Last week while vacationing in Toronto, I did a little shopping (of course). Walking in and out of all the wonderful stores on Avenue Road and Davenport (see first 3 images below) I came to the realization that it’s a miracle that I can pull off the looks that I create for my clients with the [lack of] home decor stores here in Vancouver. And it’s also no surprise that one of my favorites is HomeSense. Not necessarily for the bargains (although the low price tags always makes my clients happy) but because it’s one of the only large home decor superstores in Vancouver which helps when looking for inspiration.
At least at HomeSense you can start pulling together a look with different objects of varying heights and colours or find an area rug and some toss cushions and then with that as a starting point, continue ‘shopping the city’ to fill in the blanks for the rest of the space.
Accessories and styling the home--which is really where the personality of the client comes in—can be quite difficult for a lot of people and many times it’s where the designer stops as well (after the furniture has been installed) because it’s so personal.
Without taking care to create a look with accessories that really speak to you, there is the danger of your home getting filled up with one-off candleholders and what-nots that you receive as gifts from friends and family. Then there are the gifts you have to keep out on display because they are from mom, grandma, or your best friend. Usually if this is the case I ask my client how long it has been in that prominent spot in their living room and I have never had anyone say “less than 10 years”. That is plenty long enough in my opinion :)
I had one client many years ago that hired me just to re-design her space with her existing accessories because (in her mind) she had so many already. She was thrilled with the outcome after I suggested a quick shopping trip for some updated accessories and picture frames!
Vancouver simply does not have the selection that Toronto does for home decor. I spent an entire afternoon shopping for placemats for one of my clients a few weeks ago. If we had a Crate & Barrel (for example), my shopping would have been complete in 15 minutes.
Because I like to create a ‘finished’ and ‘styled’ look for all my clients, I have found the best way to achieve this is to shop together. Once my clients spend a day shopping with me, a light bulb goes on in their heads as they realize even when a designer is picking out accessories with you there are always ones that don’t work and get shipped right back to the store for a refund!
A tablescape or vignette should include a minimum of 3 items; flowers, candles, and books, and depending on where it is, a tray. Designers that continue to inspire me with their tablescapes are David Jiminez, Ralph Lauren, and Jeffrey Bilhuber:
Here is a tablescape David Jiminez created for one of his homes:
And here is one (below) I created for one of my clients in North Vancouver that was completely inspired by the image above:
Everything in the above tablescape came from HomeSense except for the books, silk flowers and the art. The candleholders were $14.99 and $16.99. The zebra tray was $19.99, the glass ball was $5.99, the mirror was $39.99, etc.
This client needed a new television because there was no space for anything else on top of her dresser!
After
First, we bought a flat screen and installed it on the wall (on the right), then my client requested a jewelry tree to hang her necklaces (on the left). I have included a tray (for more miscellaneous items to keep the surface tidy; books which act as a pedestal to display the vase with green rocks and a hydrangea (my client loves them).
When creating tablescapes I totally judge a book by it’s cover because it looks so much better when the colour of the spines relate to the colours in the vignette. Just like in these black and blue books below:
The blue book with red writing and the green one with gold writing fit right into the decor of this living room by Ralph Lauren (below) see how the books act as a pedestal for the bust, the silver box of tissue and the magnifying glass? By the way, if you have a decorative bookshelf with accessories on it and it still looks like something is missing? A selection of well placed coffee table books is most likely what is required to complete the look.
I was recently hired by a client simply to update her living room with the right accessories and artwork (replacing her furniture was not an option). After we returned from our shopping trip, I found a lovely coffee table book with a gold cover from a bookshelf in her office, placed it beside her lamp on the end table (which was brass) with two decorative birds we had found placed on the top! She loved the effect, an instant tablescape!
Vignette by Maria Killam
I have Jeffrey Bilhuber’s book Defining Luxury and I love it because I adore the way he uses branches, flowers and fruit for styling his interiors!
I was recently hired to style some kitchens for Pacific Rim Cabinets (new site not up yet, I’ll link here when it is), a large cabinet manufacturer based in Vancouver. This image (below) was inspired from the branches in the above image. My client had never worked with a stylist or photographer (Anna Beaudry) before this first day (of two days of shooting) but as soon as I placed the branch in the vase, he actually walked over and gave me a hug, he was so delighted with the effect!
This image above inspired the branches I clipped from a neighbors tree on the day of the shoot for this interior I designed in Richmond.
Interior design by Maria Killam
Styled by Maria Killam, Photography by Anna Beaudry
If you have a space like this above your fireplace that was originally designed for a fat TV and you are not using it, creating a vignette is a great way to fill it. The idea is to create a kind of triangle inside the box. Visually the highest (heaviest looking) object here is the tall blue vase (both were from Pier 1). The hourglass balances the shorter vase in that they are the same height and then the coral branch in the middle (from the Pottery Barn) fills it in.
Here it’s a triangle again with the coral on a stand, the adorable glass stand with the cookies, the curvy, sexy teapot and a book holding the cup and saucer to add a splash of colour as well as create the effect of a ‘tray’.
Here again, a book, flowers and candles and it’s done!
What do you do with a pork chop? Pretty much the only thing is some kind of boat with decorative balls in it (or a row of votives could work too)! I did something similar in this powder room as well. By the way, pork chops are dated, if you are renovating your bathroom, DO NOT install one behind the toilet!
One more thing-- I am soooo easy to shop with. Before I learned to have that conversation with my clients, one woman (in the beginning of the day) kept saying “I don’t think my husband would like that” until she got that I truly was not attached! It is a collaborative effort that works really well, and when my clients understand that not everything will work and some items go back, they have more freedom to play with different ideas to create a space that really speaks to them. So if you are in Vancouver, call me for a day of shopping that will transform your home in just one day!
Related posts:
How to style a Kitchen for a Photo Shoot - 3 Rules to Follow
Staging: Two Day Transformation
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