A Cup of Coffee

I love the aroma of freshly ground coffee when it is just filtering through a coffee maker on a cool day. I say “day” because I have never been a regular morning coffee drinker – I do partake in the morning once in a while, but if I don’t have someone at the office with me, or I’m not meeting with someone at Starbucks, I usually don’t brew some until mid-afternoon or even after dinner as I am getting cozy on the couch. I like a strong flavourful cup – not bitter or burnt.

Coffee is one of those substances that is truly amazing to me – it has captured us. We are either physically addicted, as any Tim Hortons line can be evidence to, or we are psychologically addicted – the romance of a French cafe au lait or an Italian espresso, being ensnared by the scents and sounds of a quaint little coffee shop while hearing another person’s latest life story, or getting absorbed in another kind of story from a book or article in front of you. It can be a small escape from the everyday, even if it is an everyday habit!

Coffee has been more than one source of inspiration for design work... In staging, I have used coffee mugs, French presses, espresso cups, coffee beans, coffee colours, art depicting coffee and the relation to “sharing a moment” and the scent of fresh coffee to envelop people’s senses and draw on their own emotions surrounding this fascinating substance, as they enter a space.

Mine’s gone cold again, while typing...

Travel for Inspiration

Inspiration can come from the smallest thing - the colour of a leaf or flower, the shape of an insect or cloud, the fragrance in the air on a certain day. I notice things around me everyday and seem to incorporate them into interior colour schemes, furniture choices and even arrangements. A kitchen renovation came to me from the amazing scent of a homemade pasta sauce simmering on the stove...I could see this rustic "cucina" in my mind and set to work sourcing the items that were going to make my vision a reality for the client. It turned out amazing, as was the sauce...

Broadening our everyday experiences can only add deposits to our inspiration bank... Many different designers travel regularly to discover new flavours, now colours, new shapes, fabrics made with different fibers, buildings developed with different materials, and so on.

My photos of Las Vegas were disappointing to my friends...there were not a lot of crazy antics recorded - instead they were of lighting fixtures and ceiling designs, bathroom mirrors and new types of tile designs, carpets and window displays... All for the "inspiration bank"...

Can't wait for my next trip...

Leaves are falling...

I love this time of year! The weather is warm, there are no bugs, I have no allergies and the smell in the air...

I also love the colours! They surround us - the leaves, the bullrushes, the fall fashion...all of them turning warm tones of yellow, orange, brown and hits of bold red - offsetting the coolness approaching in the weather.

The smells associated with a typical fall menu entice us as well - the spicy cinnamon and nutmeg, stewed apples and cranberries, roasted turkey and ham, fresh baked breads and pies...

When we stage a property we want it to be clean, warm, inviting, comfortable, and "homey". I find it amazing how much of what is typical of this season is brought into staging of homes...