Modern Furniture That Works Anywhere

Many clients are afraid to incorporate modern furniture styles in their homes if they tend toward a more traditional style of decorating. However, many pieces of modern furniture are so well designed that they have a transitional appeal, meaning they can be mixed with other styles seamlessly. I have been known to mix contemporary furniture with antiques in the same room, and I like the contrast between different styles of furniture. It keeps your rooms unique and unexpected. Here are some classic furniture pieces that we will often incorporate into our Calgary interior design projects. You may have seen these pieces before in design magazines because they are favorites of many designers. Here are some ideas of how to incorporate them into your home and where to find them in Calgary.

 Photo courtesy of Coco Cozy

The Saarinen Tulip table is available in several sizes and finish options, but my favorite has the round marble top. The base is simple and sleek and doesn’t compete with an ornate chair. Kit Interior Objects carries this piece of furniture.

Interior design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design

This is my own kitchen dining table. I paired my marble Saarinen table with chinoiserie-style black lacquer dining chairs from Maria Tomas. Since the base of this table is so simple the decorative chairs do not compete with it.

Photo courtesy of Nibs Blog

The writer of Nibs Blog did a lovely post featuring several different rooms with the Saarinen table. This room took my breath away. I like the idea of using it in a library space.

Photo courtesy of Nibs Blog

This table looks perfectly at home surrounded by these antique wood dining chairs. What a lovely dining room!

Photos courtesy of Sunset Magazine via the blog Material Girls

Here it is sporting a dark wood top. Again, it works really well with modern pieces like the chairs and traditional décor. Check out those candelabra on the fireplace!

The Phillipe Starck Ghost Chair has become an iconic piece of furniture. It is available through Kit Interior Objects in Calgary and works wonderfully as a dining chair, accent chair or desk chair. The modern take on this traditional style is a huge hit with designers because of its classic shape, clear finish and versatility.

Interior Design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design

In this teenaged-girl’s bedroom, we used the Ghost Chair at our client’s homework desk. It’s fun and since it is clear, it’s not bulky in a small space.

Photo courtesy of  My Lavender Fields

The chair works really well in this sophisticated study too. It disappears so that the interesting bookcases become the focal point.

Photo courtesy of Decorpad

In this dining area, the Ghost is paired with other clear acrylic chairs. I love the modern farmhouse look this designer has created.

Photo courtesy of Nori Studios

I never thought to use the chair outdoors until I saw this lovely dining area!

Photo courtesy of Herman Miller

I would be shocked if you weren’t familiar with the Eames Lounge and Ottoman. This beautiful example of craftsmanship was designed in the 50’s by Ray and Charles Eames and is arguably one of the most recognized pieces of furniture ever built. In Calgary, you can order this chair from Contemporary Office Interiors (COI).

Interior design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design

In my own home, I used an Eames Lounge and Ottoman in my family room. I chose the walnut wood finish and a camel-colored leather. It sits atop a vegetable dyed traditional area rug and is a favorite place to sit with my son when we are reading a book.

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I haven’t seen it upholstered like this before! Usually it is covered in leather but the plaid is a fresh approach and I like its novelty.

Photo courtesy of Smart Furniture

This piece has a masculine feel, and is right at home in this study. The Eames Lounge is a terrific choice in an Arts and Crafts home because the attention to detailing suits the Craftsman aesthetic. It also would look marvelous in a more rustic home with its molded plywood frame and leather seat complimenting the architectural style.

Photo courtesy of In Design

Upholstered in white leather, this chair has a lighter, more feminine feel. It’s a perfect choice for a reading area because of its comfort. It’s also great if you have a wonderful view and want a swiveling chair. Hands down, this is the best looking swivel chair out there!

Child-sized Eames replica by Little Nest

This child-sized replica is not yet available in Canada to my knowledge, but I am hoping it will be soon! How adorable!

These iconic pieces of furniture have a timeless appeal, and are built to last if you buy an original. Of course there are stores in town like Nood, which carry less expensive knock-offs, but I am a huge aficionado of the real McCoy. They are built better and last longer. Plus, they will retain some of their value. As the above images illustrate, these pieces of furniture can work in many different styles of home. Their classic lines, interesting design, flexibility and craftsmanship make them favorites in the furniture industry. Have some fun and don’t be afraid to add some modern furniture into the mix!

Cheers!

Jacqueline

Kitchen Island Lighting

Interior design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design

Having an island in your kitchen is wonderful for a number of reasons. One of my favorite things about an island is that it provides an opportunity to showcase a statement light fixture above it. Of course, having ample light over your island is crucial, but the fixture should be something special, and complement the lighting over your dining table if it is nearby. Here are some of my favorite looks for island light fixtures.

Interior Design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design

The first and second photographs are from two of our Calgary kitchen renovation projects.

Both use the same light fixture from the Pelham collection from Hudson Valley Lighting which is available in Calgary from Robinson’s Lighting and Bath Center.  This is a favorite light fixture because it works in both contemporary and traditional kitchens. It provides great task lighting and is timeless in style.

Photo courtesy of Décorpad. Photography by Brandon Barre Photography

Small chandeliers hung over your island can be absolutely charming. In the above photograph, the sparkly chandeliers are a dramatic contrast to the contemporary kitchen and commercial-style appliances. The juxtaposition really highlights how pretty these fixtures are. I think this mix is really interesting!

Interior design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design

In this French country-inspired kitchen renovation that we completed last year, we used three wrought iron mini chandeliers from Jeremiah Lighting and purchased them through Cartwright Lighting. We chose more traditional chandeliers to complement the style of this kitchen.

Interior design by Gluckstein Design

Altar Light by Holly Hunt

The Altar Light by Holly Hunt is absolutely extraordinary over an island. This design has influenced many other lighting companies to come up with their own similar versions of the candle-like light fixture. One note of caution – this fixture is mainly for mood lighting, although there are two puck lights that shine down on the work surface. If you are going to use a fixture like this one, make sure there are other alternative light sources over your island.

Interior design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design

Hurricane light fixtures like this one are an elegant statement in a traditional kitchen and work especially well if you have a chandelier over an adjacent dining table. They throw a lot of light and are enduring in style. Our client found these light fixtures at an antique shop, and we had them rewired to suit modern standards, but many companies make hurricanes similar to these.

Photo courtesy of Costal Living

This is totally adorable! I love the spunky print, over-scaled size of the light shade and the introduction of a zippy pattern. It’s this shade that brings personality into this kitchen. A simple shade can be re-made very easily using a pretty colored silk or patterned fabric.

Hanging interesting light fixtures over your kitchen island will further enhance it as the focal point in your room. Step outside your comfort zone and choose one that makes a statement when you are selecting the lighting for your kitchen. Think not only about how much illumination the fixture will provide, but also how it will enhance the design of your kitchen.

Cheers!

Jacqueline

Top Ten Favorite Benches

Benches are versatile pieces of furniture that look great in so many rooms. Foyers, bedrooms, living rooms, and dining rooms can all benefit from adding a bench. They can provide extra seating and also be just something pretty to look at. Some typical places for benches would be in front of fireplaces, in entries, or at the end of a bed. They may also be used as coffee tables, tucked under console tables for extra seating, or in bathrooms beside a freestanding tub or at a vanity counter. Smaller benches look great in pairs and can be used in the same applications instead of one long bench. My Calgary interior design firm, Corea Sotropa Interior Design selected these benches as our favorite ones to use in our projects.

These fully upholstered stools from Vanguard Furniture would be great tucked under a sofa table. The upholstery tacking in chrome or brass adds sparkle and further accentuates their interesting lines. They would look best in a solid or lightly textured fabric because their shape is interesting on its own. The linen on this one gives it a casual French feel but it would be equally gorgeous in jewel toned velvet. In Calgary, Vanguard furniture is available through Domaine Fine Furniture.

Kravet manufactures these very contemporary benches with metal or wood bases. They have a simple, clean line but the button tufting on the top of the seat adds a luxurious feel. Putting this bench in a more traditional setting would add an interesting tension to a room. It would also be fabulous in an entry or as a coffee table. I’d love to see it in an animal print.

This lovely bench by Hickory Chair is available in Calgary through Maria Tomas. This bench, called the Woodward, looks best upholstered in silk to complement its delicate silhouette. Picture this elegant option at the end of your bed!

The Anastasia bench also by Hickory Chair was designed by Suzanne Kasler and as you know, she is one of my favorite designers. This pretty stool has the most beautiful legs and whimsical style. Hickory Chair provides different finish options enabling you to completely customize your piece resulting in a different look. I have one of these benches in my own bedroom with the black wood finish. This stool makes me happy every time I look at it! Keep the upholstery simple with this bench, the interest is in the legs.

Bedroom design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design

Here is a photograph of the Anastasia bench in my own bedroom with a simple yellow fabric and the black stained legs.

This little lovely has faux bamboo legs fashioned out of patina metal. Recently, we ordered two of these benches for a client’s living room. Geometric patterned mohair from Kravet was selected for the upholstery. They should be arriving soon, and I can hardly wait to see them! The Bamboo Ottoman by Baker Furniture is available through Eisnenberg’s Fine Furniture in Calgary.

Baker Furniture also carries this elegant bench in their Thomas Pheasant collection. The legs swoop in a graceful curve and the button tufted upholstery is further finished with a short row of upholstery tacks above the leg. This bench would be right at home at the base of an upholstered bed.

This is just so pretty. The Sarah bench is part of an exclusive furniture collection designed by Jan Showers and is available through interior designers. Showers’ signature look is glamour, glamour, glamour, and this stunning bench epitomizes that style! This would be stunning in front of a fireplace.

Well, maybe this is more of an ottoman then a bench but I had to include it anyway because the Humphrey Ottoman is so unique. Shine Furniture specializes in unusual pieces and this is no exception. The pattern on the corner is unexpected and fresh. We are using this piece of furniture in a client’s recreation room around a games table instead of chairs. It could also be moved around the pool table for extra seating or with a tray on top provide extra table space.

Here is the Huphrey ottoman in a bedroom project by interior designer Tobi Fairley. It is so cheeky and youthful in this juicy teal color.

Crate and Barrel offers this simple but well-designed bench called the Colette. Its versatile style and the fact that it is easy on the pocketbook make it a great choice for a bedroom. The row of upholstery tacks gives it a sophisticated, tailored look.

Sarah Richardson has designed a line of furniture that is also sold at Maria Tomas in Calgary. The Genevieve bench sits in my own entry and has been a great piece of furniture. I use it for extra seating at my dining room table and it has also resided in my bedroom. I have already had it reupholstered several times depending on my décor scheme. Currently, it sports a very colorful wide striped silk in fuchsia, orange, magenta and chartreuse. It provides a great burst of color to welcome my guests.

Often times a room doesn’t fee finished without a bench. They are both useful and beautiful to look at. They provide flexible seating or may be used as tables with trays on top. Patterned or brightly colored fabrics are a great choice for a bench to if you are looking to add a wow factor to your room. There are so many gorgeous options available and they are really easy to fit into your space. Benches are one of those pieces of furniture that make your room come together. They are designers’ little secret weapon of gorgeousness!

Cheers!

How to Make an Easy Floral Arrangement

There is just nothing like fresh flowers to brighten your interiors. I adore having fresh flowers around me and I find arranging them to be relaxing and rewarding.  I often create flower arrangements for the photo shoots of our interior design projects in Calgary. Here are my tips on creating a lovely arrangement like the one in the photo above.

This particular style of arrangement is really easy to make if you have the right tools handy. All you need is pretty container, some floral oasis (the kind that can be soaked in water), a knife, and flowers!  When you are choosing your flowers go for a variety of bloom sizes, textures and shapes.  Think about mixing roses, lilies and mums together.  If you are worried about putting different colours together, try using a single colour like coral or yellow.  A floral arrangement in a solid colour is so vibrant!

Start by soaking the oasis in water and then cutting it to fit into your container.

Begin with one of your flower types.  I love roses in these arrangements because of their saturated colour and they open so majestically.  I chose yellow roses for this arrangement.  Also, I think it is more effective if you bunch or group several blooms together.

I used 2 dozen roses in this arrangement.

Add in each flower type one at a time.  In this arrangement I added some lovely lilies that were a citrus yellow.  Mixing the differing shades of the colour you choose makes the arrangement more interesting. There were five stems of lilies used in this arrangement

Next I filled out the arrangement with alstroemeria . This is a great flower to use because it is inexpensive and really fills up the arrangement.  It is really important to keep turning your arrangement as you go and make sure that the proportion feels good.  It doesn’t have to be completely symmetrical (nothing in nature is!) but it should be balanced. I often will push in or adjust the positioning of the blooms to get the size of the arrangement right. In total, this arrangement took eight stems of alstroemeria.

I thought this arrangement needed a bit of contrast, so I used a simple white crysanthamum with a chartreuse center.  Since each stem of the mum has multiple blooms they are hard to control.  I tend to chop off each bloom individually and group them together as shown.

Fill in the blank spaces with mums and add some greenery at the bottom of the arrangement.  Simple!

This arrangement will be used during a photo shoot of our client’s new kitchen. The flowers are quite tightly packed together so that they make big impact in the pictures. I thought that the yellow would look amazing with her cream cabinets, grey walls and French Country style.  Here are some more photos of the finished French Country kitchen.

For inspirational floral arrangements check out these websites which are some of my favorites!

Blush Floral Design from Connecticut has a gorgeous website with amazing photography.

Hilary Miles out of Vancouver has a great gallery of simple arrangements.

Calgary interior designers like myself often use Anne Patterson’s Flowers when we need the professionals to handle the arrangements!

Style Me Pretty is a wedding blog featuring fabulous floral ideas. I love perusing their postings for arrangement ideas.

For over the top floral inspiration check out Preston Bailey’s website.  It’s absolutely incredible how he transforms a space.  The events he creates are breathtaking and awe-inspiring!

Cheers!

Decorating with Apothecary Jars

I never get tired of using apothecary jars when I am decorating my client’s homes! I think it is because there are so many wonderful things that you can fill them with so they never get boring. Apothecary jars are a great way of displaying a collection of items and controlling clutter. I get asked all the time about how to incorporate them into your décor so here are a few tips.

We renovated this apartment for a Designer Showcase in Calgary a few years ago and wanted to add some great colour to the island of the kitchen. The apothecary jars filled with fruit worked wonderfully! Insiders tip #1 – Real fruit can start to steam up if the jars are in a warm location and the lid is on tight. Be prepared to replace the fruit often!

This is a photograph of a grouping of jars that we placed in an interior design project in Calgary after we had finished a kitchen renovation. Notice that we used fake fruit to avoid the steam problem! (Hey, at least we learn from our mistakes!). Insiders tip #2 – Use a variety of sizes and heights of jars as well as a variety of items inside them.

Apothecary jars can be used in bathrooms too. In this master bathroom design we placed some jars filled with sponges, lavender and cotton swabs. Insiders tip #3 – Even everyday items can look interesting in beautifully shaped containers.

I love this grouping of everyday bathroom accessories! It makes the mundane look like museum pieces. So elegant! These containers are from Pottery Barn.

One of the best things about decorating with apothecary jars is the ability to change what you are displaying inside them depending on the season. I recently came across this lovely photograph via My Domicile Style. I adore the holiday greens in the jars, and I am going to try this look out myself this year! Insiders tip #4 – Change up what you are displaying to keep your décor interesting.

They look super filled with candy on an accent or hallway table. I could also imagine using buttons, corks from wine bottles or vintage rhinestone pins. Insider’s tip #5 – Use brightly coloured or interesting objects that you have collected for an unexpected display.

What a great way to serve your Christmas cookies! I adore this idea which was featured on Apartment Therapy. I can also see using apothecary jars at a kid’s birthday party filled with colourful candies. How fun would it be for each guest to fill a little goodie bag for themselves before they headed home? The candies wouldn’t last long, but the sugar rush would go on for hours! Insiders tip #6 – Use apothecaries for artfully serving cookies and candies buffet style.

This just screams springtime! I know it’s only December, but I’ve got my eye on this idea come March! Check out Lady Lovona’s Cabinet of Curiosities for a how to on creating this gorgeous plant display. Insider’s Tip #7 – Try using your apothecaries to create a terrarium.

Hope this has inspired you to use your apothecary jars in some interesting ways to add charm to your interiors!

Cheers!

Ready, Set, Blog!

I have finally decided to start blogging. After religiously following some wonderful blogs – often into the wee hours of the morning – I have decided to take the plunge!  Over the past year the blogs I have followed have exposed me to some amazing designers, fabulous products and tons of inspiration. Finally, I have gathered my courage and made the commitment to enter the ring and write about my own experiences as an interior designer. I am tremendously excited about this new blog adventure and I hope you enjoy it!

I thought that I should start off with something easy for me to talk about – like one of my favorite projects! Several years ago, my design firm Corea Sotropa Interior Design completed a designer showcase for the Kid’s Help Phone. The project was a dilapidated apartment building and each suite was assigned to a different Calgary based interior designer. We tackled the project with gusto, punching out walls, ripping up flooring, and completely gutting the old apartment.

A wall separating the kitchen from the living room was removed to open up the space.  The island was designed to separate the living room from the kitchen providing lots of smart storage solutions for the small space. The cabinets were donated by Denca Cabinets (thank you!) and were an unusual combination of celery green and espresso stained maple.

We employed a bright mix of coral, chocolate brown and celery green in the living room and dining area by using some gorgeous Kravet fabrics. In fact, it was the coral embroidered fabric on the modern wingbacks that was the inspiration for the rest of this room. The gorgeous armoire, cocktail table and demi lune credenza by Baker are timeless classics but with a contemporary edge.

The result was so dramatic and even today is still one of my favorites because of the juicy color scheme. I hope you enjoyed it too!

Cheers!

Jacqueline