What’s Hot in Home Decor: Tall Lamps, Short Vacuums and IKEA

This angular lamp is perfect for an upscale office or even a cluttered dorm room

A look at what’s hot in home decor this season

Grab a Pett Lamp

Lighting goes industrial 
chic with the Pett lamp, the latest statement piece by Diesel for its Successful Living collection in collaboration with Foscarini.

Angular lines create a reptilian look, while stylish hues provide esthetic balance, making the Pett equally at home in upscale offices or cluttered dorm rooms. Try minimalist black-and-white to lend an aura of sophistication; the more daring can opt for the line’s look-at-me fluorescents. $332, Inform Interiors 


Mark IKEA’s 60th Year

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the ubiquitous IKEA catalogue, a must-read for homeowners eager to explore affordable trends. The Swedish stylesetters forecast four top trends for 2011: 


• Blue: Add calm to even the most chaotic of rooms with a wash of sky-blue paint, cobalt cushions or an indigo throw. 

• Architectural: This look is all about clean lines and structured shapes; add artistic elegance with bold graphics in red or white.

• Folkloric: Global accents go couture with delicate beadwork and hand-sewn embroidery (shown below). Capture the folksy feel with flower, fruit and bird designs.

• New Utility: It’s easy to upgrade to industrial chic; just look for vintage signage, exposed parts and simple materials like wood and steel.

How much do you know about the world’s most popular home design store? 


• IKEA was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad; the name IKEA is formed from his initials plus the first letters of the farm and village where he grew up (Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd).

• IKEA opened its first Canadian store in Richmond, B.C. in 1976. 

• The IKEA catalogue is the biggest publication in the world, with 198,000,000 copies distributed in 41 countries.

• Today’s IKEA collection consists of 9,500 home furnishings. 


Clean up Quick with a Dyson City

Oversized vacuums look downright archaic next to the hyper-efficient Dyson DC26 City. The ultra-compact ’cuum weighs in at a mere 3.25 kg. And thanks to its patented Root Cyclone™ technology, it sucks up dirt at 100,000 times the force of gravity. Cleanup is as simple as pressing the dirt-release button. $499.99, The Bay 


(Image: Phillip John Cybulski)

Infuse Your Home with Glass Decanters

Infuse your home with seductive silhouettes in the form of Joe Cariati’s alluring glass decanters. These statement pieces, as featured in Sex and the City 2, will serve as a conversation piece with their blend of contemporary and vintage, subtle and dramatic.

Treat your guests to a chilled glass of wine from these original pieces of glasswork. Each visually arresting vessel is handcrafted and signed by the Los Angeles-based designer and glassblower. Available in a range of colours, one pour from these delectable decanters will be sure 
to set tongues wagging. From $209, Mint Interiors

Have Houzz Answer Your Design Dilemmas

Bewildered and perplexed at the mere thought of finding the exact shade of paint to match your interiors, never mind actually carrying out renovations on your home?

Then, look no further than Houzz where design dilemmas are dealt with by a vibrant online community, which is at hand to answer even the most complex of your home queries. With ideas, inspiration and lookbooks, this is the online emporium for those remodelling, decorating or simply dreaming!

Originally published in BC Home magazine. For monthly updates, subscribe to the free BC Home e-newsletter, or purchase a subscription to the bi-monthly magazine.