Category Archives: Pure Design

IDS Toronto returned this January in a restrained format: less square feet, fewer booths, a tighter speaker offering. I want to call it curated because it sounds more intentional, but it is likely the bi-product of the changing design world … Continue reading →

Reviving an old piece of furniture is the ultimate nod to green living. I have preached its virtues before but they bear repeating as I begin a project that is asking me to reduce, reuse and recycle. Got Bones? The … Continue reading →

We are getting serious over here about wood floors. With our home renovations nearly under way and just beginning to sort a cottage refresh (I swear – our carpeted cottage floors have typhoid), I am reaching back into my design … Continue reading →

I can preach all day about the virtues of painting your walls white. I rarely spec another colour and have, more than once, talked a client out of using strong colour or around the dreaded ‘statement wall’. Do people still … Continue reading →

I try to be in tune with what is happening in the design world. I could lie and pretend this means endless hours sourcing and researching, cross referencing and scouring but trends are always pretty obvious. They dominate the design … Continue reading →

My husband and I are almost outnumbered by tweens. Girl tweens at that. Lots of opinions and developing senses of style swirling around among other things we can’t influence like hormones. I want to respect them but also need to … Continue reading →

Palette building is my jam. It is usually inspired from a piece of artwork, a rug, a favorite colour, a fabric a client has fallen for. Sometimes? All of the above. But where it goes next makes all the difference … Continue reading →

Design is interpretive: loose on boundaries and deeply personal. But there are a few elements of design that need to follow some science. Lighting is one and rugs are definitely an other. Almost every room needs a rug – it … Continue reading →

I would never describe my personal taste as pretty. You won’t find ruffles on my toss cushion flanges or pompom-ed trim on my roman blinds. Polka dots and frilly details and florals are definitely not my jam. And pink? Well, … Continue reading →