Add a Little Sparkle to Your Home

Erin Sousa shares her secrets to making your home sparkle

If you’re looking to be inspired by decor that successfully blends casual with formal pieces, modern and traditional elements, and that just generally wows you, you need to know Erin Sousa of Sparkle Media.

Blogging on The Sparkle, the local PR maven works with a number of Vancouver’s most beautiful brands – Sweet Bake Shop, Barefoot Contessa, Karameller Candy Shop, and more – where you’ll see her stunning signature style reflected in her clients’ visual and social realms. An Instagram fanatic (follow her @erincg and @sparklemedia), Erin’s posts are beautiful, serviceable and inspiring.

We got a look inside Erin’s two-bedroom downtown Vancouver condo where she lives with her husband, Roberto, and their dog, Ava. The self-described homebodies love spending a Saturday night on the couch with Netflix so comfort is key and reflected in all of Erin’s design decisions.

Click through to get Erin’s decor picks and tips to create your own casually elegant urban space.

Sectional Couch

“We’re all about the cozy, so a sectional is a must in our house. We wanted something that was neutral and modern, while still being super comfortable… and at a great price point.”

Nockeby loveseat with chaise from IKEA

Built-in Entertainment Unit

“This built-in entertainment unit came with the place, and I absolutely love that it’s both a storage and display unit. Running along one wall of our living room, we keep photos, dishware and cookbooks here.”

Tufted Ottoman

“This custom piece brings such a softness to our living space. We love how it juxtaposes with our more modern couch and chose a darker grey fabric for practicality purposes and top it with a tray to act as a place to display flowers, and put our drinks.”

Lolita Ottoman in Elephant from Lofty Living Lifestyle

Floral Throw Pillow

“One of our latest purchases, this floral pillow makes our living room. The perfect pop of colour to our otherwise neutral room really brightens up our space.”

Designer Guild Pandora Pillow from Etsy

Gallery Brass Picture Frames

“I’m always late to the party when it comes to displaying our photos, but when I found these CB2 frames, I knew the brass would be perfect for our living room. I’m loving touches of gold in decor accessories as opposed to permanent hardware – you never know when the trends will change, and frames are easy (and inexpensive) to swap out.”

Gallery Brass Picture Frames from CB2

Gold Pouf

“I love the glam this metallic gold pouf adds to our living room. It doubles as a foot rest, and extra seating for guests. We move it from room to room quite often.”

Moroccan Gold Pouf from Lofty Living Lifestyle

Bar Cart

“An online purchase from a few years ago, I love the price point of this beauty. We keep it well-stocked so it’s tempting at all hours of the day.”

Threshold Bar Cart from Target

Vintage Kitchen Table and Ghost Chairs

“I absolutely love mixing vintage items with super mod, as we did with our dining room table and chairs. My husband had to have the ghost chairs, and I softened it up a bit with an antique round solid walnut wood table.”

Bedside Lamps

“The first items we bought as a couple, these white West Elm bedside lamps are a strong, sculptural addition to our very simple and all white bedroom.”

Abacus Table Lamp in Milk White from West Elm (style pictured no longer available)

Vintage Dresser

“This clothes chest is a vintage piece I found a few years ago. It’s the perfect size for our bedroom and holds lingerie and personal items. It also acts as a little display piece for my jewelry and perfumes.”

Patio

“We wanted our little patio to feel like a vacation in the tropics, so we chose a white couch and combined it with a natural jute rug, tropical plants, a contrasting tropical print throw pillow and a glammy side table for a little sparkle, of course.”

Ektorp sofa from IKEA, Lohals rug from IKEA, pillow from Etsy (exact style no longer available)