What is old is NEW

I guess one of the benefits of being in a industry like interior design for a while is that you get to see trends come and go. 'Time equals change'



Back in November I posted about the catalog from RESTORATION HARDWARE mentioning the numerous pictures of Lime Plaster walls and Fireplaces incorporating the finishes into the settings. It was nice to see a major interior retailer providing such exposure to relatively under noted finish - plaster.

In the past week I was down in Seattle and had a moment to duck into a RH store and was really surprised at the complete make over the entire store. Gary Friedman is the CEO of RH, has  taken the tough times in recent years to go true to his direction and beliefs for what RH is about, in his words "Today's Restoration Hardware is a personal expression of what we believe in, design we are passionate about, produced by artisans who in their own right are creating a cultural revolution." - I like that.

And what I like more is the warmth and textures of the furnishings in the current store. Furnishings evoking yesteryear craftsmanship(built to last) with old world grandeur, yet with lines that fit today's interiors.

If interior trends run a cycle, like fashion, then I can guess what is coming next.... can you?

Is it really rust?

That was my first observation when I came across Wheeler's Studio cabinet below, at IDS11 in Toronto.
The sliding blue door on this cabinet is actually made of MDF and faux painted by artist Jason Wheeler.



Jason's furniture is a build between modern and industrial, "it is the focus of what I do" he said.
Creating weathered appearances to wood and raw steel, with an eye for sourcing local woods, reclaimed or farmed wood.
Take a look at his website, you'll see the works of art that function as cabinetry.

10/10 is what I will give him for is trompe l'oeil rusting samples below.
As Jason said "I study and look at rust" - very well done!


Jason's business is in Oshawa, Ontario. Custom orders is part of his business model, contact info below.
t 905 924 4188
e info@wheelerstudio.com
w wheelersstudio.com

Cellar Dweller... but for a Good Cause

It's usually not a lot fun to spend the work day in a small dark cool room in a basement. Unless it is for Wine!
Yes a Wine Cellar!! Do you love Wine? I do and nothing better than creating a room to provide a little ambiance to where a collection of 'nectar of the Gods' will be residing.


For this project of course it involves Lime Plaster, specifically Marmorino and Intonachino will be my go to plaster for the ceilings and walls.
Also installing ceiling beams, the neat part about the ceiling beams is that we decided to incorporate some state of the art LED Lighting... it will be installed shortly. This type of band or rope light, is like nothing I have ever seen... I will take a picture and post it, crazy technology!
It's a perfect fit for what we need to do...

Beginning the layout

Giving a Mantel a sense of Grace

Latest Project: Lime Plaster Mantel installation, 11' x 8' for custom Home on the beach. The kitchen/living space is 1800 sqf, with modern architectural details, simple and clean. Hence, we were commissioned to create a large, elegant, modern surround and mantel, our medium to create this piece was entirely in Lime Plaster.

How?  Grano Di Legno is Italian for wood grain, we create the grain/texture through scratching the surface of the Lime Plaster and adding layers of Bee's wax to provide colour and depth. Creating architectural fresco panels.

Historic - Contemporary Mantels

A while back, my wife & I had fantastic few days in Quebec City and I having been meaning to share some pictures of a particular spot...

If you are heading to Quebec City in the near future, then make a rewarding stop for dinner at Panache.
It is perfect blend between old and new design, with a 19th century maritime warehouse as the back drop of the interior to perfectly decorate with modern fixings. We were very taken with the warmth and coziness of the interior in Panache, well balanced with old post and beams, granite walls, plaster walls, stone floors, wood floors and great natural light despite being in the middle of an old warehouse.

Most important: two fireplaces Mantels caught my eye for inspiration. Both contemporary, these Mantels incorporate Limestone in their design and fit the rooms gracefully, see the pictures below.


Simple, well placed and effective.

The Surround is 25' high.

Now that is a wall! Check out the THICKNESS, built to last hundreds of years.




Plaster walls in the common halls.

How about the food? Eat Very Well!

On an Old Idea with a new Twist

This week we started the renovation of the new home for the Distinct Interiors Studio. Since there is always a creative opportunity when renovating your space, we decided to take a little architectural license and really re-think the space Distinct needs for it's new Home/Work/Rest/Play. So here we go: The ManShed.ca

. . . do You Dwell?

Not on the Past or the Future . . .
More as in the magazine - Dwell. It is one of my fave's for sourcing creative ideas and inspiration for when you look at the box (house) and think what can I do with this one!? That is the question that I have been pondering for a while since we bought our own little Love Shack in 'The Beach Community'.
The home is 36 years old with no updates until we moved in. Slowly I have been chipping away with small reno projects, one at a time. In the past weeks I decided to take on the window facade since it was just so blahhh. Therefore, Dwell was the place of inspiration, since there are always dozens of updated homes with a contemporary 70's vibe. I personally enjoy the cottage/contemporary look and that is the direction for our home...if we ever finish ;)



Lime Plaster Planter Box
Often there is left over material from other projects, thus I decided to take Lime Plaster outside for the ultimate test. I designed the box to be built out of plywood and then took the same steps as you would with a shower walls, sealed with concrete and applied my Lime Plaster over the concrete.
The Challenge
We also needed to warm up the exterior, what better than adding more of what BC is good at cedar! Using the cedar in lengths of 2" x 8' strapping the box and to help create a linear vibe with 1/4" spacing between that is more common is design these days.
The rest was what I love to do! Play with Plaster...

Funny part in the end

I actually didn't like the 1st colour of the plaster, (HC 107) Gettysburg Gray once we mounted it. Since we used the French cleats, just pulled it off and applied another coat of Lime Plaster to change the colour (HC 166) Kendall Charcoal and set it back on the cleats - easy.

Yes Distinct Interiors is making 'it' on Broadway

...meaning we have been commissioned to create travertine wall panels, big panels 5' x 7'.
The project is at 601 Broadway, an 1970's office tower in need of an update to the interior of the lobby.
Since it needs to be marketable, meaning the buildings age can't be a deterrent to potential customers/lessors and it is important to be current in order to compete in the commercial rental business in Vancouver. Since it is a very competitive market place.

The existing Travertine is impossible to match from a quarry today

- therefore Distinct Interiors has been asked through the use of Lime Plasters to create a match.
 

Existing wall of Travertine, sample below in progress
Creating the base for the Lime Plaster wall panels

In the final stages,
of detailing borders for this double vault  Intonachino ceiling.


Creating the border for detailing the arch.

Due to the height and two levels of the vaults. the moisture and drying temperatures varied - Intonachino in the process of drying.

Borders with Beeswax sealers, lending to a very organic and Islamic/Eastern appearance.

...Next: everything goes back in place, new carpets, lights and furniture.

Last week we started on a larger project, a client requested a Lime Plaster ceiling installation.
Not a problem, but it is rather challenging, since the architecture of the ceiling consists of 2 barrel vaults, 22' high!
We are applying several coats of Intonachino Lime Plaster in a distressed effect.

Some pictures of the work in progress - oH, yes that is not our work on the ceiling below, that is the lovely wonder if the early ninety's, sponge painting!

Set up

1st coat of Intonachino Lime Plaster to the ceiling