Let’s Get Cozy: Our Tips for Making Home Your Happy Place

We love cozying up at home and embracing the season ahead. Get inspired with some of our favourite tips for making your space a cozy sanctuary.

We love cozying up at home and embracing the season ahead. Get inspired with some of our favourite tips for making your space a cozy sanctuary.

Linnea Moss Soy Candle — CANDLES

We light candles all year round, but they are especially a non-negotiable in the fall and winter months.
Decorating with candles adds warmth to a room and makes it feel cozy and inviting. Candles are also a versatile decorating tool that smells amazing and adds character and style to any room in your home.
We love using candles with seasonal scents like deep reds and burnt oranges. If you’re more into neutrals, try incorporating candles with texture or experiment with candle holders in unique shapes.
Lastly, create an inviting space by adding taper candles to your tablescapes for social gatherings or use them in your entryway to greet guests upon arrival.

PILLOWS & THROWS

Textured pillows and throws in seasonal colours are the best way to bring all the cozy vibes to your space. Chunky knits and warm colours spark joy and bring a sense of comfort to your space.
DESIGN TIP:
Décor should be comfortable *and* functional, especially if you crave a soothing space to unwind in at the end of a busy day. If you have kids, look for textiles in performance fabrics that are easy to wipe clean or wash.

AMBIENT LIGHT

We focus on lighting in the upcoming seasons from a practical standpoint -especially because days are darker in Vancouver - but also because it’s a way to dial up the coziness, too.
Portable lamps are trending right now, with lots of brands offering their own iterations from luxury to budget-friendly options.
We are currently obsessed with table lamps—they are art and create design-led moments throughout your home. Try adding a small lamp or sconce to an unexpected place, like in the bathroom or kitchen to make it feel warmer, and to avoid the use of large, fluorescent ceiling lights.
DESIGN TIP:
Sometimes we use portable lamps on our dining table instead of candles to set the mood!

FOLIAGE

Nothing represents the changing of the seasons more than the summer blooms fading into rich fall foliage.
Bringing the beauty of the outdoors indoors is a quick and easy way to change up the look of a room and help to make it feel more cozy.
DESIGN TIP:
Shop your backyard with gardening shears! You will be surprised at what you will find. Choose large branches to bring a sculptural element to your décor. This can make for an eye-catching feature in the space; uplifting the area with natural texture and colour.

RUGS

If you only add one thing to your décor shopping list, make it an area rug!
One of the easiest ways to add warmth and texture to your room is to introduce a versatile rug. More flexible than a carpet or other forms of fixed floor coverings, rugs and runners are a great way to soften a hard stone, tiled, or wood floor, and can also be layered onto soft floors to provide extra interest or to define zones. They add a layer of personality to any room, even in the kitchen or entryway!
DESIGN TIP:
If you don’t have the budget or time to shop for a new rug, give your carpet a nice deep clean, or opt for a jute rug. Jute rugs are typically budget-friendly and introduce texture to any space.

Happy Cozy Season!

CONTACT US

Allow Us To Reintroduce Ourselves

Welcome to the JMS Blog! We’re going to be sharing a little bit of everything here - from highlights of some of our favourite projects to design and project tips, local business features, and more.

Meet Josh & Ashley, the Team Behind JMS Projects & Design

Welcome to the JMS Blog! We’re going to be sharing a little bit of everything here - from highlights of some of our favourite projects to design and project tips, local business features and more. To kick things off, we thought we’d share some fun facts about ourselves and our approach to design and renovations. Let’s get into it!

HOW WE MET:

We met thirteen years ago at a mutual friend’s birthday party at Pierre’s Champagne Bar in Yaletown—because we’re fancy like that. Two kids, a chihuahua and business later, and here we are!

OUR GO-TO DATE NIGHT SPOT IN VANCOUVER:

We live in Mount Pleasant and love supporting all the local businesses in our neighbourhood. From a nice dinner at Savio Volpe to playing pool at Hero’s and crushing some tacos and margaritas at El Caminos—there are so many amazing options just outside our front door. We also like to switch it up and keep things fresh with cooking classes or concerts. This city has so much to offer and we like to take full advantage!

Vinyl Collection — WE COLLECT:

Vinyls! Since we started dating, we have always loved going to the record store and picking out albums for our home. Dance parties are a regular occurrence in our living room with our kids and guests. We love hosting and always let our guests play DJ. Whenever we’re travelling or at a concert, we always pick up a record for our collection. Music connects us to these special memories.

THE BEST TRIP WE’VE EVER BEEN ON:

We loved Bali and Paris. We went to Bali before we had our daughter, and Paris for our honeymoon. We love to travel and explore new places!

THE TRUE STORY OF WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE IN BUSINESS WITH YOUR SPOUSE:

It’s fun to get to see each other in our skill sets, collaborate and celebrate work successes together. It’s tough to set boundaries and turn off the “talking shop.” There are all kinds of challenges but we’re proud of everything we’ve accomplished together.

OUR CURRENT DESIGN CRUSH:

Athena Calerdone & Studio Mcgee

Shifting gears into the business side of things…

OUR CLIENTS CAN COUNT ON US FOR:

We are a one-stop-shop for design, contracting, project management and more. JMS takes a customized approach with projects of all sizes. We invest in building long-term relationships with our clients so they can come back to us when they are looking for anything from a design refresh to a full-scale renovation!

We ask a lot of questions when working with our clients to learn more about their vision and budget. Our goal is to provide our clients with a high-quality guarantee for projects of all scales. We’re always working to create spaces that are both functional and beautiful.

BEFORE TAKING ON A PROJECT, CLIENTS SHOULD THINK ABOUT:

Choosing the right design and build team. This hinges on finding partners you trust that can give honest feedback. Forging a strong working relationship leads to a higher quality of work and project results that all parties are stoked about!

THE KIND OF PROJECTS WE’RE MOST EXCITED TO TAKE ON:

We love kitchen and bathroom design. Custom millwork projects are always a favourite because they help us build functionality into our clients’ spaces.

IN THE FUTURE, WE’D LIKE TO DO MORE:

Full-service design projects that involve helping clients create a cohesive design aesthetic through their home or business. We are also always looking to build long-term relationships with clients.

RENOVATION PROJECTS SHOULD BE:

Easy & Delightful! We want customers to feel at ease and inspired while they are working with us. From spending time in their homes and helping them make big decisions about their space or business, we’re present for some major moments in their lives so we prioritize creating authentic relationships and building trust.

There are lots more exciting things to come from us and the JMS Blog—stay tuned and get excited!