Watch this quick kitchen video above showing the latest and greatest in kitchen design for 2022.
Did you know countertops are moveable?  Well yes they are!

Let me know if you need help with your kitchen or new build, I'd be happy to help!

When this time of year rolls around, designers anxiously await the Pantone's colour of the year.  

Most designers I know focus on classic timeless design and don't rely on the trends, but it's always great to hear what the color experts state as their color of the year.

This year it's a beautiful blue, not too purple/blue or green/blue.
 19-4052 Classic Blue

​Such a beautiful colour! It works well with white, cream, light grays, taupes, beige and more.

I used a similar colour, but more muted dark blue in this media room. 
​Gentleman's Gray by Benjamin Moore.

​The beautiful dark blue worked so well  with the pink beige sectional.

Choosing a paint colour can be challenging, just a slight difference in colour can completely change the look of the room.

We are colour specialists and can help you the nail the perfect colour that works for YOU, the first time!  Let us know how we can help.

​Happy Decorating!

​I just had to share a great experience we had with a paint company last week with regards to one of our new built homes we are designing and decorating for a client with a young family.
 
Our firm was furnishing a newly built home and enjoying preparing two rooms for our client’s young girls.  As the client was in Toronto and the new home is outside of Vancouver, we did the design choices, paint colour selection, furniture selections, etc. all online.
 
This project involved painting a feature wall that would be behind each child’s beds in their respective rooms. 
 
Each color was individually chosen to match their style. I selected every piece of furniture and accessories, art, etc. before selecting the perfect colour. This paint color would also be focal to the decor selections for that room.
​It was important to get the colour choice just perfect.  I've got to say I'm the pickiest designer I know of when it comes to colour selection! 

​One girl wanted a light soft pink that was not too strong in its intensity, while the other wanted a lovely bold blue.
 
We decided to use Sherwin Williams paint. Our painters were familiar with Sherwin Williams and this is their ‘go to’ supplier.
For the blue colour I had already selected an existing Sherwin-Williams colour called Georgian Revival Blue SW7609.
 
But the baby pink colour I had originally selected, was from Benjamin Moore called Strawberry Yogurt BM 2104-70. I had been told that colour matching (selecting one paint colour from one brand and having it made up in another brand), cannot be done, so I decided to see for myself!  

I ordered a drawdown from Sherwin-Williams which shows the paint colour match sample. A drawdown is when the paint supplier mixes up a gallon of paint, then uses a machine to equally and concisely spread out an amount of paint onto a coated piece of white paper.
If the colour match was not absolutely perfect, then they would tweak it to ensure a perfect match.   This was indeed perfect!

​This paint called Quali-Kote, by Sherwin Williams.  It spread with ease and set up very quickly; with a remarkable exact replication of the sample we had chosen for each room. What a huge relief to confirm that this colour matched paint matches the exact representation of its fan deck color. In this case it also matched perfectly the “draw down” freshly painted sample that our Sherwin Williams clerk so graciously gave us.
 
Within a day our new feature walls were aglow with color that exactly represented our young client’s choices.

If you need help with selecting the perfect paint colour, we'd love to help!
Feel free to contact us here.  
Thank you for allowing me to share a little designer insight with you.
​Happy Decorating!

With the advent of the new LED light bulbs, there is much confusion.  
It used to be just select the correct wattage for your lights and away you go, but now there are so many things to think about.

Rather than writing article outlining the 'do's and 'don't's of LED light bulbs, I thought I'd post links to great articles here.  All links are from Waveform Lighting and are excellent articles.

What is the dreaded blue light hazard?

Are LED light bulbs safe?

Should I choose a 2,700K or 3,000K LED light bulb? What's the difference?

What is the difference between CCT and CRI and do I need to know?

Why is my LED bulb flickering? How do I stop it?

What is the difference between Lux and Lumens?

What is Colour Rendering Index or CRI?

Here's an article I posted several years ago. It's been very helpful to others! 
How many recessed lights do I need?  How far apart do I place them? 

​If you need help with lighting, we'd love to assist you!

I'd love to have you check out two of the rooms I recently completed for a fabulous client of mine in Surrey, BC.
Just click either of the Room photos above, and join the fun!

Jil Sonia McDonald is an interior designer working in the Lower Mainland, and Fraser Valley, BC.
Please contact her at info@jilsoniainteriors.com  

Hi,  I'm thrilled to announce I won the best interior designer by Houzz for 2019.

Just a little note, I've won this for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and now 2019.  Feel free to click on the link above for more info!

If you'd love to get professional, interior design advice, please email us.

​Have a great day!

It is no secret that apart from all the other luxuries, the level of comfort in your home is affected by the air quality. The level of humidity and temperature are just some of the few variables that your health and comfort while indoors hinge on. For instance, when the humidity is too high, you quickly go from a perfect hair day to a ruined one, and when it is too low, you try to pet your furred best friend's head, and you end up zapping them with bouts of static electricity. Fortunately, you don't need a sixth sense to gauge the level of humidity in your home because we have shared tips on how to do so below.

How humidity levels affect your home:

The optimum humidity level as recommended by the EPA is between 40-60%. When it goes lower or higher than the optimum, the effects are often different as highlighted below
What happens when it is too low?

• Difficulty in breathing
• Respiratory problems such as nose bleeding and other sinus complications
• Chapped lips and cracked, itchy skin
• Cracking in structures such as furniture and wood floors
• Irritated throat
• Static cling
• Dust Buildup

 
When humidity is too high:
It affects your health negatively: Studies show that most bacteria, allergens, dust mites, mildew, and mold flourish in the presence of excess moisture and when your indoor atmosphere has high humidity, they thrive. When breathed in, these allergens result in health problems. For instance, molds trigger asthma attacks, constant allergies, and many other respiratory problems. Also, high humidity means that your body's cooling system must work two times harder to maintain the internal temperature. This results to dehydration, fatigue, headaches, and excessive sweating which easily triggers other skin conditions such as heat rash.

It causes structural damage to property: Apart from affecting your health, excess humidity also brings you additional repair and maintenance costs as a result of the damage it causes to your home. This occurs in different ways as shown here;

Causes the growth of mold on furniture, walls, ceilings, and even attics thereby lowering the value of the house.

• Excess moisture causes paint or wallpaper to peel
• Causes rotting in woody structures in your house, for instance, the doors and your wooden floors
• HVAC inefficiency and high energy bills

Other problems caused by humidity higher than the relative include

• Bad Odors
• Frizzy hair
• Condensation

How to maintain relative humidity
Monitor indoor humidity levels
The first step to countering humidity problems is by getting accurate measurements of its level. You cannot employ other tactics when you don't know if it's higher or lower than relative. In respect to that, strategically install a hygrometer to help you monitor the levels, so you can figure out what your next step should be.
Open windows and use fans when moisture is high
When there is excessive moisture, opening windows and using fans are the cheapest and easiest ways to dehumidify your house. This is because doing so allows cold, dry air to circulate. However, opening a window may not be as effective, as the level of humidity outdoors is often higher or like moisture indoors.

Purchase a dehumidifier and a humidifier:
It's essential to note that the aspect of high or low humidity is something that you'll always have to deal with regardless of your climatic zone. This is because, during winter, the levels of humidity tend to drop and during summer they skyrocket. In respect to that, you have to find ways to cope during these different seasons. Fortunately, humidity levels can be maintained with the help of humidifier and dehumidifier in your home. So, having these two appliances gives you the option of switching one on depending on the level of moisture. For instance, when it is too high, you switch on the dehumidifier which sucks in the moisture, causing the levels to return to optimum and when it is too low, the humidifier does the trick. This combined with the tips listed above will help you keep moisture problems at bay, enabling you to live your best life when indoors.

Get your air ducts checked
Besides a dehumidifier or a humidifier, your HVAC system also helps in regulating humidity levels. However, no matter how expensive your HVAC system is, it is of no use if your air ducts have leaks. For instance, if it generates cool, dry air when humidity is high during summer, then this air escapes through the leak spots on your ducts. The same case applies during seasons of low humidity, thus rendering it ineffective. Therefore, get your ductwork checked to ensure that all leakages are sealed.
Other tips:

• Install ceiling fans
• Utilize kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans
• Proper ventilation
• Use indoor plants as they are natural air purifiers
• Change HVAC and furnace air filters regularly
• Take shorter showers and limit dryer use


• Managing relative humidity should be on the top of your list of priorities as a homeowner as excess, or low moisture not only causes damage to your home but also puts your health and that of your loved one at risk.

Have an Interior Design Project you need help with?   Contact Us Today.
 
​Author: Eric Langstaff
References
https://www.epa.gov/mold/mold-course-chapter-2  
http://blog.cubesensors.com/2013/07/reduce-high-humidity-levels-in-your-home-breathe-more-easily/
http://www.level.org.nz/passive-design/controlling-indoor-air-quality/humidity-and-condensation/
​

​Ready for the last post outlining the 15 Essential Steps to Design your Dream Home?  Here we go!

First, let’s review, we’ve looked at steps 1-12 so far:
15 Essential Steps to design your dream home Part 1 of 5 

1. Selecting your perfect structure
2. Floor plans and elevations
3. Function

15 Essential Steps to design your dream home Part 2 of 5

4. Budget
5. Mood and Style
6. Overall design

15 Essential Steps to design your dream home Part 3 of 5

7. Bathroom and Kitchen design
8. Furniture Plan
9. Lighting plan

15 Essential Steps to design your dream home Part 4 of 5

10. Window covering
11. Fabric
12. Wall colour
Now... we move on to the last 3 steps Part 5/5
​Steps 13, 14 and 15 !

​13. Styling:
Now that you have a complete plan, exterior colours, roofing, windows etc, you can shop! Now it's time for accessories. For rhythm, you need objects that repeat. Instead of one candlestick on your sideboard in your dining room, what about 3 of the same? This way our accessories have more of an impact. 

​Ask yourself repeatedly through this process -- are my choices consistent with my commitment to the desired ambience? If not go back through a few steps. You cannot compromise here and get the room of your dreams. 

Continuously keep the mood of your room in mind. Try to do all your accessorizing and styling within a short period of time in order to keep to one style. Note: 80 percent of the design of a room should be in one focused style and 20 percent can vary. This 20 percent will certainly stand out.
Every room needs some bling unless it's a Farm home pictured below. Fully complete one room, before moving onto the next.

​14. Edit your choices:
Keep the concepts of harmony and balance in mind when editing your ideas. I find this stage often takes the most time. Your final choices should please your eye, feel balanced, and create your desired mood. Our eyes need to rest so don't be afraid to have a little bare space, that helps make everything else pop.
​Line the items up along a wall to see what you are working with.
What works, what doesn't?

15. Finally - Relax:
Designing a home is not easy. There are important choices to be made and made quickly. Having a game plan and following it does ease the stress.
Now we're all done, kick back, relax and enjoy your beautiful new home!

​OK, are we ready? Questions? I'd love to help! 

​Hi, my name is Jil Sonia McDonald of Jil Sonia Interiors
 
I am thrilled to have been asked to guest post for Maria Killam while she is away vacationing in the land of the Tuscan sun. I've copied the post here.
 
I have been a professional Interior Designer for the past 12 years, located in beautiful Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada.
 
I am absolutely passionate about Interior Design and it gives me great joy to create dream homes for my clients.  I love what I do!
Maria had a few questions for me.

​1.    What’s your favourite colour? Why?
 
I have to say my favourite color is "Simply white" OC-117 by Benjamin Moore. It is the perfect white for walls. It is not too creamy, not too gray, not too "pinky".

Being an Interior Designer, has me working with paint, furniture, fabrics, carpets and tiles, everyday.  Simply White is the color that allows me to change up my accessories with clients, and even at home - whenever the mood hits me. And as other designers will tell you; we love updating our own home and work spaces.
 
I have found that when using white walls, it is important to add texture to the room, such as this lovely coffee table in a distressed wood from Restoration Hardware shown below, or this rattan end table.   I have seen that when we use all flat, smooth, finishes white paint can look like primer – definitely not what we want.

2. What was your biggest colour/design mistake? 
​
​I work with a 15 step design system, which doesn’t leave room for mistakes, but sometimes it’s the little things that really ‘make’ a room.  I once decorated a client’s home and it turned out beautifully, client was thrilled, but it didn’t have anything with ‘meaning’.    Now, I always try to add something that is personal to a client, such this client’s great, great, grandmother’s silver cutlery.  Our client had these beautiful pieces mounted in a shadow box, and now they are a wonderful conversation point – brilliant idea!

3. What is the most important colour lesson you’ve learned?
 
When I started out as a designer I had no idea about undertones in colour selection.  I thought a beige, was a beige. I discovered with the training and mentorship program from Maria Killam's course  “Specifying Undertones”,   that there are many undertones of beige – pink, yellow and green, to name just a few!  She taught me to compare colours, so that we, as designers, can know exactly how to give our clients, or ourselves, the PERFECT colour.  I cannot recommend this course highly enough. Such a great professional development experience that one can add to their role as an Interior Designer.

 6. Which colour trend would you love to see disappear?

​If I had a magic wand I’d banish the world of pinky beige carpet.  I’ve discussed this with carpet manufacturers – they were blissfully unaware!  Pink beige can clash with so many other colours – especially yellow!
It’s one of those non-descript, all pervasive, colours that look too much like skin tones and doesn’t give clients the fresh, bright colours that we’re all yearning for today.  Often builders who don’t hire professional designers, think it’s a neutral colour, but it’s far from that!​

Here, client’s dog Bella, shows off her timeless medium brown flooring – isn’t that much lovelier than pinky beige carpet? 

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!

​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!
​

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!

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

Determine what are Your Needs and Wants are
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 décor 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 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 Décor 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 décor 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 design photos online to get more inspiration and encouraging interior décor 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. ​

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 

We design gorgeous kitchens!  Feel free to contact us below:

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!

Did you hear?  The 60s inspired TV series Mad Men, is in it's final season.  Bad news for this wildly popular show, I know.  

But to hold us over just a little longer, I created an interior design mood board based on my personal favourite style - Mid Century Modern.  This MCM style, features clean  lines, attention to subtle detail, simple forms; with a nod to entertaining.  Here's a photo of Roger Sterling's Office below.

When choosing my inspiration furniture, I went to the ever popular furniture online store called Charish.  This store accepts furniture from all over the continental USA, posts great photos of the pieces, then offers them for sale.  They take great care to only sell amazing furniture.  

I especially love the great search options.  You can search by Style, Colour, Price point, Category, Location etc.  Which makes selecting the perfect item a breeze!  Have a look at what I have created.  
All items from Charish.    

If you want to check out their direct link to their MCM furniture please click here, I promise you'll love it!

Thanks for indulging my zest for Mid-Century modern design! 

There are an amazing amount of beautiful range hoods available now.  Glass, steel and custom wood are all options.  But, you need to know the SIZE of range hood you need, not necessarily the dimensions (for this topic), but the amount of CFM (cubic feet per minute) needed for your hood.  Here's the rule of thumb, remember to double check with your contractor and local building code.

First you need to select your stove, or cook top.  Then you need 100 CFM for every 12" of stove width.
For example a 30" stove (2.5') x 100 CFM= Approx. 250 CFM needed, as a minimum. 
But we can't just stop there...

​We need to keep the room size in mind.  Larger rooms need more CFM to clear the cooking odors away.
A range hood should exchange the air in the kitchen 15 x per hour.  

Here's a helpful example. If your kitchen is 12' x 15' and 10' high, that equals 1,800 cubic feet.  To find the size of fan needed, multiply the cubic feet x the # of air exchanges (15) then divide by 60 (minutes in an hour).  

In our example that would be: 1,800 x 15 = 27,000 divided by 60 = 450.  You need 450 CFM minimum for this size of kitchen.

Are we finished?  Not yet.  Gas ranges deliver a lot more heat than electric ranges.  So we need to take this into consideration.  Most gas burners put out approx. 10,000 BTUs per burner.  Multiply that by the number  of burners, 5 shown here = 50,000 BTU Then divide by 100 to find the minimum CFMs needed.  In this case 500 CFM.

Now we still aren't quite finished.  What about the size of the duct work, number of turns, etc.?  Most HVAC suppliers recommend smooth 8" metal pipe.   Add 1 CFM per foot of pipe and add 25 CFM for each bend and 40 CFM for the roof cap. Let's estimate this example as being 100 CFM needed.

Now, we ARE finished.  Take the rating for the stove width (250 CFM in our example),  room size (450 CFM minimum), burner type (500 CFM minimum).  The highest number is 500, then add your ductwork CFM calculations (100) and you would need a total of 600 CFM for this range size, kitchen size, range burner and ductwork.

​ 

​​Please remember to double check if you need a licensed mechanical contractor to install a make up damper to switch on simultaneously with the kitchen range hood to bring in fresh air to prevent a negative pressure in the home.   There are many varying factors at play - location of your home, gas or electric range, differing building codes, etc.  In BC, Canada our municipality states:   makeup air is only required if the displacement of air exceeds .5 air changes per hour and is used with a fueled appliance (i.e. gas stove).
​
I hope this helps.  Be sure to always discuss this with your contractor HVAC installers and appliance providers.

Check out our 15 Steps to designing your Dream Home below.

I am happy to announce, my 12 page spread (6 double pages) in the Prestigious Canadian Home Trends Magazine.......  Yippee!

I was over the moon happy to receive a letter from Canadian Home Trends magazine, mentioning that they saw my profile on Houzz and that they'd love to feature me in their Spring 2014 print and online magazine!

​This prestigious magazine is the most helpful and innovative magazine I've ever seen.  If you subscribe to their online magazine (which offers 168 pages!), you will see they've added special effects to the photos - such as the fireplace has a crackling sound, the photos change from the before to after right in front of your eyes.  Amazing!  Otherwise their print magazine is gorgeous as well.  Who doesn't like to curl up with a nice glass of wine and a great magazine?

My client, was an absolute dream to work with.  She completely trusted me to lead the way to make her dreams a reality.

Here's a photo of her kitchen before...

...and  below, the after.  We removed 2 and a 1/2 walls to open up this floor plan and allow more light to spread through the home.  I simply can't believe the difference.

I always, always, always start with my counter top selection.  My go to source is  Caesarstone, they have such a lovely, well priced selection.  We selected this gorgeous white and gray mixed engineered quartz, called London Gray.  This was the inspiration for the whole kitchen renovation.  

​Our Client is an avid cook and I wanted to create a beautiful kitchen where she could work away to her hearts content - yet be able to clean up easily and quickly.

​One of my favorite things about this magazine, is that the interview questions were very detailed, it took me three hours to fill out the forms as I wanted to share everything,  I find people are so interested in tips and tricks to make their own home more beautiful.

I made a special point of mentioning and thanking my suppliers whom did an amazing job!  One of the top reasons client's hire me, is that I know the best suppliers and tradespeople to work with.  I'd like to make special mention to Warline Painting and Julie Bolton (window treatments) for their attention to detail and professional work.  To top it all off, I loved the stunning Robert Allen fabric that I used.  It helped tie the whole room together!

​Thanks so much for allowing me to share this exciting post.  I don't know of too many interior designers who get a 12 page spread and I'm truly grateful!  

So proud to be voted Best of Houzz for 2014, thank you to all my wonderful clients!
​I love what I do and would be honoured to help you!

Who's heard of Universal Design?

Simply it's a way of designing a home which everyone can function in.  People with physical challenges, the elderly, young children - really all of us.  At some point in our lives, most of us will have a physical disability.  Whether it's your teen aged son who hurts himself dirtbiking,  hubby who throws his back out cleaning out the gutters, age related vision loss, or people faced with even greater health challenges,  we all want to be able to use our homes to the best of our ability.

Did you know by the year 2020 over 50% of the populations will be over 65?  If we're remodeling our home, or building a new home, it's wise to make a few subtle changes that may prove beneficial down the road.
Here are just a few things to consider.

Barrier free living:

Wide interior and exterior doors and hallways - wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair - a minimum of 32", preferably more.
Showers without the 'curb' preventing us from tripping upon entering and exiting.
Exterior Ramps going up to our homes.
A 60" minimum 'square' area where a wheelchair can turn around.

Bathroom design:

Faucet location - if possible, try to have the faucets placed to the side of the sink, then people don't need to stretch across the sink to reach the faucet.
Thermostatic Valve - for showers, these valves can be a blessing.  This is usually shown as a shower faucet with 2 handles, 1 to control the flow of the water, and another lever, which is set by the user to the level of temperature of water.  Set it and forget it.  Let's put the shower lever at 48" in height or less, of we can all reach it.

Scald protection devices are essential in homes with young children, the elderly and  the physically challenged,  but are recommended for every home and may even be code in some areas. We've all experienced the sudden increase or decrease in bath water temperature that occurs when another member of your household uses water. Scald protection devices can help to maintain safer water temperatures. 

Handles:

Using lever handles makes life easier for everyone - no twisting or turning of knobs.  Even better if they can be used with a closed fist or open hand.

Lighting:

Well lit areas are a must for all of us.  Sconces throughout the bathrooms or hallways can emit a soft gentle light, non glaring.  Ensure they don't protrude more than 4" so we don't bump into them (as per ADA standards).

As  life expectancy rises and better health care increases the survival rate of those with significant injuries, illnesses, and birth challenges, there is a growing interest in universal design.  
Let's do our best to help everyone live life to the fullest.