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Last week we covered minimalist living, this week we want to talk about Asian-inspired living spaces for your Toronto home. Whether you are looking to create a Zen retreat from top-to-bottom or just one room to soothe your yearning for a more balanced state-of-mind, here are some good tips for setting up the perfect Asian-influenced interior.
 
Balance
The first thing to know is that “Asian” is a catch-all phrase for Eastern infused decorating styles and includes everything from Chinese to Indian elements. However, all of these styles have one thing in common: balance. The concept of balance is one that permeates all design, but especially so in Asian design where more formal constructs underpin interior décor. Balance can be created by the proper use of colour, form and texture. If you don’t get the balance of your space correct, your Asian setting will not succeed.
 
Backdrop
Choosing the right backdrop for your room is another very important element of your Asian design. As much of Asian design is based on nature, backdrops often take on the colours and textures of the outdoors or incorporate natural elements including tree and flower patterns, colours and impressions. Japanese paper screens, Indian lattice work or Korean colour-emphasis, choosing one predominant element around which to build the rest of your design is your best bet.
 
Lighting
Sculptural lighting is another mainstay of Asian design. Using lighting is one of the easiest ways to create a to create a soft, calming ambiance in your home. Regardless of whether you have an installation of paper lanterns, a row of candles or more structured, formal light fixtures, this can be a very simple way of getting that Eastern-living look.
 
Minimalism
Minimalism is another staple of oriental décor. Sleek lines, muted but rich colours and an overall theme that pulls the space together are imperative to any successful Asian-themed interior.
 
Greenery
Lastly, don’t forget to include plants and greenery in your design! Having a lovely little Bonsai, some decorative bamboo or some other structured plant in your room will enhance the decor immensely.

Living simply might be a concept hard to grasp in our modern age. With houses increasing in size even as our families shrink in number, consumer goods proliferating our media and calls to buy, buy, buy hitting our senses at every turn, we can certainly be forgiven for thinking that the only way to live is by consuming – this is just not true. There is a great Swedish proverb that states, “He who buys what he doesn’t need, steals from himself.” What in fact you “steal” from yourself is peace-of-mind, financial security and your sense of well-being.
 
Living simply takes practice and self-discipline. Although seemingly easy to do, it actually requires mindfulness and a commitment to only buying what you truly need and to letting go of attachments to objects. Basing your happiness on your own accomplishments and inner peace instead of relying on things to make you smile.
 
The first thing to decluttering and simplifying your life is to sort through your belongings and to get rid of what you haven’t used in over a year. If you haven’t worn it, used it or even remembered that you have it, then you really don’t need – no matter what you believe. Keep only those items that are useful to own and for which you do have a practical use. Discard any old objects. If you have items of sentimental value, it is okay to hang on to them – as long as they are not taking up too much space and cluttering up your life.
 
Here are some other ways to simplify your life:
 
Pay off your debt
Sell off what you don’t really need
Give-away old clothing that you don’t wear anymore
Organize what you have
 
Benefits of simplifying your life:
 
More free time
Less feelings of stress due to attachment to objects
More space
More money
Less cleaning to do
Decrease your eco-footprint
 
Although a simplified lifestyle isn’t for everyone, regardless of who you are, even the smallest change to your lifestyle will produce great results.

Decorating your Toronto home is a highly subjective affair. However, if you are like a lot of homeowners out there, then you will want to know what the upcoming trends are in order to spruce up your place for the summer season. While a number of the trends are whimsical and won’t last longer than one season, others require a larger buy-in as they will affect your living space for some time to come. Let’s take a look at five of the top trends for 2017.
 
1. Navy and Green
That’s right – all of the greys and whites of the past few years are being replaced by navy and dark, rich blues as well as with shades of green. Using Navy as an accent wall, in furniture or just as a theme running throughout your home is the most forward trend right now in home design. Green is another great accent colour that can pop-up throughout your décor for a more pulled-together look.
 
2. Marble/faux finishes
Faux finishes are hot and marble is the hottest finish of them all right now. Not just in flooring, but in wallpaper and faux finishes. Marble is the new chic, go-to for those wanting to glamour-up their surroundings without shelling out the big bucks for some heavy stone.
 
3. Copper/warm hues
Copper and brass are making a big comeback in home décor. The warm tones throw richness and sophistication into any space you envision while also creating an inviting ambiance.
 
4. Matt finishes
When it comes to appliances, shiny is in the past. Trending now are matt finishes that take the emphasis away from the appliances and put the focus more squarely on the lines and design of the space that they occupy. It is a cleaner, sleeker look and makes a bold statement.
 
5. Texture and Geometry
Another hot trend right now is filling your home with interesting textures and equally striking geometric shapes. Naturally, you won’t want to go all out when it comes to either theme, but choosing a few key pieces to incorporate into your decor will go a long way towards updating your current look.
 
Keep in mind that just because something is trending doesn’t mean you have to jump onto the bandwagon. If a trend doesn’t really fit with your sensibilities or style, then it isn’t work incorporating. After all, you’ll have to live with it!

Making a statement in your Toronto home takes little more than imagination and an inspired design. As easy as that sounds, for some, conjuring up a powerful interior design can be difficult. However, by breaking down beautiful rooms, you will see that they all follow some very basic principals – and if you follow those same rules, you can achieve interior design brilliance in your own home as well.
 
Balance
Balance is one of the most important aspects of any interior design. There are three kinds of balance to know about – symmetrical, which is used to create formal settings; asymmetrical, which is used to create informal settings; radial, which is where you have one focal point from which the rest of the design radiates outward. Deciding on the kind of room you want, will help you decide on the kind of balance you want to achieve.
 
Rhythm
In interior design, rhythm is created when a same element is repeated or picked-up throughout the home. Using such repeated design elements – whether it is a colour, an image or a theme, creates a cohesive flow throughout the home that will better reflect the overall design and will help move your eye around a room easily.
 
Focal Point
A good room design will have a focal point or place of particular interest – otherwise the design might seem scattered and disjointed. It doesn’t need to be big statement piece, such as a fireplace, but can simply be something as seemingly innocuous as a collection of pictures on a wall or a bold window treatment – essentially something that stands out and that will draw your eye.
 
Proportion and Scale
Proportion and scale refer to the size of the smallest object in relation to the largest object. Some proportions are more pleasing than others and your eye will instantly tell you if something is off. In this case, we all have an innate sense of what is proportional to a space.
 
Harmony
Creating harmony is one of the key goals of any good interior design. Having something that unifies the overall theme is important to keep in mind as it will affect your choice of furniture down to the accessories you select.
 
Colour
Colour is the feel-good element of your design. Whether you want it to be upbeat and breezy, stately and elegant or vivid and inviting, colour will make all of the difference in the world. When selecting your palate be sure to select a main colour around which you can then pull different themes.
Incorporating all of the above basics into your interior design will yield beautiful results – regardless of whether you’ve ever designed an interior space or not.

Mosaics can enhance the beauty of your Toronto home in a unique and utterly enchanting way. The ancient art of creating mosaics goes back through the centuries to antiquity and was one of the preeminent forms of adorning homes in the ancient world. In fact, some of those ancient works were so beautifully inlaid and expertly done that they have survived through time to bring ancient life back to us in a way we would never have glimpsed otherwise. If you are looking to add character and a special flare to your home, then consider the addition of mosaics to either or both of your interior and exterior spaces.
 
There are many ways of incorporating mosaics into your home. We will take a look at a few of the many ways that you can use this wonderful technique for spectacular results.
 
Flooring
Mosaic tiled floors are a terrific way to include a one-of-a-kind flare to any space. Whether inserting a medallion, creating a mosaic border or investing the time to create a more elaborate pattern or picture, mosaics are a great way of adding including your personality into a setting.
 
Walls
Mosaics on walls are also quite traditional and were far more common in years past than today. However, you can bring the art back to your home to create memorable spaces. The most common areas for mosaic walls today is in ensuites and kitchens, although that doesn’t mean you can’t create something special above your fireplace or even along a staircase.
 
Objects
Objects used in your home can also be covered in mosaics to create unique pieces that aren’t available elsewhere. Covering a chair or table in fun tiles can breathe life into old furniture or transform existing pieces into works of art. For some fun DIY mosaic projects go here //bit.ly/1TjfQUd.
 
Garden
The garden is a great place for letting your imagination go and creating terrific, mosaic objects to decorate your outdoor living space. For some whimsical ideas for your home go here //bit.ly/1prGxUo.
 
There are also plenty of ideas on Pinterest and other craft sites that can give you plenty of ideas for beautifying your home by using mosaics.

You can be forgiven for thinking that the only use of concrete for your Toronto home would be exterior and functional – nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, concrete is a very versatile and easy to use material that can be manipulated to fit whatever need you have with little fuss. The durable and solid material can be tinted, stamped, patterned and shaped to beautify your home and to provide you with custom creations that will lend your home a unique touch.
 
1. Conventional Uses
The most conventional uses for concrete include exterior applications. Concrete is great for driveways, walkways, patios and balconies. However, did you know that it can also be used for decorative outdoor touches? For instance, you can use concrete to create a “flagstone” walkway by simply buying the proper moulds. You can use it to create stepping stones for your garden. Concrete makes beautiful birdbaths and even whimsical sculptures – as long as you have the proper mould and the patience to cure it properly over a few days.
 
If used in driveways, pathways, etc… you can gussy up your concrete pad by stamping a pattern onto it. You can tint it to take on a more aesthetically pleasing hue and you can also paint it if you really want it fully covered.
 
2. Non-traditional uses
Concrete can also be used inside your home. Many lofts feature tinted concrete flooring, while concrete can also be used to create solid kitchen counters, attractive fireplace surrounds, and durable garage flooring.
 
Although heavy, it is a superb material that you can customize to suit your needs and your personality perfectly. It can impart any space with an authentic look unparalleled and not found elsewhere.
 
While concrete has been a material of choice in many European and Asian countries, it is only catching on as a viable decorative finish in North America. So, the next time you have a home renovation project – include concrete in your choices and you just might be pleasantly surprised by what you can get and what you can do with it.

If you want each room in our Toronto home to stand out, you will have to find some kind of anchor or focal point that will attract attention and around which you can build the rest of your décor. Whether this element is something grand, such as a fireplace, or more of a background feature, such as wall treatment, it your choice, but such details can truly alter the appearance of any space.
 
Big Statements
Depending on the room that you which to jazz up, you will want to look at different options. After all, what works well in a formal living room won’t translate well in a casual family room. The same holds true for a master bedroom versus a guest bedroom. Naturally, big statement pieces are best reserved for the principal entertaining areas of your home. If you have a grand living room, then an ornate fireplace or a dazzling, crystal chandelier are terrific anchors. They can get the tone of your space whether it is formal and elegant or more modern and chic. Big statements can also be made with feature walls – where one wall of the room is given a textured finish or turned into a an art piece, a fish tank or any other element that would draw attention.
 
Small Statements
Smaller statements are best reserved for bedrooms, recreation areas and informal spaces. Smaller statement features can include lighting, wall covering or even a unique piece of furniture. An antique cupboard can look great in a kitchen or family room and lend it a rustic look while a more wood bookshelves could give the same spaces a completely different look and feel.
 
Designer Help
If you aren’t sure about how you can create drama and intrigue in your rooms, you might want to consider enlisting the help of an interior decorator. Decorators run the gamut in terms of cost and are versatile in that they can provide you with the breakdown of what would look good in your home based on your tastes and then let you find those items on your own – or they can redecorate for you entirely.
 
Using a room anchor is a good way of helping you decide on colour, texture and theme in your home. It will make your decorating life much easier!

Window treatments can really change the look and feel of a room in your Toronto home. Depending on your choice of covering it can either increase its formality, add glamour and glitz or impart a laid-back bohemian feel to your setting. What you decide on will greatly be influenced by your overall design theme.
 
Regardless of what you go with, whether blinds or curtain, there is no shortage of styles, materials and textures from which to choose. Let’s take a look at what’s available.
 
Blinds
Hard vertical or horizontal slats are very convenient window treatments as they are easy to install, provide good coverage and take up little space. Such blinds are usually made of plastic, wood or aluminium. Horizontal slats, otherwise known as Venetian blinds, are ideal for smaller windows while the larger vertical slats are more commonly used for walkouts and much larger windows. Slats are practical window treatments that offer the largest degree of control over how much light filters in and also come in a very wide selection of colours and patterns. However, they are also high maintenance as they tend to accumulate dust and they are also prone to bending and breaking easily. Lastly, they are not as efficient at insulating a room as curtains.
 
Curtains
Curtains are very versatile and easy to clean and are excellent insulators. They also frame windows really well and can provide a “look” to a space instead of just covering your windows. However, they do take up a lot more space than blinds and when used in kitchens or bathroom could risk developing mould unless dried properly after any steamy showers.
 
Roman blinds
Roman blinds are a hybrid of blinds and curtains. Usually made from a fabric that you can roll up and down, they are easily adjustable, provide excellent black-out features if coated with a black out material and add a nice ambiance to a room. If you choose to go with Roman blinds just make sure that they have a plasticized finish so that you can easily wipe them clean – otherwise cleaning them can be a bit challenging.