I’m so incredibly proud of winning a bronze award at the recent DDA Awards gala in the “Bathrooms under 30k” category. Watch the video for the full project description.
My Favourite Design Trends for 2018
As a designer, I love the beginning of a new year when everyone is predicting design trends for the upcoming months. I usually like to cozy up with a pile of my favourite magazines, devour the content and then hop onto my computer to see what my favourite designers are predicting as well.
As I browse the magazines, websites and social media, I’m usually looking for a few things:
- validation that my own instincts are correct
- anything that might spark a new idea or inspire me in a new way
- to determine which trends I think can be integrated into longer term design plans for clients in my area. I like to find ways to incorporate things that are current but will also endure over time and not date too quickly.
This year I found a lot of sources in agreement on what the trends for 2018 are. I'm very happy with the way things are headed as these trends still fulfill my need for minimalism and clean and contemporary spaces.
White Walls
The white wall trend is a favourite of mine and even though we’re hearing and seeing that some colour is being thrown into the mix, I believe that colour is best used in accent pieces and smaller, more defined areas. I’m not opposed to an entire room in a luscious dark shade, but I still prefer the largest areas of the home (hallways, kitchens, open spaces etc.) to be a variation of white or a subtle grey or cream. It might not seem the most practical (especially with children and pets) but paint has become more durable over the years and is the one thing that can easily be touched up every once in a while to make a space look crisp, clean and new again.
Image Source: Amber Interiors Photo Credit: Tessa Neustadt
Natural Elements used in White Kitchens
We are now seeing more natural elements being paired with white spaces and these include light wood floors, walnut tones, grass cloth, greenery and natural stone and concrete. There is some speculation that the white kitchen is on it’s way out (as it’s been so popular for a while now) but I think a white kitchen is a classic that will remain a good investment in the years to come. What we are now seeing emerge includes the introduction of natural elements so that kitchens are not as monochromatic as in previous years. Using accent colours on the cabinetry for select areas such as pantries and islands along with incorporating more natural woods (like the walnut pictured below) create a more interesting and personalized aesthetic. These changes can add dimension, depth and personality to the timeless white kitchen.
Image Source: Orsi Panos Interiors Photo credit: Janis Nicolay
Large Art Pieces
This is one of my favourite trends that I’ve never even considered to be a trend! I’ve always loved the use of a stunning large piece of art to instantly add colour, drama and impact to a room. I also think it's one of the best jumping off points for determining a colour scheme for a room and/or adjacent rooms. The mixture of interesting colours often conveyed in these large art pieces can be used in fabrics, rugs, drapery and other accents to tie the decor together. In my opinion, a solid investment in a piece that you love will never go out style.
Image Source: Interior Marketing Group
Bold Colours and Wallpapers
I know this may seem to contradict the “White Wall” trend mentioned above, but I see this trend of bold colour and wallpaper best used in contained spaces such as powder rooms, home offices and libraries - rooms that are adjacent to larger, more open areas that exist in a contemporary home. Using a bold approach in a specific room is a great way to provide a more intimate feel in a select area of your home. It also adds interest and dimension and most importantly, allows you an area to have a little fun with while decorating your home.
Image Source: Studio McGee
Lastly, here are some tips for incorporating trends into your space:
- Trends come and go so I try to incorporate trends in inexpensive ways that help to refresh a space and keep it feeling fresh and current.
- Have fun with trends on a smaller scale. As mentioned above, try a bold wallpaper or paint colour in a small powder room, etc.
- Know your style! I can't stress enough how important it is to know your style and stick to it when shopping for your home. If you're not sure what your style is, see my previous post on defining your style.
And finally, don’t forget to do what you love. Trends come and go but the true measure of longevity is being true to yourself and your taste so you can enjoy the design for years to come.
How do you feel about my favourite trends for the year? Feel free to tell me some of yours in the comments below.
Defining Your Style
As I began to study interior design I quickly realized I needed to define my very own style. This wasn’t the easiest thing for me because I tend to fall in love with beautiful things on a daily basis. In fact it took a few months to figure it out but I finally realized that the things I see in design stores, on instagram and in magazines might be items I like, or even love, but they aren’t always items I can live with for a long time. For myself, this comes down to a feeling, or a mood as they like to call it in design school. At the end of the day, I need my own home to feel very calm, serene and harmonious. In the past I would often go out and buy a bunch of new items to decorate a room, only to edit and remove about half of them six months later. Furthermore, I realized that for me, that editing process feels WONDERFUL. I just love getting rid of stuff. I dislike clutter and think everything looks a lot cleaner without it. Not to mention it just feels better - calm and relaxing.
So, after all of my research and soul searching, I came up with these words to describe my own personal design and decorating style – clean, minimalist, calm, elegant, timeless. This is especially true for the bones of any project I complete. Let’s face it, renovations are expensive in Canada so the practical side of me agrees it’s best to design a beautiful, timeless, neutral base that can be decorated with paint, fabric and accessories to remain current in over many years.
Here’s an example of a kitchen that has not yet been decorated but that truly embodies my style.
Source: Studio McGee
Below are links to a couple quizzes that can help you define your style. Pinterest is also a great tool to use to gather photos that you like and over time, as you scroll through your boards you will begin to see common elements of your own preferences.
Apartment Therapy What's Your Home Decor Personality?
If you need help defining your style or implementing it in your home a professional designer can help to ensure a result that will stand the test of time and that you will love for many years to come. Let me know your style in the comments below.
Kate Spade Bridal Shower
This past weekend I held my daughter’s bridal shower at my husband’s golf club. It was a perfect day and was a lot of fun but I’m happy that my days of planning and decorating for events will be coming to an end soon. I do enjoy it once in a while but I’ve been doing it a lot lately and I really just want to get back to studying interior design and getting my business up and running for the fall.
The bridal shower theme I chose, which can easily be found all over Pinterest, was a Kate Spade theme with black and white stripes, some gold and bright pinks.
The tables were decorated with black and white striped runners made out of fabric purchased from Ikea. Table numbers and vases were decorated with black and white striped paper and all the flowers were artificial from Dollarama. I couldn’t believe how well they turned out for fake flowers! My daughter just loves games so each place setting had a set of five game cards clipped together that the guests could fill out before and after their meal.
The dessert table is always my favourite to decorate and this one turned out wonderfully! The cake, cookies and cupcakes were made by a wonderful local bake shoppe - Baking Up Treble. I added some pink cinnamon lollypops and gold Ferraro Rocher chocolates for added colour and staggered the desserts on trays and cake stands of varying heights. I just love the look of this table in front of the beautiful golf course view. Can you believe this photo was taken by my cousin’s nine year old daughter?!
The highlight of the shower were the photo booth and props. Thankfully the Maid of Honour is a talented DIY’er and we managed to decorate it by hanging paper flowers and pinwheels from fishing line to frame the background. This was a great way for everyone to have a little fun and also get a photo with the bride. As you can tell from these photos it turned out really well despite the fact that I did not hire a professional photographer for this event.
Finally it was time to say good-bye and remind our guests to pickup a favour on the way out. Some of the bridesmaids helped me assemble these “little brides” made up of light pink nail polish with sparkly veils and a “Mani Thanks” tag.
Sources:
Venue – Meadowbrook Golf Club
Desserts – Baking Up Treble
Fabric and vases – Ikea
Game Cards & signs – Etsy
Photo backdrop – Amazon
Backyard Engagement Party
Currently, I’m knee deep in planning the decor for my daughter’s upcoming bridal shower, a once in a lifetime event that I am so excited for. I can’t share any details on the decor as the shower theme is going to be a surprise so I decided to do a post on the engagement party we hosted last summer.
It was in the days leading up to this party that I had my “aha” moment and realized that I had to stop what I was doing and follow my heart down the career path that I had given up earlier in life – interior design. I really enjoy planning, designing and decorating almost anything so it’s no surprise I enjoyed the preparation for the party immensely. I was working long hours on a contract in the city so I decided to hire Connie Berenguer of Perfectly Planned Parties to help and she was incredible at executing the things that I wasn’t as familiar with, especially the catering and rentals. I can’t say enough about great she is to work with. She also provided full coordination services the entire day of the party which allowed me to relax and enjoy the special celebration with my guests.
Although it’s not very large, I had always suspected my backyard would work well for a catered summer party and this was my chance to figure out how it could be done. We had just installed a new, crisp blue pool liner and since it was July, all the foliage in my yard was green and lush and so I decided to use white for the decor.
My dad taught me to use hinges for various DIY projects when I was younger so I did a bit of googling and built this sign for the entrance to the party.
There are so many cute party decor items available these days. The key is to choose wisely and not go too crazy with the decor.
We continued the black and white chalk board theme throughout the party with signs that Connie had designed and printed.
After everyone had arrived we served a simple prosecco and cranberry cocktail that I found on pinterest and gathered for a few words from my husband, the groom and the groom’s father.
The food by Cookery Catering was incredible. They use high quality, locally inspired ingredients in everything they do.
And lastly, the dessert table was comprised of a variety of delicious sweets homemade by my mom and a beautiful naked cake by another local favourite - Nutmeg Bakeshop.
These photos and many more captured the day magnificently and I have Ksenia at KS Studios to thank for that. All in all, it was a very special day that I will remember forever.
Sources:
Event Planner: Connie Berenguer
Food and Catering: Cookery Catering
Cake: Nutmeg Bakeshop
Photography: KS Studios
