It's always nice to be featured in different publications and magazines!

Beckenstein Fabrics was kind enough to ask me to present my recent projects.  I was happy to be featured with 2 other amazing interior designers. 
​Feel free to read more here https://www.beckensteinfabrics.com/3-talented-interior-designers-share-the-projects-they-completed-this-past-summer/
Thank you so much Beckenstein for your kind words and for featuring our designs!

Would you like a few quick tips on how to calculate the correct size chandelier or pendant light for over your dining room table? 
​Here we go!

In general:
Add the width and length of your dining room ie. 10' + 14' = 24. 
We need a light approximately 24" wide!

Or here are a few general dining room table sizes, and the width of lights that would complement the table nicely.

Oval table 42" long - light should be 18-20" wide.
Oval table 48" long - light should be 24" wide.
​
Square tables? Just take the table size and subtract 12" off each side.
ie. 42" sq. table. -12" and -12" = 18" wide light.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Of course there are variables, but this will get you in the right ballpark!

Here's a few quick tips on lighting placement for your dining room chandelier or pendant.

Specifically, how high do we hang the bottom of our pendant or chandeliers, above our dining room tables?

Well, this depends upon the height of the room.
Here's a few quick examples:
8' high ceiling - hang the bottom of the light, 32 - 36" off of the table.
9' high ceiling - hang the bottom of the light, 36 - 40" off of the table.
10' high ceiling - hang the bottom of the light, 40 - 44" off of the table.

​Hope this quick tip helps!

Calculating the correct CFM (cubic foot per minute) for your bathroom fan is important.  We need the capacity of changing or replacing all of the air in our bathrooms 8 times each hour.  This will remove the moisture that can lead to mold and mildew.

Large bathtubs and showers can give off a lot of steam - which can be relaxing and enjoyable - but - we don't want that steam to stick around. So how do we get rid of it?

A correctly sized fan will help keep our home comfortable and remove the moisture quickly and effortlessly.

Here's how to calculate the correct numbers, so your fan draws out the extra moisture, but isn't too powerful (making it quite noisy).

First, we need to calculate the volume of the bathroom.  

Take the length of the room and multiply it by the width of the room. Take that # and multiply it by the height of the room.  ie. 7' width x 10' length = 70.  70 x the height of the room (9' or however high your ceiling is) = 630.  

Now take that # and divide it by 7.5. Why 7.5? Well remember how I mentioned our air needs to be exchanged 8 times per hour?  Well that works out to being changed every 7.5 minutes.

So 630 divided by 7.5 = 84  I always round up, so that means a fan rated 100 cfm, will be perfect for our bathroom.

Hope this helps keep your bathroom well ventilated so you can enjoy those luxurious hot showers!

I absolutely love working on new projects, it's definitely my favourite aspect of design.  ​You can imagine how thrilled I was to be contacted by Steve Kooner who is one of the real estate sales executives, for the brand spanking new, beautiful town home project called Onyx. He wanted to meet with me to discuss plans to build 129 new townhomes to be built in Clayton Heights,  at 19501 74th Ave., Surrey.  

After meeting the developers in their office, I quickly realized how wonderful they are to work with.  They gave me free rein to select the colours and fixtures for the items.  They trusted my expertise.
I had great suppliers to work with and was honoured that the team loved everything that I presented. I was so impressed with Mr. Jaswant Bassi and the team from Urban Coast Developments.  When viewing items I had selected – doors, hardware, lighting etc., his team mentioned that Jas wanted only high quality items throughout the homes. I had wrongly assumed to go with budget items, (as often builders do this when building on masse,  but upon touring the suppliers showrooms, selecting items, I quickly realized that this is a high-quality builder, he will not put his name on shoddy work or fixtures. Bravo!!

​I always start with the exterior as that truly does show the framework of the design. We decided to go with 3 colour schemes. I wanted the colours to all relate, but feel different and I specially wanted the front doors to pop. You can see below some of our actual materials. We selected Hardie board samples, stonework, front door colours, accent shingle colours, roof colours, garage door colours, lighting and more. One of the things that impressed me most, is that each unit has its own DOUBLE garage, very rare on most complexes I've seen lately.

​​ Inside I started with the kitchen first, as it truly is the heart of the home. We decided to go with two colour schemes inside, which I call Classic and Modern. The Classic scheme has shaker cabinets in white, shiny warm gray backsplash and a beautiful marble look countertop with stunning medium warm brown flooring. The Modern scheme has flat front cabinets with white uppers and grey lowers and a grey island. We have a soft warm grey countertops, combined with a glossy white backsplash.

​The same lighting goes throughout. I used 3 sparkly pendant lights to draw your attention to the beautiful kitchen islands and I used a chrome round light fixture pictured below, for over the dining room table.  The bathrooms are focused in very neutral colour scheme, so you can accessorize with whichever colours that you wish. Keeping with the kitchen cabinet colours I chose white shakers for the Classic bathrooms and grey flat cabinets for the Modern scheme.  ​The bedrooms are clad in a beautiful warm carpet to keep your tootsies toasty, upon waking in the morning. 

Then I moved on to the large amenity building that is located within the complex. It has 2 levels with kitchens (upper and lower). We will be selecting beautiful stackable chairs and tables as well as lovely sofas with accent chairs in the lounging area. This will be able to be rented out for family functions, weddings etc. I wasn't involved in the landscaping, but I do know what is anticipated and they're going to be adding lush trees grass and shrubbery to truly make this complex look warm and inviting.
​
I want to thank Urban Coast Developments, Jas and Rajan Bassi, Sukh and Arsh Pandher; and Steve Kooner and Tom O’Hara (Realtors) for being so wonderful to work with and making me feel like I was part of the team. If you want anymore information on this gorgeous project or to view the sales display suite, please contact Steve or Tom here  http://liveonyx.ca/contact/ or go to their website which is http://liveonyx.ca/ I hear they are selling out fast!
For a quick summary, please view the feature sheet here! http://liveonyx.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/OnyxBrochure.pdf ​

I've been in interior designer for 12 years now and when talking about kitchen renovation, the question I get most often is "What colour do I paint my kitchen cabinets?". 

​Painting kitchen cabinets is expensive and hard work, we don't want to have to do this every 5 years!

Here our client chose to go with the classic white kitchen cabinets, which is something I recommend often.
​White is classic and never goes out of style.  To amp things up a little, the island was painted in a soft gray colour, which works so well with the marble countertop.

Another great point about white cabinets, is that you can accessorize with whatever colour you are using in the adjoining rooms.  Above it's blue!   Below it's yellow!

What is your favourite colour to use when accessorizing your kitchen? I'd love to know!

​In the work of any Interior Designer you have clients all along the spectrum of available budgets. 

You have the young couples who may be newly married involved in a first purchase of a home with a limited budget, getting their proverbial feet wet in the real estate market and trying to better themselves. 

You may also have others who are at mid points in their real estate journey whom are looking to upgrade with family in mind, spaces to plan and a budget designed with a growing family. 

You may have empty nesters who are in a flux looking to downsize after previously owning a larger home who need a new workable space and are involved in budgeting based on a possible retirement funds. 

All these and more showcase the strong necessity to work within a defined client's budget.

One might argue that the Interior Designer might also be strongly involved in assisting the client on setting a reasonable budget that does not strain a client's potential funds and allows for the design project to be be completed and successful.

As a preface I would like to mention that in my life i have had the good fortune of a lovely father who raised me with the sincerest of business ideal, particularly that of being customer service oriented. ​

For that reason, my business model does not use pressure to have clients overextend themselves in their design. If client - designer relationship is key to a good Interior Design business, then exerting financial pressures to achieve a particular design project is not what I would consider good "customer service". In fact some may argue that it would be rude. 

That in mind it would be safe to say that in the long run clients, who may not be able to afford a more pricey design, and whom have had a good experience with you as a designer, more trusting of your capability and relationship style. After all being personable and reasonable within client budgets goes a long way into creating possible repeat clients and also great referrals and even repeat business.

Here's to creating great happy design relationships one budget at a time!
​

This important rule says that most designs can be made more interesting by visually dividing a wall or a photo into thirds vertically and/or horizontally; and placing our most important elements within those thirds. 
​
If you have a fireplace on a 12' wide wall, and perhaps the fireplace is 4' wide, well, you'd place the fireplace in the centre, leaving a 4' patch of wall on each side.  Thereby dividing that wall in thirds.   

Another important design concept is Visual Center and Balance. Placing important elements or the focal point of the design within the visual center of a piece is another design trick. We all know the actual centre of a photo is right in the middle of the shot. But, did you know the visual center is slightly to the right of and above the actual center of the photo?  This is the area that our eyes are drawn to immediately.
​

This "rule" originally was developed by photographers to ensure every shot looks great.  Don't we as designers, or homeowners want that as well?  Basically when you are composing a photograph, or a wall, imagine two vertical lines and two horizontal lines dissecting your image into nine squares as shown below.
​

​Placing your most important elements at one or more of the four intersections of those lines, helps create interesting photos or design.

​Most balanced designs (and even unbalanced ones) rely on a grid. This invisible structure  helps ensure that all the elements are placed in the right location, thereby achieving balance as well as  helping with continuity and consistency of design. These are design principles that help the professional designer achieve visual balance. 
​If you'd like more info, please visit this great site at Photographytalk.com 


If you'd love to have a visually balanced room, one that is truly pleasing to the eye, please email me at info@jilsoniainteriors.com

Well, it's not often that I share another designer's blog post, but this one was so great, I thought I'd post it here.  It even has a quote from me in it!

Read on to learn "How to get anything you want from your interior designer." by the uber talented  Tawna Allred. 

Determine what kind of light coverage do you need. Do you sleep in - then curse the sunlight in the morning; or do you embrace it? You may need room darkening, or light filtering blinds. Do you have a window needing privacy? A window with lots of glare? Many solutions are available.
​

Now select complementary fabrics, but allow in general, no more than three different patterns in one room! Determine placement of all fabrics i.e.:

- patterned drapery fabrics for the windows - like the example above
- perhaps a cream and raspberry stripe for an ottoman, 
- teal polka dots for the chair backs.

Finally select trim to customize draperies or throw cushions. Then use your signature fabric to pick colours for the rest of the room.
 
12. Wall colour: 

Now you can finally pick a wall colour! Can you believe we had to wait until step 12 for this? Wall color is not usually picked until near the end of the design, as there are so many distinct colours of paint to choose from. Kimberley Seldon says " picking a wall colour first is like buying a lipstick, then look all over trying to find a dress to match." ​

Demember to keep the room’s atmosphere in mind. What is your light level? Resist the urge to paint a dark room in a light colour. Donald Kaufman says "Light wall colours never come to life in a dark room..." If the room is sunny, play that up - don't use a dark colour for the walls. Look at your signature fabric for wall color ideas. 

I can go on and on about colour but really colour expert Maria Killam says it best when she says "Painting a dark room in pale colours simply accentuates the shadows in a space." 

Other questions to ask when selecting a colour 'theme': Are you drawn to warm, neutral or cool colours? Do you prefer many colors or a monochromatic look? 
Personally, I throw out the colour theory I was taught in design school. I don't understand how someone can look at a room and say "Do I want a complementary colour scheme? What about the split - complementary colour scheme or maybe an analogous colour scheme?" 
​

Mother's day is fast approaching.  
Wondering what to get her for a gift? She's got perfume and scarves galore.
Judging from what my interior design clients say - most women want their home to look like THEY live there, not someone else!

We can provide the perfect paint colour, select the furniture that is just right - or simply answer all her interior design questions!
We're here to help!
​Click here to book now, and I can email you a beautiful gift certificate that you can slip into her Mother's Day card.

Dear Interior Design friends and enthusiasts - Easter is upon us and we are celebrating by offering Interior Design Consultation vouchers for your loved ones. Show someone you care by purchasing a design consultation. We look forward to hearing from you. HAVE A HAPPY EASTER!
Contact us at info@jilsoniainteriors.com

Let me introduce you to my new e-Design platform!  We provide interior decor services for all rooms of your home, including paint, furniture, tiles, flooring and more. 
We'd love to help you, please click below!

Hi,  I've created a short video showing how our Online design services work.
We truly do not need to see your home in person, although we can certainly do so.
We just need a few photos and a rough measurement of the room.
We direct you to a quick online questionnaire asking you more about your taste and style, and what wants and needs you have.
​We then take it from there!  Please click on the video below.

Feel free to email us at info@jilsoniainteriors.com to learn more and get started!

​contemporary entry design by San Francisco architect Mark English Architects, AIA
 
4. Budget: 

The dreaded "B" word - budget. Create a budget and stick to it. I know it's not fun, but yes, it is essential. Here’s some help…Speak with your builder or interior designer first. They will have a set amount of money allotted for items such as counter tops, lighting fixtures, flooring etc. Shop within this budget and see what you get for that amount. Remember a good hint is to put your money in things that you touch or see on flat surfaces, these are the items that are most visually prominent.

 Materials such as flooring, counter tops and paint are often where quality really shows. Go for the best you can afford for those surfaces. Items that aren't so visually apparent like toilets, sinks, and high mounted lighting fixtures don't need to be expensive to get that great look.

​http://www.tenshon.com
 
What mood do I want this house to convey? What's my style? Traditional, contemporary, west coast or 50s bungalow? Look at the exterior of your home and continue that style throughout. Nothing looks worse than when you have an exterior that is a distinctive style from the interior. We need a unified and beautiful look to create a harmonious home.

​Look at those tear sheets you've collected from magazines, often they evoke the mood that you love. Try to replicate that mood - if you need help hire an interior designer- this can be the most cost-effective way of keeping you on budget. Designers prevent you from purchasing those 'one-off' kind of items. Having those types of items in your design can throw off your focus, ending up with a home that has no cohesive flow. Designers can sum up the mood you are trying to achieve and keep you on track.80% of your style should be one focused style. Whether it's casual, modern, country, formal or informal; keep your style in mind when selecting tile, kitchen cabinets, plumbing fixtures, or purchasing furniture.

6. Design:

traditional kitchen design by Chicago kitchen and bath The Kitchen Studio of Glen Ellyn

Look through the other ‘work’ rooms of your home i.e. laundry and bathroom areas. List your day to day activities and ensure your home truly functions to enable your life to flow smoothly. Isn't that what great design is all about?
Stay tuned for more great design tips from Jil Sonia Interiors.

​How can you blend your different home decor styles without bickering? Here are some experts tips on how you can do it without arguing over the most trivial of things.

What are Your Needs and Wants?
Before you even start wondering what to include or leave out in your home from what you already have, sit down with your partner and have an honest and straightforward conversation about each other’s needs and wants, and ultimately how you can meet those needs as a couple. While not every need and want will be met, having a discussion forms the basis of agreeing on what should be prioritized.  

Consider Creating a Wedding Registry:
​Sometimes, mixing two different styles could end up being the best for couples who are moving together after a wedding. When it comes to styling your first home, consider creating a wedding registry first. According to interior decor experts, your wedding registry is perhaps the best reference point when starting a new life together, and using a service like Amazon Wedding Registry to refine your registry choices is a great decision.  

​Find New Accessories and Furnishings Together:
Instead of holding on to those bachelor rugs or dull throw pillows, it’s time to hit those furniture stores to find new home decor accessories and furnishings together as a couple. Even if it means selling off those items you don’t necessarily need in your new home to get extra cash to buy those pieces that speak to both of you, do it so long as it blends in with both your styles. Only keep those items that you absolutely love.  

Blend Decor Pieces from Different Periods:  
​A Vogue article on how to blend decor styles notes that blending pieces from different periods makes a home more stylish. You can easily achieve the right mix if you can blend existing furniture in neutral textures and colors, rather than working with lots of patterns. You can also select interesting artwork together to balance your opposing design choices. As long as you have a style, color and pattern in common, it’s easy to make two pieces work together.
​
Find Inspiration in What You Both Love:
We all have something that sparks our interest when it comes to influencing our decor choices and colors such as a vintage rug or a piece of art. If you both have something that can inspire your home styling choices, go ahead and work around that to build a space that you’ll both love. Further engage in home decor photos online to get more inspiration and encouraging interior decor insights that make it easier for you to embrace both your authentic styles.

Don’t Be in a Rush to Decorate the Whole Place:

Don’t be in a rush to decorate the entire home. Just take your time to adjust to the new place. You’ll realize that sometimes, the changes you so much wished for, fade away after some time. After a while, you’ll know what style best suits your home as a couple. Of course, if you’re living in apartment rentals, you’ll want to be a bit cautious about the interior decorating you do. The key is keeping your space simple and well-organized for harmonious living.

Cooler Color Palettes

Many of the bedrooms featured in popular magazines, on TV, and in the movies demonstrate the extensive use of whites, grays, and light blues. All of these combine to form a cooler color palette for the bedroom than we’ve seen.

These colors go well with the minimalist look. If that appeals to you, this may be a trend you want to follow. Painting your walls is one easy way to change the tone of your room, but you can make your existing palette cooler by adding drapes, blankets, a bedspread, and more in your chosen cool colors.

A Relaxing Backdrop

We predict that empty minimalist walls are slowly going the way of the dinosaur. Not completely, of course! However, more and more featured bedrooms have one or two walls given over to some sort of nature scene. These can be painted on, printed on fabric and then hung, or brought in in the form of vinyl wall decals. No matter the method, bringing the outdoors into the bedroom is becoming more and more popular. ​

LET'S MAKE 2018 - THE BEST YEAR YET!  
We're here to help!

New kitchen cabinets are a wonderful thing.  But do you know just how strong they need to be?

When ensuring your cabinets are sturdy and top notch, here are some tests that show how cabinets are tested.  I researched and found such useful information on the ANSI/KCMA website.  (Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturer Association) These tests are meant to verify the structural integrity and strength of cabinets.
​

1. All shelves and bottoms are loaded at 15 pounds per square foot, and loading is maintained for seven days to ensure that there is no excessive deflection and no visible sign of joint separation or failure of any part of the cabinets or the mounting system.
2. Mounted wall cabinets are gradually loaded to 600 pounds without any visible sign of failure in the cabinet or the mounting system.
3. To test the strength of base-front joints, a load of 250 pounds is applied against the inside of cabinet-front stiles for cabinets with drawer rail, or 200 pounds is applied for cabinets without drawer rail, to ensure reliable front joints that will not open during stress in service or during installation.
4. To test the ability of shelves, bottoms, and drawer bottoms to withstand the dropping of cans and other items, a three-pound steel ball is dropped from six inches above the surface. After the test the drawer must not be damaged and must operate as before the test with no visible sign of joint separation or failure of any part of the cabinet or mounting system.
5. To test the ability of cabinet doors and connections to withstand impacts such as children may cause in falling against a cabinet, a 10-pound sandbag is used to strike the center of a closed cabinet door and repeated with the door opened to a 45-degree angle. The door must operate as before the test and show no damage or sign of separation or failure in the system.

If you need more help please check out this link  ​https://www.kcma.org/certifications/ansi-kcma-certification 

Wondering how to calculate which size of fan you need for your bathroom?  For a bathroom with a tub or shower, here's the magic ratio!

Calculate the volume of your bathroom:
Height of the room x length of room x width of the room = total volume.
ie. 8' high x 10' long x 6' wide room =  480 cubic feet.

Now divide the cubic feet by 7.5

480 divided by 7.5 = 64 cfm fan size.  Or select the closest available fan size, when in between sizes, always select the higher CFM fan.  Meaning, if there is a 50 CFM fan and a 75 CFM fan, select the 75 CFM fan.

There you go!

 I received a great email from Mehran from ATEC Building Envelope Consulting Inc. and I just had to share the great information.

From time to time builders or homeowners ask me what type of Caulking and sealant materials they should use. The following list provides some guidelines.
 
A wide variety of caulking material is available, each suited to certain applications.
They tend to be high VOC emitters; therefore, builders need to be aware of possible indoor air quality problems that can result from the use of a particular sealant , especially in housing for chemically sensitive people:

1. Oil- or resin-based caulking will bond to most surfaces. However, it is not paintable or durable, as it shrinks and hardens.
2. Latex-based caulking bonds to most surfaces except polyethylene. It does shrink, but is more durable than oil or resin based caulking .
3. Butyl rubber will bond to most surfaces. It is particularly suitable for use on masonry, but not where the joint expands and contracts . It is paintable , but shrinks and has a limited durability
4. Nitrile rubber bonds well to masonry and metal, but not to painted materials . It is paintable and suited for use in are as where moisture is a problem . It shrinks appreciably but is considered to be durable.
5. Neoprene rubber will bond to most surfaces , and is particularly suitable for use on concrete. It is paint able and considered durable.
6. Silicone caulking bonds well only to glass, metal and ceramics . Silicone does not shrink, and is very durable. It is also suitable for use in are as where moisture is a problem. However, silicone is not paintable after it has fully cured, and subsequent applications of caulking will not adhere to silicone caulking.
7. Polysulfide caulking bonds well to primed surfaces . It does not shrink and is very durable. It should not be left exposed.
8. Polyurethane caulking will bond to most surfaces except polyethylene. It does not shrink and is very durable.
9. Acoustical sealant does not require a primer and bonds well to polyethylene. It is not paintable and can not be used in areas where it will be left exposed because it does not harden. It is considered to be very durable. To date, this has been the sealant of choice for polyethylene, but it is solvent-based and an indoor air quality concern.

 10.  Siliconized-acrylic is a new type of caulking that has the ease of use and paint ability of                      acrylic but the durability of silicone.
 
Please do not hesitate to contact Mehran Saraie, EIT, AScT if you need further information or if you have any questions.  mehran@atecenvelope.com

Be sure to include anything that is not a wall - a niche, step back in the wall, etc.  Anything you think we need to know. If you are just making a rough sketch, round up to the nearest inch. 
Remember to check the height as well - this is useful for determining the length of drapery, art, etc.

​Now you are all set to hand this sketch off to your interior designer, or tackle it on your own!
​Happy measuring!