Janette Ewen is one of the many décor specialists available for consultation at the Vancouver Home & Interior Design Show (October 12 to 15 at BC Place). Ewen began working at Chatelaine in 2000 and moved to Canadian House & Home in 2004. She’s now décor editor at home-shopping magazine Chocolat.

What is your favourite part about decorating a room?

I sort of have a two-part favourite. Planning the look, I always put together a look book. Magazine tears, swatches, paint samples—I look through old books or movies. I often go to the Internet and print scenes from a movie and in the look book I it all, and I will get a sense of how it will all work. It creates a look that’s not too matchy-matchy. But my actual favourite part is the envelope: the flooring, walls, window dressings.

What are the most important trends this fall?

One of the biggest is the return of Edwardian design. It’s almost gothic. All these wallpaper prints from the 1900s are coming back. You saw wallpapers in the past few years with bold colours, but now you see rustic golds, metallics, velvet flockings, crows. It can make for a very romantic interior. Another trend for fall is wood—raw wood. We are seeing a lot of natural wood grains even with holes, knots left in. And compact furniture, but highly styled: shorter legs, lower to the ground, small in size, traditional style but on a smaller scale.

What has been your favourite trend of all time?

David Hicks inspired interiors like zebra rugs, hot-pink sofas, and check wallpaper, but it all works together and it all looks really clean and modern even though it’s funky and eclectic. Cheeky-tacky like Jonathan Adler. He’s really bringing back that trend like a new Palm Springs look. I’m trying to bring back the sunken living room.

What do you think is the biggest mistake the average person makes when decorating?

It’s good to start with an inspiration piece, but I think people go out and buy a ton of stuff even before they buy their space. There are people who buy preconstruction and will shop and store it all in their parents’ basement, and then it doesn’t work. I like to take a while with the space and figure out which ways I want to walk.

What would you recommend to the frugal decorator to update their home?

I say go to a wallpaper store and buy the ends, the last roll, or treat yourself to one roll you like. Paint a wall like a fuchsia—a feature wall, so something bold. A feature wall can change with the season, and instead of applying the paper, run a dowel and have it half hanging down, dragging on the floor, more like a piece of art. It looks cool when you curl it and it hits the floor. Or you can even apply the strip [of wallpaper] and put a mirror over top to layer the look.

Janette Ewen will be presenting October 12 at 7 p.m., October 13 at 7 p.m., and October 14 at 6 p.m.