Designer Andrew Pike shares expert tips and tools to size furniture and space plan in any room.

With so many of us doing the majority of our home shopping online, it can be easy to overlook product dimensions and end up buying pieces that just aren’t sized properly for the space. Just ask Andrew Pike — nationally recognized designer, host and media personality — who sees it all the time. “I believe people either go too big or too small. They buy furniture that doesn’t work and then the rest of the space suffers,” he says. To make the best possible use of your space, come up with a purposeful plan that’s properly measured and well thought out.

Purchasing proportionate furniture is key. It may cost you more preparation and research time, but selecting pieces that fit your space perfectly can take your rooms from good to great. Oversized or bulky furniture can ruin the functionality and flow of a space, just as much as pieces that are too narrow or short. If you’re contemplating what to include in your room, start by selecting the piece of furniture that’s most important to you. This may be a sofa for watching television, or a desk for working from home. Once you’ve got that key piece, you can build around the remaining space.

“Drop everything into your plan before you buy. Furniture always looks much smaller in a store than it does in your home.” — Andrew Pike

 

Taking detailed measurements and playing with placement before making purchases is crucial to optimizing your space. There’s a big misconception that measuring is a hard, tedious chore; when in reality, there’s a plethora of tips, tricks and tools to get it right. Taping your layout on the floor with painter’s tape, drawing a picture to scale or using spatial planning apps like Room Planner or Planner 5D are some of the best techniques to help better visualize how the space is going to come together.

Rule-of-thumb measurements to help plan out your space.

Next, discover how to style your open-shelving like a pro, the art of layering and our guide to picking the right lighting for your home.

Designing your entryway is a more important consideration than you might think. It’s your home’s first impression and it deserves your time and attention when it comes to design. Right now, your front entrance may be drowning in coats and piled up to the brim in footwear, or it’s totally bare. Don’t fret — we have seven tips that will transform your home entrance into the designer-worthy space of your dreams (and yes, they’re designer approved).

Visit our design page for other design inspiration, style guides, trends and more.

We’d like to introduce you to the interior designer behind our Love Design, live Empire video series, Andrew Pike. A nationally recognized designer, host and media personality, Andrew Pike has been in the design community for over twenty years. Andrew’s career has taken him across the world. A five-year stint in Europe, where he worked and traveled, allowed him to develop an appreciation for the way rich history and stunning architecture can create a unique experience at every turn. The classic way Europe blends modern style with ornate, antique structures is an influence we see time and time again with Andrew’s designs. Upon returning to Toronto, he began working as an interior designer and shortly after Empire’s love affair with Andrew began, when he designed the model home of our Wyndance community in Uxbridge. We were so blown away by the seamless blend of elegance and playful design that we haven’t left him alone since.

Want more decor inspiration and advice for your next decor project? Check out all our Love Design, Live Empire stories.

A perfectly coordinated home looks great, but it’s the addition of personal touches that really makes your place a true representation of you and your family. The easiest way to do this is to use your obsessions and collections as accents and art. Here are some fun ways to get the magazine-ready look at home using things you already own and love.

Andrew Pike’s signature design statement is antlers. Found in many of the homes he designs, Andrew makes sure to fuse his obsession with the decor to add interest and enhance the space without taking away from the beauty of the room.

Want more decor inspiration and advice for your next decor project? Check out our 4-part Love Design, Live Empire video series with designer Dominic De Freitas and subscribe to receive the episodes directly to your inbox along with exclusive bonus content including our curated style guides and expert tips and inspiration.

Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4

Photos courtesy of: The Every Girl (Kelli Lamb); Pinterest (Dianne Von Furstenburg’s Home, Lauren Conrad’s Home).

Some of the most beautiful space are the ones that blend design styles. A firm believer that matching sets are passé, Andrew Pike demonstrates how to mix different furnishings and accents in episode four. From contrasting neutrals to mixing antique and industrial pieces, Andrew shows us we don’t have to be afraid to mix things up when it comes to home decor.

You may think the key to any successful design project is sticking to a colour palette or consulting a designer, but really, it begins before you even pick up your first paint swatch. Starting with a budget for your project and tracking expenses as you go ensures you can feel good about the finished product without the stress of spending more than you anticipated. In this video designer Andrew Pike, a seasoned master of tracking all purchases for every design project, gives us his tips for completing stress-free and successful design project.

Need some help getting your expenses in order? Download our home decor budget tracker and get organized today.

Andrew’s Top 3 Tips:

1. A contingency fund is a non-negotiable element of your design budget. Be prepared for unexpected costs along the way.
2. Keep track of paperwork and receipts in one place. Exchanges and returns are inevitable.
3. If you see something you like, confirm you can return it and buy it then and there to avoid disappointment on your return to the store.

Bonus Tip: Tracking all your purchases in detail means when it comes time to touch up your paint or replace an accessory, you’ll have a record of where you bought everything and what colour you used.

Want more decor inspiration and advice for your next decor project? Check out our 4-part Love Design, Live Empire video series with designer Dominic De Freitas and subscribe to receive the episodes directly to your inbox along with exclusive bonus content including our curated style guides and expert tips and inspiration.

Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4

The Modern Farmhouse homeowner is a little bit country, but with a whole lot of class, and their home reflects that. Modern farmhouse evokes feelings of warmth and comfort. It’s traditional without being fussy, classic without being museum-like, and comfortable in a way that makes you want to put your feet up and stay awhile. Modern farmhouse is all about mixing comfortable furniture with salvaged materials like reclaimed wood and antiques. Everything is tactile and tangible. Most of all, classic farmhouse is cozy without being cluttered. Sophistication over kitsch is key.

Explore the look below and register for our Love Design, Live Empire design series for more tips, tricks and inspiration.

Accent pieces establish the personality of a home, but when those carefully picked and positioned pieces get scattered from the hustle and bustle of everyday life they can quickly become an eyesore. Designer Andrew Pike lets us in on his designer solution; trays. Using trays can achieve and maintain the crisp and tidy feel of a magazine-ready home, giving purpose to your accents while keeping them where they were meant to be. Explore the various ways Andrew used trays in our new Riverland model homes and how you can use them in your own home decor project.

A tray in the bathroom is a great way to organize items kept out for easy access. Things like hand soap, cotton balls, hand towels and even tooth brush holders can be combined with accents and silk flowers on a tray to create a spa-like look. We especially love the sleek lucid tray below that houses a bold and modern sculpture.

A round tray can be a great centerpiece for a dining room table and can be easily moved when you have company.

Trays in the bedroom are particularly great because they can double as a prop for a luxurious breakfast-in-bed experience. A book, candle and mug can sit dormant as decor and be used on those lazy Sunday mornings.

Perhaps the best room to make use of trays is in the living room. Coffee tables should never be left bare, but as one of the areas that family and house guests naturally congregate, they are often needed for snacks and drinks.

A home office can go from chic and organized to chaos quicker than any other space in the home. Trays and even boxes are a great way to disguise practical items, like pencils, notebooks and even binder clips as decor.

We all love the look and feel of a perfectly finished space, but might need a little help creating a curated look in our home. Without a set vision, your accessories can quickly become cluttered and disorganized. In episode seven, Andrew shows us how to achieve that magazine-ready look by adding accessories to compliment and enhance your decor.

The Coastal Chic homeowner may not live by the beach, but they spend a lot of time daydreaming they’re breathing in the salty air with their bare feet in the water. Coastal chic achieves the nautical beach house feel for those who aren’t on a permanent vacation. Standout features include light, airy colour palettes with cool neutral shades paired with blues and greens. Furnishings are often white or beige. Rooms can contain elements of wood and accessories are inspired by the sea. The intention is to create a relaxed and comfortable environment.

Explore the look below and register for our Love Design, Live Empire design series today for more tips, tricks and inspiration.