No matter how busy life gets or how many hours of sleep I must (happily) forgo to make the time, there’s one guilty pleasure that always finds a way into my life; endless hours have been spent scouring design magazines and websites, constantly on the hunt for cool spaces, items or trends to get my creative juices flowing. I am usually rewarded with at least one fab find – something that I can’t wait to interpret in an upcoming project – but every now and then I find a space in it’s entirety that has the ability to truly excite me. Here are two of my most favourites that have totally kickstarted my desire to redo my own home: the first, a pop art-inspired West Vancouver house that I found online awhile back and, the second, a stellar Gastown warehouse conversion that was recently featured in the Fall/ Winter 2011 issue of Western Living Condo. While one appeals to my desire for a large, whitewash, open space with mid-century bones, the other satisfies my appetite for an intimate, eclectic and layered display of treasures in an urban setting (and if you look closely, it even has my dream car parked out front)… these homes are very different, yet both embody the quirky, playful and personal touches that inspire me as a designer. Take a peek at what captures me, and I hope you find your own creative wheels turning.
West Vancouver artistic gem:

Urban eclectic Gastown warehouse conversion: