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18 Do stay warm with a very cool radiator from Jaga. "It almost becomes a piece of art," Shauna Levy says. Or go with an ethanol-based fireplace by Eco-smart Fire/Company B. Inc., she adds.
19 "Do expand your living space with a ‘podspace' [shed] in your backyard," Shauna says. She suggests creating a den, office or studio. At Toronto's 2010 International Design Show, five designers rethink 100-square-foot sheds as living spaces.
20 "Do cross the line between art and design" Shauna says. "Josephine lights by Jaime Hayon for Metalarte are almost sculptural; a sculptural desk by Castor through Ministry of the Interior all add that limited edition feeling to your space."
21 "Do your kitchen, and stop putting it off! Scavolini's new Mood flat line series is clean and contemporary but not intimidating. And you can still get $1,500 back until the end of February," Shauna says, referring to the Home Renovation Tax Credit.
22 "Do 'think green' in your design choices - for the environment and [literally] for your home. The edgiest green now is a moss green, balanced by whites, grays and shades of purple," says Dawn Bollinger, owner, Peridot Calgary.
23 Do be inspired by the colours of industrial architecture, suggest the folks at paint and wallpaper company Farrow & Ball. "Old and new are combined in an urban palette of muted tones that mimic the earthy shades of natural materials such as stone, clay, chalk and brick," they say. They suggest combining the paint colours of gray-based neutrals such as Cornforth White and Pavilion Gray with intense and inky darks such as Off-Black and Down Pipe.
24 So over neutrals, no matter what the shade? Do explore the colour theme of Urban Decay, identified by Farrow & Ball as bold, graphic and vibrant with an urban edge. They point to its paint shades Pitch Black, Pelt, and zingy Dayroom Yellow and Arsenic as embodying this trend.
25 And if you just feel like kicking back, do watch the stylish 60s-era hit series Mad Men on DVD to get nostalgic for the rich colours and sleek lines of mid-century modern office furniture.
Read more in Decorating & Design and Styling Secrets
