Gray areas

Today happens to be a gray, gloomy day in Ontario... we can't help but wish for winter to end.

 To put a little happy in the air in the meantime, we'll share some ideas on how to add some cheer to gray interiors.

Yellow is the brightest and boldest colour to mix with gray, bringing a sense of sunshine to a room. A toss pillow or two and blanket in yellow can make a big impact on a room.

Orange is our second favourite option, especially since we are still loving last year's colour of the year: Tangerine Tango. The headboard makes a bold statement in this space against the dark gray walls.

How about a jewell tone like purple?  It adds a sense of romance and sophistication to this room.

 

Green is a vibrant, energy infusing colour. Whether it's a citrusy shade or more on the emerald side, it represents the outdoors in a space, creating harmony and balance. A little bit goes a long way in making a room feel harmonious.

 

Turquoise blue is fresh and peaceful, ideal as an accent colour in a bedroom. The white bedding keeps the gray from looking dull and the room feels light and breezy.

Navy blue is coming on strong in the interior decor world, as it is a powerful grounding colour. To a navy blue and gray palette one could easily add orange accessories, representing a third colour.

Favourite seats in the house

More often than not, the sofa is the biggest investment in furnishing a living room or family room. You want to make sure you get it right. Right? Read about our designers favourite sofas, get our personal feedback and be inspired for your next sofa purchase.

 

The Parisian loft sofa is Peggy's favourite seat. "I love the extreme length of 101 inches and the 26 inch seat depth, which makes it a perfect loungy, yet stylish sofa for a great room." Peggy says. The fabric options range from crisp linen looks to enduring chenilles. The nailhead trim detail on the base of the sofa is a cool feature for this great sofa. Starting from $2735

 

The Lee 3794 sofa is our designer Brian's pick. It is a versatile and comfortable frame with pleasing propotions. Brian likes the fact that it is available in a 79" apartment size length or as a full sized 88" sofa. Its  unique feature is that it can be ordered in washable slipcover, upholstered, with skirt or without. The slim arms maximize the inside seat width, and is a great choice for those who are downsizing or prefer a smaller scale sofa with maximum comfort. Starting from $2369

 

Alex's choice is our Sutherland leather sofa.

It's a 96" long couch, perfect for curling up on with the family & pets or a bunch of friends for a night of movie watching... or for stretching out and catching up with a good book by yourself. It's hand-made in Canada of fine, top grain leather on solid hardwood frame. It's a sofa for a lifetime starting at $3499.

 

 

The new Chester sofa by Dwell Studio is what Betty is drawn to. "I love the retro,

mid-century modern lines of this sofa." Betty says.

 This sofa is designed by Canadian Dwell Studio founder Christine Lemieux and is available for you to see and order in our store starting from $2099.

 

The Signature Elements collection is Louise's favourite.

The flexible design options of this sofa collection is perfect for tailoring your next sofa to your needs. You can choose the length and depth, the leg style, the shape of the arm, whether you want the back pillows attached or detached. Starting from $2639

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orsi's must-have seat is the Lee 7061 sofa. She can testify to its extreme comfort factor as she has had a pair of these for over 7 years.  "I can't picture anything else in our family room, these sofa are perfect for lounging on at the end of our hectic days." The washable slipcover option for this big comfy couch is a worry-free solution for families.
 Starting from $2219

 

 

 

Inventory Clearance - further reductions

 

Side table or night table in solid cherry now $499

 

 

 Tall chest of drawers in solid cherry now $895

 

 

 Queen headboard in solid cherry now $695

 

 

 Dresser or sideboard now $995

Armchair in soft turquoise Ikat fabric now $499

 Exposed wood arm chair in soft yellow raised velvet fabric now $495

 

 

Vogel chair in neutral fabric now $795 (just sold!)

 

 

Sheridan chair in striped fabric now $595

 

 

 Burgundy leather clubchair by Lee now $1195

 

Harden dark gray distressed leather sofa now $2295

 Gray 101" long sofa with nailhead trim detail  now $1995

 

Cream sofa with chrome nailhead trim detail now $1495

Perfect sofa for the cottage! Now $995

 Round ottoman in celery green animal print fabric now $349

Oak sideboard with pullout shelf now $495

Two door mirrored cabinet now $449

 

Theodore Alexander cabinet now $1295

Chantal side table or night table now $395

 

Three drawer cabinet in aqua paint finish now $1295 

 

 

Left Bank art now $499

 

 Botanical art now $99

 

 

Chandelier art now $195

 

 

Armillery sphere art now $139

 

 

... more deals  in store!

 

 

 

 

Gallery walls

Gallery walls are hot, hot, hot. It's no surprise, as gallery walls give an opportunity to display our collections from our travels, to un-earth photos of our family, and to be eclectic & different in our expression of style.

 

There are a few things to consider before starting to hammer in the nails.

Step #1 Determine your style.
Would you like it grid style or free-flowing?

 

 

Do you want your artwall to fill in an entire wall, or only a section of the wall?
Is it going to be centered over a sofa or hallway table to create a focal point, or do your want it to glide over your doorway?

Step #2 is choosing the contents of the gallery wall.

Do you have something special that you would like to highlight, such as a gorgeous mirror in the centre of the collage or a truly special picture?
Or do you have lots of kids crafts, and family photos that you wish to put on display.
 Choosing what you love, what will make you smile every time you look at it,
 is the only rule.

 

Step # 3 is determining the unifying element.
If you have all black and white photos, that is the unifying element. You have the choice to keep it simple and frame it all in the same frame, or to have them in assorted frames for a more interesting look.

 

 

 

If you have various sized and coloured prints, framing them in all the same coloured and style frames will unify the look and create a cohesive look.

 

 

Sometimes a theme or subject matter can be the unifying element that brings it all together. The earthy look here makes sense of this collage.

 

 

For the advanced gallery-wallers, try the no rules approach. Let your artsitic side dictate how the composition should be.

 

Step #4 is the time consuming part of planning out the layout
on paper and determining where the nails should go.
 There are three ways of doing this:

1. Cut out papermodels of each frame and tape it onto your wall.

2. Replicate your wall on your floor. Place all the art on your floor as you'd on your wall. Transfer your nail position onto your wall and you are ready to hang your pictures.

3. Draw out your artwall plan on a large piece of craft paper. Mark on the paper where the nail would go. Tape the craftpaper on the wall and hang your pictures over it. Tear craftpaper away after hanging up all the frames. 

 

 

Send us your success stories, we would love to see what you've done with your walls!