pc home photo
PC Home Collection French Floral Placemats, $2.99 each.
Gluckstein suede Mercer ottoman table and chairs, available at the Bay.
Do you drool over designer home décor, but despair over high designer prices?
The design team feels your pain! Tammy and I always take great pleasure in finding great looks at reasonable prices, and we have some advice to help you do the same. Before you lay down wads of cash at any designer store, check out your local department, hardware and even grocery stores for much less expensive big-name designer appeal. You may be in for a pleasant surprise!
One of the best-known examples of this trend is Canadian Tire’s huge line of Debbie Travis housewares. The look is simplified and elegant, with clean lines and whimsical touches. These can range from dishes, window coverings, décor accessories such as vases and candleholders, lighting, rugs, wallpaper and bathroom accessories. The prices are much more affordable than designer stores; check them out at www.canadiantire.ca. You can order online, or visit the website to check availability at your local stores.
Another place we like to check out is the local Loblaws. Joe Mimran, who created the urban look of Club Monaco and Caban, collaborates with Loblaws on the President’s Choice Home Collection. This means anything from stylish kitchenware including accessories, dishes, kitchen tools, cutlery, table linens — you name it. The look is sleek and simple, with a contemporary feel, and the prices are competitive. Go to www.presidentschoice.cafor a look.
You can get some great looks on home décor through the HBC stores, which include the Bay, Zellers and Home Outfitters. For example, the Bay carries GlucksteinHome (www.glucksteinhome.com), which carries home décor in a number of co-ordinated styles, ranging from traditional to contemporary looking. The collection includes furniture, bedding, fine or casual dinnerware, flatware, stemware, lighting, home décor and accessories and outdoor furniture. Home Outfitters has also recently launched an exclusive GlucksteinHome collection including bed, bath, tabletop and patio.
The Bay also carries House & Home by Lynda Reeves collections in bedding, tabletop and bath. Zellers is getting ready to launch Nest by House & Home in the fall of 2007. The Bay and Home Outfitters also carry Priscilla Presley’s line of bedding — prices range from $29.99 for pillowcases to $229.99 for king-size comforters.
Zellers carries Alfred Sung Home, a look inspired by the clean, simple lines of his clothing collections. This line includes furniture, bed, bath, kitchen, table top, countertop, cookware, accessories, lighting and carpets. Items range in price from $3.97 for kitchen items to $449 for a memory-foam mattress set.
Home Depot carries several designer lines, including Angela Adams rugs ($329-$1,199), Doug Wilson Illuminations lamps ($174-$499), Keith Haring Blik wall graphics ($25-$47), and Julien MacDonald’s wallpaper collection, scheduled to launch this summer. Go to www.homedepot.cafor more.
Last, but certainly not least, Sears carries the Martha Stewart line of home wares, including bedding, dishes, tableware and bath. Prices range from $10.99 to $200. Sears also carries bedding designed by Ty Pennington (host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition), ranging in price from $100 to $350 for a king set.
So drool no more! The higher-end look of designer décor is now accessible to all!
