Jillian Harris Shares Her Design Secrets

Fave places to decor shop in Vancouver: The Cross in Yaletown, Country Furniture on South Granville, antique stores and HomeSense (various locations)

Splurge-worthy items: Sofas and beds

Favourite flowers: Hydrangeas and peonies

Every home needs: A beverage centre for beer and wine

Best discovery: A built-in coffee maker

“I definitely like a lot of art,” says Harris, but she urges people to find something inexpensive yet valuable in a sentimental way. Or make a piece from meaningful items, she suggests. “Frame flies from your great grandpa’s fly-fishing collection.”

Her other trick for achieving a luxe look for less is to choose a high-low mix of accessories: steals from Target and splurges from The Cross, which act as “the icing” on the cake. “It gives your house that look of timelessness and richness.”

For Harris, achieving such style means starting with a blank canvas, preferably in neutral hues – creams or whites – and building layers. An area rug, for example, acts as an anchor for a room. Harris favours the cream Lotta Love rug (right) she designed for Korhani Home as part of her Love Jillian Harris collection – it has dark-red heart accents on it for a playful pop of colour. She’s also big on texture: “I love mixing muslins with thick rugs and knits and sequins and sparkles.”

Next, she adds larger investment pieces such as sofas to a room. For her own home, Harris purchased a down-filled linen sofa from Country Furniture on South Granville that marries luxury with comfort. HomeSense is Harris’ go-to for smaller pieces such as side chairs, ottomans and table lamps, and she finishes up every space with all-important accessories to add polish and personality.

“My style is generally feminine, light and airy. I like to mix vintage with all sorts of eclectic styles, but keep within a certain colour palette,” says Harris. “I like a tad of whimsy in a space, and I love to see a person’s personality and life experiences shine through in the decor.”

Click through to learn how Jillian creates her feminine eclectic look.