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So many ways to add warmth to your home

ADDING WARMTH: Gillian Gillies says a sense of warmth can be achieved through lighting and switching accessories from lighter materials to heavier wools, velvets or flannels.
ADDING WARMTH: Gillian Gillies says a sense of warmth can be achieved through lighting and switching accessories from lighter materials to heavier wools, velvets or flannels.

Reflecting on her childhood growing up in Edinburgh, Gillian Gillies says becoming a designer may have come as a surprise to her family.

“As a kid I did not have the tidiest of bedrooms so I suppose it came to a complete astonishment to my father,” Gillies said with a laugh from her Sherwood Park office.

Gillies worked on homes in England and Scotland for many years before founding Gillian Gillies Interiors Inc. in Toronto in 2004.

“I’m a very practical person at heart so function is always a real core of what I’m trying to do,” she said. “But then, within that there’s always the over-all aesthetics of the space.”

One of Gillies’s favourite elements to focus on is lighting, which she finds a commonly neglected area in the home. Her signature style is to install custom-made light fixtures that look good whether they’re switched on or off.

“Instead of just being this blob on the ceiling that has a 100-watt bulb in it, that has no dimmer, that you never switch on unless you lost something and you need good lighting, think of it as a piece of art for your home,” she said. “The light fixture can almost be like a sculpture.”

A WARM GLOW: Finishing the interior of a lampshade with gold leaf, like in this dining room by Gillian Gillies, gives a warm glow when the light is on.
A WARM GLOW: Finishing the interior of a lampshade with gold leaf, like in this dining room by Gillian Gillies, gives a warm glow when the light is on.

One of the ways she adds warmth to a space is by finishing the interior of a lampshade with gold leaf.

“It gives such a beautiful glow,” she said.

Gillies said the brass and antique bronze metals trend, which started several years ago, remains on trend.

“I think it’s timeless and it can serve every home,” she says. “Adding too much stainless steel can make a home feel very cool and cold.

“This time of year I think the golds are far more appropriate.”

Switching accessories like pillows and throws from lighter silks to heavier wool, velvet or flannel materials can also warm up a home.

“Cosy up a room by adding a couple of pillows and a nice throw,” she said. “That’s just a real simple thing that someone can do on a weekend.”

To bring a seasonal touch to the house, she suggests changing up the plants at the front door or bringing in some fresh-cut flowers reflecting the colours of the season.

While in Europe this past summer, Gillies noticed a trend of mustard yellow and grey in high-end fashion stores, which is a colour combination now appearing in accessories like pillows and area rugs.

Area carpets with bold patterns or colours are another current trend she incorporates in homes, especially for owners with families and pets.

“It’s very practical, but it also makes quite a statement,” she said.

Although the final reveal moment when a client sees how a space has come together is exciting, Gillies finds it more rewarding to come back to the house after some time has passed.

“What I love even more is going back the next week and seeing that all the cushions are squished and that people are using the space,” she said. “This is a home. This is a space they’re living in and enjoying.”

Lighting 101

Gillian Gillies, principle designer of North Toronto based Gillian Gillies Interiors Inc.
Gillian Gillies, principle designer of North Toronto based Gillian Gillies Interiors Inc.

One of designer Gillian Gillies passions is lighting.

Although pot lights make for good sensible cast lighting throughout the home, she suggests having them on two or three different dimmers in each room.

“If you have a kitchen and there’s a dozen pot lights, you don’t want them all on or all off ,” she said. “Have things switched in different groups so you can choose how you light your room.”

Gillies said the size and scale of the light fixture also plays a key role on how it looks in a room.

“So many times when we’re hesitant about something we purchase something that may be too small, because we’re scared of making too big of a statement,” she said. “A key thing is to understand the volume a piece can take up in a room.”