July 11, 2014

My husband and I love to entertain. In the summer weather, we love to have guests join us outdoors in our courtyard garden. In the wintertime, our living and dining rooms serve as key entertaining spaces. Wherever we are in our home, I find that I use several items over and over again when we entertain. I thought I'd share these key pieces, with some tips to successful entertaining that we've learned over the years, and some images from a recent evening spent with friends in the garden.

Must Haves:

Timeless Serveware. In addition to interior design, I am also very interested in food styling. White plates in an assortment of shapes are the perfect backdrop to showcase food in beautiful arrays.
Quality Stemware. Champagne flutes and wine glasses are always in demand at our dinner parties. Investing in classic, quality stemware will last you for many years of elegant entertaining
Fresh Flowers. Freshly cut flowers are essential. They add a splash of airiness, and make the surroundings feel more formal. I love to play with different colours when I entertain, and flowers are another way to introduce my chosen colour theme.

Classic serveware can be transformed in a multitude of ways. (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. for Canada Blooms)

Timeless shapes in glass and serveware can last a lifetime. (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc. for Canada Blooms)

Keeping it low maintenance, preparing things in advance, and going with the flow are some keys to a successful evening with friends and family.

Tips and Tricks:

Keep it low maintenance. Often, after a busy and hectic day at work, we have guests over in the evening. It's essential that our gatherings be as low maintenance as possible. Preparing appetizers that are easy to make, such as dips (hummus, guacamole and salsas) or even doing take-out at our favourite sushi place, helps us to balance our busy schedules with our desire to entertain.
Prepare in advance. We always like to set out the glasses and plates the night before or the morning of, put wines and waters in the fridge, and tidy up well in advance. These little preparations ahead of time will save you plenty of stress and panic!
Go with the flow. Whether it's the weather, the food, or something else it's always essential to go with the flow. The most important thing is spending time with our guests, and creating memories with them.

Cheers, to your next successful gathering!

July 4, 2014

A backsplash is a detail that can add a lot of value and character to a space. Against the rectilinear uniformity of most cabinetry, a backsplash can be the "piece de resistance" that conveys the client's aesthetic, while bringing a splash of colour, texture or pattern to an otherwise functional work area.

From the classic use of subway tiles to wall-to-wall marble, a standout backsplash can be realized in a host of different materials and finishes. We love using bold backsplashes to enhance the character of our spaces and to further our proposed design concept.

Here are a few samples of some of our favourites:

This old-world kitchen has a backsplash of hand glazed tiles that shimmer with a metallic finish, to create warmth and drama around all the kitchen cookery. (Casey Design / Planning Group Inc. - photograph by Ted Yarwood).

We used a graphic backsplash to add colour and pattern in a laundry room with creme cabinetry and countertops. (Casey Design / Planning Group Inc. - photograph by Ted Yarwood)

A Calcatta marble slab acts as the countertop and backsplash. This marble creates a uniform look that intrigues with its stark contrast to the dark cabinetry. (Casey Design / Planning Group Inc. - photograph by Ted Yarwood)

We love the use of pattern and colour in this striking backsplash! (Bisazza)

June 27, 2014

I am so thrilled my urban garden was featured in the May 2014 issue of House & Home, and now it will be featured at H&H Online TV this August!

Look for my featured urban garden at H&H Online TV this August!

This article in House and Home magazine got me thinking about the elements in my garden, and how they all came together to create the feel of the European courtyards from my travels. However, the piece that I consider the heart of the garden is the urn that we converted into a water feature.

I was looking through Bess Hillery Crawford’s book entitled “Rosedale” published in 2000, and found an image of our urn on a front lawn in Chestnut Park in 1915. I had been eyeing this urn for a while – it languished in the back garden of an antique store in Toronto for several years – and I knew that it would be the perfect centerpiece. Many tried to talk me out of it because of its size, weight and age. However, I stuck with my intuition, knowing that the final outcome would be well worth it. To my delight, six months later, the urn was ours.

From Bess Hillery Crawford's 2000 book "Rosedale", our urn sits on a front lawn in Chestnut Park circa 1915.

We converted it into a central fountain, and needed lots of manpower to turn the 600lb urn upright. Our movers described the process as moving “an elephant on top of a dime” because of the incredible weight of the piece. Prayers were said as the urn was moved, as we knew that there was only one try to get it right. From the image below, it is clear that it all worked out. We are thrilled at how this stunning water feature brings new life into our courtyard garden, and we have a great story from this transformation as well. For me, interior design is about the process of developing a space as we move toward the final planned result. It is during these processes that stories like this emerge, stories which inform and make our surroundings meaningful.

An image of our finished urn water feature, as photographed by Donna Griffith in the May 2014 House and Home article, "A Creative Retreat". — An image of our finished urn water feature, as photographed by Donna Griffith in the May 2014 *House and Home* article, "A Creative Retreat".

June 20, 2014

Fireplaces create a sense of warmth and add luxury to a space – and of course, act as strong focal points to any room. One of our clients was looking to upgrade their outdated fireplace in their master bedroom to better reflect their contemporary aesthetic. We replaced their traditional mantel and pink marble with a sleek and minimal striped marble façade to create a truly contemporary fireplace.

As you can see below, our design vision comes to life, from the initial site visit through to the final product.

The final outcome - a lush marble fireplace that provides warmth, texture and a calming focus to the master bedroom (Casey Design/Planning Inc. - photograph by Donna Griffith)

This traditional and dated fireplace was in a location with so much potential for a big "wow" moment. With some tweaks, we knew this fireplace could become a great focal point.

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DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="f… — Our Senior Interior Designer, James Janz, sketches the vision of the marble fireplace. (Casey Design/Planning Group Inc.)

The demolition begins as we remove the stone and traditional mantel.

An elevation of our final concept, with details such as drapery, accessories and artwork framing the marble fireplace and contributing to the successful contemporary redesign. (Casey Design / Planning Group Inc.)

The final result! (Casey Design / Planning Group Inc.)

June 16, 2014

With summer's warm and beautiful weather finally making an appearance, many are heading up north to enjoy their cottages for the season. One of my favourite things about designing cottages for my clients is being able to create an environment that is completely different from their urban home. Clients often crave a country oasis that connects their cottage to the great outdoors – while their urban homes often serve as refuges from the hustle and bustle of the big city.

Keeping this concept in mind, I find that the most successful cottage designs are those that balance both natural and refined elements, in order to create a sense of permanence and history in a current and contemporary space. Little details make a space feel like it’s been there forever – which is something that is especially difficult to achieve in a newly built space.

We're working on building a cottage retreat for one of our clients. Take a look at some sketches and inspiration images for this project.