INSIDER’S VIEW
This Canadian design expert and media personality dishes on how to make rooms cozy and colourful this fall.
Canadian design expert Jane Lockhart dishes on how to make rooms cozy and colourful this fall.
Jane is a familiar face from design and decor television. She’s also about to celebrate her 25th year heading her own design firm. We spoke to Jane about some of the most challenging decor dilemmas homeowners encounter. And, bonus, Jane – always a pro trendspotter – offered us some insider info about colour and style trends that are on the horizon.
KL: JL:
For a good, all-around neutral that works well with grey or any of the new creams, beiges and cognacs, my go-to is Sea Salt CSP95 from Benjamin Moore. It’s a classic taupe that never goes out of style regardless of the trends. I would love to see more Velvet Cloak CSP-480, also from Benjamin Moore, as a daring new direction. It’s a “blackened” burgundy, a warm alternative to navy or black. It’s grounding and delicious all at once. What is your go-to neutral colour to paint walls? What is a more daring colour that you would like to start using in your interior projects?
KL:
Small spaces always seem to be a challenge when decorating for entertaining. What does the perfect small space dining table look like to you?
JL:
I love a small round pedestal table as it’s comfortable to fit chairs around, and the circular shape promotes good conversation at meals. The Saarinen dining table is a classic modern shape; its elegant pedestal base looks less cluttered than four table legs. A natural matte-finish marble or stone is truly beautiful and will stand the test of time. A smaller 35-inch-diameter table seats four comfortably, and it can be tucked away anywhere and double as a work space or games table.
KL:
The colder weather will be here soon. What are three easy decorating ideas that make a room more cozy?
JL:
Definitely any kind of fireplace creates a huge difference in making a living or family room cozy. Whether it’s electric or the real thing, it amps up the cozy factor and creates a solid focal point in any room. In a bedroom, natural textures like woven wood, cotton weave area rugs and cable-knit wool pillows and throws definitely change how the space feels, moving it from cold to warm. Layering textures with items like that creates a softness even with the coolest of colour palettes. Finally, bold patterns will change the feel of a room. For instance, patterned tiles in a laundry room will change the clinical feel of the space without compromising clean-ability.
Even the most subtle of wallpaper patterns can envelope a room with coziness.
KL:
We collect art over the years. What are your tips to incorporate a variety of art into a room’s decor?
JL:
The best way to tie a collection of art pieces together is to look for a colour connection. This creates a rhythm when viewing one piece to the next and pulls them together as a grouping. It could be black and white, bold and colourful, or pastels; grouping them into colourways is an easy way to ensure they look great together. I like to reframe art pieces in the same or similar frame for continuity and flow. Get inspiration for wood or metallic frame colours from furnishings that already exist within the room. Take all the art pieces and reframe to make them the same size. If you have photos, reproduce them at the same size for continuity, so they feel like an intended collection and are tied together by scale and size.
KL:
How do you feel about white kitchens? Are they a classic or a cop-out?
JL:
It’s a classic and bestseller! Over the past several decades in Canada, white remains the easiest kitchen colour to work into interior decorating plans. Even though cabinetry styles have changed over time, for a country that struggles with light in winter, white is bright and neutral, as it fits any colour or decor style. It’s easy for a new purchaser to add to white kitchens – with appliances, crown mouldings or countertops – to update its personality.
KL:
Any predictions for a 2022 decor trend you will be incorporating into your designs?
JL:
I look forward to seeing more “bookmatched” cabinet hardware. This is where the two hardware pieces on a set of doors are a mirror reflection. This trend allows for more integrated cabinetry and a custom furniture look that’s less boxy and offers a unique designer look. Hardware is like jewellery for a room.