Get your home ready for winter: part 1

As temperatures drop, were quick to make the necessary changes to our wardrobes.
Out come the winter woollies, the heavy coats, scarves and gloves. But how much time do we spend making sure our homes are equally prepared to cope with winter?

Whether you live in a house or an apartment, here are a few simple checks that should become part of your yearly agenda:

Feeling a draught? Windows (unless they are in poor shape) all have one point of weakness: where they join the wall. If you have a passage of air around the frame then you must address the problem. Infiltration of air will

Storage: the "hidden" service

http://www.designatdistance.com/
coming soon to
http://publicstoragecanada.com/

Our recent site affiliation with Public storage brings the most important provider of national storage facilities to design at distance customers.
But my meeting with Public Storage also made me think about those "hidden" providers of service that we call upon during those "exceptional" moments that can happen in the course of a lifetime...

In the series “How to...”

Post No. 3 How to make furniture do double-duty!

Whether I'm furnishing a compact space or a more traditional space, I love to use pieces that “multi-function. It just seems so obvious that if something can do it's job well, AND another job alongside, it's a good deal.



Usually these “double-duty pieces” do cost more to purchase, but quickly pay for themselves over time. They save floor space and/or allow your space to be ultra adaptable, so if one evening your roll call of guests is a cosy two-some, your space stays light and airy, but when the guest list expands, your space is more likely to cope.

Designer Benoit Lienart is the master-mind

behind the "Sweetch18" this clever

indoor/outdoor chair/table design that

doubles as a space saver, as well

as a talking point with your guests!

What style? Most functional, modern or contemporary furniture tends to “hide their light under the proverbial bushel”, so you have to look carefully to see their additional uses: the coffee table that rises up (think ironing board system) into a full size dining table; the built-in door front or picture that drops down on strong hinges to create a work top (don't be shy to invest in these pieces, as quality is directly linked to the longevity of the product); dining chairs, benches, coffee/side tables or stools with concealed storage; beds that store away, or descend from hidden ceiling boxes...all of them “workhorses” that resemble racehorses, with   slick designs, showcasing modern finishes...

Post 2 in our “How to...” series

This dream home has no problem bringing
in the light, but evenings bring a different
challenge, as the night skies turn glass
walls black!

Let there be light!

The compact (read tiny) studio flat that I was updating for a client on my quick hop to France last week was lucky enough to have wonderful floor to ceiling windows, that helped so much to make this restricted space feel liveable.  But not all rooms have this rare advantage. So what happens if you're feeling you're lacking light in your space?
 
Well there are lots of design solutions that can help, some more costly than others. Let's start with the more basic (and less expensive) ones...

Welcome to our, "How to..." week of blog posts!

How to...create space

The “pied de terre” I was working on during my quick trip back to Europe was typically Parisian! A studio apartment of...(not may M2) with a tiny shower/toilet room (cabin), a built in “coin cuisine” (kitchen corner) and one room that multi-tasked for the living, dining and sleeping space. 

But it was light, airy and well situated for quick trips into Paris, as well as having close proximitie to the river banks of the Seine (believe me, a walk along the river bank and you're instantly de-stressed!).

The downside? it was cramped and impersonal, definately not the functional, elegant space this busy business man deserved...

Weekend reading, "North America through the eyes of a European"

A week in Paris!
Finances and television programmes aside, life kept moving along, and the long awaited date of our selection interview with Immigration Quebec arrived, meaning that a return trip to Paris was on the cards.
Tickets were taken and I found myself Paris bound, on a tight schedule.

For those of you who are familiar with central Paris, you'll understand my concern when business appointments at the Canadian end meant that I arrived in Orly airport the morning of the meeting with only 2 hours to spare between touch down and our interview.
In a word: traffic! if you think rush hourToronto is bad (and I agree, it is!) then imagine Paris, who's traffic "norm" means you can spend over 4 hours making a 20 minute trip. But, they've found a solution that business men have taken to heart as sometimes the only way to make that meeting in time: Motorbike taxis!! So I donned a jacket (that's probably the only downside Ladies: this is definately NOT a fashion statement you want to be seen in) and helmet (forget the hair, it's the getting there that counts), and hung on for dear life...

Weekend reading, "North America through the eyes of a European"

Episode 20: What next?

For those of you who have been following our story to date, you'll know that we were facing a classical problem in our business: financing.  It's a pretty "normal" problem in the life of a business, and I have to admit it's one we'd met before,, and conquered with little problem. This time however, the circumstances were...a little different to say the least!

Our last business venture had been funded in Europe, before the famous "credit crunch" that touched the lives of so many people, across so many countries. Our personal, and business standing allowed the banks to give us the go-ahead for a project worth in excess of 1.3 million Euros.
No partners were needed, and non were sought. We'd always "done it alone" simply because we'd always been able to. But today's situation was different...

Now's the time...

No matter where "home" is for you, I'm hoping you've seen at least a little sun over these past few days?  Well, here in Montreal we've been blessed with sunny, sunny days (weekdays...) although it took almost the full week to get the temperatures to coax us to leave our "just in case" cover-ups behind.  But, whatever the weather, last week showed me that it was well past the time to start packing up the winter woolies and overcoats, and pull out the summer light-weights and sandals.

Pick a day when you can concentrate on organizing without too many distractions. I always like to freshen up the whites and dedicates after they've been stored for a season, so make room for a "to wash" pile. Make sure you've go some of your favourite fabric softener at hand, and use a bleach that's "kind" to your clothes when perking up those whites...

Creating a great working kitchen

Many of you are thinking about remodelling your kitchen at this time of the year.  You've decided that you cannot stand another year of cramped spaces, tired worktops, and aged cabinetry. So, with the decision made, what next?
Well, you can call us! or you can call in a kitchen designer, or decide to go it alone. Going it alone will give you lots of choice. The market is swimming with kitchen companies, and most of them have staff who can help you look at the layout in a logical manner....

What price, the right advice?

How much would you be prepared to pay, to be sure the money you're about to invest in your home, is going to bring you the results you'd hoped for?

How much will that couch really cost you, when you get it home and it just doesn't "fit", and it's less about the size, and lots about the style...of the rest of the room!...

What's really coming between you and an interior designer?

Is it the cost?
Is it the fact that, honestly, you know what you like, and are sure that you'll get there alone?
Or maybe it's because you don't fancy paying for their "designer solutions"? Or just don't feel comfortable inviting a designer into your home? or telling them your budget...
Maybe you feel that using an interior designer just isn't for you?  But that doesn't change the fact that you could do with their help!...
So maybe you'll just keep watching HGTV (great tips and LOADS of ideas!) and there's always Ikea!...

Spring sales

If you're thinking about selling your home, Spring-time is traditionally the time to get it onto the market. So what should you be doing, before opening your home up to potential buyers?

Ist on your list should be going to www.designatdistance.com and checking out our design to sell service, because for the first time, the expertise of a real estate developer is being made available to the general public. Professional expertize at your fingertips! And for a set price of $445, your property will be analyzed, it's surroundings classified, and it's potential market identified!


All resulting in a detailed list for you to follow. Action everything on the list, and you can be sure your home will sell for it's best price. So go on, order a design to sell service today, and give your home (and your pocket) the chance it deserves, to give you a great return on your investment!  But if you're wanting to get started on your own first, here are a few ways to get your home ready for sale!  Presentation is everything when selling your home, so key words are: decluttering, fixing, and cleaning....

Flower power!

Help your home to spring forward into the balmier days to come, by using cut flowers and potted flowering plants to accessorize your rooms. And there's no need to break the bank, because it's more about “How you display” than “How many you display”.

If you've a stock of mis-matched pretty china cups, and bowls hidden at the back of the dresser, bring them out to air! They make great original flower holders. But what if your de-cluttering has emptied your cupboards? Don't despair!



It's a good reason to take a trip to your local charity shop to pillage their stocks of “grandmothers” china, and if its chipped? no big deal, because you can hide the odd imperfection with trailing greenery, and nodding flower heads....

Kitchens, kitchens, glorious kitchens!

Make your space the best it can be!
plans, samples and more, to create
your dream kitchen

It's definitely kitchen renovation season! and our designers are busy transforming previously small spaces into stylish cooking, living, eating and entertaining spaces, that match the way we want to live today.

Multi-function is the name of the game, when so many expectations are combined into one room, and our designs (and your taste preferences) will never be more on show than in these often, open space, “entertainment areas”. So, it makes even more sense to take the professional route, and welcome a designer into your private life!...

Blasts from the past!

This Scottish utility workroom has
an informal 18th century country
house charm

We often talk about inspiration and where it comes from, simply because it's a never-ending, open-ended, in-exhaustive source of wonder to me! It truly is everywhere we turn.

We've been working on a kitchen design recently, that was inspired by some existing period furniture, found in adjacent rooms, and the home-owners desire to add elegance, and long term value to his home.

So, we threw out the “rule-book” and decided to open up the whole space, and treat it as an architecturally interesting living space: that just happened to be a working kitchen!...

Post no.4 in our Spring cleaning "Tip sharing week"

Outdoor furniture With warmer days just around the corner, we'll soon be seeing the stores fill up with this year's choice of outdoor furniture.  But before heading to the check out, take the time to dig out your existing furniture and see if it can't be given a new lease of life! (However, if you really do need to buy from scratch, try to do it sooner, rather than later, so you get the most from those early rays)...

Post No.3 in our Spring cleaning, "Tip sharing week"

Accessories! I'm a great believer in integrating the outdoors into my rooms wherever possible. Now that doesn't necessarily mean filling the place with plants: not that I've got anything against plants, but they do have to worked into a decorative scheme in the same manner as all accessories: with control!

So, what do I mean by “integrating the outdoors”? Well, I love to echo the spirit of the current season in our rooms. Not long ago we posted an article about warming up your rooms by adding splashes of colour, because we all need to feel “enrobed” with texture, and rich, comfortable additions to our living space, when external temperatures are anything but comfortable and warm.

Of course, as we move into Spring days and nature starts it's yearly push, our warmly-wrapped living areas start to feel a little...stifling and over-dressed. So, when you feel that change in the air, take it indoors with you! Look around your home to see where you can lighten things up and make your surroundings match the new season...

Post no.2 in our Spring cleaning, "Tip sharing week"

Grandmother's favourite ingredient No.2: baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) Baking soda is a cheap and effective general cleaner that can spruce up your surfaces and fabrics all around the home. It's a light abrasive and a natural disinfectant and sanitizer, so it's tough on stains and germs, but won't “etch” porous surfaces, such as marble. It's cheap, readily available and better still, it's kind to the environment. Here are some reasons why a box of baking soda more than earns it's place in your cleaning basket...

Welcome to our Spring cleaning "Tip sharing week"

Day1: Grandmother's special ingredient: distilled white vinegar

As green issues become more pressing, each of us are staring to become more aware of the potentially harmful effects of our everyday actions, so today's post will hopefully encourage us to think about more environmentally friendly ways to clean areas of our home. And there's an added advantage: these solutions save us money!

Today's we're looking at how distilled white vinegar can help out around the home. Why vinegar? Simple: distilled white vinegar contains the highest acid content of all vinegars, so its cuts through grease and grime naturally, leaving any “good” bacteria intact to help comabt germs and infection.

Here are some tricks that our grandmothers used to make thir homes sparkle and shine, long before chemical cleaning products arrived on the scene...Solutions for occasional jobs:

Spring forward!

Officially here in a couple of days, we Montrealais had a taste of Spring earlier this week, and it was glorious! What a difference a few rays can make. My step felt lighter and suddenly the day felt full of promise.

Although I had to admit that the feeling faded slightly (only slightly though, I love springtime) when I came home and encountered the spring sunlight trying to battle it's way through winter-wrapped window panes. Yes, you all know what I'm talking about (well some of you will I'm sure...It can't ONLY be me can it?) Grimy windows!

 But, there has to be reason why our grandmothers termed the phrase “Spring cleaning”. So to be able to fully appreciate the lovely balmy days ahead, let's get prepared now!..

In the series, "We love..."

The re-invented Fiat 500

I love Fiat. As a European, I've driven them, and owned them (I had a super 7 seater, that was fun, fun, fun, just before we moved to Canada) and they're great!

Of course, they're Italian. With design running through the blood, and home to the worlds most revered sports cars, it's normal that they've delved into their vast history, to re-invent what will become a design icon in the world of cars: the Fiat 500...

How to create a focal point

see similar artwork at
abstractartpainting.wordpress.com

One of the rooms we're working on this week is making us get clever with focal points.  So what is focal point you ask? (although I'm sure you already know, or at least have a good idea)

But, for those of you not yet “in the know”, just think back of your grandparents days.  Every living room had a fireplace, situated on the main wall of the room. With an overmantle mirror, painting, or family photos hung above it, the fireplace “filled” the wall and drew your attention. This was the "focal point" of the room... 

What's the thought process behind “The d @ d Design Store”?

The d @ d Designstore
where great products and prices
meet with super services

The creation of The d @ d Design Store is for me, a natural, and logical progression: after years of searching for clever, functional, beautiful, and cost effective solutions, it makes sense to share my “finds” with our designers...and our customers!  

Our goal is to offer products (and services) that fit every "budgetery occasion", as well as products that meet the toughest design criteria.



We want to bring together a “nucleus” of great designs, at prices that “make sense”.   This doesn't mean that all the products you find in the d @ d Design Store offer the "cheapest" solution.  But when it's not, you can be sure that the price reflects their quality and use, and that they offer that famous, but so important, "good value for money".   Because "spending for spendings sake" has never interested me...

In the series, "We love..."

Splashes of colour!

And when better to use them than in the winter (I've been told we're not “out of the woods”, or our winter woolies just yet...)  So inject a bit of warmth to your interior, by adding colour flashes all around your home.  Take inspiration from how you'd pep up a plain jacket, with a wonderful woollen scarf. 

Strong, bold colours lift your spirits, and add spice to your daily life.  My favourites are raspberry hues, and bursts of orange (although not necessarily in the same room!)...

What turns "interior design", into a truly great interior?

Research, planning, and flair, mixed together with a good dose of care! You have to be effective at researching: finding out what makes your client tick, and what the space needs to deliver, all within the budget you've been given to work with. You have to understand what good space management is, and how to achieve it.  

These are the main ingredients in the "dish called design". But, if you can't inject a certain “flair” into your work, it will never be classed as “great design”...

Welcome!

This very visual, and accessible exhibition
 in downtown Montreal was aptly
named, "lavage"

Welcome to our latest design at distance partner, French born, Montreal-based artist and creator, Emmanuel Brasseur.
We fell in love with Emmanuel's approach to art, even before we saw his work. And needless to say, once we'd discovered his collections, we weren't disappointed!

With values similar to our own, Emmanuel feels that art should be accessible to a wider market, not only to people who have the habit of visiting specialized galleries...

Did you know?

Did you know that the month of March has been designated "national bed month" by the sleep council? 

So let's get thinking how to make our bedrooms less bedraggled, and more...blissfull!




Much easier, of course, for existing d @ d gift box owners. If you already have a Privilege Card, you get the opportunity to buy a Bedroom design, online at http://www.designatdistance.com/ for a special customer rate of $250 (so long as your bedroom is in the same home as the room you bought your original design for).

And for those of you who haven't yet bought a design at distance service, here are a few hints and tips to chase away those bedroom blues...

Are you designing to sell, designing to stay...or simply undecided?

Occasionally we'll come across a customer with a real dilemma: While they know they need to upgrade their home, they haven't yet decided whether they are making the changes with a view to staying, or with the aim of selling, and finding a new home.

This poses a certain challenge for our designers, because the two goals demand two pretty different plans of attack... 

What style, your dream home?

This stunning modern home was created
 by Henning Stummel Architects

It's an interesting question isn't it? If you were given the chance to build the home of your dreams, what would it look like?

Some of you will even be going through that process as we speak: deciding the style of your future home.

But what makes you choose that certain “look”? Pick one architectural style over another?

We've talked lots about where interior design inspiration comes from, but there is just as much out there when it comes to getting inspired about the exterior of your home. Unless you've dreamt of a specific style for years, the first thing to decide is whether it's the past, or the future, you want to stamp it's mark on your building...

The 2nd important question...

With our interior design services packaged into gift boxes, it's normal that our second, most asked question is:  What's in the box?

And the answer? Simply great design! personally created for you, and your project, by a qualified designer, dedicated to making your home the best it can be. Plus an exclusive, numbered gift card that gives you access to your designer, and money-saving offers on products and services, long after your initial project is delivered. Everything you need to realize your project: inside a gift box!...

The 1st of two important questions...

There are two questions which keep recuring, the first of which is, "What made you create design at distance?"

Well, the main reason is my belief that  just about everyone needs interior design at some point in their lives, and it's always frustrated me that everyone who needs, can't have access to it, either because it's not in their habits to call a designer, or because of the cost of their services. 

So I decided to make good design accessible, and affordable to everyone that needs it...

Should you invest in the home you're about to sell?

You may love it as it is, but your home
should meet the needs...and taste of
 the people most likely to buy it.

That all depends on the realistic price your home can reach, given it's geographical location, it's style, it's size, it's condition, and it's internal layout. Many real estate agents will say “No”, but our experience as real estate developers tells us, that when your home is correctly presented and meets the needs of the people most likely to buy it, it will sell faster, for it's optimum price: making you more money on signing day.

However, to do this properly, it's important you fully understand the “market” your home will appeal to...




Your home's "market" is the “group of people” from which the buyer of your property will most probably come from,  and to fully optimize the sale price of your home, you need to find out what their needs and desires are, when it comes to layout, and look.   These findings should guide any changes your thinking of making, both inside, and outside your home...

How we offer great design at great prices

One of the reasons we're able to offer professional design services at great prices is because we ask you to help us gather information about your project, cutting out the need for expensive home visits.

But don't worry, we're here to help, and our “easy-to-follow” guides, are just that: easy!

You don't have to be good at drawing: a hand drawn outline, showing the shape of your room, and the main measurements is sufficient. From the moment you register your project online, using your exclusive customer number (find it on the back of your d @ d Privilege Card, enclosed in each Gift Box), you'll have access to one of our dedicated designers, who's ready and waiting to help...

Ever wondered what we look for in a designer?

With so many qualified designers out there, who makes an “ideal” design at distance designer?

Many designers don't want to design under any brand name but their own, and many designers already have a reseaux of regular clients: they're doing great. But for those who don't fit into either of these categories, design at distance is an ideal fit.

We are in an enviable position of having our own structure, which supports and stretches qualified designers to get the best from their past training and experience. Add further training, coaching and development, and with access to regular customers, our designers grow, and gain in experience.
A invaluable ingredient for successful designers, and successful designs!...

Words for the week...

With a busy week ahead I thought I'd start it if by sharing a few chosen words.
I couldn't resist the matching cushions to this BoConcept wall hanging, and one takes pride of place in each of our bedrooms. They've among my favourites buys: I hope you like them!

"The meaning of life is not a question to be answered, but an event to be experienced", and  "Oportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them."  How true!...

Where we stand on...

Today's post is going to touch on a delicate area: Home Inspectors

Anyone who has watched an episode of Holmes on Holmes (HGTV) knows the current problem within the Home Inspection Industry: many Home Inspections fail to notice, and bring to the home-owners attention, major, potentially dangerous, and expensive faults.

This is a blossoming and booming industry which the public has a real need for, but it's also an industry that is not regulated, or controlled by one, professional governing body, and the "good guys", the Home Inspectors that know their stuff,  risk being tarred with the same brush as the "bad guys"...the ones that don't! It's a major problem, with expensive side-effects...

Why not take the easier route...?

Or....Why not take the easier route...

Use the design at distance collection of interior design services,

and take the pain out of making over your space!...

Green is Good

Now the crazy consumerism of Christmas is behind us, how about taking stock of what we've got, and start putting the brakes on buying?

As the saying goes “charity begins at home”, so does green awareness. I'm sure you all separate your rubbish for recycling (Well done our local councils!)