CREED

NYC Reno: The Family Plan

2012-02-13T11:04:00.000-05:00

I started working on this renovation project in New York City last June, the scope of work was extensive as it involved converting 3 adjoining apartments into one single family residence. (Check out some of the before photos and my introduction of this project here.) At the very onset of a project I usually formulate a vision for the bones of the space very quickly. In this case, my clients who are parents to three young kids were in synch with this vision, represented in the collage above. Timeless elements like natural wood and marble, fresh white walls with panel molding for classic character, fixtures with clean simple lines and vintage patina - would become the backdrop for this family's busy city life in the Upper East Side for the next 20 years or more. It reflects their affection for tradition but will exude a young and modern edge, just like them!

The 'Before' Plan

The existing three apartments had tiny enclosed kitchens and equally small bathrooms. The biggest challenge in redesigning this space, aside from ALL the structural elements that couldnt' be moved, were the rules of the building. It seemed the more layouts we came up with, the more the rules changed. No problem. I can design around anything - I was coming up with new layouts as fast as they were coming up with more rules. : ) After weeks of marathon space planning the conclusion was - NO kitchen or bathroom could extend beyond their existing footprint, NO plumbing drains or appliance locations could be moved, AND no additional bathrooms could be added. Uh huh. Did you look at the existing plan? Soooo, Carol, good luck getting that dream kitchen into a closet, scrap the luxurious Master ensuite with double vanity, and forget about the convenient new powder room off the foyer. : / Discouraged yet? My clients were.

I"m not gonna lie,,,the decisions from the Board were crushing to the homeowners. As more and more restrictions were placed on them, they doubted whether this space could ever come close to suiting their needs no matter how extensively it was renovated. Thoughts of scrapping the entire reno entered their minds,,,,,, until they found this plan in their inbox.

The Proposed Plan

At first glance this plan may not look super impressive, but this really was a triumphant success. We have a 'spacious' open concept kitchen!!! A decision was made early on that the kitchen in the middle Apt. B would be the new kitchen, and the main entry would be thru Apt. C, this allowed for a split bedroom plan. All good, except the kitchen in Apt. B had a column in the middle of it and no where to put a fridge if we took down the walls. (It was so space challenged the existing kitchen only had an 18"wide dishwasher.)

Two key elements allowed this plan to happen,,,,,,,#1 we were permitted to move the washer/dryer out of the kitchen to a closet within the footprint of the main bathroom, and #2, even more crucial - under counter refrigeration!!! I've been using under counter refrigeration for about 10 years and it's been the 'hidden' key to many successful kitchen redesigns. I was able to place 3 fridge drawers and 1 freezer drawer in the peninsula, equivelant to a standard fridge. All plumbing and appliances remained within the footprint of the original kitchen = Board approved! The compromise as you can see, the column is still there and it falls right in the middle of the peninsula - but that's one small compromise in exchange for this expanded family style kitchen.

When my clients received this plan the single sentence response I received by email was "you are my hero"! An exaggeration, a wee bit ; ) yes, but I was thrilled they liked it. They loved it. For me it was so satisfying to know I was able to help turn this space into everything they had hoped it could be instead of it becoming their biggest disappointment. That's the value of design.

Custom Details & Elevations

This plan indicates where all the custom built-ins and custom details will be located and identifies all the new interior doors. Well planned built-ins and well appointed doors will take advantage of every square inch and integrate awkwardly placed obstacles into useable space.

What I love most about this new layout; the open concept kitchen lets mom interact with the kids and benefits from the natural daylight, the dining table can extend into the living room when needed, the master gets a luxuriously large dressing room and the kids have a separate lounge area, in fact the entire kids 'wing' can be closed off from the main living areas whenever the parents chose. To make the most of a tiny master ensuite I created a spacious vanity area outside of the bathroom which will be finished in the same materials as the bathroom so it all reads as one larger space. There's a lot of great features packed into this 2200 sf home. A 4+ bdrm, 3 bath plan - in manhattan,,pretty sweet.

Preliminary Furniture Plan

This is how this new family apartment will be used. To help clients visualize if the proposed layout will meet their particular requirements I draw up a general furniture plan so they can see if that king size bed will fit or how many dinner guests they'll be able to seat. The furniture is generic and except for sizes, the pieces are not specific unless the homeowners have existing items that must be used. Otherise I create a generic layout like this which then becomes the basis for the electrical and lighting location plans.

Each of the kids rooms will have built-in desks with storage and the Den will do double duty as a home office and guest bedroom, we'll be creating some open niches and shelves into the dividing wall in the Den but unfortunately it can't be moved.

All of the Interior Design plans were completed last September and construction started on site about 4 weeks ago. Currently I'm finalizing the paint and wallpaper specs (yes there will be some colour and pattern!) and dealing with the daily issues and changes that come up. That's the nature of a renovation,,,,expect the design plans to go thru a round of changes after demolition is completed.

Like the change to this small hall closet that apparantly will be even smaller due to the unexpected size of the column. yikes. That's the contractor, with a set of my drawings, explaining to the homeowner why this framing is not jiving with my plans...

I'll take you thru the design plans for the kitchen and the individual bathrooms in future posts.

All images, drawings and photos are the property of Carol Reed Interior Design Inc. and may not be reproduced.

IDS: 2012

2012-01-28T16:06:00.000-05:00

Snob Stuff Exhibit Space

The annual Toronto Interior Design Show is on this weekend and I had a few hours to tour the show during Trade Day yesterday. I have to confess I don't get too excited about trade shows in general, especially ones that are local for me and take place once year - its hard to exhibit new ideas, products and concepts every 12 months that consumers or designers haven't already been exposed to. As a working designer I see these suppliers and products on a regular basis throughout the year. What I do enjoy at trades shows are keynote addresses by Industry leaders from Canada and other parts of the world speaking on design and I love to see 'Concept' spaces designed by or in collaboration with Designers (I really wish there was more of that!). I love to see the works of independent and emerging designers in the Studio North section of the show - this popular 'show within the show' never disappoints. Overall, based on what I see when I tour IDS I know its only a small glimpse of the Canadian or Toronto design scene - more apparant to me than who IS there, are all the fantastic products, designers and services (and trade only suppliers) that I know AREN'T represented at this show.

While many of my favorites suppliers and products aren't exhibiting at IDS, some certainly were. What I chose to capture photos of were products that I haven't seen before or products that were simply exhibited in a way that impressed me. Here's a glimpse at what caught my eye-phone this year.

Snob Stuff.

Always one of the most beautiful spaces at IDS with the most interesting pieces. All their products are handcrafted in South Africa. The brass ring pendant lights were a favorite of mine, a series of them floating over the table was captivating. I'm always drawn to spaces that have a graphic quality to them, that contrast of black with white mixed with natural materials always resonates with me. I think even the most simple objects looks sophisticated against black, as these primitive handmade pieces do set against a black accent wall and black dining table. The impact of the oversize b&w image, the colours and the texture of the crafted pieces all created an artfully eclectic space.

In the Studio North area of the show, these rope pendant lights were getting a lot of attention. : )

I'm crazy for the natural character of wood and I loved this take on the stump table, especially the sides painted a dark black/brown.

This wall scultpure of reclaimed wood reminded me of an exhibit I saw at MOMA last year. I loved the grey tones of the wood and the pattern and texture created by assembling the wood this way. Simple material but so beautiful in this context.

The peacock chair.

This is what resulted when Toronto design studio UUfie collaborated with Dupont Corian. The intricate fanlike chairs designed by UUfie were made from a single sheet of corian, then cut and folded and bent thru a process called thermoforming. The material does seem to have infinite possibilites, co-incidentally one of my favorites from IDS11 was a bookcase wall made from Corian.

The international host of honour, Italian Architect Piero Lissoni designed this gorgeous white on white lounge that was all the buzz. Divided up into both social and intimate spaces with deep lounge sectionals and floor to ceiling bookshelving the vibe was modern, elegant and relaxed. The white on white scheme was a striking contrast to one of last years most raved about spaces, Ikea's black on black on black kitchen.

My favorite space of all was this concept space created by Mazen Studio for the "How Do You Live" special exhibit. To me its the definition of "warm modern". Its no wonder I was crazy about everything in this space, it features modern danish pieces, contemporary photography, a gallery wall, and many products from my own personal favorite sources like Hollace Cluny, Moncer Flooring and Zig Zag modern but even better were a couple of great 'new to me' sources. And I thought I knew them all. ; )

I'll leave you with more photos (sorry not such great quality photos!) of this space and simply say I absolutely loved every single thing about it. everything.

All Photos: Carol Reed

Upload: Update 2012

2012-01-25T00:28:00.000-05:00

A crucial part of my job involves documenting spaces or items on a daily basis, everything from constuction site progress to a great vintage find, I'm rarely without camera phone in hand. I take hundreds of photos on my Iphone every week, some project related and some are just details or objects or settings that catch my eye.... or just make me happy - like a classic black & white graphic print...on a dress. Collectively these photos are a snapshot of where I've been, what I'm working on and what's inspiring me. Initially I started posting a selection of these daily images in an "Upload" post every month then..... it became every other month. Then the backload of images became so enormous, it was too overwhelming to tackle. So what better time than the start of a brand new year to get back on track and keep these posts going thru the entire 2012 calendar.

In early November I spent a week in Naples Florida with 5 girlfriends. It was our first time to see my friends new vacation home there. She had spent the past few months getting the house furnished and outfitted, while there I helped her decide on some placement of wall art. I'm pleased to report that 2 months later these glass wall vases I installed are still hanging (it required power tools and gerry-rigging some plugs). Girl power. : ) My favorite shopping spot in Naples was the Sally Ann - it was a thrifters paradise and set up as well as any furniture showroom would be. The huge pedestal table in the pic above was from there. I scooped up a bunch of silver serving pieces and carried them home on my lap. I don't think the customs officer believed me when the only thing I had to declare was some used silver from the Sally Ann wrapped up in newspaper. : ) But my travel partner had a set of gorgeous blue & white bowls in her Sally Ann bag ($25!!) so we made an odd but convincing pair of shoppers. Designers!

I loved these modern orange planters outside of the Tommy Bahama store in downtown Naples.

While in Naples I had a meeting with Toronto clients who also needed some help with their Florida home. But first, this winter I'm working on on a huge gut-reno for their newly purchased summer home a couple hours north of Toronto. Its a character bungalow that's lost all of its charm, their architect and I will be giving it a complete modern overhaul inside and out, adding on a new master suite and an art studio. She's a painter and her Florida home is literally a gallery of her work as well as their own collection of other fantastic artists.

I loved these wooden sculptures she had flanking her garden doors. An important element of their home in north Toronto will be its modern simplicity so that it can showcase art and antiques. This is going to be a project that truly resonates with my design philosophy in many ways. Stay tuned for more details about this project - I've been immersed in the design plans for the past month and I'm excited and challenged at how much this one is pushing me to refine and edit and explore new ideas.

And no worries, I havn't forgotten about Li'l bro's reno. It moved along at such a fast pace I couldn't keep up with it. But yes, they are moved in and our entire family was thrilled to celebrate Christmas in their newly completed home (pic above). Between my recent travels and my brothers travels and the holidays, I just havn't had any time to get over there for some 'after photos' (literally the paint was drying as we were on our way for Christmas dinner - but I promise an update post is coming soon).

The 70's bungalow is officially complete except for the landscaping (summer 2012). I'm assisting them with some artwork selections for a couple of key areas and then I'm planning to schedule a photo shoot for March - can't wait to share some afters with you!!!

I had the opportunity to tour the most incredible architect designed modern home in Toronto which was completely furnished with original mid-century modern furniture and art. This place made my heart race, it truly did, and I got a little snap happy with my DSLR. Of course I'll give you a tour right here in the coming weeks.

A fabric swatch that I had carried around in my totebag for almost a year, was the perfect fit as roman shades in a new home office that was recently installed at a clients.

And when I spotted this tourquoise Ralph Lauren crackle glaze lamp at HomeSense, I knew instantly where it was going... The office has both his and her desks, her's is a large table desk I had custom made to sit in front of the window, the base is painted in a peacock blue and the tourquoise lamp is, well, i think its just perfect for it! Score. The rest of the room was outfitted with custom built-ins. I'm hoping to return soon and help with some office accessories and storage containers - there's lots of shelves to organize.

The glass french doors on the office were original to the cape cod style house but the crystal door knobs aren't working, I sent her to The Door Store to find replace knobs....can't wait to see what she found!

And in the family room/kitchen nook, I'm having some banquet cushions and pillows made for them that will be family friendly for crafts, school projects, game nights, and messy meals.

A kitchen reno in a rustic log cabin north of the city had me on a search for green barn light pendants. And I lucked out in finding both vintage and new options. The Door Store had quite a great selection, I absolutely love this historic green, and thinking I need to find a match for this in a paint colour!

For a non vintage option, Home Depot has this slightly darker green version (also available in white and bronze and black). A steal - great for really tight budgets and tight timelines. Ultimately the client found some vintage wire cage pendants instead, they do look great but don't bring the impact of colour to the kitchen these would have.

Probably one of my favorite coffee tables of all time, I have a similar style in my own living room, this vintage barcelona table was scooped up for a clients living room just in time for Christmas. I was crazy for this the moment I saw it, actually several months ago and couldn't believe it was still available. An authentive vintage piece in 'nearly perfect' condition is my choice over a knock-off any day. It arrived right after my clients new marble slab fireplace surround was installed and right before the Mitchell Gold Hunter sofa was delivered. A pair of modern lounge chairs on order from Style Garage will complete the grouping. I think this coffee table deserves some 'after' photos.

It really pained me to leave the store without these vintage cane beauties. I'll dream about these ones for years to come.

Just days before Christmas I visited the Moncer wood flooring showroom in Jordan, Ontario (wine country!). I was incredibly impressed by the quality and craftsmanship of the product and the company's philosophy and dedication to great design in every aspect of their business. I love my wood natural and with loads of character - these products deliver!! For wide planks and long boards, I've never seen anything as gorgeous as the Moncer line.

Every single detail in their gallery like showroom was thoughtfully and beautifully planned. Located outside of the city next to a winery, the visit to the showroom truly makes the experience out of the ordinary, just like their wood. I'm ecstatic to be using these stunning floors in my newest project!!! I'm sure it won't be the last...

And lastly on my iphone, a project that's now taking up every spare minute of my personal time is our own hunt for a house - its been pretty discouraging thus far. Nothing but lots of photos of country houses we're quickly crossing off the list, like this one above. It had some great outbuildings but the house was so teeny tiny it was no bigger than a 1 bedroom condo in the city and ideally, I'm really looking for something that's not brick. So the search continues.....but the good news is - I already have the new floors picked out (see above) : )

All Photos: Carol Reed

Comfort & Joy

2011-12-28T12:48:00.000-05:00

My bedroom 'dressed up' for the Holidays.

As the holidays drew closer I was craving the comforts of my own bed more than ever before. Having been away for a few weeks on an extended road trip, we arrived home to a house in the midst of construction - it looked like one of my job sites, not my house...and they were clearly behind schedule. Another two weeks of living thru and around the mess had me counting down the minutes until all the trades would be out the door and I could put the house back together again.

The sight of our living room upon our return from the East Coast. Not the welcome home I was expecting! : / It took another two weeks for all the work to be finished while we stayed at a brother's house. When they were finally done, it was just six days until Christmas and pretty much the entire contents of our house were still packed away.

The first room I needed to put back in order was our bedroom. A little touch of holiday greenery was enough to instantly put me in the spirit of the season and make the house look festive. Ahhh the comforts of my own bed with all my own things around me once again.....

I plan on spending lots of down time here over the next few days,,,setting goals, making plans and dreaming big dreams for 2012.

To be able to enjoy the comforts of a crack'lin fire with family on Christmas day was truly joyful.

And sipping delicious hot teas from my new Iwachu iron tea set will bring me comfort & joy for many years to come. I'm absolutely in LOVE with the sculputural lines of this tea pot, I plan to leave it out where I can see it all the time. Thank you Santa!

From my home to yours,

I wish you Comfort & Joy

this Holiday season and

in the New Year ahead.

Peace,

Carol

All Photos: Carol Reed

Dream Worthy

2011-12-21T00:43:00.000-05:00

Most people have a special vision of their dream home, considering I'm an interior designer you might be surprised to learn that all my visions of what make a *dream home* for me are more about the exterior. I actually envision *dream views* around which my dream homes are designed (hey if its a dream, I can have multiple homes!). Don't get me wrong, I'm all about well designed interiors but to me it goes so beyond that, its a bigger picture for me and that picture starts even before you set sight on the front door, its about the setting - the location of the home makes or breaks it for me. Specifically with my ideal locations, its all about the views. An interior is just static and stale to me if it doesn't relate to the exterior and offer some type of view or sense of place that transcends beyond the interior walls. The vibe of a home's architecture and interior in sync with its setting, its place. I have this term I use called 'sense of place' I don't know if there's another proper design term for this but its the best way I can describe it.

My ideal interiors stem from having an incredible sense of place,,,,,the key to this for me is capturing great views that expand your eye beyond the interior walls. My dream homes are always about some stunning non-static view. I don't have just one dream home in my head, I have several - each one is quite different depending on the setting - but they all are designed around spectacular views, my dream views. When I travel I can't help but fantasize about what kind of home I would design for whatever local i'm visiting and what kinds of scene(s) it would capture, and how the interior would play off those scenes. Weird maybe,,,but that's what inspires my visions for interior spaces.

I have to say when I told people recently that I was visiting Cape Breton for a few weeks, I experienced a lot of raised eyebrows and puzzled looks. Cape where? Is that in New Brunswick? PEI? Isn't it really cold there right now? So for those who have never visited or know little about this East Coast Nova Scotian Island, I feel the need to explain my fascination with this beautiful place. When I first visited Cape Breton two summers ago, I was never more captivated by stunning scenery than I was there. Its no wonder the Cabot Trail is rated in the top 20 most scenic roads to drive in the world!! (The first three photos of this post are from my vacation there in August 2010.)

This island is home to many of my *dream views* all in one destination; dramatic ocean coastline, wide sandy beaches with long wispy grass, lush green highlands and valleys, sprawling rolling fields, and did I mention ocean views,,,ocean views everywhere. I could instantly envision how a house could capture this beauty, whether you were ocean front, or high in the hills or amongst the lush valley's. I was actually surprised that I didn't see more great architecture or design that really paid homage to these settings. But there are a few exceptions, and I want to share with you the closest thing that I've ever seen to my own visions of a dream home - in real life........

This hilltop cottage is a second home to Los Angeles designers, Alexandra and Elliot Angle. Its pretty much perfection in my eyes. Its been published in Canadian House & Home, The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, Australia's Country Style, and countless other publications. This house has received a LOT of coverage. I think it's location lends a bit of 'mystery' to readers.

Set on the highest point along this westerly section of coastline the cottage has breathtaking views up and down the coast overlooking the Gulf of St.Lawrence......you can watch wales right from the deck.

via Australia Country Style

via Australia Country Style.

The house's modern salt box design with its weathered cedar shake siding was inspired by the local barns. The low wraparound deck was inspired by a traditional lobster trap design.

via Australia Country Style

The interior is bright and open and painted about 10 varying subtle shades of blue, grey and green.

Captivating...

Blissful....

The house has wrap around ocean views. The one side of the house that doesn't face the ocean, has mountain views.

Can you imagine sunset views like this from your own dining table. Check out any of the links mentioned above for more interior photos and the full story of this L.A. couple's Canadian dream home...

Not too far away from the Angle's modern saltbox cottage above is another modernized take on a saltbox cottage. Again, up on a hilltop with views up and down the coast, the property gradually slopes down to the ocean. Dreamy. This oceanside cottage is offerred for vacation rental at....Homeaway.com

This house has a bit of a rustic adirondak vibe (?) but the views are insane. (Recently offered for sale but the listing no longer appears online.)

These houses all truly capture the beauty of Cape Breton the way I envision it.

Dream home worthy in many ways.

Now back to reality,,,,,,,I returned from vacation to a house in the middle of construction/repairs, and Christmas is in 4 days. Not so dreamy.

Photos 1, 2, 3: Carol Reed

Photos 4, 5, 7: The New York Times

Photos 9, thru 13: Alexandra Angle Interior Design

Photos 6, 8: Australia Country Style

Photo 12: www.homeaway.com

Photo 13: mls.ca

Cape Breton Houses

2011-12-02T17:01:00.000-05:00

I spent a few days in Sydney on Cape Breton Island where the houses all have that classic East Coast style that I love so much. Its rare in these parts to see homes constructed of brick or stucco, or to see them painted in dull neutral colours. My favorite exterior colour combo for these character houses is a dark deep grey/black or deep blue with white trim and a bold colorful front door. Walk down any street and your bound to see a different hue on every house. I also love that these houses have a lot of symmetry - with they're crisp white trim and colourful siding they're just the perfect showcase for holiday decor.

Whether I'm at home or travelling one of my favorite past-times is to walk thru neighborhoods and check out exterior home designs. I wasn't disappointed in Sydney, it was a treat to stroll up and down the streets and take in all the different colour combos and, what I thought were all beautifully appointed front doors.

Not the greatest photo but the wreath on the front door (and side door) of this yellow house was gorgeous along with a pair of potted topiary evergreens it was so tastefully done.

Here's an example of that high contrast colour combo I love so much,,the contrast of the dark siding with the crisp white trim really highlights the architectural details. Check out that railing design!

Here's another great railing design similar to the house photo above - love this!!

Once you get outside of the *city*, the houses in the rural areas you can still find some colourful houses but mostly you see a lot of naturally greyed cedar shake or painted white farmhouses. Now these are what really speak to me,,,,,like this classic cedar shake farmhouse. It sits high on a hilltop with panoramic ocean views along the west coast of the island - hello, whoever owns this beauty, I want your house. : )

All Photos: Carol Reed

Cape Breton: Island Beauty

2011-11-28T23:57:00.000-05:00

A favorite subject of mine....I'm fascinated with barns.

In Cape Breton, ocean side barns are a classic sighting.

The dreary days of November can be the perfect time to get away for an Island vacation,,,,of course most people would probably dream of that island being in a tropical local - but not me, at least not this time. I'm taking my summer vacation a little later than originally planned and am currently spending some time touring around the East Coast Island of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. My boyfriend and I travelled around all of Nova Scotia in the summer of 2010 and were completely smitten with Cape Breton. The highland landscape, the dramatic coastline, the lush green valleys and mountains,,,the food and the music captured our hearts.

Most of the island is predominantly seasonal with tourism really dominating the local businesses from May thru October. We've decided to spend a couple of weeks here during the off-season because, well we just prefer to do things differently,,,,,without the masses and to experience the Island not so much as tourists. Some of the benefits of traveling during the off-season are that there are no tourists,,,there's actually NO ONE around here for the most part so its been great for photography,,,,but not so great at times trying to find places to eat or basic accommodations outside the main town of Sydney. Definitely the best part about visiting during these chilly days,,,,hot seafood chowder and warm biscuits! The best.

I could spend all day, every day with my camera and never run out of beautiful images to capture.

Cloudy days are great for shooting.

Except for a freak snow storm a few days ago, its been fairly mild and walks on the beach are still very enjoyable.

The inland waters are almost as expansive as the open ocean.

I was crazy for these vintage deco like chairs in a little bakery in Mabou. They were striking against black beadboard wainscotting.

Nothing beats local mussels and warm homemade biscuits....except enjoying them during an afternoon cailidh, the floor moving beneath you as the fiddle players pound their feet is an experience that's unforgettable.

Discovering a little Bistro in the middle of nowhere, hours from anything,,,,,that serves up gourmet delights is just heavenly. Everything homemade,,,and the best scones I've ever had!

I hope to share more tales from Cape Breton soon as I find some wifi again. : )

To.pi.ary

2011-11-18T00:23:00.001-05:00

I've had an affection for topiaries for as long as I can remember, going way back to before I ever went to design school. I remember making them out of moss or dried roses for my own bedroom when I was just a teenager (ok, so maybe I spent a little too much time in my room!?). I think its the sparseness and their sculptural quality that I'm drawn to, very much the same reasons I'm drawn to potted orchids - simple but ornamental. Looking back at past projects I notice that I've used topiaries on almost every job, from traditional to modern spaces. They're an artistic form of nature that I find timelessly appealing.

Last year at this time I was in NYC and I remember being captivated by a shop window that was full of topiaires. I stood there gazing (drooling) as if they were designer shoes or handbags,,,,,,for what seem like ages, wanting so badly to take a few home with me!

Rosemary topiaries are one of my favorites, beautiful and edible!

On a recent photoshooot I used a couple of mismatched ones to style my clients kitchen table. At the time, I had to scour the city trying to find them (why is you can NEVER find what you need when you want it!!??) - all I kept thinking of was the little shop in NYC that had been overflowing with them...

I love the look of this one, its wild shaped top paired with a modern cube pot. This one currently sits on my own coffee table, a nice change from the fresh orchid I usually have here.

My current favorite pot for topiaries are these taupe coloured clay pots from Home Depot. I'm simply crazy for this colour which i find so much more chic looking than typical terracotta colour.

**Edit**

I couldn't do a post on topiaries without including this space by one of my favorite designers Vicente Wolf. I simply love everything about this grouping, especially those chairs.

It feels good to be back on the blog again - its been a while!! So much to blog about soo little time,,,,I'm looking forward to updating all that's been happening here soon......

All Photos: Carol Reed

Thankful!

2011-10-10T13:40:00.000-04:00

A lake side cottage, brilliant fall colours, clear blue skies and summer like temperatures. An absolute picture perfect setting for celebrating a harvest style thanksgiving feast with family and friends. Every fall at this time I declare that its my favorite time of year and this year was no exception, well, actually the weather, the setting, the company - it was all truly EXCEPTIONAL. I was up north at my brother's cottage where we had invited a group of other family and friends on the lake to join us for a Thanksgiving dinner. I was in charge of setting the table (actually nobody really had a choice, I called dibs on it weeks ago!!!) and I was thrilled to do it because often at my own home, this is the part of a holiday dinner that I usually run out of time to do. But not this weekend, this was a leisurely day, dinner was pre-planned and well organized ahead of time so we were able to enjoy the company and the gorgeous warm summer like day.

The sunlight illuminating the brilliant orange, red and gold leaves was the effect I wanted to create in a tablescape.

I had no idea how exactly I was going to set the table, I had no plan except that I would use whatever I could find on-hand both inside and outside the cottage. We started by rearranging the furniture and setting up a long table down the centre of the cottage in front of the fireplace. A mix of mismatched table cloths, runners, plates and stemware all seemed to work together with the fall colours. Now the essentials were in place it was time to add some drama - my niece and I headed outside and collected a bundle of blazing red maple leaf branches and another bundle of golden yellow ones. I placed three tall beaker style vases down the centre of the table and filled them with the long branches, we layered all the smaller off-cuts directly on the table itself scattering them down the middle from end to end.

We gathered small pieces of birch bark and used them as place cards by writing names on them with an orange marker and setting one on each plate. Lastly we scattered about a dozen votive candles down the table and set larger candle lanterns around the cottage. The entire setting, including gathering the branches took less than an hour.

The effect was simply beautiful and dramatic, the tall branches created a brilliant canopy of leaves...

When seated at the table the colourful leaves glowed over our heads and all around the votive candles.

We enjoyed the day outside, and had drinks and appy's on the deck overlooking the lake. The sun was just setting as we headed inside.....from one spectacular showcase of colour...

To another.

Even though the weather was summer-like, we lit a fire in the fireplace, just for the ambience...

The drive home was full of breathtaking views likes this, we took the long scenic route home and soaked it all in. In case I havn't said it enough times this weekend, its my favorite time of year!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

All Photos: Carol Reed

70's Bungalow: Makes A Modern Impression

2011-10-04T01:29:00.000-04:00

70's Bungalow with new front facade and door (new landscaping still to come!)

As you approach this door,,,,you can almost hear it say "Welcome! Let me introduce you to my stylish homeowners who will so graciously invite you into my warm modern interior......please come in...". Its a far cry from what this front door used to say....

"Come in if you dare". Front Door before.

When I began working on the 70's Bungalow project over a year ago I immediately saw such huge potential for the exterior. What I disliked about the exterior of the house was its horrid fleshy peach coloured stucco (that's an understatement!) and its white vinyl slider windows. What I loved most about the exterior of this house were its lines, it had great long horizontal lines. Everything about these lines screamed modern to me, they were just wanting to be heard.

To begin the transformation of the dated exterior the chunky traditional plaster mouldings were removed from around all the windows. Next a new roof, and windows were installed. Then new black aluminum windows were custom designed with an asymmetrical mullion detail. I had the front door and sidelite reversed (from the original positions) so the handle side of the front door wasn't up against the adjacent wall. New lighting locations were roughed-in and finally a new dark grey stucco was applied to the entire exterior and the new eaves and soffits were fit into place.

The new look is monochromatic and distinctly contemporary. I chose a black shingle for the roof and a dark warm grey not only for the facade of the house but for the eaves and the soffits too, I wanted these elements to blend in with the body of the house rather than be in contrast. Not chosing white tones for the aluminum work created this monochromatic effect and emphasizes the expanse and volume of the house, not breaking it up with contrasting trim. What I envisioned as the highlight of the exterior would be the front door. All of this sophisticated grey and black was the perfect setting....

For a beautiful, solid, natural wood door. The wood tones are a striking feature against the grey exterior and gives a strong presence to the entry. Because the door location is a bit unconventional in that it doesn't face the street, (its positioned sideways/perpendicular to the street), it could easily disappear and become very nondistinct. But I didn't want that - I like a house to have a definitive front entry that's distinguishable and also sets the tone for the interior beyond, even if its understated. I talked the homeowners out of both a glass door and a painted door option. I wanted to make sure this new door was in no way mistaken for a window or have the less important look of a side door. Designing a new custom front door wasn't part of my original scope of work but as we discussed all the design details for the windows with the contractor the door design was created on the spot. Oh how I love to hear the words "we can make anything you want, just tell us what you'd like". So I did, and.....they did. To finish it off on a truly collaborative note, the homeowners selected the new light fixture and mailbox. I approved.

After waiting months and months for the new door to be delivered - the homeowners and I unanimously declared it was worth the wait! (the colours are a little off in the photo above). Next year they'll begin the landscaping redesign which will include new stonework for the front entry area and a new cladding treatment for the stone planters. So please ignore all the landscaping (or lack of) in these photos as the grounds have remained unchanged to this date. As for the interior, all construction work has finished up and we are currently working on all the window coverings and artwork.

Previous posts on this project:

All Photos: Carol Reed

Gails' Kitchen: Sneak Peek

2011-09-28T00:41:00.000-04:00

I don't think most people realize how much time will elapse from the day they decide to take on a renovation project to the day you can actually move your belongings back into the space, including all your own personal touches, and,,, begin living in it. It can take even longer for the final finishing touches to be put in place and for those much dreamed about "after" photos to be taken. Gail's kitchen was a project I started in January 2010, you can read all about the project and see before photos here, design drawings here , site progress here, and here. The project involved the renovation of not only her kitchen but an adjoining mud room and family room. Construction wrapped up 10 months after my initial meeting with Gail, and just in time for her to use her brand new kitchen for Thanksgiving 2010. But even at that point there was still a short list (ok, she might have called it a long list) of small details still to be completed.

Flash forward almost a year later and I've finally had the chance to return to Gail's and take some 'after' photos. (This could have happened sooner but coordinating shoots like this in the summer months is just too challenging.) Its been an amazing experience to return all these months later and see Gail still gushing over her new kitchen like it was just revealed to her yesterday - she's literally giddy with disbelief and excitement that this is 'her' kitchen. Its so satisfying to me to see the pure joy on her face when she's in this space and to listen to her tell me of all the parties and special meals that have been experienced.

Having any of my projects professionally photographed, or even photographed by myself, requires a huge investment of my own time (and money!) as well as the complete cooperation of the homeowner. In all honesty its a challenge to find this time. It can also take a couple of months to get into a photographer 's schedule depending what time of year it is. Once scheduled, prior to a shoot I'll spend a day picking up fresh flowers and food accessories and then I'll spend the next day at the house making sure everything is in place and camera ready. The third day is spent at the house overseeing the shoot. Did I mention,,,,,,,these after photos,,, require a huge amount of time!!??

I was thrilled to work with the super talented photographer Donna Griffith just two weeks ago photographing 'after' photos of Gail's kitchen project. I don't even have the final photos yet but I thought I'd share a sneak peek at some of the beautiful details that have come to life from all those design sketches and visions I had in my head almost two years ago. Its a huge room and these images are literally a small 'peek', capturing only a fraction of the complete space.

Please note the images below are just a few of my own candid shots, not the photographers.

Here you can truly see the beauty and character of hand made subway tile.

As Donna said when she arrived,,,,"I just want to sit down and have breakfast". I bought the topiaries to dress the table but everything else I set out on the table belongs to Gail.

A huge oversize lantern I had custom made for the two story space.

Even a year later the timing still wasn't ideal. There was a construction crew working on the pool deck in the backyard but they were so accommodating every time we asked them to move their tools out of view!

All Photos: Carol Reed

Oh Brother: You Need A Plan

2011-09-12T23:33:00.000-04:00

This is where he does his best thinking....

The two weeks following the date of purchasing their fixer-upper, my Brother and his Girlfriend were thrust into a whirlwind of planning sessions and shopping trips. By the end of Week 1 I had helped them finalize the new layouts for the kitchen and bathrooms and by the end of week 2 most of the key materials and fixtures had been selected. 'Whirlwind' is an understatement. If they expected any part of this house to be 'liveable' just 3 weeks after their upcoming closing (aka demolition day), they were already waaay behind schedule.

The existing plans for the house are shown below, (click here for some before photos) without a doubt the best features of the house were the generous sized 2nd floor bathroom and the spacious sized 3rd floor master suite with its walk-out terrace and ensuite bathroom. Even though the fixtures and finishes were beyond outdated these were fantastic spaces! The not so great features about the house were the tiny galley kitchen and the awkward living room space with its multiple entryways and fireplace.

The main focus for the re-design would be to open up the main floor as much as possible and rework the 3rd floor ensuite (eliminating the party sized hot tub from the bedroom area). On my first visit to the house, up on the third floor I immediately also wanted to mirror the closets on either side of the balcony doors which would double the closets space and create a dressing area. I would then use whatever space was left over from the existing ensuite and hot tub area to design the new ensuite...

The homewner's proposed plans

When my brother sent me the base floor plans for the house he also included his own layout ideas for the two bathrooms, shown above. I wasn't a fan of either of these layouts (sorry T), feeling like they didn't maximum the space. I didn't feel the second floor guest washroom really warranted a soaking tub and a seperate shower. On the third floor, I didn't like the way the space had become quite narrow at the top of the stairs, really dividing the large open space in half and,, secondly the pair of vanities directly opposite each other just didn't have enough space between them for this to work.

Before I start space planning I toss aside any pre-existing proposed plans that are passed on to me by clients and I look at the space with a clean slate. First I try to work with the existing elements as much as possible. If I can achieve everything the homeowner is looking for and not have to do major reworking, that's ideal. If that's not possible then exploring all possible options is the next step, which is where we started here. I came up with at least half a dozen different layout options for the third floor and below is the final layout we all agreed on.

The Third Floor Master Suite

There are so many things I love about this layout,,the open area at the top of the stairs, the dressing area with double closets flanking the patio doors with treetop views. The bench in the middle would be perfect for changing/dressing and above this would be a pendant fixture to highlight this area. I love all the features that were accommodated in the ensuite while working around an awkward chimney wall. Whenever possible I try to AVOID placing a toilet directly opposite the entrance door to a bathroom but in this case it was the least worst compromise that had to made to achieve everything desired. We couldn't put the toilet in front of the chimney wall so that alone limited its location. The benefits; a large walkin shower, a large soaking tub and a generous size double vanity. Besides, I promised the toilet would be gorgeous one!

There will be a glass wall seperating the shower from the bedroom area that I have to tell you, I was out-voted on, (hey, bottom line is its not my house). I'm not a fan of these 'exhibition' style showers for many reasons but I've convinced these childless homeowners to at least consider a semi-opaque glass which will transmit light but still provide visual privacy. And here I was worried about the toilet being in the line of sight from the doorway!! : /

Second Floor Bathroom

This is the layout I came up with for the second floor bathroom or what I would refer to as the 'family bathroom'. Its located on the second floor which has 2 bedrooms, one of which will be used as a guest bedroom, the other a tv room/den. I elminated the separate soaking tub my brother had proposed and opted for a combination soaking tub/shower unit. By eliminating the separate tub, it allowed enough room to add a luxe 72" long double vanity - a highly desireable feature in any family home. For overnight guests travelling as couples or visiting with children, the extra sink would be a luxury. For guests, the tub would offer either a nice place to soak after a long trip or a rejuvinating shower, and for future resale, a tub in the main bathroom would be a feature all moms would look for. I love that this bathroom is so spacious, there's actually room to add a piece of furniture, an attractive bench below the window will be a great sightline from the hallway and a convenient spot to sit and dry your toes.

The Kitchen

I presented the proud new homeowners with at least 8 different kitchen layout options and this was the winning plan. Of course they wanted an island, (the number one request for any kitchen redesign I take on) and number two,,,they wanted it opened up to the dining and living areas. By removing the wall between the kitchen and the old living room I was able to tick both these boxes. Although not really a true island, its a peninsula configuration that's narrow at only 24" wide, I was able to provide some knee space at one end. The addition of the peninsula has doubled the counter space the old kitchen had. We also flipped the Living Room for the Dining room. I particularly like the way the entire kitchen, dining room and outdoor deck flow, with access to the deck from both the dining room and kitchen. Another great feature for entertaining is the small bar/servery area in nook right beside the patio doors.

We opted for a straight-line kitchen (with the sink, range and fridge all in line) as opposed to putting the sink in the 'island'. A straightline is one of my favorite kitchen configs, from personal experience I find it highly functional and from a space perspective its extremely efficient. I prefer the sink in line with the fridge and range, it eliminates the constant drips on the floor from going back and forth from range top to sink. As you can see the space is really tight in the dining room so we couldn't go with a deeper peninsula and in fact have plans to use a narrow dining table. More on the kitchen design details in an upcoming post.

For any renovation, without a doubt the most important element is the space plan. If you don't have a plan that works efficiently, it doesn't matter how much money you spend on finishes or fixtures, the end result will be an expensive mistake. The bottom line is a poorly planned interior will negatively effect the value of your home. The key is that a well planned layout doesn't cost more to build than a poorly planned layout (in fact most often it will actually cost less) but a poorly planned layout, for the same build cost, will have less value. I'm relieved and happy that I've helped my brother and his girlfriend avoid some of the major pitfalls I see most diy renovators make with space planning, well at least on paper anyways!

Speaking of finishes,,,,,,,before the ink even dried on these final layouts, major decisions and purchases were made for many of the key materials for the reno such as kitchen cabinets, counter tops, flooring, backsplash, bathroom tiles and plumbing fixtures. We squeezed in a showroom/shopping blitz before I had to catch a plane out of town (then literally, I abandoned them). Here's a sneak peek at some of the initial purchases that will inspire the rest of the interior.

You may notice the lovely freestanding tub in the collage above,,,,and that neither of my bathroom plans called for a freestanding tub. This is what happens when two excited new homeowners go showroom shopping without their 'designer',,,,, they see something and fall in love and its on SALE and now they must have it. They email their 'designer' a photo declaring their new tub love,,,the designer tells them this tub is too big for their budget and their space,,,,,but they buy it anyways. They are convinced I can make it work. Sigh. And so the changes begin....

All Photos, Plans, Images: Carol Reed

NYC: Wall Street Architecture

2011-08-25T23:37:00.001-04:00

When I was in New York earlier this month working on the Upper East Side Reno I spent an afternoon walking around the financial district on a sweltering hot Saturday afternoon. Although I happened to have my DSLR with me it wasn't a pre-planned photoshoot destination but once there I was simply overwhelmed by the architecture that surrounded me. I had never been to Wall Street before nor did I know much about this iconic eight blocks except for the image I had in my head from movies, television and the media in general. I've been to the city many times but honestly I had never really had any interest in visiting Wall Street or given it much thought at all (what can I say, I live in the world of Design not not high finance!). You can imagine how ecstatic I was to discover this haven of architectural beauties. How did I not know about this!?

Its difficult for me to find the right words to describe my impression of Wall Street,,,because it was so unlike anything I had imagined it was or expected it to be. The sheer towering scale of the buildings viewed from the very narrow streets is sensational, the neighborhood is strikingly charming and quaint in a way (?) with its centuries old architecture, cobblestone walkways, a Tiffany's, and the historic Trinity Church holding court at the end of the street. The street is a pedestrian only zone with no vehicular traffic and facades are void of signage or advertising only flags, all this completly evokes a feeling of being in a world of another time and is so unlike a typical urban streetscape. Since I'm really not doing a good job here of describing what I saw, how about I just show you a few of the photos I took.....

What I love about the buildings here is that the colours are all so grey toned that even when you shoot and view the images in colour its very monochromatic looking. All the images above are shown in colour except one!

I'm a complete amateur photographer but it is a passion of mine. I love to shoot landscapes and streetscapes particlarly, I don't use photoshop or edit my photos in any way except to convert to black and white or crop images. When I want high quality prints made for framing I send the image off to Elevator Digital and they take care of all the technical issues for me (resizing etc.). Mostly, I like my images to remain true to the way I shoot them without any enhancing or special effects. Sometimes I like to shoot slightly overexposed, sometimes underexposed depending on the mood I'm trying to capture. What I love to do with my photos the most is have them printed and framed for wall art, sometime for myself, sometimes for clients. When you frame an image it takes on an entirely new dynamic, I'll be getting several of these printed and framed and they'll be something like this...

Unless I'm doing one large oversize print, I try to group images into groups of 2, 3 or 4's combining both landscape and portrait orientation as I did above. Once I've decided on which images I like grouped together, I'll decide if I want them printed in black and white or colour.....

....and then I figure out my final image sizes, matt sizes and decide on frame colour by doing mock-ups similar to these (very rough above!), often I do this on a scaled elevation of the wall and I'll normally include the frame too (not shown on the above). For frames I always do a simple rectangular profile in white, black, silver or natural wood. Lately I've been doing a lot of white framed coloured photography, which I LOVE. Then once all this is figured out I send the original image files off to Kevin at the printing lab who takes care of printing, matting and framing for me.

If you ever visit NYC I highly recommend a visit to this neighborhood whether you're passionate about architecture or not, its simply an experience like no other.

All Photos: Carol Reed

Guest Post: My Sister The Dream Killer

2011-08-21T13:11:00.000-04:00

Brother in the newly drywalled kitchen, writing some critical notes on the wall from me

before I headed out of town.....

Between New York and Toronto I've been feeling completely drained from from the sweltering muggy heat of the city - so I headed up North to spend a few days at a cottage on a little lake near the town of Rosseau. Once there my plan was to do no planning but just to spend a lot of time in a Muskoka chair doing a whole lot of nothing! Before I post the new proposed plans for my Brother's house I thought while I was away I'd ask him to do a guest post here to share with you what its like as a new home owner to embark on a full house reno and experience the daunting realities of timelines, budgets and design decisions.

So here's a little recap of what the initial experience of buying this fixer-upper was like for my Brother and his Girlfriend and the dreams they had for it........you can see the before pictures here and the existing floor plans here.

[ GUEST BLOGGER - My Brother]

Hello CREED readers! As a follower since day 1, it is quite a thrill to be here, "on the inside", of our favourite blog! (You should see it, it's much more spacious than I thought....but I am sure that's just an illusion created by one of Carol's fancy design tricks!) I am honoured to be a guest blogger for Carol, my big sister! Everyone calls me 6, as that is my order in this Reed clan! (FYI, Carol is 5).

I am here because, as you may have read in a previous post, my Girlfriend and I recently purchased a house. (We'll refer to her as 6+. “6” because she is with me, and “+” because she is better than me in almost every way!). Since we weren't seriously looking for a house when we stumbled across this one, we have been in a state of frenzied shock since the day we signed the deal. I suspect a 30 day closing on a spontaneous house purchase will send just about anyone into such a state. Oh, we also had to get the condo we were living in prepared to go on the market and pray that it sold quick so we could actually pay for this new house! (It did sell quick, btw…..whew!) Needless to say, we were super excited!

The first person we told after the deal was done was my sister of course. We sent her pictures and told her our dreams….um, I mean plans, and would appreciate any guidance and advice she could give. Which reminds me, the main purpose of my role here as guest blogger is to share with the readers (particularly the non-designers amongst us) the benefits of working with a designer (Carol in particular) and the role they play in guiding you thru a successful renovation. The designer plays many roles but the first role is that of DREAM KILLER! Now that may sound harsh, but allow me to explain. Don’t get me wrong, Carol is by no means mean, (bossy pants - yes, but not mean), what she'll do is listen to your wants, nod in agreement, then bam! A couple hours later she emails you a budget……Dream Killer! Then the reality starts to set in and you start to manage your dreams so they comply with your finances. Trust me when I tell you, this is a very important aspect of the whole process, especially for DIY’ers. No point starting something you cannot afford to finish, and finish properly. The budget is your guide and Carol takes the budget VERY seriously…..more seriously than the clients do in fact……(guilty!). While creating a budget may not seem like that hard of a task, (cause you don't know half the things that are supposed to be in it) a designer will always do a more thorough one than your average homeowner. Why? Details, that’s why. Carol thinks of every little thing - it really is annoying actually. The average person thinks mostly about the things you see when the project is complete, goes to Home Depot and prices those things. A designer sees it all, including what is not visible, and knows what all that 'invisible' stuff costs!

So that sums up the first and very important role my Sister/Designer played in this process. Future posts will track our progress, but before we get too far into that, I should outline the key players
and circumstances that make this project unique from the average homeowner:

Me: I have undergone 2 renovations of this magnitude before and lived to tell about it! I am a somewhat capable DIYer, but know my limits. (Electricians and plumbers are licensed for a reason!) For this project I will be doing the site measure and the base AutoCad plans, some demolition, and installation of some trimwork and hardware.
6+: Is a trained designer and works in the commercial sector. Currently she manages multi-million dollar projects for corporate facilities. For our house reno she'll be the project manager, co-designer, co-general contractor, chief negotiator, keeper of the schedule and chequebook! In other words, she's The Boss.
Carol: No introduction required obviously. We are getting a special combination of Carol’s service levels. You might say we are getting enhanced E-Design services with the bonus of personal visits. She is our first resource when we have any design related doubts or questions.
G.C.: General contractor. Actually, co-general contractor. With 6+’s contacts in the industry, we have been able to source certain trades and suppliers ourselves that normally the GC would take care of. So far we like and trust our G.C., which is good.

Circumstances: We have exactly 20 days to finish the job! That is when the condo we live in closes and we must vacate! OK, well we don't require 100% completion in 20 days, but we are aiming to have the entire 3rd floor liveable by then. The whole 3rd floor is the master suite, and if we could just have that on day 20, we would be happy! What does the Dream Killer think,,,,,,she just smiles and nods, and reminds me the term 'liveable' is very subjective.

Sound impossible? Maybe….maybe not? The photos below were taken after we owned the home for 2 days! Demolition of the interior was almost complete.

Living/Dining area looking toward front hallway staircase.

Kitchen after all cabinets and fixtures were removed.

Living Room after all finishes were stripped.

Third floor master ensuite completely stripped. Old hot tub sitting in the middle of the floor waiting to be hauled over the balcony.

Next up we'll post the new floor plans and some of the initial purchases and finishes selected. By the time this post was published all the new framing and rough-in work has been completed....

A Family Home Office

2011-08-15T22:55:00.000-04:00

Many months ago just before the end of 2010, a past client of mine contacted me about finishing one of the remaining 'original' rooms in their otherwise fully renovated cape cod style house. This room was the Library or Home Office and it occupies a very prominent space in the home at the front of the house directly off the front entry. The parents are both successful professionals with their own practices/business and have two young girls. This room needed to function as a home office for both parents and space where both girls could work on school projects with mom or dad. It was a tall order! Home offices have similar needs to address as kitchens,,,lots of worksurface, storage, organization, ergonomics, and the ability to accommodate equipment and work gadgets. Here's a look at what one corner of the space currently looks like - its obvious that nothing is working here.

Existing space

The solution to a space like this is built-ins. Built-in cabinetry that maximizes the vertical space available and accommodates specific types of storage needs. I designed 3 walls of full height built-in cabinetry for this room to provide worksurfaces and accommodate lockable file storage, computer equipment, supplies, binders and a book collection. To soften all this built-in cabinetry I decided to add a custom made free standing table desk, an area carpet and some patterned fabric to give the room a more relaxed homey look and make it feel less 'officey'. All these months later, the cabinetry is now nearing completion, the custom table desk and fabric treatments are being made, and installation is scheduled for sometime in September.

The concept board above is a look at some of the key pieces selected for the room early on in the planning process - in addition to these pieces an area carpet, upholstered arm chair, wall art and desk lamps will be sourced for the room over the next few weeks. Below is a floor plan of the proposed new layout with built-ins.

I presented at least 4 different layout options for them and this was the winning plan. The table desk could easily accommodate mom and one or two of the girls working on a project. There's additional knee space on the side return, loads of file storage, a wall of bookshelves, a separate area for printer/fax/copier, supplies and stereo equipment. Dad has his own separate work space complete with a loads of upper cabinet space for all his paper work.

The room's two windows will get new fabric roman shades with a wide gros grain ribbon border (along the edge as opposed to inset as in the sketch above). A custom upholstered stool will tuck under the knee space of the long wall of built-ins and can be pulled up to Mom's or Dad's desk when needed.

The fabrics for the roman shades and upholstered stool shown above right and the cabinetry finish is on the left. The base of the table desk will be painted in a dark navy blue/green.

I first saw this fabric about a year ago, I photographed it and ordered a sample for future use. Well it didn't take long for this project to come along and I knew instantly it would be a great fit for this space and suit the classic casual vibe of this client's home. A pattern that's not too over the top flowery, it's very branchy and leafy and has the odd bird in there too. The existing paint colour of the office is a pale warm yellow/green that's also found in this print.

I was thrilled when I spotted this room in the July/August issue of Veranda Magazine with the same or similar fabric. I love the impact it has when used on all the upholstery and drapery. I'm not certain its the exact same fabric, the colour way is slightly different with a gold/tan background as opposed to the blue/grey background of the fabric I selected but its so similar its hard to tell the difference. I also noticed that they brought in a hit of tourquoise in the accessories just as I did with the gourd lamps,,,and I think its a fun compliment to this fabric choice.

With the new school year fast approaching this new home office will be ready just in time to help this busy family tackle all their work and school projects with ease. I'll post some after photos this coming fall and show you how it all comes together.

Photos 1 thru 6: Carol Reed

Photo 7: Veranda Magazine

Oh Brother: You Bought A Fixer-Upper

2011-08-09T00:31:00.000-04:00

Sketching al fresco at the local patio bar.

My brother and his girlfriend had 30 days from the time their house deal was signed to the day they took possession of their new old house and started renovating it. During this 30 days they needed to come up with a new design plan for the entire house, get a contractor on board and start ordering new fixtures and selecting all their new finishes.

They literally didn't have a minute to waste, so here's what I tasked them with and would advise any new homeowner in the same situation to do:

WEEK #1:

Contact A Professional Designer: You'll need budget advice, space planning expertise, permit plans and someone to guide you and a contractor thru the million and one design decisions as efficiently as possible. Don't expect a Designer to be available immediately, unless she's your sister or your an existing client! Its common that any Designer would need a min of 2 weeks to fit a new client meeting into their schedule. Ideally, get them on board before you start your new home search.

Pre-Closing visits: Schedule a house visit with your Designer asap. You'll need to assess the existing conditions and your 'wish list' so you can start the planning and budgeting process. I don't recommend inviting a Contractor at this point, with no drawings or design plans yet,,,you'll just be wasting both parties time.

Base Plans: If your house didn't come with a set of floor plans, use a pre-closing visit to get a measure and set of as-is floor plans drawn up so the planning and budgeting process can begin asap.

Scope: Determine the scope of work, timeline and target budget, a Designer can help you review your objectives and assess what's feasible and what's not and what's most suitable for the house and neighborhood.

Budget: Prepare a preliminary budget based on the proposed scope of work. If you're not working with a designer you'll need to do your own research to compile some typical renovation costs.

Proposed Layouts: Start planning your interior layouts with regards to wall locations, kitchens and bathroom configurations asap. The location of electrical appliances and plumbing fixtures will define the extent of new work required and help refine the budget. With preliminary layouts in hand you can have a more productive conversation with contractors, and do quantity takeoffs for pricing/sourcing.

This 'to do' list might seem overly ambitious for the average homeowner but because my Brother and his Girlfriend are both experienced at site measures and CAD, the measure and base plans were completed by them within 2 days and sent to me for space planning. By the end of the first week they/we had completed everything on this list and more.

The most important item on this initial task list was the BUDGET. Preparing a realistic all inclusive budget is key. Going thru this exercise is enough to make most homeowners realize their wish list needs to be scaled back and their timelines re-assessed. Better now than halfway thru a reno. A budget should consider all of the following:

fundamental repairs/upgrades to; structure, roof, insulation and mechanical/electrical
reworking walls incl. new beams
reworking all plumbing and elec rough-ins,
supply and install of all new fixtures, fittings and finishes
all new doors, hardware and trim (often not feasible to reuse the old or mix old with new)
all new drywall in bathrooms and kitchens at least (not much left that's useable after demo)
factor in new subfloors and floor levelling as these are almost always needed
smoothing ceilings (skim coating over stippled stucco)
garbage/waste removal and bin rental (this adds up fast!!!)
Permit fees (yes, you will need permits)
key new furniture pieces so you don't have empty or unusable rooms
window coverings (at least basic layer for privacy and sun control)
ALL miscellaneous additional costs like taxes, delivery and shipping - with the Ontario HST tax of 13% now applicable to all labour, product and services, this is a substantial cost that can't be overlooked or you'll find yourself out of money with an unfinished house.

Even from looking at the existing space or set of existing plans I can do a preliminary project budget before even starting on the design plans. Here's a look at the existing floor plans for my Brother's new house that he drafted up. Its a typical 2 storey, brick detached home with 3rd floor loft space.

HOW MUCH & HOW LONG:

A complete interior reno project (contracted out) will take on average 4 to 6 months to complete. If you intend on working with a designer to preplan all the details and finishes and have several contractors bid on the work, add a few more months to this timeline. Most projects I work on from initial meeting to move-in are 10 to 12 months duration. In my brother's case, they will be moving in after only 3 weeks into this reno and living thru the rest of it, but ultimately hope to have everything finished in 4 months or less.

An average whole home interior renovations will easily reach $130-150k, conservatively for a small size 3 bed, 2 bath home (less than 1500 sf and not factoring in the cost of a Designer), anything less than this is only achieved by getting very creative with lots of standard off the shelf products and committing to lots of DIY. Adding more than a few high end products or custom builtins you could quickly reach $200k. The more DIY you factor in,,,the longer it will take. The more you hire out, the bigger the budget you'll need. My Brother doesn't have the luxury of time to do much of this reno himself. Therefore their budget like most is based on a creative mix of ready-to-go product and custom installations.

Now that we've had the *Budget Talk* we can move on to the space planning. I'll share the proposed layouts with you next and some of the finish selections made in week #2.

All Images: Carol Reed

Oh Brother: You Bought A House....

2011-08-01T23:27:00.000-04:00

Brother's new house. A midtown, detached 2 storey home,

3 bedroom, 2 bathroom with loft.

As a residential designer you might think I am constantly swamped with requests from my friends and family for advice about their own projects,,,well truth be told that’s not the case at all. In fact, all my friends and family members can be slotted into one of three categories; 1. they are quite content with how their house looks, have never read a single design magazine or watched HGTV or have any clue or interest in what I actually do for a living,,,,,2. they are die hard DIY’ers who like to tell me everything their doing, ask my advice and NEVER take it,,,,,,,or 3. they are designers themselves and the only design talk we have is how we never have time for our own house projects - we have dinner parties at each other's houses and we don't bat an eye at the unfinished drywall, lawn furniture in the dining room or the bathrooms with no doors. ; )

There is one exception to this categorization and that would be my little brother. He is quite design savvy and a capable DIY’er, but although he can DIY (and has an impressive arsenault of tools),,,well, honestly, he’d really rather NOT DIY. Yah,,he’s that guy, he's the type who has a *Dog Walker*, and a *Nutritionist*. Whatever. He’s the youngest of the family, always the life of the party, and he's been my best friend forever. So four weeks ago when I received a phone call from Li’l Bro in which he excitedly declared “We bought a house last night!!!!” - my less than enthusiastic self was anticipating the second part of that ‘news’.,,,,,, “We close on July 30th, but the house needs a total reno, do you have time for another project”???? Um,,,, no.

And so this is exactly how 95% of all inquiries I receive at the office start. Housing prices are at historical highs but the housing inventory in Toronto for the most part is old, outdated and in extremely poor condition,,,,,this means anything remotely ‘affordable’, and by that I mean anything less than $800k for a detached home means it will need a minimum of $150k of work and that’s just for the interior. I don’t think when home buyers purchase these houses, with 30 day closings, that they really grasp the extent of work involved or how much time and money it will take to renovate an entire house, all while you have a full-time job. Of course no one wants to endure the costs of financing two homes for any longer than they have to, so at most a one month overlap is arranged. In short, I’m constantly asked if I can redesign an entire house, select all the finishes and co-ordinate a contractor to take on the project and complete it all within 30 to 60 days. And the budget is usually equivalent to the size of their line of credit. My response to these never ending requests is always the same, but its never "Sure, I can start tomorrow!".

When I received “the call” from my brother, THIS time it was different,,he’s family and I can’t say no. Ha ha. Actually the BIG difference is he fully understood the scope of work required because he’d renovated entire homes before, in fact, several years ago I designed an entire home for him (he was a full fledged, full paying client). But this time round,,,although he was prepared with a realistic budget,,,,,,and understood the work involved, his timing couldn’t have been worse if he wanted my help.

Sadly as much as I would love to take on this project, reality is that I just don’t have the time to do so at the moment and he can't wait, not even a couple of weeks. He and his Girlfriend have to proceed full steam ahead so I’ll do my best to advise them. They're going to try and get as much renovation work done as possible before they move in just 3 weeks. The two of them do have a major advantage over the average homebuyer about to embark on a complete home reno - she is a Project Manager for commercial renovation projects and he is a Geomatics Engineer or Surveyor or whatever all those dozens of initials after his name mean. Meaning, they have a contractor on hand and CAD skills!! They're gonna need both.

For the past 3 weeks I've been immersed in the middle of their full blown renovation plans but strictly in the role of Design coach. I’ve prepared sketches for the bathrooms and kitchen, armed them with a budget and sent them off to various showrooms to select fixtures and tile. They keep emailing photos of things to me that are waaaay over budget, but, its good that I actually have them READING the budget now. They’re doing all the leg work, have permit plans being drafted up and have even lined up a Contractor to start (miracle of all miracles) on the day they take possession. As I follow them along on this whirlwind journey,,,,lovingly and excitedly watching over their shoulders every step of the way (I can't resist even if I tried),,,,I’ll recap their progress as they attempt to renovate this house in record breaking time. Li’l Bro will even do a guest blog or two.

The Kitchen and Living Room with its knotty pine and rustic oak wood trim.

The existing kitchen is super narrow at only 5 feet wide.

An awkward room for Living room furniture. One of the first decisions made was that this would become the Dining Room

The Dining Room at the front of the house will become the Living Room (possibly with new gas fireplace).

The 3rd Floor Master Ensuite with the world's tiniest shower.....

and the world largest hot tub!!!!

I invite you to follow along on this real life, non-client house reno with me as I share my advice and tips with these brand new homeowners as they transform their outdated house into their modern dream home with the helpful advice of me - the Sister/Designer. They took posession of the house on Friday evening and as of today, the entire interior has already been completely gutted. In the next day or two I'll share the new plans and show you what's been bought so far....

New Project: NYC Family Apartment

2011-07-20T10:49:00.000-04:00

I can't even begin to describe how wonderful my newest client is and how excited I am to be designing her 'new' family home, a 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom apartment in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. To say I'm 'excited' is an understatement actually,,,it is a privledge to have the opportunity to redesign a family home, its the ultimate for me - creating the partition layout, planning out the kitchen, designing the bathrooms, determining how the spaces flow from one to the next, how the rooms relate to each other, how they'll be used and how the family will interact with each other and their guests. Selecting all the materials and finishes, designing all the special details to reflect their personality and style is truly a joy for me and every moment, every step of the way I envision the family's day to day activities and even more so (!) I envision, down to the smallest detail, all the special time they will enjoy in their home with family and friends. Enhancing the function of these mundane daily routines as well as all those special occassions informs every design solution and decision.

Although this is a first for me, designing a home located in NYC,,,the design process is really no different than any other. The family requirements and needs are very much the same as any family and the space challenges are similar to those faced by anyone living in small urban homes. Some might not call a 2200 sf apartment in NYC small,,,but for a family of 5, with no outdoor space, no basement, no garage and frequent out of town guests,,,,it can quiet easily feel small - every inch is precious.

The street view

What is unique about this project is that the project involves combining 3 individual small apartments into one large apartment suitable for a young family of 5. Of course being a high rise building there are the usual concrete floors and ceilings to deal with and the typical awkwardly placed obstacles like columns and plumbing stacks, intercom panels and such that can't be moved, these are expected and come with the territory. I've never met a column or a vertical chase that I can't work around, in fact I ENJOY the challenge, they demand creative solutions. In this building what's even more of a challenge is their strict wet over wet regulations, meaning you must keep all plumbing fixtures located in existing wet zones (ie; kitchens or baths must be installed over and within the footprint of another bathroom or kitchen only). This makes it a bit challenging to expand the size of a bathroom or kitchen,,,imagine the existing bathrooms and kitchens designed for small 1 bedroom apartments are the size of closets so they obviously don't fit the needs of a larger family home. But even that,,,,even that challenge I'm confident can somehow ingeniously be solved. What's MORE of a challenge than all of the above, is actually getting your proposed plans approved by the Building Management.

Its been over 4 months since the homeowners made their first drawing submission to the board for approval, via an Architect, (long before i was on board) and many versions, concessions and submissions later,,,,they haven't made much progress. The board hasn't approved what's been proposed to date so I'll be attempting to rework the plans and come up with some solutions that hopefully will meet with their approval,,,and are still functional, you know for a family of five as opposed to 3 bachelors.

To get this project started I flew to NYC just a couple of weeks ago to meet my new client for the first time and see the apartments in person. We discussed her vision for the space, her style preferences and all of her family requirements and we were completely on the same page - a great place to start! I had a good visual of the space already as I had a set of plans and had already done some space planning, primarily I wanted to see the space to verify dimensions and document the existing elements I'd need to work around. The apartments are in a 1960's building and all three of the units are in fairly original condition with the exception of one unit that has some 1980's upgrades. Yikes. Kudos to my clients for being able to see the potential in these 3 separate units. Without a doubt the location was the main selling feature - and its stellar, situated in the mid 80's between Park Ave. and Madison. Below are some pics I took of the space.

Windows are all along one side of the apartment(s) and this is the typical scenario.

The ceiling height is a nice 9' throughout most of the units.

One of 4 bathrooms, this is the most updated of them all. Despite how 'trendy' blush tones and brass are right now, this unquestionably screams 80's.

There is one other bathroom just like this and a fourth (master ensuite) that will be created in what was once a kitchen.

Bulkheads everywhere, this looks like a big closet until you open the doors. This space under the bulkhead will actually become a desk in what will be the childrens play area.

This is one of three kitchens, and it will be completely removed.

This existing kitchen will become the new kitchen, the intent is to open it up and expand it, however, the 'suggested' expansion plans are not going over so well with the Board. : /

The biggest obstacle of all is this very large column which houses telephone cable and the electrical panel and it falls right smack dab in the middle of the proposed new kitchen. Its not visible in the kitchen photo above, its on the direct left of the doorway.

When I look at these photos I can't help but feel overwhelmed with excitement about what an enormous transformation this will be. To take an outdated and depressed space and turn it into a beautiful home full of life and love is a definite thrill for me. I can't wait to show you the plans and the "New Traditional" design direction we're headed in.

At this point we're awaiting another pending decision from the Board which will determine whether the Architects proposed solutions to expand the kitchen area and master ensuite area are a go (waterproof membrane and exhaust issues), if not, I've prepared several alternate layouts that we'll fire right back at them. If none of those plans meet with their approval, I'll need a magic wand.

All Photos: Carol Reed

A Magazine Shoot: The Prep Work

2011-07-06T12:48:00.000-04:00

Having your own home or one of your client projects shot for a magazine spread is something every designer hopes (dreams!) to experience, at least once, and last week I was fortunate to have had that experience! In fact last week was kind of a momentous week for me all around, it started out with a last minute trip to NYC to meet a new client and start working on my very first project in the Big Apple (more about that later!) but which I had to cut short to get back to Toronto for a magazine shoot (really,,,,was this my life last week!!??) with only one day to prep in between.

For two days last week I was thrilled to be with the Style at Home team shooting the mid-town home of one of my clients. The project was a full gut reno that I had designed in 2008/09 and the very last phase of the project, a completely redesigned rooftop deck had just been completed in the fall. I initially found out about the shoot back in February but knew that it wouldn't take place until June for publication in a spring/summer 2012 issue. I was thankful for the time this would give me to source all the final accessories for the outdoor space, although somehow all that time got away from me (?). Construction of the deck finished up last October and literally within days it was packed up for the winter - I hadn't even seen the finished area with the all furniture yet so needless to say I was anxious for Spring to arrive. The top photo is a teeny tiny glimpse of one corner of the deck, taken about 3 weeks ago when I arrived with the first load of accessories.

These two photos are the extent of what I'm going to share right now because I really respect the effort the magazine editor's go thru to ensure they show spaces that haven't had a ton of exposure already. There are some photos of this home on my website and I've also posted photos of it on the blog before but I've never posted pics of the entire home nor have I posted the various photos in context with each other. I know Style at Home will do a beautiful job capturing the home as a whole and the personality of my client. But you'll all have to wait for about 10 months for the full story and all the pics!

In preparation for the photo shoot, there wasn't a lot I needed to or wanted to do on the interior, aside from more fresh flowers - the home is camera ready just the way it is, a true reflection of the homeowner's personality and lifestyle. With the exception of certain flowers and the extra special placement of vases and dishware,,,,,it was important to me that the home was photographed to reflect the way it really looks on any given day (well, before company arrives anyways). I'm all about keep'n it real. Nothing borrowed, nothing loaned, the homeowners own things in the expert hands of a Design Editor and professional photog is all you should need. But that's not to say there wasn't some new purchases made - we had an entire brand new outdoor living space with cooking area, dining table, lounge space and indoor servery all in need of accessories and essentials. Where to start!??

I'm crazy for succulents, their simple sculptural shapes have a modern appeal to me. This was the kind of modern organic vibe I wanted to incorporate in the outdoor space, a few of these were a must.

With a colour pallette of saffron gold, white canvas and warm grey as our colour pallette, these purple cube planters with succulents were the first things I purchased. Sadly,,,,3 weeks later when I arrived the evening before the shoot they were completely DEAD. The no fail, maintenance free succulents had apparrantly drowned.....drowned. The most disappointing part of all was I was unable to find replacements at the last minute so they didn't make it into the shoot. Replacement are now on my 'to do' list.

I have an obsession for round mirrors, any size, any colour and in any space. I love the geometric form they add to a room and how they compliment or balance otherwise typically square or rectilinear rooms. I picked up more than one of these.....

The homeowners initial is K. I felt this was a sign we had to have this, I like that the painted metal was a bit distressed, I really was hoping to find something old to mix in with all the brand new. After only a week or two outside it developed some lovely rusty spots.

I spotted these at HomeSense and had to have them. They created quite a buzz in the check-out line, suddenly everyone wanted them (hilarious how that happens), but I had scooped them all. They reminded me of some place settings I had just seen in NYC that I adored. I picked up multiple pairs of 2's so there's a mix of colours, patterns and birds. These would be layered with simple hand formed style dinnerware on a slab wood table and natural linen.

Anytime I came across flowers that I thought would be interesting in the spaces, I snapped a pic for reference.

A tree stump table was the perfect finishing touch to the lounge area. Just big enough for a couple of cocktail glasses and a small bowl of nuts. I liked the blackened rustic quality of this paired with all the modern furniture on the deck.

More organic shapes, natural weathered wood vases. I only bought one, wished I bought more....

A basket for throw blankets. Even on the hottest days there can be a chill at night. Woven natural texture is a great addition to any space indoors or out.

No matter how finished a space is, can you ever have enough throw pillows? I couldn't resist this chevron print in saffron by Mitchell Gold (from Elte), I could imagine at least 4 different rooms this would work perfectly in. I love to add a hit of geometric pattern, to me its like a neutral because they compliment almost any other pattern. We loved it so much in numerous places, we're going back for at least one more.

A last minute search for a replacement floor lamp. This had been on my 'to do' list for oh, about a year. There's nothing like a photo shoot to motivate you into action. With minutes to spare I found this tripod antique brass one at Shelter Furniture . It was one of about 20 I had come across that afternoon, in a frenzy of Iphone pics emailed back and forth to the client this was her hands down favorite, she LOVED it. Of course they were completely out of stock but thankfully they let me buy this one right off the floor.

Thanks again Darryl! : )

I have a weakness for studio pottery, hand made porcelain. Particularly this collection by MUD Australia of which I own a couple pieces already. Their simple white, organic shapes are perfect for this home, I bought two, with the intent to keep one for myself. She LOVED them both, I didn't get either one. So I'll be heading back to Hollace Cluny for another.

Pretty food is accessories are essential for any photoshoot (or entertaining!). The homeowner picked these up based on a list from the Editor extraordinaire. While I'm loading a floor lamp in my car I get the phone call from the client who's in the produce department at Whole Foods "does she really want that many melons", "do you think she would prefer pink or yellow lemonade". YES many, and get BOTH.

An hour later we met up at Ave/Dav and bought armloads of flowers.

Mid-way thru day one, we all had lunch together on the main floor balcony. The homeowner picked up the most delicious assortment of gourmet sandwiches, salad and baked treats, after we unpackaged it all and set it out on the table it looked so good, the team instantly decided to shoot it. Which of course delayed the eating it of it : / It was a well needed boost to keep them going late into the evening.

Day two lunch was just as delicious (and just as pretty) but we barely had the energy to eat it let alone shoot it. Day two started at 5:00 in the morning.

I'm so grateful to have such an amazing client who so graciously opened up her home and had 5 of us literally move in for 2 days, going thru her drawers and cupboards no less. We joked it was like having house guests, and I have to tell you she was the consummate hostess. Always making sure everyone had anything they needed and totally spoiling us with food and refreshments. Even extending invitations to spend the night in lieu of the early morning start (I took her up on that). When the crew all arrived at 5:00am, she had already been up since 4:15, remaking her bed, tidying the bathrooms (the bedrooms and bathrooms hadn't been shot yet), had a pot of fresh Starbucks coffee ready for all AND was ready for a portrait shot. A couple hours later, only mid-morning, she made protein shakes for everyone before heading out to pickup lunch once again. Over the course of both days she was in a few of the shots, which included several wardrobe changes and she looked gorgeous in each one. All of this was above and beyond anything I would expect a homeowner to do.

As much as photo shoots are vital to a Designer's portfolio, they do require a LOT of cooperation and coordination with our clients - its not easy and honestly not all homeowners are willing to participate especially for magazine shoots. I've had a couple of clients in the recent past who turned down the request for an editorial shoot, much to my disappointment, but they deeply value their privacy and the sanctuary of their homes - I understand and respect that. So this is why after last weeks experience, I'm forever grateful to clients who allow me to do this.

All Photos: Carol Reed

Mentoring

2011-06-20T11:29:00.000-04:00

On Saturday afternoon I received the most beautiful bouquet of flowers and hand written note I've ever received. I was completely surprised and touched to learn that they were from a design student who I had mentored this past school year. When I say mentor I use the term loosely, she was well on her way with her final project before we even met for the first time. Seeing what she had already accomplished and the direction she was taking was impressive,,,the complexity of the project she had taken on was ambitious and would be a challenge for an experienced professional let alone a student....but she didn't seem intimidated in the least.

Midway thru this semester Lisiane was hitting a road block trying to define and grasp 'concepts' and how to successfully develop one for this design project. Co-oincidently I remember it being the one thing I had the hardest time understanding when I was in school too so I really related to where she was coming from. Of course now its something I fully understand on a level that's very intuitive - I believe a design concept stems from your clients lifestyle values (or business/product brand philosophy) and is developed and implemented thru your point of view as a designer. As a student you really haven't developed a strong point of view yet and your client is often completely hypothetical so hence the road block. I tried my best, at length, to explain this very abstract creative thing we call 'concepts' to her by relating it to real life examples that I knew she could relate to, both good ones and bad ones. (possibly a future blog post?)

Anyways, I was thrilled to hear Lisiane pulled her project together with excellent feedback. As she wrote to me "your ability to explain things so clearly when my instructors couldn't is what helped me pull the project together". There are many abstract aspects of the design process that are difficult to grasp in classroom situations, so mentoring or interning with an experienced professional is a really important part of the learning process.

So now here she is thanking me for helping her and here I was feeling like I hadn't really been much of a mentor to her at all. I realize now though that by just simply being available to listen and provide some practical advice and guidance can make a world of difference to their otherwise purely academic approach. I learned from this experience that as professional it doesn't take much time to share some advice and encouragement with students so if you are ever in a position to be able to mentor one I hope you embrace the opportunity to share your knowledge and point of view and enjoy how rewarding it can be. It feels great to receive notes like this..."Your warm and approachable personality has put to rest any misconceptions I've had about Designers".

Congratulations to you Lisiane, I'm so happy to have been a teeny tiny part of what I know will become a very successful career for you as an Interior Designer. Thank you for taking the time to make such a thoughtful gesture, you're note was heartwarming and the flowers are simply beautiful!

Through The Garden Gate

2011-06-16T12:21:00.000-04:00

Every June the Toronto Botanical Gardens organizes a public tour of private residential gardens, the tour is called Through The Garden Gate. Each year a different neighborhood is selected and tickets holders have the opportunity to wander thru dozens of beautifully designed outdoor spaces. Some are professionally designed, but not all, some are just the glorious results of enthusiastic gardeners and proud homeowners. In the past the tour has always taken place on Father's Day weekend, except for this year,,,,,this year they moved the tour up one week and, because of this switcheroo, I totally missed it this year. : (

I know alot of you might roll your eyes and think oh *boring*, garden tour,,,,that sounds about as exciting as bird watching - but honestly, its fantastic I promise you! You know what its like to drive down a street that you love and gaze at all the beautiful houses, you always have a favorite or two,,,,and how thrilling it is to actually get a glimpse of the inside thru a window. Its like that but waaay better - they invite you in!! And I can tell you,,,you could never imagine the spectacular settings privately hidden away behind their garden gates. This is a rare opportunity to wander thru the private backyard properties of homes in some of the city's most covetted neighborhoods - its an incredible way to spend an afternoon and you'll walk away with loads of inspiration for your own outdoor space no matter how big or small it may be. Some homeowners even welcome you to take a peek indoors too. The participants take so much pride in their home, (it shows!) they are thoroughly excited and eager to show it off.

The first time I went on the garden tour it was in the trendy neighborhood of Riverdale in Toronto's east end. Characterized by its charming century homes and lush street lined streets....the tour left such an impression on me I still dream about the beautiful outdoor spaces I saw that day. I was stunned at the lush settings that secretly existed behind these gates. Here's a look at some of my favorite details.

I wish I could find my notes from the tour, this century home has been featured in publications but I don't have the deets. Its pretty easy to fall in love with this house just from the curb, but the backyard is to die for!!!

My favorite backyard of all was this one, it was almost impossible to believe you were in the middle of the city it was so dense with greenery, it really was like an oasis. There was no grass, just stone pathways and gorgeous plant beds amongs humongous old trees. The bbq and dining area seen above were on one side of the back yard and on the other...

was this lagoon like pool - it was so natural looking with the rock waterfall and stone perimeter. There was an upper lounge area, a hot tub at the top of a rock waterfall and a pool house/cabana. I literally did not want to leave this backyard and could barely, barely contain myself from jumping in.

Look closely, this is a brilliant detail. Both little decks are cantilievered off the house, this means the windows aren't buried beneath a closed in deck.

Decks don't always have to made from wood......(but you should always have a guardrail!)

My next favorite backyard, this classic city yard that's long and narrow, but with this pool and cabana it was pure luxury. I loved, loved, loved it. And if you think the pool took up all the backyard space.....

it didn't....there were two upper level decks and... a patio area to the left of this image. This has me wanting a long narrow backyard.

Not one of the tour participants but I loved this steel front door, light fixture, mailbox, door bell. Beautifully done.

I loved the modern simplicity of this light fixture and house number combo.

These houses weren't participating in the tour but I would have awarded them top prize for curb appeal. This is simply perfect. The fact that this is a semi-detached is house is incredible. Imagine two homeowners in total agreement and unity on the front entrance design of their attached houses. An impossibly rare venture. Everything about this is perfection to me, the colour, the symmetry, the house numbers, the door matts, discreet screen doors, the antique brass hardware, the potted globes. The entire composition is a wonderful modern approach to a century home. Impressive.

Stepping into this yard was like being instantly transported to Muskoka.

Pea gravel driveway : )

Black mulch. I love how green foilage and flowers look with black. A very sophisticated look perfect for chic urban gardens.

Alternative to fence boards, Asian inspired fencing and garden.

Layering texture and colour.

As far as decking and fencing goes,,,,,nothing beat this place! The fencing and shade structure details were simply stunning. (Also see top photo of rolling door)

Beautifully designed joinery details.

Screen detail along one side of the deck.

Built-in bbq and counters.

Lovely : )

View from the bbq area, the structure design is amazing. I particularly loved the colour of all the fencing and decking, it was semi-opaque grey stain. Some areas darker than others.

Fence detail...

close up detail of the fence and stain. Even the fasteners are specifically placed.

Beautiful stone and pea pea gravel walkway

Moving on to another garden,,,,interesting glass screens.

Unfortunately the garden gates are already CLOSED for this year but I hope you enjoyed my photo tour from the past. I'm sorry I missed the event last weekend and that I didn't anticipate getting this post up a couple of weeks ago so you could have had the chance to go too if you hadn't heard of it already. Its an annual event so anyone in the Toronto area should mark your calendars for next year to be sure you don't miss it. We're really planning our exterior spaces much like our interior rooms so it really is a treat to peek in on these outdoor living environments, its so much more than just gardening. Outside of Toronto, if you ever have the opportunity to attend any local garden tour I highly recommend it, it will overwhelm you with inspiration.

All Photos: Carol Reed

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

2011-06-02T00:52:00.000-04:00

One of the highlights of my trip to NYC last week was my first visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, and their feature exhibition Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty.

Curated by Andrew Bolton, I was so impressed - it was one of the most beautifully displayed exhibits I've ever seen. There was so much to see the exhibit was spread out thru several rooms, even moving constantly thru the space, just taking time to read the brief text, it took more than an hour to see it all. My two favorite collections were the Romantic Mind and Romantic Nationalism rooms.

The Romantic Mind, photo from metmuseum.org

I loved these pieces because unlike many of the more theatrical, highly conceptual pieces these were everyday wearable pieces (stunning pieces mind you), most were donated from the closets of McQueen's private clients. These pieces were accompanied by a memorable quote and I can't recall the exact wording but it was something like his goal was to design clothes that would make a woman look and feel powerful and make others fear them - an interesting statement when you consider this is the design house who designed the royal wedding dress we saw last month.

Romantic Nationalism, photo from metmuseum.org

I thought these pieces were both regal and fairy tale like, steeped in historicism but cut with very modern silhouettes.......they transcend time.

As an exhibit the collections are a wonderful example of how expressive fashion can be as an art form, and I don't think most people view fashion as art. The designer had more than just aesthetic concepts to his work,,,,his designs made statements, conveying messages which were often deep, dark, complex ideas.

Alexander McQueen's precision tailoring skills were brilliantly paired with his creative use of unstructured drapery and dressmaking techniques. As a designer, I especially loved this and think that his work is a great testament to how artists/designers can only achieve their highest level of creativity (success) when they've mastered the technical aspects of their craft. I've always been a firm believer in that philosophy,,,,,yes its possible you may be 'born' with creative genes/energy but learning how to apply that creativity to a chosen craft and be able to master it confidently (or revolutionize it) can only come from training, apprenticing, and experience.

To see the depth of his talent thru this exhibit you can't help but leave feeling sadness over such a tragic loss of life, and perplexed at how someone so talented and successful could have possibly been so tormented.

If you're in NYC between now and August 7th, I highly recommend the show, but be warned there can be a 45 min or longer wait. If you can't make it in person,,the link I've provided above and below has fantastic images and narrative.

There's a book available as well which looks incredible, I had a chance to flip thru it in the Museum shop, its a large book with fantastic photos. I didn't purchase it while it was there because it was simply too heavy for me to carry around for the rest of the day - I'm going to order one online.

Top Photo: Carol Reed

All other Photos:

http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/about/

Garden Inspiration

2011-05-30T11:02:00.000-04:00

At this time of year most of us are busy reviving our gardens and our exterior spaces, setting the scene for outdoor lounging and entertaining. Or at least we should be,,,I havn't actually done a thing with our outdoor spaces or the garden yet, they've been sadly neglected while I've been soaking up inspiration in NYC (seriously, have not even been to the garden centre once). I had a chance to visit the Kips Bay Showhouse last Thursday and with gardening on my mind I was struck by the backyard landscaping and the planter arrangements on the upper terraces. I absolutely love creating planter arrangements, for me its like a mini landscape design project with instant gratification. Before I hit the garden centre I do like to have some conceptual idea for my planters, the image above is loosely what I have in mind - largely inspired by what I saw last week and my love for lavender. Whatever design direction you want to take outside there's unlimited options when it comes to containers and planting species - your planters can literally set the mood your after thru the style, colour pallette, scale and textures incorporated. I'm going for organic and flowy paired with modern geometric shapes and a colour scheme of greens and purple.

Both of the fourth floor terraces of the Kips Bay showhouse were designed by Robert Stillen and Gunn Landscape Artchitects and were punctuated with modern plantings in a minimal style.

These planters above were just outside the lounge space by Brad Ford, a pair of these flanked either side of the terrace doors. I loved the vibrant green moss around the base of the tree (I think its a type of lilac tree) and my favorite is the lavender in the smaller planter next to it. The scent is heavenly as you go in and out the door and the long wispy stems have such an organic, flowy look to them. I've always wanted to have lavender plantings and this year I think I'm goint to give it a try!

This trio of planters dressed up the painted brick wall in a niche behind some loungers. The low growing succulents are all about texture and planted in a pair of simple weathered wood boxes they created a modern composition.

On the other side of the fourth floor was a second terrace just outside the lounge designed by Robert Stillen. This time the weathered wood planters were filled with geometric boxwood and another row of low wide zinc planters were filled with lavender (not the greatest photo).

Terrace design by Robert Stillen and Gunn Landscape Architects

Back on the ground floor I was fascinated with the mounds of molded earth in the backyard. They were covered in long wispy grass which reminded me of the rolling grassy hills along the beaches of the east coast. With large planters and lanterns set right in the long 'rolling' grass it really created a natural looking setting.

A large mirror on the centre of the back wall created the illusion of another room beyond, the mirror was flanked with large live wall panels planted with herbs and lettuces. Despite the fact the wispy rolling grass reminds me of the east coast, the garden design was inspired by the Chinese wallpaper in the adjacent Dining Room. The garden is titled Wu Wei which means 'going with the flow'. Backyard design by Greener by Design.

I loved the simplicity of these planters and how practical they would be in locations that are challenging to maintain flowers. What could be simpler than topping a container with a large lantern set in a bed of wispy grass.

Live walls are one of the latest things in gardening this year but the photo above is a great example of a natural live wall I spotted in Central Park. The old stone walls throughout the park had these ferns growing up out of them and I thought the effect was just so beautiful! I don't think I'll be attempting any version of a live wall at my home this year but its definitely something I'll keep in mind for future hardscaping.

If like me you're still looking for some outdoor garden inspiration you must check out some more work by Gunn Landscape Architects for some stunning city terraces and lush country gardens. These are some of the most gorgeous outdoor settings I've ever seen, from modern and chic to traditional and lush.

Upper West Side Terrace by Gunn Landscape Architects

Bridgehampton garden by Gunn Landscape Architects

Cherry Blossoms

2011-05-23T23:25:00.001-04:00

When I see the cherry blossoms in bloom I'm simply in awe of how utterly beautiful they are, its intoxicating. They're the most perfect shades of pink I've ever seen and the silhouette of clusters of blooms on these long narrow branches is so sculptural. The only thing more beautiful than seeing these trees in person, is bringing some of their beauty indoors. To have fresh cuttings of cherry blossoms adorning a table top or mantle is a rare luxury,,,,,so for the brief time they are in bloom I tried to capture as many of them with my camera as I could, its the next best thing.

When it comes to interiors, I'll be the first to admit I'm not a fan of pink walls or floral patterned fabrics, if it suits a clients needs of course I work with it,,,but in my own home its not something you're likely ever to see. This makes me stop and contemplate why I love everything about these blooms that I can't get enough of them. Looking at these images I know its simply the natural beauty that I'm drawn to,,,its pink, and its floral but its all natural, its the way I appreciate them the most. I think this is also true of how most men feel about pink and flowers,,,,,,,men do love flowers and gardening, in fact it was almost all men I spotted photographing the cherry blossoms along side me, but the chances of them agreeing to cherry blossom wallpaper or pink upholstery,,well,,,that's a different story altogether.

After exploring with my camera I notice that all the varying shades of pink are a natural signature, the contrast of the blooms against the rustic branches are so striking, I'm drawn to the combination of small buds and full blossoms, and I think that the bronze coloured leaves are a perfectly odd pairing with pink. It makes me want to frame some of these photos in antique brass frames. What else I find so irresistable about the cherry blossoms is that they're so temporary,,,one day the branches are bare and the next day an explosion of pink ,,,,, that lasts only for about a week. Perhaps if they bloomed like this all the time we wouldn't appreciate them as much?

Its hard not to love this colour in nature, in sunsets, in flowers, in strawberries and treats, its uplifting and cheery and romantic and magical, and undeniably pretty,,,,,but its a hard colour to live with indoors especially in large doses - it can so easily come off as tacky or juvenille looking. Using it inside takes a lot of consideration and I think we can take some tips from the cherry blossoms; the slightest hint of pink is all you need to evoke these senses (it doesn't take much tint for something to read as pink), gradiating tones of pink will look sophisticated and mixing textures of pink will add depth. Real flowers in vases or depicted in artwork or photography will give a natural looking boost of pink to any room and pairing pink with more masculine materials and colours will give it an edge. For your own mini explosion of uplifting pink everyday, try painting or papering the inside of a drawer, cabinet or closet in pink and just try not to smile everytime you open it.

If you havn't had a chance to experience their beauty up close yet this season, get out for a walk and see if you can't find some late bloomers in your neighborhood (and don't forget your camera!).

Speaking of neighborhoods.....I'm in New York City this week, exploring a few of those. : ) You can follow me on twitter for updates!

All Photos: Carol Reed

70's Bungalow: Progress 3

2011-05-14T17:54:00.000-04:00

Finishing details are taking place at the 70's Bungalow project. It's truly my favorite part of the process seeing all the custom elements being perfectly fit into place and witnessing the entire house transform as fresh paint is applied and new millwork is installed. Its the custom details and thoughtfully coordinated specifications that distinguish a well designed home from your average Developer's build or DIY renovation. Only with hands-on involvement and the direct supervision of an Interior Designer is this quality of detail possible on a project. Just having the plans or the ideas for specific design details is not enough,,,,,,communicating directly with the fabricators and installers throughout the process is critical in order for it to come together properly and effeciently. With this interior nearing completion, I've been on site almost daily giving instruction and direction as the finishing details are coordinated amongst several different trades and installers, if just one element is wrong its a domino effect of very expensive mistakes.

A custom double sink, floating vanity with matched horizontal veneers was installed in the master ensuite. The faucets will be wall mounted into a calaccatta slab backsplash which disappears up behind a custom floating full height mirror with sconces mounted on top of the mirror. The desired effect is all about simple, clean modern lines but the amount of coordination required to get all these elements perfectly aligned and installed is anything but simple. For this one vanity I had to meet with the rough carpenter, the plumber, the electrician, the cabinet maker, the cabinet installer, the marble supplier and the glazing contractor, each separately and on different visits. The junction boxes for the sconces have been moved twice, the vanity re-installed once. Finger's crossed the rest of it goes smoothly

Slabs of calaccatta were selected for the countertop and shower jambs to try and match the large calaccatta floor tiles. This beautiful section of the slab was specifically chosen for the soap niche in she shower and you can see how perfectly the fabricator matched the veining, its like a piece of art.

We had the large floor tiles cut down to small 2" x 2" tiles for the shower floor so we would have consistency in the marble colouration and veining. Freshly painted walls await towel bars and artwork...

The custom vanity in the guest bathroom awaits its new Caesarstone countertop and undermount sink. The walls and trim are ready for paint.

The kitchen cabinetry with beautifully matched select veneers has been perfectly fit into place.

Counter depth appliances with custom front panels create a truly integrated look.

Crisp white paint is applied in all the common areas and living spaces.

There's simply no other wall colour that I react stronger to than Cloud White, it takes my breath away every single time, every single house I see it in, its eatheral. The newly painted interior was the turning point in the transformation, instantly the spaces looked fresh and modern and sophisticated all at the same time.

Invisible hinges and automatic light switches are meticulously routered into the front closet door jambs.

Flat cut walnut veneer gives a beautiful furniture quality to the closet doors, the wood grain is simply stunning I'm almost afraid to put handles on them...

The rest of the interior doors have been installed and painted and the pair of rolling doors are almost ready to go up (on the left).

This stainless steel rolling track hardware has been a mini project all on its own but the master trim carpenter has patiently figured it all out with a little help from me and a few espressos.

Non-custom cabinetry was installed in the laundry room, the new counter, stainless steel backsplash and sink will be installed next week. (That's a blue protective film on top of the door fronts right now). Although the cabinetry units themselves were ready-made, the installation details are fairly customized, I worked one on one with the installer to explain how every component was to be cut/installed.

The only other non-custom piece of cabinetry in the house is the Powder Room vanity, a freestanding unit with a furniture look. The walls have now been painted the sconces are up and the mirror is ready to be hung. Almost ready for guests....

The exterior of the house is undergoing a dramatic transformation. In addition to a new roof, the old windows and chunky mouldings have been replaced with modern aluminum windows. The entire house has received a new smoother stucco finish in a deep warm grey (not as brown as it looks in this photo).

New soffits and eaves being installed and finally the temporary front door will soon be replaced with a gorgeous custom wood door - its arrival will signify the complete modern transformation of this dated facade.

Next week its all about the eye candy: marble counters, backsplashes, stylish faucets and stunning light fixtures. I can hardly wait....

For previous posts about this project including the before pictures, design plans and sketches, check out the links below:

A New Project: 70's Bungalow

70's Bungalow: Progress 1

70's Bungalow: Progress 2

70's Bungalow: Bathroom Designs

70's Bungalow: Kitchen Design

All Photos: Carol Reed

Weeping Willows

2011-04-30T19:33:00.000-04:00

I love the colours of early spring,,,,when the fresh green leaves are so bright they practically look neon. It can be especially surreal looking at dusk as the sun is low and the fresh leaves are illuminated in the sunlight. Its still too cold here for the cherry blossoms to make an appearance or the magnolia buds to bloom (I'm anxiously waiting and watching, camera in hand) but today I came across the most beautiful setting of weeping willows that were a sure sign that spring has finally sprung. The willow buds were a bright fresh chartreuse green they were almost glowing, the sight of them against the calm blue water and the bright green grass was spectacular. Although I could have sat there for hours and just stared, I only spent about 20 minutes taking this series of photos today. Some of them I'll have printed and framed up in contemporary frames for client spaces (or my own) one day, I just love the modern element photography adds to a room and that the subject matter and colour palette is limitless.

I'll keep my eye on these weeping willows in the coming weeks, maybe if I'm lucky I'll catch them on a misty morning or basking against a colourful evening sky.......

All photos: Carol Reed

NYC: Inspired Impressions

2011-04-21T00:57:00.000-04:00

While touring thru the Kips Bay Showhouse in NYC last November, Michelle and I got to chatting with a student volunteer who was monitoring one of the rooms (she was sweet enough not to bust us for taking photos!). We exchanged cards with her and when she saw that Michelle was not only an Interior Designer but also illustrated interior renderrings, she excitedly told us abut the Jeremiah Goodman exhibit over at the New York School of Interior Design and insisting we MUST go see it while we were in town. We of course, standing there dumb struck with awe that we hadn't heard about this exhibit until now,,,, only needed to be pointed in the right direction. Its one of those things that you couldn't have planned, but which you felt was so meant to be - the timing was perfect, here I was in NYC with who I consider to be one of the best interior renderrers in the industry today,,,,,with the opportunity to view the works of the legendary interior illustrator, Jeremiah Goodman. Its true, the best things in life are never planned! Since it was too late that day for us to make it to the exhibit we planned our visit for the very next day, allowing us lots of time to soak it all in.

The school itself is located on a beautiful leafy sidestreet, on the upper east side. The steet is lined with beautiful old brownstones.

I fell in love with the neighbourhood with its sidewalk cafes and flowers shops - despite how expensive everything is in NY,,I had never seen roses this cheap in my life. And the colours!!! I practically cried at the mere thought of walking away empty handed...to this day I'm still not over it. I stare at this picture a LOT and dream of the fresh bunch of colourful roses I could have on my desk every week,,for ONLY $10.00!!!!!! Oh,,,kay,,, so back to the exhibit...

That's Michelle, patiently waiting for me while I admire and snap photos of the streetscape.....and fantasize about how awesome it would have been to go this design school!

Inside the school student sketches lined the corridor wall outside the gallery space.

I'm sure I could hear Michelle's heart racing as we entered the exhibit space. We were familiar with Jeremiah Goodman's work before we arrived at the school, but for those of you who aren't, I'm sure you'll recognize many of the designer spaces he's painted. He's renderred some of the most beautiful and famous interiors of our time.

Jeremiah Goodman in his Upper East Side apartment, image via Interior Design.

For seven decades Jeremiah Goodman, now 88, has produced his artistic interpretations illustrating the glamorous interiors of high profile decorators and their famous clients such as; Bill Blass, Diana Vreeland, Greta Garbo, David Hicks, Billy Baldwin and Tony Duquette. Between the years of 1952 to 1967 he was commissioned to illustrate every cover of Interior Design Magazine, depicting photographs of rooms featured in the magazine. The exhibit at the NYSID, Inspired Impressions was a retrospective showcasing 38 of his favorite interior paintings, works dating from 1947 to 2009.

His painting were considered interpretations rather than exact reproductions, he was known for improving on the original interiors, often making them more glamorous than they were in life and injecting them with personality.

The entire experience was so surreal to me,,,it was amazing to view these paintings with Michelle and hear her describing and admiring Jeremiah's technique for capturing light and shadow and how you could see his rough draft pencil lines. From his older works to present day you could see how his technique evolved over the years, from literal to more impressionistic.

His used gouache and mixed media on illustration board for most all of his work, some are painted from life and some from photographs done while standing and working over a table, not an easel with some completed in no more than 2 hours. Living Room, Bel Air, California 2006.

David Hicks London drawing room, 1985.

This was Carolina Herrera's NYC Living room, 2009. She attended the opening Party of the exhibit.

One of my favorites was this more recent paintings, the New York City townhouse of Reed Krakoff, CEO of Coach, painted in 2009.
What I was impressed with more than anything when I looked at the rooms was not only how much personality each room had but how utterly timeless they were. Without looking at the dates on the paintings we simply couldn't guess how old they were, a great reminder that that's the trademark of great design.

Only one day after returning to Toronto, I was out sourcing and stopped in my tracks when I spotted this Monograph of......Jeremiah Goodman. And then I looked up and saw his framed renderrings hung on the walls throughout the showroom. How strange was it that I had crossed paths with this artists work twice in one week, in two different cities? When I told the showroom assistant that I had just seen an exhibit of his work only a couple of days ago she was shocked,,,and wanted to know all the details. She hadn't heard about the show, even the book and the prints they had were pretty rare. For the first time ever, Goodman's exclusive dealer, Dean Rhys Mogan, had just recently made available these signed limited edition giclee prints. His work has never before been available in preproduction form, the book on display in the store wasn't even for sale.

The sales associate gave me a tour around the shop, telling me about each of the renderings. It was a great to hear more about the spaces he painted becasue when Michelle and I saw the exhibit the pieces were simply labelled with date, location and homeowner, there was no one in the gallery to tell us the story about the rooms.

Framed L.E. signed giclees for sale at 12|12.

Jeremiah only painted rooms that he admired and of people that interested him, his interpretations expressed his emotional response to the room injecting mood and personality into the renderings that a computer aided drawing alone just can't capture. Its a rare art form that I truly hope is not a dying breed (as he's described it himself), in fact I believe if anything that automation has brought about a resurgence and renewed appreciation for the quality of hand renderrings. With talented designers like Michelle so graciously willing to share and teach others her techniques I hope this art form can live on in tandem with technology. Thanks to all her inspiration, I'm picking up my pens and markers more than ever before and realizing how powerful this age old technique can be.

Top Photo: Jeremiah Goodman's home studio via Interior Design

70's Bungalow: Progress 2

2011-04-09T16:55:00.000-04:00

The tile work is almost finished and the hardwood has just started to be installed. The finish carpenter is on site prepping doors and getting ready to install the base mouldings and door casings. And the custom kitchen cabinetry arrives this week for installation,,,,,,I'm sooooo excited to see it!!! I stopped by the job site earlier today to drop some more paint samples off for the Master Bedroom and was thrilled with the progress since I was there earlier in the week and since my last progress post. The travertine tile has gone up on the Living Room fireplace wall and I LOOOOOVE it (above photo).

The guest bathroom tile is just about ready to be grouted, they have to just finish off adding a Caesarstone jamb around the inside of the window, you can see a small piece of it on the window sill now that the tiler was using as a spacer. The grid line effect will disappear once the grout is applied.

You can just see a glimpse of the honed travertine floor tile.

Honed calacatta floor tiles in the master ensuite and paint draw downs on the wall. Wall tile goes up on Monday (where you see the black backer board). You can check out the design sketches and finish boards for the bathrooms here.

The powder room has polished calacatta floor tiles and I can tell you the wall paint, is NOT going to be the bottom sample : ).

The natural walnut floors were installed in the kitchen and family room yesterday, here's a look at the range wall which is ready for the cabinets and appliances. I love how the space is flooded with daylight. For over six months now I've had a clear vision of what this kitchen will look like when its complete but if you want a 'sneak peek' you can check out the kitchen design plans here.

A view into the kitchen from the family room. If you look close you can see a couple of paint draw downs on the left wall inside the kitchen,,,and I'm happy to say the perfect shade of white has been selected (we'll be painting all the main living areas and hallways white). Although I have to say, the primer the painter used on this job is the nicest colour of white primer I've ever seen, I would be perfectly happy with that as the wall colour it was really that good - I'll definitely be getting the name of it.

Another view into the kitchen from the family room at the back of the house, I love how you can see the Living room's travertine fireplace in background.

Details make the difference.

My favorite thing on the entire project,,,,are these walnut veneer doors. They arrived earlier this week and the wood veneer is simply stunning!!!! Even now in their unfinished state you can see the sheer beauty of the walnut grain, its like a work of art. This character and depth of colour will be accentuated even more when the clear top coats are applied. What you're seeing here is only the top half of the door, there's four doors altogether, bookmatched, and they'll be hung in pairs on the two closets in the front hall.

Stay tuned for lots more progress updates in the days and weeks ahead.

All Photos: Carol Reed

Paper Wait

2011-04-07T23:24:00.001-04:00

I was captivated by these glass paperweights I came across yesterday at Teatro Verde. I've been so busy lately, my desk is currently buried under a mountain of paperwork so I thought one of these would be a stylish way to get it under control, or stop it from toppling over! (?).

For the past couple of months I've been spending most days in my car driving all over the city and beyond buying furniture, lamps and artwork in an effort to furnish a house for one client while picking up fixtures and tile samples for another. I'll be honest, its not my favorite thing. Spending my days endlessly driving from showroom to showroom searching for and buying furniture or lighting is not about designing for me,,,,,its shopping. For the most part, it's really like being a personal shopper and it seems like I've been doing soo much of it lately - I miss designing, drawing, I miss my rag paper and pencils.........

Yes, I really miss my desk so I couldn't resist buying it this little gift to make it feel extra special when I return, right now a fresh bunch of tulips would go perfectly with it too!! Hopefully I'll be able to spend some time enjoying it soon, but tomorrow,,, is another installation day at the Modern Love house, so the pile of paperwork and my desk will have to wait a little longer.

All Photos: Carol Reed

70's Bungalow: Progress

2011-04-01T11:57:00.000-04:00

The most exciting phase of the 70's Bungalow redesign has FINALLY arrived! Last week the newly drywalled interior received two fresh coats of primer and this week, the tiler's are onsite installing the tile floors and walls in the bathrooms, laundry room and entryway. For the next 4 to 6 weeks it will be like Christmas day every day at the house with new finishes, fixtures and cabinetry arriving one after the other.....all of the things I've been planning and detailing for the past 8 months!!

A recap of what the house looked like before demolition started. Check out this post for an overview of the before floor plan and the new proposed floor plan.

The above photo was taken from inside the front hallway facing the entry. A new front door will be one of the last things installed. You can see a glimpse of the new windows that were installed last month. The living room is to the left of this view, this opening into the LR was altered to make it symmetrical, taller and I had the wall beefed up to make the opening more substantial. On the right you can see a pair of double closets.

The pair of closets were designed to be symmetrical and centred on the hallway and the opening to the large living room area. In between the two closets is an alcove that will have a bench or, a console and a bench with a large mirror. On the ceiling centred in front of this area will be a modern semi-flush chandelier. These closet doors will have the only custom doors in the house, a pair of natural walnut veneer flush panel doors.

Opposite the entry into the living room is the partially re-modeled fireplace. I'll post more on the firepalce redesign in an upcoming post.

New aluminum windows were installed throughout the house, and finished in a custom black colour. They have clean drywall returns, no casings. This view is the end wall of the long dining room.

Perhaps the biggest transfomation is this once knotty pine sunroom. It was an addition to the house sometime in the 80's. We eliminated all the wood panelling and a row of skylites on the angled ceiling and replaced all the windows added heating/cooling ducts. One wall of windows (on the immediate right of this view) was closed up to provide wall space for a large screen TV and the exterior brick wall separating this room from the kitchen was opened up. This will be now be used as a family room and is open to the kitchen.

After entering from the front hall of the house, you turn left to go down the secondary hallway leading to the bedrooms. The large opening on the left will be a home office/library (for her) and occassional guest bedroom, at the end on the left is the laundry/mud room and access to the garage). The first door on the right is the powder room, further down on the right is the den (his office) at the end is the principal bedroom. All the doors except the laundry room will be single panel framed sandblasted glass doors.

The Mr of the house will use the den as his office, the room's existing brick wood burning fireplace is undergoing a complete overhaul, the stepped back mantel was removed and all the odd angles were cleaned up by cladding the upper mantel and sides in flush drwyall from floor to ceiling. I had them frame in a recessed niche made for a flat panel TV. I'll post more on this fireplace redesign later...

This is called the "Library" and will be 'Her' home office. Custom built-ins are being made for the wall on the left and also the recessed area just out of view on the right. To the right is an ensuite washroom...

A small ensuite guest bathroom has a low soaker tub/shower combo and will get a custom vanity.

The dressing area in the Principal Bedroom, there will be wall to wall wardrobes on the left, a custom walnut tallboy under the window,,the ensuite bathroom is thru the door on the right.

The master ensuite has been completely relocated, it will have a large walkin shower with a frameless glass screen and a custom double sink floating vanity. Its well on its way to becoming a vision of modern simplicity dressed in calacatta marble, zebrano wood and glossy white. Here's a previous post on the bathroom design plans and finishes.

Doesn't look like much now, but this will soon be a slick laundry room with high gloss cabinets and stainless steel mosaic backsplash. This laundry room was relocated from the back of the house, originally adjacent to the kitchen, its now located with direct access to the garage (w/recycling centre) and serves as a mudroom/laundry room.

I'm looking forward to seeing the completed tile work next week, I'll be onsite overseeing the paint drawdowns and making the final colour selections with the homeowner, by 'colour' I mean white and tinted greys. : )

All Photos: Carol Reed

Upload: March 2011

2011-03-30T11:32:00.000-04:00

Its time for a bit of a catch-up post as its been a few months since I've done an "Upload" on the blog so I'm gonna try and get back on track. I've dumped thousands of photos off my Iphone during that time. This is a brief recap of my favorites and most relevant from job site visits to showroom sourcing to things around my studio or anything else that's caught my Eye. If you follow me on twitter I post pics to my twitter account from my phone all the time, so some of these you may recognize. Starting with the photo above of a floor lamp I couldn't resist. I came across it a new store on Queen East called Mad, way back in early December. It was intended for my own home but it now seems destined for a client's unless I can find something else (grrrr). But first,,,off to be replated in chrome.

The dining room in my "Modern Love" project received its vintage danish rosewood sideboard and its utterly stunning, like it was made for the room. We're now awaiting installation of the chandeliers, sconces and a starburst mirror, which happens next week.

Artist: Tom Reeves

When first time homeowner clients have large houses with what seems like endless amounts of wall space to adorn, I'm often left with no choice but to seek alternatives to original art and custom framing - as much as that's always my preference, its not always feasible for every piece. For one space in a clients house I needed a really large oversize piece of art, at this scale an original work just wasn't in the budget. I went to PI Fine Art, a gallery that offers both original art, reproduction prints and custom framing where I found this large limited edition giclee on canvas, mounted on masonite backing. Its not cheap by any means, but its much more affordable than an original and represents the abstract style of art the homeowner is drawn to. My client absolutely loved it from the scouting shots I sent him, now its been delivered, hung, and looks gorgeous!

I've taken at least a dozen shots of this sconce, proposed for two different projects now, and clients keep saying no. I don't know why? I really love it. I've used the chandelier version before, stunning in a bathroom, but I've yet to use the sconce.

I'm a bit crazy for these vinyl Italian shopping bags at L'Atelier. They'd make a great gift bag filled with gourmet kitchen essentials!

My go to for ready-made draperies, Invu, never disappoints. I've bought at least 6 pairs in the past couple of months. I like that they always have a large selection of both classic neutrals and prints in stock, offer two lengths of fully lined drapes, various header styles, they can sew panels together for you or hem if needed and ,,,,they sell all their ready-made drapery fabrics by the yard too. All in one stop, with limited time and budgets you can't beat this, its the next best thing to custom. I just used the ones above in a clients dining room.

I've snapped a photo several different times of this black and white botanical print at Invu. It has a hand drawn feel to me. I have absolutely no particular use for it at the moment, but wish I did.

I love the combination of clean lines with natural texture on these woven dining chairs. Shelter Furniture.

About once a month my best girlfriends and I usually gather for a girl's night in. There's four of us, and we're all designers who each love to cook (and eat!). I always start the evening with good intentions of taking photos because believe me, these ladies ALWAYS impress me with their food and entertaining style - but I get so distracted with eating and drinking I end up without many photos! I did manage to capture this incredible baby spinach salad my girlfriend made that had roasted figs, prescuitto, pine nuts, marscapone cheese and drizzled with a balsamic reduction. It was fantastic!!! This was followed by the BEST home-made gnocchi and sauce I've ever had in my life, followed by a gorgeous baked fish in a pouch. She's Italian and I've learned most everything I know about cooking and entertaining from her. My favorite thing in the world is enjoying evenings like these with my girlfriends, I'm lucky to have done this a lot lately! : )

I've been searching for sputniks for various clients lately, I prefer vintage ones but havn't had much luck. I did come across a selection of somewhat unique ones that were custom made for the movie Hairspray, filmed here in Toronto with John Travolta some years ago. Not exactly vintage but a cool find none the less.

I use swing arm lamps in almost every space I design, they're super practical especially when you don't have a lot of table space or need flexible lighting positions or, have kids prone to knocking lamps off tables! Plus they always look cool with their hinged and moveable arms, I love anything mechanical. I first specified this one back in 2006 and am still using it today in clients homes, it appeals to me now as much as it did 5 years ago. A pair of these will be used in my 'Modern Love' project's family room.

I'm a bit obsessed with Antique brass light fixtures and hardware, this fixtures a beauty I hadn't seen before so I couldn't resist snapping it for future reference.

I am captivated by the beauty of winter but last week we were officially 3 days into Spring and enduring one of the biggest snow storms of the winter. I look back at this photo I took on a job site before or during the Christmas holidays and I can't help but feel its been the loooooongest, winter, ever. Months later, winter has turned to spring yet the view still looks the same.

Inspecting and tagging batches of stone tile in the supplier's warehouse. One of the many unforseen and often underestimated factors of designing kitchens and bathrooms (or anything else with natural stone products) is the incredible amount of additional time it requires to sample and approve the material. Because there's so much variation between what you see on the display board in the showroom, and the sample pieces given to you and what's in stock at the warehouse, the inspecting and approving of the material can be a lengthy and time consuming process. If you're lucky the supplier you're working with has a batch or slab that meets your approval and is in stock when you need it. If not,,start all over again searching other supplier's warehouses to inspect their lots. Then with tile, once you finally get it on site,,,,the designer needs to supervise a dry layout, and cross your fingers everything is good and you don't need more material.........

During a blustery winter day it was a pleasure shopping for fireplaces, I'm mad about these these modern wood stoves by Morso and dream of owning one, keeping it going all day long with an iron kettle on top always ready for a cup of hot green tea - heaven! End of March and I'm still dreaming I had one.

My favorite spectrum of tinted greys. The range of undertones here is so varied, to me there is nothing boring or plain about grey, I use tinted greys to suggest a colour rather than going literal with a colour. Many of these tones will be used in the 70's bungalow I'm currently working on.

I've concluded that there's a huge void of contemporary exterior light fixtures available on the market. For some reason, if you're looking for anything other than heritage anitque style, the only other choices seem to be Arts & Craft style or uber Modern. This one above is one of the most 'transitional' ones I've been able to find,,,,,the search continues.

Have I mentioned I have a thing for bowls? This vintage teak bowl tempted me, and I've vowed if its still there the next time I visit the shop, its a sign that I need to take it home. : )

During a search for a shag rug for a family room I discovered there were a LOT of shag rugs out there that just didn't meet the basic criteria. Softness was key, no shedding was key, as was the ability to vacuum (not rake). Most of the wool ones were suprisingly rough to the touch and others had large chunky strands that weren't vacumable and were just rather odd to walk on. The long shags in the photo above are the current rage, I'm seeing them everywhere but I wasn't loving their 100% polyester content. Although they offerred the most gorgeous texture (like long flowing grass) and were soft, the colour ways weren't working with the space I needed it for and am concerned about not only vacuuming but static buildup....(?)

I've photographed this head vase about a dozen times. I just love it.

This is truly what my vehicle looks like on any given day. In fact this was a loaner car, my new car arrived a couple of weeks ago but its not as big as the loaner car was,,,,or my previous car. The good news is my days are shorter because the car fills up quicker! Getting a new car with smaller cargo space is a self-imposed method of reminding myself everyday that I am NOT a delivery service - 'Delivery Guy' needs to be added to my speed dial asap.

And the winning shag carpet was deep and plush and ultra soft. Made of two tone varying width strands its a 100% nylon specialy treated to be extra soft and its non-shedding as well as easy to vacuum.

Another girl's night in,,,,,this time an Egyptian smorgasborg. My girlfriend even had hand carved wood camels on the table brought back from a trip to Egypt a few years ago. I cleaned my plate and had seconds and thirds,,,,it was that good. If your vegetarian, you'll love the wide assortment of vegetable dishes and their incredible flavours.

There's probably nothing I angst over on a project more than lighting,,,I'm particular about finding fixtures that make just the right style statement for a space and have some originality to them. I'm insanely crazy for mid century Italian inspired fixtures however my clients don't always share my love and appreciation for them. I try and 'enlighten' them nonetheless by showing them some beautifully unique finds but this one above, wasn't winning any of them over (I'm both amazed and disappointed they don't trust how beautiful this would be in a finished space). I wanted it immediately when I saw it and even though none of my current clients opted for it I went back to buy it anyways. But of course it was gone. Did I mention I saw it for sale in another showroom for 6x the price. Grrrrr...

We went on an antiques roadtrip on Family Day,,,I came across one of the largest set of dishes I've ever seen, there were more than 12 settings which filled up this entire cabinet. I've been on the hunt for a set of antique or vintage china for myself and finding quantities of more than 4 or 6 settings is challenging. This casual set wasn't what I was looking for but I wished I had a client for them - they were bright sunny yellow but the colour didn't show well on my camera at all.

Do you like this light fixture? I actually really like it. But I find the price tag of $13,000 a bit baffling (no pun intended) particularly in a showroom that also sells $34.99 and $99 fixtures, the price point just seemed so out of place.

So now I realize this was a ridiculously long post which could have been split up into at least a dozen individual posts!! I'm determined to start posting less, more frequently. : / Next up will be some progress photos from the 70's bungalow redesign.

All Photos: Carol Reed