Child's play
Their bedroom is their haven, so let personality shine in
its decor
Hattie Klotz, Ottawa Citizen
Published: Saturday,
February 04, 2012
Tish Smith has
worked on the CHEO dream homes since 1999, originally with designer Donna
Correy and now with her partner Terry Stevens, who is also an artist. After
studying graphic design at Algonquin College, Smith offered faux finishes and
Venetian plasterwork. When she met Stevens, who recruited her to work alongside
him at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Ottawa, the pair completed several large
jobs for homes in Toronto and a domed ceiling in a golf club with eight giant
panels depicting images of the Tuscan countryside and wine bottle labels.
Now based in Ottawa, the pair is the creative brilliance behind the
murals in the current CHEO home, including a magical Harry Potter bedroom.
"Ottawa is
a smaller, but less competitive, market," says Smith. "We've done
underwater murals for twin boys, a jungle theme with a built-in cave scene in a
basement for some grandparents and plenty of storybook characters. The most
important thing is to find a theme that's relevant to the child," she
says. "That could be a storybook or an activity that resonates."
So if the idea
of wallpaper and the horrors of scraping it off in a few years when it's
stained and out-of-date doesn't grab you, give a whimsical lick of paint a try.
With talent such as this in Ottawa, the only limit to the walls and doors of
your child's bedroom is your imagination.
© Ottawa Citizen 2012
