Jillian Harris isn’t living in colour.
In fact, the interior design maven has always been an ambassador for whites and neutrals.
“I love a blank canvas,” says Harris, whose home is a white linen wonderland.
Harris lives in Kelowna with her fiancé Justin, their little son, Leo, and boxer, Nacho. The couple spent most of last year fully renovating their dream home, from the studs up.
Incorporating more rustic elements and greys for the interior design scheme was Harris’ relationship compromise.
“I really tried to think about Justin this time because our last house was my home and it was very feminine. He just asked that it not feel like a dollhouse,” she says, with a laugh.
So how does Harris keep all those crisp white linens clean with a toddler and big dog running around her pristine home?
“I get this question asked literally several times a day,” says Harris. “I like white because I like to know when my stuff is dirty.”
The secret is most of Harris’ furniture is slip covered and bleach is her best friend at home.
Having a neutral and timeless home décor base allows Harris to save time and money.
That’s why she has a hard-and-fast rule for interior design.
“I actually have always turned my nose up to the word trend for two reasons. One is I really believe that sometimes people focus too much on the trends and less on what makes your heart go pitter-patter,” explains Harris.
Instead, she says your space should be a reflection your story or your family’s story and favourite things.
Trends are there to guide you, adds Harris, but it’s OK if you’re not into the current colour of the year.
“I also think from a financial perspective and a stress perspective, I don’t think we need to be changing things every year and every season,” says Harris, who was in Vancouver this week for the PC Optimum program launch.
Maintaining a neutral style at home is a time-saver for Harris, who enjoys injecting festive decor for each holiday.
She turns to individually marked Tupperware containers in her organized storage room to help with the seamless transition from Christmas to Valentine’s Day to Easter, as each month flips by on the calendar.
For Valentine’s Day Harris will string up a DIY love banner in the kitchen, where her family gathers.
She also creates centrepieces using hurricane vases, a home décor hack for Harris, which takes her from one holiday to the next.
At the moment Harris’ hurricane vases are filled with red cinnamon hearts and those “Be Mine” and “Kiss Me” colourful conversation hearts.
After Valentine’s Day is done, she will wash out the vases and throw in some chocolate mini eggs, ahead of Easter.
But when it comes to everyday décor, timeless is always on trend, according to Harris. You can never go wrong with marble, stone or rustic wood materials, she says.
Marble is an homage to old-world interior design and a classic look, but it’s susceptible to staining.
“I know most Europeans love the wine stains and the oil stains,” says Harris.
Marble also may not be affordable for all.
If the exquisite material isn’t in your budget, Harris says there are some alternatives to achieve the same look, including plastic laminate.
What Harris loves about laminate is that homeowners can have a thick, two- or three-inch countertop which looks like a “big, beautiful Italian deli” for a fraction of the marble cost.
Bathroom accessories, adds Harris, are a good way to bring a hint of marble to a home for an upscale feel.
“It makes you feel like you are at a high-end hotel,” she explains.
Harris has spent some time in recent years on the North Shore.
The one-time Bachelorette star once dated someone who lived over here. Harris, the co-host of HGTV’s Love It or List It Vancouver, has also crossed the bridge to film some episodes of the show on the North Shore.
Originally from Alberta, Harris says she loves North Vancouver’s small town feel.
“I always said if Justin and I lived in Vancouver, (North Vancouver) is where we would live with Leo,” says Harris. “It’s a great place to raise your kids. It’s very community focused.”
She says this after getting a taste of La Galleria in Edgemont Village.
“The sandwiches are unreal,” attests Harris, with her trademark enthusiasm.
Say someone wanted to go the latter route and list their home, Harris has some solid advice for staging.
“Purge, purge,” she says.
When perspective buyers are coming through the home they want to envision their own life there, so neutral is the name of the staging game.
White sheets, white towels, new linens and let in the fresh air, says Harris.
