Articles written in the category : Design trends

Creative walls

By Sophie Drouin - 23 January 2013 - No comments on this post

When I was a kid, most of the walls in houses were either White or even worse covered with old carpet in highly questionable colors, ok it was the late 70’s and early 80’s but still!

Today walls can be fun and if one thing has evolved, it’s the number of different wall covering possibilities. There are a lot of choices to create a distinctive touch or even to «camouflage» a wall that is not quite perfect.

We have tested a few options for you and I want to present 3 options. In a future post I will present other types of wall covering materials and other ways to create an accent wall.

Decorative stone: One of our marketing coordinators took on the challenge with her boyfriend, in their living room. Unquestionably stone is a material which adds character and value to any home. However it is not the cheapest option and it does require a certain level of dexterity (her boyfriend is in the construction field). Depending on your budget, you can go for a complete wall or just a vertical strip. The beauty is that there are several color and style choices. Furthermore, today’s decorative stones do not require mortar and grout, simply ceramic glue.

Style and Colour Trends for 2013

By Annie Lavigne - 11 January 2013 - No comments on this post

You may not agree with every colour scheme proposal you see – what’s important is that you feel comfortable in the space you’re preparing to change. If you’re not too fond of the “wolves and horses” look, that’s fine… I’m more or less with you on this; in fact, what I really like is owls!

Everyone follows the dictates of their personal expectations, based on what’s happening in the world, the issues that engage our societies and buying trends – both current ones and those of previous years. Interpretations vary, of course, from one group to another, but it’s all based on what’s commonly observed, so certain things do sometimes come up more than once.

Here are my observations to date regarding style and colour trends for 2013, which are to some extent shared among specialists.

Styles

A few ideas that are sure to become part of several types of décor.

Style trends

1. Art deco-inspired

Photo: muramur.ca.

2. Multiple light fixtures

Photo: Versa déco

3. Vintage

Photo: Emma’s decoration blog

An upcoming article will also cover trends in fabric for 2013.

Furniture with a dash of colour.

In making the rounds of various furniture expos across the ocean – specifically, in Germany, France and Italy – we see grey, taupe grey and cream; wood in its natural state; bright colours in upholstery for a little “punch”; and painted wood for an antique or a vintage finish.

Lacquered elegance

By Annie Lavigne - 26 November 2012 - No comments on this post

Lacquer is becoming the latest “in” thing – for the bedroom and the kitchen, as well as the living room. And the reason is very simple: Its re-invented retro look brings life back to any room in the house and gives it a contemporary appearance that’s out of the ordinary!

Lacquered Elegance Reflekt

So you love the modern style and wish you could get a great bedroom suite of Italian design… the one you’ve been dreaming so much about, but which is way beyond your budget? Well,SouthShore’s Mikka collection was created especially for you!

Lacquered Elegance Mikka

And now, your dream furniture is in your home, but you don’t know how best to show it off. The answer is simple: Your furniture will now be the focus of your bedroom, so over-decorating is unnecessary.

As we explain in our post titled Stuck with White? Here’s a Survival Guide!, think of your walls as a canvas. Paint them grey, white, cream or any other colour that’s more or less neutral, so they can serve as a “background” that makes your furniture

stand out. And don’t worry about dullness – you can add accent colours elsewhere in the room!

Chocolate: A popular finish that’s a safe bet

By Annie Lavigne - 2 October 2012 - No comments on this post

Do you get a sense that the finish we call “Chocolate” or “Mocha” works with many types of décor? Have you also heard it described as versatile and timeless? Well, both those statements are true!

Our Chocolate finish – Our Mocha finish – Our Matte Brown finish

Because of its extremely subtle grain, Chocolate goes well with a variety of patterns – for both bedding and rugs. When you browse our website, you’ll see that this finish blends nicely with all styles: from Traditional to Contemporary to Transitional!

Further to Sophie’s post about 3 ways to play with Chocolate brown furniture, here are a few other ideas to inspire you!

Combine Chocolate and bright colours

Use these colours to achieve a dazzling contrast effect with “punch” that incorporates the tried-and-true: a Chocolate finish. Since the wall colours are easy to change, you can modify the décor anytime you want!

An interesting idea for a child’s room.

A room that combines Chocolate finish and bright colors

Exotic Chocolate

Chocolate evokes, for me, the colour of wood used to make those African masks and figures we buy as souvenirs. You’re most likely familiar with Ebony, which is generally black.

3 Ways to Decorate a Room with Black Furniture

By Sophie Drouin - 29 August 2012 - No comments on this post

They are widespread and versatile, which is why we can use them anywhere in the house; Black furniture pieces (or Ebony) are hot in the bedroom, the home office or the living room. We used to buy Black furniture to create some drama or a techno look, but fortunately designers have found other vocations for them over time.

Available in the traditional, country, transitional and contemporary styles, Black furniture have something for many people. However it is important to be careful; even in a small size Black furniture is visually imposing and may give the impression a room is smaller than it really is. Black furniture may also feel cold if not paired with the right colors.

But the right color should always be the one you like above all. You must find a fabric that inspires you and in this fabric you will find the wall colo rand the accent colors for deco. That being said, not all colors have the same «magic». Here are some examples to illustrate my point.

3 options with Black furniture

If you have Black furniture and feel like a sober & classic décor, you can go with greys on the walls; it’s trendy and it is easy to add touches of pink, red, yellow, orange, lime green or turquoise (everything is possible, it depends on the chosen fabrics).