interior design Archives - Page 12 of 20

Project Lake House | Introductions

When your favourite client of all time calls and says she’s just purchased a new Lake House and would like your help with a bit of decorating, the qualifying questions to get to “yes” are few and far between. Add to that a beautiful post-and-beam structure as the starting point, and you can understand why it’s not too much of a burden.

One of the first rooms we will be addressing is the kitchen. I’ve recommended that the clients paint out the wood cabinets to provide some relief and contrast to the wood ceilings, log walls and post-and-beam structure of the cottage. It’s always a tough one for people to consider as we’re all a bit precious about wood, aren’t we? I understand that, but I really do think this seemingly courageous move will help to define the kitchen area and break up the visual monotony of all that wood.

That said, there are other changes we will be making to transform the space either way. We will be installing a rustic splitface slate grey backsplash to tie in with the granite countertops and the floors; the cabinetry hardware will be replaced with something with greater contrast; the super-high raised breakfast bar {it’s almost chin height when you stand in front of it} will be coming down; and the lighting will definitely be addressed as well.

The previous owners had a serious love for all things green, but green is not my client’s favourite colour. Gratefully, the floors and granite counters in the kitchen are a more neutral palette, and in almost all of the rooms of this beautiful property we can remove the green accents without great effort and take things in a much more modern direction, befitting of my very sophisticated clients.

{All “before” cottage images via Royal LePage}

I actually love all of the grey and sandy tones in the natural slate floors, so we will be using that as our jumping off point for the colour palette for the soft furnishings, starting with a custom rug.

In fact, we’ve already got our strikes back! Strikes are samples that are made up before finalizing the order for a custom rug. Allan has taken very good care of us as usual. We fell in love with a more contemporary feeling Ikat pattern and customized the palette on site at the Lake House using wool and silk poms to reference the colours in the floor. We chose to have two strikes made up – one a combination of wool and silk, and the second 100% pure bamboo silk.

You can definitely see the dark and the light side of the bamboo silk rug more clearly than with the wool and silk in this case. The image above shows the light side of the bamboo silk, and the image below shows the dark side.

Here are the initial fabrics we are working with…

…which led us to the obvious winner: the 100% bamboo silk. The client and I both prefer the lighter side of the rug, so it will be installed such that it is what you see when facing the focal point of the stone fireplace. We love the airbrushed, softened effect of the striation the weavers used on the silk piece. It is still modern but bridges the masculine and the feminine very well. I can’t WAIT to see it in place!

In the meantime, the furniture is on order, including some custom designed pieces that will suit the rustic and organic vibe of this cottage while elevating it with more of a modern aesthetic. I’m so looking forward to updating you on our progress in the weeks to come!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|October 24th, 2013|0 Comments

High Point Market Highlights | CR Laine

The welcome upon walking into the CR Laine showroom at High Point Market is not only a warm one, it is a dramatic and engaging mix of definitive style, bold colour and incredible comfort. Knowing that CR Laine was the first furniture manufacturer to achieve Sustainable By Design registration back in 2008, they were on the top of my list of showrooms to visit . Friends, they did not disappoint. Just look at the stunning style statement made in the sofa and chair featured in the first striking vignette.

CR Laine‘s commitment to style, comfort and colour shone brightly with each furniture grouping I encountered. I wish I had a teleporter to take you there so you could sit in these pieces yourself. Each one passes the “tushie test” with flying colours. Pitch {the slope of the seat and back}, seating {cushion construction} and arm heights are all perfectly proportioned, creating a beautiful marriage between form and function. There’s also a healthy dose of sexy thrown in for good measure. Just look at these Mongolian fur-backed occasional chairs! {bites palm} To die for.

I loved CR Laine‘s fearless creativity with upholstery, showcased on pieces like this classic linen daybed, made modern and sophisticated with the introduction of a powder blue racing stripe through the middle of the piece.

A similar racing stripe created serious drama and contrast on the beautifully proportioned Oliver Swivel Chair {below}. At only 26.5″ wide, this chair is perfect for a condo or any other small dwelling in which space is at a premium. Tidy on dimensions, huge on style.

As a third-generation family-run company, CR Laine has grown into a full service upholstered furniture manufacturer producing totally customizable, bench-made pieces. What does that mean? Well for starters, they are extremely committed to environmental sustainability using sustainably harvested hardwoods for all of their kiln-dried frames. They use only water-based wood adhesives that are VOC-free, and even the eight-way hand-tied coil springs are made from 50% recycled metal. Seat decks and trim pads are made from 80% regenerated fibres and they use as much soy in the content of their foam as they possibly can without there being any issues with breakdown of composition over time. They even offer a lifetime warranty on the frames of their pieces!

Seating can be customized with envelope cushions {down/feather wrapped foam core} and bench seats {one solid seat cushion on sofas} which makes this designer very, very happy. Interesting headboard profiles and Custom nailhead details {available on chairs and sofas as well as headboards} make customization a dream. Want to bring a little bit of Steve McQueen runway fashion into your home décor? Not a problem.

{Translation: CR Laine clearly understands a designer’s need to personalize each piece for their client’s unique homes and tastes. Customization is de rigeur for this amazing upholstery manufacturer.}

I loved this Mad Men-esque, mid-century throwback arm chair – an incredibly comfortable and undeniably stylish statement piece.

And speaking of comfort, I found the dream nursery chair in CR Laine‘s beautiful showroom. The Heath Swivel Glider {below} has classic, modern lines that are married with what is honestly the most comfortable sit on a glider chair I’ve ever experienced. The swivel glider mechanism is not only seamless integrated into the design of the chair, but it also functions so fluidly that I have no doubt it rocks both parent and child to sleep effortlessly.

Given the timelessness of the design, this is also a chair that would transition out of a nursery and into any living room or family room design plan effortlessly, making it a practical and satisfying long-term investment. CR Laine‘s fabric selections are also impressive, including exclusive Sunbrella textures and prints and their own Infinesse performance fabric options. Oh yes, and remember all of those amazing details I shared about CR Laine‘s sustainable and environmentally responsible construction? It all adds up to make for one very happy designing mama.

You really don’t have to give up quality construction and environmental integrity for comfort, style and design. Cue Survivor’s 1985 synth-driven hit power ballad, because friends, the search is over. I have definitely found everything I was looking for, all in one chair.

{You can thank me later for having that awesome song stuck in your head for the rest of the day.}

xo
s.

PS – Stay tuned in the weeks to come for more of my favourites from High Point Market!

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|October 23rd, 2013|0 Comments

Suzanne Tucker Interiors | The Romance of Design

{Photo by Matthew Millman}

A gorgeous new design volume released yesterday, and I am beyond delighted to be sharing it with you. Suzanne Tucker Interiors: The Romance of Design pays homage to the love language of details. Offering entrée into exquisitely and elegantly designed private residences, this inviting and engaging volume chronicles the refined and sophisticated work of Architectural Digest AD100 Designer Suzanne Tucker of San Francisco’s Tucker & Marks.

{Photo by Matthew Millman}

{Photo by Vera Vandenbosch}

This beautiful book really is a study in the lost art of the mix. Each space feels as though it is a carefully curated story, each chapter artfully describing the journeys and experiences of a lifetime. And it is no wonder, for this highly refined “art of the mix” is a cornerstone to Suzanne Tucker’s design philosophy.

“My passion is for design, and for using all of the elements of design and the decorative arts to create homes that are personal portraits of my clients,” says Suzanne.

{Photo by Matthew Millman}

For the design obsessed, Tucker’s beautiful book is also a study in the spectacular use of architectural mouldings, exquisite floor details, stunning woodwork, custom cabinetry, fine art, luxurious materials and a vast array of antiques and modern furniture pieces expertly balanced to create these sophisticated yet approachable spaces. Far from austere or museum-like, these spaces invite, engage, evoke and compel, creating the context for lives lived with ease and elegance.

{Photo by Edward Addeo}

{Photo by Matthew Millman}

The spaces featured in this visually stunning book range from classic to contemporary and from casual to formal with a look inside an art-filled contemporary townhouse, a Normandy-style country estate and even a massive mountain lodge, to name just a few. It is the sort of volume one returns to again and again to soak in the details and to learn from one of the most recognized interior designers in the United States.

Be sure to check out Suzanne Tucker’s line of textiles and tabletop at Suzanne Tucker Home as well, available through luxury showrooms and stores across the US.

Wishing you a detailed and delightful Wednesday!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|October 16th, 2013|0 Comments