DesignTies

An interactive design transformation

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 23:19:00 +0000

Click here to watch a design transformation right before your eyes…

And then head over to Between Naps on the Porch to check out Metamorphosis Monday. There may not be any other interactive transformations this week, but I’m there are lots of great design makeovers to see :-)

The Gift Home

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 19:48:00 +0000

Last year, Marilyn Vavasour donated a two-storey house in Ottawa to Habitat for Humanity NCR. The house had been bequeathed to her in 2008, and the interior hadn’t been changed since the house was built in 1967. A team of designers, corporate sponsors, professional tradespeople, and volunteers worked together to renovate the house from top to bottom. The final result is called The Gift Home, and it’s absolutely spectacular!!

Habitat for Humanity’s goal is to raise over $1,000,000 through the sale of the house and other special events. The money will provide 10 low-income families in the Ottawa region with homes, and will also support the building of two homes in Haiti.

Friedemann Weinhardt from Design First Interiors and Chuck Mills from Chuck Mills Residential Design & Development Inc. were the co-lead designers for the project. The exterior architecture, landscaping, and interior rooms were designed by various Ottawa-area designers.

The house is in a quiet, older established neighbourhood. These are a few of the houses just up the road The Gift Home. I think they all have a hint of Mid Century Modern.

Exterior
Barry J. Hobin, Barry J. Hobin & Associates Architecture Inc.

The front facade was updated with new brick and stucco, energy-efficient windows, and a modern portico. Love those garage doors!!

I assume the music room (left) and family room (right) were both added to the back of the house. I really like the garage doors.

Landscape design
Gino J. Aiello, Gino J. Aiello Landscape Architect

The garden was designed to be colourful, low maintenance, and attractive from spring to fall. There’s an underground sprinkler system and lots of room to expand the garden and to add a swimming pool.

Now let’s go inside. The interior is mainly modern, but with some elements of the ‘60s to honour the decade that the house was built.

Entry, Powder room, Laundry room
Andre Godin, Andre Godin Design Inc.

It was hard to get a good look at the entry at the open house, with all the people coming in and out and shoes piled near the door. So this one is from the real estate agent’s web site :-)

But one thing I noticed on my way out was the beautiful ceiling — a wood panel inset into the tray ceiling. Most rooms in the house have interesting ceiling detailing.

It was tough to get a good angle of the powder room, so here’s the best I could do. I really like the look of a sconce installed on a mirror.

The laundry room is on the second floor and doesn’t take up much room. There’s a stacked washer & dryer and a fold-out ironing board in one of the drawers. Not fancy, but certainly bright and convenient, being right next to the bedrooms.

Foyer & staircase
Chuck Mills, Chuck Mills Residential Design & Development Inc.
Friedemann Weinhardt, Design First Interiors

I don’t normally like walking into a house seeing the staircase right in front of me. But the staircase in this house is so beautiful and well designed, it’s almost like a sculpture or a piece or art. The creamy white stone wall contrasts beautifully with the dark hardwood and simple metal & wood railing.

Study
Gordon Weima, Gordon Weima Design Builder

The study is to the left of the entry. The sunlight was just streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling window, which just added to the warmth of all the beautiful cherry wood on the walls. The flooring is leather tiles. It’s a modern take on a traditional wood-paneled study.

The desk and credenza/bench were custom-made for the room.

Family room & Mudroom
Penny Southam, Southam Design

I love the windows flanking the fireplace, the built-ins, and the gorgeous sparkly chandelier.

The mudroom has this great storage unit — pretty and functional :-)

The ceiling is interesting. My guess is that they needed to hide some ducts and pipes, so they created a number of bulkheads to make it look intentional and NOT like the bulkheads are hiding something.

Glass artist Delfina Falcao created the beautiful glass insert in the interior mudroom door. When the door is closed, it looks like a piece of artwork at the end of the hallway.

This piece of artwork in the upstairs hallway is also by Delfina.

Kitchen & breakfast nook
Friedemann Weinhardt, Design First Interiors

The kitchen is a fabulous combination of sleek glossy white cabinets and warm dark wood.

Can’t find the fridge?? It’s behind that tall white cabinet door to the left of the vent hood.

Lots of storage space in this wall of cabinetry, and TWO ovens!!

The tiles are really pretty and unique. So is the pig. Well, unique anyway!! ;-)

Living room, Dining room, Piano room
Linda Nolan-Leeming, Linda Nolan Interiors

Of course I love the living room — the accent colours are aubergine and apple green :-) And I adore the tufted sofa and the mirrored coffee table.

The fireplace is beautiful too, but a bit over-dressed for Christmas, I think. Actually, it’s just too early to be decorating for Christmas!!

The dining room has a great simple decorative trim on the walls, and a beautiful chandelier. There are a LOT of great light fixtures throughout the house.

The piano room is next to the dining room and has the same trim on the walls. Love the floor-to-ceiling windows on all three walls. Actually, that’s another detail about this house that I love – all the windows have dark brown trim both inside and outside.

Master bedroom & Ensuite
Chuck Mills, Chuck Mills Residential Design & Development Inc.

The master bedroom is modern & simple, but also warm and welcoming. I love the twist on a typical headboard — the trim detailing on the wall behind the bed creates a wonderful focal point in the room.

The wall of custom-built floor-to-ceiling cabinets eliminates the need for unnecessary furniture. That silly lady refused to move — identity hidden to protect the annoying ;-)

The ensuite has two separate vanities (one on each side of the doorway), which I prefer over one big double vanity. And the tub is in the shower.

I know I’m using the word a lot, but I love the mirror and the pendant lights above the vanity.

Bedroom 2 & Bedroom 3 with shared ensuite
Carolyn Munro, Carolyn Munro Design

These two bedrooms are connected by a bathroom in between. Bedroom 2 is more feminine with its turquoise & beige colour scheme. The upholstered panel behind the headboard adds colour and interest and softens the pewter metal bed. See what I mean about the ceiling details throughout the house??

Bedroom 3 also has an interesting focal point behind the bed — an inset accent band of light and dark green “tiles” and recessed lighting. (Don’t ask me about the crazy birds, I have no idea why they’re there!!)

Looking into the shared ensuite from Bedroom 3 (the green bedroom). You can’t see it in the picture, but there’s a skylight in the ceiling.

Guest bedroom & bath
Marianne Dupont & Dean Large, [In]tempo Design Studio Inc., Astro Design Centre

This is the smallest bedroom and bathroom. But hey, I won’t complain if whoever buys the house lets me stay here!!

The second floor is sort of a U-shaped hallway, with Bedrooms 2 & 3 at the top of each side of the U. (Green bedroom on the left, turquoise & beige bedroom on the right.)

Standing outside the green bedroom and looking towards the master bedroom.

Colourful artwork at the top of the stairs.

Now let’s go all the way down to the basement…

Basement
(Media/games room, Fitness/playroom, Bathroom, Wine cellar)
Norm Lecuyer, Just Basements

The basement was designed to be a place where the whole family can hang out together and play games or watch TV. The flooring down here is gorgeous walnut.

The bar area is behind the sectional.

And opposite from the bar is this cool display of old Coke bottles. You could display all sorts of collections on these shelves.

The wine cellar is at the bottom of the stairs.

Great wood vanity in the bathroom. This is actually a full 3-piece bathroom, which is handy because it’s right next to the fitness room.

For more information on The Gift House, go to:

The Gift Home is being sold by Myra McKeen at Milestone Real Estate Inc. If you happen to have a spare $1,170,000 floating around, it could be yours :-) And if you buy it, you HAVE to let me come over and visit. Regularly. Like, every day. Heck, there’s four bedrooms, I’ll just take one of those and never leave!! ;-)

Pattern passion: Oversized Houndstooth

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 04:11:00 +0000

PK at Room Remix is having a Pattern Inspiration Party — and it just so happens that there’s a particular pattern passion that I have at the moment :-)

This is the room that got me started on my current pattern obsession…

Nina Petronzio, Plush Home

I love everything about this living room. The colours, the lucite coffee tables, the fireplace mantel and screen… all gorgeous!! But what I love the absolute most are the chairs — the combination of solid and patterned fabric is fantabulous, and the oversized houndstooth is super-fantabulous!! I can’t tell you exactly why I love it, but I do!! I love it A LOT. It’s big, it’s bold, it’s graphic — a great modern take on a classic pattern.

Nina Petronzio, Plush Home

Houndstooth checks originated in the Scottish Lowlands. Traditionally, houndstooth was black and white.

Image source: Momoy

Image source: Cococozy

1stdibs

Image source: House to Home

Gotta love the groovy lamp in this room!! :-)

Image source: HGTV

Image source: Nicole Jane Home

Now houndstooth comes in an amazing array of colours. Love the dog bone-shaped cushion on this chair. So appropriate!!

Kravet

Image source: Material Girls

Image source: Decorpad

Serena & Lily

Image source: Material Girls

Image source: Porchlight Interiors

More groovy lamps, and love the side tables and the sunburst mirrors. And of course, the turquoise houndstooth cushions :-)

Tobi Fairley

Pretty Pink Tulips

Fran Keenan, image via Heidi Claire

Not only has houndstooth broken out from the traditional black and white, it also comes in a variety of materials.

Claire Barclay, “Houndstooth (Red)”: Dundee Contemporary Arts

Todd Oldham

These cool tables designed by Kirsty Whyte fit together to create a fun and unique houndstooth pattern.

Hound Tables via Modeco Design

Pied de Poule Rossa — a houndstooth tile floor!!

Bisazza Mosaico

This prototype houndstooth screen would be a fun and whimsical addition to a modern loft space.

Courtney Skott

And finally, a lovely brown & white houndstooth rug used in two completely different spaces. First with lots of other pattern…

High Point 2009 via Barclay Butera

And then as the only pattern in this masculine room.

BIDS

I just came across this beautiful living room designed by April Hamilton that I HAVE to add. Love the houndstooth AND the armillary sphere :-)

Ready to add some houndstooth to your home?? Robert Allen Square Pegs fabric comes in a number of colourways, including my favourite, Kiwi.

Online FabricStore

Be sure to head over to Room Remix to see what other patterns are being featured in PK’s Pattern Inspiration Party.

Lovingetc

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:27:00 +0000

My favourite shelter magazine is Livingetc from the UK. I’ve been buying it every month for about five years. Each issue is filled with cool decor items and beautiful homes from the UK and around the world.

I thought I’d start a regular blog feature called Lovingetc, showcasing some of my favourite items from each issue of Livingetc. Here’s the first instalment (I’m a bit behind on my magazine reading, to these are from the September 2010 issue). Let me know what you think!!

1. Like the Louis Ghost chair?? Then say Hello to Henry…

A modern take on the traditional wingback chair, The Henry is made from polycarbonate and is available in clear, smoke, black, or white. He’d look pretty handsome at the dining room table :-) (Available at EDC London.)

2. Think driving with the top down on a warm & sunny day is the ultimate driving experience? Well, then how about eating with the top down for the ultimate dining experience! Richard Elliot lives in a concrete & glass house in London’s Highgate Cemetery (hey, at least you know the neighbours will be quiet!!) The highlight of his cool home is a retractable kitchen roof.

Seriously, how awesome is that?! When the weather isn’t being cooperative, Richard can still eat under the stars because the roof is glass.

3. Ghost chairs, retractable roofs… so how about some Open Air cutlery? Designed by Maarten Baptist and available at Dutch By Design.

4. I’m sensing a theme here… The Air Lamp is made from one strip of super-thin wood veneer that’s bent and twisted to create a curvy lamp. Designed by Ray Power for Spanish manufactures LZF Lamps and available in finishes like white wood, cherry and beech veneer.

5. I love both this curved wall and the cool Le Pop wallpaper. It’s kind of retro and modern at the same time.

So what do you think — are you Lovingetc too?? :-) If you are, you can subscribe to the digital version of Livingetc at Zinio. 12 issues are $32.41 CDN. If you prefer the paper version, you’ll probably find Livigetc at your local Chapters. And you can check out the latest and greatest from each issue right here!!

A beautiful long weekend & Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 04:25:00 +0000

It’s been a beautiful long weekend so far here in Ottawa. I snapped these pretty fall colours just outside of Merickville yesterday afternoon…

And then I snapped this picture driving along the 416. I just pointed the camera out the window and hoped for the best. The sky changed a lot in a couple of hours!!

Hope you’re having a great weekend, and Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian readers :-)

Cute Critters, Part 2: From the sea

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 03:33:00 +0000

Today’s post was inspired by Maya at Completely Coastal. She left a comment on Wednesday’s post saying that her cute critters would have to come from the sea. So, here they are!! Starting with a a couple of cute sea critter dishes for your cute furry critters :-)

ThisNext

After you’ve fed the dogs, why not feed yourself some ice cream with this cute Animal House Whale Ice Cream Spade.

amazon.com

I’ll take two scoops of Wowie Cowie from Cows, please :-)

Flickr

Prefer cookies?? Here you go, courtesy of Cookie Crumbs… :-)

Before we leave the kitchen, here’s a pretty silver napkin holder. It has a scallop on one side and a starfish on the other.

Home By The Seashore

Here’s a colourful set of nine sea-inspired prints. Each canvas in the set is 12” x 12”.

Beach Decor Shop

Laura Trevey is a blogger and an artist who creates charming watercolour paintings. This pretty blue crab and bright red lobster are available in her Etsy shop:

Now that your walls are feeling some sea critter love, here are some ses critters to dress up your floor. These cute rugs are available at Beach Decor Shop.

And still with Beach Decor Shop for this wood turtle box. How cute is this little guy?? :-)

These pretty seahorse cushions come in a great selection of colours — can’t go wrong with purple, turquoise, and grey!!

Natural Home Magazine

I don’t think I’d be able to use these seahorse and starfish soaps. They’re just too cute!!

ThisNext

I love this pretty pearl & starfish ring. Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but pearls aren’t too shabby!!

Overstock Jeweler

And finally, whale wallpaper!! Yes, really!! Yesterday I showed you some dog and zebra wallpapers, so why not whales?? :-) The paper is from Pottok Prints. At $140/roll, it’s not cheap. But I bet you’d be the only one in your neighbourhood with whales on your walls!! The paper comes in these three colourways:

It definitely makes a statement!!

So which do you prefer — cute furry critters or cute critters from the sea?? Or are you an equal-opportunity critter lover?? :-)

Cute Critters

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 13:47:00 +0000

Yesterday over at The Zhush, Susan posted this picture of her living room:

From the crown moulding to the carpet, I just adore everything about this room. And take a close at the mantel… how cool is that silver balloon dog?! I love it!! I want it!! So I set out on a search to find it… and I did :-) Or something really similar, anyway. It took some work, but I finally landed on Anima Causa Boutique, where they sell the Doggy Bank for $79.00:

I’ve put in my request with hubby to get me one for my birthday :-)

And speaking of cute critters, I came across this adorable little owl lamp base at Urban Outfitters:

He seems to be out of stock at the moment, but hopefully he’ll fly back into the store soon!!

(Michelle left a comment with a link to another owl lamp option at Target. This one is cute too — Thanks Michelle!!)

If you happen to be wanting to hang ostrich wallpaper in your living room but don’t know where to find it, you’re in luck!! Shannon from What’s Up Whimsy guest posted over at Staci Edwards Design Blog yesterday, and shared this picture from Lonny magazine:

The wallpaper is from Beware the Moon in the UK and comes in three colourways:

If ostriches are a little too exotic for you, how about dogs?? Osborne & Little’s Best In Show wallpaper is perfect for dog-lovers.

It comes in three colourways:

Thibaut sells a dog wallpaper which also happens to be called Best in Show, and it’s available in six colourways: Aqua, Metallic, Black, Camel, Blue, and Brown:

You might remember Sarah Richardson using this wallpaper in a nursery she designed for a set of triplets on Design Inc.

Sarah and her team created the artwork above the cribs by cutting out individual dogs from the paper and framing them. A bit labour-intensive, but a great way to create original art.

Oh, and I just came across this picture on the Massucco Warner Miller web site (check out Nancy’s Q&A with these three uber-talented ladies). It’s the Zebra wallpaper from Sclamandré, available in Masai Red, Serengeti Green, Zanzibar Gold, and Safari Brown:

Would you welcome any of these cute critters into your home??

Number One Grafton Street: From PEI heritage house to beautiful B&B

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 00:50:00 +0000

One thing I love about blogging is getting to know other design bloggers and checking out what they’re working. Susan Snow at Susan on Design shared an amazing project with her blog readers — a complete renovation of a heritage house on a quiet street in Charlottetown, PEI. Susan posted regular updates as the house was transformed from a three-unit apartment building into a beautiful bed and breakfast, Number One Grafton Street.

The house originally looked like this:

Image from One Grafton Street and used with permission of the Public Archives and Records Office of Prince Edward Island.

And later this:

Image from Heritage Houses of Prince Edward Island, Two Hundred Years of Domestic Architecture by James W. Macnutt.

Now it’s been transformed into this:

Number One Grafton Street is on the corner of Grafton and West Streets. It’s close to the Boardwalk, and just a short walk from the center of Charlottetown.

Benjamin Heartz had the house (originally called “The Cottage” ) built as a wedding present for his son, Frank Heartz. It was designed by renowned PEI architect William Critchlow Harris in 1894, and constructed by local contractor Charles McGregor. It was completed in 1895 and cost a grand total of $7,000.

The original staircase. Image from Gothic Dreams: The Architecture of William Critchlow Harris 1854–1913 by Robert C. Tuck.

The Honourable John Alexander Mathieson, Chief Justice and Premier of PEI, purchased the house in 1914. In 1951, Judge Mathieson’s daughters, Dora Campbell and Jean Rogers, turned it into a guest house called Caroma Lodge — named for the first two letters in the three surnames (CAmpbell, ROgers, MAthieson).

John Alexander Mathieson. Image from One Grafton Street and used with permission of the Public Archives and Records Office of Prince Edward Island.

Graeme and Judy Sheldon are the innkeepers at Number One Grafton Street. They fell in love with PEI while on holiday, and bought a cottage on Panmure Island in eastern PEI in 2005.

Panmure Island - Image from Three Best Beaches

They soon decided that they both needed a complete change from their jobs in the UK — Graeme was a Project Manager in the chemical industry for over 25 years, and Judy was a Deputy Principal at a prep school. They decided to make PEI their permanent home when it became increasingly difficult for them to return to the UK after spending time at their PEI cottage. They bought the house on Grafton Street in 2008 and moved to PEI permanently in 2009.

The unfinished attic was converted into Graeme & Judy’s living space, and the interior layout was redesigned to create five guests suites for the B&B. The renovations began in September 2009 and were completed in March 2010. Once the renos were done, the inspections performed, and the furniture and window treatments installed, the website was created and Number One Grafton Street opened for business on June 14, 2010.

After following the progress on Susan’s blog, I really wanted to go to PEI so I could stay at Number One Grafton Street!! And in particular, I wanted to stay in my favourite room, Room 2. So last weekend when hubby and I went to Matt’s Art for Life Gala in Dieppe, we also spent a few days in PEI, and yep, we stayed at Number One Grafton Street in Room 2 :-)

So with no further ado, let’s take a tour of this beautiful Charlottetown B&B.

When you come in the front door, you’re greeted by Graeme & Judy and a light and bright front entry. Judy’s collection of blue & white ceramic ware adorns the beautiful wood cabinet.

The interior is decorated with the perfect combination of old and new. The interior front door has a beautiful old doorknob.

The traditional architectural details like the ceiling medallions and archways look fresh and new with a couple of coats of white paint. (And probably lots of sanding and priming too!!)

To the left of the entry is the living room, which is open to the dining room.

Check out the reflection in the mirror over the fireplace — the mirror echoes the shape of the archway between the dining room and living room.

Guests can help themselves to coffee and Judy’s delicious homemade squares throughout the day from the buffet in the dining room.

Tomorrow’s breakfast menu (it was yummy!!)

Up the new stairway to guest rooms on the second floor…

Seating area on the second floor.

Each suite has its own unique identity and colour scheme. The colour schemes are based on five throws from Susan’s store, Moving Designz. Graeme told us that people will often request a particular room because they like the colours in the room. He said that if for some reason they need to upgrade guests to another room, some of them don’t want to change rooms!! (Pics of Room 1 and Room 5 are from Number One Grafton Street.)

Room 1 – Yellow

This bright & cheery guest room is on the main floor, across the hall from the dining room.

Room 2 – Brown

The brown walls are warm and cozy, and light blue is the perfect accent. I absolutely LOVE everything about this room, and wish we could have slept here for more than just two nights!! The mattress and pillows are scrumptious!!

Room 3 – Green

I think this is one of the smaller guest rooms, but trust me, it’s just as beautiful as the larger rooms.

Room 4 – Blue

This is the biggest guest suite and includes a kitchenette and a clawfoot tub.

Room 5 – Red

Love the angled ceiling in this cheerful guest room.

If you ever find yourself in Charlottetown, make sure you stay at Number One Grafton Street. The house, the beautifully appointed rooms, the delicious food, and the charming hosts will make you want to move in and never leave!! Staying there was definitely one of the highlights of our trip.

Another highlight was meeting Susan for the first time :-) We got together for dinner on Saturday, and then she took us for a tour of Charlottetown that ended at her condo. We had a great time getting to know each other — lots of laughs and good times :-)

That’s Susan, aka Rock Star ;-)

If you want to see more of the amazing transformation of Number One Grafton Street, check out Susan’s blog:

Kitchen makeover
Attic makeover (Graeme & Judy’s living quarters)
Main floor makeover
Room 1 makeover
Room 2 & Room 3 makeover
Complete renovation recap

And check out Number One Grafton Street for more information on this wonderful B&B.

I think this is a pretty great metamorphosis, so I’m linking up to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. Be sure to head over to BNOTP to check out lots of other design transformations.

Welcome to Designer’s Challenge 101!!

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 05:45:00 +0000

Amanda Burdge at AB Home Interiors had the great idea to have a group of design bloggers come up with a design for a living room using a $6,000 budget.

The idea is to show you that although designers and decorators can’t perform miracles with the budgets we’re given, we can still come up with pretty good room designs. Hopefully today’s Designer’s Challenge 101 living room posts will inspire you to stretch your budget and your imagination, and maybe even create the living room of your dreams :-)

ELLE Decor: Monique Lhuillier’s living room

Process behind my living room design

Because we don’t have a very good selection of home decor stores here in Ottawa, I’ve done a lot of sourcing for my living room online. When I shop in Ottawa, HomeSense is my go-to store for everything from furniture to accessories to cushions to mirrors. (HS is similar to HomeGoods in the US). The selection varies from week to week, but if you go back enough times, you can usually find what you’re looking for. The prices at HS are anywhere from a few dollars less to half the price of the same items elsewhere. So before buying the items for my living room, I’d check out HS to see if I can find what I’m looking for there.

My living room includes pieces ordered from online stores, some great buys from Ikea and HomeSense, and original abstract art from a fantastic Canadian artist. Also, my home owners already have lots of accessories and some artwork, and there are pot lights in the built-ins (Amanda said we’re allowed to make assumptions like that!!), so I don’t need to squeeze everything into the budget :-) I’m definitely going to add an awesome chandelier to the space. And I’ll show you how you can combine expensive pieces with inexpensive pieces and shop from a variety of sources to create a beautiful and cohesive room.

So with no further ado, here’s my $6,000 living room design... I’ve created two spaces in the room — the main seating area close to the fireplace, and a reading area in the nook across from the fireplace wall. This is just a REALLY ROUGH sketch to give you an idea of the furniture and lighting layout.

Paint colours

The colour scheme is grey with teal as the accent colour. It will be used on throw cushions, artwork, a super-sexy reading chair, and the back of the built-ins. (All paint from Sherwin Williams, except Night Tides from CIL.)

Walls: 7663 Monorail Silver
Ceiling: 6232 Misty
Trim, wainscoting, fireplace mantel, built-ins: 7006 Extra White
Back of built-ins: 10BG 14/296 Night Tides

Left to right: 7663 Monorail Silver, 6232 Misty, 7006 Extra White, 10BG 14/296 Night Tides

This isn’t the actual living room, but it gives you an idea of how the colours in the room will work together.

Colour scheme created with Sherwin Williams Visualizer

Seating area

Purchasing furniture online isn’t ideal, because you can’t sit on it and try it out before you purchase it. And returning an item that’s shipped to you can be complicated. But if you find something online that you love, it could be worth taking a chance!!

Soho Sofa from Z Gallerie. The lines are simple, and the button tufting on the back cushions is a nice detail. The bench seat cushion means nobody has to sit on that annoying crack between the cushions!!

Metropolitan console table from Z Gallerie. Sleek and sexy, just like the sofa. It will hold a pair of lamps and some accessories.

Two Sweep arm leather chairs from West Elm. The curved lines of the chair balance the straight & square lines of the sofa nicely. The nailhead trim is a great detail that adds some sparkle.

Turquoise ceramic drum stool from Lamps Plus. This gorgeous turquoise stool will sit between the two arm chairs and provide the perfect spot to put down a drink.

Bridge Coffee + Side Table from West Elm. This two-part coffee table provides more flexibility than a typical coffee table. The moveable “bridge” section can be positioned wherever it’s needed, or can be removed altogether. The light natural wood is a nice contrast to the darker woods in the room, and adds an element of warmth and nature.

Maskros PS chandelier from Ikea. It’s big, it’s bold, it’s funky, and it’s NOT a budget buster!! This 32” super-cool chandelier will make a real statement in the room for less than $100. Can’t go wrong there!! Victoria is using one of these in her client’s space and painting it silver — that could be a cool look, and I just might steal her idea to glam up this living room just a bit more :-)

Chelsea lamps from Restoration Hardware, purchase similar at HomeSense. A pair of lucite table lamps will sit at either end of the console table behind the sofa.

Customized floor lamp from Lamps Plus. For less than $200, I’ve created a customized floor lamp that will provide light for reading in the nook.Hologram curtain panels in Platinum from Z Gallerie. The colour and pattern work nicely with the other elements in the room.

Chrysanthemum area rug from West Elm. The large flower pattern is contemporary and echoes the large pendant chandelier that will hang above.

Reading nook

Eddie Accent Chair from Z Gallerie. This super-sexy turquoise leather chair inspired the entire design for the room. Two of these beauties would bust the budget, so I’m putting one in the reading nook for a cozy place to curl up with a book.

Wood stump side table from West Elm. Provides a spot to put down a book or a drink. The light natural wood of the stump table ties in the with light wood of the coffee table, uniting the two areas of the room.

Artwork

Original abstract art from Matt LeBlanc Art. Matt creates beautiful paintings at great price points. If you don’t see what you’re looking for on his web site, he’ll create a custom painting especially for you to your exact requirements.

Wire Capiz Sunburst Wall Mirror from Target. This large sunburst mirror is the perfect piece to hang above the fireplace and add sparkle to the room.

Throw cushions and accessories

The budget is just about gone at this point, but luckily the homeowners already own a number of cushions and accessories that we can use in the room. So rather than specifying items, I’m providing sources where they can purchase additional cushions down the road when they have some more money to put into the living room.

Etsy is a great source for handmade cushions and cushion covers. These are just a few that would look great in the living room…

Etsy: Nena Von Pillows

Etsy: The HomeCentric

From Z Gallerie, left to right: Mediterranean, Bukhara, Totem

If the homeowners decide they want to inject some more colour into their living room, all they need to do is replace some of the accessories or throw cushions. The walls are already neutral, and teal looks great with lots of other colours…

And finally, here’s the storyboard for the room:

And here’s the pricing breakdown.

Turquoise ceramic drum stool: 85.91
Soho Sofa: 1,099.00
Eddie Accent Chair: 1,199.00
Metropolitan Console Table: 349.00
Tree stump side table: 199.00
Sweep arm accent chair: 599.00 x 2
Bridge coffee table + side table: 179.99 + 299.00
Maskros PS chandelier: 89.99
Hologram Panel – Platinum: 39.95 x 2
Chrysanthemum rug: 549.00
Painting: 200.00
Wire Capiz Sunburst Wall Mirror: 79.99
Custom floor lamp: 199.00
Table lamps: 69.99 x 2
Cushions: Ranging in price from 19.95 to 69.95

GRAND TOTAL: 5,946.76

(Plus the price of cushions, which may or may not put it over 6,000.00!!)

Hmmmm, I guess the price for the paint should be included too. Well, we can tweak things a bit to make the budget work… oh, did I mention that my home owners work for Sherwin Williams?? ;-)

So there you go, a brand new living room from scratch for less than $6,000!! I hope I’ve given you some ideas and inspiration for decorating your own home. And I bet the other Designer’s Challenge 101 participants have lots of other good ideas for you!! Be sure to visit them all and see everyone else’s living room designs:

Kelly Berg at Arte Styling
Amanda Burdge at AB Home Interiors
Kathy Passarette at Creative Home Expressions
Dayka Robinson at Meditations on Life and Style
Susan Snow at Moving Designz
Traci Zeller at Traci Zeller Designs

I’d love to hear what you think about my grey & teal living room. Love it or hate it, don’t be shy, let me know!! And if you like what you see, hey, why not hire me!! I’d love to design a room for you :-)

Yabba Dabba Doo!!

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:16:00 +0000

Today is the 50th anniversary of our favourite Stone Age family, The Flintstones!! When I was in elementary school, I walked home every day at noon to eat lunch and watch The Flintstones. It was my daily ritual :-) Even though Fred and Wilma were the stars, I preferred their co-stars, Barney and Betty Rubble.

There was Fred and Wilma’s little girl Pebbles and Barney & Betty’s super-strong little guy, Bam-Bam.

Dino was the coolest pet — I mean, come on, he was a purple dinosaur!! Ummmm, OK, on second thought, maybe purple dinosaurs are kinda dorky ;-) And there was Hoppy, the green dinosaur/kangaroo mix. A Stone Age mutt ;-)

Mr. Slate was the boss at the quarry where Fred & Barney worked.

There was the occasional special guest appearance by stars like Cary Granite and Stony Curtis and Ann Margrock.

I have to say that Uncle Giggle totally creeped me out. Sadly, when hubby’s hair has gotten a bit too long and he’s sweaty, he looks just like Uncle Giggles:

EEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some people think hubby looks like Jack Nicholson, which really isn’t any better…

Anyway, I digress — being an interior design blogger, I have to include Fred & Wilma’s fashionable home:

Here’s a cool 3D rendition:

And this is a real-life Flintstones house in Nas Montanhas, Portugal:

It may not look real, but it is!! You can check out a video here that includes a tour of the house. Bonus if you understand Portugese :-)

Happy Big 50 to the Flintstones gang!!

Don’t forget, tomorrow is Designer’s Challenge 101 featuring seven different takes on how to design a living room on a $6,000 budget. It’s going to be fun, so be sure to check it out!!

Image sources 1.Sunday Mercury 2,5,6,8.Fanpop 3.WP Themes Forest 4.Photobucket 7.JRJ Socrates 9.Avelyman 10.Buncheness 11.Sports Perspectives 12.Joblo 13.70s Child 14.Fabricio Campos Deviant Art 15,16.Daily Mail

Maskros: Go big or go home!

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 15:50:00 +0000

I was hoping to have a post about our trip to PEI ready for today, but due to circumstances beyond our control (AIR CANADA SUCKS), I didn’t have the time or energy to download my pics last night. So I’ll save that one for later this week.

So today, let’s talk about the Maskros chandelier from Ikea. I’m sure you’ve seen it all over the blogosphere, or at least heard of it — the giant dandelion chandelier (32” diameter) for the relatively small price of $99.99 CDN. The first time I saw the Maskros chandelier in person was at the Interior Design Show in Toronto in January 2010. There was a huge cluster of them them hanging above the Ikea booth. They made quite a statement:

Another impressive grouping of Maskros chandeliers:

Of course, most homes don’t have rooms that are big enough room or ceilings that are high enough to hang a whole crop of dandelions. But no worries, the Maskros looks just as good hanging individually in a living room…

Or in a bedroom…

Or in a dining room (awesome herringbone floor too)…

Photographs of the Maskros are as much pieces of art as the chandelier itself…

Nichole at Little Brown Pen saw this Maskros as she was out walking in Paris one evening, and took a couple of snaps of it. It’s an interesting juxtaposition of old and new.

The Maskros reminds me of Amanda Burdge’s mantra at AB Home Interiors: GO BIG OR GO HOME. And how’s this for a segue… this coming Friday, October 1st, Amanda is hosting Designer’s Challenge 101.

Seven design bloggers are going to come up with their takes on how to design a living room on a $6,000 budget. I’m one of the participants, along with Amanda and these five other fabulous ladies:

Kelly Berg at Arte Styling
Kathy Passarette at Creative Home Expressions
Dayka Robinson at Meditations on Life and Style
Susan Snow at Moving Designz
Traci Zeller at Traci Zeller Designs

Be sure to check out all the living rooms on Friday. It’s going to be fun and informative, and you just might get some ideas for decorating your own home :-)

Finally, my secret is revealed!!

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 03:06:00 +0000

I’ve been bursting at the seams for weeks, but I managed to keep my secret quiet — and tonight, I can finally spill the beans!! Right at this moment, I’m sitting in a B&B in Shediac, New Brunswick after an amazing evening at Matt LeBlanc’s Art for Life Gala!!!

I was really bummed about not being able to meet up with Matt on our trip to Nova Scotia in August. So I formulated a cunning plan… a weekend trip to PEI in September to celebrate our anniversary, with a side trip to Dieppe to attend the gala. It didn’t take much to convince hubby!! We flew to Charlottetown this morning on possibly the smallest plane ever, drove to our B&B in Shediac, and then down to Dieppe for the gala this evening. And WOW, it was awesome!!

Dieppe Arts and Culture Centre

The evening began with a presentation in the theatre. Matt put together a fantastic video about his campaign. He’s a funny guy :-) And then the gallery with all 200 campaign paintings was opened to everyone at the gala. It was so cool to see all of the paintings together. I couldn’t quite get all 200 into my pictures, but close. (I just realized I forgot to take a picture of the overflow in the hallway. Oops!!)

These paintings should look familiar to some DesignTies readers, starting with Vanessa at Decor Happy:

Lisa at Lisa Goulet Design:

My friend Maureen at Modecor bought this one:

And here’s Victoria’s:

Matt brought his entire inventory of paintings and donated 25% of each one sold to cancer research. Melanie Roy of Me Bijoux was there selling her beautiful jewelry and donated all the money she made tonight to Matt’s campaign. (Melanie, it was great to meet you too!!) She created a special collection of necklace & earring sets especially for this event.

There was a silent auction and a live auction, which I’m sure raised another $6,000-$7,000. Matt planned to auction off one 4’ x 4’ custom painting, but when the first one sold for $2,000, someone encouraged him to auction off a second one — he did, and that one went for $1,750!! And he auctioned off a 4’ x 4’ original, which sold for $1,000. I was thrilled to be able to help out with a JAX e-design consultation that was auctioned off for $350. Matt has way surpassed his goal of raising $25,000. He said he thinks he might be up to $40,000 after tonight!!

Thanks to all our DT friends who supported Matt’s campaign by spreading the word on your blogs, tweeting about it, and/or buying a painting. I know Matt is beyond thrilled with the outcome!!

At the end of the gala, everyone was able to leave with their campaign paintings. Wish I could have brought #27 home with me, but remember what I said at the top of the post about flying on the smallest plane ever?? Yeah, not gonna happen!! Matt said he’ll put mine in the mail on Monday — I’m holding you to that, Matt!!

Me & Matt & #27

Matt and I had never met before tonight, but he made me feel like we’ve been lifelong friends. You’d be hard-pressed to find a kinder, more gracious, and more generous guy than Matt LeBlanc. Now I hope he takes a break from painting and spends some time with Colette and their kids. And get lots of sleep!!

So that’s one of my big secrets revealed. I may have one or two others up my sleeve… stay tuned!!

Did you buy an Art for Life painting??

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 04:02:00 +0000

If you did, take a look and see if you can find yours!!

Mine is in the second picture, first one of the left in row 8.

These are the 200 paintings that Matt LeBlanc created for his Art for Life Campaign. When Matt started his campaign to raise $25,000 for cancer research on March 24th, it seemed like such a long and challenging path he had set out on. I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but here we are, six months later, and Matt has completed all 200 paintings and raised OVER $25,000!!!

Tonight, Matt finally gets to relax and celebrate his amazing accomplishment at his Art for Life Gala. All 200 paintings will be on display at the Dieppe Arts and Culture Centre in Dieppe, New Brunswick. If you live live in the Dieppe/Moncton area, drop by and check it out. For those of us who can’t make it to the gala, Matt is planning to have a live stream from the Gala on his web site starting tonight at 7:00 Atlantic Daylight Time.

Congratulations Matt… YOU ROCK!!!

Carter & Company Interior Design

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:49:00 +0000

Every now and then, I do a Google search for interior designers in a particular city. I tried out Boston recently, and came across Carter & Company.

Michael Carter creates timeless designs by mixing old with new. He designs homes in and around Boston, as well as Nantucket and New York City. What I really like about his designs is that they’re both elegant and simple, and are rooms that you feel like you could just walk right into a feel comfortable in. Let’s take a look at some of his work, starting with some welcoming entries.

You might recognize this entry from the post I wrote last week about glass floats. Love the door and the arched ceiling.

Nice repetition of the square light fixtures in this hallway.

Just a small nautical touch ;-)

Beautiful coffered ceiling, light fixture, and wainscoting in this dining room.

Those are some freakin’ BIG candlesticks!!

And a completely different style in this country-inspired dining area. Love the timber frame and the blue accents, especially the table base.

You can see the same dining area in this next picture. I’m guessing this is the living room and the room with the blue sofa is the family room.

I’m a big fan of tall stone fireplace. The light blue cushions, flowers, and artwork give the room a bit of a beach vibe.

Another fantastic light fixture, and totally dig the dark painted ceiling.

A fresh and bright office. But where’s the computer?!

Beautiful soft grey tiles on the wainscoting and in the shower. Not crazy about the sink with the exposed pipes, but really like the overall look of the room.

Anyone care for a long relaxing soak in this tub??

And finally, a look that I absolutely adore — layered mirrors. I need to do this is my house!!

Who are some of your favourite designers??

Glebe House Tour

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 03:16:00 +0000

You know how sometimes you’re out walking the dog and you pass a house that catches your eye and you wonder what it looks like inside?? Well, today was the perfect opportunity to satisfy that curiosity — six houses in a neighbourhood just south of downtown Ottawa were open for the public to visit.

The Glebe House Tour featured six beautiful character-filled homes — a couple of traditional homes, a couple of contemporary homes, one new-but-looks old home, and one home that used to be a convenience store and is now a true work of art.

Interior by Maureen Coates — Ottawa Magazine

We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the homes, but I did find pictures online of some of them. So let’s start the tour… (Exterior pictures from gnag.ca)

Classic Beauty

This house is typical of many red brick houses house in the Glebe. I really like the black porch and railing. And these pretty planters:

The main floor has been opened up, with the living room to your right when you enter and the dining room in front of you. The staircase up to the second floor is pretty narrow and steep, and then it gets even narrower and steeper going up to the third floor. (Kind of reminded me of the Belfort Tower in Bruges.) The third floor is sort of a mega-master suite, with a bedroom, bathroom, and dressing room. There’s also a nice skylight at the top of the stairs.

Entertain with Elegance

Love the combination of stone and grey wood on the exterior of this home. And the hardwood floors inside are gorgeous. The two kid’s bedrooms are painted in bright colours, including the ceilings. (Interior pictures from Ottawa Citizen)

The dining room also has a beautiful painted ceiling, as well as wallpaper and silk curtains.

The kitchen island has a really unique countertop made from granite that came from a riverbed in Brazil. Not sure why they have three family rooms!!

Painted Rocks

As you can see, this is one of the contemporary homes on the tour. The interior is mostly white, with accent walls in some rooms. The kitchen has a fabulous red tile backsplash — large tiles (maybe 12” x 18”) in a horizontal stacked pattern. Really sharp with the dark maple cabinets. The home has dark oak floors throughout.

Engraved House

This was the most unusual house on the tour. When the current owners bought it, the building was a convenience store. It’s now the wife’s business on the main floor and the family’s home on the second floor. The owner, Christopher, told us a bit about the home’s unique exterior. He used this tool made from a bone to create all sorts of interesting carvings in the concrete. (Important note: Never ask a man if you can take a picture of his tool).

Here are some of Christopher’s carvings…

The wood on this wall is from the original building. It adds wonderful history and character to the home.

Even the driveway has carvings :-) The couple’s daughter is also quite artistic :-)

Back of the house. The whale carving represents water.

Love the river rocks between the wood walkway and the driveway:

The horizontal wood slats are carried through from the house to the walkway to the fence…

Christopher agreed to do an interview with me, so I’ll be writing more about this artistic and unique home soon. Stay tuned!!

Renewal

On Hallowe’en 2008, the house that was on this lot burned down. I’m sure it was devastating for the homeowners to lose their home and all their possessions, but luckily everyone escaped unharmed. And two years later, the family lives in this absolutely breathtaking contemporary home. I love the combination of exterior materials — steel, brick, and wood. And the front porch is great:

Now let’s go inside!! (Pictures from Renewal on Morris Street)

This sitting are is to the left of the entry. Love the blue on the back of the shelving unit, the ladder, and the huge wall clock.

The kitchen is in the center of the house. The backsplash is back-painted glass.

The family room…

Love the everything about the dining room!! The stone wall, the chandelier, the combination of the old table with the modern chairs…

There’s a bar and small seating area at the back of the house. See the garage door to the left?? When it’s open, it creates a fantastic indoor/outdoor space — perfect for parties!!

View from the back of the house to the front:

The ensuite has one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. See the wood frame in the middle of the mirror?? That’s a window!! As someone pointed out, the large window to the left of the vanity doesn’t open, so this small window in the mirror allows fresh air into the room. Genius!!

Love the bright colours in this girl’s bedroom…

The TV room is at the top of the stairs. The rug in this room made my feet soooooo happy!! It’s amazingly soft & cushy — I want one!!

Downsizer’s Dream

And finally, my favourite home on the tour — which just happens to belong to my friend, Maureen Coates :-) Maureen is an interior decorator here in Ottawa and her company is called Modecor. Her home was featured in the September issue of Ottawa Magazine.

I absolutely adore the coffered ceilings that Maureen designed for her dining room and living room. (Pictures from Modecor)

I love her mantel and the built-ins — simple and elegant.

How gorgeous is the wall colour in Maureen’s dining room??

And Maureen’s beautiful kitchen…

And that’s the Glebe Home Tour. Hope you enjoyed the virtual visit!! If you live in Ottawa, I highly recommend checking out next year’s tour.

Closer: Treasures of the sea

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 13:12:00 +0000

I’m really excited about this week’s Friday Photo Challenge, hosted by Chania at Razmataz. The topic this week is CLOSER. Zoom in close to something and see if it becomes unrecognizable…

Can you guess what this is?? (OMG, I just realized it looks like a nipple!! It isn’t, I swear!!)

It’s made from a delicate material, but it’s withstood the elements for thirty or more years.

Here’s another one:

They’ve travelled thousands of miles, but never on a boat or plane or car or train.

Do you know what they are yet?? Maybe this shot from a bit farther out will help you…

Did you guess yet?? Here’s one more:

They’re Japanese glass floats.

I first learned about glass floats on Maya’s blog, Completely Coastal. She wrote this post about Kamichia. Kamichia collects glass floats from beaches along the Alaskan coastline. The majority of floats that they find are Japanese. Some are Korean. I’m not a glass float expert, but I think the difference between them is that the Japanese floats are one solid piece of blown glass, whereas Korean floats are made in molds and have a sort of dappled finish and seams where the sections of the mold met.

Norway was the first country to start producing and glass fishing floats around 1840. Fisherman started using them in 1844 when small egg-sized floats were used with fishing line and hooks, and to support fishing nets. By the 1940s, Europe, Russia, North America, and Japan were all using glass floats almost exclusively.

Today, lucky beachcombers can find Japanese and Korean floats on the West Coast of North America, and European glass floats can be found on the East Coast of North America and in the Caribbean.

I would LOVE to have a float like this one, but from what I’ve read, they’re really rare:

Yep, it’s purple!! But it most likely started out clear — this float has been sunturned. The sun literally turned the glass purple over the years that it was exposed to the elements.

Isn’t it amazing that these floats, made from something as delicate as glass, were able to withstand the force of the waves and arrive safely on beaches thousands of miles away from where they started their journeys?? The glass is actually quite thick, and the floats are heavier than they look.

My three floats are Japanese. The large blue one and smaller green one were discovered by Kimichia — she sells them in her Etsy store, GlassFloatJunkie. The third small netted float came from Etsy seller lightinawormhole.

I love the net markings on the larger blue float. They were created as the wind, water, and sand wore down the exposed glass over the years and

I like the bubbles in the small green float, and the fact that it isn’t perfectly round. It’s cute and stubby :-)

The small blue netted float came with the name Bluebell.

I love how each float is different, yet they all relate to each other — two are blue, two are small, and two don’t have nets. I think they make a beautiful vignette :-)

Here are some examples of how glass floats can be incorporated into your home decor. A collection of glass floats looks great in a large bowl or dish…

This living room has lots of lovely elements — especially the three large floats on the coffee table :-)

The sunlight shining through these floats brings out the beautiful colours of the glass.

Don’t they look beautiful hanging outdoors in the sun??

Huge netted glass floats in designer Jeffrey Bilhuber’s 1920’s Nantucket cottage.

The large netted glass float on the floor and the knotted ropes and glass floats in the basket add a touch of beachy beauty to this entry designed by Carter & Company.

Every time I walk by my glass floats, I have to stop and admire them. They’re so beautiful and look so delicate. Then I think about all the years they spent traveling across the ocean, and marvel at their strength and resilience. They truly are treasures of the sea.

Be sure to head back to Razmataz to check out more close-ups!!

Chintz happens

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:30:00 +0000

I can’t remember where I read the phrase “Chintz happens” , but I decided it just had to be a blog post title!!

Chintz is defined as “calico cloth printed with flowers and other devices in different colours” and “a printed and glazed cotton fabric, usually of bright colors”. Most of us associate chintz with traditional interiors filled with flowery fabrics and wallpaper — sometimes MATCHING fabric and wallpaper (brace yourself!!).

Ouch!! Looks like Laura Ashley exploded. But today’s take on chintz isn’t quite as… well, blinding!! In fact, chintz can be quite fresh and funky when it’s done right. Like on these pretty chairs:

And this sofa — love the red piping :-)

The green & white chintz bedding and white gauzy canopy give this bed a tropical look…

Although the chintz-covered chairs are traditional, they’re given a modern edge paired with the simple desk.

Again, a traditional chair covered in chintz has a more modern feel in this bold red room. Did you notice that chintz & cheetah cushions are happily co-existing on the sectional??

An all-white bedroom gets pop of colour from a vase of red tulips and a chintz throw hung over the footboard.

The huge table lamp and simple white bedding give a modern edge to this bedroom with matching chintz curtains and chairs. The room has a sort of worldly vibe to it.

A fresh and pretty table setting with chintz china.

And some pretty chintz fabrics from Terry’s Fabrics in the UK.

(Clockwise from top left Peony Rose, Shadow Leaf, Waterlily, Summer Garden)

So what do you think — is it a good thing or a bad thing when chintz happens??

Going Down An Elevator

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 03:12:00 +0000

Have you ever decided one day, out of the blue, that there’s something that you just have to do, even though it’s totally and completely way out there??

Something that most people wouldn’t be interested in doing — which maybe makes it that much more appealing to you.

Something that’s both familiar and foreign at the same time.

Something that excites you, teaches you, challenges you.

Do you call it a violin?

LOMBARDIA Stradivari wallpaper by Nina Campbell

Or a fiddle?

iOffer

One of my inspirations, Erin Leahy…

{Going Down An Elevator represents the four notes that the fiddle strings are tuned to — G, D, A, E.}

Oh yeah, that’s turquoise!!

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 23:34:00 +0000

Back in July, I wrote about my colourful obsession — painting the front door. And the next day, I found what I thought was the perfect turquoise, Eddie Bauer Sea Breeze. But the more I looked at the chip and compared it to other turquoise chips, the more it looked too green. So, I picked up another batch of turquoise chips and started the process over again. With some help from my friends Nicole and Lisa, I decided to go with CIL Vista Marine.

But I made a boo-boo — colours always look lighter outdoors, so I should have gone with the next darker colour on the chip, Peacock’s Plume.

Unfortunately, the two colours have different bases. So even though they’re just one colour away from each other on the paint chip, it was only possible to go so much darker than Vista Marine without thinning out the paint too much. Luckily, the paint could be tinted just enough to be almost as dark as Peacock’s Plume.

Here’s the before, Valspar Rare Vintage. I love the colour, but just felt like doing something different.

Here’s the door with Vista Marine . Just one coat at this point, but it was too pale and washed out.

And here’s the door with Peacock’s Plume.

Hubby took the next picture for me, so that’s my excuse for the hose sticking out of the garden :-) And hubby refuses to put the Christmas lights up and down, so they stay up all year. But they’re not plugged in, I promise!!

I’m still trying to figure out a way to hide the brass trim on the windows. It’s actually sandwiched between two pieces of glass, so I can’t remove it and I can’t paint it. I also want to replace the light fixtures with ones that are silver metal and more substantial.

Quick update #1: If you’re wondering if I was crazy enough to go swimming this weekend… YES, I most definitely AM crazy!! Which is why I’m sitting here in my sweatpants and sweatshirt with the heater on trying to thaw out my fingers & toes!! But it was so worth it, and I’ll probably be going in again before the weekend is over :-)

Quick update #2: I’m so excited to report that my friend Matt LeBlanc has sold all 200 paintings and achieved his goal of raising $25,000 for cancer research with his Art for Life Campaign. Absolutely fantastic, Matt!!!

I’m linking my front door makeover to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. Pop over to check out what everyone else has been metamorphosing… I just made that word up :-)

Reflections: Summer sunset

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:28:00 +0000

Every Friday, Chania at Razmataz holds the Friday Photo Challenge. This week’s subject is Reflections. I just had to participate with this picture of a summer sunset at the cottage:

Summer isn’t summer without weekends at the cottage. Of course, I love swimming under sunny blue skies — but I also love swimming in the evening. If there are clouds in the western sky, I get to see beautiful sunsets like this one. And then as the sky gets darker, the stars start popping out. First a bright one in the western sky, then a couple almost directly overhead. And then I look towards the north and there’s the Big Dipper to the west and Cassiopeia to the east. And if I’m really lucky, I’ll see a shooting star.

I might try to squeeze out a couple more days of swimming at the cottage this weekend. But with the rain and colder temps this week, the lake might be on the cold side… brrrrr!!

PS: Thanks Kat for your suggestion to link to Newton Daily Photo — done!! Be sure to check out the great Weekend Reflections photos on James’s blog.

Whatever your plans are for the weekend, have a good one!!

Alphabe-Thursday: Shades of Violet

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 13:22:00 +0000

Finally, I remembered to participate in Alphabe-Thursday over at Jenny Matlock’s blog!! And good thing too, because this is the last week for her Rainbow Summer School. And the colour this week is my favourite — yes, it’s PURPLE!! Well, officially it’s violet. Ah well, to-may-toe, to-mah-toe… however you say it, it’s the best colour around :-)

I’ve posted a LOT of pictures of purple rooms on DesignTies. But even so, it wasn’t hard to find a whole new batch of beautiful purple rooms :-) Starting with a room by designer Eileen Kathryn Boyd… love the combination of the purple walls, sparkly silver, and dark wood.

All sorts of shades of beautiful purple in this feminine home office.

A vintage-looking storage area…

Gotta love purple & turquoise together :-)

Love these brightly coloured baskets…

Wowsers!! Now that’s a purple kitchen!!

Glossy purple cabinets a bit much for you?! Well, how about a lilac countertop & table & backsplash…

And if you have purple in the kitchen, why not have it in the dining room too?? :-)

Can’t leave out the living room!!

You could easily change up the purple in this room if you ever got tired of it… not that I ever would!!

Love the Ikat print on these two chairs…

How about a solid purple chair…

Or maybe a chaise…

Still not convinced?? I bet these beautiful bedrooms with subtle purple accents will make you change your mind :-)

Total glam!!

Not only does this bed have the most luxurious purple fabrics, but check out the awesome quatrefoil headboard.

Still not a purple convert?? Well, you can start small and go from there. Just a bouquet of purple flowers can brighten up a room, and you don’t have to make a lifelong commitment to purple :-)

I absolutely adore everything about this beautiful entry…

So what do you think?? if you weren’t a purple-lover before, have I managed to convert you?!

Thanks to Jenny for hosting Alphabe-Thursday Rainbow Summer School and giving me the perfect excuse to write another purple post :-)

Go sit on it!!

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:11:00 +0000

Why make the effort to get up off your sofa and go for a mountain hike when your sofa can BE the mountain hike?? Complete with refreshing waterfall…

Montanara Sofa by Gaetan Pesce

Is it just me, or would this sofa make you feel like you’re sitting on an alien’s face and those lights are his eyeballs staring at you??

Morpheo sofa from Modern Furniture Classics

This is just plain creepy… it’s like a big bug crawling up the wall. Uh, hubby, would you mind coming over here and squishing this large insect??

Designer: Lila Lang

For everyone who’s ever pondered the probing question: What does it feel like to sit on a giant scrubbing brush??

Designer: Student at Bucks New University

Don’t have a cow, man!!

Designer: Rodolfo Rocchetti

The Dalilips Sofa — gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “Kiss my ass” ;-)

Designers: Salvador Dali & Oscar Tusquets, image from bonluxat

To see more crazy sofas, check out 35 of the Most Unique & Creative Sofa Designs.
Unless otherwise noted, all images from Freshome.

What’s new on HGTV Canada

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:52:00 +0000

There are a few new shows debuting on HGTV Canada this week. Which ones will you be watching?

Battle on the Block
Host: Genevieve Gorder
When: Tuesday @ 9:00PM

Premise: Battle On the Block is a fun, character-driven home makeover show where three neighbouring families compete against one another in an effort to design and build one new room from scratch, all in the span of a single weekend! The winner not only gets $10,000 but also bragging rights in the neighbourhood.

Will I be watching? This sounds like a mini version of my favourite all-time home show, The Block. But I can can only take so much of Genevieve Gorder and her baby voice. Might watch.

Color Splash
Host: David Bromstad
When: Weekdays @ 10:00AM & 3:30PM

Premise: Design Star champion, David Bromstad, won a slot as host of the new series, Color Splash. He brings his exuberance, passion, decorating savvy and unwavering belief that "color is the root of great design" to transform tired rooms for homeowners each week into vibrant, unforgettable spaces — while he teaches us to do the same in our homes.

Will I be watching? You bet!!

My First Sale
Host: N/A
When: Monday @ 8:00PM

Premise: Think buying your first place is tough? Try selling it! My First Sale takes the proven and successful docudrama format of My First Place and turns it upside down — telling the story from the seller's point of view. Selling your first place means the stakes are even higher than when you purchased. More pressure, more jeopardy, more to gain — and potentially thousands to lose. For HGTV viewers, My First Sale has even more drama and, most important, more valuable takeaways to help viewers make top dollar on their own sale.

Will I be watching? Probably, but might get bored of it after a while.

Selling New York
Host(s): Michelle Kleier, Ian Kleier, Shaun Osher, John Gomes
When: Wednesday @ 9:00PM

Premise: They are assertive, razor-sharp and always compelling real estate brokers in the country's most competitive market. In a city of over 8 million people, where the average sale price is over $2 million, the competition to seal the deal is stiff. Now, catch a rare glimpse into a world where a solid reputation at the top of the real estate food chain involves swimming with the sharks, going head-to-head with the best, and rubbing shoulders with the wealthiest and trendiest of New York's social, political and artistic elite. This is Selling New York.

Will I be watching? Sounds to me like the New York version of Million Dollar Listing, which I can’t stand. Might watch the first episode out of curiosity, but I’ll probably be turned off by the exorbitant prices and potentially pretentious buyers.

As for the new HGTV schedule — why do they insist on Holmes on Homes repeat overkill?? He’s still on at noon, 6:00PM, and 11:00PM every day. I assume they need a certain percentage of Canadian content, but there are so many HGTV US shows that we don’t get here — why not give us a few of those instead of showing constant repeats of the same Canadian shows??

“It’s not easy being green” bathroom makeover

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:44:00 +0000

If you’re a regular DesignTies reader, you’ve heard me complain more than once that our whole house was painted pink and green when we moved in. Seriously, WHY would anyone paint a whole house pink and green?! And to top it all off, there was one all-pink bathroom and one all-green bathroom. UGH.

Hubby absolutely refuses to rip out the tiles from the bathrooms, so I have to work with what’s there. Although if I was smart, I would do what my aunt’s friend did when her hubby said NO to a bathroom reno — she pulled out her trusty sledgehammer and took matters into her own hands!!

See?? The master bathroom — all green. The marble tiles on the floor and the tub surround, the green marble countertop with sinks, the green walls, the green blinds…

I hate this shower so much. I’ve been nagging hubby to replace it, but it’s been 9 years and it still hasn’t happened. Grrrrrr!!!

The first thing that we replaced was the ugly Hollywood light fixture. But there was still so much to do, where to start?! Well, as usual, we did things backwards and started with a new paint colour. I think hubby was fed up with hearing me complain about the ugly green bathroom, because one day he went out to Home Depot, picked up a gallon of paint, and painted the room. I don’t have a pic of the wall colour, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him that it was kinda icky. It was a sort of fluorescent pastel lilac (Behr Silent Ripple).

Thank god hubby didn’t like the colour either — a couple of days later, he went back to Home Depot and picked up another gallon of paint (Behr Sparrow).

Ah, MUCH better!!

We took down the big builders mirror, and made two smaller mirrors from it. And in case you’re wondering, no, the light fixture isn’t properly centered on the vanity. I think the electrician was drunk when he worked on our house.

Next, I wanted to change the white vanity. I had about half a gallon of Farrow & Ball Mahogany left from another project, and decided that would be the new vanity colour. I removed the doors and drawers, primed them, painted them, and sprayed them with a matte varathane. Much better than the white, but that green countertop had to go!!

We decided on Corian in Silver Birch. The entire ordering & installation process through Home Depot was a breeze, and the countertop went in earlier than scheduled. As you can see, there was a bit of damage to the wall when hubby pulled out the old countertop. Luckily, it was an easy fix.

What do you think of the faucets?? We bought them off Ebay for $30 each :-) And I love the new rectangular sinks.

Next, the new backsplash went in. We bought sheets of 1” x 2” charcoal grey glass subway tiles from Home Depot. We decided to create our own pattern, incorporating some cool pebble & resin tiles we’d seen at a home show. This is what we came up with:

A quick peek over at the side of the bathroom opposite the vanity. It’s pretty boring — just the linen closet, toilet, and bidet. (Yes, even the garbage cans left behind by the previous owners were green!!)

I have no idea what to do with the bidet. Although it’s a great attraction at parties — ever played “how high can the bidet water go”?? ;-)

It also makes a great doggie water fountain ;-)

A mini chandelier, new white 2” wood blinds, and some artwork from Home Depot, a few accessories, and the bathroom was done. Here’s the before one more time…

And the after… still a lot of green, but the grey helps tone it down a lot.

Not my dream bathroom and definitely not fancy, but a definite improvement!! It’s certainly not at impressive as V’s bathroom makeovers here and here, but I wasn’t allowed to tear out everything down to the studs and start from scratch ;-)

It’s Metamorphosis Monday over at Between Naps on the Porch… be sure to stop by and check out this week’s makeovers.

Dining room decorating deliberations, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (DesignTies) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 03:48:00 +0000

If you’re wondering where Dining room decorating deliberations, Part 1 went to… it’s not here!! It’s my guest post today over at Nancy's blog, Marcus Design. So you’ll have to check out Nancy’s blog to see what happened in Part 1 :-) I’m sneaky — I mean clever — eh?? :-)

Last Friday, there was a retirement party at work for my manager. After 26 years, he decided it’s time to move on. He told us that this past July while he was swimming in the pool at his hotel in Managua, Nicaragua, he had a revelation. He decided that he was going to go back to school in the Netherlands for 16 months, and then he’ll do volunteer work in China, Africa, and South America. When I swim, I just think about decorating :-)

Which brings me to the point of this post — last weekend while I was swimming at the cottage, I had a decorating revelation. You might remember this teaser post when I let you in the colours I was going to use in the dining room. Well, I did go ahead and paint the DR back in the spring, but I’m not totally convinced that it’s what I want. *Sigh*

I recently saw a really cool wallpaper in the October issue of Style At Home, but I don’t have anywhere to hang it. It’s from Osborne & Little and it’s called Sariskar Marahani.

And then last Sunday afternoon while I was doing the backstroke, it hit me — I could repaint the dining room and change the colour scheme to work with this beautiful indigo blue wallpaper. It’s not like I’ve never painted a room and then painted it again. And again. And… you get the point!!

The cool thing about this paper is that it has some similarities to this Sherwin Williams trend for 2011 — Restless Nomad.

These are a few of the colours from this trend — clockwise from upper left are SW 7602 Indigo Batik, SW 6551 Purple Passage, SW 6300 Burgundy, and SW 6840 Exuberant Pink:

I like these colours a lot :-) But do I like them enough to repaint the entire dining room?? Hmmmm… well, no need to worry. It just so happens that the same wallpaper pattern comes in colours that work with what I already have:

I know, it’s a pretty wild pattern!! But I have a plan, really… and if you want to see what it is, you’ll have to go over to Nancy’s blog to read Dining room decorating deliberations, Part 1 :-)

A quick Art for Life Campaign update: Matt has just passed the $20,000 mark. That’s a whole lot of money going towards cancer research!!