Candice Olson isn’t one to mess with a winning formula, but also isn’t shy about offering a slightly different twist in her refined approach to home makeovers.
The celebrated interior designer who found on-air success on both sides of the border with her series Divine Design, is once again transforming spaces on the small screen.
This time around, Olson is serving up a sneak peek into her design process and inspirations. She’s also exploring the secrets of tried-and-true design principles and applying them to spaces in need of change.
In Candice Tells All, premiering Thursday at 6 p.m. on W Network, each episode sees Olson highlighting a key design element fundamental to the home’s transformation.
The series also goes beyond the makeover itself to look at how architects, designers and developers employ these principles in the work they do.
“That also inspires me which is a big part of the show as well, the inspiration process,” said the statuesque designer and host in an interview at Corus Entertainment’s headquarters on Toronto’s waterfront.“It could be a colourful umbrella like you see downstairs here at the beach, it could be large public art; so what inspires me and how that translates into each makeover.”
The first episode looks at the principle of indestructible design, which includes using sturdy and steadfast materials and pieces.
The couple featured in the episode have young children, and they’re seeking a decluttered, stylish yet kid-friendly space.
There’s also the added task of trying to fuse their different styles: Trevor embraces a more urban contemporary look while Nicole favours a more casual, organic esthetic.
Olson and her team set out to spruce up the living and dining areas, offering both modernity and longevity by bringing in classic, quality furniture pieces and upholstery with resilient, forgiving fabrics to help weather spills.
For an insider’s view, Olson also visits a Toronto store specializing in stylish children’s furniture to show how designers have incorporated the indestructible design approach.
“They show me a picture out of a magazine and they say ‘I love this look but I don’t see where do you put the phone, and there’s no TV and I’ve got all this kids’ stuff,”’ she said.
“So it’s how do we get that look but solve day-to-day living issues, and that’s a challenge.”
“A lot of it is just quite simply creative storage ideas that allow the space to be clean, contemporary and uncluttered quickly and easily so that the bones of great design can show through,” she added.
“I think that’s the biggest thing — we want clean contemporary, but we need to be able to live in this space and for it to feel comfortable and still casual.”
Olson has her own makeover plans for the new year, joking that she’s following the principle of “blowing the roof off your house” in her home transformation.
The married mother of two is getting ready for a big renovation of the mid-century home they’ve lived in for five years with a planned second-storey addition to her room.
For individuals revamping their own homes for 2011, Olson suggests employing a design principle slated to be featured this season on the TV series: designing with black.
“It’s not about just bringing out your inner goth and painting your walls black — it’s about accenting with black and what that can do to a space,” she said.
“That typical space where you have the beige sofa and the beige walls and people just go ‘Oh, it’s so blah, how can I do something with what I have?’ There’s nothing better than black as a black accent pillow, a black side table, a little splash of a black drapery panel, a piece of black cabinetry.”
“It sets up that high contrast to that dull boring beige, and that’s what brings the drama and the excitement and looks like a fantastic brand new space.”
In an era where there is a proliferation of mass-manufactured items, Olson said she thinks there is a real movement towards craft and handcrafted elements.
“To incorporate a needlework or a beaded (item), something that has the imperfections that come with handicrafts I think is so important.”
She is also big on incorporating a statement wall, whether it’s in the form of colour or wallpaper as a focal point to ground a space.
“You may not have the fireplace, but you do have the wall that you can make a focal point with a statement colour or a statement wallpaper.”