Jane Lockhart's Interior Design Blog

Itʼs been an eventful start to 2012!

By Jane Lockhart

February 14, 2012

Itʼs been an eventful start to 2012 for all of us here at Jane Lockhart Interior Design. Iʼm so excited to bring you all the latest news from our bustling Toronto design studios.

Design Awards

For the second year in a row, it is with great pride that Jane Lockhart Interior Design accepted First Place for our kitchen design in the large kitchen category at the prestigious 2011 National Kitchen and Bath Association Awards Gala. This is very exciting for all of us as we continue to strive to design award-winning spaces, including kitchens and baths for our valued customers.

Signature Furniture Collection

In January we successfully launched Jane by Jane Lockhart at The Canadian Home Furniture Market in Toronto to rave reviews. Including eight distinct collections, the Jane brand of affordable Canadian-made upholstered sofas and chairs built by Statum Designs is complimented with selected casegoods by Korson Furniture Design to provide a diverse range of styles appealing to a variety of retailer and consumer tastes. “Theyʼre like my children,” jokes Lockhart. “I wanted each collection to have its own personality and each piece its own unique features.” The Hemingway collection is a nod to traditional; the Granger is contemporary while the Stanwyck is an ode to retro with a modern twist. The Jane by Jane Lockhart collection will be available at select retailers across Canada in April 2012.

Commercial Design

Located in the high-profile design district at King and Parliament in Toronto, Cambria Canada, manufacturers of natural quartz countertops, opened its doors in January to the design trade. Jane Lockhart is one of three Toronto designers hand-selected to design an exclusive space for this new, highly anticipated showroom studio. Partnering with AyA Kitchen & Bath and Euroline Appliances, Jane Lockhart Interior Design created a permanent state-of-the-art kitchen designed exclusively to showcase the diverse design capabilities of Cambriaʼs quartz products. It was a wonderful challenge to create this inspiring space that has generated welcomed accolades and recognition from the design community and media, mostly recently featured on the front cover of the Toronto Sunʼs Home section.

Published Works

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Located in the high-profile design district at King and Parliament in Toronto, Cambria Canada, manufacturers of natural quartz countertops, opened its doors in January to the design trade. Jane Lockhart is one of three Toronto designers hand-selected to design an exclusive space for this new, highly anticipated showroom studio. Partnering with AyA Kitchen & Bath and Euroline Appliances, Jane Lockhart Interior Design created a permanent state-of-the-art kitchen designed exclusively to showcase the diverse design capabilities of Cambriaʼs quartz products. It was a wonderful challenge to create this inspiring space that has generated welcomed accolades and recognition from the design community and media, mostly recently featured on the front cover of the Toronto Sunʼs Home section.

I would like to thank everyone for your continued support. We look forward to bringing you more good news in the coming months as we aspire to create beautiful, award-winning interiors for our clients in 2012.

All the best,

Jane Lockhart

Jane by Jane Lockhart

By Jane Lockhart

January 18, 2012

I just launched a new line of furniture which will be called Jane by Jane Lockhart. There are eight distinct collections, each with their own personality and unique details. You'll be able to see the entire collection on my website very soon.

Photo by Brandon Barré.

Here is a look at the new logo for Jane by Jane Lockhart.

Coffee Table Decor

By Jane Lockhart

December 5, 2011

I was asked to contribute to the site HomePortfolio about coffee tables (my tips are listed on this great site). This got me thinking about how hard it is to find a good coffee table!! We are always serching for these and we really struggle to find just the right look. That said, we are now trending towards doing double rectangular coffee tables in large areas so that the middle area of a room is filled and it allows more seating areas access to a table top.

We also search for large square coffee tables that are at least 3' by 3'. I love a large table in the centre of the room as it anchors the space and creates a centre focus!

If you prefer a large ottoman, that works as well, especially if you have childern as this makes the space super kid-friendly!

Or if you need more flexibilty in the room, add four upholsetered cube ottomans so you have a centre 'table' but also have the flexiblity to pull these apart to provide everyone with their own table/cube!

So that's my quick thoughts on "table talk"!

5 Tips to Keep Men Happy in the Bedroom

By Jane Lockhart

September 3, 2011

Ok, aside from the obvious, there are many things that I have observed which are important to men when DESIGNING the bedroom. Here are the top five things to remember when designing your master Bedroom that seem to keep the 'Men' happy as well:

1) Add a TV

I can hear you all shrieking 'No!' to this option and of course, all the sleep experts agree, this is not a good thing to add to your bedroom. But many of my male clients REALLY want a tv in the bedroom. So, if you decide with your partner that you both can live with a television in the bedroom, then add it, but lets follow some basic rules.

Make the Tv size-appropriate: this is not the room for a big screen.

Put the Tv on a wall-mounted bracket so it is easy to move and hopefully maneuver out of site when not in use.

Make sure you purchase a television with a sleep-timer option so you can set this at bedtime. (And learn how to actually use it)

Set some sort of rules about watching television too late into the evening. It can be very stimulating so sleep becomes difficult. (Maybe even make a no sports zone in the bedroom??)

2) Create a "Drop-zone"

This is somewhat more important for men than women, particularly for men who regularly wear SUITS to work. Unlike women's clothing, which for some reason doesn't have pockets, menswear is filled with pockets. In these pockets are kept everything from change, to notes, business cards, gum etc. At the end of each day, these small items need to go some where.

If you want to keep your shared bedroom neat, find a space or area where all this miscellaneous stuff can be dropped and eventually sorted. A large table-top tray or shallow drawer is a good start for placing these items as it is all contained and still accessible.

3) Create Easy Hanging

I don't think this is an issue only for men, but again, I have noticed my male clients spend NO TIME at all hanging up jackets or ties when it requires more than dropping them over a chair or throwing them on a hook. For this reason I say, if you want to at least stop the spread of clothing all over the floor, create areas where items can simply be hung up on a hook or stashed in a clear-faced drawer or open shelf. (Hangers seem to represent a lot of work to some un-named men!!)

At the most basic, this may mean adding hooks to the back of all doors, and even hooks mounted within closets on walls. A more costly but definitely superior option is to opt for closet organization where maximum space is used and your partner gets his own area, just like you.....ok, maybe the shoe area won't be equal to yours, but give him some space too!!

4) Make the Room Dark!

I have many clients who tell me they don't need a dark room to sleep, but studies consistently show that a lack of complete darkness at night can result in long term health problems as deep sleep is not achieved. In addition, daily 'crankiness' seems to be an ongoing result!

Now before you get excited and start designing fancy drapery to add over your windows for "health reasons" what I mean is for you to add room 'blackening' blinds or fully operational drapery panels with lining. This includes Blackout Roller Blinds and floor to ceiling drapes through which no light can pass when they are closed. So NO shutters or wood slat blinds on their own as they don't block the light enough. (Perhaps now, a certain someone will wake up in a better mood!)

5) Lose the Pillows!

Ok, even this one is hard for me to accept but...put a cap on the number of pillows going on to the bed! Be selective and choose the ones that will make the most difference to the overall design of the room.....

....Of course, hide your sleeping pillows behind decorative shams, and of course, add some toss pillows but try to hold back from adding many more.

It is important to avoid the following types of pillows :

Those with cute sayings like "A Princess Sleeps Here", (although it maybe true)

Resist adding fluffy, furry, bedazzled, lacy, frilly or otherwise "girly" pillows to the bed as you will find they are the first to have an anonymous "accidental cat incident" for which an explanation is not quickly forthcoming.

Of course, none of this may apply to you if you live in a home where the basic motto of the household is "Happy wife, Happy Life" which means you have a free pass to decorate the bedroom however you want, no matter what the men in your life think!!

Estimating Design Fees

By Jane Lockhart

August 17, 2011

Forecasting Design Fees for Budgets

One of the most difficult and perhaps even contentious issues in design is how much should design services cost a client? Or at the very least, how do you estimate the cost?

There is a variety of ways that designers and decorators charge depending on the type of work being preformed and the skill level and experience of the provider. Many design professionals charge by the hour which is used to cover not only their time and knowledge but also to pay their rent, keep the lights on, put paper in the printer etc. But for clients, the challenge with this common billing style is how many hours do you estimate so that you can be on budget?

For anyone who knows me, they will know I am practical and fairly conservative when it comes to money. I don't like not knowing how much things will cost and I certainly never agree to anything 'open-ended' when it comes to hiring other professionals. So I am well aware of the uneasiness that arises from not really knowing what a designer will cost overall. (This article will not challenge the value of designers as that is another topic altogether!)

A General Estimate of Time

So after 15 years of experience in the field working with clients daily, I have taken the time to basically figure out a way to estimate what design fees will generally amount to in residential design projects when the billing is hourly. (This is based on the work WE do as a firm so it would be a good idea to check with your designer before you move ahead.)

Essentially, I have noted that the total cost of designer fees on a job from beginning to end will total approximately 5% of the entire cost of the job as estimated by the contractor.(This number can go as high as 10%) So when doing your pre-renovation budget use the total renovation estimate and take 5% of this total for a number to install in the design fees budget line. Remember, this is just an estimate, but at least it gives you a reasonable base-level expectation of cost.

For example if your contractor looks at your main floor and concludes that to fully gut it, add new lighting, a new kitchen, new flooring etc, will cost approximately $150 000, you can estimate the design fees to add up to be around $7500, including onsite visits, CAD drawings, colour and material selection, furniture layouts etc. This does not include the other materials that designers offer such as window coverings, furniture and accessories. These are usually additional costs added on top of renovation costs.

Decorating Estimates

This type of estimate really applies to the design professional who works in the reno and cabinet building side of the business rather than the accessory and furnishings side. In decorating, fees vary much more widely. For this service, its a good idea as a client to set a cap on the number of hours you are willing to pay for if your decorator is looking for accessories or fabrics for you. This is a way to control the cost of the project without going over. If your decorator is experienced they should be able to tell you if your number of hours is realistic, after all they know how long it takes to complete a job.

Always Create a Budget Before you Swing a Hammer

When it comes to renovation, it is essential to plan first! I can't tell you how many times I end up on a job site with a client AFTER they have begun work with a contractor who doesn't have drawing and has just had basic discussions with the client. Although it may seem like a great way to save $7500 up front, it will cost you at least that much in planning mistakes and missed opportunities as the project continues. This is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL when it comes to kitchen or bathroom design. There are so many new items available today, without proper planning you will miss the chance to at least consider what your options really are.

You Have Control

I know some of you are freaking out right now thinking, ok, no matter what value design professionals add, it's still a lot of money! This is true BUT you have control here! You can employ a designer who charges hourly as little or as much as you want so this helps in keeping to your budget. But if a designer is good and is helpful, it is worth spending more money on them as they will save you money elsewhere with their knowledge and expertise.

Home is Where the Money is

Home ownership is about shelter, a place of pride, and of course, about money! Don't be foolish and proceed without great advice first! Even a couple of hours talking with an experienced designer can be very enlightening and help you make some fast decisions which will save you money. We will always be happy to consult with you just for one time if this makes your project go more smoothly in the end.