2012 Design Trends on Breakfast Television

Jo was on Breakfast Television this morning talking trends! Watch the segment on

http://video.citytv.com/video/detail/1342536435001.000000/thursday-8am9am/

Items supplied by:

Daniel Stuart Studio www.danielstuartstudio.com/

Bou Clair

IDEE 17 www.idee17.com/

Home Sense

Check out Jo's 2o12 Design Trend Forecast on the Home Sav Blog;

" We all have to turn to someone for inspiration. The fashion industry turns to the cosmetic companies to forecast their trends, and the Design industry always turns to the fashion world to forecast the newest trends for the upcoming year. We’ve been watching the runways, and here’s what’s in store for 2012 décor.

Colour is back! We’re exiting an era where walls were neutral and we relied on our accessories to pull colour into a room. 2012 will bring walls with actual colours! 2011 brought us blues, purples and moody hues in accessories, and 2012 is bringing that colour scheme to our paint choices. It’s an updated throwback to 80s décor: over-accessorised, textile crazy and moody bold colours will slink into our rooms. (We all remember the deep wall colours, dramatic drapes, and multiple patterns from the 80s).Of course, we’re not looking to repeat the trend exactly. Instead, we’re inspired by the 80s elements and can pair them with modern design aesthetics to achieve a truly unique look! For an example of beautiful 80s inspired décor, I have two words: Kelly Wearstler. Long considered ahead of her time, she’s now the icon for achieving this new look. Do I dare even mutter the words, wallpapered ceilings and coloured trim???Proud Patterns! Multiple patterns will be mixed and used to create humour within spaces that were once all one colour. Don’t be afraid to be quirky: pair traditional floral patterns with loose geometric patterns. Before, one bold pattern would set the tone for the entire room. Now it’s a competition of how many you can use! Tricia Guild anyone?" . . . . To read the full article http://livsavvy.com/?p=3725

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

Great Speakers!

We had yet another fabulous semester of speakers at Humber College North Campus this Fall term. The students and myself were able to learn so much from each speaker and what they had to bring to the table on the design industry and the products and companies within it.
I want to send out a huge THANK YOU too:

Janine @ Para Paint
Fernando @ International Logistics & Stone Distribution
Carson Arthur
Morgan @ Richelieu
Mike @ Keilhauer
Terry Edward Briceland
Michael @ IDEE17
Vitania @ Verdigris Vie
Zsolt @ Zsemba

Thank you all for helping to shape the minds of the future designers. Appreciate your time and expertise shared with us!

Sincerely,
w&c designer girl!

2012 Design Trends Forecast!

Check out Jo's 2o12 Design Trend Forecast on the Home Sav Blog;

" We all have to turn to someone for inspiration. The fashion industry turns to the cosmetic companies to forecast their trends, and the Design industry always turns to the fashion world to forecast the newest trends for the upcoming year. We’ve been watching the runways, and here’s what’s in store for 2012 décor.

Colour is back! We’re exiting an era where walls were neutral and we relied on our accessories to pull colour into a room. 2012 will bring walls with actual colours! 2011 brought us blues, purples and moody hues in accessories, and 2012 is bringing that colour scheme to our paint choices. It’s an updated throwback to 80s décor: over-accessorised, textile crazy and moody bold colours will slink into our rooms. (We all remember the deep wall colours, dramatic drapes, and multiple patterns from the 80s).
Of course, we’re not looking to repeat the trend exactly. Instead, we’re inspired by the 80s elements and can pair them with modern design aesthetics to achieve a truly unique look! For an example of beautiful 80s inspired décor, I have two words: Kelly Wearstler. Long considered ahead of her time, she’s now the icon for achieving this new look. Do I dare even mutter the words, wallpapered ceilings and coloured trim???Proud Patterns! Multiple patterns will be mixed and used to create humour within spaces that were once all one colour. Don’t be afraid to be quirky: pair traditional floral patterns with loose geometric patterns. Before, one bold pattern would set the tone for the entire room. Now it’s a competition of how many you can use! Tricia Guild anyone?"

To read the full article http://livsavvy.com/?p=3725

Until next time,

w&c designer girl!

My Favorite Things @ Switch Studio

My new series, "My Favorite Things" has brought us today a special guest Staci Edwards, owner of Switch Studio. Her products and designs are too adorable and a perfect example of the treasures that are out there, that we might not know about. I caught up with Staci and asked her a few questions to really understand her designs and what she does:

Hello Staci!
1. What does your company do/make?

At Switch Studio I’m working hard to make reupholstery and furniture refinishing cool again! I take old furniture pieces, giving them a little TLC and a whole lot of style by redesigning, refinishing, and reupholstering them into beautiful one of a kind pieces for my clients to love. I also make other custom home decor items such as seat cushions, throw pillows, and curtains to help home owners complete the look. And if you need help coordinating fabrics with your interior then you’re in luck, because my background is Design, and I offer in-home consultations too.

"MY FAVORITE PIECE!!"

2. How did you get started with this new adventure?

I’ve always been drawn to the art of upholstery and furniture refinishing; I remember redoing furniture pieces I salvaged from my grandparents’ basement as I child – I mean, who needs Barbie Dolls when you have old furniture laying around? Okay, maybe I was an odd child, but that has helped to lead me to my true passion, and to the opening of Switch Studio - Hooray!
I truly loved being a Designer, but I always felt as though something was missing, so after some soul searching I realized it was that hands on element of actually creating something {which I enjoyed so much as a child} that I was craving. So, I decided to refocus a little more on the furniture refinishing and upholstery while still offering the design services that I enjoy doing, and Switch Studio was born!
3. What is your design philosophy and approach?

I cannot say I have a typical design approach, as every piece and person is so very different. I feel strongly that people should live with what they love, so when I redesign a piece, I really take the client’s taste into consideration first. I do try and gently guide clients to be a little more daring and step out of their comfort zone, just a little, in order to get a unique and show stopping piece. Next, I get to know the piece - Each piece really has it’s own ‘personality’ so to speak, so that helps to determine how I go about recreating it into something new and improved.

4. Are there any environmental components to your products?

At Switch Studio I do what I can to make the most environmentally responsible decisions whenever possible, because it is something near and dear to my heart. I don’t encourage reusing furniture pieces you already have just because that is my business, but also because it helps to keep these items out of the already very full landfills. I choose the greenest products possible to redo your pieces such as, zero VOC paint, water based glue, natural felt, and soy-based eco-foam and use eco-friendly packaging for shipping. To continue my green focus, our bags and business cards are printed on recycled materials, and to try to keep printing down to a minimum, we do all of our marketing and communications via email whenever possible. Basically, at Switch Studio, we’re kind of like happy little green fairies that happen to makeover furniture too!

5. Where can people find and buy your designs?

Thanks for asking! Most of our business is creating or redoing custom pieces for clients, so if you’d like a piece done please email the studio at info@switchstudio.ca for more information. I’m also working on creating items for sale, which can be purchased at our Etsy Shop. You can browse and purchase from our shop by visiting our website at www.switchstudio.ca and clicking on the SHOP button.6. Do you have a design tip or saying you would like to share?

"I feel strongly that people should live with what they love…”

Until next time,

w&c designer girl!

My Home Sav Inspired Pick SALE!!

My Home Sav Inspired Pick SALE starts TODAY!! Must have pieces for under the tree!!! https://www.homesav.com/
https://www.homesav.com/catalogue/vendors/inspired-picks-by-jo-alcorn



Luxury Home Decor for Inspired Living - HomeSav.com
www.homesav.com

Make sure to check out my blog post on the 2012 forecasted design trends!!

Until next time,
w&c designer girl. xo