Lighting, Lighting Everywhere but nothing......

How many times have I had clients say they have gone to look for new lighting for their home only to return home frustrated and without a new fixture or lamp in hand. It isn’t often that I make that trip as we have so many of our own suppliers for everything we source including lighting, that I don’t have to go through that exercise. We have the advantage of sourcing exactly what we want by catalogue and on our supplier websites.

Today I had the task of trying to locate lampshades for a couple of lamps. It seemed like a simple task, I was wrong. So much of the same thing, the wrong colour or size was off or the style wasn’t suitable. I think I will advise my client we have to wait and order in what we need and really wanted. It will be worth the wait.

It is amazing to me when there are so many beautiful light fixtures and lamps available that in the limited space of a retail outlet that they choose to cram so much into it, the ability to actually see what is there is lost. Also why are they almost always all the same? It is no wonder there are so many homes still have the original builders light fixtures.

Lighting is such an important element in our homes, that putting the effort into making the right selections is significant. Shape, size and finish direct so much of our decor. Not only the ability to see in good light, but to be able to control the amount of light necessary for any given task or to create the right ambience. So my advice is don’t settle for what you see in the retail stores. It is worth the wait!!

Colour, colour..... don’t be fearful...

So many times we are asked by clients to make the paint selections for their home. This is often how our relationships begin with our clients. The difficulty for many homeowners that when choosing paint colours for their homes, they are so afraid to use colour they become paralyzed with the fear that what happens if it is too dark. In most instances I can assure you it will not be the case. It would be a very rare occurrence that I encounter someone who has made a selection that is to be honest, not a whole lot more than just not white.


When deciding on colours it is important to be sure there is a good flow from one colour to the other and depending on the area or if you have rounded corner beads, where to make the transition from one colour to another. Similar levels of colour work nicely, if you look at colour chart strips a good place to start is at the 3rd or 4th colour down. The balance from one chip to the next will generally give a nice flow. On the whole the lighter ones are very light and the colour rendition may be lost when transferred to large area.

When making your selections, if you decide to do it yourself, be brave and go with the next colour level. After all it is only paint and an easy change. Colour is something that enhances our living spaces and makes for warm inviting rooms.

And The Winners are!

I was very pleased to be involved in the Ottawa Real Estate Board trade show that was held last Thursday at the Centurion Conference and Event Centre.  This is an event held every year for the real estate industry.  It was very well attended and from talking to many agents, I would say that the real estate market in Ottawa is doing very well.  We at CPI Interiors offered 3 door prizes each being an hour in home consultation from me at no charge.  The winners were Dan Corriveau and Meggi Byers both of RE/MAX Affiliates Realty Ltd. and Elaine Taranu of Royal Lepage Team Realty Manotick.  Congratultions to all 3 of you.  I want to thank all the agents who stop by our booth.  It was wonderful speaking with you.

Importance of floor plan done to scale before buying furniture

One of the more frequent requests we receive from potential clients is to come to help with the placement or how to fit in what has been purchased and now sits in their home overwhelming both them and their space.


When making the decision to purchase new furniture the first place to start is to determine what the dimensions are of the space and what is intended to go in. So many times items are bought without any thought given to whether they fit or suit the space or other furnishings. When making decisions a tape measure is the first line of defense.

Floor plans are a crucial tool in establishing the scale and proportion that works for the room. How many times have we seen furniture magically grow in size on the way to your house? I recall several years ago a frantic call from a person needing help to “make this furniture fit”. When arriving at their home I discovered literally wall to wall furniture, not an inch of floor space available between the sofa, ottoman and loveseat that went from window to wall. On the opposite wall was an oversized chair and it abutted the ottoman, just to complete the square! The room size was never considered when they made the purchase and the store of course would not take a return on the items. The decision had to be what pieces could possibly remain and what to do with the other items that wouldn’t fit. In the end they kept the sofa and ottoman, but the chair and loveseat were given to another family member. How not to make the best furniture purchase!

If a floor plan is done prior to making any furniture decisions, the space is measured and pieces selected to suit the dimensions of the room as well as the balance with the other items. It is always best to measure and plan on paper rather than guessing or hoping it will fit.

A Great Cause Needs Your Support

Giving back to the community is something every business should do. Whether it is to support the bigger and well known charities such as CHEO or United Way or to select something or someone close to your heart, the community as a whole benefits and the business is remembered by those in the community.

I had the opportunity this morning to attend the Kanata Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting with Cyril Leeder, President of the Ottawa Senators, as the guest speaker. His topic was community involvement. We all are aware of the extent they go to and contribute to the community. Albeit, on a much smaller scale, CPI Interiors supports the community with charitable donations as well. We offer gift certificates for an hour of my time to support “silent auctions” at many charities and donate prizes of all types. Most recently I have been approached to participate in:

"20-4-20 DESIGNER DAY - A Fundraiser

On October 20,2010, 20-4-20 Designer Day offers homeowners a 20 minute session with an professional designer for $20. All proceeds raised through the event will go to Stephanie Lanctot. Stephanie has been diagnosed with cervical cancer. At just 25 years of age, Stephanie is forced to take treatments outside of Ottawa, meaning she can no longer work as she is healed of the illness. Many of the costs associated with seeking treatment are not covered by OHIP, including staying in Toronto and travel to and from her home in Ottawa. Gendron Antiques is raising funds to help support Stephanie through these trying times. The event listing can be viewed at http://homestars.com/on/ottawa/events/20-4-20-designer-day-a-fundraiser

The times are filling in and it looks like we will have a busy day meeting people. I hope others will support the cause and book a time. If you are interested you should call Gendron Antiques at 613-831-2186 and book your 20 minutes!!

Wonderful Project

I have just finished a wonderful project that I thought I would share with you. It was a renovation of kitchen and family room. The family room is sunken and in the kitchen an oak railing that overlooked the family room.  I have done 100s of kitchen renovations over the years but what made this so unique was the client’s need for more of an area to entertain and still allow for a functional family space.  The oak railing between the two rooms with a two step difference in height created a challenge to make it all come together as one.  With such a large room, we decided to do built-ins in the family room along the long wall and float the sofa in front of it.  The challenge was where to put a TV and for a designer that is always an issue.  The solution was to design a TV cabinet below where the railing sits and on the kitchen side put a bank of drawers and a wine rack.  Our cabinet maker was even unsure on how this was going to work, but after a number of consultations we got it to look great!!  He had to make the cabinet at two heights which was a bit tricky, but it turned out great.  The granite top extending over both sides provides a wonderful area for serving hors d’oeuvres and drinks to guests.  Take a look at the project on our website, some of the pictures are shown under “kitchens” and some are shown under “living room/family rooms.”  Post a comment or send me an email and tell me what you think.

2010 Platinum award winner for Interior Design

I have a soft spot for the communities of Kanata and Stittsville. I have been living in one or the other of these two communities most of my adult life. CPI Interiors was recently voted the 2010 Platinum award winner for Interior Design by readers of both the Kanata Kourier-Standard and The Stittsville News newspapers. It is a great honor to be chosen by the residents on both these great communities. We would like to thank everyone that voted for us. It is an amazing feeling and very humbling to have our clients step up and take the time to vote. In the 12 plus years we have been in business we have worked in every part of the greater Ottawa area, and we continue to do so. We have assisted people in over 3,000 homes and 65% of these have been in Kanata or Stittsville. So thank you Kanata and Stittsville!!!

Kitchens – Lots of options

For any of you who have read the homes sections of newspapers and magazines recently, the topic of updating kitchens have been in the fore front. With so many options available, some professional guidance is always a good thing to bring in BEFORE you make the decisions of purchasing anything. So often, I am asked on how to fix a problem rather than how to make the best choice from the start.

When making kitchen decisions, it is paramount to start with a plan. What do you want, need and afford. Anything is possible but for most people affording what they want is the point. Need is the first thing. What is absolutely essential to the layout and use of the space. How many people occupy the area at once? Do you need seating? Do you cook and how? What storage is needed and how often do you need to access those little used appliances and special dinnerware. When making the decisions it is important to have all individuals involved to participate in the process. You can make all the choices you want only to discover that your partner has some objection and everything comes to a standstill.

Cabinets are a usual starting point . What fits the space to its fullest potential while creating a functional and great look that works with your home style and the mood you want to create. So many times clients will see a style that they like very much only to discover that it doesn’t suit the style of their home. While some kitchen suppliers and designers don’t give any consideration to the style of the house, I believe it is one of the most important aspects of making a kitchen that will serve not only the present user but any potential new homeowner.

Custom cabinets are not only the most functional choice for your kitchen design they can be economical as well. The word custom conjures up $$$$$ in many minds, but if you work with a professional who can have a great plan and make the most of the materials used, the dollars will more often be similar to what would have been an acceptable choice over a great choice. I have had clients that have come back to say they can get “the same” thing for a few thousand less have called later to say I guess in the end it wasn’t quite “the same thing”. Fillers get used instead of making cabinets that fit with custom sizes, cabinet heights get adjusted down with decorative panels or crown added to fill in space that could have been used to its fullest. Drawers get changed to regular cabinet doors with a shelf along with the loss of storage. As we are all aware that you do get what you pay for and when considering one of the biggest investments you have please consider what will make it the best it can be for many years to come. It will WOW anyone coming in your home and could one day make the difference when selling.

Left over Flooring is a Good Thing!

I have recently been asked about what quantities to order for some tiles and hardwood flooring. More that they are concerned there will be some left over. Left over tile and hardwood is not necessarily a bad thing. While it can be appreciated that while there is a cost attached to having an amount left over it will be a godsend if the day arises that you need to replace a tile or a board and you will have the exact match available. It may be a bit short sighted to want to return them. It is important to note that when an installer is quoting on the amount of product that will be needed for the job, they are also including a waste factor. Depending on the product size or pattern there may not be a large waste involved but it is important to have more than not enough when doing the job. There is nothing worse than being almost complete to discover that you are five tiles short to finish the job and the tile is backordered for the next 8 weeks or worse yet it isn’t available any longer. If you do decide to return there is usually going to be a restocking fee of at least 25%. Distributors don’t like to have the additional costs of shipping on weighty items to put them back into the stock.

The same thing can be told for fabrics as with the changing times the quantities and availability is often limited or take an extended period of time to get orders in. With more and more of products coming from off shore and with shipping costs on the rise distributors are keeping stock to a minimum to ensure they can sell what they have, we are all faced with the unfortunate situation that so many times delivery is an extended period and dye lots are at issue. While some may feel it is a waste to have square feet or yards left over it is certainly the better way to go. It usually isn’t a significant amount and having a box of tile or two feet of fabric left shouldn’t be a problem.

Bring the Indoors Out

We always hear that when decorating the interior of your home you should consider the outdoors, bringing the outdoors in. Well, the opposite can be true as well. With summer here now, our thoughts turn to getting outside, planting gardens, new landscaping plans are developed and exterior painting begins. When introducing colour, there are many areas that we have opportunity to enhance the overall curb appeal of our homes.

Landscape architects will provide the plans for beautiful gardens, trees and walk ways. As they lead to your front door it is important that the path not only is beautiful, but on arrival, the entrance to your home finishes their grand plan. When looking to choose the exterior colours, consider not only the brick, siding and shingles, but when you open the front door, what do you see? Does the red you choose for the outside of the front door clash with the terracotta wall inside. A smooth transition from the interior to the exterior is not just lovely to look at, but is comfortable and inviting to all who grace your doorstep.

Let us look at how to accomplish this. First consider the door you have. Will painting it be sufficient to make a significant change or does it need replacing all together. Do you want to enlarge the entrance, change from a solid single door to one with side lites or a double door entry? Changing a solid door to allow light into the entry with a glass panel, etched or stained glass can be a transformation for the entire front of your home. Think of the plan for the step area gardens. You could have a custom stain glass made specifically with your flowers, either etched patterns or full colours. Not only do you get to enjoy your flowers in the warmer months, but will brighten the dull winter days and provide a warm invitation into your home.

Painting the exterior should blend the finishes of the house together. Consideration to the brick, siding, soffit , facia and roof colours all play a role in choosing the best colour. What shade to compliment the trim is important too. Are you looking to make a bold statement or blend everything together? So many people are looking for that dramatic colour for the front door, different from the remainder of the house to say, “welcome to my home.” Red and black are popular when making a statement, while taupe, green and white blend elements together. The garage door also needs to be included in the choices for colours. Ideally it blends with the house and not the focal point. Some like to have the front door and garage doors the same colour, while others wish it to fade away. If you want your front door in a dramatic colour like black or red, the garage doors should fade into the trim colour or the brick tone.

Of course finishing the door with beautiful hardware can be a statement unto itself. The style and colour can define an entrance as well as dictate colour usage for the door. Aesthetics aside, the chief purpose of any door hardware is to keep the door securely closed. Since many decorative knobs and handles don’t have good lock systems a dead- bolt is always a required addition to all exterior doors. The hardware, lockset and handle can work into the light fixtures and mailbox choices too. A kick plate adds elegance to the bottom of the door as well. Brass, polished or antiqued, brushed nickel, wrought iron, copper or bronze tones all provide a unique look that gives character to the entry of your home. Again, the choices of accessories are dictated by the style of the home. When you open your front door, what do you have there? A wrought iron bench might dictate that the door hardware would be black iron or an elegant wood table with a brass lamp would say stately and polished brass hardware is in order. Using a unique architectural detail will enhance the exterior as well. A round stained glass window can introduce the colour to the porch chairs and fabric or window boxes with flowers to compliment. If you are lucky to have a covered porch this is a wonderful transitional space from your outdoors to the indoors. Turn it into an inviting outdoor room with seating, attractive lighting and hanging plants.

Lighting is probably one of the most often forgotten elements of both interior and exterior décor. If you take a look down your street it will probably not come as a surprise that the majority of all homes still have the original basic builder’s choice for the lawn lamps and lanterns. Start a new trend. Change yours. Introduce lighting along the walkway, between the shrubs or in trees. Mount coach lanterns on either side of your front door with matching fixtures for the garage. Remember proportion and scale are important so be sure to select sizes that compliment the space they are going in. Again the finishes should reflect the selection of the door hardware.

Design your interior lighting to convey warmth when viewed from outside. Hanging a lantern in an open hall that can be seen from the street or a table lamp that offers a soft glow through a draped window all add warmth and invitation to enter.

If you live in a townhouse or semidetached home consult with your neighbours before making major colour changes or introducing new lighting, you could create quite a unified look if you get together and do things at the same time. Don’t forget your house numbers, not only are they important they be large and distinct enough to be seen by those coming to your home. The colour and style also need to tie in with all the other selections.

Summer, a wonderful time to rejuvenate, refresh and bring the indoors out!

I Love My Chosen Profession, But I love my Family More!

I just had to share this with you. I love my chosen profession, I truly do. I have been a designer since 1988 and each year I seem to enjoy it more. But I have to tell you, I love something even more and that is my family. Yesterday my daughter sent me this picture of my 26 month old grandson, Alex, on his way to daycare, with his back pack on! It to me (I know I am very bias when it comes to my grandson) it is the most adorable picture I think I have ever seen. He absolutely loves daycare and can’t wait to get there each morning. Mind you, he is just as excited to leave at night when mama shows up. Like I said, I adore my family!!

Does the ceiling always have to be white?

This is the age old question and one that has the usual answer of yes of course it does, however that may not be the best choice. Let’s look at the options and reasons why NOT painting the ceiling white may be just the thing to perk up your space.

The biggest reason for painting the ceiling white is that the majority of homes over the last 30 years have had the introduction of stipple into the ceiling space. It covers a world of sins – lumpy areas, taping that left a bit to be desired and poor paint jobs. It is sprayed on and takes little time or effort to apply and doesn’t require the skilled tradesman to complete a flawless drywall ceiling. Yes it does take skill to make those beautiful flat ceilings. The other issue is the paint used is absolutely white ceiling flat. Not a tone to anything around it.

The ceilings that have stipple should still keep a light tone to them as colour shows the stipple more and creates more shadows and highlights the drips of the stipple. So toning the white for those ceilings are appropriate.

If white ceilings are your cup of tea the choice of white is important to be effective with the wall colours. A blue white doesn’t show off well against yellow toned walls and vice-versa. As an example Benjamin Moore CC-30 Oxford White is a white with cool undertones, while CC-40 Cloud White is a more yellow toned with warm undertones.

When you have the luxury of flat ceilings (not stippled) colour is a fabulous way to add dimension to the space. The 5th wall as the ceiling is often referred to becomes part of the space. Continuing the wall colour onto the ceiling creates more height with no definition between wall ending and ceiling beginning. Where there are bulkheads around the edge of a room that accommodates ductwork or plumbing continuing the wall colour on the whole of the bulkhead, including the underside, really brings your sightline up to the ceiling without drawing attention to what can be unsightly bulkheads. You also have the opportunity to use a different colour on the ceiling to add an accent or to alternate between walls and ceilings from one room to another. As an example if the walls of the living room are one colour use that colour on the ceiling of the dining room and introduce the colour used on the dining room walls as the colour for the ceiling of the living room. Imagine in a dining room red walls with a gold ceiling and living room with gold walls and a red ceiling. Dramatic yes and not for everyone however certainly something that sets you apart from the neighbours. Your choices don’t have to be as bold but remember the ceiling doesn’t have to be painted white.

New Colour & Style Trends

I had the opportunity this week to attend the new colour and style trends seminar hosted by Benjamin Moore Paints for the designer industry. It was interesting to say the least. Those in the industry who search the world for inspiration make the predictions and direction the world of colour will go.

For the most part the grey that has been popular the last couple of years is once again making its way out and being replaced by again the more saturated and earthy tones. With the “Greening” of the world the draw from the Farm is ever popular. For those of you who haven’t really got around to changing the cow, chicken & egg and rooster motif of several years ago are in luck as they are making a comeback. While I think it hardly has been long enough since the last go round apparently since Europe is always so far ahead of our trends, they think it is time to bring it back. For the pig lovers out there, sorry none in sight just yet.

Colours of the farm, dirt browns, grassy and new garden growth greens along with the yellows of straw bring a warmth to our home environment.

To add distinction the fuchsias and cobalt blues are creeping back in with dynamic bold gingham prints, lots of plaid and checks. Again emerald green splashes into the mix of these too.

For the more masculine mind, deep red, black and white with small amounts of stainless steel dominate. Very strong and bold.

For the relaxing souls still seeing the water turquoise blues along with pink and soft greens, cream and soft sand keep the spa look going.

As it always is, everything makes its way back again and it seems the geometrics of the 80’s are making them known again. Not for everyone, but there are always a few brave souls. That isn’t to say that if you still have it from the first go round that it is ok to keep what you have. There is always a new twist, a different colour tone and proportion to update the look.

Spring....... Into Action

Could we be so fortunate that Spring is upon us? We can certainly hope so.

We are finding the mood is different and people are starting to think about how to spruce up their homes, whether renovating or decorating.

It is the time to consider what you would like to do. Change the paint colours, update some furniture or introduce some new accessories and wall decor to liven up your home.

This past weekend in the Saturday Ottawa Citizen I was featured in an article about dressing up your home and the little things you can do that will make it come alive. It really doesn’t take much to make it look finished and all dressed up. With Spring here or at least just around the corner think about what you can do to make some changes to your space.

New toss pillows, prints, or greenery can all make a difference. Move out the snow pictures and inject some florals. Consider new window treatments with a nice trim to add some sparkle. The jewellery for your home.

Wow, What an Evening!!

It was a very exciting evening on February 25th for our staff, family and friends. CPI Interiors had been nominated as Small Business of the Year for Kanata in the Kanata Chamber of Commerce People’s Choice Awards. Our many clients, colleagues, family and friends voted for us and pushed us into a Finalist place of the top three for the city. While we were surpassed by Don Kavanagh of AAAKavTech Automotive, the award has gone to a most deserving of businesses and one that my husband and I use for our vehicle maintenance and repairs. Truly a gentleman, congratulations to him. On a similar note, another business colleague, Janet Potter of The Glass Case won as Small Business of the Year for West Carleton. Congratulations to Janet.

The support we had going into this has been nothing short of amazing. I had so many emails from supporters cheering us on and just giving wonderful words of encouragement. It was a very heart warming experience and one that will stay with me. The votes of confidence really do boost ones spirit.

In the next few weeks our most dedicated office manager, Karen Jackson will be celebrating 10 years with CPI Interiors. She is loyal beyond words and dedicated to doing the 1st class job. The clients and vendors love her and so do we!! We are indebted to her for her long service and contribution she makes on a daily basis. Thanks Karen.

Islands in the sand...... well at least in the kitchen

Islands in the sand...... well at least in the kitchen. So many times clients ask about the possibility of installing an island as an option for their kitchen. Magazines boast the use, model homes cram them in. Unless you have the space to accommodate one it is a better idea to keep the work area clear and make best use of cabinet area while maintaining the U-shape or introduce a peninsula to the mix.
The criteria for using an island are to consider the walk area available and the work triangle. The uninterrupted triangle is most important when making the most of your kitchen, especially if you are a serious cook or you have more than yourself living there. Bumping into each other, blocking the fridge opening or the dishwasher gate can become a frustrating experience when an island is installed in a too small area. If you have 4 ‘of space available around the island, then you can consider installing one. If you want to have a sitting area with stools then add another 2’ to that. So many times people install sitting areas near the fridge and when sitting on the stool access to the fridge becomes difficult to say the least. Seating should go to the side away from the work triangle. Which means fridge to sink to range is unobstructed.
One last important item to note, if you are changing to a gas range the area directly in front of the appliance must be a minimum of 4’ from the next cabinet. This means that if you are adding an island it must start at a minimum 4’ from the cooking area. Islands can be a wonderful addition IF the space allows for it.