Welcome to our monthly Sweetheart feature, this month we are featuring the lovely Robin Plessl. Robin is an interior design student and a newbie to the west coast.
Tell us why you left a potential life in Toronto for VanCity? Must be quite the guy, hey?
Haha, he's certainly special. I spent a summer in Victoria a few years ago and fell in love with the mountains and the ocean on the West Coast, but I have to admit, the "guy" was definitely the final push to get me out here. The fact that Vancouver has a great Interior Design program isn't bad either!
How does Vancouver compare to Toronto on the coolness scale. Give us your ratings on restaurants, shopping, style, cultu...etc.
Well, they're completely different. I feel like Toronto has more diversity, and the city is bigger so it has more to offer. Vancouver fashion is a lot more laid back and casual. It's hard to find a good party dress here, but easy to find a fashionable umbrella or pair of comfy jeans. In Toronto, it's kind of the opposite...They both suit my lifestyle, which is why I can't resist shopping in Toronto too when I'm home for even a few days!
What is it like working for one of the biggest online dating sites out there at the moment?
FUN! Our staff is all super young, so we have an awesome time together. Our walls at work are plastered with success stories, so that keeps us going too! Our customers are all over the world, so it's cool getting introduced to other cultures through them.
How do you keep sane at work?
I'm the biggest Bryan Adams fan, so normally it's him that gets me through the long afternoons. Lately though, it's been Mariah Carey's Christmas album, and maybe a few Nsync Christmas songs mixed in there too ;)
My entire department at work is girls my age too and they're all hilarious, so we're constantly laughing.
When did you decide you wanted to go into interior design?
I used to play on my dad's Chief Architect program. I would rush home after school to design houses. I continued with design and art all through school, and about halfway through my Fine Arts degree, I realized I actually wanted to be in Interior Design. Now being in design school feels more right than anything ever has.
What are you looking forward to doing THE MOST with your career?
Interior design is so fun for me because it combines all my interests and talents. I'm looking forward to utilizing my talents, while doing something I consider super fun on a daily basis. How many people can really say they have a job like that?
Any quick and easy interior decor tips you can share with us clueless people?
LOTS! Where do I start?
If you're going to have patterns in your room (fabric, furniture, anything), mix up the sizes. Don't only have big floral prints everywhere. Contrast those with some tiny polka dots or stripes so the eye has somewhere to rest. And on a side note to that...if you're one of those people that doesn't like any pattern, PLEASE, for the sake of your guests, add some stripes for interest! Even a single throw cushion!
If your room is more than one colour, make sure you have multiple elements in the room that have each colour in them. For example, if one the walls are green, make sure you bring a green patterned fabric into the room somehow, or artwork with green in it. The best thing to do is find a few items that contain EVERY colour in the room. Those will tie the room together well.
I could literally go on all day...
What is the ultimate wall colour?
Do you want my personal opinion or professional opinion??
If I had the choice, my whole house would be a deep fushia colour right now, but I don't think my boyfriend would appreciate that. My professional opinion is that grey and yellow are really in right now. These colours work great with blue accents, and browns. They're natural, but feminine. Bluey tinted greys are good for walls, especially in Vancouver with our weather, while yellows and the other colours I mentioned would be good for accents. It depends where in the house the room is located. South -facing rooms will get a warmer light than a north-facing room would, so you should use warmer colours in those rooms and vice versa.
How do trends in fashion relate back to interior design?
As I mentioned in the previous question, there are definitely colour trends as well as shapes and styles that go in and out every season, much like fashion. Luckily, most people don't feel the need to update their house as often as their wardrobe (that'd be expensive!!!). I've been told that colour trends in Interior design relate back to the car manufacturing industry's choice of colours for their upcoming season. Maybe all sorts of design are influencing each other?
What do you consider as lamesauce?
Hmmm....to me, lamesauce is when the ONE show you watch religiously every week is suddenly a re-run one week without any notice. What's up with that?! The producers of Criminal minds are killing me!! ...pun not intended.
Why do you think Silver Icing is so insanely awesome?
When I put on that bamboo tshirt for the first time, I fell in love. and then onto the couch, and then asleep. That stuff is ridiculously comfortable! Also, this collection has a way of making you look fantastic in stuff you never thought you would (My new fav. is the Georgia top!).
What are your must-read fashion, style, and interior design blogs?
Apartment therapy is my ultimate favourite (http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/) . Also, design sponge is great (http://www.designsponge.com/) . I also follow LC's and Whitney Port's blogs for fashion advice...I'm a shameless Hills fan.
