Meeting Larry Laslo

I've wanted to be an Interior Designer for most of my adult life and followed the careers of many designers over the years, some local, some Canadian and many international stars just due to their fabulosity.  

Well this week I had the pleasure of meeting one of our industry's finest - Larry Laslo.

He told us he was leaving for his Palm Beach home right after the show

While attending a trade event this week, we heard the Robert Allen had brought up Laslo as a guest speaker.  I was lucky enough to have a few moments with Mr. Laslo as he strolled the trade show floor before his speech and stopped so graciously to chat with my friend and I.  With a tap on the shoulder and a huge smile he asked us if we were having a good time.  We said that we were and asked the same of him to which he replied "I always have a good time!".  During the quick conversation I asked if he ever gets bored or tired of it all and he said "Never - I love what I do" and he slipped away saying "it was so lovely to meet you ladies".

Me and Christine with the star of the show! 

Before he got up on the stage to give his presentation, the MC reading the very impressive and lengthy introduction turned to Laslo and said "Maybe it would be easier if we only mentioned magazines you haven't been in" to which the Designer replied "Popular Mechanics!".  I knew we were in for a treat right there.

During the presentation he took us through a myriad of homes, commercial spaces, fabrics and furnishings of his designs.  Some of the nuggets that stayed with me are below.

Neutrals are not boring they are about the earth!  Bad colour is so much worse!

Put fabric on walls, it gives the room dimension, interest and warmth.

Use big leaves instead of flowers for a modern floral arrangement.  

Spray them with "flower shine" and they'll last one month in water.

Despite the empire he has built, he only has three full time staff and a modest (yet gorgeously decorated) office.  He prefers to outsource to prestigious suppliers and partners to keep things simple

Use patterned sheer fabric OVER taffeta on double rods for a glamorous and elegant effect with drapery

Lastly, he said a few times that with design its not about the rules, but instead about "conviction"!  You have to believe in your vision and be confident to sell it to the client otherwise why do they need you?

I have to say it was very inspirational for me to meet and listen to the wise words of such an esteemed designer who has been on the Top Designer List of the best shelter magazines for years.

Fabrics for Robert Allen

If you would like to read more about him, here is a great article from 1st dibs.

A day out in St. Jacobs

I have a couple of clients wanting some vintage and unique pieces of furniture so I decided to head out to St. Jacobs this week.  It's a little village (yes, they call it a village) just north-west of the city that I've been wanting to check out for a long time because I had heard it was very quaint and there was a large salvage/vintage shop there called Artefacts that I always see advertised in the decor mags.

So, I headed out with a friend on a beautiful late summer morning for the one-hour drive to the country (sounds so Gatsby but we took Highway #401 most of the way).

We landed here and I was excited just to see the warn barn boards and garden pieces outside - couldn't wait to see what was inside.

When we walked inside the place was just brimming with vintage goodies from church railings, wood and iron shutters and stained glass, to hardware, tiles and lighting.  Just feast your eyes on these beauties:

green doors - right on trend for 2011

this fixture hung from the barn ceiling (about 20 feet high) and it still looked big!

Door knobs and door knockers in all types of patina
almost looks like a shoe display, doesn't it?

pewter door pulls

 

intricate wood panel would look amazing over a large doorway
or even over a sofa

buckets of vintage brass door knobs
I could see a collection of these on a wall as a unique display

Egyptian tiles with colourful patterns
the large white one on the top left is a drawing of a woman on a hand-made tile

vintage tiles

All kinds of doors, windows, columns and decorative objet!

fretwork shutters - could be used as wall art they are so pretty
 imagine these painted in teal or green lacquer

stained glass windows (oops on the dark photo)

love the patina on these oversize columns

decorative vent covers with intricate patterns

don't care for the shiny gold but look at the intricate details on this piece

We left the barn with thoughts of coming back after we toured the shops but ended up spending some money on jewelry (spelling is not Canadian) we found at this cute shop that sells designer inspired pieces:

the lovely Karen Lamarche was so helpful and sweet!

dark grey walls with hits of hot pink everywhere

my friend got this necklace for her birthday
 it comes apart into 5 different strands to give you lots of options on how to wear it

I got this Cartier-inspired silver ring (shown wrapped around a paint chip)
and a pink, summer butterfly bracelet

I also got this leather,  studded clutch

We found a cute little boutique that sold funky, well priced clothes and accessories called Traces of Heaven and we both picked up a couple of items there too.   

 

Then we had lunch at a great cafe/deli called Kokken Village Cafe.  The roasted red pepper soup and panini were amazing and fresh pastries are made daily by this lovely lady.

It was a perfect day out in St. Jacobs and I know I'll be back for some architectural/salvage pieces 

or for next season's clothes shopping.

Have you ever been there?

Happy New Year!

The start of the new school year always feels like the re-start of the year for me.  Back to routine, back to more structured days and in the design world, the start of the big push to get things done for the holidays!

This summer was busy with work (thankfully) and at the same time trying to keep my son entertained for part of the summer that he wasn't at camp.  He was forced to accompany me to furniture showrooms, tile stores, and a kitchen and bath demo - which he thought was cool.  He's now actually considering a career in Architecture and likes the idea of one day having a family business!
Of course, this got me thinking...we would definitely need larger office space, maybe something like this

via

However, my sweet boy is only 10 - let's see how long this dream lasts...for me!

I've also branched out into new projects and styles that I haven't done before, which is always exciting as well as a challenge but, I'm lucky enough to be working with some fabulous clients that enjoy the process and are willing to take the journey down winding paths of design discovery.

A busy bachelor in Bloor West wanted a spa getaway bathroom.
Given the dated fixtures, poor lighting, non-existent insulation and an unpractical layout we gutted the entire space then stole some square footage from a small linen closet in the hallway -  it started off as this

We chose a warm palette of walnut cabinetry,  ivory travertine floors and two-tone, chocolate & cream marble accent tiles .  The whole space was opened up and lightened up, making a big difference in the look and feel of the space.  More details and final reveal coming soon!

Another project just starting is an eclectic living & dining room for an antiques and vintage furniture collector who has some treasured pieces, purchased while living in Asia & Europe, that we'll incorporate into the new space.  It's always helpful to have beautiful inspiration pieces to build around, but the trick is getting the mix of old and new, shiny and worn, bold and background pieces just right.

I'm also working with a client that recently moved to a new home with her husband and two young children.  The house has unique architectural features, soaring windows and lots of light.  But with an awkward layout without dividing walls and a poorly placed corner fireplace, its been an intriguing creative challenge to design an elegant yet casual  living space adjacent to a dining space that must accommodate 8-10 people for frequent entertaining.

The living room is a nice size but just lacks some pizazz.  This space has the potential to be spectacular with the right designer touches!

More to come on these and other projects.