Summer’s here, and entertaining and summer parties are on everyone’s minds. We all want to ‘wow’ our guests at the next get-together, but before you move forward with the kitchen upgrades, you’ll want to hear from our interior designer, Elisa Fox!
Elisa is sharing her top 5 most interesting kitchen design features (some that you may have never heard [or thought] of)!
1. Porcelain Countertops
“Instead of quartz or natural stone, opt for porcelain countertops instead! Porcelain is very dense and almost indestructible.”
2. Cabinets x Glass Walls
“Upper cabinets backing onto glass walls will open up the space, allows for a great view to the outside, and lets a lot of natural light in.”
3. Mirror Backsplash
“A mirror backsplash goes perfectly with small kitchens, as it creates the illusion of a larger space.”
4. Customized Cabinetry
“Work with your cabinet company and customize your interior drawers and cabinets. Anything — kitchen pots, utensils, even cutlery or spices — can be customized and made to fit.”
5. Drawers Drawers Drawers
“Always incorporate more drawers into the kitchen design. You can fit way more into a drawer, and your kitchen will stay more organized.”
Have we convinced you to move forward with the upgrades, or are you still on the fence? We’re here to help! Give us a call at 604-674-8884 or email hello@flowsmartliving.com to get started.
Bordered by Chinatown to the west, and Clark Drive to the east, Strathcona is Vancouver’s oldest and most diverse commercial and residential neighbourhood.
Many people immediately think ‘Downtown Eastside’ when they think ‘Strathcona’. While it’s true that most of the Downtown Eastside lies within Strathcona, this up-and-coming neighbourhood is very popular with millennials. Strathcona is home to many craft breweries, trendy restaurants, street art, and small businesses (including us!).
We want to take this opportunity to show you the real Strathcona — our Strathcona.
Here are the top 7 places you must check out when visiting this historical neighbourhood:
As we mentioned, there are plenty of craft breweries in Strathcona. Strathcona Beer gets a special shout out because they’re literally 3 doors down from us! Try their Beach Radler (a light, citrus-y beer that’s perfect for the summer), any of their IPA’s, or one of their delicious pizzas (prosciutto & arugula is our go to)!
The Garden is another cool place that’s super close to us (this one’s right across the street from Flow)! The Garden is a cafe, bakery, and shop. Go grab a cup of their Equinox Espresso blend (a partnership with Agro Roasters, another Strathcona neighbour), sample one of their yummy pastries (baked in-house), and just enjoy the beautiful, enchanted atmosphere.
Looking for some Instagram inspiration? La Casa Gelato is a Strathcona staple that’s been been around since 1982. Not only is the entire building pink, they also have 238+ gelato flavours in store! It may sound overwhelming, but you get to taste as many flavours as you want before making your decision (just buy a token at the counter when you enter the store). They have classic flavours like vanilla and chocolate for the purists, but we recommend tasting some of their more adventurous flavours too, like wasabi or garlic!
If you’re an aspiring master chef, you’ll love The Gourmet Warehouse. Started in 1998, The Gourmet Warehouse is a 19,000 sq.ft. warehouse that carries specialty ingredients and cookware essentials. Looking white truffle butter, a tagine, or want to dabble into molecular gastronomy? The Gourmet Warehouse is the place to go.
Voted “Best Cheese Shop” by readers of The Georgia Straight, The Westender, and The Courier, les amis du FROMAGE is a family owned and operated specialty cheese store. Their original store is in Kitsilano, but luckily for us, their second location is literally a 15 second walk from our office. Want to impress your friends at the next gathering? les amis du FROMAGE offers high quality local and imported cheeses (cut to order), charcuterie and antipasto platters, and cheese wedding cakes. Yes, you heard us — a cheese wedding cake! How amazing does that sound?
With local rotating craft beers and wine on tap, The Heatley is a bar, eatery, and just an all-around cool spot to hang out at. More of a cocktail person? Try their Apparition cocktail (tequila, rosemary syrup, fresh cut cucumber, lime juice, tonic, and a sprig of rosemary to garnish). The Heatley also hosts DJ’s and live music almost every night of the week. You know where to find us after work!
We couldn’t end this list without mentioning our very own Furniture Lounge. Located right next to our office, we sell some of our gently used staging furniture for half of the retail price! Open 3 days a week, Flow brings in new pieces whenever another one’s sold (unlike other staging companies who do annual furniture sales). Because of this, you can always expect something new when you come to our Furniture Lounge.
Are you thinking about adding an accent wall to a room? Whether light and bright, or dark and dramatic, an accent wall is a simple and relatively inexpensive way to add a pop of colour, highlight a focal point, or to make a room feel more spacious and inviting.
Choosing your accent wall.
First, consider if there’s a focal point you want to accentuate (a fireplace, shelving, etc). The best wall to highlight is typically the “cleanest”, meaning it is the least amount of distractions.
Are paint or wallpaper my best options?
While paint and wallpaper are the most common ways to create an accent wall, there are plenty of other options. Decals, wall panelling, upholstered walls, accent lighting, and gallery walls also produce stunning results. In the end of the day, it really depends on your personal style, budget, and preferences.
Love the idea of an accent wall, but DIY’s not your thing?
We can help! Give us a call at 604-674-8884 or email hello@flowsmartliving.com today. Get Started Now
Do you want to know how to showcase your property and appeal to the largest number of potential buyers?
When selling your property, it’s important to make sure your it shows its absolute maximum potential. For many home buyers, the outdoor area of a home is just as important as the interior. Staging your patio will definitely help you increase your chances of selling your property, specially now that spring is finally in Vancouver!
Here are a few tips for staging an outdoor area that will help you sell your home faster and for more money!
#1 – Keep it simple
You can get amazing results by adding a minimal amount of outdoor furniture, to make sure there is an easy traffic flow through the space. If you have a large outdoor area, you can set multiple areas, such dining area, living area or even an outdoor kitchen. This way, buyers will be able to see the possibilities of this space. However, keep it as much simple as possible. Too much furniture may have the opposite of the desired effect and make it seem small and overdo.
#2 – Give a little TLC
Cleaning up dead leaves and bugs, trimming trees and bushes, pressure-washing decks or floors, making some minor repairs, freshening up flower beds… You’d be surprised the difference that a nice little revamp can make to the outside! It will help to make the space look brand new and inviting.
#3 – Add an color accent
It’s the time to move all the toys, lawn ornaments, pet supplies and other stuff that you can have outdoor to the storage room and save them for your next home. Keep your largest furniture pieces neutral and color accent them by adding a few items such as potted plants, outdoor rugs, colorful pillows, and props such as refreshment trays.
Need more help to stage your property? If you are considering listing your home and are curious about staging, feel free to give the Flow Team a call at (604) 674-8884 or email us at hello@flowsmartliving.com. We’d be happy to answer your questions!
Another stunning interior design project completed by our talented design team, Nicole Varga and Elisa Fox. This incredible condo design was a very unique and special project for the Flow Team.
This bachelorette unit belongs to our lovely client, a stylish 78-years-old woman. Nicole and Elisa had previously worked for this client’s daughter who hired them to transform the apartment for her mom.
This was a small condo with some particular features. A challenging layout was presented with a long, angled wall, completed with a dining area that was pretty much nonexistent and a complete lack of overhead lighting.
Nicole and Elisa added some molding details to create a feature wall that unites the living and dining areas to the office.
“We love the molding on the feature wall and fireplace because It is such a simple and cost-effective way to dress up a wall. This not only created great texture for that otherwise very plain wall but also allowed us to define a centre point for our dining space and bring continuity all the way into the office”.
The problem with the dining area was fixed by using a round dining table that helps to keep a good flow throughout this area and anchored it with a beautiful light fixture and custom over-sized framed mirror.“
The mirror was two-fold in creating a visual weight for our new dining center line as well as opening up and reflecting the entire space to make it feel bigger. The beautiful thing about the light fixture is that the wire it hangs on is so thin that it almost appears to be floating over the table. Aside from providing much needed light it almost acts as an art piece in itself.”
And what about the master bedroom? The main requests for this space was to improve the function by sourcing properly scaled furniture and proper placement, getting a little more bedroom storage, improving the lighting and essentially create a beautiful space for her mother to enjoy and be blown away by.
And here comes one of our favourite details of this project!
The bedroom was covered with a beautiful floral wallpaper that you can stare at it for hours and never get enough of it. It added the perfect sense of femininity and power. We also love how you can see the wallpaper from almost every spot in the house because of where the mirror is placed it picks up the reflection. It definitely set the tone for the entire project! Click here to see more pictures about this project
Contact us today to discuss your upcoming renovation or design project. We would be delighted to work together to make your space a place you call home! Give us a call today at 604-674-8884 or email us at hello@flowsmartliving.com
Did you know home staging is just as important to the potential value of your home during slower times in the market as it is during busy periods?
The key principal behind home staging is to make sure your property shows its absolute maximum potential. Professional stagers can help you address odd nooks or intrusive angles and either position your furniture to best suit the rooms in your home, or bring in suitable replacements that will wow the buyers coming through.
Stagers can also provide advice on small upgrades that will make your property stand out in photos online, such as replacing outdated lighting fixtures, painting over bold colours or refreshing barren plant beds in the yard. Agent photos on websites such as REALTOR.ca are often the first impression potential buyers have of a home they’re interested in, so hiring a stager to help prepare your home before photographs are booked is incredibly beneficial.
Contact the Flow Team today for a consultation – call 604-674-8884 or email us at hello@flowsmartliving.com.
For more helpful hints about home staging, interior design and decor, be sure to follow us on social media.
So you’ve decided to renovate your home. Great! Now… where to start? Hiring a knowledgeable contractor to help make your vision a reality is the best way to ensure you get the results you want. Here are some tips on how to choose the right company for you.
Word of mouth is still the best kind of advertising. If you know someone who’s had renovations done recently, ask them who they worked with and what their honest opinion of the contractor was while the project was underway. This will give you a real sense of the kind of working relationship you can expect during your renovation.
Ask for a list of references. It’s always a good idea to call 2 or 3 people who have worked with your contractor previously. If they are able to provide professional references as well as past clients, so much the better.
Ask questions. If there is anything noted in your estimate or quote that is unclear, be sure to ask about it. This benefits yourself and your contractor, as it will alleviate any future miscommunication about your needs and expectations.
Be patient! Good contractors usually have a waitlist of at least 3-4 months. Don’t cut corners and choose someone who’s ready to start tomorrow. If a contractor is not busy it could be a bad sign! Good, solid work takes time, and it will be well worth the wait to have your dream project completed properly.
If you’ve got a vision in mind for your dream project but don’t know where to begin, or would like some further guidance in choosing the right tradespeople to work on your home, Flow’s design team would love to help. Contact us today at 604-674-8884 or email hello@flowsmartliving.com.
by 
