mixing up your design style

WHY CHOOSE ONE STYLE?!

have you ever been torn between choosing different looks for your home, and struggle to put it all together?  If yes, you are one of many people who are drawn to different styles in design, your style is called eclectic.

Personally I think that mixing different styles makes a home interesting and more pleasing to the eye.  When only shopping for modern and contemporary, or only shopping for antique, or traditional, you may find that the look lacks a certain something? well, yes it does…..  YOUR PERSONALITY!

There are solutions!! MIX IT UP!

Regardless of each piece of furniture having its differences, if you can find a commonality between them it will usually work out!  For example.  try to mix a white lacquered desk, with a traditional or antique wood chair, or perhaps you have a solid wood family dining set- try mixing that with funky metal chairs, or ultra modern COLOURED CHAIRS!! (like in the picture below)  then accessorize your home with a few common colours which you can pull from artwork or fabulous fabrics!

Pictures by Elle Decor

Written by Rnea Imbeault

RAI DESIGN

WWW.MYJEALOUSNEIGHBOUR.COM

OTTAWA INTERIOR DESIGN

Fabulous & Affordable Mid-Century Modern

Mid Century Modern is here to stay!!!  … and the true authentic furniture pieces can be found at yard sales, auctions, antique stores, online, and local furniture shops. And now that there are so many stores producing these pieces you will be able to find the furniture at many different price points.  

Quality may be sacrificed, but for those decorators on a budget, you will now be able to achieve this look for much less! True visionaries designed these classic pieces whose beauty and modern appearance are still popular today, Ray and Charles Eames You can find these fabulous pieces throughout the city.   I have spotted them in local (Ottawa) stores such as MOBILIA and EQ3, ect. Above you will see The Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, these are highly recognized pieces for modern design. This was the Eames’s first luxury piece, a true classic. Another example of Eames’ work is the La Chaise. Composed of a fiberglass shell, chromed steel supports, and a solid wood base, this piece is made to last. The free-form shape was inspired by a sculpture called “Floating Figure“, by Gaston Lachaise

WWW.MYJELAOUSNEIGHBOUR.COM

RAI DESIGN

Interior Designers in Ottawa

Finding an Interior Designer in Ottawa

Are you looking to find an interior designer in Ottawa, but don’t know where to start?  Below are 3 easy steps on how to find a designer to best suit your needs:

1.       Define your project

Once you have established what your project is and what you are thinking of budgeting, it’s time to start looking for an interior designer to turn the project over to.  Make sure you give some thought to the specifics and the timeline you are on because this will help the entire interior design process.

2.       Find your designer

Check out the portfolio of a couple designers and see who’s style best fits with your vision. While designers can usual cater to your style its always best to start with a designer who portfolio speaks to you and your preferences.  Before and after pictures often reveal how skilled the designer is at making a transformation.

3.       Assessment

Once you have found a designer you think is a fit your next step is booking an assessment or discussing the details of your project. The designer should be able to give you a few pointers right away and also, depending on the complexity of the project give you a ball park quote or at least list their hourly rate depending if billing is done per project or hour.  Also, as a part of the assessment it’s not uncommon to check references. Ask a previous client how satisfied they were and if they would recommend them.

Note that in many cases established designers interior designers in Ottawa will be able to get discounts on materials and labour through their industry partnerships. In many cases hiring an interior designer will result in a net savings to your project cost and a net benefit to the entire project

Co written by Matt Whitteker & Rnea Imbeault

RAI DESIGN

INTERIOR DESIGN

OTTAWA, ON

www.myjealousneighbour.com

making patterns work for you

Introducing pattern is a great way to add warmth, depth, and visual interest into a home.  You don’t need to be an interior designer to learn how to mix different coloured or shaped patterns together.   There are a few tricks to make multiple pattens work for you:

• look for patterns that compliment each other, same pattens but in different colours
• choose throw pillows in colours found in artwork or accessories in that room
• mix different sizes of patterns, choose a large print and a small-scale print, creating a layered look

Everyone has a style that speaks to them, and whether you prefer muted or loud colours, or have  contemporary or traditional taste, you can make the pattern work for you.

If done correctly, the space will have a sense of balance.  whether its choosing bold wall colours or wallpaper, and muted patterned textiles, or muted walls and bold pillows, furniture and accessories. Just go for it, it will most likely look fabulous!!!

Rnea Imbeault

Interior Design Ottawa

RAI Design

www.myjelaousneighbour.com

who’s that girl?

Her name is Jennifer Bisson, a modern artist from Ottawa- and her work is simply fabulous.  She will gladly do custom pieces for clients, and her prices are completely reasonable for the quality artwork you get!

I especially love her black and white painting (featured on her website) of  Jackie O and Marilyn Monroe, which 2 very different women are morphed into one. Jackie O the “good girl”, lady of class, elegance and style- beside the legendary boundary pusher of her time, sex siren and temptress, Marilyn.

Check out her portfolio@

www.jenniferbisson.com

what NOT to skimp on

Interior designers can help you save money when it comes to the products and furniture selections for your project’s, but one thing I advise my clients NOT to skimp on is skilled tradespeople.  I pride myself in hiring perfectionists, and although they may not underbid other local workers, I believe that quality craftsmanship is always worth the price.  How horrible would it be to spend a large portion of your bathroom or kitchen reno’s budget, and have one un-skilled labour worker ruin it with a hack job?!!  Whether you’re tackling your own job or you’re getting a designer, I would highly recommend doing the research (or having a designer do it for you) to find that perfect fit for your project.

RAI design prides itself in hiring prefectionsists- this way the job is always done right- and looks fabulous!!

Rnea Imbeault
RAI Design
www.myjealousneighbour.com
Ottawa Interior Designer

updating a fireplace on a dime

step 1- replaced the small mantel (priced out 3 new options, price averaging $600-800$ )

step 2- double checked on used sites ( found one on kijiji in oak which could be painted for $250- HUGE SAVINGS)

step 3- paint the oak with high gloss white (paint $ 30)

step 4- remove brass around fireplace, paint out remaining brass with black fire resistant paint ($10- found at home depot)

step 5-tile the wall behind the mantel (tile-$200, then fasten the manel to the wall)

step 6 re-drywall the existing tv nook for a flat service (supplies and labour $250)

total cost = $790.00

(if you don’t have a nook to cover the total cost would be even less!!)

 

Rnea Imbeault
RAI Design
www.myjealousneighbour.com
Ottawa Interior Designer

creating a space that works for you!

Living in a condo with limited space may make you feel restricted to how your furniture can be arranged, and if you are not a minimalist then I’m sure you know what I’m talking about!

My advice to achieve a cohesive condo is to group your furniture and accessories. Also, don’t be afraid to put a sofa in the centre of an open room to create two separate spaces (see picture)

I’ve put together a few helpful tricks of the trade:

1. Items of equal or similar scale, for example, don’t place a tiny table beside a huge chair
2. Items with similar colours, for example put your grey pillow near your grey artwork to create a cohesive look
3. Take odd items that don’t work and find similarities with all pieces to make it work together, for example: remove a single pink chair from a cohesive colour scheme and create a new space with matching pink art (now the “odd” chair is seen as a stunning “feature” chair when you first enter the condo)
4. LAST, have fun being creative!! Design rules are meant to be broken!

 

 

Rnea Imbeault
RAI Design
www.myjealousneighbour.com
Ottawa Interior Designer

cozy guest bedroom, easy peasy

Making a spare room cozy is  pretty simple, for us our spare rooms usually consists of many unused items from other rooms in our home, so we make it work.

All it really takes for a scrumptious guest room is:

1. Faux feather featherbed (for guests whom may have allergies), this makes the bed extra luxurious even when the mattress may not be the best
2. Great pillows.  Try to have a few options for your guests to sleep on.  Tip: not everyone may like the same type of pillow that you like
3. Artwork or personal photos for your guests to look at while they are in the room.  Art helps the room feel lived in, plus adds visual interest
4. THOUGHT OUT accessories.  If your spare room is lacking in decor then at least throw in a few nice pillows on the bed, or some tasteful curtains,  or even a fun lamp- something special to make your guests feel like their company means something to you. If you think you may have some magazines around the house that they would like to read, you could even leave some on their night stand for them- voila! COZY.

 

Rnea Imbeault
RAI Design
www.myjealousneighbour.com
Ottawa Interior Designer

a bright idea

Basement bathrooms are often dreary with no natural sunlight, so when I was designing our basement bathroom I opted for a wall color that would reflect light.  The color appears more yellow in pictures, but it is actually a pale limestone with yellow undertones.

I decided to have a little fun with the accessories, by hanging fun art, displaying an over sized elephant, and two funky lacquered mirrors.  We opted to put a small corner shower in the bathroom in case the future home owners would prefer to use the basement office as another guest bedroom.

Since this bathroom would rarely be used for shower routines I opted for a small crystal chandelier – a fun idea if you don’t need a lot of light, or have another light source in the room (which there is in this case)

Pointer of the day

* be daring and choose fun accessories! Use a vase to hold toilet paper, or hang art in an asymmetrical manner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rnea Imbeault
RAI Design
www.myjealousneighbour.com
Ottawa Interior Designer