Passion = Happiness

If you asked me five years ago where I wanted to be in five years, I would have told you that I wanted to manage a team of accountants in the finance department of a large corporation.

Jump forward to the present and five actual years later, I find myself owning and operating my own design business.  Benito Designs truly combines my finance background with the creativity and passion for interior design.

I’ve always had a passion for interior design for as long as I can remember.  I just didn’t know how to encorporate that passion in a way that fulfilled me.  I took a giant leap of faith and made some tough decisions but I can truly say that I’m happier now than I ever was five years ago.  Part of that happiness comes from helping others transform their spaces into homes.  It’s such an amazing feeling knowing that I put a smile on someone’s face everytime they enter their home.

It’s very important to me that my clients are fully involved in the design process and that they are happy with the decisions they make … after all, it’s their home not mine.  I am just the facilitator of their dreams to turn their spaces into homes.

With that said, this year I wanted to enhance my knowledge of interior design to become a better designer so-to-speak.  Having a wider breadth of knowledge in the world of interior design will give my clients that extra comfort level that they’ve chosen the right person for the job.

To accomplish this goal, I made it a priority to attend various design trade shows.  These trade shows provide valuable insight into what’s going on in the design world not to mention getting a sneak preview of the products that will soon hit the design stores.

(more after the jump)

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My ICFF Experience

I’ve attended design events in Ontario for a number of years now.  As much as the organizers try to change things, they are mostly the same events year after year with new offerings to entice those in the industry to attend.  This year, I had the unique opportunity to fly to New York City to attend a design event that I’ve always wanted to go to.  It’s the International Contempoary Furniture Fair (ICFF) at the Javits Centre.

To sum this event into one word is virtually impossible but if I had to, the only word that comes to mind is … AMAZING!  I was literally a kid in a candy store!  Was that even possible?  I found myself getting even more and more excited at the thought of seeing and experiencing something new.  And I did!  The event truly did not disappoint.

I have to admit, there was a different almost worldly vibe as I overheard several people talking in Italian then switching briefly to English about how they flew in from Milan just for the event.  It was exciting to be rubbing company with international interior designers at the same event.

The event showcased talented designers, local vendors and all were only too happy to talk to me about their products.  I wanted to get as many samples and brochures as I could but I was limited in the amount of available space I had in my luggage.  I only managed to bring back with me only a few high end wallpaper samples, some brouchures and catelogues.  As for the rest of the product offerings, the only way to remember what I had experienced was to have a visual record.

Here are the moments that defined my ICFF experience:

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MoMA Inspiration

In my recent trip to New York City, I was determined to visit the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).  Inspiration to create can come from the most unlikely of places.  For me, creativity comes from within and art inspires me to create spaces that have impact, longevity, sophistication, beauty and functionality.

There are so many similarities in art and interior design that sometimes they overlap when it comes to the creative process.  What may look good to one person may not be that pleasing to another.  However, they share one thing in common - both are very subjective to all individuals.  At the end of the day, both have a tendancy to create something that’s priceless – a reaction that leads to conversation.

Viewing these works of art at MoMA in person was an experience I’ll never forget.

Here are just some of the sights and original works showcased the day I visited.  I hope it creates a reaction that leads to a conversation as it did for me.  Enjoy.

(more after the jump – click the picture to enlarge)

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Shelter Furniture

In my many sourcing adventures around the city looking for specific furnishings and fixtures for clients, I happen to come across a sign that caught my eye.  It was a sign for Shelter Furniture on Caledonia Road.

At the time, my sole focus was to source bathroom fixtures for a client and I wasn’t about to deviate from that goal.  But since I was in the area, I decided to go in Shelter and see what there is to see.  My intention was to quickly go through the store and get a sense of what they had to offer – a maximum of ten minutes – or so I thought.

As I entered, I was greeted with a large (newly renovated warehouse from what I can tell) open concept space that spans the entire length of the warehouse from front to back.  The showroom itself is brightly lit offering a refreshing breath of fresh air that sets the tone for the rest of the shopping experience.  For a first timer to the store, this was very welcoming.  A very good first impression!

After taking in my surroundings, within a few moments I was happily and pleasantly greeted by one of the sales associates.  She introduced herself and informed me of their current sales promotions.  I was quickly put at ease as we briefly chatted about the store and what they had to offer.

Being in the interior design industry, I’ve been to many furniture stores in the city and come to expect that there’s a certain way of doing things when selling furniture.  It was refreshing to see that all the sales associates at Shelter were actually there to assist in the buying process, helped to answer any questions that might come up and all with a professional yet pleasant casual demeanor.

The store is well organized and appointed with almost everything you can think of to decorate your home with (even a mannequin to put your clothes on!).

They have living rooms and bedrooms setup throughout the space so that customers could visualize what their furniture can look like in their own homes.

My allotted time of ten minutes quickly went out the door as I found myself thoroughly enjoying everything that Shelter had to offer.  Sourcing for bathroom fixtures was put on hold in lieu of the surprise finds at Shelter.

Depending on your needs, Shelter offers modern contemporary pieces in sets or as individual pieces.

When consulting on a design project, I always recommend to my clients to not purchase all your furnishings in one place.  Instead, look to mix and match from different vendors.  That’s not the case with Shelter.  Their products are so diverse that there’s no need to look anywhere else – and if they don’t have what you’re looking for, no problem, they can order it for you from their supplier catalogues.

Given my positive initial experience with Shelter, I decided to take a few clients to Shelters’ showroom to view their product offerings for themselves.  They loved what they saw and even purchased a few items while there.

Here’s a Christmas themed dining room designed by Benito Designs with Shelter furnishings:

Here’s a living room designed by Benito Designs with a Shelter area rug:

Suffice to say, Shelter Furniture is now my ‘go to’ furniture store to show clients looking to furnish their homes.

Even if you’re not looking to purchase anything right away, a visit to Shelter’s showroom to view their products will help inspire the decorator in each of us.

Their website can be found at:  www.shelterfurniture.ca

To view more of what Shelter has to offer, click ‘read more’.

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Inspiration: Men’s Fashion

Sometimes when designing spaces, I’m inspired not by other beautifully decorated spaces but by the world of fashion.

I truly believe that fashion is a natural extension of how your space is decorated (both intentionally and unintentionally).  The first thing I always ask a client is, “What colours or patterns do you have in your closet?”.  Ninety percent of the time, the colour and pattern choices in clothing we have in our closets (that we also wear on a regular basis) is unintentionally the choices we gravitate to when choosing furnishings.  For example, a client of mine only has two colours in his wardrobe – black & white – and the colour palette of his condo – black & white.

Although my observations aren’t based on anything scientific, for the most part, the colours and patterns you wear on a regular basis influence your choices in the colours and patterns of your furnishings.

Recently, I’ve been designing spaces that have a more masculine yet comfortable feeling.  So to design a space that has a masculine feeling, I’ve been getting my inspiration lately from Men’s fashions.

Here are just a few pictures that have inspired me:

(more after the jump – click the picture to enlarge)

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