May 7th, 2013
Are you following Corea Sotropa Interior Design on Facebook? We’re having a fun little giveaway contest over there and thought our blog readers might be interested in knowing. We’re giving away this darling pink Tory Burch coin case. What could be more springy and fun then this darling accessory from one of our favorite designers in one of our favorite hues? It’s very simple to be entered in the draw. All you have to do is follow these 3 easy steps:
1) Like our Facebook page – we post daily images of behind the scenes action at Corea Sotropa!
2) Like our contest post and leave us a comment – we LOVE hearing from you!
3) Share the Facebook contest page link – let all your friends know so they can be entered too!
The lucky winner will be announced on Friday, May 10th so hurry on over to our Facebook page to throw your hat into the ring. We’d love to see you carrying that sweet coin case in our favorite pink shade this spring!
Cheers!
Jacqueline
January 4th, 2013
2013 is off to a great start already and our little office is buzzing with excitement over the news that we are adding to our team! We are looking for two key people to join Corea Sotropa Interior Design as we bound into the New Year. We need some great team players for our small but busy office.
Are you über organized, super friendly and always polite? You might be just the person we are looking for to fill our Receptionist/Admin Assistant position. As the frontline of our office you will greet our clients, schedule appointments and assist our office manager in the many administrative duties that come along with a busy interior design office. Your other responsibilities will include maintaining our sample library (pictured above), assisting with the planning of client events and generally keeping track of the many comings and goings of products and people who pass through our doors daily. You must be computer savvy (Microsoft, Excel, Outlook), professional, reliable, and some administrative experience would be an asset. We can’t wait to hear from you!
We also need a talented interior designer, who is passionate about residential design, creative, a great collaborator and self starter to round out our design team. You’ve got to have some experience (2 years would be great) and be a graduate of an accredited interior design program. You need to be able to execute working drawings, draw perspectives and pull together presentations (pictured above) as well as select furniture, fabrics and finishes. Experience designing millwork and electrical plans is a must. You are proficient in AutoCad, InDesign, Photoshop, and SketchUp. Can you multi-task, are you extremely professional, like working on a team, outgoing, friendly, and focused? If so, we need to talk to you!
Please forward your résumé and cover letter to jacqueline@coreasotropa.ca if you are the right fit. If you know someone who would be perfect I’d be ever so grateful if you would pass this along their way. Reena and I will be reviewing applicant’s resumes and then setting up interviews after January 15th.
Cheers!
Jacqueline
December 4th, 2012
I’m starting something new here on the Pink Chandelier called “Latest Obsession”. Do you ever see something that inspires you and then you can’t get it off your mind? Then, after you are aware of it, it seems you see it everywhere you turn. It becomes an obsession! This new series is a therapy of sorts for me. A spot where I can gather all the things that are floating around in that designer brain of mine and put them together. Then I’ll have room in my head for my next obsession. I hope you like it.
To start off I’m sharing my madness for malachite. Since this trend emerged these deep emerald swirls have been swirling around in my head. It is so rich when paired with gold and black. Although the living room by Steven Gambrel pictured below doesn’t have any of the malachite pattern in it, the color palette and luxe feel remind me of this brilliant natural stone.
Room by Steven Gambrel other images: 1. Gucci runway 2. Vase via 1st Dibs 3. Fabric on chair 4. The real McCoy 5. Vintage Rolex
Cheers!
Jacqueline
This blog series, “Latest Obsession” is a journal of my inspiration. My Calgary Interior Design firm, Corea Sotropa is known for a sophisticated but fresh approach to residential interiors. I’d love to help you with your projects – please get in touch!
November 29th, 2012
If you are Canadian then you are familiar with spunky talk show host, Marilyn Denis. She gabs with guests about all things lifestyle related – fashion, parenting, and of course, interior design. Earlier this year I was contacted by a producer of the Marilyn Denis Show who wondered if I would be interested in having my own home featured in a segment. They were kicking off a new series called “Open House” which would feature great homes across Canada. I jumped at the chance and invited them to come on over! Click here to watch the clip.
The producer and cameraman were so patient with me as I fumbled my way through the filming. I am so grateful for their talent and ability to showcase my home & garden so beautifully. They helped me tame the butterflies in my stomach! Marilyn and her panel of talented design experts were so kind with their comments about the house. To be honest, when I watched the show live I was pretty nervous when they started their critique. OK – nervous is an understatement! I think I held my breath the whole time! But all of them had such lovely things to say, and I felt so validated afterwards. It feels so good to get such positive feedback. The entire experience was a real thrill and a career highlight. Marilyn, if you are listening – I’d have you back anytime! Thanks ever so much for the opportunity.
Cheers!
Jacqueline
My Calgary Interior Design firm, Corea Sotropa is known for a sophisticated and fresh approach to residential interiors. My team would love to help you with your projects – please get in touch!
November 28th, 2012
I’m back to blogging and I couldn’t think of a better way to start up then another installment of Tickled Pink! This time, I polled my design team here at Corea Sotropa on their favorite contemporary area rugs. A great looking area rug can be the centerpiece of a room, acting like artwork for the floor. From graphic to colorful, our roundup has an option for every taste.
Tickled Pink Resources: Jacqueline’s pick by Jan Kath, Reena’s favorite by Tai Ping Carpets, Alanna’s selection via Rugs USA, Patti’s pick available through ABC Carpet & Home, Carolyn’s choice is from Madeline Weinrib.
Cheers!
Jacqueline
Join us for Tickled Pink, a roundup of our very favorite things from the design team at Corea Sotropa Interior Design. We’re a Calgary interior design firm known for our fresh, sophisticated approach to residential interiors. We’d love to help you with your project. Please get in touch!
July 23rd, 2012
 Interior design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design
I know you’ve heard it before, and I’m here to say it again…It’s all in the details! It’s the attention to detail that sets a beautifully designed room apart from one that is just so-so. When you can’t quite put your finger on what it is about a space that makes it special, I encourage you to look more closely at the fine components. It always boils down to details! Today I’ve written a guest post for Decor Mentor uncovering ten details my Calgary interior design firm, Corea Sotropa employed in a custom kitchen we designed for a client that make this hardworking room extra special. I hope you’ll pop over to Decor Mentor to see more photos of this gorgeous kitchen and find out the ten special details that set it apart.
Cheers!
Jacqueline
My Calgary Interior Design firm, Corea Sotropa is known for a sophisticated and fresh approach to residential interiors. We’d love to help you with your projects – please get in touch!
July 19th, 2012
I had a revelation recently. As a creative person in a creative field it is imperative that I feed my creativity and keep it alive by spending dedicated time doing things that inspire me. Seems pretty simple, doesn’t it? But the truth is that between being a mom, a wife and running a business doesn’t always allow me to take time for myself to keep me inspired.
The Allure of Style by Mary McDonald published by Rizzoli
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about spending time doing some of the things that fuel my creativity and how I need to make that a priority in my life. One of the things that gets me inspired is studying the work of current interior design masters. I love examining the photos of their work and scrutinizing how they have incorporated the elements and principals of design. I bought myself a copy of Mary McDonald’s book, The Allure of Style, and a couple of weekends ago I finally got around to carving out some time for myself to leisurely flip through the pages. I adore the boldness of her rooms, her sophisticated use of pattern, her broad strokes of colour and her ability to fill a room with fine antiques without making the room feel stuffy and museum-like. Lots of inspiration to be found here!
One of my favorite Mary McDonald designed interiors by image via House and Home
As I was leisurely flipping through the book, I noticed something that I thought I would share with you that I found very refreshing. Throughout the book’s photos, if you look really, really closely, you will see the same antique furniture pieces re-purposed, reupholstered or slip covered and used in a different room. This of course makes perfect sense! If you purchase a quality piece of furniture with classic lines you will be able to find a new home for it when you redecorate or move. Classic lines will work with any style and well built furniture will last a lifetime. When selecting your furniture you should buy the best quality you can afford and things that you love. Think of it as an investment in your home that will pay you back for years to come. And if you are at all eco-sensitive, you will appreciate the fact that better quality furniture does not make it to the land fill the same way that cheap, trendy pieces do.
Here’s a couple of examples of Mary’s interiors and how she manages to rework furniture in a new space.
Interior by Mary McDonald, image via Chinoiserie Chic
The white pagoda bed frame steals the show in this bedroom.
Interior design by Mary McDonald
The white bed frame is the exact same one if you look at the details closely. But this version has been dressed with drapery panels to give it a different look.
Interior by Mary McDonald, image via Chinoiserie Chic
Take special note of the yellow striped fauteuil chair on the left and the ornately carved stools in front of the cocktail table.
Interior design by Mary McDonald, image via Veranda
Here’s the same chair with an elegant slip cover. That slip cover revolutionizes the chair’s look!
Interior by Mary McDonald, image via Chinoiserie Chic
Now the stool acts as a pretty perch in a chic dressing room with a simple fabric covering the seat.
Interiors by Mary McDonald, image via Veranda
The antique black desk and pineapple lamp are classic in this warm and intimate study.
Interiors by Mary McDonald, image via Design Manifest
The exact same pairing of desk and pineapple lamp look crisp and fashionable in this living room. Pairing the same pieces with new elements and a different colour scheme makes them feel unique.
I’d like to thank the very talented Mary McDonald for illustrating how to reuse and re-purpose furniture so elegantly in her gorgeous book. It shows what an incredible eye she has for fine pieces and how easily she can reinterpret a room while incorporating the same elements. It was so important for me to be reminded of this simple design lesson and seeing real examples of it at work was truly inspiring, especially from someone as fabulous as Mary! So hat’s off to Mary (she used to be a milliner in a former life-you know!) for reminding me that quality is best, and reinterpretation is everything.
Cheers!
Jacqueline
June 12th, 2012
Interior design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design
Concrete is one of the oldest building materials used in architectural history and one of the reasons for the success of the Roman Empire. No kidding, it really was! The invention of concrete is attributed to the Romans and it enabled them to build incredible structures, roads and aqueducts. History lesson aside, I’ve written an article about using concrete for fireplace mantles and surrounds that is over on the Decor Mentor website. Concrete can be shaped and stained producing a multitude of design styles and is often mistaken for stone. Hop on over to Decor Mentor, where I’ve featured some photos of concrete fireplace surrounds that Corea Sotropa has designed. I think you will be pretty impressed with how this unassuming building material can be transformed into some fabulous fireplaces!
Cheers!
Jacqueline
My Calgary Interior Design firm, Corea Sotropa is known for a sophisticated and fresh approach to residential interiors. We’d love to help you with your projects – please get in touch!
May 1st, 2012
Earlier this spring my very dear friends purchased a retro pea green 1970s Trillium camper. My friends and their kids love the great outdoors and do everything they can to enjoy the breathtaking national and provincial parks that surround our fair city. They are also some of the coolest people I know, and wherever they go, the party follows. Incredible chefs, consummate hosts, and great conversationalists, they need to travel in style since their campsite will be THE place to be. When they asked me to help them update the Trillium they bought I was totally excited!
1. Blue Squiggles by Michelle Brighton via Fine Art America 2. Converse by the Pool via Etsy 3. Lemonade via Oh The Lovely Things 4. The Diving Board by Joshua Jensen-Nagle via Artnet
First, I asked the family members what they envisioned for the camper. The eight year old daughter was emphatic about incorporating blue squiggles. I’m not sure why, but to her, blue squiggles were imperative in the successful design of the Trillium. Hmmm, OK, so I was going to have to find a way to incorporate this into the design. After our meeting, I went about sourcing some images to complete the concept for the camper. My clients are Converse sneaker fans, so the image of the shoes at the edge of the pool got me started. I was drawn to the colours and the summery, carefree attitude of this photo. Lemonade is the quintessential summertime drink and I pictured a lot of it being served (spiked for the adults, of course!). I wanted to make sure the colour scheme was as refreshing as a tall, icy glass of tart lemonade. Joshua Jensen-Nagle is an artist I’ve long admired and his series of vintage holiday photography based paintings had just the right vibe. That sense of nostalgia needed to be included too.
1. Bansuri by Kravet 2. Imperial Trelis from Schumacher 3. Quilted bedding by Tritex 4. White Wing by Benjamin Moore 5. Hardware from Restoration Hardware 6. Vinyl Bamboo flooring 7. Dill Pickle by Benjamin Moore 8. LaPlates via Country Living 9. Formica
Here are a few highlights of what I’ve proposed for my friends….Ikat curtains to block out the early morning sunshine and “squiggly” blue printed fabric for the bench seats which double as mattresses. The floor will be recovered in faux bamboo vinyl tiles – it is a camper after all! The dining table will be refinished with a retro inspired white laminate. I’m throwing in some nautical inspired cabinet hardware that stays fastened during road trips and some preppy melamine plates to dress up campfire fare. It’s a modern blend of fresh colour and finishes with a vintage feel.
We’re madly getting it all ready for the the May long weekend, when camping season officially opens here in Alberta. By then there’s less of a chance for it to snow! To be totally honest with you, despite years in Girl Guides, I’m not much of the camping type. I’m more a five star hotel, spa on the premises, Egyptian cotton sheets kind of gal. But after seeing my friend’s camper and selecting all these fun finishes, I’m dreaming about my own little caravan. How fun it would be! I’m imagining a gourmet picnic with friends, the kids running around, a late night campfire and a stylish, retro camper to snuggle down into at the end of the evening. I extremely tempted to run out and get one of my own. Happy Camping!
Cheers!
Jacqueline
My Calgary Interior Design firm, Corea Sotropa is known for a sophisticated and fresh approach to residential interiors. We’d love to help you with your projects – please get in touch!
April 14th, 2012
 Interior design by Corea Sotropa Interior Design
Spring is sprung and it’s time to dust out your rooms and brighten them up with some fresh accessories! We’re so excited to have one of our projects featured in the decor section of this weekend’s Hers Magazine, a quarterly lifestyle publication. The article on page 33 gives suggestions on how to add a ray of sunshine and a breath of spring into your home. I hope it encourages you to add a springy step to your rooms in celebration of this season filled with new possibilities and fresh starts.
Cheers!
Jacqueline
My Calgary Interior Design firm, Corea Sotropa is known for a sophisticated and fresh approach to residential interiors. We’d love to help you with your projects – please get in touch!
|
|
|
