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story JENNIFER ERXLEBEN    photos PETER McCUSKER “Why do we want a bigger house and better furniture?” asked Glen Peloso. Known for his appearances on Take This House and Sell It and Restaurant Makeover, after ten years in the business Peloso began his own design firm (Glen Peloso Interiors) in 2006. He was asked recently to impart his expertise at a seminar at the Benjamin Moore Erin Mills Paint & Décor Centre. By providing advice and recommendations, he was there to help people get on their way to creating a home they love. The seminar was an informative night out with 50 other women (and a few brave men) and I highly recommend it. “Reality is, you can’t always take a magazine photo and apply it to your home,” said Peloso. “It’s smarter to choose a style that suits your life. Ask yourself what’s important. Do you have children, pets? Do you work in the living room, travel, have hobbies? Think about how you can create a home that includes these aspects of your life.” “Form follows function.” he said. “By making it easier to live your life, you’ll love your home.” For example, he talked about some of the design elements to stay away from including black granite countertops, “unless you love to clean.” he said. “They may look nice, but crumbs, dust and fingerprints all show.” Another one he talked about was the soaker tub. “Women daydream about candles and wine. The truth is, it takes forever to fill up, cools quickly, is hard to clean, and just as you’re in, the dog has to go out or the kids start fighting,” he said. “A solution is a smaller tub and beautiful cabinetry.” “Storage space is really what’s needed in bathrooms,” he said. “When a house is small, you need to be creative with space. Using the whole wall from floor to ceiling can increase your space by 40%.” At the next Erin Mills seminar designer Ramsin Khachi was scheduled to speak. A regular guest expert on Citytv’s CityLine with Tracy Moore, Ramsin talked about strategy and organizing your home. “When renovating your kitchen, it’s very important to go through the process properly,” he said. “Many homeowners are eager to get to the finish line and neglect the elements of the process that really matter.” “The first step is to do the space planning. You have to think about traffic flow and how you function within the space,” he said. “Do your kids cook? Do you entertain? Walk through the kitchen and imagine where all the elements would be and see if it feels right.” “Once your floor plan is perfected, then move onto the second aspect—the elevations—where and how you want things positioned on a wall of cabinets. Once you configure those cabinets, customize each interior with the appropriate hardware to maximize functionality.” he said. “You’ll get a kitchen that not only looks amazing, but is also a joy to work in.” He talked about bathrooms too. “Of all the rooms in the house, it takes the most to design,” he said. “People are conditioned with standards: Countertops must be 30” high and the toilet has to be right by the sink.” “These standards are not set in stone,” he said. “They can be manipulated to make the space more applicable to you and your lifestyle.” “Showerheads and valves don’t always have to be in the same spot or on the same wall. If you like the feeling of the shower on your back, place the valve on the opposite wall so you don’t have to turn around to control the water.” “Customize for your own benefit,” he said. “But keep away from aesthetic customization that’s beyond the timeless classics.” When it comes to choosing colour, Glen Peloso explains “If you have an open concept house, create divisions with carpets, furniture, accessories and accent walls, but too many focal points create too many distractions. “In a traditional home,” he says, “divide colours into what I call ‘Private’ versus ‘Public’ Colour.” Public colours take you to places such as hallways. Keep them neutral with muted greys or whites. Private is the colour in principal rooms such as bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms. They don’t have to look great together, but do have to match the “public” colour. “The goal is to design a home where you can come home and feel relaxed.” says Peloso. “Create rooms that are elegant, clutter-free and trend-free. If you want to punch up your house with the latest, do it through accent colours in pillows, candles and flowers. Soft yellows and blues are still big for the summer.” he said. Ramsin advises, “stay away from child themes like Superman” in kids’ bedrooms and choose classic themes like nautical or safari—themes they won’t easily grow out of. Don’t be afraid to choose deep dramatic colours for the master bedroom for a cozy cocooning feeling. Break the rules a little! Paint your ceiling darker than your walls – play with the world of colour.” he said. “Today’s style is about creating a look of your own. So, go ahead and mix modern elements with antiques. A contemporary room balanced with a few antiques is a great look,” concludes Ramsin. Sign up for the next seminar at erinmillspaint.com. Visit Glen Peloso at glenpelosointeriors.com or Ramsin Khachi at khachi.com where you can see current and past design projects.  GL

ABOVE: Glen Peloso delivers a seminar to an attentive crowd about design elements to avoid BELOW: Ramsin Khachi is a regular guest expert on CityTV's CityLine with Tracy Moore BELOW: Glen Peloso is well known for his appearances on Take This House & Sell It and Restaurant Makeover