Layers and Layers - Styling Tips

Our  No.1 question from clients when we first meet is "Why can't I get my space to look finished?"  (inquiry just this am with this exact question!)

And our answer is always the same. Completing a room/home/space requires not only furniture that fits in terms of scale colour style but more importantly it requires the detailed layers of accessories art and decor to pull it all together and "feel" right. ( and done!) 
Final styling is the most important piece of the puzzle!

Its not about styling secrets...we aren't magic - although we like to believe when that's the word used lol 🙌. But there are some definite styling constants that always work so keep them in mind when finishing a space or changing it up! Look to magazines and online decor sources for inspiration and what speaks to you and then copy the look with your collected bits.

Create and complete YOUR story

It's your home. Find what inspires you ( trust that!)  and sprinkle throughout. The story of you and and the people living there . We always think a space should fit like a favourite pair of shoes. Looks like a million dollars and tells us who you are! If its forced and "not you" that comes across in the feeling of a space. I always relay the day we looked at our current home. When I was standing at the front door looking into the space for the first time I knew...right then it was a home that reflected and felt like me.💓

Remarkable Interiors

Scale

Group objects you love . Typically larger at the back, smaller at the front. Group in odd  numbers - but don't stress on that! Even is lovely and clean looking too!
Fill space gently- don't block it. Scale pieces to the surface size.

Remarkable Interiors

Reflection

I don't mean deep inner reflection! I mean reflect the light everywhere! Mirrors open up a space, reflecting light and beauty. Use them often!!

Remarkable Interiors

Remarkable Interiors

Texture

Lovely texture on walls, floors, surfaces! Layer neutral textures everywhere. This is again why sometimes places feel so good. Texture gives a sense of cozy and warm. Books are a great way to add texture. I LOVE old books for that reason- old and weathered with a story    (literally and figuratively!) to tell.

Remarkable Interiors

Remarkable Interiors

Organics

Broken record! Broken record! Greenery floral and organics  ( alive or faux) in a space  = LIFE. Many times this is the element missing. Faux is fab for black thumbs ( or travellers or just plain busy people) Such great bits out there now! Tuck greenery into pots on a bookshelf, coffee table, kitchen counter, bedside table. Every space you live in needs a hit of fresh!

Remarkable Interiors

Soft Decor

Pillows and throws and pouffs are a great way to add the final layers on your seating areas and of course on the bed. (groan from the men folk!!) carry your colour scheme into the pillows and add another one for some fun and interest! We always suggest feather inserts in throw pillows - they don't flatten like poly inserts and can be fluffed easily! Its amazing how changing up the pillows can change the look of a room instantly! Try it! Small investment big reward.

Remarkable Interiors

Remarkable Interiors

OK friends! Go rearrange or fluff or showcase your special things! Change is great! Thinking of one (or all!) of these aspects above will guide you. Have fun. Candy for your room and its YOUR story:)

~ Tracey 🌿

New Year, New Look. Whats on Trend?

Yes another New Year (cheers🎊!) and another round of “Trends”. Lots to sift through in the home decor world these days! Many say conflicting things!

So... where do you go for the real goods?

If you 💗 it then that is pretty much all you need !

Really! It’s your home, you live there and if you love a certain look colour style then go for it! How to pull that all together is another whole thing and that's maybe where you look for help - magazines, inspiration pics (Pinterest Houzz) , call a friend with a good eye, call in a professional. We do A LOT of styling with only what homeowners currently have. It's amazing what a little shifting, editing and styling can do.

If you want a refresh but limited on time and budget (most of us!) There are simple quick ways to refresh and feel like you are up to date with your space.

I just read an article where designer Kristi Margiotta called it the "3 P’s of Decorating

• Paint
• Pillows
• Plants 

I love this because its totally true- if you do 1 or all 3 of these you can create a fresh new look in a room fast and inexpensively.

Paint is still our number 1 go to for quick refresh! And its relatively inexpensive - especially if you can DIY - plus a HUGE transformation if the walls haven't been updated for years! Calm fresh colours that flow through out the entire house always work.Pick only one or 2! Add some drama with colour in personal spaces - master bedroom dining area or office. (wallpaper is also a great Drama add-on in these rooms- that's a whole other post !!) 

So guys, pillows are really a girls best friend! An added step to uncover the bed or sofa is just your new fact of life 😉 But really, just the simple step of changing up the pillows in a room can create a whole new look. The key is pulling together solids and patterns with texture and colour! Don't be afraid to mix and match!

                                                             Photo Pottery Barn

Plants… I have a black thumb so everything green in my home is not real ( faux- cringe- not the trailing dusty ivy!!) If you can, live greenery is awesome, if contained and simplified. If that's not an option there are TONS of really great modern faux greens to work with.(locally- Chintz Pier 1 Homesense) We ALWAYS use greenery in our end styling and that is what finishes a room. The Fiddle Leaf fig is definitely trendy but a really really great tree! Grasses and succulents always add softness but still that bit of green life we need in a space.

               

If you are looking for more ways to incorporate something new (old!) think on these …

Hygge ( pronounced hoo-ga) is all the rage right now. This is a Danish word used for the “feeling” of cozy! Think comfy knitted warmth being present in the moment in front of a fire - that's Hygge. So you can't really buy it per se, but you can create the feeling in your home. There are lots of Hygge books out now for inspiration and I do think this is here to stay as we all try to connect more within and shut out the junk and noise in our busy lives.

Boho and Jungalo are another blast from the past! I made Macrame plant hangers by the dozen at summer camp! Again these are back on trend but the key is to not go so far that it feels cluttered and busy. This is big with the millennials! (my daughters follow tons of instagrammers that have a great design aesthetic which I think is pretty cool from a design mom thing!) This is where plants rule and texture is Queen. Jute , pattern, greenery and coloured accents…this all works especially when on a simple backdrop of white.

                                                                     Photo IKEA

                                                    photo Karissa Pukas

                                               photo Karissa Pukas

Classic elegance will never go out of style. Seeing updates with this is terms of finishes metals -especially gold is here to stay, just that they are softer- brushed and burnished).  Some say the white kitchen is out…I disagree. A white kitchen makes my heart beat faster! Keeping it warmer with wood accents and textures is how it can stay fresh. Again here is when - if you love it, then it will work - is so true! Flooring is going lighter and I love this. Time and maintenance saver. Lots of different flooring choices now- in millions of shades and textures and price points.

                                                                                 Photo oldseagroveshomes

                              

                                                                        Photo Brian Gluckstein

                                                                           Photo Eichholtz

Know what you love, know when to stop, know when to ☎ a friend or expert for help. That will save you time energy and money - and on your way to a fresh new look!

_________________

Happy Styling 2018!

~ Tracey

BLUE MONDAY? Find your smile - maker!

According to lots of pseudoscientists today ( January 6 ) is BLUE MONDAY. The most depressing day of the year. And... it came early this year  as it is generally gloom and doom day at the end of January! Oh Hurrah!  Anyways... I'm a fairly positive outlook person but this got me thinking.

What makes me smile? ....quick appropriate answer is lots of stuff...

my kids/husband/family...my friends...my dogs...a nice glass of Kim Crawford - Sauv Blanc/ poolside/served by nice young pool boy 

... oops  I digress ( but smiling!)

The other things that make me smile right now are, in reality ...not gunna lie

...a little more superficial.

Here's some of my pick-me-up smile makers in no particular order :

   

White cottage...ahhh                                                    

                                                       DesignSeeds

This is just a happy place....

Bahaha!

                                                    styleathome.com

WHITE is RIGHT!

                                                 KimCrawfordWines

What is not to like about this brand? Love their marketing & web photos! ( and wine!)

                                         BuildDirect.com

In 2014 UPCYCLE something!!

                                                      LindaHoltInteriors

Pillows? ...never too many!

I have this sofa on my desktop...and yep smile every time I see it!

Happy New Year Friends. Find something to put a silly smile on your face...and OFTEN!

Cheers!

~ Tracey