By Pamela Fieber, Calgary Herald
Photograph by: Dean Bicknell, Calgary Herald
Welcome to 1980. May I take your acid-washed jean jacket?
Thus began the entry letter of Patti Bradshaw, owner of the dark, wood-panelled living room that won our Design on a Budget room makeover contest.
....Enter design guru Adene Lucas of Accent on Design.Wall panels? No problem.
Lucas pulled a sofa table from the front hall, and used accessories and a new lamp from Essential Living create a focal point under a favourite painting.
“If you have a massive wall like this, try to create one impact point,” she says. “You don’t have to dress the entire wall. I tried to bring the wall down by having everything low on the table; it creates an anchor and stops the eye.”
...Lucas complemented the brass and natural stone in the room with hits of darker metal, such as the large sets of spires that now grace the mantel. She also brought in a modern, chocolate brown lamp and bright, spring-green accent pillows, as well as a metal twig bowl filled with rattan globes, all from Essential Living.Lucas used a large area rug from the front room to create a conversation area. She pulled colours from both the rug and the couple’s artwork for the accessories.
A slightly smaller rug, donated by House of Persian Rugs for the prize package, didn’t have the size needed to anchor the space, but ended up fitting well in Bradshaw’s original front room. That’s OK, Lucas says, it’s all part of designing on a budget — you have to look at new ways to use what you have.
“I scoured the house,” she says. “Very little of this is bought, most of it is theirs.”
Lucas says this was a classic case of a room that needed some editing. She removed most of the knick-knacks and small plants that were creating a sense of clutter. In the corner cabinet, she kept just a few accessories in one neutral colour family.
She rescued some beautiful occasional tables from their role as plant holders scattered along one wall. Stacked together with nothing on them, they are transformed from clutter to focal point.
“I know that there was way too much stuff in there,” Bradshaw says, adding she’s been anxiously awaiting the reveal since getting word her room had been chosen for a makeover. “That cabinet is so much more attractive now.”
Since winning the contest, Bradshaw says she and Landry have been inspired to update the rest of the house. With the leftover paint, they plan to carry the Harmony colour through into the adjoining hall, and possibly even tackle the dated oak kitchen cabinets.
But first, they’re going to enjoy a glass of wine by the fireplace.
Design on a budget contest:
Along with the services of designer Adene Lucas of Accent on Design, the prize package included an $1,800 rug from House of Persian Rugs, $1,000 worth of accessories from Essential Living, and a fresh paint job from of AW Painting. The Benjamin Moore paint was donated by Overwalls Paint and Decor.
- Accent on Design, (accentondesigninc.ca), Adene Lucas: 403-651-7491.
- AW Painting (awpainting.ca), Allan Wirzba: 403-220-1612.
- Essential Living, 1223B-9 Ave S.E. (Inglewood): 403-262-6150.
- House of Persian Rugs (www.houseofpersianrugs.com), 221 10th Avenue S.W., 403-262-5323.
- Overwalls Paint & Decor (benjaminmoore.ca), Crowfoot Crossing: 403-239-3537.
- Keep watching for more winners in our Design on a Budget Contest. We may not “do” the room for you, but we’ll show you what you can do to create a new look.
Thanks again to the many readers who took the time to enter.
pfieber@theherald.canwest.com
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