Kimberly Bianchi
Decor Studio Manager
With a deep-rooted passion for design, Kimberly is the in-house Decor Studio Manager for OPUS Homes. Having graduated with Honours in Interior Design, she diligently mastered her trade through twelve years of accumulated experience in the design and home building industry. During that time Kimberly developed and operated an in-house decor and customer service program for a highly-regarded home builder. A creative jack of all trades, she has been involved in multiple operational functions within the home building process. This fresh-faced and highly qualified team member oversees the décor function with a finely tuned knowledge of the entire operational process which allows her to guide clients through the maze of construction with ease.
Our Decor Spotlight is intended to shed some light on the latest interior design trends, to inspire you in selecting finishes for your home. I’m pleased to present you with some emerging ideas in home decor from Lauzon. Last month, I was fortunate to attend the Lauzon Interior Design Seminar with their Trend Specialist, Cheryl Grant.
One of our favourite products in the Decor Studio is Lauzon. Lauzon offers a wide variety of Canadian-made hardwood flooring products, including Pure Genius, which can actually help purify your indoor-air.
This forecast is from gathered trends from interior design trade shows in Germany and France, and discusses different design focuses: harmony, serenity, clarity, and artistry. The GTA has a mix of influences from traditional and contemporary design, and while the trends inspire, you’ll want to choose finishes for your home that have a lasting, timeless appeal.
In this 2-part series, I’ll share some of the highlights of this seminar, and discuss how Cheryl’s forecast can influence your selections in the Decor Studio. I’ll reflect on each one of these trends and how they apply to your Decor Studio experience, and how you can add the flavour of each element into your new home.
Harmony – Balance in Nature
‘All things green’ continues to be top of mind in design, and now we’re seeing this taken one step further. Bringing the outdoors in – is what’s on everyone’s mind. This can be done by approaching outdoor spaces as an extension of indoor spaces, along with floor to ceiling glass to reveal nature outside. While indoor gardens are popular now, many people are opting for artificial greenery, and just adding a touch of green inside the home can contribute to feelings of harmony and peace.
This idea ties in well with the idea of disconnecting from electronics, and reconnecting with nature. Consider this approach: create one room in the home that is strictly electronics-free. Make this room feel like it is an extension of the outdoors, with the use of living plants or a garden door. Access to nature that is unimpeded by the digital world is essential to fully experience the moment.
Cheryl also shared how a push-back from all things consumption-focused might translate into design. She shared ideas on how brandless consumables could change our focus and cause us to rethink how we use materials. The textile industry contributes a massive 25% to our carbon footprint, and rethinking how we look at design will reflect a need to use less material over time.
The OPUS Homes Decor Studio has a wide array of natural materials in timeless colourways and patterns that reflect this design ideal. It also has a wide variety of Go Green options that reduce our consumption of energy and water in the home. We pride ourselves on building homes that use responsible materials like broadloom made from up to 100% post-consumer recycled content and low-flow plumbing fixtures that assist in reducing your family’s water consumption.
Serenity – Earth Tones and Perfect Imperfections
Cheryl weighed in on the idea of calm throughout the home, with materials that use a natural palette that promotes a feeling of serenity. This ties in closely with aspects of harmony, bringing natural colours from the outdoors into the home.
Furnishings are moving towards modular and multipurpose, such as sectionals and coffee tables with built-in stools, with a rounded profile, not square. Soft materials are used throughout the home for comfort. Most popular textiles are Velvet and Wool Felt because they feel luxurious.
The colour focus is on taupes and creams, which evoke a sense of tranquility. These colours can be seen in quartz and other engineered marbles. In flooring, these colours are present in a matte finish, not glossy.
Cheryl says that wallpaper is making a big comeback, and we are certainly seeing a return to patterns and textures on walls. This is a far-cry from loud, repeating patterns on every wall in the home, such as we saw in the 70’s and 80’s. Now, patterns tend to be bold and are used with more restraint.
The Decor Studio presents a wide range of materials in matte finishes with a natural feel, both in colour, and in their natural imperfections, which only add to their appeal. Take for example, the Urban Loft line in Lauzon’s Designer Collection. The Pearl finish with 20% sheen provides a matte look, which is very popular today with most homeowners.
Stay tuned for part 2 coming in a few days, which shares aspects of Clarity and Artistry, as well as a design guideline for how to select your perfect hardwood colour.
