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BUSINESS Phone: 905-337-5559 ax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: rjerred@haltonsearch.com \V I I >NI S I > \ \ M \1 J I · |\iy ,« - \H Award-winning designer takes room from drab to fab By Paula Henriques O A K V IL L E B E A V E R S T A FF Local decorator Joanne Watson has been nam ed one o f the best in her field in the recent Interiors by D ecorating Den annual C anadian Dream Room Contest. Earning three o f the most coveted aw ards Runner-up C anadian D eco rato r o f the Year. Pirst Place Fam ily R oom , and Second Place W indow Treatm ent - Watson, w ho has been a part o f the Interiors by D ecorating Den franchise since 1999. said the w ins were still a surprise. "It's hard to judge your ow n work. I felt the room was really beautiful, but the com petition was extrem ely stiff." she said. " I was shocked." But not only did she im press the Canadian judges, she recently returned from a conference in Dallas with tw o more w ins in her suitcase. She won the First Place Certificate o f Excellence for Family Room and D ecorator o f the Year runner-up in the international finals m arking the first time a C anadian has nabbed those awards in the contest's 19year history. Judges included editors from H ouse B eautiful. G ood Housekeeping, Better H o m es & G ardens. W oman's D ay. Watson began by ripping out the old carpet and installing a solution-dyed Berber carpet, com fortably textured and able to w ithstand any stain. She then chose a neutral wall colour that not only brought a fresh, airy look to the room but was also w ashable. Sim ple crow n moldings were installed and painted in neutrals. But her client also w anted a "fem i nine touch" to the room. So W atson used five different fabrics in floral clas sics. check and plaid. Integrating that design into the window treatm ents, she created a flowing valance to soften the large wall space. "T he room was given a fresh look to Jo an n e W atson, brighten up long w inters." said W atson. top left, took With lack o f storage an issue, she hom e som e big designed and com m issioned a honeyhonours in the coloured maple built-in storage unit to recent Interiors hide toys and gam es. She selected a cus by D ecorating tom bench-m ade chair, ottom an and sofa Den annual C anadian that "are built to withstand a lifetime of D ream Room fam ily use." then stain-protected the C o n test She pieces. All new artw ork and accessories transform ed an for the room , including lighting, were o rd in ary room, also purchased. above, into a dream room , "There was no lighting in this room left. and lighting is huge. O nce you fix a lighting issue, then a room becomes Photos courtesy of used. It's am azing what proper lighting Joanne Watson and by can bring." said Watson. Peter C. McCusker The project took three m onths to Victoria and Redbook. W inners were selected based com plete and her client loved it. But there has to be a relationship on design excellence, creative problem solving and between decorator and client for any project to work. "This client in overall presentation. particular, she was w onderful. She was vivacious, she had a sense of The w inning space was a 20 by 15 ft. family room. her own style, she saw the big picture and she let me run with it." H er client, a m other with two young boys, w anted it to said Watson. "W hen you hire a professional, use them. T hat's what be child-friendly, yet suitable for casual entertaining. our expertise is for. I really listened to w hat she w anted and she ended up with the room o f her dream s, now an aw ard-w inning room ." It cost $30,000 to com plete. But if her client attem pted to redo it on her ow n. that could have U easily clim bed to $40,000. "M ost consum ers could not have com pleted it as quickly as I did because they d o n 't know where to source the better quality m erchandise." she said. "E m ploying a professional decorator makes your IS L A N D C O O K IN project run sm oother and really saves you money. It doesn't matter if the budget is $5,(KX) or $50,000. Specializing in the same principles apply." W hen Watson first meets with a client, she walks through their hom e to get a feel for their lifestyle, their likes and dislikes, priorities and. o f course, their budget. She tries to foresee what their needs will be in the future and chooses furniture and colour that will grow with them. "You have to understand your client's lifestyle through paint to the last bud vase in the room. The space has to reflect the client. It should be my ideas, but it should reflect their taste." Som etim es that means forgoing the red wall paint and buying red accessories instead as accent pieces, she explained. And before she begins, she finds out what "absolutely has to stay in some form, then works within those constraints." Most clients divide their projects o ver five years, decorating one room at a tim e at an average cost o f $2.5(X) each. Watson holds regular decorating sem inars in the H alton area, w ith all p roceeds going to the Canadian Breast C ancer Foundation. She. along with two other local D ecorating Den decorators, has Locared in rhe Oakville raised $5,000 over three years. Enrertoinmenr Cenrrum/AMC 24, Watson can be reached at 9 0 5 -4 6 9 -9 9 4 6 or by Winsron Churchill 6 QEW e-m ail at w w w .decdens.com /oakville. See what else the Europeans are better at... *B 0N N fT CARIBBEAN DISHES · s a f e r * 5"* s C eleb ra te o u r M ay 2 3 - 25 A v is it to o u r g a lle ry o ffe rs a tru ly unique exp erien ce Forever and always. 162 Lakeshore Rd. E. O a k v ille 9 0 5 .8 4 9 .6 3 3 8 i 40*'*' a\so 905.S29.2359 2085 Winsron Pork Dr. Hands on History Day Camp! Upcoming Events for Seniors! Celebrate Great Wine Sunday, May 25 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Join us for an afternoon of w ine tasting - from full b o d ied red ca b e rn e ts to C hateau des C harm es' gold m edal w inning ice wines. Hors d'oeuvres will be served specially selected to com plem ent each wine. Admission to this extraordinary event is only $5.00, with all p ro ceed s going to the Juno Beach Centre. Explore, discover and create! Parents, guardians, and grandparents looking for something a little different are encouraged to enroll their children in Oakville Museum's "Hands on History"! Seniors...Don't Wait for a Crisis Thursday, May 29 from 6:45 to 9:00 p.m. As you get older, do you think about how your lifestyle would be affected by failing health or limit ed mobility? Who would help you with everyday activities such as cooking, cleaning and laundry? Join us for this informative sem inar and learn about your options before you need them, and be ready to make informed decisions when it becom es neces sary Our Town & Community July 7-11 Explore your town and get to b o w the history of your community with visits to local sites of historical importance! Visit a First Nations historic site in Oakville, a pioneer farmhouse and cook over an open hearth. Medieval Times July 14-18 A week of fun from the time of damsels bights and casdes. Children will enjoy a memorable trip to the Medieval Times Tournament at Exhibition Place in Toronto. Ancient Days July 21-25 Activities from the days of .Ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt. Participate in Ancient Olympic Games. Children will also enjoy an art session, where they will be creating their very own "mini mosaic". A special part of the Ancient Days program will be a visit to the R o d Ontario Museum, for an ancient exploration! Six Continents in 5 days! July 28 · Aug. 1 Pack the kids...without really packing! Six Continents in 5 days will take the kids on a journey through the history of six continents in 5 days! Kids will even get a chance to put their chef hat on at Paradiso Restaurant for a `Southern European Cooking" Day. Crafts, games and many international celebrations make this week most memorable! Pre-registration is required and we highly recommend that you book now as spaces are limited, cost for "Hands on History Day Camp" is $156.00 per week, per child. For more information or to RSVP, please call Linda at (905 ) 844 -4000 . « 5*~ -- ' The Kensington 2 5 L a k e s h o r e R o a d W e s t , O a k v il l e 0 O A K V IL L E Ask about our other locations in Burlington. Oakville. Mississauga. North York. Thornhill, and Toronto ( e t ir e me LIFESTYLE For m ore inform ation please call 905-338-4400 o r M visit o u r w ebsite www.oakvfllemus8um.com m m u n 11 ic s Hjpij! A Subsidiary of L o n d o n L if e / G r e a t Wivr I j f i 8 N avy Street, just so u th of Lakeshore in D o w ntow n O akville