IO, Author at Decor Isabelle

December 20, 2016 By IO

Decorating Your Holiday Table

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to gather with family and friends around the holiday table to share laughter and LOTS of great holiday food. It’s a truly special time. As an interior decorator, I love to find ways to make my holiday table special too.

Tis the season to share…

Here are three of my favorite ways to dress the holiday table. They deliver lots of “wow” with little effort or expense. Perfect, right? Whether you choose to use one, two or all three, they’re sure to make your table shine for the holidays!

Tip #1: Go for the Evergreen

Here’s a great way to create a simple, yet stunning centerpiece. Start with a frangrant garland of greenery. Drape along the center of your table and add votives, candles, fruit, ornaments…whatever best fits your holiday theme! For name cards, inscribe guest names on a magnolia leaf using a gold permanent marker (or silver if you prefer). Gorgeous!

Tip #2: Double Duty Ornaments

Speaking of place cards, why not purchase beautiful ornaments that fit your theme and use theseas name card holders? They also make wonderful gifts for your guests!

Tip #3: Make it Merry & Bright

I’ve fallen in love with the soft glow created by fairy lights. To set the perfect holiday mood, place a strand (or two, or three…the more, the brighter!) inside a lantern. Simply magical!

Garland table runner photo courtesy of: Lelivingandco
Ornaments photo courtesy of: Dorothy Thompson
Fairy lights photo courtesy: Terrain

December 15, 2016 By IO

The Interior Decorator’s Secret Weapon: Wallpaper

wallpaper interior decorator secret weapon Since the turn of the century wallpaper has enjoyed renewed interest and that trend shows no signs of letting up anytime soon. It’s easy to see why. Wallpaper comes in such a diverse range of patterns, colours and textures that it’s difficult to imagine a home where it couldn’t make an aesthetic contribution. Not only is wallpaper versatile and adaptable it’s also affordable. You can often cover an entire wall with a single roll and in the process turn your average room into a showroom. As the wallpaper trend continues to play itself out homeowners and decorators are getting more adventurous as well producing results that engage the eye and captivate the mind. In this post we’re going to look at the secret weapon of the interior decorator: wallpaper.

The Interior Decorator and Wallpaper

Most people think of wallpaper in the context of the full room renovations etc. They’re right about that of course but as any skilled interior decorator knows the many faces of wallpaper can be put to use in a number of ways and not all of them will necessarily have to do with covering entire walls. Here are a few ways an interior decorator may use wallpaper to enhance a decor:

Cover Imperfections: For centuries wallpaper has been used to smooth out the bumps and cover small cracks in old plaster walls and few things do a better job. Why pay to have the walls glazed or have old walls replaced in your Burlington or Hamilton home when a little wallpaper will turn them into something entirely new and leave nary a trace of the old imperfections?

Bring Life to Forgotten Areas: There a lots of small, typically forgotten areas in a home that wallpaper can bring to life. The back of the cupboard, a breakfast nook and the back wall of a closet are all examples of under-considered spaces that could benefit from wallpaper. And, as long as we’re exploring possibilities, what about the ceiling? The results could be amazing.

Create a Headboard: Wallpaper can be used to create a headboard when none is available or the real thing might be too much in a confined area or you simply don’t feel like shelling out for one. Use a piece of leftover wallpaper from another application as a unifying element or use two different papers to create a diamond or stripe pattern for added interest.

Create Custom Coverings for Switch Plates: Switch plates are ubiquitous in the home and yet rarely receive the kind of attention they should get. Why resign yourself to having the same white switch plates in your home everyone else has? Cover your plates with wallpaper and watch this tiny design touch activate an entire room.

Breathe New Life into Old Furnishings: Old tables, bookcases and even chairs can benefit from being partially wrapped in an interesting piece of wallpaper. Old table tops can be papered and then covered in glass, old chairs can have their seats papered, old bookcases their backdrops. When you think of wallpaper the same way you do paint the expressive possibilities become endless.

Wallpaper is the best friend, trusted ally and secret weapon of the interior decorator all rolled into one (so to speak). Beautiful, versatile, engaging, colourful and adaptable to just about any task it should never be overlooked as a potential solution to any type of design or decoration issue around the house. To add an interesting focal point or counterpoint or discrete aesthetic touch to a room in your Hamilton or Burlington home don’t assume you need to go out and buy an art object, use wallpaper instead.

December 6, 2016 By IO

Some Common Sense Interior Decoration Tips

There’s no doubt that some of the incredible interior decoration schemes you’ll see are the result of big budgets and high-priced, experienced decorators at the peak of their skills. But just as often it’s the thoughtful, common sense things that activate a decor or to hold it together. These can be discreet background elements or things that assume a more front and center position in the decor, but the point is they aren’t dependent on enormous cash outlays nor do they require re-inventing the decoration wheel. In this post Isabelle will share some of her favorite common sense home interior design tips.

6 Tips for a More Pleasing Home Interior Design

Here are 6 simple decorating tips that will help you create a more pleasing home interior design.

Working within a Theme: Whether you’re decorating a downtown penthouse or a Victorian in Hamilton or Burlington there’s nothing like a theme to draw a border around the proceedings and help facilitate the decision making process. But themes are not just limiting, they’re also challenging as they force you to consider new ways of presenting well-worn ideas. And it’s in that process that the magic happens.

Work with What You Have: Before you go assuming you’ll need to spend money on components for your new home interior design scheme do a bit of checking in the attic or basement or take a trip to the storage space. There’s often new life to be found in old objects that may not have fit with your previous decor. And it’s not crucial that they be in pristine condition either. What’s important is the shape, volume and whether they can be adapted to the new decor.

Don’t Forget Dimmers: If someone told you that you could change the entire mood of your room by simply moving your finger half an inch wouldn’t that seem like something worth exploring? Well that’s what you get with a dimmer switch. While dimmers are often overlooked as a design tool they shouldn’t be because for just a few dollars they allow you to add layers of expressive possibility to a room.

Embrace the Luxurious Touch: There are times when a luxurious touch in an unexpected place can elevate the look and feel of a home interior design. A small chandelier in the bath, a Tiffany lamp in the kitchen or a Persian rug in the foyer both surprise and delight and can be that tiny accent piece that makes the whole decor pop.

Speaking of Accents: In the land of delightful decor repetition is a simple but effective way to do more with less. Fabric has a way of ramping up the feeling of comfort and luxury so instead of 2 window treatments try 3. Likewise a series of artworks stretched across a wall or walls can create visual interest that’s hard to top. And where 1 table lamp may be a nice accent 2 can create a focal point.

Think Outside the Paint Box: There are a lot of ways to break up visual monotony in a room. Wallpaper is probably the most well-known way to do so but paint can be utilized in a similar fashion. A red island in the kitchen is an inexpensive way to add interest and sophistication while painting the back wall of a cabinet is a great way to draw the eye to the collectibles or precious china within.

Creating an interesting, engaging home interior design doesn’t always require massive expenditures and months of planning. Use these simple tips and bring your Burlington or Hamilton home’s interior to life. If you’d like some more in depth advice give Isabelle Tremblay at Decor Isabelle a call on (416) 573-2301.

October 31, 2016 By IO

The Great Paint Mistakes: As an Interior Decorator I’ve Seen Them All

Painting your home is full of easy pitfalls—dreams can quickly turn into disaster because of one small oversight.

As an interior decorator I’ve been all over Hamilton, Burlington and the GTA on a correcting mission.

So, wondering how I could help people avoid these mistakes in the first place, I came up with this post—keep these cautionary tales in mind when decorating your home.

An Interior Decorator’s Insight on Decorating Mishaps to Avoid

Steer clear of these common mistakes and you’re well on your way to creating a home you love:

Ignoring Lighting: Some of the most common and worst mistakes come from choosing a colour that looks great on the swatch, but awful on your walls. Avoid this by considering one vital component: lighting. A paint colour can look staggeringly different depending on the light conditions—whether natural or artificial. What direction does your home face? What light bulbs do you use? What Light Reflectance Value do you need? All of these factors will affect your final outcome. And once you know your lighting, take samples home to observe at different times of the day to get a true feel for how they will look in your home.

Fear of Colour: As an interior decorator, I’ve seen people paralysed by the fear of using colour in their home. And that’s a real shame, because there’s a whole spectrum out there to light up and beautify your space. Neutrals are not the only option! Especially when painting a larger area—tonal depth is key, so pick a darker colour than you would normally. A great way to dip your toe in is to create a feature wall in a bolder complementary or contrasting colour—it’ll add instant character to a room. Leave out colour, and the result can often be drab and uninspiring.

Ignoring Undertones: We often get overexcited and go for a colour we love, only to find that something just doesn’t feel quite right. This is when you know you’ve ignored your home’s undertones. These are the colours of permanent fixtures such as counters, flooring and cabinets that are often overlooked. They’re subtle, but vital—ignore these at your peril. So start with your undertones, then go from there. Choosing colours that gel with your undertones makes the difference between harmonic and jarring home decor.

Failing to Prep: Some of us love DIY. And that’s great—as long as you know what you’re doing. As an interior decorator you come across some good arguments for hiring professionals! And because we’re often so eager to jump straight in, one of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen is skipping prep. As boring as it may seem, it’s the part professional painters spend most of their time on, and there’s a good reason for that. Skip prep and you can end up with uneven, peeling, chipped walls. Not nice. So how do you prep? Clean your walls, apply painter’s tape with care, scrape off any peels and cracks and ensure any patching compound is dry before applying a drop of paint.

Painting your home can be a daunting task, but by taking your time and doing a little research, you can achieve the results you want.

But if, like many of my clients, you just don’t have the time to spare, Decor Isabelle is here to help. I’ve had the pleasure of being the interior decorator of choice for many clients from Hamilton, Burlington and all over the GTA.

If you’re ready to get started, get in touch to schedule your personal decor consultation today by calling 416-573-2301 or emailing isabelle@decorisabelle.com.