Design Tips: Transform Your Home Like A Professional
Today I’m going to go over some basic Design Tips to transform your home like a professional. These are what we keep in mind when planning and delivering a project.Some may be old hat to you but hopefully some will be new and enlightening.Do let paint be the last item you choose in the room. There are only so many fabrics and carpets to choose from so start with those items first. Choices for paint are pretty much limitless so...
Friday Finds: Heather Ross {Natural Eclectic} Boutique
Today's Friday Finds is going to be an exploration of the beautiful items in Heather Ross' {Natural Eclectic} boutique store at 2170 Fir Street here in Vancouver. There is so much to see, that I would plan to spend at least 30 minutes in the store to ensure you get a good look at all the goodies. The store is beautifully styled, with a mixture of European and vintage items. Heather Ross is an artist, photographer & designer. Her aesthetic sensibility is...
Lighting Design Basics Workshop: Recap
Last evening we had our first ever Lighting Design Basics workshop. Cairn Allen from Luminosa Lighting taught us about the different layers of light and how to use them. We then discussed different light styles and different light bulbs and where best to apply them. After an information-packed presentation, we went across the street to Luminosa Lighting where Cairn gave us a tour of the store and showed us different applications for various lights. The differences between the various recessed lighting...
Design Workshops with Designers Collective
We thought we would take this opportunity to talk to you about our upcoming Designers Collective Workshops.We came up with the idea to offer design workshops because we were finding we were often being asked for consults and advice. I would often have a client call me who wanted to do the project himself or herself but would get stuck and would need a little help staying focused on their project. I would go in for a consult and talk to...
Friday Finds: Goodge Place, South Granville
Today, Brooke and I interviewed Emily McLean of Goodge Place to learn about the specialty tiles they are carrying. Goodge Place is an extension of World Mosaic Tile, which is located around the corner in the South Granville area. In addition to the specialty tiles, Goodge Place has an amazing collection of objects d' art collected both locally and internationally. Not only is the shop full of eye candy, but you can have a cup of coffee and a snack while...
Los Angeles Design Tour May 28-31, 2015
Just a reminder for those thinking about joining Designers Collective on the Los Angeles Design Tour, May 28-31, 2015 - the March 15, 2015 deadline to sign up is approaching.The Home Tours have just been announced! Our Los Angeles Architectural Homes Tour on Saturday May 30 will be of Beach Houses in the South Bay, including Malibu! Get excited!!!Architect Bruce Bolander built this house on the beach in Malibu, a star of the 2013 tours. Attendees of the South Bay tour...
Downsizing: My Personal Experience
Downsizing is certainly not what I expected to be doing quite yet. We had talked about it for when the kids all left home that perhaps we might want to downsize. We had been in our house for about 15 years and had many fond memories of raising the kids, family gatherings, Christmases, Easter egg hunts, good neighbours who became good friends, and many a home project undertaken. We moved in when our oldest was in grade two, our middle...
Design Tips: Getting Organized
Do you have a list of “to do’s” weighing on your mind?Does one of those items say……get organized?Do you ruminate about how to get organized, but don’t know where to start?If so, this article is for you!!I’m Jane of Organized by Jane, and I’m going to share some amazing tips for you to start getting organized.These tips are simple, clear and straightforward.You will be relieved to know you can finally start getting organized. Step 1 Identifying the first place you want to...
Design Tips: Lighting and Hanging Fixtures
We are going to start blogging regularly to give you design tips that we use as designers. Today I am going to give you a few design tips about lighting and where to hang fixtures. I am asked these questions a lot. How far above the kitchen island should you hang pendants? How high above the dining table should a pendant or chandelier be? What about sconces?I will start by saying…it depends. Not the answer you were looking for? There are a few...
Front Doorways and Entrances
Last week we talked about Mudrooms, so today the topic is Front Doorways. There is so much we can talk about here, so for today’s blog post, lets talk about how to spruce up an entry. First off, having a clearly demarcated path to the front door is a good start. Ideally if it is 3-4 ft wide then two people can walk down the path at the same time but if it is narrower, that is fine as long as...