A Stroke of Genius

Delving through old photos and found this pic of a ceiling I painted quite a few years ago. Don’t forget about the ‘5th wall’ when decorating and designing your rooms. The ceiling is often forgot about, but is the perfect place to inject over-the-top drama into your room. ... #paintedceilings #ceilingmurals #ceilingmural #skymural #skymuralonceiling #ceilingskymurals #geniusinteriors #geniusdesigns #northvancouverinteriordesigner #cloudedskymural See more

The view from our loft bedroom at a friend’s seaside cottage on Vancouver Island. Perfectly perfect! ... #seasidevancouverisland #seasideliving #cottagelife #cottagestyle #panabodecabin #panabode #bowservancouverisland #vancouverisland @ Vancouver Island, BC, Canada See more

52 Weeks of Tips & Tricks Week #20 A Case in Point - Trim Out Your Windows By adding trim (or, 'casing out') to your windows, you will make your windows appear larger, the room brighter and, more natural light will be reflected into your home! Unless you sleep during the day and require total darkness, who wouldn't want a bright, airy room?... Let me explain. If you do not have trim around your windows, the window jamb (the vertical area around your window) is likely painted the same colour as the wall. Dark colours absorb light, while light colours reflect light. The deeper the colour, the more light is absorbed, thus casting less light into your room. By casing out the window, the jamb becomes part of the trim and is painted the same colour (generally a colour in the white spectrum). Also, before adding trim, the jamb was likely painted in a flat of eggshell paint finish. Different sheen levels of paint react to light in a similar fashion as colour. A flat paint finish absorbs light while a higher sheen will reflect the light. So, if your window jamb and casings are painted in a satin, semi or glossy white, the light will bounce right into your room. The photos below are a perfect example of a window before and after having trim installed.

Honouring all the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice. Lest we never forget. #rememberanceday #remember #poppies #november11th

52 Weeks of Tips & Tricks Week #19 Where's Waldo? Displaying all your treasures all at once may seem like a good idea, but it creates chaos and clutter. It makes it difficult to focus on any one item, lessening the overall visual value of any given piece. ... In the photos featured, there are several beautiful teapots on display. In the first image, you can't find them for all the clutter. They are mixed in with a scattering of cookbooks, vases, photographs and knick knacks. Your eye cannot focus on any one object and the display is overwhelming. In the second image, we chose a few select pieces that held special meaning for my client, with a few cookbooks easily at hand. The third image shows the items pared down yet again, with the teapots now displayed on their own. There is a fine balance between a good display and clutter. Remember, less is more.

Happy Hallowe’en!!