This past weekend Darryl and I took in the Interior Design West show  on Saturday and we came back with lots of  great ideas, met some amazing  business people as well as the products that they had on display at the show.

When we first arrived at the show we scoured the show floor, just barely taking in all the beauty there was to see.  After rounds and rounds of talking to different folks, we broke away to catch Mark Challens 11:30 presentation on the Para Design Stage.

What Makes a Room Memorable, According To Mark Challen

With House and Home Magazine’s 25th Anniversary edition in newsstands this week, Mark shared his favourite images from twenty-five years of House and Home’s archives, and began to explain why these rooms have had such lasting appeal.

As he spoke I started to make some notes on what it was about these rooms that were truly timeless, and what I thought was so good for all of us to hear. He started by revealing what styling trends in home Magazines that have stayed strong, but maybe it’s time to put them to rest.

Styling Trends That Should Be Retired (According to Mark Challen)

1. Green Apples in Kitchens:

2. Folded towels in Bathrooms:

3. An all time Favorite in Vancouver,  Rain boots:

As he stated, hopefully we will see less and less of these ideas and more of some NEW style ideas!

 So What Makes A Room Memorable?

So what makes a room memorable according to Mark Challen?  Well, he had lots to say about this topic so bear with me as I try to expand on the notes that I took. Mark was very friendly and vibrant, and the crowd really enjoyed his presence. House and Home Magazine had compiled a list of the Top 50 Rooms that have been featured in the pages of their magazine over the past 25 years. Using selected images, he began to reveal his opinions.

1. “Unstudied Ease”

What Mark Challen called  “Unstudied Ease” in Rooms really caught my attention. With a presence of a slightly daring and not too Perfect look  for rooms  is by far the way to go. As he explained this concept  it really struck home to me and how I see my home and rooms that I strive to design.  Another phrase that came from his lips was “effortless Ease”.  This made me think of rooms that are just beautiful because they make you feel so at home. They are free from the clutter of the world, and like my big brother said once, “simplicity is sophistication!”  I highly agree with him.

Mark also went on to say that “Great rooms never let your eye rest”. This can come from a variety of ways in a room.  Harmony, colour, Symmetry, and play on textures.

2. It can be just one thing to make a room memorable.

It’s can be something slightly daring. Your space will stand the test of time.  It doesn’t follow trends.

3. Frames of Reference.

When ever you can.  Use something or somewhere to guide you as a frame of reference.  It may be that you travel a lot, so bringing in some of those elements into your space in a cohesive way might be the way to go. For some it may be something you have seen in a magazine or movie.  Take that space you have seen but be careful not to over reproduce it in some ways, but be creative about it. The goal isn’t to go copy another space exactly, but to use a space or spaces (or book, movie, etc) as some sort of visual reference to set the mood or tone of the room. This will become the barometer to guide your design.

Mark Challen and designer Priscilla Wikkerink transformed Mark’s tiny, outdated kitchen into a luxe brasserie-inspired space with sleek appliances, marble counters, custom cabinets, a bevelled tile backsplash, and bistro-style mosaic floor. His inspiration was derived from his favourite bistro’s, in Toronto as well as New York and London. He was not only inspired by the look and mood of that kind of space, but also by the feeling that he gets when spending time in a Bistro. That combination is what he wanted to achieve with the design. The result is a stunning kitchen.

So What Did I Take Away From This?

I left the show with these thoughts running through my head with all that Mark had to say.

• You don’t need to spend a lot to create a great room.  Just because you spent a lot of money on something doesn’t mean it really works in a room.
• Rooms come alive when you bring the best out of your space, let your space work for you!
• It’s not always the bells and whistles. ( This is one thing Mark mentioned). It stuck with me so long.

As you can see I highly enjoyed his talk, and may be you’ve gotten some inspiration from what I heard that day.  I know I felt truly inspired. Did you go to the show, if so what did you think of his talk?

Oh.  did I mentioned I got to stand next to Sarah Richardson?    Funny.. I just had to take this photo! Happy Thursday to you all!