Classic and contemporary?

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/01/2012 (5110 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Those who follow home decor know Cobi Ladner. During her time as editor of Canadian House & Home magazine, she was well-known for the warm way she drew readers onto the pages, guiding them through the design principles and tricks used to put the room vignettes together.

Today, she’s bringing those rooms to life with a new line of home furnishings and accessories called cobistyle, the hallmark of which is a beautiful combination of colour and pattern.

We sat down with Ladner to find out what it takes to launch a furniture line.

Question: From magazine editor to furniture designer is an exciting leap. What made you do it?

Answer: Two things: I knew when I left House & Home after 18 years that people identified with me as a friendly, welcoming person in what can be an intimidating world of design… .

I love that relationship and I wanted to continue that.

The other thing was that I thought there was a point of view missing in the marketplace that had to do with colour and personality. Rooms were becoming very homogenous, very urban, very contemporary — everything started to look the same. I know because people were writing to me and saying, ‘Where is the pretty, where is the floral?’

There was a whole esthetic that had been overlooked and had lost its place. I believe colour and pattern can be sophisticated and tasteful and can be done really well. I just wanted to bring that point of view back into the marketplace.

Q: What was the process behind the designs?

A: I started work in 2008 to move the concept into a brand and then went out for a whole year to meet people who were making things and who understood the marketplace, to bring something else to them.

There’s so much in the marketplace right now.

You’re not going to reinvent the wheel, but it’s about bringing a new attitude. It’s worked very well; I have five partners now and I’m launching a fixed lighting line at a show in Dallas in January.

Q: What sparked the line’s inspiration?

A: People have always asked me where I shop, and because I got it at a flea market or antique store or some out-of-the-way place, I never gave them a straight answer. I don’t tend to buy in a traditional marketplace; I always look for something a little more interesting.

My idea was to bring all those elements of shopping in unusal places into a line that was accessible and affordable.

Q: It’s not easy to launch a business like this. What’s your biggest challenge?

A: I feel like I’ve started late in a way … that I’m in a race with time (to develop) a line that people really know, that’s significant.

Some days I feel really confident and some days I feel as though I bit off a big chunk.

I just want a business that’s real. I want to develop product, I want to have beautiful things that go into people’s homes.

I really love the creative process of developing products. I would do that all the time if I could — those are my best days.

Q: What about lessons along the way?

A: What I find tricky is that people always want trends. How do you keep current and real with this world that always wants to know that latest trend, but also have classics that people love? You can shop the trends for what you love but I don’t think your house should be a trend.

I want this line to be classic and timeless, but I also want it to be current. I’m learning how to figure that out.

Q: What’s the key to home and style?

A: I’m really big on knowing who you are and being consistent with that.

— Postmedia News