Christmas Open House on Friday November 12th

Come and join us for an evening of Christmas Spirit this Friday November 12th 6 pm to 9 pm. This is Surroundings 18th annual event!! Wow, hard to believe it's 18 years!

We will be serving wine, apple cider, chocolate truffles, and goodies from Pure Vanilla, Spinnakers, and the Italian Bakery.

Hope to see you there.

Kristiane

No Grey Please.......We live on the West Coast!!

I've come back from walking the dog on a crisp fall morning. Color is in abundance, red, yellow, and my favorite orange. I'm thinking back to a precious summer afternoon spent with clients at their summer cottage on Thetis Island. Color, glorious color. The above photo looks down the hall towards the bedrooms, perriwinkle and canary yellow collide, the pink peony's on the table adding a sense of wimsy. This is a scene of a summer day, and it makes me wonder why we don't live like this all year round.

I just finished looking through Restoration Hardware's fall catalogue, there was not one bit of color, nothing, zippo, absolutely none. The walls a grey putty, furniture bleached wood, sofa's in linen. The textures are wonderful, but where is the color? Here on the west coast it rains and rains for 4 months a year, trust me I see enough grey in the landscape I don't need it in my house.

So, as we head into the rainy season, take a look at the summer colors and the joy it brings.



A classic bentwood rocker gets the royal red treatment.
The piano was painted white with a red coral design. It arrived on Thetis Island "a horrible brown" according to the owner. It now sits joyfully by the window looking out to the sea.

It's Spring!

Wow, time flies. I've been negligent on my blogging, but with good reason. We have been busy putting together Surroundings first Original Art Show. The show opened on April 1st with over 150 people. Yes it was crowded!

We are featuring 6 local artists. The works are diverse, fresh, and contemporary. The show features, oils, acrylics, sculpture, poured resin, and encaustic. While I have a million photos, nothing does justice like the real thing. So, come in and visit us, the show runs until June 15th.

I've always been a firm believer and supporter of original art. Yes, I have a house full. I love every piece. Art is personal, it evokes an emotion, it stimulates thought and contemplation.

Everyone is an art critic, and that is the way it's suppose to be.

A Trip to the ROM

The latest addition to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) by architect Daniel Libeskind
The old and the new meet on the exterior of the ROM

Where the old protrudes into the new.
Looking down into the entrance.
A sliver of the ROM.
My brother Mike and I heading out on a cold Toronto winter night.

I was recently in Toronto to attend the gift show. I finished up business a day early and so I headed to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). I was anxious to see the new addition done by architect Daniel Libeskind, who happens to be a favorite of mine. Word around Toronto was people loved it or hated it. I'm in the love it camp.

I have always loved the juxtaposition of old and new. This is the concept in my own store Surrounding, and is a constant theme in all my design work. I stay away from mainstream design, because quite frankly it is too common, lacks spirit, and does not challenge my mind.

Daniel Libeskind has taken the ROM from being a classic old fuddy duddy to WOW! That is what architecture is all about. Better yet the blend between the old and new on the inside keeps the visitor to the Rom totally engaged. That is the highest accomplishment, when the architecture is part of the experience.

A couple of years ago Libeskind was interviewed by the Globe and Mail, he quoted the following which I keep on a piece of paper at my desk as a reminder of what I want to achieve in design.

" But who wants to be trapped in an anonymous box? Neutrality is not a value.... the world is enriched not by neutrality or indifference, but by passions and beliefs. Why settle for buildings based on a regimented formula that denies human desire?"

My Favorite Spot

In the morning I can be found sitting in one of these turn of the century leather club chairs. They face looking out over the pastures, valley, and mountains. In the evening I sit here once again to watch the evening sun set behind Mt. Prevost. This is truly my favorite spot in my country cottage, and it is here where every house guest gravitates.

2010....... A Brand New Year

I love New Year. It is a fresh start, a new beginning, and time of reflection. I do not make New Years resolutions, I try to live my life with the fullest of intentions every day.

In the design world we will soon be bombarded with the "Trends for 2010". Personally, I try to stay away from trends. Trends are temporary, short-lived, and do not stand the test of time. I always try to encourage my customers to think long-term, how is that piece of furniture going to look in their home 10 years from now? Thinking long-term in our decision making is probably one of the most "greenest" things we can do. Remember trendy items are destined to yard sales or worse yet landfill.

So Here is my top 10 for 2010, these are the classic design elements that will still be in vogue ten, twenty, thirty years from now.


1. Quality Furnishing ..... antique or modern

2. Beautiful Painted Walls ..... it's not the color the matters it's the professional paint job

3. Velvet .... use it in upholstery or in drapes, it is truly timeless

4. Natural Wood .... floors to furniture to trim work

5. Original Art .... sorry no framed prints

6. Black and White Photography ..... especially if it's your own

7. Lighting .... because we can't see in the dark

8. Energy Saving Appliances .... check out the fridge from SMEG

9. Clutter Free Interiors .... unless you live in an English country cottage

10. Your favorite Chair .... Because everyone should have their very own chair

Wishing you all the very best in the New Year.


Kristiane