f i n i s h e d . r e n o

so i finally finished my little reno of the downstairs bathroom. painting the wood work white and spray painting the brown window frames fresh white to match really brightened up the little space! choosing a shower curtain that worked with the existing tile floor was an easy way to narrow down a wall color. the light green squares on the curtain that are a little hard to see in this image were a perfect match to dill pickle by benjamin moore. i decided to keep the existing mirror and have not decided on wall art yet but im sure something will jump out at me on one of my shopping days!

i . h e a r t . p a t t e r n

i am a lover of pattern and texture. this is not to say that im not a lover of color as well however i love mixing textures. the image above is a glimpse into my bedroom where i have mixed brocade pillows, printed bedding and french landscape wallpaper and i think they all go beautifully together. since the space was done mostly in black and white adding some "pretty in pink" and "summer fresh green" was a nice way for me to soften up the harshness of a monochromatic palate. i love to mix wood, glass, prints, photography, vintage and new however i think it is easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to work modern elements with antiques and color with neutrals. my advice is to start small and not to rush into completing a space on a time schedule but instead collect the perfect pieces as you find them. flea markets, vintage stores, small boutiques... all great hiding places for those old glass vases and gold picture frames that can work as points of interest in a room. your homework this weekend: hit up a flea market!

v i n t a g e . vs . f a k e

i have been working on a free lance project for a client in vancouver and have realized that the wonderful world of furniture stores here is oh so sad. when your wanting to work with mid-century modern design there are only 4 options in vancouver. 1. inform interiors (this is where i work) 2. living space 3. ital interiors 4. vintage

if you are buying an eames piece from anywhere else you are buying a fake! i am so devastated by the overwhelming take over of stores like nood, yaletown sofe and koolhaus. these companies not only sell ripped off designs but they cheapen the design itself because all of a sudden its seen in every display suite and apartment in the city and worst of all they dishonour the artist and designer who created the piece in the first place. it is actually amazing to me that such stores can even get away with this blatant theft! *sigh makes me want to cry.

my current client holds the same design morals as i do but really loves mid century modern design yet cant afford to buy from stores like inform or living space so i started to explore the wonderful world of vintage. it can be time consuming and you need to know your pieces so you know when your buying "authentic reproductions" vs knock-offs.

i recently discovered an online site called "Lushpad" which is easy to use and sells vintage mid century pieces along with other items of interest and i highly recommend that everyone checks it out! there is also a lovely little store on main street called fabulous finds. they are small so they dont carry a huge amount of items but it is worth checking out and they are honest about which pieces are certified and which ones are not.

it can be frustrating and difficult designing your space when the city you live in doesnt offer a great deal of variety so my advice to my client was "use your imagination and look past the piece of furniture you desire." sometimes when you cant afford the piece you want, instead of trying to match it pull all the things out of it that you love; the shape, the material, the color... and use your imagination to come up with a new solution. you may just surprise yourself and create your own look for the space instead of the one seen in the latest issue of elle decor!