Design By 5: Housewears Interviews City TV's Ramsin Khachi

We've come to the fifth and final designer of our 'Design By 5' series of interviews! I had the pleasure of attending an interior design seminar led by Ramsin Khachi of Cityline fame, and spent time chatting about interiors with him. Ramsin was charming and friendly, and was kind enough to contact me after our chat with additional information for the interview.


First, some background - Ramsin's endeavour in television began when his daughter's "princess" bedroom, which he designed and built in 1999, was featured on Cityline. Since then, he's made regular appearances on City TV's Cityline and Breakfast Television, dispensing common-sense advice on home improvement projects, and also bringing the hottest in home products and gadgets to viewers.

Ramsin's daughter Brianna's 'princess' bedroom.

Ramsin is principal of Khachi Design Group and its sister company Khachi Interiors Inc. located in Oakville, Ontario, specializing in both residential and commercial projects. Known for unparalleled integrity for quality and extensive knowledge for construction, Ramsin has grown a one-man construction company into a full service design/build firm, and he's recognized as a leader in his field. He is a frequent lecturer at public forums and to professional organizations such as 'IDS' and The Ontario Home Builders Association, where he also judges annual award entries for all of its members.

Find out more about Ramsin in a great article from West of the City Magazine by clicking here. As a devoted husband and father, family is a huge priority for Ramsin. He shares his design talents with other families for charity, creating room makeovers for children with life-threatening illnesses through the 'Make-A-Wish' organization.

And now, the interview:

Housewears: The HRTC (Home Renovation Tax Credit) allows Canadians to save money on home renovations until February of 2010, so what renovations would you suggest a homeowner do for $10, 000 to create a 'wow' factor?

Ramsin: There are all kinds of amazing wallpapers out right now, and that's a great way to create a statement! Here are 3 wall coverings I like from the Maya Romanoff Collection.





Housewears: What are some of your favourite materials to utilize in a bathroom renovation?

Ramsin: I love many of the latest natural stones as well as the porcelain tiles. The high polished look in both is very hot right now. Two of my favourite stones are Calacatta marble and Eramosa limestone.


Vein cut Eramosa limestone from Stone Source.

A photo of a recent bathroom project by Khachi Design Group, with a stunning Calacatta marble floor.

Housewears: Ramsin, you're known for enlightening people about the latest and greatest gadgets and technology for the home- what's hot in bathrooms?


Ramsin: I just returned from the Hans Grohe Aquademie in Atlanta, and had the chance to personally try all of the new Hans Grohe products. One of the new amazing products in the Raindance E shower head.


There's also some fantastic electronic thermostatic systems for showers such as the Ondus by Grohe,

And the Hansgrohe Rainbrain. Keep your eyes open for some great new innovations and designs.

I'm also really excited about two other technology systems for the home, Sonos, and Schlage's Link. Sonos is a multi-room, multi-source audio system for the home, an amazing wireless system at a very affordable price. Go to http://www.sonos.com/ for more information.

Schlage's Link is an interactive keypad lock using z-wave technology to provide secure remote access and control of the lock....you can lock your doors from your cell phone! This is a great way to provide a simple means of creating an automated home. For more information on this product, visit http://www.schlage.com/.

Housewears: These products sound incredible! In terms of colour, what are your favourites in paint colours right now?

Ramsin: I like neutrals, specifically grays, and some of my newest favourites are Benjamin Moore Thunder (AF685) - a soft gray, Edgecomb Gray (HC-173), Natural Linen (CC-90), and on the bold side, Black Beauty (2128-10), Black Bean Soup (2130-10), and Metropolis (CC-546). All are from Benjamin Moore.

Benjamin Moore's Edgecomb Gray, HC-173

Housewears: What exciting projects are you currently working on?

Ramsin: As you know, Jill, we're working on the Dove Spa project, and we've just completed the second location at Yonge and St. Clair in Toronto. A third location is being considered for Bloor West Village, and there are plans for building 50 Dove Spa locations across Canada. We've also completed a state of the art 'medical office of tomorrow', with paperless office technology and HP touchsmart touchscreen computers. We're also looking into adding to our own office with a retail furniture and accessory showroom and a retail innovative product website.

Thanks so much, Ramsin, for sharing your ideas with us! Here are more photos of Ramsin's wonderful work to enjoy!

A photo of a lounge inside Dove Spa.

Dove Spa photos above and below.

Click here and type in a name under the new"Search Housewears Blog" icon on the right to find Housewears' interviews with the other 4 Canadian designers - Sarah Richardson, Tommy Smythe, Emmanuel Belliveau, and William MacDonald.

Today we're hooked on Ramsin Khachi's design! Check out what others are hooked on at http://www.hookedonhouses.net/.

Design By 5: Housewears Chats with HGTV's Tommy Smythe

I had a great time chatting with the fourth designer in our Design By 5 series - HGTV's Tommy Smythe, the witty and stylish sidekick for Sarah Richardson on 'Design Inc.', 'Sarah's House', and currently on 'Sarah's Cottage'. Tommy may be slight in stature, but his personality is super sized! As for his design style, he calls himself a maximalist rather than a minimalist. He was happy to give us his perspective on home improvement, and how can you not adore those smiling eyes and perfect (freshly bleached, he told us) pearly whites?

photo courtesy HGTV
Beyond his television work, Tommy is a regular contributor to Canadian House and Home and Style at Home magazine, and he's travelling around the country making appearances. He was the featured designer at the London Home and Garden Show last weekend. At the Opening Night Party at IDS09, we discussed home renovation and the colours he's gravitating to as of late. Design is in Tommy's blood; his grandmother Dorothea was a designer, and his sister Christie Smythe is co-owner of 'Smythe Les Vestes', a chic line of womens' jackets carried by high end department stores such as Holt Renfrew, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdale's.

Smythe Equestrian Jacket courtesy Luxe Label


And now, the interview:


Housewears: As you know Tommy, the HRTC (Home Renovation Tax Credit) is an incentive provided to Canadian homeowners until February 2010, allowing savings of up to $1350 for a $10,000 home renovation. Where in a home do you feel people should invest that money to create a 'wow' factor?


Tommy: That's a really great question. I would say kitchens and bathrooms are a great place to invest in, and for both of these, rather than concentrating on up high or down low, I would focus on the mid-line areas, from eye level to waist level because we notice these areas and interact with them most.


Housewears: So, give me some examples of what you would change in an existing kitchen.


Tommy: Definitely kitchen countertops is a good area, even an island top, all of those working areas, backsplashes are a great way to add detail, even faucets, sinks, are areas you would be looking at and interacting with on a daily basis, so a perfect place to add interest.

Carrera marble tile kitchen via Cote de Texas

Simple subway tile and an art niche creates huge interest in this kitchen.

Oval stainless tiles via Apartment Therapy

Photos above and below courtesy of HGTV

photos above and below courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Glass tile goes vertical! courtesy Building Stone Magazine

Housewears: So we also want to know what colours and paint chips you really like right now.

Tommy: Well, one would definitely be green, a deep rich green. It's very regal.

Housewears: So you mean an emerald green?

Tommy: I would call it Yves St. Laurent green, it's stunning. And another colour I love is a battleship gray. It's a great neutral.

Ugly Betty's Becki Newton in green YSL for collection 2009

YSL green shoes via Shoewawa

YSL's Ombre 5 Eyeshadow

Housewears: So the battleship gray would be considered a light gray?

Tommy: Think of a pair of sweatpants. The gray of a sweatshirt. That's a great colour that

works well with so many other colours, and it's so comfortable....like sweats!

Ralph Lauren's Thoroughbred Paint in TH04 'Sweatshirt Gray'

Photo courtesy of Twolia.com These grays look cozy!

Thanks so much, Tommy, for your great ideas! Your energy is infectious, Sarah is so wise to have such a great counterpart! This week, Housewears is hooked on Tommy! Check out Hooked on Houses to see what others are hooked on this week.

We're going to take a break from interviews, so stay tuned for next week's post on colour!!!

Housewears Interviews HGTV's Emmanuel Belliveau

In light of the fact that Earth Day is quickly approaching, I thought I'd share with you my interview with a "green" TV designer in my 'Design by 5' series of interviews, Emmanuel Belliveau. He's the humourous and creative designer from HGTV's 'My Parents' House',where together with co-host Andrika Lauren, he transforms bland and dated homes caught in a timewarp into updated, functional, beautiful spaces.

He is also the host of a show on the Discovery Channel, (Planet Green) called 'World's Greenest Homes', where he travels the world to report on homes that are innovative and completely environmentally friendly.

A native of New Brunswick, Emmanuel began his career in design with FNDA Architecture Inc. in Vancouver, where he travelled extensively doing design projects in exotic places such as Dubai and Umbassa.
When I met him, he had just returned from a trip to Africa. He was very friendly and sincere, and very happy to chat with me about his recent endeavours.

Now, for the interview:

Housewears: As you know, for 2009, Revenue Canada is providing incentives to Canadian homeowners by offering a 15% tax credit for home renovations from $1000 to $10,000. What, in terms of renos, should homeowners be doing to give their homes a 'wow' factor?

Emmanuel: Honestly, Jill, since I've been hosting "World's Greenest Homes", my perspective on design has changed significantly. I've just come back from Africa, and I've always been someone who has wanted to help others and improve things, but after seeing what I've seen in various parts of the world, I'm more concerned about improvement in a broader sense. We have so much here, and I guess the focus for me is more about conserving and using the 4 R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Reclaim. It would be great if homeowners could maximize their home's efficiency and maybe incorporate the 4 R's in some way.

Housewears: What specifically would you recommend they do?

Emmanuel: Have their heating and cooling systems checked, upgrade the energy efficiency if needed, replace drafty windows, leaky taps and toilets, improve insulation, purchase high efficiency appliances. In terms of decor, I'd recommend homeowners install recycled and renewable products in their homes, such as bamboo or reclaimed wood, choose recycled glass for tile backsplashes and light fixtures, install carpeting with natural materials such as wool or hemp, reinvent some of their existing furniture, and use paint with low emissions to protect their air quality.

Photo courtesy Peerless Bamboo Flooring
Housewears: Great ideas!I guess little things like using energy efficient lightbulbs in all fixtures can be done. And speaking of paint, can you tell me a paint colour you're a fan of these days?

Emmanuel: Exactly- change your lightbulbs, put in a water filtration system instead of drinking bottled water, have a recycling center in your kitchen, it's all good! And as far as paint, I've always really liked gray, a rich charcoal gray looks great in so many applications.

Thanks so much, Emmanuel, for your ideas! Fortunately, environmentally friendly products are becoming regularly more available, so fear not, to be green does not mean sacrificing style! Here are some great products you can incorporate into a "green" renovation:

Natural pebble tile photo courtesy of Modrocks.com

Plantation bamboo flooring photo courtesy of spec-net.com.au

Hip furniture! photo courtesy Iannone Design

Zac Ridgely's 'Crushed' recycled glass wall sconce, Photo courtesy Mocoloco

Zac Ridgely's Stainless weave lighting, photo courtesy Mocoloco


A Housewears recycling project! Here is the result of a makeover we did for a client on a pair of dated pickled oak chairs with pink and green floral print upholstery. We added gridding to the wall, had the chairs sprayed in high gloss finish, reupholstered them, added statement pillows, and voila, tres chic! Her friends couldn't believe these chairs weren't hot off the showroom floor!

One can still be environmentally conscious and fashionable as well, hence, the term 'eco-chic chick!!'

Bamboo shrug and organic cotton dress by Kelly Lane at Jute and Jackfruit

Matt&Nat eco-chic Kali bag, available at Neiman Marcus, photo via BagSnob
Stella Maccartney's eco-chic raffia platform sandal

I'm hooked on eco-chic products! Don't forget to visit Hooked on Houses for Hooked on Friday, and Fifi Flowers for Fashionable Friday!
How are you being "green"? Stay tuned for my next designer interview in my 'Design by 5' series, or better yet, subscribe to my blog so you don't miss it!