A chat with Catherine McCulloch Knudsen of Canvas Interiors on interior design, travel and how women can have it all....
1. Congrats on opening Canvas! What are your favorite three pieces right now in the store/online?
Thank you! It has been a great creative project putting the collection together. My favorite three pieces right now are the Briland chandelier, the Hurley Matchstick side table, and the “Carmel” chair (pictured above. $$229 and $1399, respectively). The Carmel has been in the store since day one. It is so versatile and yet unique enough not to be boring. We have two in our living room and they are so incredibly comfortable. The Briland Chandelier I am obsessed with. My husband thinks I’m nuts because everytime I set foot in the store I go straight to it and shoot it. I must have 100 images of it. Its like I’m looking at it for the first time every time I see it. Its not on our website yet which is driving me crazy! We’re working on uploading lots of new items as we speak. The Hurley matchstick side table has been flying off the floor and I see why. Incredibly cool looking and versatile side table for a great price.
2. We are having major nesting impulses out here in LA! What are a few tips for updating a room/space without breaking the bank? And if there are one or two pieces we should splurge on in a room, what are they?
I’ll start with the last part of the question. The one or two pieces I would splurge on would be a well made, solid sofa and a substantial occasional chair (like the Carmel). Pick a size and shape you can live with for a long time. The core concept of our store is if you start with these basics you can build your decor around them. Now for the not breaking the bank part: go to flea markets and thrift stores to add layers of interest to the room, change throw pillows seasonally, add cozy throws in colder months, collect coffee table books, treat yourself to fresh flowers. All of these accents when collected one at a time are an affordable way to decorate. And it is amazing what a can of white spray paint can do to a flea market or thrift store find. When I lived in LA on a tiny salary I would go to the Rose Bowl flea market religiously. I still have a few pieces from those days. One piece I bought on the street in LA for $80 many years later became the changing table for the nursery.
3. Do you believe in Feng Shui? And the way a room is set up in terms of encouraging good vibes?
I whole-heartedly believe that a home directly affects the way you feel. I personally need white, light, clean lines and not too cluttered. A home should nourish you. The biggest part of that for me is light. As for the finer points of Feng Shui, I do put the toilet seats down as I was told that the bathroom is your biggest area for leakage of energy. And I live with 3 boys.
4. We know you are an avid traveler. Where are some places you've been that inspire your design sense?
I have a rather eclectic design sense and I believe part of it is it is from growing up in traditional yet urban Toronto and then spending 20 years in California. I am rooted in tradition on some levels, but am ultimately inspired by the sunshine and water of Santa Barbara, the South of France and Harbour Island. I got lost one day while traveling alone in the South of France and found St. Jean Cap Ferrat. I stayed for a month. Santa Barbara was my go-to getaway when I lived in LA. I would often drive there by myself for the day and just absorb the vibe. There is an easy breezy nature to the Bahamas that I love. My shoulders relax when I get off the plane and life slows down.I take a deep breath just thinking about it. That is how I want to feel when I walk in my front door.
5. A little off subject but top of mind for us as it is a hot topic these days, you are a mother, wife, and savvy entrepreneur. Do you believe women can have it all? How do you balance it all?
Grab your coffee (or wine), this is a long answer. I believe women can have it all, just not 100% of all of it, all at the same time. Life is a series of cycles, some more balanced than others. I worked in Advertising for 20 years and loved it. My career was a huge part of the fabric of my life and a very enjoyable one. That cycle was 100% career. I met my husband when I was 36 and we got married when I was 40 so I enjoyed a long and fulfilling run in a satisfying career prior to having kids.
I had my kids at 41 and 44, and left my career to stay home with my littles. That cycle has been 100% kids. Which as an abstract concept was very scary when I was pregnant with our first but the minute I held him I knew that my career could wait. I realize that some people don’t have the luxury of a choice here, and feel very fortunate that I could choose to stay home.
Then there came a day when I needed a creative outlet and thus was born the blog. And collaborating on the concept and creative direction of the store with my husband has been a wonderful process for me. I have created a new chapter of creativity in my life, a new cycle.
Now the challenge is to bring it all together with kids, husband, home life... and find a balance. It is a daily juggle, especially working from home. I’ll be in the middle of a thought and someone needs a snack. Or I’ll be racing to get a blog post up in the morning and realize my youngest is still running around in PJ’s 5 minutes before it is time to leave for school. I try to be disciplined about switching gears from work to kids after 2pm. I also try to let myself off the hook if I don’t complete a task which is a very hard thing for me to do having worked in a deadline-driven industry for so long. It is a whole new set of rules when working from home and starting your own business.But the good news is, you get to make up your own rules so I try to create a work structure for myself based on the needs of my family.
xox,
Catherine
