Click to Watch Alice on For Your Life TV Show – video
Alice on "For Your Life" Working with the TV crew. Hunter Douglas segment I had the pleasure of working with producer Ellen Howell on an interior design project supporting Hunter Douglas. The Silhouette Blinds are an excellent soft option for my clients who will enjoy the combination of privacy and natural light. Velux segment I highly recommend skylights for clients that would love more natural light in dark spaces and value their privacy. Skylights can be installed using a variety of different installation methods that vary based on the geographic location outside the office or residence. Velux has products will make the installation process as easy as possible. ...
A Whiter Shade Of Pale
A Wright Design had the opportunity to write for Canadian Living...
Space Odyssey
How to use space planning to improve the enjoyment of your house You might think that space is not of much concern, but in a house, it's really a material substance, even though it lacks form. Space becomes an object through its relationship with the elements that are within it. Floors, walls and other structural elements define a space by the boundaries they set. For example, two columns set up a space through which you can pass. To take an active role in space planning, you must analyze the form, scale and proportion of your house. Note how doorways and other points of access form the circulation paths through the house. Consider what activities go on in the different areas in the home. Think about what furnishings or equipment are required for them. Reflect on how the relationships between each space affect your everyday life. [caption id="attachment_5595" align="alignright" width="105"] By Alice Wright - Fall 1999[/caption] Here are some important space-planning principles for the kitchen, family room and master bedroom. THE KITCHEN The sink is probably the most important element in your kitchen, as it's the place you or your guests likely stand for the longest amount of time. Consider installing an outside window above the sink so you can look outside as you are working. Another idea is to face the sink towards an open area inside, so you can talk to guests while you work. There should be two to three feet of counter space on either side of the sink. Handy storage is important: it would be ideal to unload dishes from the dishwasher and put them away in a single step. The "work triangle" describes the circulation path between the three major appliances in your kitchen: the sink, refrigerator and stove. The distance between them must be great enough to efficiently complete all kitchen activities, yet small enough so that you are not wasting steps. Measure the leg of each triangle and add them together - a total of 16 to 20 feet is optimal. Waste disposal is another factor to consider. Install cabinets that accommodate garbage and recycling bins to separate glass, plastic metal, or paper. The fridge should be easily accessible from the sink. There should be two to three feet of counter space on either side of it for easy loading and unloading of groceries. An island counter increases both storage and work space. A sink or a cooktop can be added to the...
Take a Bathroom Break
Renovation ideas to help change your bathroom into an interior space that you can really enjoy Is it time for a bathroom renovation at your house? Do you have old fixtures that have bothered you since you moved in? Is the vanity ugly? Do you have old laminate or doors that are falling apart? Is the grout dirty in the shower? Are you irritated by leaks? Not to worry. It's easy to create a beautiful bathroom. All bathroom fix-ups can be divided into two areas. You can change everything, or just one or two items, depending on your budget. The first area includes the fixtures the sink, faucets, vanity, bathtub, shower, toilet and bidet. [caption id="attachment_5590" align="alignright" width="105"] By Alice Wright - Spring 1999[/caption] The second area includes the floor, the walls and the accessories. A new floor could be tile, hardwood or carpet. Walls can be covered with paint, wallpaper or more tile. And accessories can include distinctive holders for soap, towels and toilet paper. Consider each stage carefully and you can create a magnificent design. The fixtures in your bathroom can drastically improve its appearance. You can use different finishes and materials for your vanity. The smooth surface of glass will open up a small bathroom and give the illusion of a larger space. A glazed ceramic tile vanity is not only easy to clean, but the tiles come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. A piece of fine wood furniture can be turned into a vanity to create a country or cottage feel to a bathroom. But if wood is your choice, seal the piece with a protective coating that will resist water and mildew. The strong, straight lines of porcelain vanities can be used to create a contemporary or modern experience. Faucet fixtures can create a brand new look to a vanity. You could use a chrome, antique-appearance faucet with a wooden table. Or a polished brass fixture will shine nicely every time you use the sink. Decide what style you are trying to achieve and then choose a fixture that matches. Besides chrome and polished brass, there are enamel-coated colours, gold, pewter and even nickel that can give you a custom-designed look. 1. The bathroom's size may limit you to a shower stall. 2. Faucet fixtures can give a vanity a brand new look. 3. You can start by changing one fixture and move to another later. The interior dimensions of your...
Interior Design
Before you redesign or redecorate, examine how you use your home now and how you'd like to change it to reflect the way you really live. Are you thinking of redesigning or redecorating a room or your whole house? There are some important questions to answer before you begin. What type of personality do you have and how does it reflect on the interior of your home? What does your house look like now and how can you change it? Is your style traditional, modern, country or eclectic? This month's article helps you with the answers. It focuses on your existing design elements, what style you like, and how you can guide your interior decor toward the style that matches up with your personality. [caption id="attachment_5585" align="alignright" width="105"] By Alice Wright - Early Spring 1999[/caption] First of all, think about your existing design elements. Are you a "piler?" Do you have piles of items all over your house, like piles of papers, piles of magazines, piles of clothes, piles of dishes or piles of books? Get rid of all those piles! Are you a "collector of junk?" Have you collected items from other peoples' garbage piles? Does everyone in the family drop off their old furniture to you? Do you rescue other peoples' lamps, curtains and bookcases from their houses when they are ready to throw them out? Get rid of the junk! Are you a "perfectionist?" Do you get upset when someone moves an article from one place to another? Do you cringe when people sit on your furniture? Did you design your living room to be identical to a magazine picture? Concentrate on what is going to make you feel comfortable in your space, not uncomfortable. Are you a "shopaholic?" Do you buy from magazines, the home shopping network, or tend to buy up an entire store? Are you confused when it all doesn't go together? The solution is to stop buying so much at once and organize your interior based on one favourite item, not 20. Is your house a "ghost from the past?" Old flooring, old bathroom tiles, old kitchen cabinets - everything old! Plan to get rid of it all and start with fresh new ideas. Walk through your house and really take a good look at everything you own. It is very important at this stage to pick out only a few items that you love. Choose your favourite table, picture, sofa...
Primary Colours
How to use colour to bring out the best of any interior. Now that summer is upon us and we are all feeling tired of the same old colours, let's see how we can spruce up our interiors. One of the best ways to do this is by combining different colours to create new and exciting looks. Here are some helpful hints on how to use colour to its best advantage for any interior space. There are three simple rules to remember when combining colours. First, colours look different in different types of light. A red may look cold under fluorescent light, but will appear warmer in a cozy sunroom with natural light. A rich blue may look even richer in a darker room, but if placed in a brightly lit room, it will lose some of its intensity. Try samples of your colour choices in each room under various lighting conditions throughout the day. [caption id="attachment_5581" align="alignright" width="105"] By Alice Wright - Summer 1998[/caption] Second, one colour affects the colour next to it. Your favourite separate colours may be orange and blue, but when you put them next to each other, you might change your mind. You might not like dull beige, but when you put it with a splash of buttercup yellow, the two colours will look right together. Third, the amount of a colour in a room affects how you see it. An entire room of red or orange might be exhausting, but small pieces of these colours will add interest and intrigue to your decorating scheme. Little bits of yellow or purple will be noticed and appreciated because of their subtle presence. Keep these tips in mind when planning any colour scheme. All colours will invoke different feelings in you, depending on how you pair them together. Here is a list of the different colour combinations you can use and the emotions and feelings generally created by each. Warm colours Reds, pinks, oranges, and yellows - the colours associated with fire - will create a cozy, warm interior space. Use these colours to make a very large room feel smaller and friendlier. These colours can be used on walls, for cushions and curtains, or for most anything to create a cheerful-looking room. Cool colours Greens, blue-greens and blues are the colours from a cool lake, a shady jungle or the sky. Use them to create a cool, calming effect for your particular interior space....
The Decorating Dilemma
Can you trust yourself to design your own decor? Should you use an interior designer? Can one really help you? Interior designers are trained professionals that can provide cost-effective methods to enhance your interior space. Designers draft floor plans, and can help you place furniture to create comfortable spatial relationships. They also can help you create colour schemes that can change the feeling of your home. New fabrics can be matched to one of your existing favourites to help spice up your space. The ability to work within a budget is an important benefit that interior designers can provide. They can help you budget a project as large as a 5,000-square-foot house, or as small as the ceramic tile for your powder room floor. [caption id="attachment_5574" align="alignright" width="105"] By Alice Wright - Spring 1998[/caption]Knowing prices will be important to you, and a designer can give you a quote for your new kitchen cabinetry or the price for recovering a couch. Many designers will forward their supplier discounts to you for furniture, fabric, lighting, cabinetry, etc. For a designer, finding the right bargain for a client is a thrill! Designers are trained to draft lighting, electrical and detailed drawings. By simply changing the type of lighting, interior space can become alive and vibrant or calming and subdued. Custom designing any type of furniture is also a specialty that many designers can provide. You can create anything from an oddly shaped coffee table to a standard-size bed frame. Wherever your creativity takes you, your designer can follow and make your thoughts become reality. A professional designer's rates can range from $25 to $200 per hour. In the Toronto area, you should probably budget in the range of $75 per hour for an interior designer's time. You may only need a couple of hours. Some also work on a flat-fee basis. How to find a designer Talk to your friends and family. Find out who they used and why. Did they find their designer easy to talk to and easy to work with? Most importantly, did their designer really listen to them and create an interior space specifically designed to satisfy their needs? Another route is to call a builder or general contractor. Many of these trades-people know interior designers well. Learning who they like and dislike can be useful and insightful. Builders and contractors that have been in business for a long time usually have worked with several designers and...