The Fun in Fabric

To me, choosing fabric for a space is the most fun part of putting a room together.  There is something about mixing colours, textures and trims and making it work that always thrills me.  I have had clients that just can’t STAND looking at fabric samples and they beg me to just choose for them so they don’t have to deal with that “boring headache” – fun for me!

I have put together a few images of prints that I think are VERY fun (and maybe a little out there) in the hopes of changing your minds in regards to fabric.  

Here we go!

This one makes my sweet tooth go crazy.  Suitably entitled 'Gourmandise', this Pierre Frey design is lovely and adorable and makes me feel like I'm standing in a french pastry shop trying to decide what to order (a daily occurrence in my life much to the chagrin of my scale!)

 

A sweet take on the mad hatters tea party, this creation entitled 'Ming in Red' and also by Pierre Frey, would be so much fun on cushions or curtains in a salon or tea room!

 

 This Nobilis design from their 'Cote Ouest' collection is so fun and young.  It would be such a great addition to a girl's bedroom, or a funky extra pop of fun in a young professional's flat.

 When I heard a  fabric at Pierre Frey was being named 'Cape Cod' I flew over there, as I adore everything from that gorgeous part of Massachusetts - and I wasn't let down!  This would give any seaside summer home a beautiful taste of their surroundings for the interior. 

This one grabs me, because I can't get over how much this looks like a photograph!  Digital textile printing has come a long way in the last few years and this piece is a great testament to that.  So different to anything I've seen before.

 

 I ADORE this.  Gorgeous porcelain, macarons, candies - who thought of this for a fabric design?  So cute and fun, it would add whimsy to any space.

This looks more like a 19th century lithograph then a fabric design.  With the sheet music and frames, it would be stunning in a music room or study.  

 I hope with this quick introduction into a different type of fabric design, you have all become a tad bit more interested in what's out there for textiles.  Fabric design has come leaps and bounds in the last couple of decades.  It doesn't all look like your grandmother's curtains anymore!  

The New Toile

I adore toile.  I grew up surrounded by it on my grandmothers sofa, cushions, curtains.  I think my mom even decked out a whole powder room in it.  There is something about the history, the beauty of the fine prints and the story it tells that just makes me swoon.

Over the last couple of seasons, I have seen toile everywhere in the collections and they are all very different to the toiles I grew up with.  They are vibrant, fun and loaded with wit.  Here are two designers that are giving toile new life to attract a younger generation.

Manuel Canovas

When you look at these toiles you will see the familiar pictorials from toiles of the past, but they are updated with bright, vivid colours.  Gone are the simple cream and red, blues or blacks.  These daring new colours allow you to use the classics, but implement them into your space with an edge so you don’t think you just walked into your grandmothers sitting room.

 Timorous Beasties

This designer is staying more close to home with their colours, white and red, white and blue, and white and pink.  It’s the story, pictorial that is coming to life with young, fun new images.  They have done away with the quaint, picturesque country images and plunk you right down into the 21^st century.  City scape images with, if you look for them, witty (and sometimes shocking) stories.  A drunk guy passed out on a park bench, a guy taking a leak by a tree (mon dieu!), a person smoking and all next to city landmarks.  (With the colours more or less typical of toile, I’m sure if your grandmother saw it, she probably wouldn’t even notice the crude subject matter).

 

A fantastic way of updating old, tried and true style.

Designer Profile: Nobilis

Nobilis has always been a favorite of mine to work with.  Their collections are gorgeous, diverse and very, very special.  Recently I went to their Paris showroom on the Rue de Bonaparte in the 6^th arrondissement to reacquaint myself with an old friend.

This lovely little vignette shows off two gorgeous fabrics that I fell in love with as soon as I laid eyes on them.  Classic, timeless and elegant.

The Sofa is in a grey hued fabric from Nobilis’ Villandry collection and the curtain fabric is a fantastic contemporary and subtle spin on a heavy damask print.

 This next pair from the Cote Sud collection display a daring print that would pop any bed or living room to life with their vibrant shapes and contrasts

 

 This woven fabric is amazing and would be great as Swedish blinds or even a basic roman blind.  It is actually Asian script on paper woven together – fantastically graphic!

 This is probably my favorite trim I have ever come across and I would use it on every cushion, curtain or bedspread if I could.  It is such a sweet little embellishment and would benefit anything you wanted to add it to!

Nobilis also designs furniture.  Here’s a couple that I adore

This sofa is a beautie!  The curves, lowered armrests and studs would make this a glamorous addition to any sitting room.

These chairs are adorable – their lacquered frames and monochromatic upholstery would be so lovely in a small office or in a bedroom for a dressing or writing table.

 I hope you all enjoyed this little romp around Nobilis.  Hopefully it inspired you to check out more of what they have to offer!

Parisian Mini-Space Living

There has been a lot of global press lately about how people are improving their ultra mini urban apartments into functional, livable spaces.  So I thought it was about time I show you some Parisian ideas from a company I have been intrigued with for quite a while – Espace Loggia.

When you live in a very small space, the only way to live functionally is to increase your square footage.  The only way to do that is to build UP.  Increase the levels in your space where possible.  Espace Loggia has created a number of stylish solutions to the main problem of the studio dweller.  They create separate spaces while improving your storage and increasing your square footage.

Here are a bunch of those ideas for all of my mini-space readers.

This option shows a sweet and styled room that by day is a living room, and by night is your bedroom.  It  even has the built in shelves for your night table!

 Here we have a chic idea for your living room with added storage on the sides as end tables.

And it unknowingly is also the bedroom!  The best part about this is you are replacing the typical hideous pull out couches (that are always horrifically uncomfortable), for a stylish solution that adds comfort and storage to your space (and look, built in bedside tables again!)

 This is one of my favorites - it's SO sweet!  A small office by day, with your bed hovering just under the ceiling waiting for night.

Chic chic chic.  If someone told me I had to live here, I would say great when is move in day!  Lovely and contemporary, this monochromatic design is stylish, Parisian and functional.  The stairs up to the bed even double as loads of storage!

For those of you who need to separate your working space from you living space this is a great solution for you.  A beautiful mock 'wall' that is actually storage space for your office.

I love all of these ideas because it just goes to show that functional does not have to mean UGLY!  Get creative and even a studio can become your own designer palace.

Style à la Canadian in Paris

Throughout my time in Paris, I have been trying to expose my readers to innovative, European design and styles that are either not available or not easy to find in North America.  I wanted to get my readers to think outside the box and begin to open their minds to something different.  Do I actually like many of the things I write about?  Yes, I do.  I find that they give me a design jolt.  They wake me up and I take bits from them and implement them in my own designs.  It opens my eyes to what is out there and forces me to consider and appreciate their attributes.  This is a necessary quality for a designer as you always have to be ready for the rare clients who only want the newest, greatest and boldest designs for their space. 

That being said, I thought I would give you a taste of my own personal style.  The style I use in my home.  You will likely think it tame and subdued, but that is what I love about it.  I don’t like loud, bold colours in my space because I crave the peace and calm solitude that comes from soft, gentle colours, fabrics and shapes.

You might also think it strange that I don’t lean towards the ultra modern and contemporary – styles I often write about!  I love to use them when designing spaces for clients (if that’s what they love), but I am a modern traditionalist at heart.  I truly admire and adore the designs of the past. 

I’ve put together a brief little montage of accessories and spaces that will give you a look into my own personal contemporary-traditional style.  Enjoy!

A gorgeous little cushion I found at Roche Bobois in Lelievre fabric

Les Lampes Plus Chic

With the weather so sunny and warm over the last couple of months I have been racking up a LOAD of photos for you taken during my wandering design walks through Paris.  Today let’s focus on the new lamp collections!

I have a thing with lighting, mainly I think because really it is an accessory.  You can do so much with a room just by adding an amazing light fixture.  It can add interest, fun and in some cases a bit of GLAM.

Here are a few for you to consider found on Boulevard St. Germain in the 5^th arrondissement.

This Roche Bobois lamp of a winding lacquered stair case is very dramatic and would add a lot to any space.  It instantly adds a unique flavor to any blandly decorated beige/grey room.  It’s with pieces like these that help you get away with a very neutral palette without crossing over into the land of boredom.

I love this sweet little side table lamp.  It would be perfect for a bedroom as would add a little sparkle to a lovely, contemporary boudoir.

This lamp is tres cool and the only change in design that takes it from a boring chrome floor lamp with a white shade to a contemporary piece of interest is the SHAPE of the shade.  Funky and modern, it is also a bit practical if you think about it as the shade removes all direct glare from the bulb.

We have all seen a lot of crystal ball, and glass lamp stands over the last few years and though not new still has its appeal.  However, change of shape to the glass stand creates a new look. 

 

Next time you’re out looking for new light pieces, try thinking of them as an accessory and not just as a necessity to light a space.  

Design Shop Profile: Merci

While wandering around Place Republique in the 3^rd Arrondissement yesterday I came across an amazing find.  I walked through an underpass and into a little court yard and stumbled upon a funny old little Fiat with a tree growing out of it.  What does this have to do with Interior Design you ask?  Well I`ll tell you.  Beyond that little Fiat was a massive expanse of design wonder.  A new design concept shop called MERCI.  It was created as a charity project in which 100% of the profits are donated to a charity association that helps women and children in Madagascar.  The space is incredible as it has a strong industrial feel to it with steel stair cases, a vast open space, loads of skylights and old brick walls.  The building itself even dates back to the 18^th century!

The merchandise is a wonderful blend of antiques and new designs.  I am in love with their floor displays which match beautiful, old flea market finds with new, spectacularly designed pieces.  Here are a few for you to peruse through.

This ancient looking dining table mixed with these very contemporary steel chairs is fantastic!  A great pairing of the antique farm look with chic industrial flavor.  I particularly enjoy the addition of the pewter rimmed china.  

 A similar look with antique Chippendale chairs.  I really love the look of the striking white painted on JUST the leg!

 

These tiles are GENIUS.  Each white square tile is fitted with either a little pot, hook for a tea towel or hanging ledge.  There is no destruction of your existing backsplash tiles for clunky storage shelves or hooks - Everything is neat and tidy and in its place.  Fabulous!

With lofts becoming THE number one location for young professionals seeking real estate have you ever wondered what to do with those massive walls?  I think this is unbelievably creative and a fantastic solution.  Imaginary windows painted onto your 20-something foot wall creates a new area for a makeshift garden!  I don`t know if you have seen these new `pots` but they are perfect for those of you who don`t have a backyard.  They are technically bags made out of recycled plastic and are perfect for a mini vegetable garden or just another window box for flowers!  In any case, they are perfect for us urbanites wishing we had more green.

 And with that I will leave you with a few more great images from my new go-to design shop!