playing with neutrals

Hi, 

On this grey and rainy day (yuck!!!) I thought I would share these photos of a very soft and tranquil space. As you can tell, my client LOVES white. Layers upon layers of white, winter white, off-white, ecru, cream, ivory, bone, eggshell, and vanilla (just to name a few!). She did not have one single bit of trouble convincing me to help her pull this room together. I loved working on this project. 

Want to know a secret for successfully designing an almost completely white room? TEXTURE. Just as we layered in several different shades of white, so we layered in several different, and equally luxurious, textures. Buttery soft leather on the sofa and chair, smooth marble on the coffee table, faux mongolian lamb's fur on the custom round stools (swoon), wool on the area rug, linen on the drapery panels, velvet on the toss cushions, and I could go on...

Here are some pictures of this great space: 

Oh, I forgot a texture in the list above. A faux fur throw in a soft grey provides a
great contrast against the smooth leather of the chair. 

This marble topped coffee table was a great find by the client at Elte. The
sumptuously soft and subtly sparkly area rug is also from Elte. 

I love adding a contrasting colour to the bottom 1/3 of drapery panels. It really creates a custom look. 

These cute side tables (their short stature means that can easily double as stools) are from CB2.
The table lamp and canvas artwork are from HomeSense .

Love, love, love these completely custom faux Mongolian lamb's fur round stools.
They are so chic, and turned out better than I could have imagined. 

These nesting raffia trays are from West Elm and guess what? They add another great texture to the space. 

The tufted Italian leather sofa and chair are from Elte. I love the nod to Mid Century Design
and the rows of double stitching. It is also superbly comfortable. 

The toss cushions are custom and sewn by the fabulous Lisa Sinclair. I love the
mitred corners on the grey and white linen cushions. That detail just kicks things up a notch. 

The weathered grey finish on the media stand from Structube adds another interesting texture to the space. 

And here's a wider angle view of the room. 

Isn't this space warm and cozy, especially considering the fact that there is so much white? I love how it turned out. What do you think? I'd love to hear your comments. 

Have a great night, 

Kerry 

warmth and sophistication

hello,

I am so excited to share photos with you from a recent shoot of one of my favourite-to-date finished projects. I LOVED working with these clients and I ADORE how the space turned out.

Some of the goals to be accomplished were: 

1) To balance the lightness of the space (fabric and leather upholstery, gold and silver accents, lots of mirrors and mirrored surfaces) with a few bolder choices that work to ground the rooms and add some visual interest (black pendant fixture, wall of custom and one-of-a-kind vintage stamp reproduction prints, accent cushions).

2) To visually connect the two rooms (living and dining). Continuity in colour palette (paint, upholstery) and the repetition of materials (hardwood floor, area rug, mirrored surfaces) help to achieve this goal.

3) To create a relationship between a formal layout and a relaxed atmosphere. Layers of softness (cashmere throw, velvet toss cushion), playful pattern (geometric area rug), a variety of shape (a pair of custom round leather ottomans), and some natural elements (houseplants, fresh cut flowers, a petrified wood sphere) all serve to make the surroundings warm and inviting.


And here is what we came up with: 

If you scroll down a few photos to the image of the dining room hutch, you will
see that the base of this table has a similar shape to the mullions on the cabinet
doors. Repetition of shape is another way to unite two spaces. 

This oval side table is a great conversation piece and is a good height
for resting your cocktail. Through Elte. 

I love mixing "high" with "low" to create a space that is both visually interesting
and budget friendly.  Here, I incorporated pieces from Elte, West Elm, and HomeSense. 

Mixing metals is a little bit daring, but very sophisticated! 

The wall colour is HC-172 Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore. Round brass
mirror is through CB2, quatrefoil mirror is through West Elm, and the pendant
fixture is from Prima Lighting. 

The gorgeous sideboard, as well as the "bubbles" mirror
are from Union Lighting and Furnishings. 

Here is a cool aerial view from the upstairs balcony. All toss cushions were
sewn by the talented Lisa Sinclair. Fabric sold to the trade by Duralee.  

It was love at first sight for me when I found these amazing images of
vintage postage stamps.  They were printed as giclee on textured watercolour
paper and professionally framed for a customized look. 

Spherical table lamps (as well as round ottomans and an oval side table) work to balance
out the rectangular shapes in the room (sofa, chairs, art frames). 

Best photo prop ever! Three weeks later and these blooms are still alive! 

The sofa and occasional chairs were custom through HomeSource. Wall colour in this
room is HC-173 Edgecomb Gray  by Benjamin Moore. 

Here is another example of "high" meets "low." Accessories from HomeSense
are perched atop custom Italian hide ottomans. 

The Italian leather used to make these gorgeous ottomans is buttery soft and supple.
Custom area rugs through Magnum Opus Carpets.

I can't decide what I like best about this space.  Hmmm... What do you like?  Post a comment, I'd love to hear from you!


A special thank you to: 

• my wonderful clients - Jackie and Peter 
• Lisa Sinclair Sewing
• Joelle Segal of InBloom Studio
• Sarah Leeman of Bean Shoots Photography
• my awesome assistant - Denise Sharp 
• Stefan Brol at House of Upholstery and Slipcovers
• William Oldacre from FineArtPrint Studio

Thanks for stopping by. 

Kerry