Come one, come all to the Humber Event March 28th!

Many people blindly follow the advice of an interior decorator or a home furnishing store decorating style.
When designing a child’s room, you need to consider the room’s required furniture, plus storage and organizing systems. Add in a touch of fun design that the child can grow with, and you will have a room you’ll both love! It’s also great to include artwork they love or (even better!) have made themselves. My most recent makeover project ...
Colour. It’s a hot topic every year – what colours are in, what colours to paint, what colours to accessorize with. And what will be around today and tomorrow. The 2015 runways are filled with colours reminiscent of the 1960s – shades such as warm olive and rich orange are being given new life, while some colour trends continue to be popular. ...
If the kitchen is the heart of the home, the laundry room must be the liver. The laundry room cycles through messy household clothing and towels, and cleans them up time and time again. In addition to being the place to do laundry and store cleaning supplies, many households also have their laundry room act as a mudroom; a place to drop off ...
With the holidays just around the corner, so grows the list of “to do’s” within the home. Spending too much time inside makes you realize how many little projects you need to get done or want to do to jazz up your space. Not every project has to be a big one: you can make just as much of an impact in a space with little effort. These project...
With the holiday gift giving season upon us, our stress levels rise as we try to decide upon ideal gifts for our loved ones. Whomever you are shopping for this holiday season, we have five great options that are suitable for anyone (and everyone!) on your list. On first day of Christmas I bought an Oster Versa 1400 High Performanc...
City living may mean limited space, but you don’t have to sacrifice functionality. I was recently challenged to find a clever way to maximize a space. All of the bedrooms were occupied, but the home lacked a guest room, plus a more efficient workspace and storage in their walkout basement. This is how I created a dual-purpose room. An effic...
{Full article in this Friday's Toronto Sun!}You spend a third of your day in your bedroom. It should be a relaxing place you enjoy spending time. Here’s how you can create a beautiful, comfortable bedroom retreat on any budget. Cool Color Palette. I’ve had red bedrooms and I’ve had pale blue rooms. I can honestly say colour psychology is real...
Need Paint Advice? How about overall Decorating/Design Help? But can't afford a design consultation fee? Well you are in luck CIL has teamed up with a number of Design Experts across Canada assisting you once a week at a Home Depot near you for a limited time offer. Come out from 6 to 8pm at one of the locations below to meet with me for...
With our short Canadian summer, more and more people are buying all-season cottages or winterizing their existing cottages to make a year-round retreat. People want to enjoy a get away not only in the summer but also in the cooler Canadian months too. I recently took the design challenge of styling my client’s all-season cottage. Decoratin...
Who says you have to sacrifice fashion for function? For my latest makeover project, I wanted to strike a balance between style and organization to create the perfect walk-in closet. I called in organizing guru Clare Kumar to help with a closet makeover to make sure we ended up with a space that was functional and looked fantastic. I love ...
If you missed Jo's segment on Small Space Patio Décor on the Global Noon show no worries watch online: http://globalnews.ca/video/1401909/jo-alcorn/ Special Thanks to Home Depot for the products. Have fun dressing you outdoor space this summer! Until next time, w&c designer girl! ...
During the warm summer months, we tend to spend a lot more time outside, so it’s time to design or re-design your area to create a cosy ambiance that will encourage you to spend more time in the great outdoors. So for those of you who are seeking inspiration to spruce up your small patio or balcony space, I have some fabulous design tips to help y...
Through it all I basically completely forgot about my own digs. My office was a wreck!!! After almost a year of moving the Damask & Dentelle offices, I was still living in boxes and makeshift desks and storage units. Enough! January 1st I decided to attack the boxes and the lack of storage and …well 2 months later, it's done! Let me walk you through my Modern Vintage transformation.I am a firm believer in anything vintage… for 3 reasons: the craftsmanship was flawless, the design exquisite, and vintage furniture leaves no carbon footprint on our well worn Earth.
(Hayan Art Work)
So vintage it is for the office. First, I needed 2 sturdy work surfaces to be to together in a large L shape. I got 2 beautiful oak doors, one natural and one white. If the idea of doing the same pops into your head make sure you choose doors that are not warped and that have carved patterns that allow for your keyboard and screen to fit in. The natural door had just that, but the white door was too ornate, so I also bought a vintage tempered glass door panel, just the right size to fit on top of the door.
I then reused the red metal credenza that I had in my old office. It is non descript and brightly colored, so why get rid of it right? I styled it with bright pops of colour, a Jonathan Adler vase, a gorgeous butterfly lamp found at Buk & Nola in Montréal, and my faithful Charlie the cockatoo.
The mood board deserves no introduction. It is a collection of my inspirations of the moment, my friends & kids, my appointments and favorite business cards. It is not completely finished though. I have ordered some fabric remnants in bright colors and I will cover the cork surface of the board in the near future.
Storage was an issue in the office, so I went to the St-Michel Flea Market and on Etsy and found myself some of the most beautiful teacups I have ever seen. Now they house pushpins, paper clips, rubber bands and small knicks knacks. Plus they have something so feminine about them... I could not resist.
I rented a loft as an office because I love open floor plans. But open also means no hideouts. This was indeed a problem to make my ugly filing cabinet disappear. I always keep the wallpaper remnants from my different projects, the colourful rolls are attractive in themselves in a basket beside my desk, and they can come in handy from time to time.
Lastly I spoiled myself with great eye candy with a Leigh Viner fashion illustration as well as a Cozamia herringbone modern art print.