Christmas Inspiration

The dreary rainy day we had today made me feel like doing some holiday decorating so, I went off to my favourite garden centre Terra to see what goodies I could find to fill my outdoor urn.  This place is always full of decorated trees and the latest ornaments too.



First the kids Christmas tree - wouldn't this be sweet in the play room?



A nice combo of chartreuse, gold and chocolate!
A fresh take on traditional decor



A bronze tree covered in gold silk hydrangeas and pine cones
I can see this tree in the library


Feathers, metallics and sparkly bits add some glamour to any holiday decor



What about a HOT Christmas?
Not sure I like the red tree, but I love the porcelain reindeer - so elegant.



Another reindeer stands proudly by the tree -
protecting the gifts from crazy pets perhaps!



Plaid is alive and well this Christmas and thanks to Steven & Chris  for
bringing us a new take on plaid with grey and black accessories - very cool!


 

Aren't these stockings cute?


A nice hostess gift and it's already wrapped in a reusable burlap bag, very eco-friendly

I left the store with some boxwood, magnolia and cedar branches for my urn and some other goodies.  Check back for the results coming soon.










Interior Design and Advertising

Like most small businesses I'm bombarded on a daily basis by marketing initiatives from design suppliers and manufacturer's that want me to choose their products when designing homes for my clients.  Many of them host lovely Trade-only events to feature new lines and launch products but sadly some fall short on the WOW! factor that will put us in buying mode.

Given my Marketing background, I truly appreciate when a company has pushed the creative envelope in their advertising to engage and intrigue their audience.  If I stop on a magazine page for more than 3 seconds, it's because the delivery of the key message has hit a cord in some way, whether through amusement, shock or just the pleasure of a beautiful ad.  When it comes to TV ads it's even harder to captivate the audience because a snack may be lurking during the break in the main event. 

Delta faucets knows how to treat a lady - check out their latest TV spot for the In2ition shower head and tell me if YOU need a shower afterwards!  Great products and, as I found out recently at the Canadian Design Bloggers event, Delta knows how to treat design bloggers too.

The tile industry has also made some great strides in taking you on an emotional journey and demonstrating how beautiful tiles are far more than just a great practical and functional choice, but can actually be ART in any room. 


Caesarstone - crocodile rock!



Bisazza's provocative 2009 ad campaign shot by famed Japanese photographer
Nobuyoshi Araki demonstrates their love of avant garde creative expression


Artistic Tile's Let Us Fashion Your Dreams campaign has several versions of this ad 
which blends fashion and style to demonstrate their wide breadth of mosaic tile options
 - a little skin doesn't hurt either!  I believe there may have been some ads with women,
but I don't recall those as much :)



Oscar de la Renta's recent creation for Lee Jofa made heads turn
when these mannequins were displayed at the boutique in New York. 
I heard the skirts were going to be auctioned off for charity at some point.



Wedgwood hopped on the design bloggers
 "fashion meets interiors" craze with this one and the fun and whimsical approach
really works, even for fine china.



Sub-Zero knows that not only does their product have to be beautiful
and provide state of the art features, but ultimately,
it's target audience is foodies with restaurant quality kitchens. 
These food-based ads are big impact and mouth-watering.



What's cuter than this?
As long as it's not Sunday morning and you're still in bed.
Scandia knows that white linen far outsells any other colour 
despite the gorgeous bedding options that are out there. 



I couldn't resist the "create your own man" in the box ad from Absolut Vodka
which has been capturing our imagination through their gorgeous
and provocative ads for years now.   He even brings flowers!!
 Since the setting was in a modern living space, I figured it qualified for a design blog post.

Do you have a favourite interior design ad?


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