homes & design

#InstaLove: Your Favourite Instagram Posts in January

The people have spoken. Or rather, our Instagram followers have spoken, and chosen their favourite posts from our Instagram this January.

By Western Living /

The people have spoken. Or rather, our Instagram followers have spoken, and chosen their favourite posts from our Instagram this January.

As of this moment, our @WesternLiving Instagram has hit 11,000 followers (thanks everyone!) and we’re constantly posting beautiful photos from our latest homes and condos, eager to read your comments and decipher your emojis. Over the past month we’ve posted a ton of inspiring spaces of all shapes and sizes, but looking back it’s clear—our readers have deemed these six to be the undeniable stars of January.(Photo: Ema Peter.)(Photo: Ema Peter.)Recognize this shot from anywhere? This gorgeous walnut, bleached wood, blue tile beauty from Falken Reynolds was the cover shot for our 2015 Fall issue of Condo. (See the whole loft here).(Photo: Luis Valdizon.)Two words: patterned tile. Designer Andrew McLean bypasses colour and uses a hit of pattern from festive Spanish porcelain tiles to create interest instead. (More from our 21 Great Spaces feature here).(Photo: David Strongman.)With structural elements like this, why not shine the spotlight on the architecture? Designer Sophie Burke stripped things back to the bare bones to show off the gorgeous brick walls and wood beams throughout this Vancouver loft. (See the rest of the renovation here).Vancouver designer Ami McKay installed a sculptural, curving staircase and a custom oversized pivoting door to take advantage of the scale of this West Coast contemporary home. “The visual weight of these key elements along with the mix of natural materials—travertine, warm woods—brings in a laid-back-luxe kind of vibe as soon as you walk in the door,” McKay explains. (Photo: Janis Nicolay.)Your entryway is your opening statement—go big! Vancouver designer Ami McKay installed a sculptural, curving staircase and a custom oversized pivoting door to take advantage of the scale of this West Coast contemporary home. “The visual weight of these key elements along with the mix of natural materials—travertine, warm woods—brings in a laid-back-luxe kind of vibe as soon as you walk in the door,” McKay explains.In this Gulf Island home designed by Carrie McCarthy of Carrie McCarthy Studio and Tanja Hinder of Marrimor, the natural, earthy palette of linens and woods is anything but dull thanks to the pair’s thoughtful use of texture throughout the space. Ripple-fold linen drapes line the walls, creating a cocoon-like effect at night; on the bed, a linen duvet pairs with a knit throw cushion and silky throw at the foot; and even the bed itself offers visual texture, with its warp and weft linen coverlet. And the pièce de résistance: that lush wool area rug, a cozy place to step each morning. (Photo: Janis Nicolay.)Pro tip: Use texture to bring warmth to a neutral palette. We can’t get enough of this bedoom with a Gulf Island view from designer Carrie McCarthy of McCarthy Studio and Tanja Hinder of Marrimor. The lush wool area rug is just the cozy icing on the comfy cake. (Check out another one of our favourite McCarthy homes here).While the rest of this home is done up with bold colour, the bedroom was designed as a respite. But designer Ben Leavitt of Fox Design skipped the classic white-on-white in favour of richer neutrals: beige, grey, silver and gold. “We were trying to keep it wildly interesting, but as simple as possible,” laughs Leavitt. And interesting it is: above the bed, a curved ceiling is decked out in silver leading to reflect the light of the chandelier at night; in the connected reading room, a resin garden sculpture shaped like a sheep has been painted white and installed behind the sofa to be visible from the bed. “It plays on that idea of counting sheep,” Leavitt says. (Photo: Tracey Ayton.)How to find the fun in a simple palette. We appreciate how designer Ben Leavitt of Fox Design skipped the classic white-on-white in favour of richer neutrals like beige, grey, silver and gold. And that ceiling. (More on this beautiful bedroom here).

Western Living

Western Living

The editorial team at Western Living loves nothing more than a perfectly designed space, place or thing: and we’re here to tell you about it. Email us your pitches at [email protected].