This beautiful family wanted to update their dated family room to be a more glamorous bright inviting room. We removed a corner fireplace that was never used, and designed a custom large built in with room storage, a television, and lots of bookcase shelves for styling with precious decor. We incorporated unique picture molding wall treatment with inverted corners. We brought in a new custom oversized rug, and custom furniture. The room opens to the kitchen, so we incorporated a few pieces in there as well. Lots of reflective chrome and crystal!

Whitney Kamman Photography

Amber works from home and was sacrificing a dining room for her home office. By utilizing the double wide closet space in her guest bedroom, she now walks into her home without the reminder of work, and can have guests over for a meal in her dining room (dining room reveal coming soon). The walls were freshly painted Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams. This gives the room a fresh, clean look and also adds contrast to the beige carpet. Amber had her homework assignments cut out for her as she had to do some major purging in her throw all guest room. Once she started letting go, she was on a roll and continually surprised me as she cleaned out closets throughout the house. One dresser was filled with cds, dvds, books, albums, scrap-booking materials; items taking up precious real estate in her life that she didn't even know were there. There really wasn't a storage problem after-all, she was just holding on to a collection of things that no longer served her. Each time I would visit, and her space would become more open, I could see the weight lifting off her and her self love building. Amber had a recent breakup with her boyfriend and this makeover helped her not only focus on making a home sanctuary for herself, but helped her let go of the pains of the past and focus on the exciting future ahead. At one point when we were moving sofas in the living room (which we will also reveal soon), we found an ex's flip-flop. We were figuratively and literally sweeping away the past. Editing your home and your life makes room for your future; for new people and things. We are so happy to finally reveal the room to you! We can't wait to unveil the rest of Amber's home, once we complete the finishing touches. Challenges: Amber's home was filled with mix-matched furniture from family and college. She had no idea what her decorating style was. After shopping together and exchanging somepinterest boards, I was finally able to get a sense of what she loves. I had to work on a tight budget, which meant really digging out the creativity and utilizing other items in the home. See how I transformed a table from the discard pile into a faux marble bedside table by clicking web link. Amber's dad was able to help with the desk materials and building to cut costs. We wanted to save the closet doors in the event she sold her home or no longer needed an office someday. There wasn't any extra space to store these closet doors, so I used them as a headboard. The only items purchased were: Curtains, Curtain Rod, Bedspread Set, Throw Pillows, 2 Lamps and Paint.

Photo: Sarah Seung-McFarland © 2016 Houzz
Example of an eclectic entryway design in New York

My client has four active children and the living room needed to be a place they could comfortably watch tv, play games, read and be together. Nothing was meant to be "precious". The accent chairs can be moved wherever needed and a few floor poufs act as additional seating also.

The homeowners of this condo sought our assistance when downsizing from a large family home on Howe Sound to a small urban condo in Lower Lonsdale, North Vancouver. They asked us to incorporate many of their precious antiques and art pieces into the new design. Our challenges here were twofold; first, how to deal with the unconventional curved floor plan with vast South facing windows that provide a 180 degree view of downtown Vancouver, and second, how to successfully merge an eclectic collection of antique pieces into a modern setting. We began by updating most of their artwork with new matting and framing. We created a gallery effect by grouping like artwork together and displaying larger pieces on the sections of wall between the windows, lighting them with black wall sconces for a graphic effect. We re-upholstered their antique seating with more contemporary fabrics choices - a gray flannel on their Victorian fainting couch and a fun orange chenille animal print on their Louis style chairs. We selected black as an accent colour for many of the accessories as well as the dining room wall to give the space a sophisticated modern edge. The new pieces that we added, including the sofa, coffee table and dining light fixture are mid century inspired, bridging the gap between old and new. White walls and understated wallpaper provide the perfect backdrop for the colourful mix of antique pieces. Interior Design by Lori Steeves, Simply Home Decorating. Photos by Tracey Ayton Photography

It is sometimes a surprise what beauty can lurk under the surface of a room. A client with a 1970s kitchen and eat-in area cut up by an unwieldy peninsula was desperate for it to reflect her love of all things English-and-French-Manor-Home. Working closely with my client, we removed the peninsula in favor of a lovely free-standing island that we painted a shade of French Blue. This is topped with Old World sink hardware (note the ceramic HOT and COLD medallions on the faucets!) and a gorgeous marble counter with a very special edge profile that evokes an antique French Boulangerie counter from the 1910s. Pendants with patinaed metal shades over the island further the charming Old World feel. Handmade white and blue tiles laid in a quilted diamond pattern cover the backsplash, and the remainder of the cabinetry at the perimeter is in a warm cream tone. The eat-in near the fireplace got a cozy treatment with custom seat cushions and window seat bench cushions in a classic blue-and-white Toile de Jouy matching the island stools. The nearby living room got a similar treatment. We removed dark wood paneling and dark carpeting in favor of a light sky blue wall and lighter wood flooring. A new rug with the appearance of an heirloom, a new grand-scaled sofa, and some of my client’s precious antiques helped take the room from 70s rec room to English Sitting Room. Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

This beautiful family wanted to update their dated family room to be a more glamorous bright inviting room. We removed a corner fireplace that was never used, and designed a custom large built in with room storage, a television, and lots of bookcase shelves for styling with precious decor. We incorporated unique picture molding wall treatment with inverted corners. We brought in a new custom oversized rug, and custom furniture. The room opens to the kitchen, so we incorporated a few pieces in there as well. Lots of reflective chrome and crystal!

The homeowners of this condo sought our assistance when downsizing from a large family home on Howe Sound to a small urban condo in Lower Lonsdale, North Vancouver. They asked us to incorporate many of their precious antiques and art pieces into the new design. Our challenges here were twofold; first, how to deal with the unconventional curved floor plan with vast South facing windows that provide a 180 degree view of downtown Vancouver, and second, how to successfully merge an eclectic collection of antique pieces into a modern setting. We began by updating most of their artwork with new matting and framing. We created a gallery effect by grouping like artwork together and displaying larger pieces on the sections of wall between the windows, lighting them with black wall sconces for a graphic effect. We re-upholstered their antique seating with more contemporary fabrics choices - a gray flannel on their Victorian fainting couch and a fun orange chenille animal print on their Louis style chairs. We selected black as an accent colour for many of the accessories as well as the dining room wall to give the space a sophisticated modern edge. The new pieces that we added, including the sofa, coffee table and dining light fixture are mid century inspired, bridging the gap between old and new. White walls and understated wallpaper provide the perfect backdrop for the colourful mix of antique pieces. Interior Design by Lori Steeves, Simply Home Decorating. Photos by Tracey Ayton Photography

This beautiful family wanted to update their dated family room to be a more glamorous bright inviting room. We removed a corner fireplace that was never used, and designed a custom large built in with room storage, a television, and lots of bookcase shelves for styling with precious decor. We incorporated unique picture molding wall treatment with inverted corners. We brought in a new custom oversized rug, and custom furniture. The room opens to the kitchen, so we incorporated a few pieces in there as well. Lots of reflective chrome and crystal!

This 400 s.f. studio apartment in NYC’s Greenwich Village serves as a pied-a-terre for clients whose primary residence is on the West Coast. Although the clients do not reside here full-time, this tiny space accommodates all the creature comforts of home. Bleached hardwood floors, crisp white walls, and high ceilings are the backdrop to a custom blackened steel and glass partition, layered with raw silk sheer draperies, to create a private sleeping area, replete with custom built-in closets. Simple headboard and crisp linens are balanced with a lightly-metallic glazed duvet and a vintage textile pillow. The living space boasts a custom Belgian linen sectional sofa that pulls out into a full-size bed for the couple’s young children who sometimes accompany them. Efficient and inexpensive dining furniture sits comfortably in the main living space and lends clean, Scandinavian functionality for sharing meals. The sculptural handrafted metal ceiling mobile offsets the architecture’s clean lines, defining the space while accentuating the tall ceilings. The kitchenette combines custom cool grey lacquered cabinets with brass fittings, white beveled subway tile, and a warm brushed brass backsplash; an antique Boucherouite runner and textural woven stools that pull up to the kitchen’s coffee counter puntuate the clean palette with warmth and the human scale. The under-counter freezer and refrigerator, along with the 18” dishwasher, are all panelled to match the cabinets, and open shelving to the ceiling maximizes the feeling of the space’s volume. The entry closet doubles as home for a combination washer/dryer unit. The custom bathroom vanity, with open brass legs sitting against floor-to-ceiling marble subway tile, boasts a honed gray marble countertop, with an undermount sink offset to maximize precious counter space and highlight a pendant light. A tall narrow cabinet combines closed and open storage, and a recessed mirrored medicine cabinet conceals additional necessaries. The stand-up shower is kept minimal, with simple white beveled subway tile and frameless glass doors, and is large enough to host a teak and stainless bench for comfort; black sink and bath fittings ground the otherwise light palette. What had been a generic studio apartment became a rich landscape for living.

Living room - mid-sized traditional formal and enclosed concrete floor and black floor living room idea in New York with gray walls, no fireplace and no tv

This beautiful family wanted to update their dated family room to be a more glamorous bright inviting room. We removed a corner fireplace that was never used, and designed a custom large built in with room storage, a television, and lots of bookcase shelves for styling with precious decor. We incorporated unique picture molding wall treatment with inverted corners. We brought in a new custom oversized rug, and custom furniture. The room opens to the kitchen, so we incorporated a few pieces in there as well. Lots of reflective chrome and crystal!

This beautiful family wanted to update their dated family room to be a more glamorous bright inviting room. We removed a corner fireplace that was never used, and designed a custom large built in with room storage, a television, and lots of bookcase shelves for styling with precious decor. We incorporated unique picture molding wall treatment with inverted corners. We brought in a new custom oversized rug, and custom furniture. The room opens to the kitchen, so we incorporated a few pieces in there as well. Lots of reflective chrome and crystal!

This beautiful family wanted to update their dated family room to be a more glamorous bright inviting room. We removed a corner fireplace that was never used, and designed a custom large built in with room storage, a television, and lots of bookcase shelves for styling with precious decor. We incorporated unique picture molding wall treatment with inverted corners. We brought in a new custom oversized rug, and custom furniture. The room opens to the kitchen, so we incorporated a few pieces in there as well. Lots of reflective chrome and crystal!

After the success of the ISABEL dining chair, the collection now includes a sofa, and two new armchairs, the first one more linear and full covered with hide leather, the second one provided with soft cushions. ISABEL is a lavish product, entirely covered in cowhide, including the legs. It has terse, essential lines that entrust much of the expressive impact of the design to the precious materials. The back is an elegant and enveloping metal chassis covered in cowhide that extends into the armrests, flaring slightly at the ends to generate a small fold in the leather, like a light origami. The sofa – light and raised off the floor – features seat and back cushions shown at the Salone with an original double covering: brown testa di moro velvet for the seat, Havana cotton for the back. “The project includes a family of products marked by the choice and use of noble materials like cowhide and leather, crafted with great attention to detail. The collection expresses absolute values of design and elegance through the ability to dialogue with and interpret the path of design. The purity of the materials and forms make these objects almost museum pieces, which silently dance in the void, tempting the observer to use them.” Carlo Colombo

This living room feels like the inside of a jewel box, while the open dining room and family room beyond have a refreshing light and airy feel. There are precious heirlooms scattered throughout the house, including a rare “prisoner’s chair” which we placed in the living room window, waiting for its next victim.

FILICUDI is an ottoman with a basic form and a precious cover. A particular herringbone cowhide weave gives the surface a three-dimensional materic image of great aesthetic impact. Two sizes – a small cube and an impressive large parallelepiped – permit different uses in different settings. A series of small units can complete the zone around the sofa in a versatile way, adding movement to a continuously reconfigured space. A single large ottoman provides a strong, decisive presence for larger rooms, as in a two-story living area, to visually fill the space. Filicudi also works perfectly to furnish lounges in elegant hotels.