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bathroom renos

Before & After: 3 Bathroom Renos in West Vancouver

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This client in West Vancouver wanted to give all three bathrooms in their home a makeover. These are what you would call lipstick renos, as no structural changes were made, only cosmetic changes. Check out the amazing Before and After photos below!

Bathroom Reno #1

Before

As you can see, this bathroom was looking a little bit tired. The dark colours didn’t do much for it.

Bathroom reno west vancouver - Before

After

They chose a custom vanity, floor tile by Tierra sol, Caesarston counters, and Riobel fixtures. Doesn’t the white make such a difference? It’ so bright, especially with all that natural light!

West Vancouver Bathroom Reno After

West Vancouver bathroom reno

Bathroom Reno #2

Before

The floor, the mirror, the light fixtures, and even the colours were all a bit outdated.

West Vancouver bathroom reno 2 - Before

After

Beautiful, bright, and modern!

West Vancouver Bathroom Reno After

Before

West Vancouver bathroom reno 2 Before

After

The clawfoot tub was removed, and a new tub and shower were added!

 

West Vancouver Bathroom Reno 2 After

Bathroom #3

Before

The 80’s called… they want their bathroom back.

West Vancouver Bathroom Reno 3 Before

After

This bathroom renovation was completed with Ames Tile & Stone, the vanity was purchased from Ikea, and the mirror is custom.

West Vancouver Bathroom reno 3 After

 

West Vancouver bathroom reno 3 After

Looking for your own interior transformation? Remember, we do more than just window coverings! Get in touch with us if you’d like to talk about interior renovations.

Ricci Lee Ingram Charlene ingram Jabot Interiors West Vancouver

This West Vancouver Window Coverings Company is run by a Mother and Daughter

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Jabot Interiors is a family business.

Inspired by her grandparents’ home and decorating style, the owner of Jabot Interiors, Charlene Ingram, appreciated design even from a young age. After attending design school and spending a few years at companies that specialized in window coverings, she had the confidence to go out on her own and open up Jabot Interiors in West Vancouver.

Jabot Interiors West Vancouver

Charlene opened Jabot over twenty five years ago, on April Fool’s Day in 1990. It’s definitely no joke; her shop is even still located in the same place as when she first opened. She’s watched the neighbourhood grow and change, and seen businesses come and go. Their boutique showroom is located in Dundarave Village, an area that has become a place where people come to gather and socialize.

Charlene started out offering just custom window coverings, which is the main part of her business, but naturally progressed into offering interior design and custom furniture as well. When asked about her favourite part of owning her own business, Charlene claims it is “the freedom of making choices and decisions of your own.”

Ricci-Lee Ingram & Charlene Ingram

In 1999, Charlene hired on her daughter, Ricci Lee, as her Assistant. She later became her Office Manager–and finally, a Design Consultant.

Ricci grew up around interior design, and spent many hours with her Mom at her shop in West Vancouver, helping her with ideas and playing in the showroom. She was still in school when her Mom offered her a job, and she thought she would try it out. Ricci claims she learned everything she knows from her Mom, “but the biggest thing is her positive attitude and great work ethic, I would like to think that a little of that rubbed off on me,” she says.

Working with family can be tough at times, but both Charlene and Ricci Lee thrive on it. They love that they can always be honest with each other, and no feelings are hurt. The only downfall? Too much shop talk interferes with their mother/daughter downtime. Understandable when you are running your own business!

If you’re interested in getting to know a little bit more about this mother daughter design team, or want to discuss custom window coverings, custom furnishings, or learn more about their work, just fill out the form on the Contact page. Either Charlene or Ricci Lee will get back to you as soon as possible.

Jabot Window Coverings and Interiors Vancouver

A Guide to Choosing the Perfect Window Treatments for your Home

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There are so many decisions to make when choosing window treatments… where do you begin?

All of the choices can be overwhelming (like are you wanting functional window treatments or decorative ones?), which is why we’re here to help.

Colour

Whatever window treatments you choose, they need to match the room, but you have two options to consider: do you want your curtains to blend in with the room, or do you want them to be the main focal point? If you’re blending to match the room, you can just choose a colour a few shades darker than the walls. You also have to consider where the sun shines in, and if you are using unlined curtains, it will change the look of the room. Sun will also eventually fade the fabric, too. If your room gets a lot of light, a bright colour might not be the best idea.

Jabot Window Coverings and Interiors Vancouver

Fabric

Your fabric should match the theme, or mood of the room. For a casual space, you can choose billowy linen curtains, or a for a more formal space, you can opt for velvet, or heavy silk. More practical options are rayon, cotton, or a wool blend, that can all work with most types of decor. But Linen, silk, faux silk, and velvet tend to hang the best.

Length

Floor-length, and even touching the floor, is usually the way to go, or hovering half an inch above the floor will look clean and tailored. Don’t go too short; it will look awkward. You can also opt for a longer curtain, that breaks at the floor–this is a more traditional look. They can be anywhere from one to six inches extra in length to drape on the floor.

Jabot Window Coverings and Interiors Vancouver

Width

Width is just as important as length! There are a few exceptions, like if you don’t plan to close the curtains, but generally they should have a combined width that is 2 to 2½ times the width of the window. If you want the curtains to block out the sun, a few extra inches on either side of the window frame will help block out the light.

Lining

If you’re looking to block out the light and create some privacy, lined curtains are what you’re after. They’ll also shield your curtains from fading from the sun, and protect against drafts. There is also something called interlining, too, which is an extra layer of fabric sewn in between the lining and fabric that faces the room. This is an option if you want the light completely blocked out, and the maximum amount of insulation as possible. If you’re doing custom curtains, interlining is an option, but if you’re opting for ready-made curtain panels, it may not be an available option.

Jabot Window Coverings and Interiors Vancouver

Tiebacks

Do you want to pull the curtains aside for more light, for a beautiful view, or for a more formal look? Then yes, opt for tiebacks. A simple option is tying the curtain in the centre of the window with matching fabric or a ribbon, or pulling them aside with a fabric tieback that matches the curtain. Ropes and tassels can offer a fancier look.

There are so many things to consider, which is why you should trust a professional. Contact us to book an appointment, or drop into our shop in West Vancouver.

Tiles, Tiles, Tiles… That Will Make You Smile

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Building a home? Doing a bathroom renovation?

We have some great classic tile options, combined with great pricing.

We have several vendor connections, so let us do your tile selecting and purchasing for you–saving you time and money with our buying power!

Tiles for Miles

Check out some of the selection:

tiles-2 tiles-4 tiles-5 tiles
tiles-6 tiles-7 tiles-8

Get in Touch

Be sure to give us a ring when you’re ready to talk tiles! 604.922.4668

5 Reasons to get to know a Professional Design Consultant

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Maybe you don’t think you need a professional Design Consultant to help you design and decorate your home. Maybe you think it will be too costly.

At Jabot, we know that sometimes a customer’s inexperience and making the wrong decisions on design can be very costly to update or re-do. A professional design consultant can ensure you make the right decisions for your home and your budget.

Here are a few reasons why hiring a professional design consultant (particularly one from Jabot Interiors!) is an excellent idea:

 

  1. YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START

    It can be overwhelming and paralyzing so much that you do nothing for a long time. No one wants to make a mistake, especially a costly one.
    Your Jabot Design Consultant will take all your needs and requirements into consideration.

  2. YOU ARE AFRAID YOU’LL BUY THE WRONG THING

    “There is nothing worse when a sofa is too small or big for a room, you played way too safe with your fabric choices, or put the wrong window coverings on your windows,” says design consultant Charlene Ingram. “Our job is to narrow it down and simplify things by asking the right questions so that does not happen.”

  3. YOU DON’T KNOW A GOOD CARPENTER

    A designer’s rolodex is a trove of resources — upholsterers, curtain makers, furniture makers, and painters, to name a few.
    (Bonus: If a design consultant from Jabot orders the work, they stand behind it.)

  4. YOU CAN’T CHOOSE FROM THOUSANDS OF PAINT CHIP COLOURS

    For example, there are over 1,000 shades of off-whites alone. At Jabot, we will help you pick out the perfect colour for your walls, ceilings, and trim.

  5. YOU LOVE DOING YOUR OWN DECORATING

    Fine — just start with a consultation. In a visit or two, we can help you choose paint colours, fabrics, and furniture arrangements, then leave you with a detailed plan of action.

If you are ready to begin decorating your home, please get in touch, and we will help you start planning and making beautiful and budget-friendly design choices.

Get to know Jabot: 5 Questions with Charlene Ingram

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Charlene Ingram

We wanted you to really get to know the people behind the scenes at Jabot Interiors, so we did a Q & A session with Design Consultant and Owner of Jabot Interiors, Charlene Ingram.

Q: What made you get into interior design, and make the jump to opening your own business?

I always loved decorating from the time I was a young girl, I naturally just followed my passion. I worked for a large window covering chain for 3 years and ended up managing the North Vancouver location. I learned the the ins and outs of business there, but eventually, I knew I would be running something of my own. When I turned 30, I made the leap.

Q: How has your business changed over the years?

We started out with just window coverings which is the main part of our business, however, we have evolved into doing interior design as well. There are so many options of window coverings and ways that people do business, find business etc., that it’s not as simple anymore.

Q: What is the biggest thing you have learned in your 26 years of running Jabot Interiors?

That by trusting and believing in yourself you can make it happen, always!

Q: Where do you receive your inspiration?

Everywhere I look–and pictures of interiors. When I do a clients home, I do it from what I feel in the home, from them, and the space they have. I know it sounds funny to some, but when I am in the space, I intuitively get a connection to what it needs, and what I know the client will love. This is what is inspirational to me and when the client lets me run with it, it is very satisfying. I just feel sure; I don’t think, I know.

Q: What is your favourite part about owning your own business?

The freedom of making choices and decisions of your own.

Thank you for taking the time, Charlene!

Drapery Do’s and Don’t’s

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Custom draperies are one of the best options for decorating your rooms. But there are a lot of things to consider before you invest a considerable amount of money on custom draperies. It is a good idea to really communicate with your decorator/designer so they know what you want and you know what to expect. Here, we discuss some thumb rules for choosing your custom drapery.

Do’s:

Measure
Custom drapes should fit perfectly to your window and for that, you need to make the drapes of correct length. Otherwise, it might look out of place and completely destroy the look of the room.

Choose your lining
It is important to choose a lining based on the type of fabric you have chosen. Some fabrics don’t look as nice with light filtering through so make sure you look at that before you make the drape. Silks and linens can break down in harsh sunlight so make sure you use the right protective lining so you get the longevity out of them. If you are doing a side panel that is half on the wall and half over the window then consider lining it in a room darkening fabric so that when you look at it the fabric looks consistent, half of it isn’t dark and the other half light where the light filters through.

custom drapes Vancouver

Custom drapes installed in a Vancouver home

Don’t’s:

Hanging the drapery rod too low
This is a very common mistake and will cause your room look smaller. If you hang the drapes to their recommended height, you will draw the eye up and make the room look as tall as possible.

Not enough ease
Your drapes should hang freely and not look like they are stretched to their limit. Drapes are supposed to hang relaxed. If you are just doing a side panel and not a fully closing drape then add in some extra width so you can stack it back a little and make it look like it does close.

Other things to keep in mind

How a fabric hangs
Some fabrics “billow” when you use them for draperies and some fabrics wrinkle so make the one you choose is the right one for your room. Linens usually wrinkle, so avoid them if you want wrinkle free drapes.

At Jabot Interiors, we can help you choose the right, and cost effective drapes, for your home in Greater Vancouver. Call us for any interior design related queries today.

Get to know Jabot

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The doors to Jabot Window Coverings & Interiors opened April Fools Day 1990. My friends and family thought I was crazy starting a business during a recession, but 25 1/2 years later, here we are, and the home decor industry is bigger than ever!

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