Have you picked up your May edition of Canadian House and Home yet? Take a peek inside and you will find my abode! Tour through my home  -  see where I work, play and rest my head.  I’m so excited to share how I created a unique  space  as well as my tips and tricks on how make your space feel more like you. What better place than home to use as a blank canvas for self expression, so why not fill it with things you love, feel good, and are beautiful?

Take a read through the full article here.

I was privileged to interview Scott. He is lovely, generous, and a passionate artist, photographer, and businessman – an admitted Type-A personality.

“I started The Sartorialist to share photos of people I saw on the streets of New York that looked great. When I worked in the fashion industry I felt there was disconnection between the clothes in the showroom and what I saw real people wearing in real life.”
Scott Schuman

What is Style?

Style is not just fashion, it’s how people live.

What are your style principles?

Know yourself. Accept your body. Know your lifestyle.

Who are your Style icons?

Gary Grant for his humanism. Fred Astaire for his grace. Nameless guys in the street with charisma.

What is your favorite piece of clothing?

Navy wool cardigan

What are your shopping tips?

Ask yourself: “Do I love it? Do I need it?” Be creative with what you have in your closet. Shop local. Mom and pop tailors have great service and can be trusted. Shop for quality and style in your neighborhood.

What do you love about your work?

Interacting with people

What favorite gifts have you received?

The birth of my daughters and my 1999 Olympus camera

What is your greatest challenge?

To listen to my own voice

What lesson keeps repeating itself?

Learning to accept criticism

What is your motto?

I’m responsible for my life.

What do you want to be known for?

Capturing the essence of people in my own way and photographing fashion and society for historical documentation.

* I love Scott’s girlfriend Garance  Dore’s web site. Also a fashion photographer, she’s sassy and Parisian chic.

Flickr photo: The Sartorialist Scott Shuman by Christopher Peterson.

Article by Carrie McCarthy

Maria Killam is a blog phenomenon in the colour world, she has an impeccable eye and a understanding nature, a perfect combination to inspire people to welcome colour into their lives. Thank you Maria for the wonderful interview.

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What do you recommend for people who feel insecure about choosing colour in their life?

Begin with colourful accessories and pillows if you feel a wall colour is too big a commitment.

What advice do you have for people who are afraid of colour?

In my experience people intuitively know what colours they like but are afraid to make a mistake.  My advice is to find a colour professional to guide you in making choices that are right for you.

In a materialistic world obsessed with image, it can be hard to stay in touch with your real self. How does one choose colors that reflect their true style?

It’s important to stay true to the colors you love. I’ve loved orange, yellow and green for years, I never tire of them. If you love a color because it’s the new hot trend,  don’t change everything in your house because when the next trend arrives, changing it will cost a fortune.

What are three practical color tips for a room?

• When choosing colour, use dark colours in a dark space and light shades in bright spaces.  A dark room is still dark with a light colour on the walls. A rich warm colour will be luminous with great lighting in a dark room.
• White or cream is not neutral if it’s a major element of the space like drapery
• Paint dated wood –  trim, doors, ceilings

What is your favorite magazine and book?

My favourite design book is Defining Luxury by Jeffrey Bilhuber. My favourite inspirational book is The Art of Possibility by Benjamin and Rosamund Zander.

What inspires you?
Beauty inspires me as a designer, and making a difference in people’s lives.

Why is white so popular?

Did you know, 70% of paint purchased is white?  Although white creates a feeling like any other colour, it’s less offensive than choosing the wrong colour which can be truly upsetting.

How does color affect other areas of one’s life?  Fashion, emotions, relationships…

Colour has a huge affect on our overall well being.  This is proven when colour is injected in schools and institutions, vandalism stops.

How can color add joy to life?

It’s all about what you love, paint a room a color you adore, then add your favorite flowers.

It’s our pleasure to feature an interview with Canadian-born, LA-based designer Heather Heron, whose environmentally inspired and friendly handbags and accessories fuse inner and outer beauty.

Heather uses organic European hemp and hemp-silk blends — which she sources herself to ensure the utmost in sustainability and quality — as foundational materials for her creations. She then collaborates with local artisans to introduce fine detailing and other touches that elevate her designs to unique and elegant objets d’art. Her creations are ultimately expressions of what she believes in: beauty, nature, collaboration, and love.

Heather’s couture is showing up in the most exciting places (um, Vogue!) and on some rather well-known people (e.g., Mila Kunis, Reese Witherspoon, Alanis Morissette, Gwyneth Paltrow). It’s a great testament to where passion and determination can get you …

Here’s our interview with the lovely Ms. Heather Heron.

S. Statement: A Style Statement fundamental is “communicate who you are in all you do.” How does your work help you to express yourself? In other words, what parts of yourself are you manifesting in your work?

HH: I have the most beautiful opportunity to express myself through designing pieces that reflect my lifestyle. Specifically manifesting the parts of me that are modern + hippie, feminine + masculine, dreamy + practical, my activism for hemp + my love for adventure.

S. Statement: When you think of style … say someone very original and charismatic, or some place you’ve been that felt refreshing, new, and real … what comes to mind?

HH: My most incredibly chic friends + colleagues. I feel very blessed to have this circle of inspiration as my tribe.

S. Statement: What’s a completely outrageous thing you would like to own?

HH: A tipi.

S. Statement: What’s something you have right now in your life that you love passionately?

HH: My Leica camera … loving getting back behind the lens again after all this time.

S. Statement: When you need energy, what do you do?

HH: Schedule FUN into my week … if I have time, space, adventure + fun scheduled I am immediately energized.

S. Statement: When you crave calm and peace, what do you do?

HH: What I am doing right now … go to Canada + rest + snowboard + … slow it all down … and then go slow it down some more … until everything looks and sounds different.

S. Statement: At your most comfortable, what are you wearing?

HH: My husband’s Carhartts all rolled up + Loup Charmant scoop tanks layered and Le Labo perfume.

S. Statement: At your most glamorous, what are you wearing?

HH: My 1920s wedding dress … insane couture gown that I have enjoyed many glamorous evenings in beyond my wedding night.

S. Statement: If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?

HH: Loup Charmant dress, gauze scarf from the Environment by Heather Heron Collection, Rick Owens sweater, Fiorentini Baker boots + dripping in Kathy Rose jewels.

Thank you, Heather!

I recently discovered Coco + Kelley, Cassandra Lavalle’s lovely website, and connected with her over our passion for beauty. She was intrigued by Style Statement and interviewed me for her blog: “What’s Your Style Statement?“

My thirteen-year-old niece, Sadie, lives across the country. We have a summer ritual. She visits me for a week or so. We shop, talk, and plan her year. I get to be the wise, accepting auntie.

This summer, Sadie shared her teenage turmoil. She asked, “How do I belong? Am I unique? How do I express myself?” These are questions many of our Style Statement clients ask themselves.

Being content with ourselves while growing can be a balancing act. To be authentic takes courage. For Sadie, that means the courage to ask a new friend to hang out, say hello to a cute boy, or wear her new, red skinny jeans.

You can lead life in comfort, playing it safe, or you can push the edges and feel the joy of full self-expression. The magic lies in letting yourself be curious with yourself and in accepting yourself.

I’m so proud of you, Sadie!

“For loving well & being well loved.”

Anne Devlin
Timeless Connection