ACHIEVING CASUAL ELEGANCE
Amy Zantzinger is an interior designer who creates spaces known for their casual elegance. She brings a practical sense of style to interiors and combines design elements to bring together a relaxed, yet sophisticated, look. Her husband, Richard, is a pri
QI’ve changed a dark-stained vanity to a whitewash blue, but it still has the original off-white Corian sink. I wanted to paint the walls white, but it might clash. Do you have alternative paint colour ideas? I’d like to stay away from beige.
AIt sounds like the vanity wants to be the focal point. How about painting the walls 50 per cent lighter than the vanity colour?
QMy sweet seven-year-old daughter has been asking to paint her bedroom black. At first, I said no. But why not think of a creative way to do that? She has a small, westfacing room with a chair rail, white trim and antique white furniture. Perhaps black (or maybe deep grey) below the chair rail? Or add a pattern? Or a softer colour to balance the darker colour?
AI think painting below the chair rail is a great compromise. By painting below the chair rail (as opposed to above), the dark colour will ground the room. Paint is easy to change, but just know that when you repaint, it will take numerous coats to cover the black.
QI’ve noticed a lovely mix of metals in kitchens and living rooms. How can I do this successfully?
AI don’t have a problem mixing metals such as brass and nickel in the same room. That said, I think each finish needs to be used in the room more than once for it to feel cohesive. I would also introduce softer materials such as wood and fabric.
QI need to redo the flooring in my house, but I cannot find someone in my area to install concrete floors. I have hardwood, carpet and linoleum. Do you have any suggestions for a modern hard surface, not luxury vinyl or ceramic tile, that could be used appropriately throughout the entire house?
AThe material that comes to mind is slate, but I am concerned that a hard material such as slate would seem cold in your entire house. Perhaps you could refinish your hardwood floors with a more modern finish, such as a washed grey, and update your carpets.
QWe’ve been in our house for just over a decade, and I’ve got the itch to move. Because we don’t have to move, we’re taking our time. But it’s also time to update the carpet and paint. I want to love what I pick, but I also want to pick what others will love enough to buy our house. So I’d like to aim for the middle. We have a very open floor plan with a two-storey family room. I’m thinking of repainting it one of those popular grey colours such as Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter or Sherwin-Williams’s Agreeable Gray. What do you think? We have dark brown hardwood floors on the main level and beige carpet on the upper level.
A Grey will always be a great colour. Just be sure you don’t go too deep with the colour, especially with dark floors.
QWhat are your thoughts on using wallpaper on kitchen walls in a home that’s less than five years old? Would it look too old-fashioned?
ANot at all. There are incredible wallpapers available today. Just make sure the wallpaper isn’t too close to the counters, as you want to avoid stains.
QI love the look of bare light bulbs in fixtures, but I’m wondering if the light is harsh. Are there types of bulbs or other considerations to mitigate the impact?
AWith Edison bulbs, I do not find the light harsh if the right wattage is used. Having switches with dimmers also helps.
QMy kitchen has a couple of painted tiles among the plain ones. I’d love to not have the weird pictures of fruit on the tiles, but I am not sure of the best way to get rid of them. Should I have someone remove them and replace them with others? Should I paint them?
AI don’t recommend painting them because I think they would peel. It is difficult to remove individual tiles without damaging the adjacent tiles, but I would talk to a good installer.
QWill wood panelling ever come back in style? I have it downstairs and was wondering whether I should change it to drywall or just leave it. We don’t spend a lot of time downstairs, so I’m having a hard time justifying the cost and effort.
AHow about painting your wood panelling?
QWhat are your thoughts on dining room rugs? I have avoided one so far because we have two young children. But perhaps a rug that’s easy to care for would add a bit of warmth and softness to all the hard surfaces and protect our hardwood floors, too. Any neutral options you would recommend?
AI agree that with young children, it is almost easier to skip the rug under a dining room table. However, Restoration Hardware (restorationhardware.com) has great Tibetan rugs that are very durable.