2011 Contemporary Furniture Favorites from Vancouver

Gandia Blasco

Irwin Weiner ASID - It's impossible to keep track of every single furniture and lighting resource available for high-end interior design. But one good way to get a sense of what experts love is to see what contemporary furniture retailers are carrying in your community. Today's featured video is an interview of Livingspace Vancouver owner Ross Bonetti, and he gave us some resources that are worth looking into further:

• Gandia Blasco (see photo above) for hand-tufted wool rugs, poufs, and furnishings - and many are designed by one of our favorites, Patricia Urquiola

• Moooi, the whimsical Dutch design firm - look to them, in particular, for dramatic lighting

• Minotti, an Italian line that's both classic and spare (see photo above) - I appreciate their strong, minimalistic lines and the fact that most pieces will fit well into any interior; you should accessorize around them so your space doesn't look like you've reproduced a furniture showroom, however

• e15, manufacturer of the wonderfully sculptural ECO3 Eugene lounge chair (in above photo)

• Diesel Foscarini, a blend of Diesel's industrial take on fashion and Foscarini's masterful production of lighting (see photo above)

 Click here to subscribe to our daily design videos.

Update on April 23, 2011 by Design2Share

Super King Size Leather Beds: We just found a great collection of sleek leather bed designs. They add sophistication, whether your bedroom decor is traditional or modern. 

Featured Project: DIY Painted Headboard

Now is the perfect time to think about freshening up your interior space. With a splash of color here and a new piece of furniture there, it's easy to redecorate. Here's a quick, budget-conscious DIY design idea to help get you started.

Paint Your Own Headboard

Chances are if you if you purchased your bed frame as part of a bedroom set, the headboard is already included. If you don't want to put forth the extra cash, especially after paying for a pricey mattress, no problem! Painted headboards are a great way to add a pop of color to your bedroom.

Step 1: Measure the width of the head of your bed and mark it with blue painter's tape from floor to ceiling. Now, choose your color based on your desired color scheme. You obviously don't want it to be the same shade as your walls, but it should complement that color.

Step 2: Once you have your color, paint the wall, staying within the blue painters tape. Once the paint dries, if you choose to do so, you can detail with paint or with some removable wall decals from a company like Blik. For as little as $40, Blik makes easily removable wall decals in fun shapes like bookshelves, chandeliers, birds, etc. If this sounds like too much work, don't worry and leave your wall a solid color.

Step 3: Simply position your bed up against the painted wall, prop up some decorative Euro pillows in coordinating colors and patterns, and you have yourself a headboard. You might want to take this opportunity to invest in a new comforter or duvet in fun, light, spring colors. You'd be surprised at what a little bit of paint and some new bedding can do for your space!

Contemporary vanities and more at Decor Planet for your bathroom needs.

Getting Your Home Office Just Right

Click on this photo for some home office feng shui tips!

Irwin Weiner ASID - Working from home can either be the best thing you ever did or your worst nightmare – and you have the power to influence the experience by creating the right environment.

Not all of us are privileged enough to have a huge office space in our homes, and many have to make do with a corner of another room or doubling up next to the guest beds. A friend of mine in the UK has an old-fashioned bureau in the living room which houses her work world, and luckily has a roll top allowing him to shut herself off when it's time to relax in the evening. Her husband, who also works from home, has created a man cave in their spare room which involves an incredible amount of

Click to read more ...

Free Book Give-Away: Rizzoli Profile on Designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby

British designers, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, have brought together their diverse and exciting designs into a collector’s book: The Design Work of Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby.    

The design duo has wide roots in design – Barber studied interior design and Osgerby furniture and industrial design in undergrad. They both finished their graduate work in architecture from the Royal College of Art in London and quickly became immersed in the design of furniture and accessories. 

Starting with their first success, the Loop Table (see photo above), Barber and Osgerby recount the origins of their designs and the development from idea to manufactured product. The book traces by theme the inspiration behind each of their successful designs. Included are preliminary sketches, models, and snapshots of works in progress. Many of their furniture and product designs have subsequently been produced by international companies such as Cappellini, Vitra, and Sony. 

The Design Work of Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby is published by Rizzoli and will be released on April 19^th, 2011. 

FREE BOOK GIVE-AWAY: Design2Share is joining forces with Sheffield School in a special pre-release drawing for a free copy of this beautiful, design-rich book. To enter, leave a comment on this post, and tell us in one or two sentences: "My favorite piece of designer furniture is . . . ." - and tell us why you love it so much! The deadline for entries is April 15, 2011.

Barber and Osgerby

Everything You Need for Home Decorating on a Budget

 

Irwin Weiner ASID - Decorating your home on a tight budget - where to begin? If you're not blessed with a budget to hire a professional interior designer and shop your way to a perfect home, you're not alone. A small percentage of homeowners can go the route of luxury decorating, and TV makeover shows make remodeling look deceptively easy and inexpensive. We're here to help stretch your dollars.

ONE: Download our free thrifty decorating guide (just click on this link): Home Decorating/Redecorating on a Budget. The guide was made in collaboration with Toronto-based kitchen contractors we highly recommend.

Click to read more ...