How to Layer Frames & Objects

There is a new trend in home décor: Layering. One would think that it’s an easy style to pull off... simply take a bunch of artwork and place it haphazardly on your mantle or bookshelf. Please, no! Be smart about layering your art. Here’s how: 

 

All images via

Step one: Pick images and objects that you feel would create an interesting grouping. They should be different sizes, but share a similar colour palette.

Step two: When visiting your local framer, keep things simple. If the frames are too ornate or too thick, it will be hard to layer evenly. Use glass and not exposed canvas, as an object could easily poke into an artwork and create a long lasting indentation.

 

Step three: The more you overlap, the higher the chances of losing the images you were hoping to show off. Notice how, in the following examples, there are no more than three consecutive levels.

Step four: Be careful! Sturdy the larger frames to your wall (by adding hooks and nails) or inserting a thin ledge or groove to your shelf. You want to be sure to prevent them from toppling over!

 

Interview with Vanessa Sicotte

I met Vanessa Sicotte a few months after becoming addicted to Damask & Dentelle, one of Québec's leading design blogs, which she launched in 2009. When Vanessa entered the gallery where I work, she whipped out her iPhone and said “Let me tweet that I’m here!” It was love at first tweet.

Once in a while, I have the pleasure of meeting people like Vanessa, who are passionate, driven and extremely generous with their time and knowledge. I am pleased to say that since our first encounter, she has become host of Canal Vie’s Sauvez les Meubles, a television show which encourages viewers to reuse and recycle when renovating or decorating their home. Read my interview with the interior designer to find out her tips of the trade and which colour she predicts you won’t want to live without.

Vanessa Sicotte, creator of Damask & Dentelle and host of Sauvez les Meubles

 

What inspired you to create Damask & Dentelle?

I got inspired to create D&D back in 2008 when I was only a blogger writing about my décor boutiques “Coups de Coeur”. The company came later after I saw a need for information in the industry. Damask & Dentelle's website was launched in October 2009 and is now recognized as one of Québec’s leading design blogs and web directory with a devoted following. As the curator of the site I am also a design blogger and trend observer. I created Damask & Dentelle as a way to reach out and share finds of Québec’s design boutiques, artisans and professionals to the consumers as well as people from the design industry.

 

You recently started hosting Sauvez les meubles at Canal Vie. Tell us more about this project:

Sauvez les Meubles is a new TV show airing since September, on Québec’s Canal Vie. Its concept is adorable (hey I am a little biased)! My mandate is to decorate a room in a couple’s home using their existing vintage furniture, hand-me-downs from family members and thrift finds… all for less than $500. I try to suggest as many cool DIY ideas as I can to give people the most bang for their buck and so far we’ve had some awesome reveals.
 

 

Reduce, reuse, recycle! Check out some ideas by clicking HERE.

 

 

Many new homeowners feel overwhelmed when purchasing a house. What is the first thing they should focus on?

With square footage at its peak rate in the city, one must find creative ways to maximize storage and function without neglecting style.

 

Think vertical. A great example of that is to extend your kitchen cabinets to the ceiling to store pots and pans that you seldom use.

Mirror effect. Mirrors have a way to refract light and make a room appear larger. I use them a lot in small places as a way to give rooms sparkle and glamour.

Go ghost or go big. Visual clutter can really hinder a room’s proportions. In order to counter that effect I either make great use of translucent surfaces like Lucite and glass, or I simply use fewer but larger pieces to furnish the room. There is nothing worse than seeing a tiny living room with a slew of tiny spindly chair legs everywhere.

Make a statement. I am a firm believer that small rooms are the perfect place for statements such as bold wall coverings or moody paint colours. Since the area to cover is small, the print will not be overbearing and yet it will give the tiny mudroom or powder room a lot of flair & personality.

 

 

Are there any new trends that you are excited to tell us about?

I am very much into neon right now. Maybe I was too young to really enjoy it the first time around, but I seem to be binging on highlighter colours. Another trend in which I am heading head first, is Kelly Green (I actually would go as far as to say that it will be THE colour of the year in 2013). It is a vibrant, fresh and crisp shade of green. It can be made to nautical, preppy, eclectic or classic, and best of all… all greens go well together. No trouble here trying to match shades of green.

 

 

Check out how Vanessa suggests you decorate with green by clicking HERE.

 

 

What are some of the common mistakes made by homeowners?

Not trusting their instincts and buying everything at once, from the same place. It is better to have a void in the room than to pack it up with things that are just fillers. The perfect piece of furniture will eventually find its way and fill that void as if it belonged there. Also, I often recommend to people to be mindful of the craftsmanship and provenance of the products they buy. Cheap (and I don’t mean inexpensive here) will always be just that… cheap.

 

 

What is a typical day like?

It starts early and often ends very late. My son calls me before 6am every morning and then the hustle bustle begins. I usually get to work around 8:30 and check all of my social media accounts as I rely a lot on social media for my business. On most days I will visit a store or two and squeeze some appointments with clients in the middle. The early evenings are spent with the kids and then work starts again after they go to sleep. I started my own business for the liberty it would give me, but I have to admit, I have never worked so much in my life. Luckily, I absolutely LOVE what I do so it makes it all better.

 

 

Name your top three songs:

Tom’s Dinner

Karma Chameleon

And Anything Ben Harper

 

 

Interior Design With no Surprises

Drawings and Photo Realistic Renderings Show Exactly What Your Designer Has in Mind

A Guest Post by Keren Blankrot, Upstage Montreal

In the world of interior design a picture really is worth a thousand words. A client of mine who failed a solo attempt at redesigning her living room confided, “Keren, we made an effort to do this by ourselves, and I know what I like, but I just can’t seem to visualize it in my own space. This is not working for us and we need your help.”

 
While she put a great deal of thought into the design, and inspiration was not lacking –she has a Pinterest account with plenty of pictures defining her “For the Home” style – she needed a designer to pull it all together, and she benefited greatly from visual aids that allowed her to see the end result beforehand.

Through the wonders of technology, designers can show clients - via perspective drawings, photo realistic renderings, and mood boards - what the end result is meant to look like. These tools are something that I employ regularly. Not only do they establish clarity between the client and the designer in terms of the desired visual aesthetic and goal, they are great for working with clients remotely. For instance, the office drawings pictured below were created for a Manhattan client. All of the items were purchased online, and the installation was carried out with specific direction.

Clients put much trust in their designers and one of the reasons they hire designers is because they covet that designer’s signature aesthetic. As much as a client loves the designer’s taste, however, she is still looking to create a space that reflects her own personal vision and so being able to collaborate with a designer that can show you exactly in what direction they are headed in, with the help of technological tools, is invaluable.

Upstage Montreal works with clients looking to completely update their residential or commercial space, as well as those wishing simply to refresh it. To know more, please visit their website by clicking HERE.

Home Décor: Fall Trends

I won't deny it: I absolutely love when readers send me their requests, comments and questions. Here is the most recent query, posted on our facebook page: “PMT! Do you have any insight on what are the hot colors in home decor for the fall?”

To answer this question, I called my go-to designer, Keren Blankrot from UpStage Montreal, for her valuable input: “I’d say that for fall, the trendy colours are warm hued and rich including pumpkin, gold, cantaloupe, cinnamon, coffee and deep mauve. It’s earthy, spicy and jewel toned hues for the season." Keren adds: "A good way to integrate trends is through accessories and smaller ticket items likes throws and pillows so that you can update your look seasonally. Incorporating these colours will add warmth to her interior space as the mercury drops outside.” 

Images via

Take note of these fun suggestions, guaranteed to spice up your home décor: 1. Tonic Living Samoan Plantation Pillow / 2. Eiffel chair from Zone Maison / 3. Wire trash can from Urban Outfitters / 4. Oh-so-glam Jonathan Adler Gold Lantern vases / 5. Jonathan Adler hexagon tray... I saw these all over Germany. They are so cool! / 6. Zenith Mirror from Pure Home / 7. Hilarious flamingo table lamp from Zone Maison (who said fall needed to be serious?) 

Do you have any questions you’d like answered?

Send them to partymixtape@gmail.com or post them on our facebook page!