INTERIOR DESIGN is setting the backdrop for the decoration & more simply put it is the the interior architecture by a trained and accredited designer.
DECORATION, simply put, is the aesthetic dressing of the room. “A Decorator cannot design but a designer can decorate.” OR Simply stated Design itself is planning, based on decisions & Decoration is ornamental.
We all need to be able to relate to the space, materials & forms around us. This evokes a feeling of connectedness, comfort & security. In this hectic busy world your home is your refuge from the world to enjoy, to feel safe and secure. Interior designing is our passion & we approached each client’s individual needs to accomplish the required goals. No two clients or their dreams, wants & needs are the same. By listening & interpreting to that client’s dreams & wishes we can creatively turn them into a reality & we always exceed their expectations. I creatively balance clients aesthetics, needs, function, & comfort; instilling a modern-livability that has a “Feeling” that elevates the human spirit.
Whether the project is a New Build or Renovation we can provide complete sets of Drawings & Specifications to your builder or remodeller. We can also provide a seperate service for Design Supervision on site throughout the project.
Working Internationally we have accumulated a multitude of great working relationships with both regular manufacturers but most importantly one of a kind & custom suppliers. Some have become friends over time will share with me, if they don’t have it, possibly where I might find it. This allows me to create projects that are unique & individualistic. This applies to both Interior Design & Decoration. Special reclaimed architectural finds can also be appropriately built into the interior architecture.
For the purist client, we have accumulated resources from around the world to draw on, whether it be craftsmen, furnishing, fabric or antiques. A rare example of the craftsmen on our interior list is our secret door manufacturer who will use my reclaimed material and fabricate authentic interior or exterior doors maintaining the great patina that new doors could never reproduce. Hand-forged Iron, stone carvers artisans and so on.
During an interview KTLA TV in LA I made a statement that I always have adhered to, “If you walk into an empty room and it doesn’t feel good, STOP! ……before you do anything else, get the “bones” right.” That’s because if the setting doesn’t feel good without the furnishings, then you will generally have to over-compensate with the decoration.
Interior Design included but goes beyond the aesthetics. It covers space planning; the current technology as well as the. It also applies to lighting design & selection along with sound to complete the desired moods. Material durability; current Kitchen & Bath function & technology; health & safety applications. ADA compliances for either handicap or seniors functional requirements.
I feel the lines become blurred between Interior Design & Decoration. We like to know what the end result is at the time we are developing the Interior Design; firstly to style, mood and end goal of interior decoration in order to have the seamless continuity of the two strengthened.
I feel there are appropriate times injecting contemporary art & authentic antique into a transitional room will take a room beyond the common trend or brand. It becomes a much more relevant & polished interior that now has been dubbed Trans Contemporary. The mix is carefully chosen pieces & balanced so as not to pull the room back in time but just enough to anchor it subtly to history. Connecting it to the past is not to be misunderstood or is not the same as living in the past but a nod to respecting it.
Critically important is selecting relevant accessories that will tie the room together & evokes the clients personality. It’s like carefully selected jewellery would be in making a special fashion statement. These pieces not only solidify & support the “look & feel” of a room but add uniqueness & become stimulating conversational pieces in most cases.
Toronto Interior Design styles are so diversified; one has to be attentive & diligent for the best end results in selecting an Interior Designer for their project. Recommendations are good but, not enough. Don’t start with researching designers, start with doing some research on yourself & your own likes & dislikes. Star a “Wish File”. Go through magazines, circle things that appeal & don’t appeal to you if they stand out to you in those photos. Make notes on those pictures I.e. You like the light, colour, details, an objects, art, etc. As you go through there maybe specific rooms the appeal to in general; tear them out. Now you have the beginning of a wish file started…..keep going, take your time. See if there is a consistent style emerging; if not that’s OK. You are not trying find a room to duplicate your attempting to produce clues for the designer you select to interpret for you. Now with the introspective you are ready to come up with 5 adjectives to complete your “Wish File” & your search for a designer or 2 to interview.
Start with reviewing their credentials & experience. Look at their work; are they diversified or does every project look or feel the same? Ask yourself if they “Feel” qualified & capable to interpret my needs.
David Thomas is a passionate, experienced & knowledgeable Interior Designer Interpreting clients dreams for over 40 years & exceeding their expectations.