SIX OF Canada’s noted TV design personalities translated their talents for decor from the small screen into a live showcase, crafting personalized spaces celebrating the latest in trends, ideas and products in interior design.

Brian Gluckstein, The Designer Guys (Allen Chan, Matt Davis, Anwar Mukhayesh), Sarah Richardson and Lynda Reeves were each tasked with creating distinctive living spaces measuring around 70 square metres backing onto a common courtyard.

Their creations were featured at last week’s Toronto’s Interior Design Show.

“I took the challenge as being something that would in some way reach out to the viewers, reach out to the public, and be an expression of who we are,” said Richardson, host of HGTV Canada’s Design Inc., and Sarah’s House.

“I think what everybody’s done is they’ve actually created really a signature space that represents their work and who they are and their esthetic.”

With her installation, My Country, Richardson, who also owns her own design firm, said she wanted to create a comfortable retreat from the hustle and bustle of city living, while steering clear of the classic country motif. Traditional prints make way for “bold, overscaled” patterns, like oversized orange floral print on cosy chairs in the living room set against a brightly patterned floor tapestry, complement the pale wood flooring and walls which contrast darker hued stools and side tables.

The bedroom pays homage to the Canadian flag, featuring a palette of pinky red and charcoal grey, and a clear acrylic moose sculpture is affixed above the bed.

Richardson said it was important for her to create a sustainable space that would live on beyond the show.

Items including the wood, decking, and tents brought in from the Northwest Territories will be reused, she said.

For Reeves, who said she hasn’t been a practising interior designer for some 20 years, creating the living space was a return to her roots.

Her creation, A Room of One’s Own, was designed as a sanctuary blending the casual and colourful.

African artifacts, mud baskets, a zebra ottoman, electric pink chairs, a wooden light fixture and a chandelier are among the wide array of unique items co-existing and showcased within the space.

“Home fashion is just like apparel fashion,” said Reeves, president of House and Home Media and host of House & Home with Lynda Reeves.

“For me, fashion is about having a well-travelled look. It’s eclectic, you’ve collected things from all over the world, it’s multicultural, it combines different materials, different art forms.”

A suzani blanket from Uzbekistan draped across the bed featuring colours including a lush chocolate brown and deep orange was a source of inspiration for the room.

Reeves recommends other individuals looking for a colour scheme for their own home try a similar tack.

“Go out and find a piece of fabric or something that’s got multicolours in it that inspires you, and then try to figure out ‘What is it about it that inspires me?’” The feeling of it, the colours?” she said.

“Then it will give you a colour scheme, a palette. All of the colours of my room are practically in that suzani.”

Richardson and Reeves both say books and magazines can also provide a creative spark and are a great starting point for information. Ultimately, what works best is for individuals to go with what feels right.

“My number one thing is I always say to people don’t follow the trends,” Richardson said. “The trends are there to show you what’s hot and new and what’s coming into the market but you should not create a trend-based space.”

“You should create a space that is a reflection of you and your personal style, who you are, what’s important, and most importantly, how you live.”

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 2nd, 2008 at 9:34 pm and is filed under Interior Design, Home Design. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.