Debbie Travis has become a familiar face in home decorating, thanks to television shows Painted House and Facelift. Based in Montreal, this three-time Gemini award winner is also the author of 11 books.

KEEP IT: Texture really comes to the fore this season, according to Travis.

"It seems every time the economy starts to go down, people gravitate towards a rich, even opulent look in decor," she said.

As with Michelle Obama's now-famous inaugural ballgown designed by Jason Wu, there are flowers popping out of throw pillows or unexpectedly in appliqué on textiles.

"And once-rare embossed carpets and rugs are now very affordable and accessible," Travis said. "I've also introduced a line of paintable textured wallpaper, which is a wonderful way to get an elegantly custom look."

Other trendy but easy ways to give your home a quick texture fix include looking for slubbed or flocked upholstery, embellished throws, flatware or glassware with interesting nubs or ridges.

TOSS IT: Travis calls it the "grandma's tea set look" - a plethora of retro flowery prints that are making a comeback.

Along with crackle finishes on pottery and furniture, it's part of the country nostalgia trend.

And the fact that all these floral prints seem to be springing up everywhere, from textiles to dinnerware, doesn't make her warm up to any of them.

"This trend was fresh and exciting in the 1980s when Laura Ashley and others pioneered it," she said. "Now it gives me the feeling that I've already seen it, which is not exciting."

Aurélien Guillory of Aurélien Design is a Westmount interior designer with about 30 years of experience in the custom design of both residential and commercial spaces.

KEEP IT: Pick pattern, says this designer, if you want to add some on-trend edge to your room. And there's a lot to choose from in patterned accessories and furnishings, even wall coverings - art deco-inspired, botanicals, paisley, animal prints, stripes or geometric patterns, with the most popular being floral, damask or baroque-inspired prints.

You can pick one bold print to give your room a new life. Or opt to mix and match patterns in the same room, with the only limits being your own comfort level.

"I recently covered a client's sofa with a black-and-white tweed fabric flocked with a velvety matte black floral," Guillory said. "A mix of pattern and texture can be both dramatic and elegant."

TOSS IT: The boutique hotel look, once the prerogative of trendy urban inns, has invaded the homefront. And it should be given its marching orders, according to Guillory.

He feels the minimalist use of dark woods like mahogany, starkly contrasting with walls and furnishings of white or shades of beige, is too ubiquitous to be considered innovative and eclectic.

In particular, he takes offence at the way this trend incorporates furniture and even bathroom sinks that are squared off to create uniformly linear lines.

"Sharp edges are hard on the eye and can be painful if you bump into one of them," he said.

Joanne Padvaiskas, a Pointe Claire interior decorator, is owner of Wow Great Place.

KEEP IT: After many years of gleaming chrome and brushed stainless steel, there is a welcome warming trend in metallic finishes, according to Padvaiskas.

Oiled bronze and copper are gaining ground as the metals of choice for kitchen appliances and bathroom taps and fixtures. This decorator particularly likes to adorn the walls of powder or dining rooms with burnished bronze or coppery-toned wallpaper.

"Many people find warmer metals easier to live with, like comfort food for the eye," she said.

And with the shift toward grey and cooler shades for walls and furnishings, warm metallic fixtures create a contrast. Warm gold is also gaining in popularity, especially when mixed with silver-toned metals.

"As in the fashion world, mixing silver and gold is in now," Padvaiskas said.

TOSS IT: It seems the lodge-chic trend of putting antlers - either the real thing or a wood or ceramic copy of it - on coffee tables or working them into lamps and chandeliers wasn't enough for some folks.

All things taxidermy, real and faux, are in now. So much so, Padvaiskas couldn't believe how many variations on the theme she saw at a recent design show.

This trend runs the gamut from a vintage (and real) stuffed owl or other critter to stylized wire-and-rice-paper sculptures that reference, say, a deer head. Besides a visceral aversion to having anything that even suggests a dead stuffed animal, Padvaiskas bluntly labels this: "Not my idea of a fabulous design trend."

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

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Nothing says spring like shades of green. And going green in your decor - whether that means using verdant hues or being aware of the environment - is more in than ever, according to Sophie Bergeron, Benjamin Moore's colour and design manager for the eastern market.

"There's an even stronger movement toward green in 2009," she said. "Both the colour itself and the environmental aspect will continue to be chic for the next couple of years at least."

In terms of a shade to enhance your decor that means anything from palest seafoam green to 1970s retro avocado. A contemporary way to update almost any green: team it up with other colours in out-of-the-ordinary combinations and unique accents to personalize a space.

"Such colour combinations are striking and individualistic," Bergeron said, "and can help establish zones in an open area and create a flow."

Benjamin Moore decorators, for instance, created a living room in which a wall painted a satiny black makes the fireplace it surrounds even more focal in the room and draws attention to the seating area. A light and airy green-blue hue is used in a nearby zone to set it apart and emphasize its use as an area in which to circulate, while a trendy avocado elsewhere emphasizes an alcove's architectural features.

Another quick and fresh update involves using blocks of colour in unusual combinations to create an instant focal point. No need to repaint the entire room, as long as it is one uniform neutral. Just pick something like a fireplace or other focal feature and lavish it with trendy colours.

"You can start with the colour cards that paint companies put together for ideas about combinations," Bergeron said. "Then personalize them from there. The point is to really make the space your own."

There's even been a big shift in what neutral shades we put in our homes, according to interior decorator Joanne Padvaiskas.

"Grey is the new beige," said the owner of Wow Great Place in Pointe Claire. "Fabrics, paint colours, hardwood flooring, you name it."

Other places where this new neutral is appearing include menswear-inspired fabrics on a sofa, icy silver-grey silk Roman shades and drapes, and large-scale floral prints with grey tone-on-tone. Even wallpapers are flaunting shades of grey.

And this shift is a good thing, as it's a neutral that can work beautifully almost anywhere in a home, Padvaiskas said.

"Most people look at me with an odd expression when we suggest grey," she said, "but are thrilled when they see the end result."

Shades of grey are even making their way into the wicker or teak furniture for the patio this summer, said Natalie Jikerjian, a HomeSense spokesperson based in Toronto.

"But a grey colour scheme needs a sister shade, either contrasting or complementary, or it can look dull and institutional," she added.

For 2009, decorators are using fig or shades of purple to pair with any grey tone for a look that's richly elegant.

This spring, however, it's more about adding splashes of brilliant colour, Jikerjian said. After a long, dull winter, Andy Warhol-era pop art-inspired shades are a welcome new trend. Look for vibrant yellows, oranges, and pinks to enter home furnishings.

"Home decor trends follow runway fashion more than ever," she said. "And this look is big on both fronts. Spring is such a vibrant time that adding some of these colours is the quickest way to add new life to a decor."

A second trend, also seen in fashion designers' collections, embraces vibrant shades with an ethnic flavour. Looking to Morocco and India for influence, richer, saturated colours such as burnt orange, turmeric or mustard yellow, turquoise blues and so on predominate this palette.

Whichever trend appeals, vibrant shades can be used sparingly and still give a room a big lift.

There's no need for a big expensive overhaul, either. It could be as simple as changing the towels in the bathroom and the charger plates on your table, or putting some vibrant vases on the mantel and a throw or some new accent pillows on the sofa.

"Have a look around for areas that need a little livening up," Jikerjian suggested. "And let your spring-inspired imagination take flight."

© Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette

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Unlike Ryan Petsche and longtime girlfriend Dominique Quirion who moved from an apartment to their own home in Beaconsfield last July, most people overlook simple and cost-effective changes that can make a big difference like painting and lighting.

“For the longest time we lived in an apartment,” said Petsche, 30. “It’s not yours so you don’t really care about the color because you know it’s temporary, whereas right away we’re repainting to make [the new house] feel like it’s our own.”

Painting and lighting are no-brainers in terms of putting color on the walls, said Joanne Padvaiskas, owner of Wow! Great Place, a decorating and design firm based in Pointe Claire.

“They are the cheapest and most effective ways of changing the look and feel of a place and can create visual interest in the room when the architecture is lacking.”

Choose straight, classic, stainless steel track lights with small, non-descript track heads. They will bounce light around in a space, light up cabinets and countertops, and can be dimmed to create a mood and ambiance if you have people over for dinner, said Padvaiskas.

The benefits of track lighting are that you only need one electrical box to light a whole room and the fixture attaches on the outside of the ceiling, whereas if you wanted to install recessed lighting you would need much more than one electrical box, and the installation would be more complicated.

“You can still have your hand-me-down furniture, but make it look a little bit fresher…by adding overhead or track lighting and taking out fluorescent boxes,” said Padvaiskas.

But whether exploring paint or lighting options, the most important thing to do is to make a game plan.

“One of the biggest pitfalls is jumping in…rushing down to the paint store,” said Carol Southey, president of Carol Southey Homes, a specialist in residential design based downtown. “Maybe you’ve inherited a beautiful Persian rug from your grandmother and you want to use it but the wall color is wrong. Before changing the wall color, ask yourself whether that same wall color will work if you buy a new sofa or a new rug.”

Since decorating a home is “like a domino effect,” finding a great decorator is almost a must for figuring out how to make changes before you’re able to really rip out the kitchen, said Southey.

“A simple preliminary consultation will easily pay for itself because it helps you plan,” said Southey. “That way each step that you take you’ll make the right decisions.”

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Hanging artwork and displaying photos properly is vital to a  successful mini-facelift, says Joanne Padvaiskas, at Wow Great Place  (wowgreatplace.com) in Montreal and Ottawa.

She offers the following advice on successful framing and hanging on a wall.

- Small shots of groups of people should be placed where they can be  seen up close.

- Vital reframing: New frames give new vitality to favourite family  pictures. "We will often frame in identical or similar frames, often  with very large mattes so the picture gets breathing space and the  viewer can focus on the image." Black and white is an option, colour  is fine, be sure that an especially vivid colour doesn't detract from  the rest.

- Placing art: "Photo walls are wonderful, you have to consider where  they should go, and how they will be viewed. Down a hallway is a  common solution, and up a stairwell also works -- it invites the  viewer to take a journey." Make sure the journey doesn't lead to  private places.

- Too high: "I advise people to hang a piece of art by measuring 150  centimetres from the floor to the dead centre of the picture. And if  in doubt, hang lower."

- Positioning: When hanging art over a sofa, measure two fists up from  the top of the sofa to the bottom of the frame -- sometimes less,  depending on the height of the sofa and the size of the picture. Above  a mantel, measure two to three fingers to the bottom of the frame.

- Proportion is important: A picture too big for the available wall  space looks crowded, and one that's too small looks lost.

"Big walls don't have to be filled with big art," she says. "I often  use a grouping or a collection, and hang the series very close  together, say five to seven centimetres, so that the effect of the  grouping creates the same effect as having one very large piece of art  on the wall."

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

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If you're not ready for a full-scale renovation, a mini facelift can  make your home feel fresh again.

With a modest investment in improvements, such as paint, lighting,  linens, cushions and slipcovers, you'll see your home and existing  furniture through new eyes. Simply re-arranging the pieces, and  perhaps eliminating one or two pieces can also re-energize a tired room.

Designers say paint is the easiest and most cost-effective way to  transform a space.

"Paint the walls, or one wall, or a key piece of a wall, or a  fireplace mantel, or just the bulkheads -- you get the idea," says  designer Joanne Padvaiskas, founder of Wow Great Place, with offices  in Ottawa and Montreal (wowgreatplace.com).

"When you change your wall colour, the relationship of the existing  pieces of furniture changes completely," she says. And subtle hues in  fabric and artwork may become more visible as they play against a new  colour.

Lighting can also transform a space, says Padvaiskas. "Even changing  the bulbs can change how the room feels. Put as much as you can on  dimmers -- put a dimmer in the bathroom for your next long soak in the  tub. Think about where you need and want light." If light fixtures or lamps and lampshades feel dated, shop for new  ones at the nearest big box store -- there are some real bargains out  there.

Next, consider how your furniture is arranged. "I've done lots and  lots of spaces where we simply spent an hour or two rearranging the  furniture. It amazes people how different the room will look and feel." She may pull a sofa away from the walls, or create groupings of  furniture in a larger room, but she never neglects traffic patterns 
and the way her clients use the space. If you're acting as your own  designer, remember to make yourself at home: it's your place, not a  furniture showroom.

Sometimes an unloved piece of furniture can blossom in another room.  Chairs are the most versatile. They can live almost anywhere in the  home, says Ms. Padvaiskas.

Chests of drawers are also good travellers. "They can act as a console  or a dining room buffet. And I almost always remove the mirror on a  bedroom dresser, and either hang it above the dresser on the wall, or  use it in a different room. Just because the pieces were bought as a  set doesn't mean they always have to live in the same room.  Matchy-matchy can be bland."

"Often, we will hang people's artwork for them after they have had  their house painted. I ask them to keep everything off the walls, and  not tell me where anything went before. Unless a piece is particularly  meaningful, and needs a place of honour. I often put the artwork in  places the homeowner never considered. They feel like they get a whole  new appreciation for their collection -- whether that collection is  gallery quality, or the framed prints most of us have."

New linens in a bedroom, and fresh towels in the bathroom are, of  course, instant improvements.

Last, but not least, don't forget to pay attention to your foyer and  front door. The foyer should be welcoming but also practical, with a  place to drop keys and mail and slip off outdoor footgear.

As for the front door, "It gives the world an idea of who lives  inside. It is the face of the house," Ms. Padvaiskas says. The colour  has to work with the facade of the house, of course, but it's an  opportunity for bold colour: "Classic black, fire engine red, warm  yellow, navy or royal blue, even deep eggplant, all make gorgeous  front door colours."

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

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If you're not ready for a full-scale renovation, a mini-facelift can  make your home feel fresh and new again.

With a modest investment in improvements like paint, lighting, linens,  cushions and slipcovers, you'll see your home and existing furniture  through new eyes. Simply re-arranging the ieces, and perhaps  eliminating one or two, can also re-energize a tired room.

Designers say paint is the easiest and most cost-effective way to  transform a space.

"Paint the walls, or one wall, or a key piece of a wall, or a  fireplace mantel, or just the bulkheads - you get the idea," said  designer Joanne Padvaiskas, founder of Wow Great Place, with offices  in Montreal and Ottawa (wowgreatplace.com).

"When you change your wall colour, the relationship of the existing  pieces of furniture changes completely," she said.

And subtle hues in fabric and artwork might become more visible as  they play against the new wall colour.

Lighting, too, can transform a space, Padvaiskas said.

"Even changing the bulbs can change how the room feels. Put as much as  you can on dimmers. Put a dimmer in the bathroom for your next long  soak in the tub. Think about where you need and want light."

If light fixtures or lamps and lampshades feel dated, shop for new  ones at the nearest big box store. There are some real bargains out  there.

A note of caution: compact fluorescent bulbs use less power, but there  are a couple of points to bear in mind:

> Most CFL bulbs won't work with a dimmer, so you'll have to shop  around if you need dimmable CFLs.

> CFL bulbs aren't as standardized as ordinary light bulbs. The colour  of the light varies from one brand to another, and a few off-brands  are nasty. Choose your paint in the lighting conditions you'll be  living in.

Next, consider how your furniture is arranged.

"I've done lots and lots of spaces where we simply spent an hour or  two rearranging the furniture. It amazes people how different the room  will look and feel," Padvaiskas said.

She may pull a sofa away from the walls, or create groupings of  furniture in a larger room, but she never neglects traffic patterns  and the way her clients use the space.

If you're acting as your own designer, remember to make yourself at  home: it's your place, not a furniture showroom.

Sometimes an unloved piece of furniture can blossom in another room.

Chairs are the most versatile. They can live almost anywhere in the home. Chests of drawers are good travellers, too.

"They can act as a console or a dining room buffet. And I almost  always remove the mirror on a bedroom dresser, and either hang it  above the dresser on the wall, or use it in a different room. Just  because the pieces were bought as a set doesn't mean they always have  to live in the same room," she said.

"Often, we will hang people's artwork for them after they have had  their house painted. I ask them to keep everything off the walls, and  not tell me where anything went before. Unless a piece is particularly  meaningful, and needs a place of honour, I often put the artwork in  places the homeowner never considered. They feel like they get a whole  new appreciation for their collection - whether that collection is  gallery quality or the framed prints most of us have," Padvaiskas said.

New linens in a bedroom, and fresh towels in the bathroom are, of  course, instant improvements.

Mirrors can bounce light into dark corners, and create a feeling of  long views and larger spaces, but be careful.

"People use mirrors way too often, without considering what will be  reflected: a gorgeous garden is one thing, but a cluttered kitchen is  another."

Mirrors should be used with special care in a dining room, Padvaiskas said.

"Many diners aren't crazy about watching themselves eat."

However, mirrors should always be part of a front entry, she said, "so  you can check your teeth for spinach before you walk out the door."

A big, tired sofa can drag down a whole room, but simple upgrades are  often enough. New, beautiful throw pillows can help.

If you're thinking about slipcovering a worn sofa, it will be better  in the long run to invest in custom-made covers. Ready-made slipcovers  are temptingly affordable, but if your sofa gets a lot of use, cheap  covers will soon look like an unmade bed.

De-cluttering, which is part of most mini-facelifts, is a chance to  recover your treasures from your accumulated odds and ends.

"Less is always more. I usually remove everything from a mantel or a  bookcase, so it is completely bare, and then add back," Padvaiskas said.

In a bookcase, treat each shelf individually, then look at the whole,  to get the right balance of vertical and horizontal.

"I usually put some books on their side, some vertically, add small  pictures or small potted plants, but it should be carefully thought  out," she said.

Snapping a picture of the arrangement may help you see it more clearly.

Last, but not least, don't forget to pay attention to your foyer and  front door. The foyer should be welcoming but also practical, with a  place to drop keys and mail and slip off outdoor footgear.

© The Gazette (Montreal) 2008

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Why waste a warm day indoors, working in the office, if you don't have to? If you work at home - or can convince your boss to let you telecommute at least some of the time - why not create an outdoor space that meets all your working needs.

Creating such a space can be pretty straightforward, said interior designer Joanne Padvaiskas, owner of Wow Great Place in Pointe Claire. "To set up an office, all you need is a table surface for your laptop, a comfortable chair, and a great view."

In instances where the view isn't so great, "gazebos with full walls of drapery can surround the work space, block an unsightly view of a garage, and protect from the sun's rays," Padvaiskas said.

When it comes to outdoor office furniture, consider synthetic wicker. It looks like the real thing, but is tough and weather-resistant. Urban Patio in T.M.R. offers synthetic wicker tables with glass tops, supplemented by a comfortable chair. "We also have outdoor lamps that you can plug in," said marketing and sales director Kassandra Lazanis. Urban Patio even has outdoor carpets to lay on the patio, to complete the look of a true office.

Caution: Be sure to use outdoor extension cords with surge protection for your outdoor electrical equipment, plugged into shock-deterrent GFCI plugs. If you can't find a surge-protected cord, use a surge-protected power bar plugged into the outdoor extension cord, and plug your devices into the power bar.

Once the space has been created, it is time to equip your outside office. Of course, you'll need a computer. A portable laptop model is your best choice, both for taking indoors during inclement weather or on the road when you need to.

As for connecting your laptop to the Web? No worries: "The advent of wireless Internet allows you to work from every corner of the property, not just indoors," Padvaiskas said.
Okay, so you have your laptop and your Internet connection at your outside desktop. You'll need to be able to print documents, make photocopies and receive faxes as well. Yes, you can take some printers outdoors, but they tend to be sensitive to moisture. Play it safe; keep them indoors, albeit nearby, and connect to them via your wireless network.
Telephones! You need a cordless telephone to work outdoors. What makes most sense is to pick up a cordless phone that comes with multiple handsets. You can plug in the base in your indoor office, then use the second handset outdoors, charging it at night when it is not in use.

What about filing? It stands to reason that you'll need to bring some files outside. Play it safe and store them in a plastic waterproof filing box, like the Rubbermaid Roughneck file box sold by Bureau en Gros. It's waterproof, tough and holds both legal and letter-sized hanging files.

Set up some bug-repellers (a device like the Mosquito Magnet, perhaps) and you're good to go. A shaded, rain-protecting gazebo (or a covered deck or balcony), a table and comfortable chair, telephone, computer, wireless Internet and ready access to printer/fax/copier and files. All you need now is a reclining lounge chair, so you can take the occasional bit of shut-eye and not be overworked.

© The Gazette (Montreal) 2008

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You bought your first home, a bungalow in Kirkland, one year ago. You and your husband spent most of that time decorating, transforming the once-beige interior into something more contemporary with gleaming wood and a cool grey colour scheme throughout. Now it's time to enjoy a little well-earned downtime on the back patio, overlooking your spacious backyard and pool.

But if you're like public relations account manager Carrie Sanders, who works for a downtown firm and just lived this scenario, it's hard to relax. For the days are long gone when all it took was a table and chairs plus a barbecue to get ready for the outdoor living season.

If the home-decor magazines and television shows are to be believed, we all should be busy creating lavish new "outdoor living environments."

"I had thought that living in Quebec, with about 14 weeks of summer, I should be putting most of my decorating efforts indoors," said Sanders, who admits to feeling the pressure to get it right for the outdoor living spaces as well. "All of which will take more planning than I anticipated, since it also involves landscaping. It's a little overwhelming and exciting at the same time."
For the time being, Sanders and her husband are making do with the patio furniture from last year plus some lamps and torches for atmosphere. They're weighing such options as a partial or complete re-landscaping and extending their two-level deck that overlooks the pool.

"But we will definitely create a flow between the look we created inside to our outdoor space," she said. "Which will most likely involve making the deck more contemporary, less rustic. So eventually it will be like another living room."

Sanders is not alone in feeling the need to get that outdoor living space just right. Sean Fox, who manages the outdoor living department at the Home Depot store in Laval, sees this as a trend that is consumer-driven.

"Outdoor living rooms became a trend because people are asking for them," he said, "which has certainly been our experience at the store."

In fact, sales in each outdoor product category, from barbecues to patio furniture to fireplaces and outdoor heaters, are up by as much as 70 per cent over last year for the retailer. Customers are not only buying more of these products, they're also taking home those with higher price tags.

With the season just beginning, Fox's store is almost sold out of deluxe patio sets priced at more than $1,000, even though there are several good-looking and serviceable sets for under $400. Consumers are looking for such niceties as ceramic inlaid tabletops and comfy upholstered seating.

When it comes to barbecues, in 2007 the most popular versions sold for between $200 and $300 at the Laval Home Depot store. Fox is now running low on sets priced between $500 and $800.

"People are upgrading to higher quality items for the patio than in previous years," he said. "I think it's because our long winters make any time you can spend in the backyard more precious. And with the new outdoor heaters and such, it's possible to spend more time outdoors - up to six months of the year."

It also could be because more manufacturers have started providing products homeowners can get excited about, said Martin Bureau, Pier 1 regional manager for eastern Quebec.
"Advances in technology have produced furniture and accessory materials that are both mildew- and water-resistant," he said, "which means you can now have outdoor couches and chairs that resemble those you have indoors, yet can stay outside in all kinds of weather."

For instance, Pier 1 and other retailers now have cushions in fabrics with the abovementioned high-tech qualities and that also resist fading in the sun. Buying a new set of cushions is a quick way to spiff up the old patio set without blowing a bundle. They're also lower maintenance, since you don't have to rush out to pull them in every time it rains.
The new materials revolution applies to furniture from high-end to low. New patio furniture might have a traditional frame of wrought iron, teak, or wicker, yet be able to stand up to the elements.

And new materials such as synthetic wicker are very durable, Bureau said. "You almost have to touch to tell the difference between it and the real thing. So you can have classic outdoor looks without the old-fashioned high maintenance."

The good news is that you can get the advantages of these high-performance materials with a lot of style, said Pointe Claire interior decorator Joanne Padvaiskas, owner of Wow Great Place. "It's unbelievable what you can buy for outdoors now," she said. "There's so much gorgeous stuff - much of which is very affordable."

Still, many people feel the pressure when it comes to decorating their outdoor spaces.

Just this month, said Padvaiskas, two clients with newly constructed homes told her they did not consider the decorating job complete until the outside living areas were done, and that these took higher priority than the lawn and gardens. She has fielded calls from others as well, panicked about what it will take to upgrade their backyards.

Padvaiskas said there's a way to make your outdoor decor project a stressless one, but like all home improvements, it will take planning.

Go at it in stages. A modest way to begin is to upgrade your patio set with perhaps a new loveseat, coffee table and some chairs. Then let the rest of your living area develop over time. Maybe you really don't need to install an outdoor kitchen this year.

"In the end, you're creating room to live outside," Padvaiskas said. "Think comfort and a place to hang out with your friends."

© The Gazette (Montreal) 2008

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As daunting as the challenge of filling those large areas of a home or apartment can be, the art of making the most out of smaller spaces can be even more of an enterprise.

A small space can be anything from the nooks and crannies of an older building, the limited space of a studio apartment or that three-room bungalow.

There are, fortunately, as many small space options and accessories as there are nooks, crannies and closets. For anyone with a little imagination and a sense of order, there is a myriad of possibilities for the aspiring home decorator in all of us.

Toronto decorator Karl Lohnes has made a career out of the industry of small spaces. As host of HGTV's This Small Space for seven years (with over 200 shows in the vault, it is now in reruns in both the U.S. and Canada), Lohnes is well qualified to serve up some small-space advice.

"One thing I have learned is that most people feel that they never have enough space. However, no matter what kind of home you own, there's probably a small space that people are not sure what to do with," said Lohnes, who is now style editor for Style at Home magazine.

Spaces like vacated children's rooms, kitchens in older homes, dining rooms and front foyers can all be targets for a new look, according to Lohnes. The front foyer, for example, often affords a home's first impression.

"Foyers tend to be busy places with all sorts of stuff hanging and on the floor," he said. "Get rid of the stuff that is not seasonal, throw in a bench seat, (preferably with storage capacity), lay down a boot tray, install a mirror to open it up and a nice, neat and new space is created."

Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, a New York designer and author of the best-selling book Apartment Therapy, knows that purging all that stuff collected over the years is one of biggest hurdles toward making space.

"We're attracted to our stuff," he said from the modest West Village apartment he shares with his wife and daughter.

"In tribal times, our stuff was more for survival. Now that we don't make our stuff anymore, there's a glut of it around at cheap prices."

Get rid of the clutter, suggests Gillingham-Ryan, and you won't be embarrassed to have people over to entertain.

"Homes and apartments have become places where we don't spend enough time," he added. "Cleaning, organizing and arranging your space is essential. Use light colours that open a place up. In a studio apartment, paint the ceiling white, then make the walls an off-white to open the room up."

The Hovsepian family - Alexis, Melissa, Joshua and mother Ruth - proved that small space can bring a family closer together. All three children survived sharing one bedroom in their Mile End apartment on Park Ave. until their mother decided it was time for a change, bought a 100-year-old, 1,100-square-foot apartment just two doors down, and brought in WOW interior designers Leslie Ornstein and Joanne Padvaiskas to spruce the place up.

The long rectangle of an apartment endured some major renovations and now has the feel of a much larger, modern space, with warm colours, a bared brick wall, hardwood floors, and ingenious use of some limited storage areas.

The whole family unknowingly followed Gillingham-Ryan's advice, and purged themselves of a good number of mostly unused and outgrown stuff before moving into their new digs.

"I figure we all got rid of about two-thirds of our stuff," Ruth Hovsepian said. "We didn't want to clutter the place up. We just brought essential and precious stuff with us in the move."

Ornstein and Padvaiskas outfitted the three small bedrooms with limited closet space into workable manageable living areas with plenty of room to move while accommodating just the right amount of stuff.

The master bedroom has a built-in chest of drawers flanked by two closets, enough for Hovsepian's clothes and shoes. A room for the two girls is divided using back-to-back chests of drawers, giving it a two-rooms-in-one effect. The captain's bed in Joshua's room, with drawers underneath the mattress, allows him some added storage. Ornstein and Padvaiskas also incorporated a number of cubbyholes into the design - ideal storage spaces that take up little space.

"This is a real family unit," Padvaiskas said. "They can be together, but yet not encroach on each other."

© The Gazette (Montreal) 2007

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Congratulations—you’ve finally moved into the home of your dreams. It cost you, but it was worth every penny. All that’s left to do now is decorate the interior, just the way you want it. So you check the savings account and...ouch. Remember when we said the home cost you?

But don’t lose hope, even if your decorating budget is smaller than you’d like it to be. Making your home look great is still within your grasp.

Sherri Macki, founder of Chika Design, stresses sticking with one decorating theme for your entire home. Be it traditional, casual, or anything else, committing to one style now can help avoid costly mistakes down the road.

A good starting point is to pick one room (whichever one you spend the most time in, likely the family room) and focus on that. Don’t skimp on a key piece of furniture, such as a sofa, because it will set the tone for the rest of the room. If you can’t afford a new sofa right now, stick with an older or used piece and give it a slipcover treatment until you can upgrade. Then dress the rest of the room with inexpensive accessories (throw pillows, end tables, lamps, rugs, etc.) from any home decorating or local consignment store.

Windows will need something on them right away. You can find simple wood blinds or even temporary paper ones for little cost that will provide you with privacy and style until you can afford to go all out.

Don’t underestimate the impact that colour and lighting can have on your new home, either. Joanne Padvaiskas, principal designer for Wow! Great Place Interior Design Consultants, mentions that a well-thought-out colour scheme can add striking personality to even a relatively empty room.

Ultimately, a dream home won’t live up to its name if the interior doesn’t match your decorating ambitions. Taking the time to plan for the development of your home is crucial.

“Spend the money to develop the plans with the professionals,” suggests CPI Interiors founder Catherine Pulcine, “because over the long term it will be most beneficial to the outcome.”

Try not to make your plans more than five years in length, she also warns, or your dream may turn into a nightmare. Consult with your bank or mortgage broker on how to make your plans financially viable.

Decorating Resources:

• Chika Design
http://www.chikadesign.ca/

• CPI Interiors
http://www.cpiinteriors.ca/

• Wow! Great Place Interior Design Consultants
http://www.wowgreatplace.com/


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Okay, so you've succeeded in decorating your perfect room. Every single colour is co-ordinated; every single piece of furniture and art is of the same genre and style.

So why does this carefully-styled space feel more like a store display than a living area? Answer: It's too perfect! To be comfortable and inviting, a perfect room needs a touch of, well, imperfection.

"Adding a quirky touch to a room makes it more human, more accessible, less like a museum space," said Joanne Padvaiskas, owner of Wow! Great Place, a Montreal firm of interior designers.

"Some would call it tension - the idea of adding something that seems out of place but, in reality, works beautifully."

Such out-of-the-ordinary elements could include "kids'artwork, framed gallery-style in the living room, fully prominent," she said, "or an ornate, antique chandelier in an uber-modern dining room."

Or maybe "an animal print rug in a parlour full of antiques," Padvaiskas continued. "A wooden eight-foot-tall giraffe in the front entry. Or a five-foot-long by two-foot-tall wall sculpture of tiny mirrors mounted as artwork in a hallway, giving glimpses of all the surrounding spaces without being a big, boring mirror reflecting the opposite wall. Or even a huge, framed floor-to-ceiling mirror leaning in a tiny powder room.

"Adding the off-beat something to a space is what can let the homeowner's personality shine through."

This said, just throwing any old piece into an otherwise stylistically co-ordinated space can be disastrous. A full-sized purple plush Barney the Dinosaur, for example, will not work well in a Louis Quinze living room - no matter how artfully you place it. This is why deliberately standout, unique pieces need to be selected with care.

Sometimes the best standout is something that commands the room, such as the Spacearium - a suspended aquarium for fish. Built out of heavy-duty acrylic, the Spacearium appears to float in the room, thanks to its ceiling-mounted support cables. There are no seams or corners to block the view; fish inside the Spacearium can been seen from any angle, and appear to be floating in air.

And the aquarium hardware? "The filter unit is located nearby, in a closet or cabinet," said Lionel Dimitri, vice-president of Montreal-based-Aquarium ASP, which designs, makes, and sells the Spacearium. "There are just a few thin hoses that go to and from the aquarium to the filters, which are attached to the suspension cables."

The Spacearium, a foot wide at its centre, is available in lengths of five, six and eight feet. Complete systems start at $5,900.

If a Spacearium is beyond your budget, no problem: There are plenty of unique items available at stores such as Cite Deco Meubles, a vintage furniture store at 1761 Amherst St. (www.citedecomeubles.com).

"Rare and beautiful pieces can really complete a room," said store owner Martine Verroeulst. "For instance, we have a wonderful big ceiling fixture from 1958 that is really one of a kind."

Other items that would make a statement in any room include: a 1958 Philco Predicta - the iconic TV with the picture tube mounted all by itself on top of a red-and-white metal case; a 1936 chair with semicircular arms; or a 1960s solid teak room screen.

If there is a rule to follow, it is that unique pieces should not overwhelm a room. But this doesn't mean you should restrict yourself to just one unique piece, Verroeulst said.

"It is possible to mix a few vintage pieces into a stylistically uniform room - just as long as they don't visually crowd each other."

© The Gazette (Montreal) 2007

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Trends are hard to pin down, but our experts name their top two heading into '07
SUSAN KELLY, The Gazette
Published: Thursday, October 26, 2006

Debbie Travis, TV host and creator of the Debbie Travis paint and accessory collections - "Ultra bright, intense colours as accents, or punch colours, are huge.

"In the U.K. now, you can buy refrigerators and other appliances in 40 colours - or patterns such as polka dots."

Most people won't be ready for this all-out colour orgy, but may wish to buy small appliances such as a blender or toaster in a vibrant shade.

And, slated to be here in a few years: portable decor.

"In Europe, when you buy a condo, the kitchen is stripped bare," Travis said.

"You can now buy slotted flooring that clicks into place. Eventually you will take that with you, along with modular kitchen cabinetry, counters and appliances to put into your new place. That is a huge trend overseas, and it will come here eventually, I feel."

Stan Leibner, co-owner of The Linen Chest - "The boutique hotel look is definitely in."

This means clean, minimalist lines throughout the house. For the bedroom, gone are pouffy comforters and quilts of past years, making room for more Spartan platform beds.

"And if you're thinking of updating your colour scheme, it's about white and light neutrals, with aqua, lime, orange and brown to accent this sophisticated look," Leibner said.

"The entertaining-at-home trend will continue to grow," Leibner continued. "With big open kitchens, multi-function furniture and appliances are in. People must be ready to make quick transitions from family dining to entertaining.

"Even simple items like drinking glasses will multi-task. For instance, they may serve juice in the morning, a smoothie in the afternoon, and a cocktail in the evening."

Joanne Padvaiskas, interior decorator, owner of Wow Great Place - "People are starved for bright colours and fed up with neutral ones. Clients seem to want more cheerful colours, and are ready to use them in bold and personal ways. They're asking for plum, teal or vibrant shades of blue, or deep chocolate as opposed to butterscotch and shades of beige.

"Decor, in general, is becoming more casual and relaxed," she said.

"It's much more about spaces for living than those that just look good on special occasions.

"People have more confidence in their own choices these days. They're very conscious that having a space they're happy to live in is more important than following any trend."

© The Gazette (Montreal) 2006

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TWIN SISTERS Jessica and Kylie McPhail are growing up, and their living spaces are growing with them. The 12 year-olds are packing up the loft they share in their Chapman Mills home and moving into a newly-renovated basement.

The refurbished basement stairwell allows a surprising amount of natural light to shine below, creating what their mother Lisa describes as "an underground loft." There's also space - alot of it. Enough, in fact, to house a play area (with room for Jessica's drum kit), a homework zone and even a private bathroom.

More importantly, the vast basement allows each girl to have her own bedroom.

With some help from their parents and a design consultant, the girls started from scratch and ended up with a unique space that reflects their personalities.

"My new room is bigger than my old one," says Jessica."The old one was just all plain white. This one is surprising and unexpected."

They learned something about designing and now they're happy with their rooms because they drove the project.

Jessica's new room is dark grey with orange closets. Lisa admits that initially she was a little alarmed by her daughter's choices in colour.

"Jessica had a strong vision from the beginning," she says. "She likes diamond plate - you know, like you see on truck boxes. It's all metal and fire, so dramatic and intense."

Kylie, on the other hand, chose the exact opposite. Her room is swept in a soothing, mossy green with a decidedly organic feel enhanced by bamboo poles and World Wildlife Fund posters.

"It's like a spa," says Lisa. "You could do yoga in there."

The girls enjoyed working from scratch to create their own rooms. "It was fun, and it's not over," says Kylie. "Right now, I have a desk in there, but not much else."

The family moved into their Barrhaven home three years ago.

"My husband bagan imagining life with three women, and realized it would be best to give us all our own bathroom," says Lisa. "For the girls it's important to have privacy and assert their own identities, especially as twins. It's a whole new world for them."

Even if you don't have twins, it's important to listen to your children when it comes to decorating the room where they have to live, according to Joanne Padvaiskas.

Joanne, the owner of "Wow! Great Place," helped Jessica and Kylie design their space. She also helped alleviate Lisa's fears over some of Jessica's more outrageous colour choices.

Joanne believes that a room should be designed to grow with a child, as it will likely be redecorated several times during his or her years at home.

"Unless it'll make the parents cringe, like little Sally wanting to paint her room pitch black, I let the child decide," she says. "There are no rules."

Joanne says a child's room is an ideal place to be quirky and experiment with unexpected designs. Paint only one closet door, or stick a bright colour that may seem too much for you on the back of the door.

"No one expects taupe in a child's room," adds Joanne.

Tazim Lal agrees that a child's room should be easily changeable. Wallpaper becomes outdated a lot faster than paint, says the interior designer.

"For one little girl, instead of finding wallpaper, I asked if we could just paint some grass on her wall," says Tazim. "She liked ladybugs, so we stenciled some on over the grass. As the child grows older, the grass can remain as an accent colour, but the ladybugs can be removed."

Decorative stencils and stamps with a designated theme can be applied to all design elements including window coverings, wall coverings, floor coverings, and furnishings. But don't overdo it. Both Joanne and Tazim stress that overkill is just plain tacky.

"When you do theme decorating, it can take over," explains Joanne. "It can make a room look a little bit too kitschy, especially in a nursery."

For infants, designers suggest focusing on the layout of the room, and choosing paint colours that aren't too extreme.

Deborah Gervais finished decorating a room for her eight-month old son just before his arrival last spring.

"You obviously don't know the child's personality when planning for an infant's room," says the interior designer. " You may not even know the gender of your child, so concentrate on the make-up of the room. Look at things like sunlight sources, and how close the room is to your own."

Deborah chose to paint her son's room in primary colours, which are not overly stimulating, such as bright orange, or overly calming, like pastels.

The space is completed by a white fan over the crib. Its blades are painted yellow, making it look like a large spinning flower. Deborah adds that these small touches are stimulating to the child. She says that there are a lot of lamps and light fixture choices at Canadian Tire, Zellers or Ikea. She adds that murals, wall hangings or mobiles are great additions, too. On a safety note, floors should be soft but resilient.

Meanwhile, the twins Jessica and Kylie should be settled into their respective rooms by the end of the month. They're not sure which last-minute elements they want to add to their separate spaces. They may not be totally alone down in the basement, though. It seems Beau, their purebred Coton, has developed an affinity for the new space, too.

"We joke about the dog getting his own room, too," says Lisa. "There's a little space for him to curl up under the stairs. We were going to use it for storage, but he can have it."

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The designers from Gerhard Linse Design & Building Consultants
wanted an activity room that would encourage conversation, activity,
and interaction. "Most people would throw a TV in there," says senior
designer Joanne Padvaiskas. But since there was already a television
in the nearby living room, the team decided not to include any "idiot
devices." A stationary bike is tucked into a closet, but the foosball
table gets the best response. It seems the Bruce House residents are
always up for a game. "We wanted a couple of pieces of exercise equipment
in there, but after doing some research, we discovered it wasn't what the
residents spent alot of their time doing," Linse says. "We developed the
space around the foosball table and the corner table." Players on deck
gather at the corner banquette to chet. "It's a place for games - and
ideas," Linse says.

Design: Gerhard Linse Design & Building Consultants
Ceiling lights: Marchand Electric
Corner cushions: Design by Linse, fabrics from Maxwell Fabrics, Kravet Fabrics. Sewed by Tammy Roger
Floor: Centura Floor and Wall Fashions
Games table: Private purchase by Linse
Plants: LUX Decor, Montreal
Seating table: Made from a salvaged steel cast diner table base
Shutters: Westboro Flooring & Decor
Wall Art: Pointe-Claire Nursery, Montreal
Wall letters: LUX Decor, Montreal
Wainscotting and ceiling details: GSM Construction and Oak Ridge COnstruction

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"Wow! Great Place" was one of the lucky firms involved, working in collaboration with award-winning designer Gerhard Linse. Together, Gerhard and Joanne tackled the front entry, pantry, and activity room, giving the residents of Bruce House a warm welcome home, and a place to relax and socialize. You can view these spaces in our Portfolio under the section "Front Entry/Halls," as well as in the "Rec Rooms/RV's" section. You can read all about this wonderful project in the February 2006 issue of Ottawa's "Interiors" magazine.




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The power of a mother's prayers:
Renee Stocks was minutes away from death when she was rushed to CHEO in April. Since then, many people have come together to help the little girl and her family, a situation for which her parents, Brenda and Andrew Stocks, are truly grateful. Maria Cook reports.

Article by: The Ottawa Citizen, Saturday, July 10, 2004
Page: E3, Section: City, Byline: Maria Cook, Column: Life in the City
Source: The Ottawa Citizen

A kind word is never lost
It keeps going on
From one person to another
Until it comes back to you again.
(Stencilled on a wall in Renee's room.)

Nine-month-old Renee Stocks looked curiously at her bedroom yesterday. It had been painted and decorated just three days ago in a spontaneous act of kindness by new friends and strangers.

"How do you say thank you to people like that?" said her mother, Brenda Stocks. "It leaves you speechless. It makes you believe in humanity."

Renee's room for the past 10 weeks has been in the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, mostly in the intensive care unit. That's how sick she was.

Yesterday, she came home to Manotick for a four-hour visit. With luck, she will be discharged from hospital in 10 to 14 days.

"All mommy can think of is that prayers work," Mrs. Stock said as she watched the little girl kicking in her crib. "To see her come back almost from the dead is phenomenal."

Ottawa interior decorator Joanne Padvaiskas is one of the people behind the transformation of Renee's room from beige into a cheerful place to recuperate with colours such as pink, green, yellow and purple.

"It really is Pay It Forward," said Ms. Padvaiskas, referring to the Hollywood movie, in which a boy thinks up a simple idea to change the world: Do three big favours for three people, and ask them to pass it on.

"It's about doing something from the heart."

It all started in April when Mrs. Stocks hired Ms. Padvaiskas, owner of Wow! Great Place. They discovered they share a birthday -- both turn 39 on Monday.

"I felt a huge connection with Brenda when we first met," said Ms. Padvaiskas. "It's not something that happens every day."

But decorating was soon put on hold. At 4 a.m. on April 30, Renee was taken to the CHEO emergency department with what seemed to be a chest cold. She deteriorated quickly.

Her liver was enlarged. She had secretions in her lungs. Her muscles were profoundly weak. Then she had a seizure.

"She was minutes away from death," recalled Mrs. Stocks. "Her body completely failed."

Until then, she had been a healthy child. Tests showed that her liver was not working properly. Fat was being stored in her muscles.

"She looked absolutely terrible," said Mrs. Stocks. "She was swollen from head to foot. We still to this day do not know what is causing this."

There were tubes in her nose, her tummy and her neck to help her breathe, eat, and supply blood for tests. She would undergo more than 100 tests.

Through it all, Renee smiled. "She couldn't lift a finger but you'd say her name and she would smile," said Mrs. Stocks. "She's just a joy."

The worried mother spent up to 16 hours a day at the hospital, while her husband, Andrew Stocks, an Ottawa paramedic, looked after their six-year-old son, Zachary.

Before biopsy surgery, Renee was baptized in hospital and Mrs. Stocks gave her a bath in water strewn with pink rose petals. She sent e-mail updates and photos to friends and family, including Ms. Padvaiskas.

While watching the CHEO telethon last month, Ms. Padvaiskas donated money paid for curtains for Renee's room. Then she had an idea. "Let's do her room."

She e-mailed Austin Toms and Jennifer Carr, the husband-wife team who operate Carr Toms and Associates Decorative Painters in Ottawa. "We were very excited," said Mr. Toms, who agreed to donate paint and labour.

"I just lost my father and grandmother," added Ms. Carr. "It felt like a nice thing to do."

By coincidence, the couple discovered they were married by the same minister as the Stocks.

Next, Ms. Padvaiskas visited retailers she deals with -- Linens & Things, EQ3 and C&M Textiles, all on Merivale Road, and Winners in Barrhaven. She showed them pictures of Renee with her strawberry blond hair and long eyelashes. "People immediately did whatever they could."

They donated items for Renee's room, including a charming set of Sophie Harding prints, a green cushion, pink fabric and beading for pillows, a purple sparkly princess sign, hat boxes decorated with pixie characters and a purple lamp.

Surefit Canada couriered slipcovers from Ajax, Ont. Maria Bakin, a seamstress whose son had been in CHEO years ago, sewed pillows on short notice.

"It's serendipity," said Ms. Padvaiskas. "All these people coming together. All these connections."

On Wednesday, Mrs. Stocks came home from the hospital at 1.am. At 9 a.m., Ms. Padvaiskas, Mr. Toms and Ms. Carr turned up with a surprise. "We're here to do Renee's room."

"Everything looks so beautiful," said Mrs. Stocks. "It's very warm and vibrant. It just brings the room to life."

Two weeks ago, Renee took a significant step toward recovery by breathing without a ventilator. The family is awaiting the results of genetic tests at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina.

"Renee was a conundrum to all of us," said Dr. David Creery, medical director of CHEO's intensive care unit. "I'm delighted she's done well. I can't say it's because of anything we did apart from supporting her through this."

She will likely require further treatment, and she still has a feeding tube in her stomach, and a line into a vein near her heart.

"She's coming along really well," said Mrs. Stocks. "She does physiotherapy and occupational therapy every day. She's got her strength back. She's a very happy little girl."

The family has donated a number of items to the hospital's intensive care unit, including a TV, two DVD players, a fridge, a microwave oven, a radio and three rockers.

"You don't realize how much CHEO is worth to the community until you need them," said Mr. Stocks.

"We were wondering what we could do for them."
Photo: Kier Gilmour, The Ottawa Citizen

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What Can a Decorator Do For Me?
Nepean This Week • Friday September 12, 2003 • Home & Decor

Ever wonder how some people can be so extravagant as to hire a decorator to help them with their homes? But then, would you consider it extravagant to hire an accountant for your taxes, a dentist for your root canal or a notary for your will?

Well, countless people use decorators and designers to help them with their homes because these people have expert opinions, a trained eye, and they can help you avoid costly mistakes. It sounds simple enough to say: "Hey, choose the wrong paint colour, just paint again," but if you've done it yourself (and you're not a professional painter), you know that painting is not an enjoyable experience. And, you still have to factor in the cost of more paint PLUS the value of your time to redo the job. Another weekend shot.

If only you had called a decorator, you would have been counseled on your decision, and perhaps been offered a more appropriate shade of pumpkin than the bright orange you so desired for the guest bedroom, but alas, you saw no need for such an extravagance.

Most people's first experience with a decorator involves paint colour. You have a shade in mind for a room; your spouse has an entirely different opinion. You can't agree, so you wisely call in a decorator to mediate. The decorator arrives, armed with designer kits of paint colours, and within an hour of the decorator's time, your marriage is saved and the room looks great.

Maybe you've chosen a palette of colours for your entire home, but you aren't sure if the colours will work together. A couple of hours with a decorator will help solidify your decisions, or help you avoid a bad one.

Even if you have no preference in mind about colour, you just know it's time for a change, call a decorator and see how they envision your space. You may be offered suggestions you hadn't thought of, and be pleasantly surprised by the result.

Here are just a few examples of when people use decorators:
• You want new window treatments, but aren't sure what would look best in the room. Drapes? Shutters? Blinds? Valance? Roman shade? Nothing? The choices can be overwhelming. A decorator can guide you and offer reliable sources.

• Your sofa has seen better days, but do you need to buy new, or could you reupholster the old or maybe have a slipcover made? And in which of the thousands of fabrics on the market?

• You want to rearrange your furniture, maybe add a few pieces and remove some others. A decorator will help optimize your space by considering traffic flow through the room and how you use the space.

• You've just moved into your new home, and could use some help placing artwork and arranging the furniture and lighting. Hire a decorator for a day to help!

• Planning to move to a smaller place, and you know your belongings will NEVER fit? Get a decorator to help you plan what to take and what to toss BEFORE the move. Decorators are not emotionally attached to your things, so they can help you decide what will be worthwhile to keep, and tell you why. Why pay movers to haul stuff you won't even need?

• You want to change your kitchen, but will you need to budget for a full blown renovation, or can you make do with what you have, adding some carefully planned extras with just a new counter and some hardware? A decorator can offer an unbiased opinion, and give you options that are in keeping with your budget considerations. Hire a decorator for a couple of days to help you choose the best cabinets, hardware, counters and backsplash, lighting, flooring, and layout for you and your style of home.

• You're tired of how your rooms look, but you can't put your finger on what's bugging you. A decorator can walk you through your home, offering suggestions for changes. Move a dresser into another room. Change the artwork around. Add some lighting and some plants. Take out some furniture you don't need or that just doesn't work anymore. Paint the furniture and change the hardware. Toss the puffy pink valance in the dining room. A couple of hours with a decorator, and you may see your belongings in a whole new light.

So, you've called a decorator, but didn't like what they had to say? Call another one. Every single decorator will likely offer you a different solution when it comes to your home, because there isn't one right answer; there are countless ways to decorate a home. The key is finding a decorator who will listen to what you need, offer options, and ultimately find a solution that you will LOVE coming home to. When you find a decorator that fits your style and guides you well, add them to your Rolodex along with your accountant, dentist and notary. It's not extravagance, it's just good sense.

Joanne Padvaiskas
Wow! Great Place

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Feeling Gutsy? Let Your Decorator Off The Leash!
Nepean This Week • Friday May 16, 2003 • Home & Decor

Give a good decorator a budget, a deadline and your complete trust, and they can make any room look fabulous. It's done every day, right before our eyes, on some of the most popular shows on cable. What is it about these shows that make us tune in? Like voyeurs, peeking into people's homes, we watch rooms get transformed in just 2 back breaking days, enjoying the relieved glee of the homeowners at the happy unveiling, sympathizing with the not so lucky ones that have to repaint the next day. We watch because we wish we had the chance to do it ourselves; to have someone come into our homes, transform a room, and have us love the end result; to have the decision making done by someone else.

It's a very daunting process, imagining a complete room transformation, and often we balk at ideas that are presented to us because they just SOUND crazy, so they must LOOK crazy. It's not a concept for the faint of heart, since you don't have any idea what you will end up with, but many of us wish we could put that kind of faith into someone else's hands.

Well, you can. Hire a decorator for a couple of hours. Tell them what you are hoping to accomplish in your space, and they can help you get there. They can also tell you other ways to go that you may not have considered. Be open to the suggestions, but don't feel you have to accept every statement as gospel. Decorating is a very subjective art, and if you don't like the sound of something, don't take the advice. But, if you are comfortable with your decorator, if you trust his or her taste and judgment, then take a leap of faith and try out an idea or two that appeals to you. Maybe even try something that sounds a little off the wall.

Every one of those decorating shows has one statement repeated constantly by the homeowners: "I never could have imagined this!" Let your decorator do the imagining, and if an idea has even a twinkle of appeal, then try it (especially if it's something like paint color…most people are quite reserved about color, but often admire stronger colors in other people's homes). Decorators are only limited by the willingness of the client. You still have input, of course, since it is your space and your money, but give a little artistic freedom to your decorator, and you will likely be pleasantly surprised by the result.

If you want to help your decorator in the creative process, then prepare yourself before the initial consultation.

• Have some magazines handy with rooms that appeal to you. You don't have to know exactly what you find appealing in the photos; your decorator will get a sense of your taste based on the types of shots you are drawn to, as well as the pieces in your home that you want to incorporate into your new space.

• Give some thought to how much money you can afford to spend. No one ever really knows for sure. No one says "I want to spend $3,413 on my living room", but they do know if they have only a few hundred dollars, a couple of thousand, or tens of thousands.

Try to think about it this way: when you go shopping for party clothes, do you know how much you want to spend? If you find a cute party dress for $150, lucky you, you can get strappy sandals, too. But consider this: if the dress you find is "to die for" but costs $500, do you splurge, even if you could only wear it twice? What if it was a dress so gorgeous, you could keep it for years and wear it 8 different ways, so you could wear it to every wedding and New Year's Eve party for the next 10 years and no one would know it was the same dress, BUT it's going to cost you $1,500. Which of these 3 dresses are you prepared to buy? Knowing the kind of shopper you are will help you decide if your budget is flexible or fixed.

• Factor in at least a few hours of the decorator's time.
Consider it an investment in good advice. In the long run, those few hours will save you time and money since you won't waste time shopping aimlessly for furniture, paint, fabrics, etc. You may even choose better quality pieces that will last longer, which ultimately saves you money. Decorators are an often underutilized resource of knowledge and creative ideas. Just look at what they can do when they are let loose on television! Use one. And if you like them and are feeling gutsy, let them loose!

Joanne Padvaiskas
Wow! Great Place

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