What Time Is It???

Magazines, Movies, Television Shows, Newspapers and Computers, we are constantly bombarded by images of the New Perfect Design Idea. Whether it be the white washed, frescoed, well worn look of Southern France or the leather, metal and shiny new surfaces of downtown Manhattan, there are endless possibilites available for every budget today. But some ideas just do not fit some lifestyles. Why? Bescause it is the wrong time.

Each of us goes through periods of lifestyle change. The time to experiment with style never stops, however the time when you can actually make certain styles work relies on timing.

What does this mean for today's interiors? Well, take a look at some sample rooms. Do large dogs, babies and tightly scheduled busy moms and dads fit on an all white, fussy, expensively furnished home? Not if you want ease of living.

To respect time guidelines is a must in interior design. One can give a nod to a certain style but it must be interpreted in the appropriate time frame.

Take for instance you have a desire to live in a condo with two bedrooms and have six kids. Perhaps in a few years, when they grow up that condo could meet your needs better. This is a key phrase. Meeting your needs.

Think about what you need first. Think function first. Begin with direct necessary requirements, before your desires and wants and then adapt. That white fabric on the sofa? Perhaps it should be a washable, slipcover. The solution will only be correct for your lifestyle if you start with a PRACTICAL APPROACH.

What time is it in your life?

What's Your Style?

Often we talk to couples and one is traditional and one is contemporary. Some people say, they don't have a style but what they really mean is that they aren't sure how to articulate their style. And even if you did know your style, how would you communicate it?

How does it adapt to your interiors?

Why do people always feel like it might not be "right" so they don't express it? Style is not 'right' or 'wrong' but rather a personal expression. Style shouldn't rule you. You rule. So often working with people, we spend a great deal of time helping them express their likes and dislikes and before you know it they are telling us what we already knew; they have a direction, which a good designer knows how to interpret.

Take your grandmother's hat or something you really love. Look at your favorite object, there is a whole lot of information in there. First, the shape, there is scale, there is texture, era, colour just to start. The terminology of interior design is a language that exists in the fashion world as well. So let's start there. The different eras of the object tells you what eras you may like. For instance, the top hat or the fascinator. The world is now aware that our beautiful modern first princess of the monarchy has shown us with her style choices that a period piece like her iconic hat is new again. The very distant past styles still influence us today. She is today's style icon, the trend setter. What would Catherine's room look like? It would be simple.

The stage is set in a simple farmer's cottage possibly in the Lake District of England. Her drawing room is a timeless, piece of architectural finesse with large floor to ceiling windows, plaster cast walls, beautiful wide plank floors, and high lofted ceilings. The furniture is the epitome of tailored with a casual welcoming essence. There are touches around the room of personal momentos of her and her beloved husbands journeys abroad. There seems to be an appeal of deep affection for family. The colour is a wispy light sky blue effected by the soft gossamer billowing of cotton lawn on the windows. She took the simplest and oldest of furniture and slip covered each piece to create a brand new look. So you see some of the world's weathiest people still know style is about themselves not about what the world expects from them.

"Fashions fade. Style is eternal!" Yves Saint Laurent

Aah! Summer...

Time to relax and enjoy what is the most beautiful season of the year. But can we relax? With the temperature rising and the outdoors beckoning, sometimes things just seem to get more hectic. We see lots of people rushing about with a million things on their minds, blackberrys in hand. Relaxing seems impossible.

The "to do" list is getting longer with outdoor projects added to the other list of ideas you are working on for the indoors. How can you focus on relaxing? Why not try to imagine your favorite place? Is it by the water, at the cottage or campground? Could it be your backyard oasis? Think about what you love about this place and focus on one item which delights your senses. Perhaps a flower colour could be used in the new laundry room. Or could a bouquet of flowers substitute for a time until the next project.

Look around you. Find inpiration in the blue sky, the sunshine and gorgeous sunset. Bring some outdoors inside. A bowl of pinecones and seashells. Change up the sofa with a new light throw, toss in some pretty throw pillows. Open the curtains and blinds, let the breeze blow through your home. Take a photo of play by the water and add it to your decor.

Be adventerous and enjoy a summer long vacation in your home. Marvel at the beauty of nature. Relax, rejeuvinate and have fun!