Not having a lot of time to lollygag at ICFF, I noticed a few trends to share with you.  There were numerous woodworkers who all had beautiful products.  The one thing I kept noticing was that they love drawers in multiple sizes and configurations.  Here are some of my favorites.

Above is a cabinet with drawers from Portuguese design company Wewood.  Like the shelf detail at the base.

A similar cabinet from Richard Watson.  The pulls looked like thumbtacks; nice unusual detail.

Cabinet with beaded detailing on top and on the drawer reveals by Sami Hayek of Espacio.

Booth installations are always fun to admire.  I wonder how long it takes to set up some of these.  Two manufacturers, Hellman Chang (furniture) and Lindsay Adelman (lighting), had a piece of their actual workshop demonstrating work in progress; brilliant idea.  Anyone who wonders how things get made as much as I do must have loved this.  I bet next year we’ll see even more of this.  I was clearly so engrossed that I forgot to photograph BOTH of them!  Sigh…

Above is a tree that was made out of rope strung though a mesh “ceiling.”

Installation with a bench and shaded cover made from a somewhat translucent fabric called Xorel.  This was created by a collaboration of students.  It felt good to be under; almost like shade from a tree.

A photo from Amuneal Manufacturing‘s booth.  I’ve seen them before at ICFF and I always get “lost” in their booth.  It’s a beautiful, wonderland of the imagination.  They manufacturer displays and components for stores and have a very craftsman look that sucks me in.  Above is a wall of woodworking tools beautifully displayed.   Inspiration for storing my tools!

The picture above is small but these innovative light switches/organization helpers are from Upwell.  This was one of those products that I looked at and wondered, “Why hasn’t this been created before?”  These switch additions add a little organization right where we need them, by the front door.  I spoke with the creator and he’s looking for a manufacture to produce them…someone find this guy a manufacturer!

I always love lights that create a pattern on the wall or ceiling.  Above is a light from Absolut in Germany.  The bulb is in the middle (covered) and reflects through an etched pattern on the glass around the outside.

This fixture is from Lightexture (as is the picture).  The piece expands and contracts (like a metal veggie steamer) to project light up or down casting beautiful reflections on the surrounding surfaces.

Porcelain tiles from Kowa Collection caught my eye for the large format and texture they create.  They can be installed in numerous patterns on walls or glass.  This is more of an architectural element than a bath or kitchen backsplash tile.

I had hoped to be ready to post some “preliminary” shots of our new house, but didn’t want you all to think we are total slobs.  We have been in the new house for just over a week.  Step one was getting things out of boxes and into piles.  We have succeeded at that, but the next step of finding everything a home has been a bit trickier, so here are some photos to give you a feel for the space, but none of the belongings in the pictures are ours. Hence, my personal disclaimer:  I am going to cheat a bit with the first photos of our new home today.  These are the photos taken by the realtor and whoever staged our home prior to us buying it, so none of the furniture it ours – also, please note they used a wide angle lens so the spaces feel slightly larger than they really are.

I love this picture – our new place has tons of windows and light.  As you can see the space is long and fairly narrow – I can’t wait to paint and get some really fun carpet on the stairs.

Once in the door, this is your view directly to the right.  I am thinking this will be where our TV has to go and maybe a small chair in the corner by the window.

This is your view to the left of the door, essentially our living space.  It looks clean and simple with this furniture, but our pieces are slightly larger so I am going to have to play with it a bit.  A bold patterned rug is something I am looking for and a new light fixture or fan – I am undecided if we actually want a fan in this space or not.

This rectangular table fits nicely in the space, but ours is round.  It will be interesting to see how it fits.  We also have a large armoire that we want in this area to serve as a pantry since there isn’t one in the kitchen.

I love the island in the kitchen and the huge sink!  Our biggest issue is the limited number of cabinets and drawers.  We only have eight cabinets and five drawers.  Storage solutions will be my initial focus in this space.

The half bath downstairs is enormous and a poor use of space.  Down the road I would love to reconfigure it and add a pantry and coat closet.

The master bedroom has doors or windows on every wall, which makes using the space a bit more challenging.  I am hoping to get a dresser, two small night stands, and a little vanity table in here.

I will post another update in the next few weeks once our belongings are settled.  We are in the process of picking paint colors so I will keep you posted on that progress.  Until then…

The perfect topic for a gloomy day – these umbrella stands are sure to put a smile on your face when you step out of the rain and into your home.  From playful to traditional, there is sure to be one that fits your personality and style!  The fact that most of them are under $100 is just a bonus.  So go play in the rain and enjoy!

Post pictures of or write about your LEAST favorite room in your home on our Facebook page for a chance to win a room re-do between now and February 20th!  Leave a brief description about what you dislike and why. Encourage friends to “like” your post.  The person with the most “likes” will win. The winner will be announced Monday, February 27th. Details are below!

5 Easy Steps:

1. Log into your Facebook account.

2. Find us on Facebook at:   http://www.facebook.com/ParadigmInteriorDesignInc  

3. Click on “Photo” which is write next to “Post”.

 4. Select Upload a Photo

5. Click “Choose File” to select the image you want to upload

Contest Details:

- Submit photos of one room – post via your computer or phone to Facebook.

- Encourage friends and family to like your post and picture.  The person with the most “likes” will win.

- There are no restrictions on the location of the property.

*Winner will receive a room re-do. We start by rearranging your existing pieces of furniture to make the space more functional and visually appealing.  Next we can help you select paint colors, accessorize, and fall back in the love with your home!

- Winner will be announced February 27th via Facebook and our website/blog.  Pictures of the before and after will be posted on our blog upon completion.

 Before

After

The kitchen is a gathering space.  Along with the friends and family who often congregate here, the kitchen is home to a million types of utensils, appliances, pots, pans, junk drawers, and much more.  The amount of “stuff” we accumulate in our kitchens can be overwhelming.  There are never enough nooks, crannies, cupboards, drawers, or shelves to put everything away.  Instead of trying to hide the things that make your kitchen a kitchen, consider a different way to store or display them.  They just might blend right in when given the right home in plain sight.

This is a beautifully simple kitchen.  Everyday items become the visual focal point from countertop to ceiling on butcher block shelves.

 I love the vintage table used as an island, open display of kitchen knives, and unique wall pattern that contrasts the plain white cabinets.

Try putting your coffee grounds, sugar, flour, and other household staples in glass jars instead of hiding them in cupboards.  The different colors and textures provide visual interest.

If you don’t have space on a shelf for your spices, try using the bottom side – buy matching jam jars with metal lids that you can tack to the underside of a shelf.

Warm up stainless steel with a few accents that bring your personality into the kitchen.

Pick two styles of containers/baskets that have different textures to organize open shelves.

Layer objects of varying size and scale.  Stack shelves of different lengths and widths to give a wall depth.

The perfect spot for every utensil.

Combine shelving and basic wall-hanging elements to create your own storage unit.

Now lets switch gears and put all of these pieces together.  Below are a selection of beautiful kitchens that caught my eye. Enjoy!!

There are two spaces in a home that people want to remodel most: the kitchen and the bathroom.  Unless your home is a new-build, it is highly unlikely that you love every nook and cranny of your bathroom.  For most of us in older homes, condo’s and apartments, there are a number of things in this space we would like to change, but don’t have the budget or ability to follow through on.  Before you decide to blow up your bathroom and start from scratch, take a look at some of the beautiful abodes we found and our tips to take your bathroom from ho-hum to your personal sanctuary.

Warm and cozy, the collection of unique mirrors in this bathroom are tied together through a simple coat of paint.  Try finding a few mirrors that have interesting frames at garage sales or thrift stores, spray paint the frames to match, and voila, your own wall-feature is complete.

Mirrors also help small spaces feel larger and reflect the colors of their surroundings so there is less need for artwork.  The use of reclaimed wood, likely from a wood shop table in this case, offers a touch of nostalgia.

A chandelier can completely change the feel of a space.  I love this wire one, it adds dimension and a touch of the whimsical to the already soft color palette.

Are you a bookworm?  Then bring some of that love for literature into your bathroom.  These backlit shelves give a very simple room color and personality.  Accessorize the shelves with a few objects that pull out the brightest color in the space.

This look is clean and fresh.  The vintage wall-mounted mirror offers some open storage, as the pedestal sink and subway tile create a balance between matte and glossy finishes.

Love the use of an antique armoire and bold colored claw foot tub.  To get a little extra spice, try adding a cool printed paper, wallpaper, or fabric as the insert panel in your storage unit.  The one shown was likely a china cabinet with glass panels.  Try painting the outside of your old claw-foot tub.  Both are easy weekend DIY projects that could transform you bath quickly.

Yay storage!!  To the women reading this, show off your shoes and handbags!  They are works of art in their own right.  This will give you a place to store them and admire them.  I also love how this bathroom makes use of the vertical space, and who doesn’t love a charming ladder.

A very easy way to change the feel of your bathroom is with a fun new shower curtain and a floor length mirror.  The chunky frame on this mirror is the perfect opposition to the ethereal shower curtain and playful tub.

This was too clever not to show.  What a great way to reuse an old bike and give a pedestal sink a little bit of storage for hand towels or other necessities in the bike’s basket. It feels funky and retro.

A great use of color and asymmetry.  This is a great idea for a small space.  You get a full length mirror, sink with vanity mirror, little bit of counter space, and 2 drawers all in one wall-mounted piece (gotta love the one leg!).

 An organic or sleek ledge is a beautiful, easy accent to add to a bathroom.  Put it on the longest wall to help elongate the space.

Storage is key in most bathrooms.  Pick a wall and turn it into a sort of apothecary cabinet.  Keep colors the same and hide unruly items like hair dryers, etc in boxes or baskets.

Ladders can be an great addition to any bath.  Simple and easy management for towels or magazines.

If you have very little space, one of the best things you could do is add a recessed Robern cabinet.  They come in many configurations and depths.  I used to have one with interior electrical outlets in our old home.  This is brilliant because it can hide razors and toothbrushes while charging so they don’t clutter the bathroom counter.  They also have a mirror defogger which is great when you are in a hurry and can’t see your mirror.

January is the month of resolutions and slogans like “A new year, a new you”.  Slogans that we tend to forget about by the time month two of the New Year actually rolls around.  In the past, my personal resolutions have been a lofty statement filled with vague ideas and good intentions, but no direction on how to get there.  So this year I decided to try making my resolutions on a smaller, more intimate scale.  For example, instead of saying that I am going to get organized, I focused on what I could do in my life to make that happen, and for me that meant finding simplicity – in my home, at work, and in my relationships. To me, simplicity means decluttering your life of the things that hold no personal value to you, get in the way of what really matters, and stop you from expressing who you genuinely are.  Try taking a fifteen minute inventory of all aspects of your life and what is most important to you in those areas.  Now come up with five improvements that if made would create positive, progressive changes in your life.

This week we are focusing on the home office space.  To be happy and productive at your desk, the environment it sits in needs to reflect who you are and how you like to work.  The goal is to strike a balance between form, function, comfort, and style.  You will notice how different all of these office spaces are – some feature very clean lines and little color, while others are highly stimulating with bold patterns and a plethora of eye candy.  Focus on what speaks to you and gets your creative juices flowing!

Tip 1: Have ample lighting and preferably some natural light in your work space.

Tip 2: Organize and declutter!  Find a system for storing your stuff that works for you – it can be baskets, bins, drawers, jars, shelves, etc.  Get creative, it should be a reflection of how you function.

Tip 3: Make use of the space you have.  An office doesn’t require a room to itself.  It can be integrated seamlessly into your home, creatively disguised behind a curtain, or tucked neatly into the confines of a closet.

Cheers!

-Collette

With over a foot of snow on the ground and an inch of ice covering that, I can’t help but be inspired by all the white.  I’m intrigued by it’s simplicity, brightness and soothing demeanour.  Let me clarify; soothing in looks, not how it feels.  Here are some of my favorite whites. 

Gorgeous black and white photography from Christopher Thomas.  I want to frame every photo. 

A simple room by Barbara Hill from Texas.  Understated and calming.

White rooms certainly could use the texture of a flokati rug!

Little Porcelain Houses that I picked up in Paris at a shop called Le Petite Atelier de Paris.  Wanted to put the entire shop in my suitcase!

Texture of many white dishes against white shelving.

NYC has inspired me to find creative solutions using every last square inch.   When people think NY, they conjure up images of shoe-box sized apartments.  Those who live in them likely despise them but I LOVE them.  They present challenges yes, but I enjoy a good design challenge so, bring it on.    Oh and did I mention that having a small space can be good because you can do nicer things as opposed to trying to fill a whole house.  Two of the biggest questions I get are 1. How do I find more room/make it feel larger and 2. How do I personalize it if it’s not mine?  Here comes some creative answers…

Not enough space:  You rarely have too little space; just too many favorite things.

• First, get organized.  This means everything needs a place.  If it doesn’t have a home, we all know it will likely lay out making the space cluttered and feeling all too small.  Hit the Container Store and find storage solutions for all those homeless items.  File away any paper goods or scan them to your computer for future reference.  Buy boxes and label them…because the insides don’t have to be pretty, just the outside.  Oh and don’t forget my new favorite gadget – the P-Touch for labeling everything.
• If you can afford it, build-in custom shelving and storage.  This is the ideal solution because you can design it to fit your space and special items.  It will free up so much space you’ll be surprised.
• If you think you are going to be in your apartment for awhile paint all the walls in a lacquer or high gloss.  This reflects and bounces the light around the room making it instantly feel larger. 
• Or if you don’t want to paint, add mirrors to reflect light. 
• Consider custom made furniture pieces that fit the room better than store bought ones.  Also if you customize it, you can make it multifunctional (think coffee table becomes dining table when you have guests). 

My space looks like a rental:  Only because it needs a little love and creative solutions.

• Use removable wallpaper or decal patterns to create an overall pattern.  I’ve even heard of people using masking tape to create patterns. 
• Paint the small rooms like a bathroom or entry.  These are less work to repaint when moving out. 
• While you rent is definitely the time to start acquiring your ”forever furniture.”  Begin buying items that you can keep forever even if you have to save up for a year…it will be worth it in the long run.  These pieces should have character to liven up the room.
• Add color or texture with a new area rug.
• Art – start collecting pieces that inspire you.  Check out the local art league for shows.  You can pick up some great works from up-and-coming artists at reasonable prices.
• Consider drapery because it finishes a space and adds that additional pop of color or pattern.  Even if you have to custom make it remember it can always be re-purposed into something else later if it doesn’t fit a new window.  Think:  pillows, duvet, window seat cover or even a shower curtain. 
• The best places to bring in your personality is in fabrics, art and accessories while renting.  Plus they all move with you when you’re ready.