Fresh / Repurposed Thinking...

Have we depersonalized our surroundings?  Are we too worried about our homes looking just right above looking lived in, or being a reflection of ourselves?  When you invite guests into your home we should be striving to put our own personality into our spaces rather than a generic out of the box mathematical look.  I am not saying that we can’t shop and use some very generic items.  But we should be pairing them with items that say something about us. 

I spent some time at grand beach in Manitoba last summer, and was inspired to collect white rocks off the beach and some interesting driftwood.  Seeing this collection brings back some of the carefree feelings of summer.  How much better is this collection of stones than a purchased bag of rocks? On a recent trip to mexico I collected sea pottery that had washed up on the beach.  Now that we are home it is fun to sort through them and it brings me back to our holiday.

Artwork can be found in many places.  If we open ourselves up to be inspired we can use the simplest items in a display for maximum impact.  Finding three antique small doll clothes in a local shop, I mounted them in a frame using bold graphic paper as a backdrop which makes the doll clothes pop.  Seeing this hanging on my daughters wall makes me smile, and makes me wonder who played with them years before.

Some of the best pieces can be found at antique shops, garage sales, thrift shops, or even the attic.  In our age of recycling and environmental awareness we are starting to realize that we can repurpose items for another use, and actually personalize our space at the same time.  What works best and shows off our vintage items is to pair them with some contemporary pieces, and let the contrast make a statement.  An older piece can look quite contemporary with a fresh fabric or revisited finish. 

Candy and design inspiration?

We can be inspired by all sorts of things.  When I was working on the design for Sweet Ideas Candy Shop here in Lethbridge I took inspiration from candy itself.  We wanted to create an atmosphere that was fun, energetic, and brought customers both young and old into the idea of an old fashioned willy wonkaish candy experience.  My inspiration for colour came from Jelly Belly's.  What fun choosing the scheme based on what Jelly Belly's jelly beans would look great together, and this is how I presented the options to my client.  To further this concept I was looking at candy as art when we framed various types of candy in shadow boxes and hung them on the walls.  We chose words that would make your mouth water and painted them freehand on the feature wall.  We can be inspired by so many things.  Think about what represents you and how you can incorporate it into your space!

http://www.sweetideascandy.com/

Just one thing...

We all get bogged down from time to time.  If you are overwelmed with your decor, maybe it is time for a rethink and a freshening up?  Sometimes looking at a project or a task as a whole can be daunting.  Clients tell me all the time that they just don't know where to start so they often don't start.  Try not to think of your whole design dilema, but can you identify one thing that you can do. By doing one small part it somehow makes the task seem less daunting and you may find you are inspired to do a little more!