Interior Design Tips Made Easy so you can recreate that showhome appeal.
On a daily basis, at Aurora Townhomes, we get compliments on our ‘Sky’ model showhome. It’s bright, fresh, and airy; it’s modern and traditional at the same time. How do we do it? Armour Developments carefully considers interior design from the beginning to deliver beautiful, open floor plans in each of the 3 Aurora models. We also have a very clever team, including Glenda Bourk Interior Design, and Xibit Atelier, our trusted procurer of furnishings and décor. With all this attention to interior details, we’d like to share our favourite interior design tips.
With the guidance of an experienced team, Armour Developments knows that a base palette in a home should be clean, neutral, and simplistic for longevity. When it comes to your flooring, tile, and finishes, we know not to focus on funky trends that can quickly become outdated. Our once love for the fashionable can become somewhat humorous and even a cringe level “No” (pink carpeting and dated tile? You know what we’re talking about).
Aurora Townhomes offers a choice of designer palettes for key items like cabinets, tile, flooring, and carpet. We stick to the proven basics, whites and neutrals, like cream, grey, and black (yes, black is a neutral). People change and so do our tastes, so we aim to keep the “trendy” to a minimum, and the bright splashes of color (like the gorgeous aqua “sea glass” accent used in the ‘Sky’ showhome) to updateable items like throw pillows, accessories, bedding, drapery, and fabrics. Our method is proven; choose timeless, neutral products and colors for fixed items, like finishings and hardware. Gold faucets/fixtures are the rage right now! But how long will it last? Who knows? Bold styles can come in, and then quickly out, in a short period of time, therefore, Armour Developments included time-tested chrome hardware in all Aurora Townhome packages. Want to experiment with gold? We suggest sticking to accents, picture frames, lamps, accessories, and small furnishings rather than fixed items like door handles and plumbing fixtures.
Want to transform your space, infuse your unique personal style and get the most out of it? Don’t be a slave to the trends. Here are some timeless interior design ideas Armour Developments employs when decorating their showhomes.
1. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Mirrors can work magic. A strategically placed mirror can make a small space feel larger, draw the eye, and bounce light where needed. Mirrors come in multiple creative shapes and sizes, can be framed in a number of eye-catching, inexpensive styles, and work with bold or simplistic decors. We like large wall mirrors that give the illusion that you can walk through into a whole other space.
2. Paint and Wallpaper Accents
Glenda opted for soft paint hues on all our palettes, to illuminate light and make our rooms feel airy, but feature wall painting creates joyful impact and is an easy “do it yourself”. Wallpaper is a little trickier, but we do love it! Wallpaper offers beautiful shapes and textured elements, like silk or velvet, which paint does not. Try using wallpaper in a small powder room to add punch.
Darker, dramatic splashes of bold paint accents have their place and can add coziness and flavour. We always try to keep our base palette in mind, and don’t forget darker colors also absorb light instead of reflecting it, making a space feel smaller. Don’t overdo it.
3. Area Rugs – Art for your Floor
A beautiful rug lends structure to a space and brings texture and warmth to hard surface flooring. At Aurora Townhomes at Sky Pointe we include luxury, vinyl plank flooring throughout our main floors, which flows in a continuous fashion through the foyer, hall, kitchen, and living areas with no borders. Then we use gorgeous rugs to introduce pattern and define and anchor rooms. Make sure your rug is the right size and stretches under all the core furnishings. Small rugs in entry way or kitchen can be soft underfoot and transform the space. Some decorators layer rugs, but Tina from Xibit Atelier always tells us a firm “No” when we consider more than one rug for a room.
4. Black is Luxury
They say, ‘every room should have some black’, just like the little black dress, it never goes out of style and it is a powerful neutral. Black goes with all colors, and provides weight, definition, and crisp sophistication. You only need a touch to show big impact. Black & white, (a classic duo), is always current because black keeps white from being austere and boring. Do you have an accent piece like a lamp, or a small detail you want to pop out? Try black.
5. White & Bright
As with black, white used wisely, has major impact. Modern, bright, and always fresh, white tempers other colors and adds a contemporary character. When painting, the right shade of white is never a simple process and we only entrust it to the professionals. Glenda Bourk Interior Design considers the undertones very carefully; are they creamy and warm, or crisp and cool? Quick tip: Consider white space (blank spots) in your home to make design elements pop. The goal is to create balance, not fill every corner. Intentionally leave some spots blank, to let certain things become a focal point.
6. Pick a Color & Repeat
Using varying shades of the same color creates a visual coherence that makes a space feel open. A streamlined palette helps with transition between rooms and you can employ this color repetition technique to create unity with walls, furniture, and accessories but also with textiles like rugs, throws, and comfy pillows, while keeping permanent finishes neutral. If you do it right, you can easily freshen up your space by merely switching out the color accents. If you are someone who gets bored easily, the simpler you keep your items, the more often you can change it up when your mood changes. Don’t overdo it, try a 10% rule, stick to your primary color palette for finishes, furnishings, and textiles throughout, then use that jazzy bold accent sparingly (10%), vases; throw pillows; and hints of colored accessories.
7. Make Use of Storage
This is important: Not everything you own has to be out. We prefer larger accessories and displayed items kept to a minimum. Too many things displayed at once creates clutter. Get rid of things that aren’t meaningful, keep some items stored, and rotate seasonally, or when you want to freshen up a space. Read Marie Kondo’s ‘The Life Changing Magic of Tidying up” and employ her techniques to keep your space clutter free and filled with only things that “spark joy”. Aurora Townhomes have large closets, full basements, and a double car garage; make good use of it, organizing and storing items you don’t need every day, to create a more breathable, relaxing, everyday atmosphere.
8. Art & Expression
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to art, it is very personal, but we find when the artwork has a similar theme throughout the home, it creates harmony that is very pleasing. We get so many compliments on our beautiful ‘sea’ themed showhome art from Xibit Atelier and Framesource. A statement art piece, surrounded by white space for the eye to pause, creates a stunning focal point. Art is available for every budget; get creative with a gallery wall or dramatic large art pieces can be used to make a room feel more expansive. Fantastic art is a way to express and showcase your personality in your home. (FYI-All the art pieces in our showhome can be replicated, just ask us, or contact Xibit Atelier.)
9. Light it Up
A great space needs multiple light sources. All models at Aurora Townhomes offer ample, large, bright windows as well as a selection from 3, carefully chosen, designer lighting packages. You can choose clean and modern, glamorous and sparkly, or a black iron industrial style fixtures that each work with so many different decors. In addition to natural daylight and beautiful fixtures, consider your evening lighting carefully (especially in winter months where sunlight hours are at a minimum). Floor lamps, table lamps, task lighting, reading lamps, wall mounted lamps, or candle light are necessary to create proper light and incredible ambiance. Don’t forget reflective surfaces, like mirrored, glass, and metallic, gold or silver materials that allow light to reflect and flow through.
10. Break some rules baby!
Some rules are steadfast; “measure twice, buy once” before purchasing your furnishings, only invest in pieces you love, and always keep scale and symmetry in mind. Master the basics and then take some risks! This is what gives your space its uniqueness and makes it “you”. You finally bought it, you own it, now experiment with it. Make bold statements, mix old with new, be creative with color, texture, and style, and have some fun personalizing your special, brand new home at Aurora Townhomes at Sky Pointe.
