interior design Archives - Page 9 of 20

Family-Friendly Luxurious Living | An Interview with Brian Gluckstein

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Brian Gluckstein for the first time at a special evening for designers and media at the beautiful Princess Margaret Showhome.

Having been a fan of his work for many years, it was a delight to have the opportunity to chat with Brian about trends and traditions alike. The conversation was so interesting that I just knew I had to share some of Brian’s thoughts and insights with you via this interview. Brian is {not surprisingly} a very busy man, traveling constantly amidst working with his busy roster of design clients, so I’m very grateful he’s taken the time to share with us today.

Brian, you are known internationally for designing elegant and luxurious homes exquisitely detailed for entertaining. What is the number one request you get from clients who are designing grand yet child-friendly homes?

The number one request I receive is a designated playroom so toys and games can be stored and used in a specific space, minimizing clutter throughout the house.

What are your favourite choices for floors and countertops in a family-friendly yet glamorous environment?

I love hardwood floors and I’m using a lot of reclaimed and distressed flooring in projects. This works really well with children because it’s beautiful and so forgiving to wear. I do use natural stone in family homes but I also introduce man-made materials like Caesarstone because it’s impervious to stains.

What about fabrics? What are some creative applications you recommend to your clients where small and sticky fingers might be a part of everyday life?

We often use outdoor fabrics in kitchens and playrooms. They wear so well. The outdoor fabrics currently on the market come in beautiful colours and patterns – you’d never guess they were designed for outdoor applications!

Where do families designing homes have to compromise luxury for practicality, and where should they never compromise?

Never compromise on quality. For example, you can look to a luxuriously built sofa but incorporate wearable, user-friendly textiles.

What trends do you see for interior design as you look ahead into 2014?

We’re going to see a lot of antiqued brass in homes, wood grain patterns on everything from dinnerware to textiles and the integration of antiques into contemporary spaces.

Antiqued brass and mirror Greek Key Serving Tray from The Gluckstein Home Collection, available at The Bay.

Soap dispenser from the Gluckstein Home Briar Collection, available at The Bay.

Towel from the Gluckstein Home Briar Collection, available at The Bay.

In a world where high-end designs and products are being knocked off at the speed of light, how do you offer your clientele customized and bespoke spaces that don’t look like “what everyone else has?” How is this trend of luxury design product “dopplegängers” changing the industry and your approach to designing homes for your luxury clients?

We do a lot of custom designed furniture and particularly in luxurious materials like aged metals, cashmeres and silks. We’re even using cashmere for carpets and upholstery. The use of antiques mixed into contemporary spaces really gives the home an identity that can’t be reproduced.

What is the number one “must have” that you believe every family home should not be without?

A library.

Given my love of reading, it isn’t hard for me to take Brian’s advice to heart by adding a library to my dream house wish list! More than anything, I love his approach to designing family-friendly homes without compromising on quality. Elegance can be attainable through any phase of life with smart choices on finishes and textiles, and a truly fabulous designer can help you make that dream a reality!

Thank you so much, Brian, for taking the time to share your insights with us. You are as lovely a man as you are a brilliant designer, and it was such a joy to meet you! I sincerely hope our paths will cross again soon.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|December 12th, 2013|0 Comments

A Design Find for Foodie Friday | Stunning Manmade Marble Slabs | Apparently There IS Something Like The Real Thing, Baby

I must apologize for not offering any new recipes to you over the last couple of weeks. Getting ready for Christmas and a baby has made things a little extra busy around here, so getting inventive in the kitchen has hit the back burner for a bit. There’s just less time for inspiration to strike when you’re busy trying to get everything on that to-do list done! I’m sure you all know exactly what I’m talking about.

That does not mean that I haven’t had my head in the kitchen, though! Our kitchen really is the heart of our home, as it is for all of the houses I design. It’s where we gather, where natural conversation unfolds about the meaningful stuff of life, where we create together, where we nurture each other with sustenance. Perhaps that’s why I love designing kitchens so much! It means a lot to me that the heart of the home is a happy one…and one that is as functional as it is beautiful.

With all of that said, you’ll understand why I am swooning to the point of needing a fainting couch over today’s Design Find. You think I exaggerate? I do not. Whenever a product is released that marries luxury with practicality, I get rather animated. And with this new product find, I’m basically giddy and jonesing for my next kitchen design project {or my next house so I can use this for myself!!}.

We all know and love the look of a white marble slab kitchen counter. It’s been a classic for literally centuries, but it’s also been a practical cook’s biggest dilemma. Here’s the thing: White marble + red wine, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes or anything else acidic and staining = disaster. Like, instantly. Marble is so porous that it immediately absorbs whatever you place on it, meaning that a pristine and beautifully veined white marble kitchen counter will quickly become mottled and stained if you actually cook in your kitchen.

Man made substitutes abound, but nothing has come close to replicating the natural veining and beauty of real stone. Until now. In fact, what if I told you that the kitchen pictured above was finished with manmade marble slabs? Yep. They are totally beautiful and totally not the real thing, baby. And I bet even my most discerning designer friends would never have known it if I hadn’t told you!

{Manmade Calacutta marble slab}

These incredible slabs – made and imported from Italy – are seriously this designer’s dream come true. With all of the performance of a man-made product – impermeable, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, totally stain resistant and beautifully hard wearing – these slabs are also as close to the real thing as I’ve ever seen. They can even be bookmatched to achieve the decadently custom look you see in the images below:

{Image via Pinterest}

{Image via Croma Design}

These revolutionary stone slabs are being made in a variety of stone replicas, including marbles and travertines. The slabs are 1/4″ thick, but can be mitred for as big an edge build-up as your sweet-loving heart desires.

Availability will start to increase as of January 2014, so get out the AutoCAD and start designing, friends! Those previously inaccessible kitchens just became a reality, proving dreams really do come true. This might just be enough to make me want to move so I can create a whole new kitchen. Oh boy. Those are dangerous words!

For more information on product specs and availability, contact Luis at Trends & Trades.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|December 6th, 2013|2 Comments

Project Debonaire Young Sir | Hallway Reveal

I am so excited to be sharing the beginnings of the reveal on all of Graham’s hard work in what we are now affectionately calling Noah’s pied-à-terre. Between the gorgeous bathroom {which is nearly done!}, his delicious bedroom {which is about 60-75% complete!} and this delightfully simple yet sophisticated hallway which connects the two, he might just be moving into the nicest part of the house when it’s all said and done!

I’ve trained him into understanding how lucky he is by saying, “Noah, repeat after me…I am spoiled” such that now all I have to say is “Noah, repeat after me…” and he replies with “I know, I know! I’m totally spoiled!”

It really does make my heart happy to be giving him such a beautiful space to move into now that we are taking over his old room for the new nursery. He’s a visual kid and is really into details {no idea where he gets it from!} so this feels like we are speaking his love-language in a really special way.

One more thing before I get to the photos: as a designer, I often find that hallways are overlooked opportunities in many homes, feeling more like wasted space or simply traffic areas rather than design moments given thoughtful attention to detail. I wanted to avoid that sense of visual neglect in this little hallway, and I think I can safely say “mission accomplished.” It’s clean, simple and classy, and the truth is, I rather love it.

The success of this space is really about 3 things: Pattern, Dimension and Colour.

PATTERN

The sense of pattern and texture is derived from the simple but decadent herringbone pattern of the floor. Using a simple striated porcelain tile {still can’t get over how much it looks like natural stone!}, we created this pattern out of about a thousand off-cuts and a lot of hard work on Graham’s part, and it was SO worth the effort. The floor is subtle and yet a total statement-maker. {Have I mentioned he is my own personal super-hero?}

DIMENSION

The dimension for this hallway is all about the paneling. Simple applied moulding can totally transform a space from yawn-worthy to yes! Adding architectural detailing is one of my favourite things to do in my clients’ spaces, and this is really the poor man’s version of the high-end custom raised paneling I often design for luxury homes. That said, it still creates major impact and takes the look from flat to fabulous, turning a small and boring hallway into an interesting experience.

COLOUR

I am a huge lover of a cream and dove grey colour palette. There’s something very elegant and soothing about this combination, and the French and Scandinavian references in this palette are truly classic. So taking my cues from the tile floor, I chose the gorgeous Pavillion Gray from Farrow + Ball for the baseboard, walls, applied moulding and crown moulding. With floor-to-ceiling dove grey gorgeousness, the feeling is one of being enveloped in quiet sophistication. I literally exhale and feel calmer just looking at it!

One quick designer’s side note: If you are going to use applied moulding to create paneling, please, please, please don’t paint it out a contrasting colour. It should be the same colour as the wall. Always. Some rules are made to be broken. This one is not.

I can’t thank Farrow + Ball enough for generously providing the paint for this project. I have used Farrow + Ball for many years on my design projects and love their amazing, historically-referenced colour palette. The saturation and sophistication of colour is like no other line out there. The truth is, I am not usually the one doing the painting on my design projects, so I’ve always chosen them for their premium quality, VOC-free healthy status and their gorgeous colour palette. But can I tell you, the paint applies like a dream? We chose semi-gloss for everything, which could have been a bit of a risk when painting it over old plaster rather than properly wood-panelled walls. Not with Farrow + Ball. This clay-based paint adheres beautifully and was very forgiving of our less-than-perfect plaster, as well as the old wood door at the end of the hall.

The only thing left to do for this hallway is replace the light fixture, which is on my to-do list for the New Year.

For now, though, the bathroom {the door on the left}, Noah’s room {the door on the right} and the nursery take top priority. It’s starting to feel like we are in the home stretch, and with 6 weeks left until my due date, that feels just about right!

Wishing all of my American friends an amazing Thanksgiving today, brimming with gratitude and gorgeous food, good conversation, enough laughter to make your ribs hurt, and memories made to carry with you into the next year.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|November 28th, 2013|1 Comment