2010 Tommie Awards Kelowna, BC

We did it again!!!

A 2010 Gold Tommie award was presented at the Tommie Gold Gala event in Kelowna on February 12th 2010. Our 2010 Gold Tommie was won for "Master Suite Design - New Home".

We also placed as a silver finalist for the category of "Kitchen Design over 40K - New Home".

Nadine Andrews D.I.D.

DESIGN EVOLUTION

Commercial and Residential Interior Design

Kelowna BC

Ph 250864-9848Fax 250469-9411

designevolution@shaw.ca

http://www.designevolution.ca/

There is an art to hanging art. How high should the picture be hung off the floor, where should it be hung and what colour should the matting be are all questions that baffle many do-it-yourselfers. Art is continuously hung too high in homes which can cause the picture to lose much of it’s drama and presence in the room.

In general, artwork should be hung so that the center of the picture is at eye level. This is usually about 65-68 inches from the floor. While this measurement will work for a person of average height, it may need to be adjusted accordingly for the individuals that are living in the space. The mounting height should also be adjusted for the use of a room. In a living room, where people are normally seated, the artwork should be lowered so that it can be viewed and appreciated without craning the neck.

When it comes to scale, the size of the artwork should relate to the size of the wall on which it will be hung or to the size of the piece of furniture that it will hang above. A small picture will look lost hanging on a large, otherwise blank wall. A large piece of art on that same wall will create a bold statement and will create a focal point in the room. Artwork that is wider than the piece of furniture below it will look visually heavier than the furniture and will cause the whole arrangement to look out of balance.

Small photos or pieces of art can be grouped to act as a single large unit. The pieces do not have to be of the same subject or colour. They can be unified as a whole by using the same width and colour of frames on all pieces. For visual interest, frames can be hung both vertically and horizontally. When deciding on a composition, lay the pieces out on the floor first to determine spacing and layout. This gives you the chance to arrange and re-arrange without making extra holes in the wall. Ensure that there is equal spacing on all sides of the pieces. Step back and look at the balance of the composition. Have the heavier pieces been spread throughout the lighter pieces? Once you have a composition that you are satisfied with write down the dimensions and begin by hanging the center piece.

Lighting that is focused on a single piece (or on a grouping) makes the piece look more important and more dramatic. Consider installing track lighting or a focused pot light onto the piece.

Ensure that pieces of artwork are chosen for the emotional feeling that they provoke, not because they match an existing piece of furniture. Artwork is meant to stand on it’s own and be a focal point. When choosing matte colours to be placed around a piece of art, ensure that the colour will not distract from the artwork itself. Classic whites and off-whites are usually the safest choices.

Nadine Andrews D.I.D.

DESIGN EVOLUTION

Commercial and Residential Interior Design

Kelowna BC

Ph 250864-9848 Fax 250469-9411

designevolution@shaw.ca

http://www.designevolution.ca/

Designer, Decorator, Draftsperson...what should I choose?

The construction industry is filled with terms, codes and restrictions that can be incredibly confusing to the average homeowner. If you are considering tackling a renovation or a new building project it’s important to hire someone that can help you through the process. But how do you know who to call when the titles of the professionals that you are trying to hire are just as confusing as the codes that you are hoping they can unravel? In an effort to help you hire the correct individual for the job, below are the titles of some of the professionals that you may be looking to seek advice from and a brief description of what they can help you do. Please note that in BC there are no regulations as to designation, therefore anyone, trained or untrained, can call themselves a designer or decorator. If it is important to you, ensure that you ask for credentials.

Interior Decorator – Generally focused more on the fit and finish of room, an interior decorator is able to choose the colours and finishes that will pull a room together. Selections made by an interior decorator can include wallpaper, paint, window coverings, furnishings and accessories. An interior decorator does not necessarily have any post-secondary training although there are a number of certificate programs available in the industry.

Interior Designer – The interior designers’ realm is integrated with the architecture of the room and building. In addition to providing the same colour and finish selection services as is listed above, an interior designer will also be involved in cabinet making, room layout, traffic patterns, space restrictions, window placement, flooring selections, plumbing selections, and lighting selections. Interior Designers are trained professionals that have attended a post-secondary institution for three or four years and have received either a diploma or degree in interior design. The professional interior designer is qualified to enhance the function and quality of interior spaces.

Kitchen Designer – Designing a kitchen or bath to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing takes highly specialized skills and knowledge. A kitchen/bath designer is skilled at assessing a client’s individual wants and needs and creating designs that meet and exceed those requirements. The kitchen/bath designer is specifically trained to review work/prep stations, storage needs, space limitations, and aesthetics. A professional kitchen/bath designer remains current on local building codes as well as new products and equipment on the market.

Architect – Involved in the planning, design and oversight of a building’s construction, an architect thoroughly understands local building and operational codes under which their design must conform. Architects understand the various methods available to the builder for building the client's structure and are responsible for ensuring that the client’s cost and time budgets are met. Architects must frequently make building design and planning decisions that affect the safety and well being of the general public.

Draftsperson – Responsible for the preparation of accurate and detailed construction drawings, a draftsperson will work closely with an architect and interior designer. Although most drafters now use computer-aided drafting (CAD) systems, they still have all of the knowledge of traditional draftspersons and are sometimes hired to design the initial space layout.



Nadine Andrews D.I.D.
DESIGN EVOLUTION
Commercial and Residential Interior Design
Kelowna BC
Ph 250864-9848
Fax 250469-9411
designevolution@shaw.ca
www.designevolution.ca

Space Saving Ideas for Kelowna Homes and Condos

As more and more individuals are consciously trading in square footage for location, the trend towards smaller living spaces is ever increasing, especially in urban areas. Even locally, we are noticing a huge influx of condominium developments and people downsizing their homes to get into a great condo with a lake view or water access. Smaller living spaces certainly have a major downside however…lack of storage space. As human beings we have been inundated by marketing ploys our entire lives that say we need to purchase more and more “stuff”. At a certain point though, usually when one is contemplating downsizing, the thought surfaces, “What am I going to do with all this stuff?” Below are some simple space saving ideas that can help to maximize the amount of storage space available in your new or existing digs.

• Transfer the music from all CDs to your computer. Sell or donate the CDs.
• Select furniture pieces that do double-duty as storage pieces. Consider using armoires, chests of drawers, storage ottomans
• Maximize the use of built-ins. They offer clean, uninterrupted lines and provide more storage than stand alone units.
• Think vertical! Add floor to ceiling bookshelves to store books, display collections, or line with baskets and decorative boxes for storage of smaller items
• Space under the bed is space just begging to be used for storage. Great for holiday decorations, wrapping paper or out-of-season clothing, many companies produce under-the-bed specific containers on wheels for ease of use.
• Make use of the storage space in a garage by installing storage specific units to get sports equipment, gardening tools, etc off the floor and into their own space. Look online for companies that specialize in garage storage.
• Purchase clothes hangers that allow for multiple items to be hung on them and only use one hook.
• Over-the-door storage options exist to create hanging storage of shoes or purses which in turn can clear entire shelves of space in the closet.
• Manufacturers have created many innovative storage solutions for the kitchen that are relatively inexpensive.
 Rollout drawers can be added to existing pantries and base cabinets to gain easy accessibility to items at the back of the cabinet
 Vertical dividers can be added to base cabinets to organize multiple baking sheets and pot lids
 Backsplash organizer systems allow items to be hung off of a track to be both out of the way and within easy reach. Items such as paper towel, cooking utensils and knives can be easily stored on these systems
 Purchase appliances that do double-duty in the kitchen such as a hoodfan/microwave unit or a toaster/coffee pot combo.
• When purchasing new cabinets, consider installing taller upper cabinets that extend to the ceiling which will add an extra shelf of storage in each cabinet. This is a great place to store items like the punch bowl that gets used once a year.


Nadine Andrews D.I.D. DESIGN EVOLUTION
Commercial and Residential Interior Design
Kelowna BC
Ph 250|864-9848
Fax 250|469-9411
designevolution@shaw.ca
www.designevolution.ca

How to Choose Colour for Your new home or renovation in Kelowna

Whether you are building a new home, renovating the entire house, or just trying to update a single room, wall colour can be one of the most complex decisions to make. Wall colour can transform a room from the bland to the exotic and is responsible for pulling together the overall feeling of a room, be it classic, modern or country. Unfortunately, it is also the one area where the most mistakes can occur. It certainly accounts for the majority of questions that I get asked by clients and friends alike. This is what I tell them...

First things first. The most important rule when choosing wall colour is to try to choose everything else that is required in the room first. For new construction, choose flooring, cabinets, countertops, and backsplash tiles before choosing wall colour. When buying new furniture or replacing carpet in an existing room, ensure that you already have the fabric sample or carpet colour choosen, then choose a wall colour. Although this may seem a little backwards, consider this. There are over 3000 paint colours in just one colour fan from a major paint company. Then consider the number of paint companies that are out there. I did a quick test and I can think of over 20 companies in under two minutes. Do the math. That’s over 60,000 paint colours. And trust me, there are more out there. Regardless of what other finishes you will be making decisions on, you will never have more selection to choose from than when choosing your paint. Therefore, narrow down your finishes, fabrics, etc first, then, focus on a wall colour. Your previous selections will have already narrowed down the colour selections for you and at that point it is all about finding the right shade.

Although it may seem like a daunting process, be assured that the right shade is out there. For every situation. The biggest difficulty in choosing colour can be determining a colour’s undertones. An undertone is the buried colour within the overall colour. It’s the reason that some beige carpets look like they have pink in them and why others look grey. Every colour has an undertone and getting used to picking them out can take some practice. When in doubt, get a second opinion or consult a professional. In all cases, make sure that you view the potential colour in the room for which it is intended, in morning, afternoon and evening light. This is a very important process as the colour will change dramatically depending on the amount of light hitting it. Make sure that you know what it will look like in different qualities of light before applying it.

When choosing wall colours for an open floor plan it is very important that all the colours flow together. That doesn’t mean that you must end up with one colour throughout, what it means is that all of the colours must have a common tie to each other (ie they all must have a yellow undertone). Some easy and successful places to make major colour changes are the powder room, den/office, master bedroom and ensuite. The reason that these are relatively fool-proof areas to make colour changes is that they all have a different purpose from the main living area (ie the master bedroom is private space versus the public space of the living room and kitchen).

Paint is by far the most inexpensive way to change or update a room, but it is also the selection that can be the trickiest. To give yourself the best possible opportunity to pick the right colour the first time around, take some time in choosing that colour. Get a second opinion, look at it in different lights, take home a sample of the paint colour and try it right on the wall. Because we all know that, “if it doesn’t work out, it’s just paint”, but do you really want to have to re-do it?

Nadine Andrews D.I.D. DESIGN EVOLUTION

Commercial and Residential Interior Design

Kelowna BC

Ph 250864-9848

Fax 250469-9411

designevolution@shaw.ca

http://www.designevolution.ca/

A Lesson In Colour

In grade school, children are taught that white light can be divided into a rainbow of six colours by shining the light through a prism. The prism effectively breaks the light up into it’s six different wavelengths which our eyes perceive as the different forms of colour – Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet.

Light is a form of energy that is either reflected by a surface or absorbed by the surface. When we see colour, what we actually see is the light that is being reflected back from that surface into our eyes. For example, a red fabric absorbs all wavelengths of light except the red. The red light is reflected from the surface and bounces into our eyes, giving our brains the perception that the fabric is red.

While white light is the combination of all colours, black is actually the absence of colour. A black surface is absorbing all of the colour wavelengths and not allowing any light to bounce back into our eyes, thus producing a void of colour – black.

The term “neutral colour” is an oft misused term. True “neutral” colours are actually white, black, grey and brown. These colours are considered to be neutral because they can co-mingle happily with any other colour in the colour spectrum. Neutral colours are the Switzerland of the colour world. Using neutral colours as part of a colour scheme is critical to creating a balanced room. Neutral colours help provide support to a colour scheme by proving the contrast and the grounding of the other colours.

Colours are either viewed as “warm” colours or as “cool” colours. The warm colours, (reds, oranges, yellows) are so called because the conjure up images of things that we know to be hot, such as fire and sunshine. The cool colours, (greens, blues, violets) can conjure up images of ice, snow and cool grass. While some colours are obviously warm or cool, note that all colours will either be warm or cool when being compared to another of a similar hue. For example, blue is a cool colour. But when viewing two blues side by side, one will appear to be more warm or more cool than the other. Being able to see the perceived temperature of a colour will go a long way in helping to determine if colours work together. Warm-toned colours should always be placed with other warm-toned colours, and cool-toned colours should be placed with other cool-toned colours.

Colour will either appear as bright and intense or as dull and muddy. Intensity is the definition of how pure a colour is. The classic primary school colours, red, yellow and blue, are very bright, very intense colours. These are pure colours that have not been muddied by the addition of grey. The more grey that is added to a colour, the less intense it becomes. Low-intensity colours are generally very calming colours that add can add elegance and sophistication to a room, while high-intensity colours will add excitement and energy to a space. Knowing what type of feeling you are attempting to create in a room can help to determine whether a high-intensity or a low-intensity colour should be chosen.

Nadine Andrews D.I.D. DESIGN EVOLUTION

Commercial and Residential Interior Design

Kelowna BC

Ph 250864-9848

Fax 250469-9411

designevolution@shaw.ca

http://www.designevolution.ca/

How to modernize an older home in Kelowna

As many people are aware, the best dollar-for-dollar return on renovations comes from the kitchen. Whether you are thinking resale value or whether you are hoping to stay in the home for many years, an updated kitchen will certainly make the home feel fresh and new. A renovation to the kitchen can also dramatically change the functioning space and therefore drastically effect how you live in your home. For example, a kitchen that starts off with dark, cramped working quarters might have the possibility of turning into a bright, open space, perfect for multiple cooks and for entertaining. Where the possibility of entertaining may not have existed before, you may want to spend a lot more time in the new favorite room of the house.

Similarly, bathrooms benefit from a renovation through the possibility of giving the space a fresh, clean feeling. Because bathrooms are generally smaller spaces, it is sometimes possible to splurge on more expensive finishes and fixtures while still keeping within a budget.

If you are working on a tight budget and want to get as much bang for your buck as possible, these items will do wonders for updating a space.

• Countertops – Laminate countertops can be easily and inexpensively replaced by a countertop company with minimum disruption to the space. Laminate countertops are fastened to the base cabinets by screws that can be easily removed, which allows the old countertop to be slide off and a new one to take it’s place. The only caution with this process comes if there is a tile backsplash in the kitchen. Because tile is installed after countertops, when removing countertops there is a chance that one or more of the tiles may crack or break (not a problem if they are being replaced anyways, but definitely a problem if you are wanting to preserve them).
• Cabinet Hardware – Often referred to as the jewelry of the kitchen, replacing the knobs and handles can instantly provide a new sparkle to older cabinets. Cabinet hardware is also a good way to tie in the finish from appliances or from new lighting.

• Paint – Although many individuals shy away from painting a wood cabinet, more and more people are catching onto the idea. Painting cabinets gives them an instant facelift and can dramatically brighten an entire kitchen. Consider an aged-oak kitchen with it’s dark brandy-coloured tones, if the cabinets are painted white the entire kitchen responds with a brightness that visually expands the space.

• Lighting – In addition to replacing dated-looking fixtures, changing lights can also provide more light to a space which will brighten and make the space seem larger. There are many lighting fixtures that can be purchased in the most current finishes relatively inexpensively at all lighting stores and big-box stores.

Nadine Andrews D.I.D.
DESIGN EVOLUTION
Ph 250-864-9848
Fax 250-469-9411
designevolution@shaw.ca
http://www.designevolution.ca/

Residential Interior Design Kelowna

Your home is a very personal space; an expression of style, personality and lifestyle.
An experienced interior designer will balance skill with your individual needs, delivering a beautiful and functional home.
When there is rapport and understanding between you and your designer, the construction process is exciting and the results are outstanding
With personalized service and attention to detail, Design Evolution is committed to completing projects on time and on budget.

Kitchen Design – We assess the needs and desires of the client in conjunction with space allowances and budget to determine the most functional kitchen design options, while maintaining strong aesthetic qualities

Bathroom Design – We educate our clients on basic design principles throughout the design process to enable them to assist in the design of their space.

Nadine Andrews D.I.D.
DESIGN EVOLUTION
Ph 250864-9848
Fax 250469-9411
designevolution@shaw.ca
www.designevolution.ca