My name is Nathalie and I'm addicted to decorating.
My husband, Paddy Quain, who always tries to look on the bright side, says it could be worse: I could be into heroin.
Be that as it may, there is no shortage of pushers all too eager to help feed my addiction. I am obsessed with Home and Garden Television and any other source that inspires decorating ideas for our new Ottawa home, purchased this summer.
Magazines, newspaper sections, websites and entire books are all devoted to improving your living space, which to me means you can have great style and still live in the suburbs.
To my husband's great chagrin, more new stores are devoted to primping our homes. And if you can't make it in, no problem. They are only too happy to send free catalogues that will leave you reeling.
Now, I have a second confession.
I also got help from one of the world's top designers. I was immediately taken with Vicente Wolf's work, thanks again to HGTV. Feeling a little daring and realizing I could never afford the services of this highly acclaimed New York designer, I wrote to his blog for advice.
I never expected he would answer.
As I explained to my husband, the avid sports fan, it would be akin to Daniel Alfredsson responding to his questions about the Sens. Wolf is the design equivalent of Alfie on a breakaway and scoring in the dying moments of a game.
Wolf suggested several ideas to make my eclectic furniture work in the living room. In one email, he helped me place our furnishings and suggested colours and fabrics to bring it all together.
There were even ideas for our ensuite. Best of all, he sent along a signed copy of his book.
His fast answers made me realize this economic recession has left many top designers with more free time to drum up more business with blogs and advice columns in magazines.
It's good news for cash-starved, idea-hungry designistas. Blogs are full of sensible and affordable ideas to improve your living space.
Decorating magazines are also doing their bit to dispense free advice online, including helpful blogs, questions and answers and hundreds of inspiring pictures. They also regularly list where everything was purchased.
Fortunately, there are also a number of local websites that make the prospect of achieving the perfect room possible. I have scored a number of impressive finds online for prices I still can't believe. (Try community forums like craigslist and kijiji.ca.)
And in my quest to create a great space, I have learned a few basics. I now understand that less is more; that I should spend on the large pieces, such as a sofa and be thrifty with accessories, which often reflect current trends.
And, according to Wolf and several other top designers, colour should be used sparingly and not on major furnishings.
When they do use strong colour, they tend to make it monochromatically -- so nothing pops out -- to create a seamless room. You can easily change a pillow or even a wall colour -- but not so much your expensive couch or chairs.
And if you have an eclectic mix of furniture, as I do in my living room, keep the colour palate in the same tones to make everything work together.
I have also learned the importance of flowers. Nary a room have I looked at in a magazine or on TV that has not featured flowers. They bring the whole room to life.
And the results are so satisfying. I love my space. Who says you can't have style in the 'burbs?
-- Canwest News Service
