The importance of good lighting

Falken Reynolds (from my previous post) happen to be spokespeople for Philips line of LED light bulbs, and utilized a Gastown loft they designed to ilustrate the importance of decent lighting (and the beauty of light by LED bulbs). I thought this was worthy of a mention because these photos REALLY show you what significant impact lighting can have in a space. I'm not a designer so sometimes I tend to forget the "rules" but this team has come up with 5 important tips I wanted to share, which I think are very well illustrated with the photos of this loft. (Read more about it here). (LOVE the tiffany blue wall!!!)
Tip #1: Have different lights for multiple purposes
Tip #2: Use dimmers everywhere
Tip #3: Light tabletops and countertops
Tip #4: Take cues from natural light
Tip #5: Light the things you love 

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Vegas Market - part 2

I showed you the Four Hands showroom earlier, but there were so many other showrooms that caught my eye as well. While partaking in the Traditional Home treasure hunt, I managed to snap some photos of pieces that pretty much distracted me from the tasks at hand.

Another of my favourite showrooms was Lulu & Co. I love French furnishings - the rustic vibe, classic and understated. These guys do it VERY well. 

Palecek was also in my top 3 showrooms. Every single piece was absolutely gorgeous and made of the most incredible materials. Unfortunately I didn't end up snapping many photos there. 

Loved the pieces by Fred. Wood and steel case goods with a mid-century modern vibe. 

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Vegas Market - part 1

Happy Friday everyone! I am back from Vegas, having attending the Vegas Market for the first time and holy smokes did I see some fantastic stuff! I had a great time so a huge thanks to Traditional Home magazine for sending me. I also got a rare opportunity to meet a bunch of fellow bloggers including Jill, Cassandra, Victoria, Naomi and Kelly. To let you in on what I was up to this week in Vegas, I thought I'd start by showing you a peek at the lovely hotel we stayed in, and my favourite showroom at Market. 

We were booked at the Aria hotel, which is relatively new on the strip. I brought my mom with me (she needed a holiday desperately) and we both really enjoyed the room - the beds were heavenly, and it was very tough call to climb out of bed each morning. Lots of great restaurants (Julian Serrano's tapas restaurant was YUMMY) and shopping too. 

P.S. I have to mention this because I am so shocked. My mom flew home to Ottawa from Vegas with Delta airlines (I flew with AA). She missed her connecting flight in Detroit because the Vegas fight was delayed by about 2 hours. With more cancellations and a whole bunch of dumb excuses later, she finally got home - nearly 24 hours later. So just a tip for anyone traveling around the States - DO NOT fly Delta. And their heartless staff didn't give a shit that almost 500 people ended up stranded - not for weather reasons but because of pilots not showing up and other ridiculous reasons). 

 

On Tuesday after all of us bloggers had finished a tour and "treasure hunt" at the Market, we were invited for cocktails at the Four Hands showroom. This showroom became by far my favourite of the entire event. Their aesthetic is so up my alley - lots of pieces created from reclaimed wood and furniture made from metal creating a very industrial look. YESSSS!!!!! I had my margarita in one hand and my camera in the other, and did a quick tour around. Fabulousness at every turn. (I must add that there were such beautiful groupings of wild flowers everywhere that just made the displays perfect - one photo below shows flowers tucked into rolled magazine pages. Cute!)

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Charles de Lisle - a quickie

Before I pass out, here is one more quickie, courtesy of the portfolio of interior designer Charles de Lisle. It is a few bits from one of his projects, that features a pretty funky light fixture in a dining room and one of the coolest coffee tables I've ever seen. (I seem to be crushing on Charles as I've blogged his work already here, here and here).

A London Triplex

Here's another property from Domus Nova with a big wow factor. It's a recently remodeled triplex that features an original Victorian staircase, which houses an incredible installation of "leaves of paper" as if floating, etched with personal anecdotes of writers. The black and white colour scheme with dark wood floors is dramatic and modern, and the main attraction? The to-die-for grouping of Tom Dixon Beat lights over the dining table. I REALLY need to get my hands on a few of those, especially since I've been obsessing over them forever. 

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