We asked four local home-decor mavens to each pick a piece that captures the design mood for 2007.

Photos by Jason Lang

Paula Metcalfe
InForm Interiors (97 Water Street)
604-682-3868
www.informinteriors.com
Revision Interiors
604-377-5409
www.revisioninteriors.com

Paula Metcalfe subscribes to the idea of creating a strong focal point in a room. Instead of accessorizing with a piece, make it the magnet for conversation in a space. “The womb chair and ottoman by Knoll are classic pieces. They are iconic. People recognize them and they live happily in a bedroom application or a living room,” says Metcalfe of her favourite duo ($3,509 for the chair, $1,014 for the ottoman). Tied for favourite is the Cappellini cabinet—a revolving chest of drawers (21 to be precise) in vibrant scarlet ($3,421). “The colour gives a lot of impact; it’s very sculptural, yet it’s a functional sculpture,” she says. For Metcalfe, trends are dictated by more than such eye-catching forms. Environmental sustainability is an ever-growing factor in décor choices, she says: “Even the use of different glues that are water-soluble definitely matters, or the way things are made and packaged.” Her Revision Interiors consignment service fits in with this mandate. Aimed at those relocating or moving to a new space, or anyone ready to trade in a piece of furniture, it also makes for an affordable way to enter the scene.

Joanna Ostrowski
Livingspace (188 Kingsway)
604-683-1116
www.livingspace.com

Joanna Ostrowski speaks of sleekly modern design with such passion that just about anyone could be convinced of its inherent genius. Her choice of the Random Bookcase by MDF Italia ($2,555 for each 76-centimetre-wide section) highlights the premise behind her love for modern work: “There is really a very short story behind it, which was they looked at the absolutely mundane and obvious and said, ”˜Let’s create a different-looking bookcase.’ Immediately people noticed the play on the obvious,” she explains. For Ostrowski, modern design is rewarding because it is in step with the contemporary world, not a reproduction of the past. And this translates directly in new trends, whether it’s via the whimsy and playfulness of this bookcase or the practicality of the new television and entertainment consoles. “What is fascinating about modern furniture design is that it reflects every side of the modern life we are experiencing as a society. A few years ago everyone was hiding TVs in their armoires because they were ugly and there were no technological advancements. But with plasma, the armoires became obsolete, because now everyone wants to show the TV. Now they are looking for flat surfaces they can mount the TV on top of to have a giant display, and when you think about it, this is a hugely different aesthetic.”

Tamara Wouters
Peridot (1512 West 14th Avenue)
604-736-4499
www.peridot.ca

Influenced by designers like Philippe Starck and Kelly Whistler, Tamara Wouters describes her overall style as modern glamour. Her favourite piece for 2007 lends itself to a variety of settings, an integral aspect of its appeal. “The item I chose is a dining chair. I had the frame done in a high-gloss ultra-white, and upholstered in dove-grey microfibre for durability and chrome studs. What I like about it is it gives this traditional Louis the XV chair [$1,095] a fresh modern look and would work well in either setting [classic or contemporary],” explains Wouters. The larger trend making its way into homes is the idea of transforming familiar silhouettes by using unexpected fabrics, colours, and finishes on them, she says. “Take traditional Bombay-shaped dressers. They are being done in these intense colours and finishes that look like velvet. It’s fresh and modern even though it’s a traditional shape. Take a vintage chandelier and a can of black or red spray paint and spray the whole thing and give it a whole new life.” Rubber, automotive high-gloss paint, and bright colours are all bringing new life to classic forms. “There is a misconception of it [the trend toward glamour] being about pretty, but it’s more layered than that,” continues Wouters. “It’s not just for women—a lot of men are embracing a more glamorous style as well.”

Colette Soros
Liberty
1635 West Broadway 604-682-7499
1037 Marine Drive, North Vancouver 604-988-6695
10–20070 Langley By-Pass, 604-539-0860
www.libertyinside.com

The classic stone bust of Venus ($299.95) that Colette Soros picks for 2007 may conjure traditional design, but the key is playing it off contemporary décor, she says. “What Liberty does is juxtapose things quite a bit, so when you have a piece like that with history, we like to put it with something a bit more modern so you have a contrast happening. The feeling of that piece is quite heavy, so I’d put it with a piece that is more streamlined with finer lines to it,” Soros explains. The key with a piece this strong is in the editing of a space, an important element on the 2007 trend list. “Editing, fewer pieces, ”˜undecorated’—it’s about pulling it back, emptying the room and pulling pieces back in. Leave space and keep things uncrowded. There are smaller spaces [now], and it gives more of a relaxing feeling to have less around you and it allows natural light to bounce around you,” Soros says. Following the less-is-more mantra is the emergence of basic black. “You could take an antique and paint it black and suddenly it’s more current, or get a gilded mirror and paint it black. Black is like our foundation. If in doubt, we just paint it black.”