace and mantle, ceiling fan and hardwood floor. We changed the paint colour from a medium olive green to Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan HC-81 and the rest of the impact came from the furniture and accessories. Presentation was done at the end of July and orders placed right after. Our installation day was at the beginning of November. You can read a little more about that day here. This one room was a five month process from initial meeting to final reveal. Six weeks of consultation, planning, sourcing, and preparation for presentation with the remaining three months for order times, accessory shopping and organizing the installation . There were a few delays that postponed the install by two weeks and we are still waiting for a light fixture ordered for the dining area. It seems like I am always waiting for lighting, but that’s a whole other story….

Above the colour palette of warm teal, burnt orange and a bold black and white stripe pattern. You can see the post with more information here.

A quick study of the furniture layout in plan view.

An overall classic, yet family friendly space created with mirrored sofas, a warm grey leather coffee table/ ottoman and one of my favorite pieces in the room, an Ikat patterned upholstered chair.

I had originally selected this Ikat fabric for the kitchen bar stools, however my clients liked it so much we decided to use it for this chair. Even though this change increased the budget, it was worth it in the end. This chair is stunning and you can see it right as you enter the front door so the visual impact of it is huge.

A close up of the striped chest vignette. One of my favorite accessories in the room is the tall, coral patterned vase on the right. I would just like to point out that I found this piece at Homesense. I have found some fabulous treasures there over the years. I think this vase is truly stunning and looks far more expensive that it actually was. If it didn’t end up working in this space I would have gladly brought it home with me ;)

For me, as a designer my vision begins with the first inspiring piece of fabric or furniture item that in turn builds the momentum for the rest of the room. Seeing this room come together exactly as I envisioned it is really rewarding. Thank you to my wonderful clients who trusted that vision and were thrilled with the outcome. As was I!

Sources: Sofas, area rug and ginger accent table, all Crate and Barrel. Leather ottoman: Elte. Ikat fabric, Kravet. Upholstered chair, Maria Tomas. Round pedestal end table, Ethan Allen. Drapery, Layers and Layers. Black and white striped chests, Pier 1.

Photography by: Lori Andrews

inspirations: winter whites

We are living in a Winter Wonderland here in Calgary and even though Winter is not officially upon us for a few more weeks ‘Baby, it’s Cold Outside!’

On the other hand, ’tis the Season for parties and gatherings and winter fashion is at the forefront of peoples minds. I was inspired by the BCBG Holiday 2010 catalog and all it’s texture, frill and feminine attitude.

I would love to have you all over for dinner in this glamorous dining room. I think we’d all fit in quite nicely if we were dressed like the ladies above don’t you think? Source: Elle Decor

After you leave I’ll wind down by relaxing in front of the fireplace and read through some shelter magazines. Source: Burning Desires Fireplace Co.

At the end of all the festivities I think I’ll crawl into bed and hibernate until Spring :)                         Source: Luxury Home Interiors

As Christmas is soon upon us I hope you can take some time to enjoy special moments with your loved ones during the hustle and bustle of it all. I wish you much joy as you celebrate the Season from now until the New Year.

xo

Nyla

a day in the life: arbour lake install

Install days are filled with the work of unpacking boxes, placing furniture and accessories, hanging art and drapery, arranging flowers, and cleaning up the mess you just made all before the client arrives home for the reveal.

Last Friday I completed the installation for a clients great room. You can see the sneak peak at the samples and materials here.

We (me and my helper Sandra) started the day at 9am. When we arrived at the home the delivery truck was already there. I greeted my client and walked her through the details of the day. (I asked the delivery guys to sit tight until she was gone). No peaking!

Finally off she went for the day and we got underway. First ~ the before photo of the space. (Don’t worry…the red plate did not stay there!)

Typically I would delivery everything at once, however as you can see there are two chests that have been there for several months. They were part of the scheme I presented however based on the fact that they were selling like hotcakes, we scooped them up several months ago. They have been patiently waiting for the rest of the furniture to pull the room together.

9:30am my drapery installer arrives. Once again I ordered the drapery from Layers and Layers. A simple cotton/linen blend with a contrasting side band on each panel. Half way through, my installer notices that we are short rings, and enough rings that we could only hang one panel in the great room. SO disappointing, but we move on. I order more immediately. The remaining drapery will be installed later this week, so our reveal will be incomplete. Boo hoo!

11:00am I high tail it out to pick up some items that did not fit into my car the day before. Note to self “shop earlier so you can have the delivery company pick up for you”!! I gathered what I needed, picked up flowers and light bulbs and made my way back to site.

In the mean time Sandra received another piece of furniture at 11:30 and worked on accessorizing.

1:00pm the art installer arrives and begins hanging our selected pieces.

We had originally advised the client to come home at 2:30, however at this point we knew we would not be ready. I gave her a quick call and bought ourselves another 1/2 hour. Pweh!

The remaining few hours were nose to the floor trying to get everything perfect for the reveal. At 2:40 this is what the space still looked like. Yikes!

Stay tuned to see the final results!

mini trend: elephants

Elephants seem to be in a category all their own. They fit into any type of decor from a traditional living room to a young child’s bedroom. Elephants are exotic. They exude both sophistication and whimsy. Symbolizing wisdom, they also add a sense of mystery and character to a space. Regardless of their placement, an elephant of any kind or style will bring strength to your decor or even fashion. Go ahead! Indulge in some exotic flavor for your space.

1. John Derian 12″ decoupage square tray. 2. Elizabeth and James black sapphire, diamond & sterling silver elephant ring available at Saks Fifth Avenue. 3. Jonathan Adler ceramic elephant. 4. Banana Republic cotton elephant tote. 5. Paperweights by iomoi. 6. Birthday greeting from Cartolina Cards available at Modern Paper Goods. 7. Hand blocked linen pillow by Sue Fisher King. 8. Acrylic elephant book ends available at Neiman Marcus. 9. Vitra elephant stool. 10. Dwell Studio elephant bookshelf. 11. Ink & Wit elephant safari tea towel or wall hanging. 12. Personalized ‘peek-a-boo’ bin from Smidgebox. 13. ‘Recycled’ mixed media on panel painting by Michael Cutlip, represented by Jacana Gallery.

Left: GT House by Studio Guilherme Torres via Amy at abcddesign. Right: Anthroplogie Sept. 2010 catalogue.

Ralph Lauren’s Chic Retreat. Image via Elle Decor.

I hesitate even calling this a ‘mini-trend’ as elephants can be a classic and timeless addition to any room.

artist: heyday design

During my recent trip to Vancouver I wandered into the Gallery of BC Ceramics on Granville Island. A simple space, filled with lovely pieces of pottery. Traditional and modern, colourful and natural. Each piece was a handmade treasure. I did walk out with a purchase, however this artist in particular caught my eye and I immediately fell in love with her whimsy, simplicity and homage to such simple objects as canning jars.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Claire Madill, the artist behind Heyday Design, however I just couldn’t help but introduce her again. Inspired by vintage kitchen wares, Claire breathes new life into unassuming objects that seem to find her, and turns them into beautiful art pieces. I adore this collection of ceramic canning jars that exude a functional beauty.

Supporting young, up and coming artisans gives you the joy of not only owning a piece of their art, but also supporting their future endeavors. Great things to come from Claire I’m sure! For information on purchasing, please visit the where to buy section of Claire’s website.

I can certainly tell that Claire creates from her heart, the sign of a true artist.