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Beige, say hello to bright neon

Insecurity, boredom and beige are out. Thats the word of Canadian lifestyle expert Janette Ewen , popular television stylist and presenter at the BC Home and Garden Show .
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Insecurity, boredom and beige are out. Thats the word of Canadian lifestyle expert , popular television stylist and presenter at the .

Since the 90s, Ewen says people have been afraid of decorating paying for the advice of interior designers and design shows, but not applying it in their homes. Teaching the wallflowers to love wallpaper has taken time.

After more than 10 years in the industry, Ewen is excited to be discussing the revival of what she calls decorative generosity. By layering colours and patterns, youll achieve the more is more aesthetic that she says is proven to work in small spaces.

Dont be afraid to wallpaper the walls and ceiling of a powder room, for example, for a jewelry box effect.

Ewen says she is seeing a lot of this approach in local retail. Im obsessed with The Cross. Their look is such a great example of more is more.

The bubbly design guru eschews sparse minimal furniture in her own home in favour of neon colours and patterns, a common theme coming off this seasons runways as well.

Renters and the faint of heart can experiment with zero-risk thanks to affordable temporary products such as Bliks removable vinyl wall tiles, available online and at select retailers.

Brass is also back in a big way.

Embracing trends such as metals and bold colours shouldnt break the bank, however. Wall decor, wallpaper, paint, accessories, lamps those are all places to scrimp. Dont spend a lot, Ewen advises.

She stops by Parliament for crisp pieces, striking artwork and cute accessories, and never misses a crate sale at Peking Lounge.

For bigger investment pieces, when shes in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­she looks in stores like Yaletown Interiors.

No matter the style, Ewen encourages her clients to buy Canadian furniture. Its so well made. Chances are its local wood and will be used to our climate.

It can also eliminate hundreds of dollars in shipping and customs charges.

Revamping your space doesnt have to involve tucking away treasures. Those papier-mâché antlers are just begging for a new coat of fluorescent orange. Play with what you have.

People should walk into a room and want to know the person who lives there.

Ewen demonstrates how to work with this years top design trends on the HGTV Main Stage of the BC Home and Garden Show, Feb 22-26. Times vary head to for more info.

Enter to win two passes to the BC Home and Garden show:

1) Leave a comment below telling us why you go to the show (1 entry)

2) Tweet "RT to enter to win 2 passes to the #BCHGS12 @VanHomeShows from @WEÂ鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­http://ow.ly/9ehQY"

Contest closes today, Feb.22 at 4pm