DECORATING
There it was: the perfect bedroom.
TEXT BETHANY LYTTLE PHOTOGRAPHY DONNA GRIFFITH STYLING ANN MARIE FAVOT
IT TAKES A
Want a room with dimension and personality? Don’t decorate alone.
Natural light poured in through large windows, heritage millwork flattered its doorways and spacious dimensions allowed more furniture than just a dresser and a bed. So why in the world was it so difficult to decorate? Baffled, the homeowner stood in the doorway and stared. After two years of decorating effort, the room still looked generic. “That’s when it occurred to me,” she says. “If I wanted a room with personality, I needed to make it about people – not objects.” Enter a group of five cool design professionals. Long admired by the homeowner, each was invited to contribute his or her expertise – be it decorating, upholstery or artwork – to the room and had free rein to create something that would most enhance the space. The outcome was extraordinary, just as the trusting homeowner knew it would be. Staci Edwards, the owner of design, upholstery and sewing shop Switch Studio in Mississauga, Ont., delivered a striking voluminous tufted headboard that earned centre stage in the room. Upholstery genius Jodie Merson of J&J Made in Toronto upcycled a faux-bamboo-framed bench that had a tattered woven seat using a sultry print that suggests world travel. Not to be outshone, Endeavour Neon’s
LEFT In a 1920s house, neon is delightfully unexpected, contrasting beautifully with the precise, tailored drapery beside it. A velvet-upholstered armchair sitting on a pale blue runner distinguishes this cozy reading nook from the serene sleeping area.
