Top Picks for Your Home from Vancouver’s Monika Hibbs

Style secrets and where to shop to score Monika Hibb’s signature style

In just a few years, Vancouver’s Monika Hibbs has gone from a blogger at The Doctor’s Closet to a brand unto herself with her new online entity and style label MH by Monika Hibbs.

Readers flock to Hibbs’ blog, Pinterest boards and Instagram daily for her take on everything from fashion to home décor, and to get inspirational glimpses of her signature style.

“It’s very classic, airy, white – with a little bit of that old Hollywood glam when I tie in the gold and maybe more antique pieces,” she says.

The bright white look is such a Hibbsian staple that she gets questioned about the paint colours on her walls constantly (Benjamin Moore White Dove, and the finishings are Simply White FYI).

In the midst of building a new house, curating her online Shop By Monika and writing for her celebrated blog, the Vancouver tastemaker took some time out to chat with BCLiving about her top picks for the home.

Click through to learn Monika’s secrets

Where are your favourite places to shop for home decor and furniture pieces in Vancouver?

“My favourite design store of them all would definitely have to be The Cross Design in Yaletown. You’ll find everything pretty, personal, and honestly the best finishing touches to your room decor. They also offer design services – that’s something that maybe a lot of people don’t know about. So not only can you get their furniture, and wallpaper and pillows, you can also get advice. And they have a whole design team there and they can offer choices for wallpaper and lighting and stuff that might be a little more intimidating in terms of design.”

On South Granville: “West Elm, Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware – these are all my favourites. There hasn’t been a time where I walked in and didn’t leave with something! These stores really work with anyone’s taste for home decor. You’ll always find ‘the perfect’ something. I typically always find my favourite rugs and tabletop pieces from West Elm.”

“Restoration Hardware is my favourite for restored wood furniture, such as dining tables and chairs. It is such a great store to shop in in terms of meeting in the middle with guys and girls. [My home] is very girly in terms of bright and white and floral patterns here and there… but we really finished the space off with restored woods. The restored wood and even antique pieces are really male-friendly. They of course also have the perfect lighting of your home – I’m obsessed with their lights!”

What are some of the signature pieces that complete the Monika Hibbs home?

“I would definitely finish a room’s look off with a rug and pillows – and custom drapery, lighting and wallpaper. I think some people might be a little nervous to go that extra little mile but it does finish a room off and make it more cosy and makes that house more into a home.”

Custom drapery

“It doesn’t have to be that expensive. You can go pick out fabric, a lot of people make their own, or you can get them made at drapery places – there are so many places in Vancouver that do custom drapery. It just makes the room, the fabric and the feel, a more heavy kind of look to the drape, which makes it cosy and warm. It really grounds the space too.”

Wallpaper

“I’m really into florals, or sketching, geometric shapes, stripes, that kind of stuff. I would recommend the Designers Guild wallpaper, Crown Wallpaper in Vancouver, they’re amazing too. The Cross Design also sells an amazing selection of wallpaper and they carry Designers Guild.”

home decor items you can’t live without

“Pillows – I definitely have way too many pillows – wallpaper, and I love my Moroccan poufs.”

What pieces should you splurge on

“I would definitely splurge on the dining room table and chairs, couch and a great rug. All these items are heavily used not only by you, but your guests. They can be great statement pieces and give that ‘wow’ factor to a room. Oh, OK and lighting. A great lighting fixture is key.”

Where do you get your home design inspiration?

“I mostly gain my inspiration from magazines, Pinterest and hotels. I love walking into a great hotel with amazing decor and design – it really gets me thinking out of the box.”

What’s next

“I never know! There is always something new coming up on the daily. Right now I’m focusing on the build of our new house – that is going to keep me really nice and busy. We’ll see where all this goes.”