An admin assistant turned interior decorator’s first project

Posted on Tue, 18 Jan 2011 by KiM

The following email was sent to us from Jewel Weeks: I am a psychology grad-turned-interior designer (sort of) in Toronto who got this amazing opportunity last year to design someone’s loft carte blanche… a young bachelor with no possessions for his new loft aside from a mattress! The client’s basic requirements were that he wanted something fun and laid back with a retro-chic feeling- and no purple. Then he let me go to town with a blank slate in total faith. He was the most amazing client ever and let me work by intuition. Most of the stuff you see is all from craigslist or vintage shops with a few Ikea and Home Depot items thrown in. It’s not 100% to what kind of standard I’d like to achieve, but I was pretty happy with it for a first project- mostly because my client was so happy with the result. I love the finished product…superb hip retro vibe, fun colours, and HELLO, it was featured in the Sept 2010 issue of Style at Home magazine (with help from the beautiful photography of Aristea Rizakos). I think you’ve got something here Jewel!! (Check out her website in the future for more of her projects).

sleung says:

i love the wooden cloud cutouts in the last pic! so simple and whimsical!

kristin says:

she did a great job! i love the kitchen table & chairs with their 60's diner vibe.

crystal says:

this is inspiring. what a great stroke of luck and you proved yourself worthy of it! what a project to start with-vintage is time consuming but those results are fun and young and modern.

Ann says:

I agree with Heather. She can call herself an Interior Decorator. To be an Interior Designer you at the very least need an education from an accredited Interior Design or Interior Architecture program.

Amazing! I love everything about her design, especially all of the Lotte lamps! Great job. Good luck on your future endeavors. 🙂

laurel says:

Wow- I love this space so much.I nabbed it for my bloggy- credited to you of course! Crazy for these colors and the soothing retro feel of the space. Reminds me a bit of my grandmas funky danish modern set from the sixties:)
xo

susan says:

I'm surprised no one mentioned the extremely clever use of a map on the light switch in the last picture. I love this. Marvelous overall look. I just wish I had the money to hire her myself. I'd LOVE to live in that space.

daiseedeb says:

What great finds you got there, and what brilliance in putting them all together. If I found such treasures I would be beside myself with joy.
Well done!!!! Well done!!! And great eye!

Jewel says:

Thank you everyone for your lovely comments, I feel so encouraged. For those who were asking, the drop light is a one of a kind find from a store in Toronto called zig zag… you won't find the same light there again… but the owner is an excellent curator of lighting so you'd always find something stunning in there. And the couch is another unique piece from a vintage shop called upsidedive- again, you won't find the same couch but their shop is always stocked full of amazing pieces (that's where I found the Goines poster too btw!)

Jewel says:

P.S. If I called myself a "designer of interiors", perhaps that might be less offensive to some. No one needs credentials to design things!

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