I'm In Love.....

Yes,  that's right and so would you be if you had the chance to visit The Decorating Centre in Burlington, Ontario.  Most decorators and designers who live and work in the GTA and surrounding area are well aware of this treasure trove of everything you require to create beautiful interiors.

The Decorating Centre has it all.  This one stop Design Resource Centre for designers & decorators offers the highest quality and variety of products with so many options you feel like a kid in a candy store. Their knowledgeable staff are always available and happy to help with even the smallest of details.  Owned and operated by Lin, Doug and daughter Tara (Manager) this business has grown in leaps and bounds from its early beginnings.  This can be credited to the fact that they are always obtaining input from the very people who will be utilizing their services - the designers & decorators and trying to make our jobs easier.

They host many different educational seminars throughout the year so that the designers and decorators are always up on the latest offerings they can pass along to their clients.  Every fall they host a fabulous Design Trade Show where many of their suppliers are on hand with displays and current information.  This is a great day where we are treated to a wonderful luncheon,  many prize draws from their suppliers and seminars throughout the day on the latest in design.

This is a trade only business but clients are always welcomed when accompanied with their designer/decorator.  The extremely professional staff are very efficient & knowledgeable about everything in their showroom and will bend over backwards to obtain any information required.  That being said, The Decorating Centre still maintains a casual and welcoming nature that makes everyone who enters feel comfortable and glad they stopped in. 

Their most recent information seminar presented a new line - Norwalk Furniture which they have recently brought in. The information presented was excellent and the product itself, something I would not hesitate to specify.  In fact, after trying out all of the comfy sofas and chairs, I want new ones for me!  The fabrics, furniture, lighting, rugs, paint & wallpaper not to mention all the fabulous accessories available at this shopping mecca, will set your head spinning and the creative juices flowing.

Just a tiny part of their great showroom!

Great food as always.....

Patrick, Sheila and Tara

some happy decorators along with yours truly

I just received another invitation from TDC for a to an information event on Kitchens -

You can always learn more - I think I will go and sign up!

It's Back.....and it's going to get to you!

Wallpaper........

Thats right..... wallpaper is back and in a big and better way than ever before. No more those dated designs of years past, today wallpaper has been re-invented and it is gorgeous. There are so many manufacturers out there it would make your head spin. Talk about making a statement - this is the way to go.  Go ahead and drool over a few I have selected.  If you are interested in any of these, just contact me at jw@designsavvy.ca

 

Paint the Town!

Well now that spring has arrived with a woosh of warm air we all want to freshen up our homes, both inside and out.  What better way than with paint.  There are so many paint options these days with all of the large companies offering   NO VOC or Low VOC paint choices. 

I have attended a few seminars recently and if you are in the mood to paint just drop into your local paint store and get started. 

Here in Oakville I was at an event at the Painters Place which was actually focusing on "Home Staging', however paint was one of the vital aspects to preparing a home for sale.  Real Estate agent Jackie Peifer and Certified Staging professional, Diane Black offered many great tips to homeowners & decorators.  Of course we enjoyed a lovely assortment of treats and door prizes.  Stop by to see the wide selection of paint, papers & some decor items available.

I also attended an event at Speers Paint hosted by Sandra & Guido Di Nicolantonio and their wonderful staff where they welcomed decorators/designers/stagers to view their new expanded line of paint products.  Speers also carries an assortment of window coverings and wallpaper and some decor items.   Great hors d'oeuvres and deserts again and lots of door prizes.  Another great place to drop by to view their great selection

I really must stop eating at these events......... and remember the real reason is that I am going to Learn!

Roll up the Shades....Here comes Hunter Douglas

Well I seem to be going to and writing about many Design Events these days.  It is one of the nicest parts of my job.  You get to see all your colleagues which is important for those of us who work alone in our own business.   You really need that time to network and see what's happening out there and just talk!

There is usually some great refreshments offered at these events which may be just why my clothes are a little snug this spring!  I have no willpower when faced with great hors d'oeuvres and sweets.  Oh well I will just have to do more exercise.   

It has been joked that we just love to go to these events to eat, drink and have fun.  Well we do that, but it really is educational - what better way to keep up with with trends and find out what is "new" out there so we can pass on this information to our clients.

Last week I attended a wonderful event hosted by Hunter Douglas and co-ordinated by The Decorating Centre at the Casablanca Inn in Grimsby.  We were treated to dinner and as well as great desserts.  The presentation put on by Hunter Douglas was very informative and well done.  I believe we all walked away from this event with much more knowledge on window coverings and all the new enhancements made to the Hunter Douglas product lines.

Danny Tulino and Rui Bernardino from Hunter Douglas

Doug & Lin Munro from The Decorating Centre in Burlington, who along with their daughter, Tara offer decorators/designers a vast inventory of everything required to create beautiful spaces.  This wonderful

"One Stop" Design Industry Resource Centre is a must for anyone involved in Interior Decorating & Design! (more to come on TDC)  The Decorating Centre

Here are photos I took of some of their many window treatments.  To view the many options available, including many with motorized features, visit Hunter Douglas at their site www.hunterdouglas.com

Luminette Privacy Sheers & Modern Draperies

Beautiful Shades

Woven Wood Shades

Silhouette Shades

CDECA AGM

Last Week I attended the CDECA Annual General Meeting of Members and Awards Celebration at The

Estates of Sunnybrook - The Vaughan Estate, on Bayview Avenue in Toronto.  What a beautiful venue!

We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast, fabulous lunch and enlightened workshops.  The first workshop was presented by PPG Pittsburgh Paints on "Colour Trends 2010/2011"  followed by "Designing Reality - Change your Perspective - Change the World" with keynote speaker Dan Trommater courtesy of Hunter Douglas.  Great presentations by both speakers.

Following the presentations we had a very special Tribute to

one of our decorators who we recently lost to cancer -

Ingrid Kyranis.  Ingrid is missed by all those who have

known  and worked with her.  The entire room did the

"pink gloves" dance in honour of Ingrid and there was a slide

presentation of many events in which Ingrid was involved.

Our table decor was "pink" with many pink gloves

surrounding a floral arrangement like a wreath!  How clever!

Once we had been treated to some desert, we got down to the business of our Awards Presentations.  Our Decorators/Designers are incredibly talented and should be really proud of themselves!

Decorators on a Field Trip!

This past week a group of GTA West CDECA decorators were off to tour the showrooms at SOFA -

Source of Furniture and Accessories) at the International Centre. (formerly the Furniture Mart)

We had a short business meeting prior to our tour, where Shelley Levy from the Resource Centre gave us an update on SOFA happenings.  Currently Bobby Wertman, director of Leasing and Tenant Relations, SOFA  is at the High Point International Home Furnishings Market checking out what is new and exciting as well as looking for new showrooms to join SOFA.

SOFA has been working on their branding and  have been trying to have consistent hours of operation for all of the showrooms.  This can only make sourcing easier for us.  They welcomed us by providing yummy refreshments and gave us some updated information on what we can expect in the coming months.  They are planning on introducing some "perks" for those who do business with them.  Information on these "perks" will be coming in the near future.

We enjoyed a tour directed by Taline, a student from Sheridan who will be graduating this May, who is on her 3 week placement at SOFA. We were well received by the many showrooms we visited.  SOFA is definitely a place to consider when sourcing beautiful and Canadian made pieces for our clients. 

                             First stop was Chair-Tech Inc 

                     

  

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Korson has something for everybody.  Fabulous furniture & accessories

 

Marcantonio Designs have fabulous leather and other fabrics on many different styles.  They also do custom so you can take a piece and change it to suit your needs 

Here is our little group browsing Sunset Lamp Inc.

 West Bros Furniture

Bailey Street with our wonderful tour guide - Taline

 

  

Karen enjoying a little rest at Villageois Inc. 

We visited many other wonderful showrooms and appreciated the wonderful reception we were given at each one.!  Thank you SOFA

"Back to School"

Last week I had the opportunity and pleasure to visit some of the Interior Decorating Students in their final year at Sheridan College, http://www.sheridaninstitute.ca/ and view their portfolios.  Sheridan has a great reputation for superior education and the students in Audrey Macdonald's Business class are keeping this reputation going.  They presented their portfolios and "sales pitch" to Interior Decorators from CDECA who acted as "potential clients" for the upcoming graduates.  What a fantastic idea and learning tool for them to gain a little practice and feedback in order to prepare them for the outside world of design and decor.  "Hats Off" to their instructor Audrey for arranging this special event as well as to the students who have worked so hard.  Great job!

Audrey Macdonald & students