EST. 2011
HOUSE OF PROPER
DECOR + PROPS / ACCESSORY STYLING
CREATIVE SERVICES
TORONTO + OAKVILLE + HAMILTON
BUSINESS
PERSONALS
HELLO!
A BACKGROUND IN FASHION, VISUAL STYLING, TREND FORECASTING, DISPLAY + EXHIBIT WITH A FOCUS ON DECORATIVE ARTS FOR INTERIORS - WITH A DEGREE FROM THE FASHION INSTITUTE IN NYC + CERTIFIED BY THE WPIC, I HAVE WORKED WITH TORSTAR MEDIA GROUP (SHOPTV TMGTV PRODUCTIONS), AND A COMMERCIAL INTERIOR DESIGN FIRM, DOWNTOWN TORONTO - MOST RECENTLY A VISUAL MERCHADISING/DISPLAY, ANTIQUE + VINTAGE FURNITURE + DECORATIVE OBJECTS PROCUREMENT + CREATIVE DIRECTOR FOR WINTERBERRY LANE, A FURNITURE + HOME DECOR BOUTIQUE LOCATED IN SOUTHEAST OAKVILLE - WINTERBERRYLANE.COM
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
photography {lifestyle, brand, look + feel, fine art, product, catalogue, editorial},
interiors, vignettes + roomset {styling home accessories, surface styling - bookshelves, built-ins, coffee table, etc - private collections, objects of interest to an individual and/or family through out their space, their home, office, showroom for long lasting living and temporary, staging purposes}
events {boutique weddings, special gatherings + celebrations, tablescapes, food + beverage bars, display + exhibit}
special projects, the sky is limitless, that in mind, we’re happy to exercise our creative muscles in application to a myriad of projects!
APPROACH
STYLING WITH STRATEGY..
WHEN STYLING A VISUAL ARRANGEMENT {AN EMPTY BOOKCASE OR MANTLE, STAGING A HOME TO MAXIMIZE THE SPACE + FEATURES, A STILL-LIFE PHOTOGRAPH FOR A NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH, ETC} MY INSTINCT KICKS IN, I ASSEMBLE THE SUBJECTS FOR ULTIMATE INTEREST AND COMMUNICATION - THE WEIGHT, DEPTH, LAYERS, TEXTURE, BALANCE, PROPORTION, COLOUR, RELATION BETWEEN OBJECTS - THESE ARE ALL COMPONENTS TO CREATING A SEAMLESS + EFFECTIVE DISPLAY
Q + A
WHERE DOES PROPER SOURCE THEIR ITEMS FROM?
our trend-forward propshop collection of new trend-forward items are sourced from select home decor + furniture wholesalers located throughout Canada (many from Ontario, Quebec + British Columbia) and the USA - having a close connection to the home decor + furniture retail business has allowed me to create relationships for PROPER
our antiques + found objects collection have been curated from antique markets + shows, auctions, estate sales in Canada, the US and Europe
WHAT MAKES PROPER DIFFERENT?
I have a background in fashion + styling for interiors, I have grown attending auctions + antique markets on the weekend - i have a unique point of view for assembly + a knack for proportion - i draw on my most recent experience working with home decor + futniture wholesalers, attending tradeshows to offer a different perspective on the prop rental business
PROP + DECOR STYLING, SOURCING + RENTAL
PROP + DECOR STYLING, SOURCING + RENTAL
PERSONALS
I HAVE BEEN PROP STYLING MY WHOLE LIFE!
AS A CHILD MY FAMILY MOVED OFTEN, NO MATTER WHICH TOWN WE LIVED I ALWAYS HAD THE OBJECTS IN MY ROOM THAT I HAD COLLECTED THAT I COULD SET-UP + DISPLAY TO FEEL LIKE HOME. I'VE ALSO BEEN MY GRANDMOTHERS 'HELPER' AT ANTIQUE SHOWS + MARKETS SINCE I WAS 7! EACH SHOW HAVING A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FOCUS (MINIATURES, CHILDRENS TOYS, ETC) WE HAD CERTAIN PROPS FOR CERTAIN SHOWS (ANTIQUE WOOD RACKS, MINIATURE LADDERS, METAL HAT STANDS, RISERS - MY FATHER USED TO MAKE CUSTOM PROPS FOR OUR TABLE TOP DISPLAYS!
ON THE MAP
born + grew up in toronto for a dozen years, grew some more through teens and early adult-hood living on the east coast of the us {connecticut, new jersey, new york state + city} and have been back in toronto for a few more years now.
EDUCATION + EXPERIENCE
BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS from the FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, part of the STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK {SUNY} major in FABRIC STYLING, a program exclusive to FIT
internship at Wallpaper Magazine in Brooklyn, studied makeup artistry, for a major national canadian newspaper, a toronto interior design + branding firm, and most recently branding, social media, website design, window and product display for a furniture + home decor boutique located in Oakville, Ontario, Canada
FASHION STYLING PROGRAM, george brown college, concentration on props, amie seigel of vera plaid
WPIC CERTIFIED - wedding planners institute of canada
BLOGYOURWAY BLOG BOSS, holly becker - decor8.com
ALT DESIGN SUMMIT - ALT channel - 'function'
BLOGGING101, liz stanley - sayyestohoboken.com
THE ORGANIZED BLOGGER, victoria hudgins - asubtlerevelry.com
DIY ORIGINAL CONTENT, victoria hudgins - asubtlerevelry.com
RED VELVET DREAM JOB E-COURSE, 21 sessions - elsie larson, rachel denbow; emma chapman - shopredvelvet.com
OBJECTS.
objects! of interest, of curiosity, of meaning, of memory, of history, of shape, of texture, of weight, of colour, of symbol - whether working to feature one object, a collection of many or a visual relationship between a few, conceptualizing, sourcing, propping a scene for photography, lifestyle photoshoots, catalogue, editorial, product, retail window display, visual merchandising, interiors + roomset, event display + decor - it's all about communicating a massage, a story, an experience - thus a memory.
OBJECTS OF INTEREST
emotion by memory one feels when looking, or holding an object
OBJECTS, PERSONIFIED
personificates inanimate objects; idle things by arranging
OBJECTS IN RELATION
from one object to another, when compiling the arrangement + styling, thoughts are on lighting, texture, weight, balance, layers, shape; colour
WHY OBJECTS?
BEDROOMS..
moved around a lot, especially as a tween + teen, the constant in addition to my parents + brother, were my things, the things that moved with me from house to house, that i could set-up the same in each bedroom. they were and still are! a source of comfort, understanding, - home.
ANTIQUES!
my grandmother is an antique collector, changing slightly throughout the years from one category to another, with the residing miniatures + childrens toy collection. i have been a partner in 'antique show' crime with my grandmother! setting-up tabletop displays of her collection, often the youngest object dating early 1900’s.
my grandma has a wonderful childlike side that comes out when surrounded by her collection of antique childrens toys, and miniature metal stoves for doll houses, and miniature 100+ year old butcher shop display - that has definitely carried through because so many parts of her collection have such personality on their own, then emphasized when my grandma would display and tell the history of her many objects.
all this? not possible without the support of my husband - who is in the banking profession by day, and the woodworking + fabrication world by night!