Marcus Design

{blogpodium bound ...}

2012-05-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

My bags are packed & I'm off to Toronto today! I'll be attending BlogPodium on Saturday, hearing a keynote address from Nicole of Making it Lovely, and learning all about 'The Business of Blogging!' I'm sure I'll have lots of great stuff to share with you early next week.

The great news is that it's a mere 14 degrees here in Vancouver and I'll be in a balmy 29 degrees in TO!! If you know me, you know I LOVE the heat :) While I won't get a chance to chill poolside I hope to look half as good as the gal doing so below ... so I purchased that fab flower print blouse she's wearing ... lol.

I'll also have plenty of my business cards on hand, hoping an opportunity or two will arise to use them, and they just happen to complement the pair of pastel turquoise jeans I'm bringing along ... I heart turquoise ...

I'll be taking notes on my iPad (hubby bought it for me as a recent grad present and I can barely set it down!!). I bought this Kate Spade cover which is awesome simply because if you have the Apple magnetic cover, it fits in with the cover left on. Smart idea because I hate pulling it on and off.

Without the generous contest put on by AyA Kitchens I would never have been able to attend such a fabulous event across the country, so I have to say another big THANK YOU. They've given West Coast bloggers a chance to feel connected to the East (the hub of design here in Canada). I love the spirit of connecting bloggers, designers, and companies, and connecting all the way across Canada is even more amazing.

So with that I will bid you ado until Monday! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend full of fun & a little rest too ...

{trendspotting: dodecahedrons}

2012-05-22T01:20:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that title correctly: dodecahedrons. Does it take you back to Math 8 or what? A dodecahedron is a polyhedron with 12 pentagonal faces or sides, and these geometric beauties are apparently popping up everywhere in the design world:

source unknown

via CuffHome

via Ralph Lauren Home and Remodelista

Terrarium - Old Faithful Shop

Ceiling Pendant - Ralph Lauren Home

Lamp - Ralph Lauren Home

Nesting Table - CuffHome

You may recall that several weeks ago, I entered my dream kitchen into the AyA BlogPodium bound Kitchen contest, and I won! I am flying out to Toronto to attend BlogPodium thanks to the wonderful people at AyA Kitchens, and I am so excited and SO grateful for the opportunity! Low and behold, my dream kitchen just happened to include a pair of raw wood dodecahedron ceiling pendants ...

So excited to head out to TO for my very first time later this week!!! I'm also excited to meet so many of my blog friends in person for the first time :) Tomorrow I'll be packing & planning outfits, and I'll be sure to tweet & snap a ton of pictures to give you a recap of all the events next week.

{a leisurely monday ...}

2012-05-21T01:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday everyone! Hope all of my fellow Canadians are enjoying the holiday Monday, it's a wonderful chance to take it a little slower this morning ...

via this is glamorous

via this is glamorous and Arianna Belle

Hope you have a great start to the week wherever you are ...

{happy weekend + grilled cheese heaven}

2012-05-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

You don't see recipes around here simply because I am NOT a great cook. I can pull something tasty together, but it's usually with a bit of struggle, and I generally stay within my comfort zone. I want to try hard to move out of that comfort zone and try making things that sound super intimidating to me. And when things turn out okay I'll hopefully post about my adventures here.

Last week I came across this recipe that was well within my comfort zone, and contained one of my favorite ingredients: avocados! It was so easy to make and super yummy ...

Here's my modified recipe for 1 sandwich:

Ingredients

2 slices bread (I used a whole wheat bread)
2 tablespoons Pesto (I bought this instead of making it from scratch)
2 slices mild white melty cheese (I used mozzarella)
handful fresh baby spinach
¼ avocado, sliced
2 tablespoons goat cheese (I used soft unripened, crumbled)
thin spread of butter on the outside of each slice of bread

Directions

Spread about 1 tablespoon of Pesto onto each slice of bread, and a small amount of butter on the outside of each slice. On one slice of bread, add 1 slice of cheese, sliced avocado, crumbled goat cheese, spinach, then top it with second slice of bread. Press together gently.
Heat in a frying pan over medium low heat and cook until bread is golden brown. Press down on the sandwich lightly, then flip the sandwich over and cook until second side is golden brown.

It was so fresh and yummy! And although it was very easy, I was happy to start trying new things. I hope I can keep it up.

Have you tried a new recipe lately? I'd love to hear! Happy weekend to you!

images and original recipe via Tastespotting

{designer profile: abby wolf-weiss}

2012-05-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

I LOVE discovering designers I haven't yet come across, and today the work of LA-based interior designer Abby Wolf-Weiss has me smitten! Abby has only recently followed her passion for design and decor, as she worked in the film industry for nearly 20 years before hand. I love hearing stories like that, don't you? Here is work from her portfolio, it seems every room contains some of my favorite things!

A lovely Christian Chaize beach print:

Is that a Dorothy Draper dresser I spy in the powder room?

Oh how I'd love to curl up with a book on that sectional facing those glorious windows! And don't you love that faux bamboo fixture?

One of my favorite wallcoverings in the dining room, Romo's Miraflores medallion wallpaper:

Such lovely spaces! To see more of Abby Wolf-Weiss' portfolio go here.

{stripes outdoors}

2012-05-15T01:10:00.001-07:00

I love the preppy clean look of black & white stripes outdoors! My deck is far from ready for the season, but all of the stripy pretty below gives me inspiration to get out there and doll it up to enjoy the space all summer long ....

source unknown

The Viceroy

source unknown

via Material Girls and Just Call me Grace

via House Beautiful

via Colorado Homes

If you are on the hunt for an easy and inexpensive addition of stripes to your outdoor space, be sure to check out the Portofino Outdoor line from Z gallerie!

Portofino Pavillion

Portofino Ottoman, Umbrella, and High back chair

Are you starting to get your outdoor space summer-ready? Or is it still a little early where you live? I personally say bring on summer!

{happy mother's day}

2012-05-13T01:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to my fabulous and wonderful Mom! I love you more than you can know. And to all of you who are mamas, I hope you get super spoiled today :)

Image via Amanda Catherine

{happy friday + weekend reads...}

2012-05-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

Yay for the end of the week! Well, I'm sure you have most likely discovered it yourself but just in case ... this month's issue of Lonny is kind of amazing. Hop over here to start flipping through. I'm so excited that this will be a monthly magazine now! Here's a sneak peek to tide you over:

Beautiful! Of course I had to show you some of my favorite images including ginger jars in honor of this post earlier this week. Read the rest of the issue here, and don't forget to have a flip through the recent issues of Ivy & Piper, Matchbook mag, and Rue too! They are all sooo good. Lots of reading material for the weekend if you've been too busy to get to it all :)

Oh and one more random thing before I let you go for the weekend .... Kelly Wearstler's agate fabric in black and ivory?? I'm kind of dying ...

Isn't it gorgeous? Pretty sure I need that in my life ... you can see Kelly's current line for Lee Jofa here.

See you back here on Monday friends!

{karlie kloss for neiman marcus}

2012-05-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, it seems this week I have been spending a bit too much time on Neiman Marcus' website! This time around I am smitten with the Spring 2012 catalogue featuring the lovely Karlie Kloss. I love that so many of the current Spring trends were highlighted! Just look at all those bright & fresh colors:

These colbalt pants fit well with the colored jean trend:

Color blocking is still everywhere:

I'm totally swooning over lace tops, I just bought one myself:

And blazers! Top off your look with a blazer for an ultra chic ensemble! I think I need about 10 new blazers :) I've literally been wanting to wear a blazer with everything lately ...

Finally, flower power ... floral prints are pretty & fresh:

Aaah, isn't that bag above amazing? I'm ready to go shopping, you?

{lusting: blue & white}

2012-05-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

There's nothing more classic & traditional than a blue and white ginger jar, but at the same time they are somehow young and fresh too. I posted about grouping them on a tabletop here, and I'm definitely starting my collection of jars so that I can get the look. Today I'm totally inspired by everything blue and white!

via gypsy purple home and Christian Dior

via delicious pins and Chinoiserie Chic

source unknown; via Tartan Scot

via House & Home and vtinteriors

via Bazaar of Serendipity and Bright Bold & Beautiful

via fancy house road and Annechovie

1. Jonathan Adler Louis Chair

2. Furbish Blue & White ginger jar

3. Design Darling ginger jar matches

4. Dior nail lacquer

5. Garden stool via HouseBeautiful

6. Thomas Paul zebra pillow

I'm loving all things blue & white these days. Have I got you convinced too?

{house tour: lakeside bungalow}

2012-05-08T01:30:00.000-07:00

As the days get warmer & warmer I'm itching to spend more time outside. That's why this stunning lakeside home in Ontario instantly caught my eye in the current issue of House & Home; it's got the 'bring the outside in' vibe down pat. I love the light and airy feel that homeowner Emily Norris accomplished, without tending towards stark and cold. I also die for that nice chunk of marble on that gorgeous kitchen island above.

Lovely isn't it? Yep, I think I could live like that!

{lusting: neiman marcus home}

2012-05-07T00:29:00.000-07:00

It's a brand new week! I hope you all had a lovely weekend and got some rest.

I'm always on the look out for unique, stand-out pieces of furniture, and Neiman Marcus truly has an extensive and gorgeous collection! I can easily find 100's of things I'd take home if I could ....

Ugh that Lilly Pulitzer lacquered desk gets me every time! Divine. I could shop Neiman Marcus' site and easily fill an entire house :) Oh, and of course I'm quite partial to that last name of course! Too bad I'm not related ... could have got a family discount or something ...

{house tour: fresh & feminine}

2012-05-04T00:00:00.004-07:00

Happy Friday! I've got a jam-packed few days with a birthday party, a wedding, and a get together on Sunday evening ... but I can't complain, it's all exciting stuff! I gotta be honest, I also love the excuse to get all dressed up, as many of you know I've been in my pjs studying for far too long!

Today I'm sharing a lovely home via this month's issue of Style at Home. Design editor Jessica Waks created a fresh & feminine space for her sister, with a bold and beautiful palette carried throughout:

How fun! There is lots of bright color, but it works so well because it's balanced with a heavy dose of white. And the styling is fantastic, isn't it?

Have a great weekend everyone! Have you got any weekend plans?

{april showers bring may flowers}

2012-05-03T02:31:00.002-07:00

Happy Thursday! Hope your week is winding down. We are looking forward to a dry weekend in Vancouver, and I'm hoping that all of those April showers will bring May flowers. So in honor of May and all of the beautiful spring blooms I've been seeing around lately, here's a little petal pretty I put together:

left 1, 2 - katie armour, right - this is glamorous

left - this is glamorous, right - Erika of Small Shop

left - source unknown, right - Frugal Farmhouse

left - Coco & Kelly, right - source unknown

left - Olivia Palermo, right - this is glamorous

left, right - this is glamorous

left - katie armour, right source unknown

Nothing feels more like May than pretty flowers! Have a great day my friends :)

{designer profile: gabriel hendifar}

2012-05-02T02:00:00.000-07:00

Last week the lovely Erika of Small Shop shared an interview with designer Gabriel Hendifar, and boy was I floored. I actually had seen most of the rooms before, but I didn't know that the same designer was behind all of them! Gabriel is clearly a master at mixing textures and patterns, and pay close attention to the light fixtures in his rooms, most of them are designed by him! Now that's talent.

Love those lucite stools:

Aaahh, that burled walnut gets me every time. What a show-stopping piece:

Wow, I love every single space! You can read the interview on Erika's blog here, see Gabriel's portfolio here, and his line of stunning light fixtures here.

{the office of meredith heron}

2012-05-01T01:30:00.001-07:00

I just had to share the amazing office of one of Canada's top interior designers, and one of my favorite people here in blog-land, Meredith Heron. She's beyond talented. Chloe Magazine recently featured these images, and well ... I'm going to let them do all the talking!

That wallpaper, the bookcase styling, the pop of yellow with the National Geographics, it's all too good!

Um, yes please to everything. You can read about Meredith's process over at Chloe Magazine, and follow along for all the behind the scenes of her drool-worthy projects on her blog here.

{4 kitchen desk ideas}

2012-04-30T00:25:00.000-07:00

I love having a little kitchen desk in our home. It's a great spot to sit & write grocery lists, stash receipts and mail, and of course it's an opportunity to create a vignette! Here are a few ideas I love for this practical nook:

1 If I ever get the chance to build my dream home I think my first wish would be to have a nice sized window to bring in natural light above the kitchen workstation. Built-in sconces or a lamp would create perfect additional lighting for the evenings:

Effie Genovese via Style at Home

2 If you don't have the opportunity to look out of a beautiful window, creating visual interest with a bulletin board is a nice alternative. It's pretty and it's practical!

via Blueprint Bliss

via House of Turquoise

3 A statement chair really adds omph to this corner of an overly 'utilitarian' space, and I'm loving the gorgeous Alexandra quatrefoil chair from Suzanne Kasler's line:

4 I love the idea of organization through small drawers or cubbies. Wouldn't it be fun to designate a mail/homework cubby for each family member, each labelled with a custom silhouette like the ones below?

left: via House Beautiful, right: unknown

Do you have a kitchen workstation? Does yours happen to incorporate any of these features? Any ideas I missed? I'd love to hear!

{news in the world of fashion}

2012-04-27T01:30:00.001-07:00

Happy Friday friends! I'm excited for the weekend, you too? I'm hoping to head out for a nice walk along the seawall to enjoy the water & sun with my hubby.

Here's a bit of a round up of what's been happening this week in the fashion world:

First up, Vancouverites rejoice! We finally have a J. Crew!! Doors opened earlier this week at the Robson street location. This is the second J. Crew in Canada, and I'm so happy to see that we are finally catching up. I smell a shopping trip in my near future :)

J. Crew Fall 2012 line

Speaking of J. Crew ... did you see that Jenna Lyons recently had a look-alike model at the showing of her Fall 2012 line? She claims this was unintention ... you be the judge.

I LOVED reading through this list of '29 of Fashion's Biggest Mysteries Solved' on Refinery29 this week ... I learned so much! Did you know BCBG stands for 'Bon chic, bon genre,' meaning 'good style, good attitude.' Hop over to find out things like 'why the red sole'? and 'why houndstooth is called houdstooth'?

Did you hear that Fashion Television is ceasing filming? I am so sad, this has been a staple in my Canadian TV viewing nearly my whole life. I have memories of me and my dad watching the runway shows and just gasping at the couture gowns that were more like sculptural art than wearable garments. Jeanne Beker brought young Canadians a taste of the behind the scenes happening at every major show for the passed 27 years. She brought the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Oscar de la Renta into Canadian living rooms. I'm really going to miss this show! Goodbye Fashion TV, you will be greatly missed.

The beginning: Jeanne Beker then {1985}

And now {2012}

One of Fashion TV's final installments included following The Coveteur for a sneak peak into the wardrobe and home of Canadian interior design guru Brian Gluckstein. He's got quite the collection, I must say! And newer photos of that iconic library bathroom of his were so fun to see ... it's got to be my favorite bathroom of all time!

Beautiful! Get's me every time. I wish you all a fabulous weekend, see you back here on Monday!

{the anatomy of a windsor smith kitchen}

2012-04-25T01:45:00.001-07:00

I love Windsor Smith's work ... ALL of it. She's got the magic formula of mixing classic bones + an amazing wow factor down pat! But there is something extra special about a 'Windsor Smith kitchen,' don't you agree?

via Rue

via Veranda

Ooh, that's a whole lot of kitchen pretty. Let's dissect, shall we? What must a Windsor Smith kitchen include? Gobs of marble is a good start, a tiny touch of rustic glam through a wide-planked wood floor or a large marble-top french table, a mix of seating styles that could include this navy brushed side chair and Windsor Smith's own slipcovered wingback chair, a ceiling pot rack for added charm, and of course two oversized black drum-shade light fixtures for that WS wow factor!

Yep, I could live like this :) Could you picture it?

One more thing! I'm excited to be visiting Victoria's lovely blog vmac + cheese, participating in her Behind the Scenes series today, hop over to learn a little more about me, like which 4 books I hope to read this year and what keeps me blogging.

I also guest blogged over at the fabulous & fellow Canadian Designwali blog a couple of weeks ago, sharing a spot of color in my home that brings a smile to my face. Thanks to both wonderful ladies for having me!

{house tour: via christina murphy interiors}

2012-04-23T01:30:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you had a great couple of days off.

As I mentioned on Saturday, I am a big fan of Christina Murphy's work {look for a gorgeous spread from her in the May issue of House Beautiful!}. Here is another beautiful home recently added to her portfolio:

She is all about the details and her work is so fresh! I also love that she updates her website frequently! So fun to hop over every now and then and find something new :)

{happy sunday + bedroom pretty}

2012-04-22T02:30:00.004-07:00

Hope you are enjoying your weekend! I have to tell you, I have been having a very relaxing couple of days, for the first time since Christmas break pretty much. I slept in yesterday and I'm feeling better than I have in as long as I can remember! These bedrooms have a soft & relaxed vibe to match the restful bliss I am feeling:

via BHG as seen on La Dolce Vita

via The Zhush

Enjoy the rest of your day!

{weekend reading ...}

2012-04-21T18:02:00.001-07:00

The latest issue of TradHome is out, be sure to click through & start flipping because it is filled with eye candy! Perfect weekend reading in my opinion :) I especially loved viewing the versatile and stunning spaces designed by the '10 New Trads'; the list includes some of my favorite designers such as Christina Murphy, Palmer Weiss, and Grant K. Gibson.

Christina Murphy

Timothy Whealon; Tamara Kaye-Honey

Tammy Connor

Grant K. Gibson

Palmer Weiss; Allison Hennessy

Tamara Kaye-Honey

You can vote for your favorite of the '10 New Trad' designers and be entered to win $1000 & flip through the full issue here.

Happy weekend reading!

{designer profile: daun curry}

2012-04-20T00:29:00.000-07:00

I only recently learned of the work of Manhattan-based interior designer Daun Curry through one of my favorite blogs, The Zhush. What a portfolio! I'm quite smitten with her bold and eclectic style:

Have you ever seen high-gloss walls as perfect as these?

Love those herringbone floors:

It's that fabulous Fornasetti wallcovering, how quirky and fun!

Drooling? I sure am. If you'd like to see more of Daun's work hop over to her beautiful and extensive portfolio here.

Wishing you all a wonderful & relaxing weekend!

{domino quick fixes is here}

2012-04-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Sorry I have been so MIA, I've been running around like crazy with a lot of final paperwork etc for my degree, final deadline is next Friday to have everything in, yay!! Any how, I managed to get to a local bookstore yesterday on my way home from school and picked myself up a copy of Domino's Quick Fixes {which hit newsstands officially on April 17th}. Did you grab a copy? If so what do you think? {images via Curbed}

The first thing I'd have to say is, keep in mind when reading ANY review of this mag, the expectations are going to be very high. My personal take? I'm happy to have a crisp and shiny new Domino in my hands {there is nothing like flipping through actual pages to me}. The negative is that I've seen nearly half of the spaces before, and generally there was a lot of recycled material. I'm hoping that the next one will step it up with tons of new content.

I'm still happy to add these quarterly issues to my bookshelf, they are always great to refer back to. So now I'm dying to hear, if you have had a chance to flip through, what did you think of this Domino revival? If not have you read other reviews & will you be going out to buy it?

{the many styles of roman shades}

2012-04-16T01:30:00.002-07:00

I LOVE the look of romans. They instantly add a bit of softness to the hard straight lines of a window. There are so many styles and variations out there, here I've listed 5 shades we seem to see most frequently:

And my current personal FAVORITE:

I think we all collectively gasped when we laid eyes on these banded romans featured in the current issue of Lonny. So tailored and crisp!

Annsley Interiors

And there are so many more shapes of shades out there! I found this helpful guide that I've saved to my files. Which is your favorite? Is your home currently sporting any of these various roman shades?