Style Spotting with Designer, Glen Peloso
Dark purple and black?! Many people are afraid of deep colours and really aren’t sure what to do with colours like the Benjamin Moore colour of the year “Shadow”. These wonderfully rich colours have been part of the home décor pallet for centuries. Most castles and royal palaces would have used these colours liberally and with great success.
Style Spots by Glen and Jamie embraced these colours along with deep purple, black charcoal and brass to create a space that is incredibly sexy and dramatic.
Photo by: Arnal Photography
These colours are often referred to as “Dark” when that word speaks about light, not colour. If you are experiencing a room as “dark” then address the lighting first. Think of these colours as being “rich” in the way we think of velvet. Recently featured at the National Home Show, the living and dining room were designed around the rich Benjamin Moore colour of the year combined with a deep toned marble which is another design trend that is here to stay for a while.
Those Etageres
Étagères have long been a staple of home décor and while they sound complex because of the fancy French term, it’s really just a shelf.
The word étagères come from the French word for “level” like various floors in a building. You used them much like you would a bookshelf. The biggest difference between the two is that étagère’s are open on both sides and are intended as shelves to display prized possessions. They never lost popularity but now with open concept spaces, they are extremely useful.
What better way to create divisions in your space than with the objects you love, displayed on the various levels. We love that the shelves are completely open whether you used them as dividers or as against the wall. Against the wall the colours and textures of the wall or wallpaper are the backdrop for the things you love. Books are most welcome on a étagère however we don’t recommend that you fill them full of books only.
Photo by: Arnal Photography
Mixed Metals
Mix those metals up! The days of the Coco Chanel “matchy matchy” have long gone. In the past a single metal was typical for a well designed room but that idea has gone out like shoulder pad and 1980’s hair styles. Now when you are organizing a room it’s normal and acceptable to mix brass, copper, muted gold and brushed silvers, wrought iron and chrome all together in the same room.
Photo by: Arnal Photography
The biggest difference between now and the brass and gold of the 1980 is that is has become muted and shine free. We like to say “is not shiny and brassy, it’s muted and classy. The same goes for any metal in the room. It should all look like its been dulled by being left outside in the elements. Mix them all together! After all, nature rarely had just one metal on a mountain, so take a page from her and mix it up at home!
About Glen Peloso
Glen Peloso is the Co-founder and Principal of Peloso Alexander Inc, where he has designed more than 300 residential and commercial projects in various countries around the world. In partnership with Jamie Alexander, together they bring 40 years combined experience, creating environments that marry their clients’ lifestyles and personalities with the architecture of their space. Glen and Jamie are popular guests of Toronto Home Shows. Glen is design expert on the Marilyn Denis Show and can be seen on television series including Restaurant Makeover, Take this House and Sell It, and Renovate my Wardrobe. Also a design journalist, Glen contributes regularly and has been featured in many newspapers and magazines across the country.
For more information on Glen visit www.pelosoalexander.com
