Interior design contracts are essential for your business. Before you start any interior design or decorating project with a client, you must have a signed contract in place.
During my 10 years as a professional, award-winning interior decorator, I have learned the importance of having a signed contract and reviewing it with the client before embarking on any type of new project.
Today, I am sharing with you my top 6 Reasons Why You Need a Contract. Check out the video below for all the details.
Interior Design Contracts – 6 Reasons Why You Need Them
6 Reasons Why You Need a Contract
1. Shifts the mindset of the client
You want your client to be able to clearly distinguish that there is a difference between the initial consultation and the next level of interior design services, where they are entering a more formal working relationship with you.
We hear a lot about mindset these days and that’s because it is so important for everyone to be fully on board and in the right frame of mind before moving forward with any type of interior design project.
An interior design contract outlines the way in which you work and helps to protect both you and your client. Yes, a contract and/or letter of agreement is also there to protect your client! Its purpose is such that you both fully understand the terms of your working agreement.
This is super important because although we understand how invaluable our interior design services are because we work on client projects every single day but we can’t expect a client to know all of what we do and how our processes work.
There are many moving parts to each project, from the ordering and tracking of items to resolving various types of issues and overseeing the trades, various elements can arise that are out of our control.
That is why it’s your responsibility to make sure your client fully understands how you work.
This comes back to adjusting the mindset of your client and setting up the proper framework for working together. When your client understands that you follow specific steps in your process, they will be more confident in the working relationship you are building with them and in your abilities to manage their project.
4. Open communication
Isn’t it nice when you hire someone to do a service for you and the way that they communicate with you is clear and open right from the the start?
Reviewing your contract in person with your client shows that you are a believer in communicating your processes effectively and that you don’t avoid difficult conversations.
It demonstrates that communication is important to you and that they can speak openly to you if they have an issue moving forward, knowing that you will confidently handle whatever comes your way during the course of the project.
If your friends and family respect what you do, this will not be an issue. Don’t stray because you know someone well. Stick to your processes.
5. Helps manage client expectations
If you know me, you know that I’m huge on managing client’s expectations!
When I coach designers one on one and we dive deep into a challenging situation that they are dealing with on a client project, we can almost always trace it back to something that was skipped over or a mistake that was made at the beginning of the working relationship.
We know that not everything goes as planned during a design project and that there will be hiccups, but your client likely does not.
Having a comprehensive contract as your interior design partner helps you to explain the entire process, including some of the problems that may arise and MOST IMPORTANTLY – how you will manage and resolve any issue so that you minimize shock or disappointment down the road.
6. Allows for open discussions
I encourage you to see reviewing your contract with the client at the consultation as an opportunity. It’s not meant to scare, intimidate or pressure anybody. It’s YOUR chance to have an open discussion so that they know what it looks like to work with your interior design firm.
I don’t say to the clients: “We have a contract that must be signed before we start.”
Instead, I let them know that I have an Agreement to go over with them and this will allow them the opportunity to ask me any questions about the service and how we work.
The way in which we approach this puts the client at ease and they respect that we are open with them and that we have nothing to hide.
I am more than happy to go into detail in each section so that they can make well-informed decisions and have complete confidence in the way we work.
We always bring our Contract Templates with detailed Service Outlines for each of our services with us to every initial consultation meeting. It is not uncommon for us to leave that first meeting with a signed contract and retainer in hand. It is possible!
If you are still looking at me with a side-eye, take a look at what one of my coaching clients had to say in a testimonial after investing and implementing strategies from my ROCK the Consultation Processes package and utilizing my Contract Bundle.
In my previous post, I did a colour review for Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore. Now I want to inspire you with ideas on how to pull a complete palette together using this sophisticated, soft white.
In this video, I demonstrate how to use the colours from my Swiss Coffee Perfect Colour Palette as inspiration for creating beautiful interior design palettes with fabrics, wallpaper, hardwood, and countertops for your home.
All the colours I use are included in my Swiss Coffee paint guide. I have come up with three gorgeous combinations, but there are many more ways that you could mix and match to create a design palette that is perfect for you!
Swiss Coffee – Palette Inspiration
Palette 1: Soothing monochromatic
This first colour combination is the most calming pallet of the three. I printed off my Perfect Colour Palette for Swiss Coffee and walked through the endless fabric aisles at my Design Centre to find patterns that paired well with the combinations that I put together.
1st Colour Combination: Swiss Coffee, Thunder, Moonshine & Lancaster White
Look at how beautifully these 3 colour tones work together!
I am using this colour combination to find inspiration for fabrics and other home décor finishes. I am not saying you must paint with all these 3 colours, but instead, use them as inspiration for pulling together a design palette.
Here’s what I found:
Soothing, monochromatic palette to go with Swiss Coffee
The first fabric is a fantastic, soft, and pretty floral fabric from JF Fabrics. You could use this fabric for a pillow on your sofa or apply it to some gorgeous drapery. You can see the other neutral-toned materials shown above that could be used for a sofa, a custom ottoman, and/or accent chairs.
Notice how the taupe looped rug sample compliments the fabrics and overall palette? The addition of the wallpaper sample with similar tones can be used to add another layer to your design palette.
Be sure to watch the video above to understand in more detail, why I chose each specific element of the designs.
Your home should always flow from room to room so that it’s clear that your design choices are purposeful. To do this successfully, repeat the same tones into other areas on your main floor.
Hopefully, you can see how I’ve done that with each of these materials by including selections for a kitchen design with the counter selection, backsplash, and a pretty piece of hardware.
Palette 2: Contrasting & Moody
The second palette is slightly more moody with contrasting colours between quite dark and much lighter colours. I love creating contrast in my interior design projects!
2nd Colour Combination for Swiss Coffee
Often just one fabric can be my jumping-off point (inspiration) for decorating an entire room, maybe even an entire home!
Kendall Charcoal adds a moodiness to this Swiss Coffee palette
Once again I picked a fabric first – the one with the dark green circles – and added on to the palette from there.
Bold Colours and Patterns for our 3rd Swiss Coffee palette
You can see the orange in this fabric is not as bright as the Adobe Orange and that’s ok. I am trying to show that tones don’t need to be exactly the same when pairing and mixing colours. But you can see how well it all ties together.
I would use all three of these fabrics in the same room just mix and match them. I love adding texture, you can see that here with the sample for the neutral area rug in the top left corner, sitting on top of the hardwood sample.
Putting together palettes combining colour, textures, patterns and materials was certainly made easier using the colour combinations in my Perfect Colour Palettes. If you get stuck on how to come up with a colour palette for your own projects, my guides can definitely help. Their purpose is to make it less daunting to choose paint colours for your home.
So, which palette was your favourite? Comment below to share your thoughts on which one you found resonates the most with your interior design style.
If you want to get all my Benjamin Moore colour guides in one place, look no further than my Benjamin Moore Ultimate Collection. All 20 of my Benjamin Moore guides are in one handy collection.
Remember, it only takes one mistake to take your home decorating project from divine to disaster. Don’t let the paint be what stresses you out!
Take my Colour Quiz to see which Colour Palette best suits your style.
Do you feel 100% prepared when you show up at a prospective client’s door for that all important initial design consultation?
If you are not organized or exactly sure how to prepare then keep reading and watch my video because today I’m sharing proven strategies on ‘How to Prepare for the Initial Design Consultation‘
I have over 100 reviews from happy clients, and now charge $800 for my initial two-hour consultation meeting. I have learned so much over the years that now I am fully prepared every time to ROCK The Consultation.
How to Prepare for the Initial Design Consultation
1. Bring a client folder
I bring a client folder with me to every consultation meeting. These folders are customized with my fonts, logo, brand colours, and professional images of my interior design projects from my extensive portfolio.
The folders are printed at a local print shop and in each folder I include:
Business Card
It may seem old-fashioned but I still use a business card and think it’s a nice professional touch to leave one with every client I meet.
Welcome Letter
I’ve created a one-page welcome letter that describes how my services work and the value I will bring to their project. This is called a ‘Benefits of Services’ document.
When a consultation is confirmed in our calendar, we have them complete our questionnaire so that we can find out more about their upcoming interior decorating project or renovation. This helps us get to know our new clients and understand what type of interior design help they are looking for from us.
I read through the clients’ responses, highlighting specific areas that stand out as most important, and may also take a few notes so that I have a good working knowledge of who the client is and what their design goals are.
New Client Checklist
We create this checklist as soon as we have booked a client in for an interior design initial consultation meeting. It helps us keep track of where we are in our onboarding process with each client. I add it in my client folder for my own use, to make sure I cover everything leading up to and after the consultation.
The branded folder with my business card and Benefit of Services welcome letter is left with the client, except for my client checklist which I place in my own client folder.
2. Be Professional & Punctual
It seems a no-brainer, but these are key components to building a successful working relationship with clients.
In regards to your appearance, dress comfortably and smart. That’s going to look a bit different to everyone, depending on your personal style and brand.
I don’t show up in stilettos and a sophisticated dress, as that is not reflective of me and who I am. I prefer more of a smart casual look. Be YOU and continue with your usual style of how you present yourself on your website and on social media.
ALWAYS be on time, even 5 minutes early is recommended. Some of my clients have said that they can set their watch by me and I like that! If you do find yourself running late to any scheduled client meeting, it’s imperative to let the client know as soon as you can, with a quick call or text.
3. Bring your Services & Contracts binder
For every consultation meeting I go to, my hope is to be walking out with a signed contract and retainer payment unless I know beforehand that the meeting is just a one-off working consultation (which I actually love!).
I bring a binder with my Service Outlines in a PowerPoint format that includes further information, including the benefits, of each service that we provide. These documents include answers to FAQ’s so we can easily manage client’s expectations of timelines and estimated fees.
As the consultation moves along, I determine exactly what type of design service would best suit the client. With these helpful resources, I can confidently and easily explain how a particular service works. I flip open my binder and review it with them right then and there!
4. Bring examples of your work
How better to land a client then by showing them some of your previous work. Show it off, don’t be shy! Being able to show a prospective client your portfolio goes a long way, as well as examples of previous presentations you’ve done.
You may find yourself mentioning mood boards during your consultation, but what if the client doesn’t know what those are? Bring some with you or have a file saved on your tablet to show them some visuals and let them see how you can help them. Remember, we do this every day and understand the terminology and everything that is involved, but our new clients do not!
5. Bring your Contract Template
As a result of being super organized with all of our processes from the start, we’re able to determine which of our services will be the best fit for the client based on the responses in our questionnaire and our discussions during the consult.
We bring our contract templates to the consultation, and it is not uncommon for a client to sign our contract and pay us a retainer in order to get their design project into our calendar. They have witnessed our professionalism, our organized and structured process, and as a result, they are ready to sign up with us. Yay!
Being prepared and organized for your initial consultation sets you up for great success and less pushback from clients.
In addition to these great tips for getting yourself prepared, take a look at my 5 Mistakes to Avoid at the initial consultation.
Swiss Coffee is milky smooth, soft, and sophisticated. In my latest colour review video of this beautiful neutral by Benjamin Moore, I share:
Colour comparisons in order to easily see the different colour tones
Best white paint colours for the trim and ceilings
Beautiful colour combinations to inspire you for your decorating project
After you watch the video, if you would like all this information conveniently laid out for you in one place and have even more paint colour combinations to use with Swiss Coffee, take a look at my new Perfect Colour Guide. A must-have for any colour enthusiast or design professional.
As a Certified True Colour Expert and an award-winning interior design professional, I’ve worked with many homeowners on various residential design projects. I also want to give you the confidence to make educated decisions about your own paint choices. Let’s do this!
Swiss Coffee Colour Review Video
Undertone: Warm Greige
A versatile off-white, Swiss Coffee may look more white or more greige in colour depending on the lighting and what other decorative elements you pair with it in your interior decorating project.
Looking at the colour comparisons below will help give you a better idea of where Swiss Coffee fits in between two similar shades of creamy whites.
Scroll to the end for professional photos of my all-white bathroom design, plus you’ll see Charlotte, my client’s beautiful white cat. She fitted in purr-fectly with the colour scheme. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)
I have around 10 white paint colours that are my best whites for trim and ceilings. You don’t need all of the thousands of whites available to you to get the right one and you definitely don’t need to mix two different whites or use only a certain percentage of paint colour to get the right one for you.
Swiss Coffee with Thunder, Coventry Gray & Kendall Charcoal
Thunder AF-685 By Benjamin Moore
Coventry Gray HC-169 By Benjamin Moore
Kendall Charcoal HC-166 By Benjamin Moore
PSST!! Head to this follow-up post for 3 inspiring and very different colour and design palettes with Swiss Coffee that includes fabrics, wallpapers, hardwood, and more.
If you want to get all my Benjamin Moore colour guides in one place, look no further than my Benjamin Moore Ultimate Collection. All 20 of my guides are in one handy collection.
Remember, it only takes one mistake to take your home decorating project from divine to disaster. Don’t let the paint be what stresses you out!
Take my Colour Quiz to see which Colour Palette best suits your style.
You could be making some crucial mistakes at the interior design initial consultation that are jeopardizing the growth of your interior design business.
Today, I’m sharing Five Mistakes to Avoid at this all-important first meeting.
I have over 100 reviews from happy clients, and now charge $800 for my two-hour consultation meeting. Needless to say, I have learned a lot along the way and am sharing with you the biggest pitfalls to avoid!
Make sure you have my Free 4 page PDF download for a comprehensive list of what Interior Design Services to offer to your client’s and estimates of fees so you are confident in knowing what to charge. (More on that in Tip#5)
Five Mistakes to Avoid at the Consultation
1. Not getting payment up front
I highly recommend setting up your processes to receive payment for services before you meet with a client. When you do this from the offset, to confirm the consultation booking in your calendar, you set a precedent for how you work.
We require payment for all services ahead of time and for 100% of furniture for our Custom Design and Project Management services. This way, when client’s choose to move forward with further services, we don’t get pushback because they understand that THIS IS HOW WE WORK.
This structure also helps to land better clients, those who are willing to invest in a professional and client’s who respect that you have structured processes in place. I love all my clients, we have a beautiful working relationship!
2. Taking the tour!
I did this when I was first starting my business nearly 10 years ago. I thought it was a good way to kill time to be honest, because then I was nervous and new. And that’s exactly what it does!
Taking the tour as soon as you arrive at a client’s home kills precious time. It usually involves you looking around the entire home, listening to everything your client wants to change in each space.
Unless you’ve been hired to redesign their whole house, your time could be better spent focusing on one or two key areas and really hit on their main pain points.
I have had great success in setting up the structure of my consultations where I sit down with the client first. I have a branded client folder that includes a welcome letter and I briefly review details of this, sharing what we do and how we can help them with their project.
We also review their completed questionnaire to further discuss their requirements, desires and budget…THEN we can take a look around the house, focusing on the areas that need our attention first.
I have found that client’s like (and appreciate) this approach. It sets them at ease. Despite the fact that they are excited to have you there, people can often feel anxious and are a little unsure of what to expect from your visit. I want to make the most efficient use of our time together at this 2 hour meeting and find this approach works best.
3. Holding back advice
I hear so many designers say that they don’t like to give away too much at the consultation, as they are fearful that in doing so, the client won’t need to hire them on for further services. I can tell you that in my experience, the opposite is true!
Once I start sharing details of various elements of design that need to be considered, client’s seem suprised and sometimes overwhelmed, because they didn’t realize all the details that go into a design project.
Plus, I simply can’t hold back. It’s not in my nature.
Now, I am not saying that I will come up with a complete and detailed design on the spot, a lot of what we do definitely takes time and research. Design is often a complicated process with many moving parts. But if I can offer insight to a design challenge that will help my client or provide ideas for further inspiration, then I will gladly give as much value as I can – after all, that’s what client’s are paying us for!
4. Avoiding ‘Money Talk’
When you avoid talking about money with your clients or you aren’t confident in discussing estimated fees for a project and approximate costs for furnishings, it will come back to bite you later. I promise.
Mistake #4 of things to avoid doing at the consultation is NOT talking about the money. If you find that you frequently get pushback from client’s about pricing, it may very well be because you aren’t confidently discussing money matters in your initial conversations.
Understanding costs involved for a renovation or custom design project is probably one of the most challenging elements for homeowners embarking on a home project. If they tell you they don’t have a budget, it doesn’t mean that they have unlimited funds or they don’t know what money they have in their bank accounts. It is generally because they haven’t a got a clue on what to expect or how much they should budget for, which is totally understandable with a lot of the misleading information on shows such as HGTV.
I encourage you to see this as an opportunity to educate your client. Have open conversations about realistic costs of quality furnishings and custom finishes. As you break down details of the scope of their project, provide them with an idea of costs for your fees and draw on past projects where you can.
We do this successfully with our Furniture Pricing Guides for custom living rooms and bedrooms. It may have been a while since your new client has done a home design or decorating project. Talk openly with them about estimated costs.
I’m not suggesting you commit yourself to any specific number, but if you know that their investment amount is way too low for what they desire, then you need to have this conversation with them at this first meeting. It will help to manage their expectations going forward and help to avoid sticker shock and disappointment at your presentation meeting.
5. Unclear of next steps and your services
If you are unclear on how to articulate how you work with clients and the next steps in working with you, this will decrease your chances of having the client hire you for further interior design or decorating services.
Establishing a clear list of services and setting corresponding rates is crucial to the success of your business. Once you have these determined and set up, getting great clients will be so much easier!
Psst -go grab my FREE Download on Design Services and Rates with a walk through video.
You should bring documentation with you to the consult that includes details about your services and how you can help client’s achieve the dreams they have for their home.
Clients can’t work with you and won’t invest in further services if you are unable to confidently articulate how you can benefit their project and provide them with an estimate of anticipated design fees.
In our consultation folder that we bring to every first client meeting, we include a printed copy of our Service Outline PowerPoints. These detailed outline the 3 main services that we provide past the consultation meeting.
These documents allow us to easily explain the value in what we can do and how hiring a professional for their project will help clients to save precious time and not waste money.
Essentially, we use these as a marketing tool to not only determine the best service for our client’s specific needs and budget, but also to help us in closing the sale.
With a clearly defined list of next steps, we get our contract signed and collect a deposit payment to move forward with the next phase of design services.
We work with fabulous client’s and attribute much of our success to having Claire-ity in the way we structure our business. I want the same for you, so I hope you found this post helpful!
Have you established details of your valuable interior design services?
Are your rates clearly structured in a way that allows you to effectively market these services to potential clients?
If you are unsure or answered NO to either of these questions, you’ll want to grab my FREE DOWNLOAD. It’s a Guide to Interior Design Services and Pricing.
In the video below, I walk you through this document. Before you hit play, get your own copy hereso that you can follow along with me as I share insightful tips and practical advice on how to establish your interior design services and rates.
I created this FREE download for you because as professional interior designers and interior decorators, I understand that it can be overwhelming to know what you should offer in terms of Design Services. And if that part wasn’t difficult enough, figuring out what to charge is often even more stressful.
There is so much to consider. You can become paralyzed trying to figure it all out, so let me help!
I encourage you to watch the video, but will share here a bullet point version of what is included in this Free 4 page PDF download.
At my interior design firm, this meeting is a minimum of 2 hours. It may be a one-off appointment only which we refer to as a ‘Working Design Session‘. You can see here some of the items that I might bring with me to this type of meeting.
Alternatively, if the client is going to be moving forward with further services, this first appointment is more of a ‘Getting to Know You Meeting‘ where we gather as much information as we can about the client’s lifestyle, needs, desires, timelines, and investment amount.
Regardless, our fee for this all important first meeting is always the same. (Currently – December 2020 – we bill $700 for our initial consultation meeting)
At a Working Design Session Consultation, I am happy to bring samples.
2. Suggested fees
Always charge more for the initial consultation fee than your hourly rate.
For example, if you charge $125/hr then you should consider making the fee for your 2-hr initial consult $300 – 350 or more.
When asked why I bill more for the consultation, here is my reason. There is an onboarding process and a fair amount of preparation involved for an initial consultation appointment. I will share a ton of valuable information at the consult, no holding back, so I am confident in the value I bring to that first client meeting.
We also bill at a higher rate because we are looking to work with a certain level of clientele. Those who are willing to invest in a higher consult fee, are more likely to invest in further services. My hourly rate is lower once someone commits to working with me for ongoing services.
Open dining room design by Claire Jefford Inc.
Overall, rates will be dependent on your experience, location, business model and targeted clientele
You can see the fees that I bill for the consultation and all of our services on my Interior Design Services page.
In the video of this post, I go into more detail about how much to charge for this initial consultation and why I recommend you bill more than your normal hourly rate.
3. Design Services to Offer
I am not one to preach about zoning in on a specific ‘niche’ but I do recommend not to offer too many services which may only confuse potential clients. Keep the list streamlined so that it is easy for visitors to your website (and for you!) to clearly understand the ways in which you can help with a design or decorating project.
In my Free Download, I provide a list of a of potential services that you may want to consider offering such as Kitchen & Bath Design, Custom Window Treatments and Home Staging. This is not an exhaustive list and you may want to include several in your business model or concentrate on a couple only.
4. Presentation of services
Now that you have a list of detailed services that you will provide, consider how you will present these on your website and to potential clients at the consultation.
At Claire Jefford Inc. we have created 5 service offerings:
What you charge will vary considerably depending on your experience, your confidence level, and the type of clients you wish to attract.
Please remember that this is meant as a guideline, edit as needed to best reflect the way YOU want to set up your business model.
The key to estimating how long a project will take is for you to have generated a detailed scope of work based on all of the information gathered at the initial consultation.
I’ll quickly walk you through an example of Phase 1 of a Custom Design Project – our most robust service that we offer.
We based our calculations below on a one room design.
PHASE 1 ● Site visit for a check measures / GC meeting to discuss structural aspects of the design – est @1 hour ● 2D / 3D space planning drawings – est @2-3 hours ● Sourcing of furnishings and other elements for designing the space – est @4-5hours ● Preparing the presentation of design plans – est @2-3 hours ● The actual presentation of design plans – est @1-2 hours ● Any revisions based on the terms in your contract – est @2 hours
TOTAL ESTIMATION OF 12 – 16 HOURS X YOUR HOURLY FEE: ➔ 12 hours x $150 = $1800 / Up to 16 hours x $150 = $2400
Phase 2 would involve the project management of this project. You can see the estimated fees for this and more on my Design Services & Rates download.
Establishing a clear list of services and setting corresponding rates is crucial to the success of your Interior Design or Decorating Business. Once you have established your services and rates the task of getting great clients will be so much easier!
In Part 2 we are heading down to the incredible basement and then outdoors to the beautiful backyard space.
While I do not doubt that you will adore the laundry room, there’s one other room that I really gush over – it’s absolutely awesome.
Which one is that you ask? Come join me to find out!
Hit the play button on the image below and let’s check out this basement together
This Ain’t Your Ordinary Basement!
It’s hard to tell exactly where the stairs leading to the basement take you, but I believe it opens up to this exceptional lounge and entertaining area.
Lower level lounge area with long island table with seating
Here, I do quite like the details on the lip of the island. It’s more of an area for sitting, sipping, chatting, and playing games, not eating per se, so there’s not the concern with food crumbs like there was on the island in the kitchen as I mentioned in the previous blog post of the main floor.
Plenty of wine storage here and a long table to sit and enjoy it.
Did I mention the sipping of wine? Take a look at all of your choices, housed beautifully in this 4 door wine storage area!
Psst! Do you notice the opening in the middle of the room behind the island and to the right of the framed artwork? That is a hidden door that you would not know was even there if it were closed.
So which room does that secret door lead to? Keep reading, I’m saving that reveal for closer to the end of the tour.
What’s Missing that would make this area more cozy?
The lower level lounge / sitting area. Pale Oak OC-20
I love this lounge area, but do feel that there is one important interior décor element missing…
Yep, an area rug! Knowing how to choose the right size area rug is important, as it can help to bring all the furnishings nicely together and add some much-needed softness to the room.
After all that wine tasting, you might feel the need to get up and get moving. No better place to do that than your own personal fitness room.
Just head across from the sitting area to your personal gym. This room is painted the same colour as much of the home including the lounge area from where we entered. It’s Pale Oak by Benjamin Moore.
Working out may not seem so hard in this fully outfitted basement fitness room.
This gym has everything you need and I love the light from those extra-large windows. The outside window wells would have been dug out to be larger than normal to accommodate such an opening for these basement windows.
Basement home gym with all the gear plus a mirrored wall to keep an eye on your form.
A mirrored wall is always nice to have in your workout area, but the thing that I really love here is the detail in the trim work around the vent. Those small details are fabulous and make the room really look finished.
I am not exactly sure where the next two rooms are within the floor plan of the basement. I wish I could have been there to actually tour the house like I did last year, then there would be no guessing involved!
Guests won’t feel like they are in the basement in this serene guest bedroom.
Here we come to a lovely guest bedroom with one of those huge windows once again, allowing so much natural light in you don’t feel like you are in a basement.
Don’t you just love the colour on the walls, trim, and doors? It’s Old Stone OC-424 by Benjamin Moore.
Guest Bedroom with ensuite – walls, trim and doors Old Stone OC-424
A well-appointed ensuite with simple and subdued subway tiles on the walls in the shower and again a DXV sink, faucet, and shower system.
Roomy tiled shower with DXV shower system
LAUNDRY ROOM LOVE!
Basement laundry room – super organised. Cabinetry and walls in Old Country by Benjamin Moore
I might not mind doing laundry so much if I had such a beautifully organized room that looked like this. A table for folding, wrapping, or crafting…YES PLEASE!
The soft colour tone of the cabinets is soothing and easy on the eyes. I have not used this Benjamin Moore paint colour either, it’s OC- 76 Old Country. Don’t you agree that it looks great here on all of the cabinetry and walls?!
There is no lack of storage with all the custom cabinetry, plus with the built-in rod for hanging clothes to dry and open shelving, this room is getting full marks for function.
Did you notice the detail of the white tile inlay under the table? Love it or leave it? Personally, I LOVE IT!
Ok, you’ve waited long enough…
As wonderful as all of the preceding rooms have been, this last one is the star of the entire basement design in my opinion.
Better than going to the cinema – dark wall coverings and movie posters make a great home theatre
My family may never set foot in a Cineplex again if we had a theatre room like this in our basement.
The strip lighting is fantastic and the dark wall coverings are so perfect to set the mood in this purposeful space.
The movie posters add some fun and colour to the overall vibe with the white mats offering a great contrast to the dark gray textured walls.
This is definitely a room where a family could all hang out together enjoying the most current blockbuster movie.
Oversized chairs with ottomans are a great way to stretch out or offer additional seating if required.
Any movie would be enjoyed being watched from the vantage point of these chairs.
Did you ever see the amazing movie theatre I designed? The colour scheme was totally different, but it was just as fun and functional as this one here in the Princess Margaret Lottery Home.
Heading Outdoors
Come out into the light now and see what’s happening in the backyard. What’s really nice is the maturity of the surrounding neighbourhood. I love the trees and the grounds all seem fairly private.
While it’s a nice sized garden with different ‘zones’, each with a purpose, I’d love to see a pool back here.
Outdoor space with hot tub and BBQ area on the upper level, and dining on the lower level.
There is a hot tub closer to the home in this courtyard, which is a nice amenity to have.
But where is the gorgeous outdoor kitchen that should be coupled with a grand home such as this? A stand-alone BBQ just doesn’t cut it in my opinion!
The trend of a home’s outdoor living space being an extension of the home falls well short in this $4.8 million house. This is especially a shame nowadays with all the extra time families are having to spend at home.
Outdoor living at the Princess Margaret showhome, Oakville.
For the price tag of this home, would you LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT?
This brings us to the end of the tour. What did you love? Did you see some things that I missed?
Let me know in the comments below.
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For Your Convenience
If you’d like a beautifully curated colour palette like the Princess Margaret home has, look for further than my Perfect Colour Palettes.
These perfectly curated colour palettes will help to bring a home’s décor together flawlessly.
Confidently select the best colour for your home, and see which trim, ceiling, and accent colours pair well with your selected colour.
While I’m disappointed I didn’t get the chance to tour this stunning house in person this year, I was definitely excited to receive the entire portfolio of images from this year’s $4+ million Princess Margaret Lottery Home.
Of course what excites me most, is that I get to share these photos with you!
In part one of my two part series, I take you on a walk through video tour of both the main floor open plan design, as well as the second floor.
Princess Margaret Showhome – Great Room
This stunning 7,500 square foot art deco inspired home designed by the super talented interior designer Brian Gluckstein is on a beautiful tree lined street in southeast Oakville, Ontario.
I want you to take note of how the windows are bumped out on the upper level, as this plays a key role in one of my favourite design elements you’ll find in each of the bedrooms.
Come with me now as I take you through the house, room by room. You’ll hear what elements of the interior design I loved and what I feel could have been done better, mostly in terms of function.
See what Benjamin Moore colours were used throughout the space, I share them all with you in the video. You may just be suprised by the bold colours used in some of the bedrooms!
To get a better look of each space, I’ve included even more photos in this blog post than what you will see in the video tour. But don’t skip ahead, be sure to watch the video below and then tell me your thoughts in the comments.
Let’s do this!
Welcome!
Let’s start our tour right from the beginning – the front entrance. And what an entrance! What a joy it would be to walk through this front door at the end of long day.
This foyer and much of the main main floor is painted Pale Oak by Benjamin Moore. We recently used this colour in our Burlington client’s living and dining room.
It really is such a soft and pretty colour tone, one of the most popular new neutrals that we see being used more and more. Here, you can see why!
Amazing details in the foyer, from the pattern in the floor tile to the fluted wall treatments, the Greek key pattern in the trim work and window surround.
This home gets a ton of natural light that fills each room, bringing the spaces to life even more, effortlessly highlighting the exquisite details in the custom millwork.
Wall Details…Love it or Leave it?
Foyer with intricate key trim detail and Babylon chandelier
From the foyer you can see through to the true highlight of this house – The Great Room….and how great is it?! Those ceilings, seem to go on forever.
The contrasting trim around the archways and that gorgeous natural light shining through that two story window are stand out features that I absolutely love about this room.
How are you feeling about the contrast between the Pale Oak walls and trim and the Kendall Charcoal on the archways? Too heavy? Just Right?
Personally I love it. I also love how fabulously these two colours work together.
Contrasting archways…Love it or Leave it?
Great room out to the front hall and main entrance to the house.
The majority of the furniture throughout the Princess Margaret Lottery Home is from Glucksteinhome. Many of these pieces have a very neutral feel, done in soft neutrals with hits of striking gold and dark metals.
Two of my absolute favourite furnishings are these two armchairs. They remind me of a little lamb. I’m not sure if I should sit on them or pet and name them!
Neutral furniture with accents of gold and metallics
Adjoining The Great Room through the large archway to the right is a second area for relaxing, chatting, or entertaining.
I consider this space, more a living room or sitting room. It doesn’t have the same grandiose feeling as the adjoining Great Room. Mainly because the great room has such high ceilings!
Notice the Great room with the high ceilings, compared with the adjoining living space. Still bright and airy though!
Between both of these rooms, there is ample seating for those days we all long for, when you can once again have more than just your immediate family in your home.
The one decorative element I am not loving is that wall with the pale blue fabric panels. I mean, it’s pretty but for some reason, it’s just not doing it for me.
What I love though, is the addition of the round tables and curved pieces, especially when the majority of the furniture is square and rectangular in shape.
I especially adore those little wall mounted round brass tables. Can you spot them on either side of the room near the sofa by the window in the photo above?
Soft Blue Fabric Panels…Love it or Leave it?
Corner sitting area, with fabric paneled walls, skirted neutral sofa and round table. Additional sitting area with wall mounted round brass tables
Next…
We’re going to cross the hall and check out the study / den.
This is a very dark, very moody room. The walls here have been wallpapered in a gorgeous rich blue covering. The trim and baseboards have been painted Benjamin Moore Blue Note 2129-30 to match the walls and drapery. I love it!
The desk made out of Burl Wood is outstanding. You can see how Brian has repeated this light orange hue in the toss cushion, the throw and in the way they have displayed the books with the spines facing inwards.
These accents offer a welcome warm tone to an otherwise dark and moody space. I do feel that there is a lack of efficient lighting in this room though.
A couple of lamps either side of the sofa would not hurt to provide task lighting as needed.
Burl Wood Desk…Love it or Leave it?
Back down the hall…
On the other side of that two sided fireplace in the great room you can catch a glimpse of the kitchen – that’s where we’re checking out next.
From the great room looking into the Kitchen with breakfast nook to the right
I do wonder about the size of the kitchen when compared to the overall size of the house.
When we entertain, people often gravitate towards the kitchen. This space would not accommodate a very large gathering, especially when compared with the grand scale of the other rooms. Nor does it appear to provide ample counter space for food prep.
Look at how little room is on either side of that huge and yes, gorgeous, range unit!
Not a lot of counter space here!
Then we have the open floating shelves which don’t quite make it all the way to the wall units that flank them on either side.
This look has become increasingly popular over the years, but I question how practical this set up actually is. Unless you’re not actually cooking in your 4.8 million dollar home, this area has the potential to get covered in grease and dust.
Open shelving… Love it or Leave it?
At the far end of the kitchen, we have this relaxed, yet sophisticated breakfast nook. I do love the bench seat and seeing that wonderful contrast once again, this time with the black chairs and the neutral banquette.
The Dekton island is undeniably gorgeous. But that detailed lip around the edge is a trap for crumbs and dust.
That faucet is fantastic and in the same gold finish that we’ve seen in other design elements throughout the main floor in the house. But unless there is a hidden sink that we can’t see, this one, narrow single basin sink does not seem like enough for a busy family.
Of course, I love the undermounted DXV sink itself, I would just like to have seen it be a bit bigger.
Kitchen Design…Love it or Leave it?
The glass tulip style table with a tinted glass top is super cute. Although I’m not a huge fan of that light fixture. It seems rather busy with the curves, the straps and the metal piece underneath. What are your thoughts? Love it or leave it?
Across the hall…
You’ve prepared a gourmet meal and now you need somewhere to sit and enjoy it. This room is the perfect place. It is sumptuous, just don’t spill any food on that lush and luxurious area rug!
The Dining Room mimics the study in location and with its moody colour. The room has deep, rich wall coverings.
The dark blue drapery with the patterned lead edge is gorgeous. For those of you who are colour enthusiasts like me, the trim and baseboards are painted Blue Note 2129-30 by Benjamin Moore.
Bold, dramatic dining room…Love it or Leave it?
What a statement piece this glass and brass chandelier is, eh?
The last room to visit on the main floor is the powder room with its dramatic colour tones and beautiful finishes.
Don’t be afraid to overdo it in a powder room, this is the perfect place to have some fun! I encourage people to go for that WOW factor and Brian has done just that with this shimmering and unique wall feature.
The countertop here is Dekton by Cosentino. The sink and faucet are divine high-end fixtures from DXV.
Second floor:
A wide stair case leads you to the second floor of the Princess Margaret Showhome
1st Stop is the principal bedroom suite. Do you notice the window walls in every bedroom? This is why I asked you to carefully look at the exterior of the home, at the beginning of the post.
This is a brilliant architectural and design feature! This is perfect for having the window treatments like these custom draperies be flush with the wall. Even more so because the colour of the drapery is the exact same colour as the walls.
The canopy bed with a brass finish is a real statement piece in this room. It has strong lines, but at the same time, the cream upholstered headboard gives it a soft, feminine feel.
Canopy bed in a brass finish…Love it or Leave it?
Principal bedroom with canopy bed with brass finishes. Walls Pale Oak OC-20 by Benjamin MooreAnte room with floating mirrored vanity and ghost chair
The principal ensuite is my favourite room so far. There are so many beautiful design details here, I don’t think that I would change a thing!
You may not be able to see the backdrop of the wall covering at the far end with the window. It’s appears to be a neutral wallpaper, it may have some texture, but it’s difficult to say for sure. The trim and baseboard is painted Balboa Mist by Benjamin Moore.
You don’t need any more of my words here to distract you, just soak up the beauty in these next few photos.
Principal ensuite with double vanity and stunning patterned tile floorNeutral vanity with brass finishes
Freestanding bath with slat separation wall and shower niche with marble walls
We find three additional rooms on the second floor, starting with this room that is painted a lilac purple. It’s Inspired AF-595 by Benjamin Moore and it’s everywhere! The walls, the trim, the baseboards, and even the doors, all painted purple.
What do you think…Love it or Leave it?
Love, love, love the window treatment. Both the flat roman style with detailed trim and the fabric colour.Upholstered headboard with floral beddingI love purple, but this is a bit much even for me!
The second bedroom is painted Amsterdam AF -550 by Benjamin Moore. Although it doesn’t look like the colour they’ve specified in the brochure, I have been assured by a reliable source that this room is indeed that colour.
Similarly to the purple room above, in this space, we also see everything is painted the same colour.
2nd bedroom walls painted Amsterdam by Benjamin Moore AF-550There seems to be a theme going on here.
The bedrooms above each have a door into this serene shared bathroom. Interesting that neither room colour is repeated or even looks like it would be part of the same design space. This Jack and Jill bathroom colour palette is quite the departure from the boldly painted bedrooms.
I do love all of the plumbing fixtures though and the sconces mounted directly onto the vanity mirror.
Beautiful wallpapered bathroom with white Dekton counter, undermount DXV sinks and glass showerDouble sink vanity with gorgeous wall-mounted sconces
The fourth bedroom has been designed to be somewhat multifunctional. This definitely could be used as a guest bedroom or an office. This room comes with its own ensuite as well.
Versatile room – bedroom / office. Eternity by Benjamin Moore AF-695
The furniture layout looks quite tight to me though, with limited access on each side of the daybed to the desk and dresser. But for a spare room that would only be used on occasion, I think you can get away with that.
Alright, so there you have it. I told you what I thought and now it’s your turn! Do you agree with my opinions of the design, or do you have some different thoughts to share?
Be sure to stay connected with me by taking my Colour Quiz here, because in my next post, I’ll be taking you on a tour of the basement which showcases my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE room in the whole house!
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The Colour of the Year by Benjamin Moore has been revealed!
In addition to this announcement, Benjamin Moore has also released their entire Colour Trends palette for 2021 and guess what? This palette is a lot warmer than what you may have expected.
Pin it for easy reference!
Watch my Colour review and see how I was ahead of the trend since I used the 2021 Colour of the Year in my home studio more than 3 years ago!
Are you ready? Let’s do this.
Benjamin Moore Colour of the Year:
Aegean Teal 2136-40
I painted my studio ceiling Aegean Teal because it worked beautifully with other decorative items in the space.
The secret is in finding the best tone that will work with other elements in your home. For this space, it was my fireplace wallpaper, the fabric on my window treatment and the area rug that provided inspiration to specify Aegean Teal on the ceiling.
Claire’s Studio – Aegean Teal CeilingMy Studio with Aegean Teal 2136-40Design by Claire Jefford. Photography by Stephani Buchman.
Aegean Teal 2136-40 by Benjamin Moore
Amid uncertainty, people yearn for stability
With their reveal of the colour of the Year, Benjamin Moore’s press release stated the following:
“Amid uncertainty, people yearn for stability. The colours we surround ourselves with can have a powerful impact on our emotions and wellbeing,” said Andrea Magno, Benjamin Moore Director of Colour Marketing & Development.
“Aegean Teal 2136-40 and the corresponding Colour Trends 2021 palette express a welcoming, lived-in quality that celebrates the connections and real moments that take place within the home.”
Nature and Natural Colours with Aegean Teal 2136-40
The entire Colour Trends palette for 2021 can be seen below. Photos are courtesy of Benjamin Moore.
What do you think of these Colour Trends 2020 from Benjamin Moore? I think they’ve put together a beautiful colour palette, with many great paint combinations that you could easily mix and match.
If you are struggling with choosing paint colours, be sure to check out my Perfect Colour Palettes.
More paint colour guides will be added over time, so be sure to check back here often for new paint colours.
Take my Colour Quiz to discover what your Perfect Colour Palette is.
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