Interior Design & Decor

Today the Olympic Torch started the rally around Canada in preparation for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games.  Victoria, British Columbia was the starting point and all the community has come together to prepare for this very special day. 

We were very fortunate that the Olympic Torch passed by our studio earlier today.  

The city placed these cool banners all around and we are lucky to see them every day from our window.

After a long wait and some delay, finally the torch passed by the studio.

Torch Design

Inspired by Canada; Made for Canadians

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A little bit of history…

The 2010 Olympic Torch, designed and manufactured by Bombardier in collaboration with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), is a symbol of the 2010 Winter Games, and will carry the Olympic Flame across Canada on its 45,000-kilometre journey. Twelve-thousand torchbearers will hold an Olympic Torch as they move through 1,037 communities across Canada.  Over 90 per cent of the Canadian population will have an opportunity to see the beauty of the Olympic Torch and experience the warmth of the Olympic Flame.

Designer/Manufacturer: Bombardier/VANOC

Inspiration: Canada’s open land, vast potential and smooth, fluid lines left in the snow and ice from winter sports

Height: 37.125 inches / 94.5 centimetres

Weight: 3.5 pounds / 1.6 kilograms

Materials used: Stainless steel, aluminum and sheet moulding compound

Burn time: At least 12 to 15 minutes

Fuel used: Blend of Propane, Isobutane and Hydrocarbons

“Vancouver 2010 – Official Olympic Site”

“When they hold it in their hands, I want them to be proud.”  – Leo Obstbaum, director, Design

For Leo Obstbaum and the design team that developed the 2010 Olympic Torch concept, the project was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

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Most New York City apartment buildings are a stack of identical boxes, but three apartments in a Brooklyn high-rise show how radically different places can be inside.

Two lines of attractive young white-jacketed waiters stood MGM-ready at the 10th annual National Design Awards gala, held in New York last week.

The furniture designer Jason Miller rented and renovated a Brooklyn one-bedroom on a $5,000 budget, drawing inspiration from the polyester and plastic of 1970s design.

Follow this advice on the road to giving your walls a fresh, new look.

Follow this advice on the road to giving your walls a fresh, new look.

Need new cabinetry for your home?

Do you need new cabinetry for your home for either the kitchen or bathroom, or even for your entire home. Where do you start to look? Is price the driver for your decision or is quality and style your most important factor when making your decision?

There are SO many options when it comes to cabinetry companies, but I would like to talk about the cabinetry companies that are the medium value choices. I would like to show you what to look for when your selecting your cabinets for your home.

Finish and door style is what usually grabs a consumers interest first. Dont be wooed by a pretty face. A door can entice you into making a bad decision or at least an uninformed decision.

Lets take some of the overseas cabinetry that has started to saturate the market lately. The price seems to be a good deal until you look closely. For example at GS SUPPLY Seattle WA, I studied some of there cabinetry offerings such as there American Cherry. The American Cherry cabinetry comes standard with in-motion guides but you can NOT get finished ends on these cabinets that are lacquered ..instead they are merely stained and are rough to the touch and the finish color was not consistent with the front of the boxes or the cabinetry doors.

You are told that you can get your cabinetry right away UNLESS you need to get a piece made specifically to your particular needs or size. Lets take for example a client of mine who needed a pantry only 18″ deep instead of 24″ deep. I asked the sales person if we could get it 18″ deep..they said yes, we can CUT the cabinet down and staple the back of the cabinet back on to the cabinet. Problem is that the pre drilled holes would be cut off and then there would be NO pre-drilled holes to put my clients shelving into.

The other option was to order with the correct depth but we would have to wait 60 days for the cabinets to come in from over seas, through customs. Who knows if within 60 days you would really receive your cabinetry, you are dealing with custom you know.

The construction was not lacking great craftsmanship to say the least. SEE PHOTOS of GS SUPPLY Seattle.

Compare with the construction of regionally produced cabinetry that is durable, consistent and more responsible due to regionally produced.

Pacific Crest Bellmont Cabinetry.
Kock Cabinetry available at ECOHAUS in Seattle.
Mid Continent Cabinetry available at SAVVY CABINETRY in Seattle.

What I am saying is if your don’t know what to look for when it comes to cabinetry construction details then seek the advise from a qualified professional that can guide your through all the ins and outs of any cabinetry line. Listen to them you are investing into a kitchen and it may be this one time for you but that professional has seen 100’s of kitchens similar to your perimeters.

Keep your eyes open and don’t just focus on what seems to be the better buy based on cost. If you choose these bargin priced cabinets just know what your really going to get.

If you need guidance from here or your just plain lost contact Bagley Custom Interiors for professional help.

Altas Dining Table by Ashley Hicks

Detail – Altas Dining Table by Ashley Hicks

PRODUCT

Atlas Dining Table

DESIGNER

Ashley Hicks

DIMENSIONS

29.5” H X 40” D X 82” L

MATERIALS

Oak & Cast Metal Legs

DESCRIPTION

The Atlas dining table has a top of smooth stained oak, on cast metal legs whose pierced, attenuated form was inspired by Oceanic sculpture – but also makes the idea table base, gracefully avoiding diners’ legs.

Custom finishes and sizes are available. Shown here in black stained oak. – Ashley Hicks Website.

This piece by Ashley Hicks has a “Je ne sais quoi” quality to it.  The table has very interesting visual weight as a complete piece and definitely exudes a very sleek contemporary vibe. 

The fact that the main material is solid oak makes it warm, real.   The legs, I have to say, are my favourite part, they are organic and futuristic.  The blend of all these elements makes this piece memorable and unique.

YUMMY FACTOR

Delicious !!!

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Yesterday, Chris Burdge, founder and owner of bWEST, published a very interesting interview about us and our involvement in Social Media.  

To read the complete article please click the picture

I have to admit this interview was a very different exercise for us – We do interviews all the time, but this is the first occasion we are the  interviewee.  If you want to learn more about us in the Social Media side of things this is a good opportunity.

Living in Victoria BC, Vancouver Island and being part of the design industry has its limitations, but being part of the social media movement has given us a voice to express our ideas and promote our business to the rest of the world.

If you are in need of some social media advice I invite you to contact bWEST. 

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The cinematographer Claudio Miranda’s dark, awkward hillside home in Los Angeles was transformed into an open space filled with light.

A client and her designer trade ideas (and barbs) en route to a happy ending on a tight budget.

Brooke Giannetti

Brooke Giannetti not only does beautiful architectural design with her husband (Steve), stunning interior and furniture designs; she also maintains a very cool blog (Velvet & Linen) and runs a shop with her namesake – Giannetti Home.

Brooke’s interiors are very chic and warm with a feeling of someone really living there, not too stuffy or untouchable. Sophisticated and eclectic with carefully chosen juxtapositions, but always inviting. Her designs certainly evoke positive emotions and nostalgia.

Giannetti Home is very similar, an ever evolving showroom full of rustic pieces from around the world that have age and character.  Brooke also has her own line of furniture which is very clean, slim and sophisticated, it would work with an array of styles.

The Velvet & Linen blog follows Giannetti Home’s current projects and inspirations, as well as little tidbits showing the personal side of Brooke, including a very sweet open letter to her 16 year old son.

Giannetti Home has been featured in several newspapers (including The Washington Post), magazines and blogs. She also appeared on The Skirted Roundtable, a popular blog that posts podcasts of roundtable-style discussions about interior design and blogging from a weekly radio show.

Please read on to learn more about this talented designer and blogger…

Iván Meade – What was your first experience with design?

Brooke Giannetti - I would have to say that my mother introduced me to the world of design. Although she was not formally trained, she was always doing something to own home. She even allowed me to design my own bedroom when I was thirteen. Lavender on the walls and carpet with white accents. I owe her a great deal for that!

 Interior by Brooke Giannetti

Iván Meade – Who or what has influenced your style?

Brooke Giannetti - Steve has been a huge influence because he has been so supportive and has allowed me to explore my own style without judgement.

European design has also been a big influence. For the past year, blogs like Cote de Texas, Things That Inspire, Marley and Lockyer, Belgian Pearls (a new favorite), and all of the beautiful Swedish blogs have exposed me to a whole new world.

Interior by Brooke Giannetti

Iván Meade – How would you describe your style?

Brooke Giannetti - Right now my style is a combination of Belgian, French and Swedish with a little industrial thrown in. I love the cleaned up version of Belgian design as seen in the Beta Plus books, but with a little French and Swedish softness thrown in the mix.

Interior by Brooke Giannetti

Iván Meade – What designers of past and present do you admire most?

Brooke Giannetti – Windsor Smith for her daring and the lightness she instills into all of her projects. They always put a smile on my face. Joe Nye and Madeline Stuart for their incredible attention to detail. Barbara Wiseley. I could live in her own home. Our friend and Steve’s client, Kelly Harmon. She creates the most serene idyllic homes.

John Saladino, the master of scale. His books have a permanent place on my desk. I love his ability to combine rustic with modern.

Interior by Brooke Giannetti

Iván Meade – What inspired you to begin a blog?

Brooke Giannetti – My friend Mary suggested that I start a blog. I had no idea what they were. I really started Velvet and Linen as an on-line journal to document all of my projects as well as the things that I love.

Interior by Brooke Giannetti

Iván Meade – How has the blog influenced your designs and your career?

Brooke Giannetti – The blog has been an unexpected gift. I think Velvet and Linen has enabled me to become clearer about my design style. There is nothing like having to put things in writing to get some clarity. The blog has also given our work a huge amount of exposure. With many of the shelter magazines shutting their doors, blogs have become a wonderful venue for our work.

Interior by Brooke Giannetti

Iván Meade – What do you consider to be your greatest strength and your greatest weakness?

Brooke Giannetti - Steve would say that my greatest strength is my lack of formal training. I design from my gut. My biggest weakness is when I allow insecurity to sneak into my head. 

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  Interior by Brooke Giannetti

Iván Meade – What is it like balancing a store, blog, design business and family all at once? How do you manage?!

Brooke Giannetti - It’s crazy. The only way I manage is because I have a wonderful support system.

Interior by Brooke Giannetti

Iván Meade – What are 5 things you can’t live without?

Brooke Giannetti - Steve, Charlie, Nick, Leila, my Veranda magazine subscription!

Interior by Brooke Giannetti

Iván Meade – What are you excited about right now in the world of design?

Brooke Giannetti – I think that the internet has opened up the world of design to everyone. You can live anywhere and see what people around the world are focusing on in design. To me that is very exciting.

Interior by Brooke Giannetti

Iván Meade – The products in your store seem to be constantly changing due to all of the one-of-a-kinds you sell. What is your favourite piece in the store right now?

Brooke Giannetti - Although I love the Swedish antique pieces in our store the things that really excite me right now are our furniture line and Steve’s paintings.

Interior by Brooke Giannetti

Iván Meade – What is it that you love so much about antique Swedish pieces?

Brooke Giannetti - The clean lines combined with simple details. They work so well with the industrial pieces that we love.

Interior by Brooke Giannetti

Iván Meade – What would be your dream project?

Brooke Giannetti - A beach house for a client who says: "I love what you and Steve do. Do what you want. I’ll be back in a year."

Interior by Brooke Giannetti

Iván Meade – What project has given you the most satisfaction?

Brooke Giannetti - Right now our own home in Oxnard. Steve and I use it as our science design lab. We try out all of the things that nobody else will let us do, yet…

Interior by Brooke Giannetti

Iván Meade – What is your next design venture?

Brooke Giannetti - We are designing more furniture pieces as well as an accessories line. It’s so much fun to concentrate on small pieces. It’s like jewelry for the home.

Interior by Brooke Giannetti

Iván Meade – Lastly, you have already created a stunning body of work with many mediums and styles. What would you like your legacy to be?

Brooke Giannetti - Three happy kids.

I invite you to visit Brooke Giannetti  stunning body of work

GIANNETTI HOME

VELVET & LINEN

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Decorating your home with the flair of a professional doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive if you follow these tips.

Learn to combine a vivid imagination with good paint sense to choose the right colors for your walls and feel good about your surroundings.

Author: Susan_Ruckdeschel

October is the month of Breast Cancer awareness and to show our “support” we donated a collection of bras to our local radio station Kool FM 107.3 in Victoria BC – for their annual “Bras on Broad” event.

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The Bras will be hooked together and strung across Broad Street from Pandora to Yates to raise awareness for Breast Cancer.

After the public display the bras will be donated to a local women ‘s shelter.

One last Bra Hurrah before they are donated.

Showing our “support” so to speak (lol)

Echito  displaying her favourite donated bra.

Here I am channelling Marilyn Monroe to show my “support”

Echito making the donation at the Kool Fm Station

To celebrate awarness we also found our TOP TEN products with proceeds going towards Breast Cancer Foundations

Pink Ribbon Sprinkles 

Deluxe Hand-Dipped Pink Ribbon Berries

Kitchen Aid – Pink Collection

Limited Edition Dyson Pink

Glowlogy – Love light 

Pink Ribbon Silicone Heat Resistant Mat

Clinque

Lacoste

Rowenta

OPI Nail Polish

Other sites you can find informative:

BREAST CANCER SOCIETY

CANADIAN BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION

RETHINK BREAST CANCER

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