Its a classic colour scheme – black, cream and gold.  And its a favourite of ours to use in bedroom decor – its grounded with a little bit of glam and no colour to distract you.  This ensemble from Eastern Accents Bedding almost has that Great Gatsby look, no?  Love the details that this manufacturer offers in its bedding.  Its our go-to resource for quasi custom bedding.

Black, cream, gold colour scheme

The colour scheme is a classic and has lasting power, just like Audrey.  Who doesn’t love to watch the old movie classics?

Audrey Hepburn classic from Soicher Marin

It can be very traditional or have a contemporary feel.  In this upper hallway landing we created this beautiful collage of art in black and white photography.  They are all simply framed in black floating frames, flanked by classic crystal and iron wall sconces.

Black and White photography as art by Lumar Interiors

Adding a little bit of gold or silver is a must.  It just gives the scheme a little sparkle and glam.  How perfect is this lamp with the black shade?

Contemporary gold leaf on glass

So whether you need help with a bedroom, a living room or a hallway, this colour scheme could be perfect for you.  Give us a call to find out how we can help with your decorating needs.  contactus@lumarinteriors.com

What a delight it was to be able to visit the granddaddy of all show houses in New York last week.  The Kips Bay Decorator Show House is sometimes referred to as the Oscars of the interior design community.  Eighteen top designers participated in this year’s home which was a grey limestone townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.  They were able to make design choices not restricted by clients needs or desires. Creativity abounds.  Having participated in a couple of Junior League of Toronto’s show homes, we know the excitement of creating a room carte blanche … Let me give you a small peek into some of my favourite spaces this year.

My lovely daughter and I

 Upon entering we are greeted with colour!  No greys detected in this showhouse.  Only one  beige room which I felt was a little disappointing.  But the rest were in full colour.  The sheer floral drape along the wall as you entered was a warm surprise.  And the colourful cowhide rug…! Amazing.

Wallpaper – everywhere.  Everything from traditional Scalamandre florals like below to grasscloths.

The room below was the largest of the house and a little ‘beige’, I felt.  Beautifully done by Mariette Himes Gomez and Company but nothing over the top.  We love to be excited, surprised or intrigued at these show homes….none of which happened for me in this room.

Now Kathryn Ireland, on the other hand, we can classify as over the top.  Whether you like her typically boho style or not, one can appreciate her creativity.  Her bedroom in the house featured an Anglo-Indian bed draped in fabrics from her new collection from Scalamandre.

The next room was probably my favourite room in the house.  Yes, those are fish on the walls.  If you can disregard those, everything else is amazing. (live a little….lol) Where to start?  The antiqued rug was AMAZING, the attention to detail on the upholstery divine, the art draws you in, the colours  cocoon you, the drapery panels are banded in 2 different fabrics and trim, the oriental nesting tables, and those pillows…..!  Notice how Jack Levy the designer had the pattern taken from the pillows and stitched on to the back of the chair – genius!

The lighting fixtures were so unique in almost every room.  Here the designer used hand blown glass pendants.  Did I already mention cow hide rugs?  Multiple designers used them in their spaces.

Below was perhaps my second favourite room.  Beginning with the chandelier – a 1950′s Italian original.  The walls were very creatively done.  Slabs of board were covered in a soft suede and then patterned on the walls to replicate a limestone feel like the exterior of the home.  Photography as art was also very big this year in the home.   And the drapery was a gorgeous moire (yes, you heard me right – somehow looks different than the one from the 80′s) with exquisite detailing on the banding.

If the walls weren’t papered or panelled, they were lacquered!  Too gorgeous!  My good friend Gloria Rinaldi, Canadian Benjamin Moore rep for designers, tells me she is getting a lot of calls for this. It is a premixed paint that is sprayed on.  Must think about where to use that next….love it!  Check out the colour on these walls in this powder room and the mirror on mirror.

The dining room, too, was spectacular.  Again, the walls were lacquered and the ceiling treated with a gold leaf wallpaper that was antiqued.  (you can’t see the ceiling here unfortunately)  Did I mention unique lighting fixtures?  This one is not my style but intriguing.  These pictures don’t do the rooms justice.  Imagine the feeling of walking into this tall grand dining room with such intense lacquered colour on the walls and the gold leaf ceiling…..

Velvets, grasscloth, high gloss moulding, gold and stunning light fixture.  Feast for the eyes.

Below, notice the coloured, gloss ceiling (different from lacquered, but shiny nonethless).  The walls had a venetian plaster technique done  in a smooth, gloss finish.  The sheer panels on the windows were not operable but very effective.  In real life we could make those into operable roman blinds.

As  first time attendees of the Kips Bay Show House we were delighted!  Most rooms pushed the envelope.  I liken it to a fashion runway.  It shows cutting edge creativity done perhaps, a little more extreme than the average home.  Bunny Williams, the show house chairwoman estimates that an average of $50,000 was spent by the designer to pull a room together. (Ok, so definitely more than the average home – fantasy for many of us.  But what fun and all for a good cause.)

There were many more rooms and gardens to see.  All these photos were taken from the New York Times.  Visit their link to  see the rest if you like. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/garden/the-kips-bay-decorator-show-house-goes-to-extremes.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Give it some personality.  Your decor should be a glimpse into what and who they can expect to find in your home.

Let it say ‘welcome’ :  a seat, a lamp, a table/bench.  It says, ‘come in, have a seat, there is warmth here’.  Love the ‘happy’ rug.

Show your true colours:  are you colourful or more reserved?  Note how the basket tones down the formality of the design.

Make a statement!   The bright pink bench is a wonderful element of surprise in this classically designed space!  And love those tres chic wall sconces!

No excuses for small spaces.  A large simple piece of art can say ‘I may be small but look out!’.  This vignette is not lacking in big personality.

Be a fashionista if that’s who you are!  Cut out mirror, chairs and console – a fashion trend this season.

Glam it up … gold leaf wallpaper, murano glass chandelier and lots of mirror.

Live a little! Add some life to a hallway with a zebra print wallcovering.  The chandelier is a glamorous contrast to the sisal rugs.

Add some drama with a damask wallcovering. Here  its an unexpected formality in this loft like apartment.

Take the road less travelled.  Don’t follow the beige decorating crowds.  The light fixture is also an original beautiful touch.

Be simple but don’t be boring.  Here is a beautiful combination of paint colours, grasscloth wallcovering and mirror for drama.  The light fixture and art take centre stage.  The bench speaks simplicity and pure beauty.

Make a statement with beautiful lines:  horizontal grain in the grasscloth, vertical grain in the light fixture, striped fabric on the chair, herringbone pattern in the hardwood.  The wall sconces and chest also repeat strong vertical and horizontal lines.  What seems quite simple is a very well thought out design space.

Personalize it with family pictures and trinkets unless you want it to feel museum like.  Love those wall sconces!  No room for a side chair?  Tuck an ottoman under the bench!

Combine modern and classical to give your decor a fresh feeling.  Notice the flowers in almost every picture – a sure way to breathe life into a space.

And a little pooch always saves the day:)

For lots more  ’welcoming’ decorating  ideas please visit our Pinterest board, http://pinterest.com/lumarinteriors/staircases-foyers-and-hallways/ .

All pictures in this post taken from our Pinterest Boards which can be traced back to original designers.

www.lumarinteriors.com

What do you do with a spare bedroom that you don’t want to turn into a full-out guest room?  You turn it into a pretty sitting room just for you!  In this  Aurora, On project we are busy working away doing just that.  We wanted a pretty room for ‘her’; a room she could disappear into to read a book.  But we also wanted a room that the  grand kids could stay in when they want to sleep over.  Hence, the daybed/sitting room was born.

Here is the concept board we started with:

We presented two different schemes.  We liked the overall feeling of this one.  The yellow accents and floral fabrics felt fresh; and the tufted daybed was a perfect solution as a pretty place to rest one’s head or to have the grand kids sleepover on. Our preferred floor plan included one larger etagere and a single ottoman rather than two.

 There are plenty of  small decisions made along the way: one ottoman or two? tufted or not? two smaller etageres or one larger one? two chairs or a bench and a chair? and on and on… Decorating is rarely cut and dried and this can get overwhelming sometimes for many people.  It’s a process from start to finish where the look is tweaked as you go, sometimes for aesthetics, sometimes for functional purposes.

Fabric selections from Robert Allen, Kravet and Maxwell

Fabrics is where we always have fun, particularly when the client isn’t afraid of mixing patterns.   The power of fabric is amazing! It can totally transform a piece of furniture.  With just one broad brushstroke a look can be changed from playful to formal.  In this case our client wanted casual and happy.  I think the addition of the colour yellow can make any room happy:)

One of the final changes we made along the way was the rug.  Once we selected the beautiful grey paint from Benjamin Moore’s new Colour Stories collection, we decided the rug needed to be yellow.  So we found a  yellow/cream flat weave area rug for some cheer and again, casualness.

Our final accessory board above shows the final touches we hope to add.  Some pretty bling is evident on the chandelier and mirror and some yellow and white ceramics for the etagere.

The plan is to photograph this room when its done, so you’ll see what this all translates to in a few months.

If you would like some help to guide you through this decorating process give Lumar Interiors a call or contactus@lumarinteriors.com

The best of both worlds!  Neutral + Colour

We started a project a couple of months ago in Maple, Ontario.  The time had come for this wonderful family of 5 to update their family room.  This is a room they truly live in all the time so it had to be practical….but the ‘kids’ are well, no longer kids.  So, we made a little sophistication happen … and yes, with the input of these so called ‘kids’.

We say the ‘best of both worlds’ cause though the walls and main pieces of upholstery are neutral (see the small square textured swatch to the left below), we added some punch on a chair, cushions, drapery and wait till you see the art that’s coming!  (More on that below)

Family Room fabrics – Maple project

The floral was used on the drapery (that middle child has great taste ) and the chevron and soft plaid on cushions.  The gorgeous velvet stripe (mom had to have this one)  is on the chair and cushions too.

So 80% of it is delivered but we’re still waiting for some finishing touches before I show you the whole reveal.

Want a sneak peek?

She is beautiful…don’t you think?  (Yes, I do think its a ‘she’.  lol.  We get very personal with our furnishings at Lumar.)

Notice the beautiful upholstery on the arm.

Love the patterns and sumptuous cushions!

And now part of the final reveal includes this….tada….

A beautiful floral piece of art over the sofa

I think the end result is a beautiful, warm room that’s calming with some added pattern and colour for fun.

Can’t wait to see the finished room.

Need a makeover?  Don’t want to run around from store to store?  Need to know what size furniture you need? Don’t know how to pull it altogether.  That’s what we LOVE doing…  Give us a call or contactus@lumarinteriors.com

Don’t you find you crave simplicity more and more….?  Yet, the holidays seem to get busier and crazier.  So here are a few no-brainer ideas to decorate your home this season and get you and your family in the holiday spirit.

1.  Buy a few large statement pieces and just pull them out year after year.  

The trees below offer a lot of impact at about 30″ tall.

Family Room console in our 2012 Holiday Home

More trees in the dining room….

Trees on dining room sideboard of Holiday Home 2012

2.  Have some beautiful ornaments on hand to fill the EXISTING bowls around your home.

 Save them in separate bags at the end of the season and label them so you know where they belong the following year.  Or don’t label them and just rearrange the following year based on what feels right then.

Two large glittery pine cones fill existing living room bowl

Christmas balls in existing living room bowl

Existing hurricane lamp filled with Christmas cheer on family room ledge

3.  Use lots of pretty ribbon to make anything feel special

….like its all wrapped up!  You can tie ribbons around candlestick lamp posts, pillows on a hall bench, lanterns….

Ribbon-tied favour boxes on our Holiday 2012 dining room table

A beautiful bow and christmas balls add holiday cheer to existing family room lantern

4.  Use lots of fresh Christmas greens

Use leftover branches of greens from your Christmas tree or front door swags and fill a vase.  Or, you can buy fresh greens now at most large grocery stores.

Battery packed candles (LOVE) sitting on living room ledge with a few fresh green branches and Christmas baubles

Fill an existing vase with fresh holiday greens and add some magnolia leaves to a bowl of Christmas balls

Once you have a tree, some bowls filled with Christmas balls and pinecones,  and some greenery you are pretty much done.

Now remember to take the time to sit and enjoy it – yes, your home, where true relaxation begins and the luxury of comfort belongs.

After 20 years or so, who doesn’t need a refresher?  Sure, you could trade it in for a younger model but maybe you just need to rekindle that love.

via Pinterest

That’s exactly what we are in the process of doing with this past client.  We had worked with this Richmond Hill client years ago and they now  called us in again to help them re-decorate their kitchen and living room.  They were in the process of ordering new cabinetry for the kitchen.  We helped them nail down the exact finishes that would work and then finished the space with window coverings (blinds and fabrics), paint colours  and dining furniture.  Cabinetry is going in this week and the rest to follow soon.

We carried the red accent colour from the kitchen into the living and dining room area but combined it with a gorgeous grey-blue.  The colour scheme of taupe, grey-blue and red is going to look stunning and very classic.  We drew the colours from a painting of a European street scene that they have.  This will be a scheme they will be able to live with for another 20 years.

Living room fabric scheme

The love seat is going to be in the linen fabric; the striped velvet on cushions and dining room chair seats, the red/linen damask on two chairs; the drapery in the solid grey/blue fabric with the banding and dabs of red and blue on cushions/piping.

Thinking of adding this stunning lamp to the mix?  What do you think?

Murano Blue Lamp

We promise to show you an ‘after’ shot when we’re done making them fall in love with their home again:)

If you would like some help in redecorating a tired space…give us a call, that’s our specialty.  We’ve been doing it for over 20 years….

www.lumarinteriors.com

Styling or accessorizing a room is like the icing on the cake.  This is where you can really give it some personality.   It is by far one of the most satisfying parts of the decorating process.  When you stop short of this it really leaves you feeling like the room is just not ‘done’.

Following are some great vignettes that really help to tell the story.  Enjoy!

1.  Re-purpose : Use a lidded jar as a vase and keep the lid next to it like an accessory.

2.  Tuck one or two stools under a large console.

3.  Go 3-d : Use vases on wall sconces for great effect.

4.  Stack pictures for impact.

6.  Group collections like this blue and white china.

7.  Add some whimsy, a talking point or something that reflects your personality or hobbies.

8.  Repeat colour to create rhythm in a room – notice the blue repeated.

9.  ALWAYS add life to a room through books, plants and flowers.  Ever see a magazine picture without these items?  Never.

All photos via Pinterest.com.  Visit our boards at http://pinterest.com/lumarinteriors/ for more decorating inspiration.

If you need help finishing up that room that doesn’t look quite ‘done’, give us a call or contactus@lumarinteriors.com

A while back I posted that ‘chairs are like shoes’.  So shoes and jewellery are my favourite things….I guess that means I love chairs and lamps!

What gives the outfit the final touch, the wow, the feelings you want to exude?  The jewellery or the lamps, of course.

Pretty elegance from Currey & co.

Subtle colour from Currey and Co.

Jewllery for the hall table

Wood for a family room - Currey & Co.

Contemporary with a classic feel

Clean and classic lines from Currey & Co.

Stunning details on this Alexa Hampton piece

Solid Elegance from Alexa Hampton

Gold anyone? from Currey & Co.

How about some Ralph Lauren?

Gorgeous colour in murano glass from LeeJofa

Whether its elegance or manliness or colour or panache….lamps can add any of  that to a room.

If you need help finding the right lamp for the feeling you are after…we’re good listeners, give us a call or check us out at www.lumarinteriors.com