Blogs for May 2012

Minimalism – Sheer Simplicity in an Ultra-Modern Trend!

By Pier-Ann Mathieu - 30 May 2012 - No comments on this post

Creating an inspired décor isn’t always easy – especially if you have to make do with what you have on hand… flooring and a bookcase in two different shades of brown, walls painted in eggshell, accessories in lime green and sky blue, armoires in charcoal… Yikes!

I have, in fact, had to rack my brain when coming up with ideas for decorating my condo, until I came up with this stroke of genius: Go minimalist!

As illustrated by the name, this style (rooted in zen philosophy) is based on a simple principle: Return to the essentials and discard the superfluous. The watchwords are purity and restraint. Minimalism is now increasingly a feature of website architecture, fashion and – of course – design and decoration.

Here are some benefits of minimalist décor: a relaxing atmosphere, a beautiful look and housekeeping made easy (no need to move objects when it’s time to dust the counter!). So choosing this style is in your best interest!

A minimalist bedroom

How to recognize a minimalist décor

The walls are often done in a neutral colour such as white, grey or black. And the room is never “overloaded”: The placement of every item – including tables, lamps and vases – appears to have been planned with a view to achieving perfect balance.

Stuck with White? Here’s a Survival Guide!

By Annie Lavigne - 28 May 2012 - No comments on this post

Design trends

You may be at this stage right now, or you’ve already gone through it: At one point or another, everyone goes through the apartment living phase!

We’re often told that creating an accent wall will help “punch up” our décor. It’s a great solution, as long as it’s “doable” – but it may be impossible for any number of reasons: the landlord says you must repaint the wall white when your lease is up, or painting is just not your thing… so here’s our guide to surviving when you’re “stuck with white”!

Making do with white is in fact great news, since this colour is “hot” right now. One key benefit is that it brightens up a room with inadequate lighting and makes it look bigger. Think of the white walls as a blank canvas on which you can give free rein to your imagination and creativity!

White living room

Here are a few tips to make your new canvas “sing”:

Play with different textures and materials: a microfibre sofa, a glass table and a few white faux fur cushions can add a little glam to the room.
If you feel the urge to play with variations, think about diverse shades of white – eggshell, cream and ivory, to name just a few.

Our new Flexible collection – the name says it all!

By Sophie Drouin - 9 May 2012 - No comments on this post

Have you ever gone shopping for a new piece of furniture and found that nothing works with your existing décor? Perhaps you needed a bookcase for your son’s room or a small computer desk for one of the rooms on the main floor.

Our Flexible collection does away with this problem! The items in this line – which feature contemporary styling, a Black Oak finish and metal accents – are multi-purpose. So a night table can become a modular TV stand, and a three-drawer chest can be used for storage in either a bedroom or the family room. You’ll enjoy multiple benefits with this collection, which lets you:

Arrange a room to meet specific storage and organization needs. Bedroom or living room collections rarely include complementary items, so you have to look at a different brand or style.
Plan a consistent look or layout for your décor – a particularly appealing feature for open spaces such as lofts. Furniture in varying styles or colours can always be combined for a unique look, but this task can be enjoyable for some and a headache for others.
Put two identical – or different – items together to “build” the ideal piece of furniture for your space.

3 ways to tap the potential of White furniture

By Sophie Drouin - 9 May 2012 - No comments on this post

Very popular at one time, it was snubbed for a few years and recently it made a huge comeback, I’m talking about White furniture of course. It has several qualities: it lightens the small rooms and makes them appear larger; it brings a touch of femininity or romance in a bedroom; and finally, it is easy to fit with items from a different collection or company.

It is possible to find White furniture in different styles, but most of the time it is found in country or very contemporary and when comes time to decorate, the possibilities are endless. The best way to approach a new décor is to first find the fabrics that you like, as paint and deco accessories are available in multiple colors and will be easy to coordinate with selected fabrics. However, you must be aware that all wall colors do not have the same effects. Let’s see some examples to highlight White furniture.

3 options with White furniture

For a classic, clean and relaxing look, shades of taupe or sand are well suited, they are soft to look at, timeless and you can give them a little sparkle with the accessories.

For a bold and chic statement, you can opt for deep tones.