Bedroom with eye catching elements (Photo by Michael Graydon)
The Globe and Mail’s Deirdre Kelly speaks with clients, Kim Hannaford and Jeff Yuill, to discuss their favourite room in their newly revitalized home. The room was designed by Theresa Casey and capitalizes on texture, colour and wow factor.
Blue Velvet Banquette (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Colour is the single most powerful tool in the interior designer’s toolbox that makes the most impact for the least amount of money. For the cost of a can of paint, you can transform the atmosphere of your space, and if you hate it, it’s only another can of paint. Hopefully though, you get it right by doing large samples on the wall - something I do on all my projects.
The biggest key to picking a successful colour is to ask yourself what kind of atmosphere you want the space to have. A good way to figure this out is to ask yourself what spaces that you have been in that have made you feel invigorated. You may want different moods for different spaces, i.e. you may want a cozy feeling dining room or restorative spa atmosphere for your bathroom. You may be someone who loves fresh pure colours, or soft neutrals, or jewel box gem colours. Whatever your preferences, start with some images that you can use as your visual reference and pick your colours with these images in mind. I love the variety and scope that can be achieved with a simple can of paint. See some examples of the spaces I have designed with these ideas in mind.
Green "Old World" Library (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Bold Blue Dinning Room (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Red Reading Room (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Rich Russet Red Cabinets with Green Countertop (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Raw Linen Red and Orange Wallpaper (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Michael Graydon)
Exuberant Turquoise for the Curved Paneling (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Pretty in Pink Bedroom (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Green with Envy Living Room (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Luxurious Light Yellow Dining (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Warm and Dramatic Purple Painted Office (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Bedroom with Rich and Playful Palette (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Bright and Brilliant Baking Centre (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Multi-colour Master Bedroom (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Perfectly Purple Dining Room Accents (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Dynamically Colored Drapery (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. - Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Onyx Walls and Custom Vanity for Master Ensuite (Photo by Ted Yarwood)
I love designing bathrooms. It is an opportunity to create whatever is your heart's desire, whether it be a rich jewel box, a soothing spa retreat, a traditional, handsome, Tudor historical style or a funky, vintage, quirky bit of fun. You’re only limited by your imagination. Here are a few ideas about how I approach the design of one of the most important rooms in your home.
When designing bathrooms I use a multi-pronged approach. The first thing is to get the layout of the interior design right: the adjacencies, storage, the bathroom fixtures and all the required functions that need to be addressed. Next, we ask what kind of atmosphere, style, period, mood do you want to achieve? For instance, in the many bathrooms that I have designed there is usually a defining element that anchors the bathroom. Examples include the gold leaf cherry blossom mural in an oriental inspired bathroom for a young couple, or the toile wallpaper in a client’s French inspired condo, or the intricate, mosaic floor tiles and vintage open sink in another client’s powder room. These elements, as different as they are, make each of these bathrooms distinctive and original. Bathrooms, especially powder rooms, are a great opportunity to have fun and make a statement. I’ve designed very traditional ones and simple minimalist ones but the key to success is to address the functions and target a mood or atmosphere that you want to achieve.
Master Spa Retreat (Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Teenage Girl's Bathroom (Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Hand Carved Custom Vanity (Photo by Ted Yarwood)
White Oak Double Vanity (Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Gold Leaf Cherry Blossom Mural (Photo by Donna Griffith)
Toile Wallpaper in French-inspired Bathroom (Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Mosaic Tiles and Vintage Open Sink Powder Room (Photo by Ted Yarwood)
Shell Chair with wooden arms carved as fishes (Photo by Ted Yarwood)
1. I consider it an honour to be invited into people’s homes and for them to tell me about their passions and desire to make their homes a reflection of themselves.
2. It’s fun - we get to play together. Sometimes we are simply move furniture around, bring up stored furniture in the basement up to the main floor or brainstorm about how to make the space functional and funky, stylish or whatever mood suits you. Sometimes it’s as easy as that – moving furniture and making a room more comfortable and functional.
3. It’s like being a kid again – playing house, making models and looking at the possibilities of your space.
James Janz rearranging furniture in a client's home.
James is massing concepts and building a model home.
4. When clients realize that it is possible to have a home that they are thrilled to come home to and have their friends visit.
White Walls to lighten Basement Office (Photo by Angus Fergusson)
Fabric Upholstered Walls for French Deco design (Photo by Angus Fergusson)
5. That this doesn’t need to be domain of the rich and famous or intimidating in any way. Not everyone has the budget for a major (or a minor) renovation, but, there is room for everyone. A two-hour consult allows you take advantage of experienced, problem solving dynamo-design brains. For me, the best part is the look of relief on my client’s faces when they see what is possible in their space.
6. It pushes me to see new points of view and my client’s interests that I have had no previous exposure to, like one of my clients who collects antique toy soldiers. His collection was stored away in boxes because he didn’t have a way to display it. We jumped to the challenge by designing built-in cabinetry that would ultimately be moved to their country home, yet still work in their historic downtown home.
Built-in White Oak Cabinet with glass door display case above and shelving below (Photo by Ted Yarwood)
7. Every job is always a challenge, new and different (as it should be!). There are some similarities from client to client, but ultimately, it’s about each individual client.
8. I love getting people unstuck. With a few key moves we can get a stalled project moving. See this before and after.
BEFORE - The client's kitchen was cold and outdate.
AFTER - We rejuvenated this kitchen by updating the cabinets with a new paint job and by raising their height. (Photo by Donna Griffith)
9. I get to play like a kid and be inspired by my travels. A great example is the "Elephant Love Tree" that we created for the Gardiner Museum "12 trees for the holidays". The theme was "All things great and small" and as one of the selects designers we were allowed to choose our concept. Having just returned from India, as a Canadian delegate for an interior design trade mission, we we're inspired to respond with a bejewelled giant elephant tree. See some of the images that inspired us and the resulting Elephant love Tree.
The decoupaged elephant head encrusted with jewels, glitter and brass fixings.
Homemade gingerbread ornaments hang from the tree.
Theresa Casey and Kari Serrao with the "Elephant Love Tree."
Inspiration from Theresa's trip to India.
10. Because it combines all my loves and passions: fine art, antiques, history, travel and discovering new talents in art and design.
