April Showers...
Getting through the last of the winter blues.
If you live in Canada right now, particularly the Ottawa/Toronto region, you know that we recently got yet another burst of snow. So, to combat the ever-present winter blues (and prevent myself from going crazy at the Sephora sale), here are a few beautiful things I’ve been loving as an interior designer who loves to admire the fashion world from afar.
A really, really good bar design.
Personally, my favourite spaces to design are custom homes. However, my favourite spaces to be in, are restaurants with really amazing bars. I love scrolling pinterest and looking at different bar designs to see how I can incorporate different elements that make a restaurant bar really pop into custom residences.
A few I’m loving and why they work.
Images courtesy of Pinterest.
I’ve always been a mixed-metal kind of girl, but one place I thought I’d never mix was in the kitchen. As a designer, I love to push myself to take something that “shouldn’t” work and finding a way to make it look really beautiful and unique in a home. One way to do that through bar design is mixing drink hardware and playing around with the glassware. I love a mix of vintage with modern pieces to really show off the persoanlity of the client. To me, your glasswear shoudn’t be uniform, rather a colletion that you’ve curated through years of travel and different life experiences. Nothing beats having your morning coffee out of a mug you found in Portugal or sipping champagne from a flute you found in France.
Lighting will always be my passion when it comes to elevating your space (well, that and a really good can of paint). Using different tones of lighting (ambient and layered forever) can also play to the warmth or coolness of the elements you’re trying to enhance. It can also help you achieve that restaurant/bar feeling in your home just with the dimmer (which, by the way, should be as chic as the fixture!)
I also think we’re going to be seeing a lot more futuristic, monochromatic spaces with pops of colour or pattern to really play into the uniqueness of the client. Plus, you can never have too many martini glasses, shakers, and unique bar accessories.
Kinda makes you want a cocktail now, no?
Level up your lighting
While we’re on the topic of lighting, let’s talk about my favourite way to make a small change in your space that has a big impact. I absolutley love changing out my light fixtures for pieces that feel more unique/custom in my home. I could scroll Etsy, 1stDibs and marketplace for hours, but here are a few shapes I love to get us started.
The Ariel Fluted White Marble Wall Sconce from CB2 really is that girl. I love the texture that the ribbing of the sconce offers and how versatile it is. I’d personally put these in living rooms, hallways or even a small powder room.
I just got back from a really special trip to Mexico, so spanish-style lighting is really front of mind for me. Anytime you can add in natural textures, like the stone in this Sonoma Wood and Stone Wall Light, it immediately adds a sense of warmth and calmness to the space.
To me, though, nothing will ever really beat the drama of a really well-done chandelier. When I say I would redesign my entire house just to make this chandelier work, I’m really not kidding. The Lia pendant is so versatile and can work in so many spaces, but also really plays into the riskier feel of trying to incorporate some hospitality elements from your favourite restaurant or bar into your space. I love the whimsical, romantic feeling of this light, and it becomes such a statement in any room, without being overpowering or too heavy.
My unlimited budget daydreams
If you know me, you know how much I love Loewe. I shed many a tear when Jonathan Anderson left for Dior (it’s like your favourite player being traded for another team!) There’s something so special about a designer taking a brand like Loewe and completely reinventing it, while also staying true to core of the brand.
I’ve wanted a Puzzle bag for years now, but when I got the email about their new Madrid bag, I think my heart stopped. The whole story and craftsmanship behing the bag is so special, and I find Loewe the ultimate inspiration for any creator when it comes to putting everything you have into your work. I highly recommend reading the story of their new Madrid bag here. And while you’re at it, feel free to continue the daydream with me and admiring the new colours of their infamous Puzzle bag.
Truly, no one does it like Loewe.
That’s all for today. If you want more, I’ll be continuing my daydreaming on my Pinterest where you can find all my April inspiration.
xx.RL