Photo shoot of a project

Yesterday…rainy day in Vancouver but exciting photo shoot at Manito new store, where you can find luxurious silk bedding and more.  I have shown the “before” images of this project in my previous post HERE and now you can have a preview of the (almost) finished space.
As you may know a photo shoot requires days of preparation, sourcing for props, arranging furniture, adjusting lights, buying flower arrangements and in this case… steaming every single wrinkle out of pillowcases, bedspreads, bed sheets.

The photographer, very professional and so pleasant to work with, Andrea Sunderland, arrived in full gear with diffusers, lenses, external flashes and all the tricks of the trade.

 

Of course the store looked a …bit…messy since we had to arrange

and rearrange furniture and accessories every hour.

A ladder certainly help to have different angles.

Here I am, comfortably seating (for just 5 minutes!) and checking compositions and light with my point and shoot which I used all day wondering how magical the “real” images from Andrea will be.

Charcoal and pale blue silk for this bed with a vibrant orange lampshade on the side table.

Rich plum and fresh green silk for this image, Hilary Miles beautiful roses

and…do you remember that purple tea cup from a previous post?

A more masculine look with chocolate, champagne and whipped cream silk (yum).

Angela Grossman art piece on the floor.

Designers Guild pillows, Heather Ross new candles on the antique chair

and the vivid color of Miriam Aroeste painting as a backdrop.

My favorite picture of the day? I can’t explain it but it is this one…so dramatic  and theatrical.

Silk becomes regal!

Photography © by Albarosa Simonetti

©2011 Brillante Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things".

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Networkshop...

I know the title is made up, but on Saturday I went to a workshop and I ended up networking and socializing.
The workshop was held at Fluff, in Vancouver, and it was very informative and fun. To know more about it you can read a wonderful, informative post by  Kulli Yee who I was glad to meet there.
The social part was even more fun since that the moment I introduced myself by name to a lady she immediately recognized me by my blog who was recommended to her by a mutual friend, Ivan Meade: I felt like a celebrity for a moment.

The fun part was to create a team of three people:

Susan Hargraves, a residential stylist

Sharon Wood, an interior redesign specialist

and myself were then challenged to stage a fireplace mantel and a table.

 
For each project we had a card showing only pictures of a mantel, a ceiling light, the room's palette and a tight budget!
1st project: How to choose accessories for this mantel:

A traditional marble fireplace, classic chandelier, neutral colours.
We started with a selection of monochromatic art, a canvas with black and white painting of a stylized flower, we gathered a bronze vase and a black round object...we looked at that and we decided we needed more colour so the art went and a new piece with vibrant orange petals came up.
Walking around the place we thought maybe a lamp would help and we immediately spotted a coral base one that was perfect for our project. We tried an orange bowl with brown balls inside but then we  found three black small round, pebble like, candles and we decided that was it!

The instructor was laughing saying we had three projects at once so many times we changed things around...but it was worth it!
Susan gave a brief explanation on how we made our choices.

2nd project: how to accessorize a table given this basic elements:

A contemporary look with a black round pendant light, a sleek fireplace, neutral colours.
We started with some white square plates and bowls, then Susan and Sharon arrived proudly holding three big silver vases...I said we can't set a table for dining with those... nobody will be able to see anyone...so why don't we set the table as a decorative piece?

 

We found the runner, we changed the chairs, from white leather ones to these more graphic and bold, at that point only two were needed, Sharon brought a branch with delicate white flowers, she was trying to find calla-lilies or orchids but I thought the sweet peas she found were indeed sweet and less formal.
On the chairs two small rectangular pillows with dark grey and black polka dots were the final touch.
Here is Sharon giving an explanation of our unusual choices.

 

Did I mention we had only 15 minutes to create each vignette? trying to compromise our three (not so different) visions, sourcing frantically in the huge warehouse for props and accessories and yes also trying to take some pictures at the same time.
I think we were a great team and we came up with elegant, simple, different solutions.

Both Susan Hargraves and another smart lady I was glad to meet, Liz Mackay, residential consultant, were also interviewed recently by Ivan Meade and you can click on their names to know them better.

It was a fun way to spend a few hours in a workshop and make new friends.

SELLER BEWARE

Tips on How and How Not to Sell in an UnReal Estate Market

EVEN IN VANCOUVER, the market for real estate has cooled off. So what can people do to successfully sell their property?
In a seller’s market you stage your house or condo by presenting it at its best to attract multiple offers. But in a buyer’s market, the competition is more fierce. Potential buyers have time to think and compare. Your house must show more appeal than others at the same price and in the same area, especially if you need to sell fast.
Staging can make all the difference. But “seller beware”: a lot of what passes for home staging is UnReal. I like to introduce you to

UnStaging for an UnReal Estate Market.

Let me tell you some stories from my own experience.

A few years ago, I was looking for a place to buy for over two years. I saw countless cloned houses and condos that had been professionally staged. (By the way, I’m not attacking the home staging or real estate community, a lot of fine people work in this field; I’m just speaking up for higher standards.)
Over and over again I saw the same sort of blah art, the same thoughtless furniture, the same impersonal touches. It’s as if each place, especially in new developments, had been churned out by a cookie-cutter computer program. Here’s a sampling of the UnLogic I saw:
Take one black or brown leather sofa and matching chairs. Add a glass or dark brown wood dining table with four chairs (obviously you’re allowed only two guests if you’re a couple). Throw a few hints of one colour here and there (don’t dare mix two colours). And don’t forget to match the art on the wall with the colour of the throw pillows (art should always match the furnishings, right?)
Bedrooms should be as boring as possible, beige and more beige, maybe a little brown. After all, a bedroom is only for sleeping and snoring (right?)Don’t forget to say you’ve updated the kitchen with a granite countertop and stainless steel appliances. Oh, yes, rent a few bottles of San Pellegrino and place them on the counter. (Believe me, those can be rented, too! And fake children’s art to place on a table How sad is that?)
Voila’, even a characterless, hotel-like leaky condo suite becomes fashionable.
Ironically, though I’m a home staging and designer, I ended up buying a badly staged house myself.  There was the rented tray on the bed with a teapot and two cups as if to signify cozy.  (How many people these days have the time for breakfast in bed?) And, yes, there were the required bottles of San Pellegrino sitting out so lonely on the kitchen counter.
Fortunately I could see through all the fakery and envision how I could turn 926 square feet into a personal, comfortable space, and even accommodate some of the large antique furniture I saved in my downsizing. In an hour’s visit I could mentally place every piece of art and furniture I wanted to bring with me. And so I immediately put in an offer, subject to inspecting and reviewing the strata minutes and by-laws.

Of course, not everyone has the vision of a professional home stager or decorator.

Home staging helps people cut down the stress of selling by taking care of decorating tasks they’re not familiar with or don’t have the time to handle.
Brillante Home Decor approach is to enable my client’s potential buyers to visualize the use of the space by placing ordinary things in unusual ways, with some personality, and always with simplicity in mind.
Every house should also be treated as unique. So I don’t keep an inventory of furniture, accessories and bedding which I convince my clients to rent. Instead, as far as possible, I try to use what’s already in the house by editing, rearranging and minor re-decorating. It saves clients money and it’s more creative and personal.
Home sellers should be treated with respect for their individuality. I say “Do unto others as you would have done to yourself.” And when I buy a house, I want sound construction, an efficiently managed building and an intelligent layout I can make my own, not some fantasy of an Unreal lifestyle.

 Practicality and genuine personality: that’s real.