Looking for inspiration for your next home design project? A great place to start is with professional home design and decorating blogs. In Canada, we have so many talented people who are passionate about decorating and design. Use this list of Canadian interior design and home decorating blogs, websites, and Instagram accounts to inspire your next home project.
Here are the interior designers you should follow on Instagram (and beyond)
Sarah Richardson has been a staple designer in the Canadian interior design scene for decades. Bringing her talents to the small screen, she’s appeared in and hosted several HGTV series.
This Canadian husband and wife own an interior design firm, a retail store, and are in the process of launching a short-term rental cabin that they designed from scratch.
With a background in interior design (and reality television), Jillian Harris has turned her business into a full-fledged Influencer-Lifestyle-Brand. Visit her blog for decor inspiration, styling tips, her favourite paint colours and more.
Style At Home is a Canadian lifestyle and home decor magazine creating great content on interior design and home decorating projects. If you’re not a magazine subscriber, you can still get lots of great inspiration from their website and social media channels.
Jo Alcorn is the Founder & Prinicpal Designer of Alcon Home Design & Build, a full-service design and build firm. She first showcased her design skills on HGTV Canada when she was featured on Designer Superstar.
This is another great Canadian designer featured on HGTV. She’s known for her approachable, fresh and colourful style, she uses patterns and layers to create beautiful spaces.
Here’s something you can feel good about this holiday season: giving great gifts and supporting local businesses. You can easily check off your gift list in Kitchener-Waterloo and spend some time browsing amazing small businesses. Not only will you be able to find lots of unique products, but you will be able to enjoy the hard work our local business owners have put into their shops to create amazing festive atmospheres.
Here are some great gift ideas from KW businesses for some people who might be on your nice list:
Wander the aisles in Vincenzo’s and you’re sure to find a basketful of delicious gourmet treats for anyone on your list. This is a great stop for stocking stuffers too!
DescendantsBeer with some unique beer merch (buttons, candles, and bath bombs). You can even make your order a gift and they’ll wrap it and add a card.
ATWBCoop glass and their favourite beer to go with it.
As holiday content starts to hit our screens, you’ll likely be seeing lots of new holiday decorating trends popping up. Food and decorating shows are all over TV with lots of tips to get your home ready for the holiday season, and creators are posting their festive photos and videos across social media.
Don’t let their perfectly curated holiday scenes send you into a panic. Here’s a spoiler: their houses have been decorated for the holidays for months already.
But if you’re looking for some tips to decorate your Christmas tree like a professional, we’ve pulled some tips to give you a hand.
Christmas Tree Decorating Tips
The Order of Events
Grab your family
Put on your favourite holiday soundtrack or movie
Mix everyone a hot chocolate, eggnog or festive cocktail
Find the perfect spot and position your tree (anchor it if necessary) Tip: If you’re using a tree collar, now is the time! Some collars are difficult to use after your tree is all done.
Hang your lights first. Before you move on, step bake to make sure you haven’t missed any spots. Tip: If you squint your eyes you can see the general distribution of lights and see if there are any areas that need some more attention!
Wrap the garland around the tree. Tip: If you’re going for a less busy look, consider a thinner garland, or someting beaded.
Hang your ornaments. This is a great activity for the whole family. Everyone can put their favourite ornaments in prime positions. Tip: If you’ve positioned your tree in front of a window, don’t forget the back!
Add your tree skirt (or tree collar)
Put the topper on… well, the top!
Sit back and admire your hard work.
Give Your Artificial Tree A Fresh Dusting Of Snow
If you have a beloved fake tree that you use every year, maybe you’re looking to add a dusting of “fresh” snow to your tree. Flocking, is when you add synthetic snow (or a material that creates the illusion) to create a winter wonderland on your tree.
Some people love to re-create the same Christmas tree year after year. The holidays are all about tradition after all! But if you want to switch things us, choose a new theme to try this year. You can work with the ornaments and decorations you already have, and even make some of your own.
It’s all about being Merry & Bright, right? The lights are what make any Christmas tree glow (literally), so use these tips to ensure your tree is lit up in all its glory. Here’s a guide to help you choose the best lights, plus steps to help you light an artificial tree and a real tree.
If you’re really aiming for a designer look this year, there are a few things you can do. Once you have your theme, gather all your ornaments in advice. Choose colours and materials that will bring your vision to life. Here are a few pieces of advice from House Beautiful:
Balance the decor
Given the many Christmas tree decorations you’re likely to have, you have to ensure that everything is well-balanced and spread out to your liking. Arrange embellishments from the top of the tree and then work towards the bottom. This way, you can easily check your design as you dress up your tree.
Cluster your baubles
Balsam Hill’s design consultant, Brad Schmidt, recommends clustering three baubles of different sizes to add flair and visual appeal. You can either put the same pieces together or choose contrasting ones.
Use tree picks
Tree picks and floral sprays come in many forms, such as decorated branches, twigs, berries, or even pine cones – use them as subtle accents to complement the entire look of your tree. Grouping picks together using floral wire is a creative way to elevate the visual appeal of your tree without overpowering other decorations.
If you have a sweet tooth, then chance are you know some great local spot to stop by for a delicious treat (or two). From cool, creamy cones, to doughnuts and beyond, there are lots of local Kitchener-Waterloo businesses baking up goodies.
We’re sure you have your go-to places when you get a craving for something sweet, and we do as well! We put our heads together to make a list of our favourite desserts in town.
Not really craving something sweet? That’s okay. These businesses are great to keep in mind when you want to drop off a gift to friends, family or neighbours. Think holidays, housewarming, birthdays, or just because!
If you’re craving some ice cream and cinnamon buns, the only place I go is Sweet Caroline’s! With over 50 flavours of ice cream, fresh baked cinnamon buns, and a million other treats, there’s something for everyone!
Locations: 263 Northfield Dr. East, Waterloo 94 King Street South, Waterloo
Whenever I’m in charge of dessert (or have a craving for something sweet), I always grab butter tarts from Sweet & Savoury Pie Co. They have the BEST pie crust.”
It’s a small place in The Boardwalk plaza and they have fantastic desserts that are ready, plus cookies and breads. But you can also order special pies and cakes, breads, etc. They do have specials for Thanksgiving including gluten free stuffing that you can order to pick up. Everything I have gotten from there was fantastic and guests are always pleased!
Have you ever looked at a beautifully-designed room and thought “I love that. What is the design style called?“. There are lots of terms used in interior design so we thought we’d share a helpful guide to break down home design styles.
Understanding the names of the home design styles you love will help you in your search for home decor elements. Knowing the name of the style will help you describe what you’re looking for to others, search for furniture within that style, and to find inspiration online.
Interior Designer, Natalie Myers, breaks down lots of popular interior design styles and provides a quick description of each style and where it originated.
Le Corbusier gave Art Deco its name after the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in 1925, when more than 16 million visitors thronged to Paris to feast their eyes on delicate, streamlined and geometric designs that celebrated all things urban and modern. The oh-so-sleek style’s characteristic look-at-me finishes and city-chic takes on classical and exotic themes were a worldwide phenomenon in the Jazz Age.
The Arts and Crafts movement (which enjoyed its first round of popularity here in America between 1910 and 1925) focused on the simplicity of form — no extraneous decoration to distract from the workmanship, thank you very much. “Truth in Materials” was all-important to Arts and Crafts designers, who often made use of local sources. (Architecturally speaking, “Arts and Crafts” can refer to Craftsman style, work by Frank Lloyd Wright and the bungalow style popularized in the early 20th century by Greene and Greene.)
As embodied by influencer/ Jungalow blogger / boho-chic expert Justina Blakeney, bohemian style revels in bold (and plentiful) layers of color, pattern and texture. It’s a gradual, free-spirited accumulation that builds up to an exclamation point (or 12) through rattan furniture, woven wall hangings, lush plants and vintage-inspired throws and pillows. Accordingly, it boasts a collected look, with furniture and decor acquired over time from thrift stores, antique shops and world travels.
California chic is boho’s younger cousin who moved from Los Angeles to Joshua Tree and has gone (almost) all out on the aesthetics of the high desert. There’s an element of more traditional southwestern style (and of eclectic So Cal beach cities) in this newest form of Golden State casual living, but its palette is primarily pale blushes, weathered leather and organic neutrals.
Inspired by the ocean (naturally), coastal style evokes a light and breezy feel by way of airy fabrics for window treatments and emphasis on nautical or beach-themed accessories like lighthouses and seashells. Think of the classic Ralph Lauren-inspired palette of navy and white with gold accents as the most buttoned-up version of this look, and rough-and-tumble, slipcovered beach cottages as the version in comfy flip-flops, if you will.
Contemporary (which is not synonymous with modern, but we’ll get to that later) design frequently features clean, sleek lines and swaths of solid colors — predominantly muted neutrals or bold punches of brightness. Furniture in contemporary interiors tends to keep a low profile, and its often-metal frames and straight legs emphasize basic shapes and forms. Graphic elements in artwork or as accents are its crowning glories.
This catch-all style borrows liberally from all over the place (literally and figuratively), and its imaginative appeal lies in unexpected contrasts and the element of surprise (“who knew those pieces would make each other look even better?”) Don’t conflate eclectic style with throwing anything and everything together, mind you: the key here is to use building blocks of design (color, pattern, texture, composition) to make spaces look cohesive.
Mediterranean interiors draw inspiration from coastal regions of Spain, Greece and Italy; they owe their palettes and spirit to the sea itself, the rustic villages you might find on its shores and the estates and palazzos that overlook them. Traditional Mediterranean furniture features ornately turned legs and feet; its hardware, in turn, is heavy and often burnished. Rough-hewn surfaces like raw stone walls and exposed beams rub shoulders with velvets, linens and florid patterns.
Midcentury modern style made its first splash in the ‘50s and ‘60s, when Palm Springs was the weekend-home destination of choice for Los Angeles entertainment pros and Scandinavian designers and architects were spreading the gospel of simplicity, functionality and natural shapes in popular culture. Autumnal oranges, yellows, olive greens and chocolate browns make frequent appearances, as do barely-there glass walls. In 2020, you can find the latest generation of the look from designers like Jonathan Adler.
A clean, streamlined furniture and architecture style that dates back to the ‘30s, modern decor is rooted in the minimal, true use of materials and absence of decoration. It’s characterized by a neutral color palette, polished surfaces, strong geometric shapes and asymmetry.
Eighteenth-century English, 19th-century neoclassic, French country and British Colonial revival furnishings come together in traditional interiors, where classic styling and symmetry reign supreme. A restrained traditional palette typically features mid-tone colors; fabric patterns and wall treatments can range from simple solids, stripes and plaids to florals and chinoiserie.
Per its name, the transitional look — which dates back to the 1950s — bridges traditional and contemporary design. It strikes a balance between historic pieces and furnishings with updated silhouettes and materials (Rome to chrome, as it were.) Past meets present without conflict in color schemes that are often neutral; luxury and comfort are the orders of the day.
Read more on HGTV.com for ways to incorporate these design styles (and more) into your home.
Looking for more Home Decor blogs? Check these out:
We talk a lot about real estate (because we absolutely love it), but there’s a lot more to know about our team. Debbie Stefan and Cindy Cody sat down to answer a few rapid fire questions.
Get to know Debbie Stefan and Cindy Cody in this video.
More About Debbie Stefan
Sales Representative
Debbie was born and raised in the Kitchener-Waterloo area and has settled here with her husband and two children. Debbie actively volunteers with different community programs. After juggling travel and studies early on, she went on to become fully licensed in 1985 through the “Ontario Real Estate Association.” Debbie has been serving Kitchener-Waterloo region since 1985 and celebrated 25 years in May 2010, has attained 100% club recognition, Re/Max Hall of Fame and the Platinum award! “I am committed to giving my clients the best service possible, by providing strict confidentiality of any real estate inquiries. I have built my business on TRUST, INTEGRITY & HONESTY and as a result am considered a high producer in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. I look forward to working with you.”
Visit our About Us page to learn more about each of our team members.
Do you have some rapid fire questions about the real estate market? We’d love to answer them.
Downtown Kitchener is bursting with creativity! You can see it as you walk around the vibrant downtown core. Through a collaboration between the Downtown Kitchener Business Improvement Association (DTK BIA) and the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery (KWAG) the Downtown Kitchener Art Walk was born.
In March 2020, everything changed with the rise of COVID-19. In the midst of uncertain times, the Downtown Kitchener BIA wanted to give the community something beautiful and long-lasting, that would reignite a passion for the Downtown we all love. – A Field Guide to DTK’s Art Walk
Local artists have brought their craft to the walls of local businesses and throughout the downtown core, resulting in over 90 outdoor oversized installments of local art for everyone to enjoy.
Many of the pieces in the art walk have been a part of the downtown fabric for years – some as far back as the early 1900s. The recent launch aims to reintroduce these pieces to the public. You may be surprised at how many you’ve passed by on your daily route. The Downtown Kitchener Art Walk gives the opportunity to get to know the artist and the story behind each sculpture, statue, and mural. – Explorewaterloo.ca
Ways To Enjoy Downtown Kitchener’s Art Walk
You may think you know the city, but this is a way to experience Downtown Kitchener from a new perspective! There are lots of ways to work an Art Walk into your life. Here are just a few ideas:
Take a solo tour
Make a date of it
Explore art with the family
Coffee and art with friends
Office team outing
“But how do I know where to walk?” you may be asking yourself.
A Field Guide To DTK’s Art Walk. The free Field Guide document is the perfect way to take yourself on a self-guided tour of the Art Walk. It showcases all the art installations and murals and will give you the history and intent of each piece.
A Stroll Walking Tour. Stroll offers private guided walking tours by local guides who know the neighbourhood.
Both of these options are a great way to discover new areas and art in the downtown core (even if you think you’ve already been everywhere).
A Field Guide To DTK’s Art Walk
The DTK Art Walk Field Guide will give you an overview map of all the installations included on the Art Walk. It also includes an in-depth visual guide as you make your way through the city. For each art piece, you’ll find an image of the completed piece, the name of the artist, the location, type of medium, the year it was created as well as an informative description including information about the artist, process, intent and more.
