Bold Colours - DDA IDEAS - Fall 2018

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Decorators & Designers Association of Canada | Fall 2018 | ddacanada.com |

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DDACanada

BOLD COLOURS

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A LITTLE DITTY ABOUT JACK AND DIANE

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COLOR IS SCARY SOMETIMES

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KITCHEN DESIGN USING BOLD COLOURS

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Jennifer Proctor, Ideas Newsletter Editor, DDA

4 Kitchen Design Using Bold Colours Gabriella Luchetta, Marble Trend

5 A Little Ditty About Jack and Diane Steve Ryan

7 Kitchen Renovation with Color Jeanne Grier

10 Colours define the room visually but what about the sound of those rooms? Is it warm or cool?

Mike Freedman

11 Color is Scary Sometimes Raquel Joshua

12 BOLD COLOR MAKES KITCHENS A BETTER PLACE TO BE AND TO SEE Wanda E. Gozdz

13 Kitchen Design Using Bold Colours Catherine Pulcine

14 Bold Kitchen Color Statements: 5 Places to Express Oneself Melvin Ma

15 Go big or go home”—Ideas to Add Bold Colour into Your Kitchen Design

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

JENNIFER PROCTOR, IDEAS NEWSLETTER EDITOR, DDA

Hello all!! I hope you had a fantastic summer despite the heat and smoke that affected, and is still affecting, many of our cities across Canada. This is my favorite time of year; the cooler temperatures are starting and the landscape begins to change with a multitude of autumn colors. Fall is definitely in the air!! With that, we bring you our Fall 2018 Newsletter on Bold Colors in the Kitchen.

Jennifer Proctor

It was exciting to see so many great articles come in for this newsletter. I know summer is always a very busy time for everyone and I thank each of you for taking the time to submit these fantastic and informative articles.

For the Winter 2018 Newsletter, I want to hear from each of you on current trends that interest you, inspire you or even some that may annoy you. An example would be how popular the use of the color Navy is becoming in interiors or (because this is the Winter Newsletter) themed Christmas trees. Yes, I said it! Before we know it, Christmas will be upon us and we will be frantically decorating our homes for family and friends.

Thank you and watch for those newsletter reminders!

Jennifer Proctor Editor

Jasmine Anne Koblik

16 Chapter Updates NCR Update GST West Update Toronto Update

18 New Members

DDA IDEAS NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE Jennifer Proctor EDITOR Jennifer Proctor E-MAIL newsletter@ddacanada.com WEBSITE ddacanada.com

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DDA NEWS FALL 2018 — 3

KITCHEN DESIGN USING BOLD COLOURS

GABRIELLA LUCHETTA, MARBLE TREND

Gabriella Luchetta

Being a designer in a time where social media shapes our design influences is both an exciting and difficult task. With access to inspiration from around the world, a new perspective on trends that may at one point have seemed completely absurd is being realized. For years the market strayed away from out-of-the-box choices and stuck to traditional styles and colours, possibly because it was difficult for clients to envision unique designs in finished settings. Now with the click of a button (or Hashtag) inspiration is no longer limited to local influences.

staple item for product selection. For example, our recently completed project at La Banane Restaurant, Toronto features beautifully unique tabletops made of Cristalino Salome — a bold grey marble highlighting colourful mixtures predominantly of pinks with ribbons of yellows and blues.

One of the biggest difficulties for designers in sourcing materials through social media is finding out exactly what material was used in that perfect Instagram photo sent by the client. That’s where a Rosa Estremoz

Cipollino Verde Ondulator

At Marble Trend we couldn’t be more excited about this shift of inspiration.

As leaders of the stone industry, we are lucky to have access to the most unique materials that Mother Nature has to offer, and for years these choices were pushed aside. In recent months requests for unique stones has skyrocketed, making way for all of the beautiful materials to finally surface.

In kitchen settings, designers are leaning towards these unique materials for bold feature applications such as brightly coloured kitchen islands, tabletops, feature walls and accent backsplashes. In colour trends, our most requested colours have been heavy in the blues, greens and pinks with pops of accents and detailing. From residential kitchens to commercial restaurants, brightly coloured materials are becoming a 4 — DDA NEWS FALL 2018

Illusion Blue

dedicated team of researchers, like ours, come in for designers to help source social media photos and find the perfect match to make design visions become reality.

Photo Credit: La Banane Restaurant Photo by Daniel Ehernworth Photography At Marble Trend we make it a priority to conform to market trends and make the best selection of products available for our designers. To adapt to this new and exciting market shift, we have created a new page on our website called Unique Finds where extraordinary materials from around the world are now available to special order. This virtual collection of exotic and prestigious materials is a trusted source for designers to realize that at Marble Trend their designs won’t ever be limited.

Marble Trend | 310 Oakdale Road, Toronto, ON, M3N 1W5 | (416) 783–9911 | www.marbletrend.com | info@marbletrend.com

A LITTLE DITTY ABOUT JACK AND DIANE

STEVE RYAN

As Designers, we are often asked to do very neutral interiors. Sure, they’re easy to live with, harmonious and easily jazzed up with textures and colourful accessories but they’re pretty boring and unchallenging to our talents once you’ve gotten a couple under your belt. The fact that these are the interiors basically dominating every Canadian Design magazine (even dedicating entire issues to WHITE), makes talking a Client into using colour a hard sell.

Enter, the White Kitchen. Yeah, I like ‘em too and they’re bright and I’m just as guilty of associating *white* with *clean* (Kitchens are basically a Petri dish with a sink) but it seems every Client wants one. A specific one. That one would be in Diane Keaton’s house in the movie, “Something’s Gotta Give”. For those of you who don’t remember, “Something’s Gotta Give” was a mildly popular 2003 rom com where Diane Keaton plays ‘Erica Barry’, a successful late 50’s divorced playwright living in this ginormous peroxided beach house in the Hamptons with a white Kitchen bigger than my one-bedroom Toronto apartment. She eventually finds true love with a disheveled man-baby played

by Jack Nicholson. Everyone who saw it wants that house and that kitchen (it was even featured in Architectural Digest for Pete’s sake). OK friends, let me tell you a couple things about that house.

First of all, I don’t know what the mortgage payments on a house like that are, but as someone who used to BE in show biz, I can 100% guarantee no playwright can afford them. Seriously, she’d have to be cranking out Tony Award winning Broadway plays every season in addition to adapting their screenplay versions which a studio already paid to secure the rights for plus scripting the occasional ‘Law&Order’ just to make ends meet. Secondly, if she were a ‘True Artiste of the Theatre’ she’d be living in a crappy bachelor pad in a sketchy neighborhood with a bathtub in the kitchen and a toothless hobo passed out on the front stoop like Bette

Midler’s character in “Beaches”. How does she even have time to keep that house clean let alone write her next smash hit? That entire house—including kitchen—is pure movie magic. But I digress.

This brings me to my main point, that Kitchen—nice as it is—would look just as good if the cabinets were Navy Blue or Forrest Green, or Cranberry Red. You get the picture. This is where Designers and our skill set come in. We know there are lots of ways to make a colourful kitchen design look awesome even if a Client is hesitant. You could do white or soft grey cabinets but use colourful floor tiles or paint the ceiling a colour. This way the colour is below or above the sight line making it easier for a colour-phobic Client to handle. If they really want white cabinets but are a little more daring, using bold coloured tiles on the backsplash can create visual interest and focal point. Even though the colour is more blocked, it’s balanced by a lot of white. If they’re more open to colour, you can do white uppers and coloured lowers. You could do the reverse but I like the colour on the bottom. It’s more grounding and again the colour is

Steve Ryan

DDA NEWS FALL 2018 — 5

below the sight line. If there is an island, you can do neutral uppers and lowers but paint the island a bold colour (the island usually has seating on one side which will block some of the colour making it easier to transition to the main space if it’s open concept). And if you really think a full coloured kitchen is the way to go, sell it to them using your skills. Plan out the kitchen, do your renderings and elevations—or even just rough sketches—then photocopy them, get out your markers, watercolors, crayons, etc., and just colour them in in a variety of combinations (including that boring neutral they asked for) and present them. I did this all the time in school when coming up with my design schemes. OK, not ALL the time, but often. The point is, Clients don’t have the visual skills we do and part of our job is to push them a little out their comfort zone to get a bigger, better result. Showing

them something visual can really wow them and deepen their trust and confidence in you. It ends up being a much more rewarding experience for everyone involved. Colour is not a four-letter word and together we can create bold, unique kitchens that Clients will love to spend every day in.

The worst that can happen is they’ll say no and you will have one more white kitchen in your portfolio. You can blame it on Diane Keaton.

Steve Ryan is the Owner and Principal Designer of Steve Ryan Designs. He’s a graduate of the Interior Decorating Program at George Brown College and has a degree in Theatre and English Literature from the University of Guelph and Toronto’s Second City Training Centre. Much like actress Diane Keaton, he also looks fetching in a white turtleneck. Photo Credit: Pierre Gautreau Photography

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KITCHEN RENOVATION WITH COLOR

JEANNE GRIER, PRESIDENT, STYLISH FIREPLACES & INTERIORS

Long-time clients called me last winter, to help them update their kitchen. They have always embraced colour, and this project was to be no different. They asked to keep their existing white cabinets, and to replace the island, countertops, floors, and backsplash. As you can see in the “Before” photo, they previously had a scheme of antique gold and plum. Here are my tips for helping clients embrace bold colours in the kitchen: 1. Put colour on surfaces that are easily replaced. The kitchen is the heart of any home, and one that is expensive to renovate.

Keeping the key elements neutral will save regrets—and money —down the road. In this case, we painted the walls violet, and we had the custom island painted a deeper purple.

Both can be repainted in future, should the need arise. All other surfaces are clean, crisp white.

2. Tie colour to permanent elements. In this case, the entry hall is paved in purple-veined marble tile. With no plans to change those tiles, the client was ready to embrace more purple in the kitchen. Should future owners not like purple, the purple in the kitchen will be much easier to change than those tiles!

3. Be a mix-master when it comes to metals.

Our brass light fixture speaks to the metallic gold upholstery on the stools, as well as the gold hardware on the cabinets. Appliances and plumbing fixtures are in stainless steel and chrome, which sit quietly in the background amidst all the white.

4. Use texture to balance out bold colours.

The new floors are gray-veined porcelain tile, which is bold enough to stand up to the purples, without being distracting.

Backsplash tiles are large and white, with a leafy texture to keep them from getting lost

Before

against the white cabinets. The new granite countertops are mostly white, with purple veining, and beautifully tie all the surfaces together.

5. Find a ‘roadmap’ fabric to pull it all together.

Although the existing valances were only a few years old, the client realized that she couldn’t make the changes she wanted without changing that fabric. We found a new pattern, with purple and gold on a white background, to tie all the other elements together.

Jeanne Grier

Jeanne Grier is the President and owner of Stylish Fireplaces & Interiors. She is an award-winning interior decorator with over 25 years’ experience. She now applies her design expertise to custom fireplace designs, and helping homeowners and other designers to create beautiful fireplace features. Jeanne is also a member of the DDA Board of Directors, and an Affiliate member of DDA. www.stylishfireplaces.ca

After DDA NEWS FALL 2018 — 7

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DDA NEWS FALL 2018 — 9

COLOURS DEFINE THE ROOM VISUALLY BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SOUND OF THOSE ROOMS? IS IT WARM OR COOL? MIKE FREEDMAN

Mike Freedman

Look, I do not pretend to be a kitchen designer.

I am colour blind and create cool theatres and sound systems but am as close to being a designer as you are to setting up sound systems. However, I do spend a lot of time ensuring that our portion of the contribution to your new kitchen enhances it and blends in with it. I don’t know the first thing about the visual element of using bold colours in a kitchen, even if I could tell you what those colours are. What I do know about is using non-visual elements to make sure that your kitchens are enhanced immeasurably.

I also know that this article is only supposed to be about using bold colours to design a kitchen.

All good but what about when you take all of the time to create an amazing space and someone who does not know what they are doing, puts giant, ugly speakers in your ceiling or uses the wrong equipment so that the sound detracts from your space instead of enhancing it? It doesn’t matter what colours you use … if the auditory experience isn’t on par with the visual experience then the whole room is diminished.

Let’s break this down.

Music in the home makes people happy. Food tastes better, there is more laughter, love and togetherness. People spend more time together, eat more meals together and couples are even more intimate (might want to be careful how you position this one but I will add that a good music system is often cheaper than marriage counselling).

Music sets the mood. That’s a given. How that music sets the mood is a little more scientific.

We know certain types of music set a mood.

Classical music relaxes us. Hard rock can agitate and stress out non-metalheads. Songs associated with memories can trigger extremely strong emotional reactions too.

But how we listen to that music also has a pretty significant impact on our enjoyment of a room and our subsequent mood. Immersive and engaging music is not notable but bad sound always is. If

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you have ever been to Las Vegas you have already experienced this. Casinos spend a small fortune on expensive speakers so that the music is crystal clear and enhances the space. You notice when the music is missing but when the music is on, it sounds natural to the space and as though it was organically part of the space itself.

It is the same at home. In the new kitchen you just designed, the sound really does matter.

If the bass is weak the music sounds flat, insipid and distracting. If the bass level is too high, the room sounds like a throbbing mess and listening becomes strenuous.

If the speakers are not of high enough quality they will sound harsh and muddy when listening to higher tones in music. They won’t hold up when you put on Bocelli while cooking Italian food. They emit a dreary, tedious sound which is taxing on your ears.

A simple test is to turn on the music in the kitchen.

You can easily tell if a solution is engaging because good sounding music causes people to move their bodies … whether its tapping your foot to the beat, singing along or even getting up and starting to dance. Look around the room. Look at your own reaction. If music does not emit a response it’s probably because it doesn’t sound the way it is supposed to be heard, true to the artists intent.

One final (and very important) consideration is ease of use. Can you quickly pull up your favorite music and play it in your kitchen? Is it easy to access and can every member of the household work it? If these questions cannot be answered with a resounding yes, it is time to revisit your solution. Ease of use and fast time to music are essential must haves!

So how do you ensure that all of the elements of your new kitchen are on par with each other and at the same high level of quality? Easy, you plan your kitchen that way and in order to ensure that the non-visual elements do not detract from the work you have done, speak with a dedicated audio consultant. Find someone who can help you create

an audio experience which sounds as good as the new kitchen looks. As long as you know what to ask for, the right professional can help you put it together.

The kitchen is not the cabinets. The kitchen is not the countertops, lighting, flooring, music or any other single element. The kitchen is the sum of all of these things and the experience in that kitchen is also the sum of all parts.

Make sure that the music which your customers will listen to daily is not the weakest link and adds to the room you have worked so hard to create. Looking amazing is only part of the experience.

Mike Freedman is the founder of Audio Insider & Director of Business Development for Hi Fi Centre, one of North America’s premier audio companies.

He is also one of the founding fathers of Sonos Canada and over a decade working with Sonos. Prior to Sonos he worked for many top audio brands including Beats, Skull Candy, Polk Audio, Tannoy, PMC, Onkyo, Linn, Sennheiser, Mitsubishi, Parasound, Lab Gruppen, Monster and many others When not working or listening to music Mike loves boating and being on the water and cooking BBQ low and slow. He lives in South Surrey BC, married with 3 young kids, 2 black labs and a grumpy cat This summer he has been enjoying Steve Wilson’s music, some mid-nineties music and lots of old blues-based classic rock.

COLOR IS SCARY SOMETIMES

RAQUEL JOSHUA

Colour is scary sometimes. It’s not something we directly give attention to when thinking about kitchens. As trends evolve, the kitchen usually has the same aesthetic—clean, pristine, and simple lines. However, who’s to say you can’t add a pop of colour?

Pick anything in the kitchen. It could be the range or the upper cabinets. If that’s too daunting, pick something smaller—such as a kettle, tea towel, or toaster. Now pick a colour. The best tip I have for this is to choose something that you will be exciting to see as you drink your morning coffee or have that secret midnight snack.

Another tip is to research your complimentary colours. It doesn’t have to be the typical blue to orange, red to green, or yellow to purple. Why not choose gold, a close and glamorous family member of yellow, with a pop of eggplant purple? How about a sea-glass green with poppy red accents?

Against a clean, neutral-toned kitchen, the eyes will feast on the interesting pops of colour found on some kitchen accessories or appliances.

If dealing with open shelving, that’s where you can get creative. Why not colour coordinate your dishes, bowls, and cups? That alone is using bold colours in the kitchen, so long as it’s

kept tidy and orderly. This creativity can extend to the pantry! Impress snack eaters and colour coordinate your groceries. This can be done using colourful baskets, which can be found at dollar stores or home décor stores. This usage of colour is great if you are not yet ready to add risky pops of colour to the kitchen itself. I understand that a bright red range or yellow laminate upper cabinetry is not always the most comfortable decision when it comes to adding colour to your home.

Raquel Joshua

I am also a big fan of labels. Label the pantry or fridge baskets and take the items out of the boxy packaging (if applicable to your personal lifestyle).

Place the bars, chip bags, or wrapped cookies in the colourful baskets according to category, and voila! You have a colourful and fun snacking haven!

Walking into stores, I am always drawn to the colourful items. It’s easy to love because it makes you happy to think about all the possibilities of the room you will put them in. It’s also very easy to get carried away with colour—so I suggest picking out one or two, sticking with it, and basing all your choices from those colours for the rest of the room. It will be cohesive, look mature, and yet possess lots of character. Moral of the story— don’t be afraid of colour in the kitchen. It is the one place in the home where the art of food is expressed, so why not give it a great, vibrant easel to work on?

Raquel Joshua is an interior designer and artist in Toronto. Instagram: @thedesign_r. Website: www.raqueljoshua.com

DDA NEWS FALL 2018 — 11

BOLD COLOR MAKES KITCHENS A BETTER PLACE TO BE AND TO SEE

WANDA E. GOZDZ, B.S., A.S., CAPS, CLIPP, ALLIED, ASID, PRESIDENT, GOLDEN AGE LIVING, LLC

Wanda E. Gozdz

It’s no secret that all seniors are highly subject to age-related eye diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration. That’s one of the reasons it is so important to ask, “Are bold and contrasted colors helpful to navigation for older adults?” The answer is “yes.”

People see colors in many different ways. Cells in the retina that are responsible for normal color vision decline in sensitivity as we age, causing colors to become less bright and the contrast between different colors to be less noticeable.

Further, older adults may need up to 70% more light than a typical 20-year old. For older individuals the ability to see well diminishes in the dark or at dusk.

counter and the floor. If it’s hard to see where the counter ends and the floor begins, you may drop things on the floor when you thought you were putting them on the counter.

3. Cork floors with a pattern work well. A cork floor, for example, can create needed contrast with appliances and fixtures. Today cork is available in many patterns and colors, including warm shades of brown. (It also has other advantages, e.g. it can lessen leg fatigue, and it insulates from sound and temperature and on top of that, it is environmentally friendly.)

4. Counters with different colors work nicely, contrasted with solid surface cabinets.

5. Tile or stone floors with contrasting cabinets can work, too.

These are the “Don’ts”: 1. Dark colors are harder for the aging eye to see, with black being the hardest color for the aging eye to process.

2. Avoid shiny surfaces, cabinets and appliances since they can create a glare.

See well in the kitchen, and bon appetite!

Color and contrast play a big role in improving wayfinding for the visually impaired. As visual ability weakens and the lens in the eye yellows and thickens, it becomes difficult to differentiate colors. Contrasting color in the home helps by creating visual cues about transition. Color also matters because it influences emotions, which differ depending upon age.

Kitchen Tips for Older Adults At any age, adults often spend a lot of time in the kitchen. It is the most popular room in the house for many households. Why not make it a great place to be and to see by choosing colors carefully.

Here are the “Do’s”: 1. Light green is refreshing. Blue works nicely.

Older adults often relate well to warm colors such as pink or brown.

2. Color contrast is important … between countertops, cabinets and between the 12 — DDA NEWS FALL 2018

Wanda E. Gozdz, B.S., A.S., Allied, ASID, CAPS, CLIPP, is founder and president of Golden Age Living, LLC, (www.goldenageliving. com) Deerfield Beach, FL, a consulting/interior design company since 2007. A Certified Aging in Place (CAPS) specialist, she is a consultant, residential interior designer, author, accomplished educator, speaker and an award-winning advocate for seniors.

Her goal is to inform aging consumers on how to adapt their homes to their changing lifestyles and to educate professionals who serve the senior market on how to help clients age in place and design “Forever Homes.” GAL’s mission is to empower the aging to live an independent quality lifestyle.

KITCHEN DESIGN USING BOLD COLOURS

CATHERINE PULCINE, LEAD DESIGNER & OWNER, CPI INTERIORS

2018 has been about anything but neutrals! Bold colours have made a serious comeback this year.

Strong blues, vibrant greens, and even some pops of pink and orange are some of the many colours we’ve seen so far this year. If your clients are ones who love a pop of colour, and they want a vibrancy about their space, go for it! But there is one thing to remember. Balance is very important when working with bold colours.

In this article, we discuss a kitchen renovation that Catherine Pulcine completed for a client using some very bold colours. When first meeting with the clients, they were purchasing the home from her parents and wanted to bring the kitchen into the 21st Century. It was a closed in space with little sunlight and no views to the back of the house.

They quite enjoy entertaining as well as cooking and felt that they needed a space where they could do that. They had started to do some of the work themselves only to discover they didn’t really know how to make things come together. Lighting was poor and spaces were awkward. The space needed to be functional however have a more minimalist finished look.

Catherine found her inspiration for the kitchen in a small painting that had the charcoal, orange, white and lime green that was painted by her client. The client loved it and was thrilled that it was inspiring Catherine. It sits on a shelf in the kitchen now.

they were a contrast to the white cabinets and concrete appearance of the quartz countertops.

The introduction of the LED pot lights enveloped the whole kitchen in light. The large window over the sink allowed for light to travel to the whole of the living area. Catherine used solar shades to allow for visual opening while cutting the glare. Utilizing open shelving at the front of the kitchen to each side of the window provided for the minimalist look while still maintaining functionality.

Catherine Pulcine

Before After

Catherine used bold colours in this kitchen to make it contemporary, minimalist, and a bright, small space kitchen that maintains functionality.

These clients are thrilled with the transformation.

Don’t be afraid to use bright bold colours in a space, just be sure that you are using a colour that your client truly loves and wants to see every day.

Inspiration photo

To start making her client’s dreams a reality Catherine decided that the opening up of the kitchen wall provided for a greater counter area with access to the main living spaces and views of the backyard and gardens. Catherine chose bright orange counter stools, with lime green walls as

Catherine has over 25 years in the interior design and decorating business. She started CPI Interiors over 20 years ago (May 1, 1998) and joined North America’s largest interior design franchise company, Decorating Den Interiors in 2012. In her first year with Decorating Den Interiors she was named Canadian Franchise of the Year. She and her team have worked in over 6,000 homes in and around Ottawa. Catherine won top spot in an international interior design in the Living Room Category in spring of 2016. She is a member of the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA.).

DDA NEWS FALL 2018 — 13

BOLD KITCHEN COLOR STATEMENTS: 5 PLACES TO EXPRESS ONESELF MELVIN MA

Melvin Ma

It’s the heart of the home and the center for culinary creativity. So, it’s no wonder homeowners look for ways to bring more of their personality into their kitchen design.

Floors—The next horizontal surface that can add to a kitchen’s color palette is the floor. Here, the choice of flooring material will determine the kinds of colors to choose from.

One of the most versatile and visible ways to do this is with color, the spice of any successful kitchen design recipe.

Choices include Mohawk Endurable solid hardwood, Waimea carpet from Fabrica, Armstrong Natural Creations Diamond 10 Tech—Mystix luxury vinyl tile, or Color Wave Straight Joint mosaic tile from Daltile.

But with most appliances offering limited color options (aside from the usual trifecta of white, black and silver), where can you look to infuse some colorful expression into the kitchen? Here are some suggestions.

Walls—Because much of the wall space tends to be covered by cabinets, backsplashes and appliances, the remaining areas offer a perfect opportunity for a bold accent wall color, without the risk of dominating the room.

Backsplash—Like the walls, the backsplash covers just enough area to accommodate a bold accent color. The wide range of backsplash material options also let you enhance that color with different textures and finishes.

Daltile offers some interesting possibilities such as Glass Horizons Random Linear in either Sea Glass or Sky Blue, or Soiree Mosaic in color choices Antigua or Panama.

Countertops—When looking for kitchen space ideas to display a bit of color, don’t overlook horizontal surfaces. Kitchen countertops, particularly a singular counter on a kitchen island, offer a great surface to serve up a dash of accent color.

Just remember, a darker floor color will tend to visually feel closer, while a lighter floor will appear to recede. So, if it’s a small kitchen space, you may want to consider a color that creates the feeling of a more expansive space.

Cabinets—Most homeowners probably think of cabinet color in terms of wood type. For example, think “cherry wood,” and a color will likely come to mind. But homeowners shouldn’t forget that there are color options beyond wood species and stain.

For example, Omega® Cabinetry offers opaque finishes such as Pesto, Cranberry and Blue Lagoon that let the cabinets make their own stunning statement.

A design expert can help choose and coordinate products to create a bold yet blended kitchen color palette. One that, like a perfectly prepared meal, is a beautifully balanced presentation.

Melvin Ma works at ProSource of Toronto 8 Hafis Road Toronto, ON M6M 2V7 email:mma@prosource.ca phone: 416–248–8383 www.prosourceflooring.com/toronto

Consider options like Santa Cecelia from SenSa or the Mythology Series from Dekton.

This is a brave step that can pay off big in terms of design impact. It’s also a good reason to enlist the guidance of a design professional to help plan and coordinate the project.

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GO BIG OR GO HOME”—IDEAS TO ADD BOLD COLOUR INTO YOUR KITCHEN DESIGN

JASMINE ANNE KOBLIK, PRINCIPAL DESIGN LEAD, THE BEST OF HOME

the base of lower cabinets, build a colour-infused eating nook, implementing playful accessories, artwork, small appliances, décor, textiles and dinnerware or more simply, painting the walls a bright, bold hue. Sticking to 1–3 bold colours to add into the design in smaller ways seems to work well when mixing colour selections with tried and true neutrals.

Jasmine Anne Koblik

On the other hand, if your client is a bit more daring, you get more freedom to think outside the box! Blues and greens are gaining popularity and seem to be creeping into kitchen design, but gage what your client’s preferences are and go for something a little out-of-the-ordinary.

(Photo: Artist, Gillian Hyland’s colourful kitchen sourced via The Guardian through Pinterest)

When it comes to kitchens, we know that white, grey and neutral still band together, stand strong and likely are not yet going to disappear anytime soon. But when you land a client who’s open to using a healthy dose of bold colour, it’s a like winning the lottery of the design world. It opens the door to new options for us to consider that plain jane neutrals just can’t compete with.

How do we help infuse and encourage clients to use bold colour in their kitchens? Depending on the client, this might swing one of two ways. We either help them keep a somewhat neutral base and build in bold colour in small but unexpected ways or we just “go big or go home”. Here are some new ideas to consider that will up the colour game in your next kitchen design project.

If the client is open to bold colour but stills seems reserved, you might consider working in bold colour into the design in following ways: adding a colourful or patterned backsplash to neutral cabinetry, using wallpaper/stencil on larger open walls, use an non-conventional grout colour for backsplash, adding in coloured hardware, faucet or lighting fixtures, going bold with colourful appliances, adding a bold shot of colour to the base of an island or in countertop selections, incorporating a colourful or patterned kick-plate to

For a bigger and bolder effect, try incorporating coloured cabinetry (same coloured uppers and lowers or different uppers and lowers, etc.), play with scale by using large and small patterns in tile, backsplash, wallpaper, upholstery and drapery, break up some of the colour with contrasting/ complimentary colours or other elements like stone, wood, glass, metal, etc., opt for a splash of colour inside cabinetry that can be viewed from glass paneled cabinets doors, go for a multicoloured or patchwork-style backsplash, add an unexpected colour or wallpaper to the ceiling, use colour-blocking throughout the space for some punchy contrast, add an interesting mural to a large open wall or create something unexpected with millwork detail. To get that big and bold effect you’re after, aim for using 3+ colours to create a really unique and interesting sensory experience.

The best designs often happen at the edge of our comfort zone, so go ahead, try something new and get your clients to embrace the idea of a bright, beautiful and bold coloured new kitchen!

With an innate penchant for creativity and helping others see the potential in their homes, The Best of Home interior design studio was born. Our design philosophy is rooted in curating comfortable and collected interiors to help you create your best home. Based in Guelph, ON, our projects span throughout the GTA region offering full-service design and interior styling solutions.

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CHAPTER UPDATES NCR CHAPTER

DEBORAH CASEY, CHAPTER PRESIDENT

NCR Chapter enjoyed a busy summer of events with Affiliate member Marchand Electric kicking things off in May with a seminar on recessed lighting. This product information session brought us up to date on the latest in trims and specifications for this changing market. May also included our experimenting with coming together on an on-line Sales series over 5 days. This was hosted by Sales Coach Madeleine MacRae through her Facebook page. After each session we opened the DDA teleconference lines for those who wished to confer with local members following Madeleine’s informative sessions. The sessions provided many useful take-aways.

… and our featured event was a CEU seminar hosted by Angie Nellis from our newest Affiliate member Cosentino Stone at their stunning showroom in Old Montreal. Having learned all about the characteristics and benefits of Dekton, Silestone and N-Boost, we feasted on a delectable lunch in an atmosphere that allowed us to get to know one another in an informal exchange of ideas and business practices.

We extend our thanks to all those participating and look forward to our next road trip! High Point Market perhaps??

On June 29th Sophia Doucet of Robert Allen Fabrics introduced us to new lines of fabric and Alta care treatment options.

Our Showroom Showdown trip to Montreal in July was a great success. A contingent of members from Ottawa, Montreal and even Toronto were kept on the go with visits to 10 showrooms over two days: Kravet, Theo, Crescendo, Chintz & Co., Altea Furniture, Cosentino, Mitchell Gold/Bob Williams, Celadon, West Elm, Cove SubZero Wolf. We covered an array of products including fabrics, furniture, lighting and wall coverings, stone surfaces and kitchen appliances. Customized tours tailored to our group gave us deeper insight into the companies, the quality of their products and their services to the trade.

Altea Furniture

Chintz & Company

We were hosted by Theo Showroom (formerly Telio et Cie.) Margaret Macdonald at Sub-Zero Wolf and Vassili Moudakis at Altea Furniture at end of day with cocktails and appetizers, following informative and inspiring showroom tours.

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Sub-Zero Wolf

Cosentino Group

GTA WEST CHAPTER

JEANNETTE WISBY, C.I.D.

The GTA West Chapter welcomed spring with a visit to ProSource, Mississauga in May where were welcomed by Elvira Goodenough with refreshments. The presentation was by the Territory Manager of Beaulieu Canada, the 3rd largest flooring company in North America. Specifically, today we learned about the improvements in polyester for their broadloom to that it is softer than Nylon. They also carry laminate planks. The primary discussion was on their Luxury Vinyl Planks, of which they have two collections—hydraluxe and hydraluxe rigid. This company is committed to being environmentally responsible through sustainable product development and best manufacturing practices. At the end of the presentation there was a draw for samples of the LVT’s.

As spring hit us with a bang in June, we made a trip to Kitchener to visit the Smitty’s Fine Furniture showroom. We were welcomed by the Sales Manager and Assistant Manager who provided us with refreshments which was great a it was a very warm day. Smitty’s has been around for a very long time and is still a family owned business. Smitty’s carry a

wide variety of manufactures that we are all familiar with such as Durham, Decor Rest, Artage, Brentwood Classics, and many more. We were given referral coupons for our clients to use in order to receive 30% off.

July brought summer and very hot weather for the most part but it didn’t deter several members from making the trip to Hamilton to the famous Ottawa Street. We had 8 members attend, had a great breakfast at Cafe Limoncello and discussed many tactics and strategies for marketing and running our businesses. The majority of members were fairly new into their ventures and were seeking guidance in many areas. After breakfast we explored the street… . 1st stop Millionaires Daughter.

Then on to the many other great shops.

Photos from GTA West Chapter Trip to Smitty’s in Kitchener

TORONTO CHAPTER

MAUREEN LIEBOVITZ

The Toronto Chapter has been really busy putting together interesting and engaging programs for our members.

In May we had a fantastic turnout for our Professional Development Day. It was an action-packed day with amazing speakers such as Glen Peloso, Cher Jones, Professor Mohanram from U of T and BILD. There was an abundance of amazing door prizes and we were generously hosted by TIDC. In June we had a CEU and networking presentation by Kohler on luxury design.

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In July we held an evening summer social with cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres made by executive Chefs. Great turnout of Affiliates and members, and everyone got to mix and mingle.

Please mark your calendars for our biggest event of the year.

Our Holiday social will be on Thursday November 22nd at The Grand Luxe. You don’t want to miss this amazing party that brings our Industry together. Meet new friends and enjoy an evening of live music and great food and drinks.

NEW MEMBERS PLEASE JOIN US IN WELCOMING THE NEWEST DDA MEMBERS!

Anderson, Edilka (Toronto) - Affiliate - Standard

Iynkaran, Vasanth (Cambridge) - Student

Attar, Dea (Ottawa) - Student

Luk, Joseph (Toronto) - Accredited

Augenblick, Sara (Toronto) - Affiliate - Standard

Mah, Chantel (Vancouver) - Accredited

Buchanan, Kennedy (Etobicoke) - Accredited

Mauro, Melissa (Markham) - Accredited

Daniel, Selina (Saskatoon) - Accredited

Newmeyer, Vickie (Kindersley) - Accredited

Dhinsa, Jublee (Edmonton) - Accredited

Rayburn, Christina (Hamilton) - Student

Donaldson, Jennifer (Hamilton) - Accredited

Reynolds, Marsha (Calgary) - Accredited

Galbraith, Darcie (East Gwillimbury) - Accredited

Sadofsky, Andra (Thornhill) - Accredited

Genuis, Marisa (Ajax) - Student

Talanczuk, Andriya (Ottawa) - Accredited

George, Ogechi (Mississauga) - Accredited

Tcheon, Clara (Winnipeg) - Accredited

Hallam, Suzanne (Stouffville) - Accredited

Vijay, Rohit (Woodbridge) - Affiliate - Standard

Hasselbach Barisow, Hella (Calgary) - Accredited

Yuan, Ruby (Markham) - Student

Heung, Carly (Toronto) - Student Hretsina, Monica (Toronto) - Student

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NEXT ISSUE Our winter newsletter will be focused on current trends.

We encourage you to contribute! Please send your original content, questions or article links to newsletter@ddacanada.com

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