Trends 2012


Dare and have fun! That's the message I took home from IDS, Canada's largest contemporary design fair, held in Toronto at the end of January. This year's event was clearly the show of sparkly chandeliers. I saw them everywhere! Both contemporary and more traditional spaces boasted large-scale light fixtures, often coupled with an animal-print couch and a rough wooden table. This is very descriptive of interior design of today: it's all about mixing! High and low, styles and materials. Who says a tree stump side table cannot live next to an antique chair? And how about that industrial lamp in my traditional kitchen? The answer is: they do work! You can "play up" or "play down" an environment depending on what objects you bring in. The tension that is created when the two worlds meet is what makes it interesting. Follow me as I walk you through some other highlights from the show.
Groupings of small light fixtures are 
a good alternative to an oversized 
fixture. As you can see, the result
is equally effective. 
This is a good example of mix of materials.
The round glass table complements the massive
crystal chandelier beautifully. And the light wood
frame on the upholstered chairs gives the
transparent surfaces a nice, solid break.
Elegant!
If you think you could easily get tired
of an animal print on the couch...
...why not try it on a smaller 
piece of furniture?





Colourful and adorned tiles give your
kitchen or bathroom personality and
introduce a pop of colour. Combine
one big, patterned tile with plain white subway tiles.
Brass is back, as seen in this 
beautiful faucet. Look how well 
it combines with the light green 
in the background.
The raw light bulb and brass frame of this 
scaled-down fixture give it an edgy, industrial
feel. Several fixtures hung together at different 
heights will look like an installation, a piece of art. 
Yes, chandeliers also work perfectly
fine in bathrooms. 
This might be an unexpected mirror 
for a bathroom, but its robust organic
qualities complement the watery-coloured
tiles and white sink very well.



Look at the height of the coffee table. It's low!

Patchwork is very popular right now. 
I saw it in textiles...
...and in rugs. Take note, all quilters! 
This graphic rug tells a story, quite
literally.
It's made up of letters!
We've seen mugs and blankets decorated with
our personal photos. Now our loved ones can
also take centre stage on a rug!

Introduce some ethnic vibes into your space.
If you want to stick to a northern
Ontario culture, a tree-stump table
couldn't be more right!

These colourful rugs would look great
in an all-white room.
The back of this comfy and stylish 
Norwegian chair is made from a 
spinnaker canvas. Makes me long 
for summer! 
Doing your e-mails in style! This 
spider-like lounger chair takes 
"home office" to a completely new
level.





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