The Designer's Own

We have done much work for one of the leading architectural and interior designers of our area. It is always high end and always of the best quality. This time, we did his own home. This is not the first time, but this is the latest time.  

Cole and Son's is the only wallpaper company I have personally contacted and told how much I appreciated and enjoyed their excellent product.

The flamingos went up in the laundry area. Very unique and interesting.

And then there were the bamboo shoots in the powder room. I actually quite liked this too. So different from what we usually do and the product was excellent to work with.

We were just packing up to leave when the builder discovered that there was more for us to do. The owner was on vacation and had not told anyone about the mural in his daughter's room and it was discovered quite by accident.

It too was a wonderful product and took very little time even though we were told very late in the day that it was to be done. I love doing this kind of work!

Ugly

I do not ever display a bad job on this blog because we never, or at least very rarely, ever have one. But here is an example. We have had two of these this summer and in both cases I have pointed out the problems to the customer and given them the option of leaving the paper up or taking it down right then and there. With 40 years of experience, I know every trick in the book for getting the seams to lie down on wallpaper. There are rare cases where nothing works. This is one of them. The customer assured me he was OK with it. The customer is always right so I did not argue but had it been mine, I would have demanded my money back for a bad product and chosen something else. I asked him very nicely to never tell anyone who hung the paper. It reflects badly on me even though I could do nothing about it. The critical observer does not know that and would tend to only judge the workmanship which looks very bad on this paper. I am thrilled that new technology in the wallpaper industry is making this scenario a thing of the past. There are still a few hold-outs in the industry who insist on making these inferior products. When I do consultations, I always steer my customers to those brands and manufacturers who 'getting with the program'.

Exclusive Riverfront

We managed to get a really nice job out at Harrison Mills. It was a very long commute but the work was very enjoyable and rewarding and the people we wonderful to work for and get to know. Here we did no paper hanging, only painting. The colour scheme was predominantly grey with a few feature walls.

The weather was very warm but there was air-conditioning in the house and the property was on the banks of the Harrison River. This was an exclusive gated community, far from anything remotely resembling city life, and a delight to experience. These folks have three other personal residences so there may more work coming.

Bling

The South Asian (East Indian) community is known for building some of the largest houses in our city. If you have ever driven past one of them and wondered what it was like inside, here is a glimpse. We work in them quite often and they are mostly characterized by bling, the latest and greatest of ideas and materials, and having something just a bit better than what their neighbour has.

The powder room must have a chandelier, and the sink must be above counter and unusual. Of course, wallpaper will make it just that much more special.

The living room and family rooms are showcases of fancy features.

And more wallpaper.

Columns, candelabras, and chandeliers in the master bedrooms are a must. Most have more than one master suite. The recessed blue lighting behind the crown moulding is something that is becoming more popular. These LED strips are also put in the bathrooms under the counter tops and running under the vanities as night lights.

The kids rooms are getting some attention now too.

These folks are good to work for, not demanding, easy to please, and they mostly pay on time. When the word gets out that you do a good job for a fair price and are dependable, they pass your name around and soon the phone rings day and night. But if one thing goes wrong, it takes a long time to start over again with them.