With birthdays a month apart, one on either side of Christmas, we’ve just finished up the kids party session for the year! I tried my hand at cupcake making for both and equally enjoyed making Star Wars cupcakes {lemon with cream cheese icing as requested} for a party at the local gymnastics place as I did pink flower cupcakes {vanilla with buttercream} for a  tea party.

Happy Birthday to my 5 year old boy and my 3 year old {going on 16…} girl. Love you!

The baby girl {who will be arriving in the next few weeks} got a lovely room in plums and ivory and taupey-gray. I based the scheme off of these Serena and Lily fabrics I stumbled across and LOVED:

I just adored the plummy-pink of the fabrics and knew it would help create the feminine, serene, not too babyish room my client was after.  It was such a fun day putting all the pieces of the room together and I felt honoured to be apart of helping create their nursery! I’ll be posting photos of the complete space soon once my friend Tracey Ayton works her magic photographing it! If you follow Kerrisdale Design on Facebook though you would have seen a sneak peak of the art over the crib!

The plum love didn’t die though with the nursery install. A few days later we had friends over after church and we got to chatting about decorating for their new daughters room. At the final stages of completing the adoption process to bring a 13 year old girl from Sierra Leone to join their family of four, my friend was having fun thinking about fabrics and colours for the space.

Of course, we couldn’t just casually talk about it….2 minutes into the topic we were in the office, pulling down baskets and baskets of samples and riffling through. We found some great options, but this lovely fabric by Kelly Wearstler stuck out to me…the colours are stunning, two shades of plum with white and a beautiful gray-blue.

After my friend went home clutching her samples, I couldn’t help but sit down and put together a quick little design scheme based on the fabric. A tad OCD, no? Can’t help it . The daybed was already a style under consideration and I had fun putting together a simple plan that would hopefully appeal to a teenage girl. Though this isn’t necessarily the scheme she’ll be going with {we are wise enough to remember that teenage girls have their own opinions, and so will offer a bunch of choices}, I though you’d all enjoy a peek at some plummy goodness!

{click to enlarge}

Have a great day!

Could these two be any cuter? Love this classic song!

What are you doing for New Years?

I opened my digital copy of the Dec/Jan House Beautiful {I subscribe to the print copy too cause I like having a physical copy but I get the digital version cause my patience doesn’t last long enough for it to make its sweet time north to my mailbox} and IT started. That extra fast, heart pounding feeling. I used to only get that feeling right before making a presentation in University. In my Bcom program it was the worst. Without fail, right before I’d have to present a big project or business analysis or something {and always in front of a group of really really smart and fairly intimidating business people} I’d have this heart pounding, short of breath feeling. It’d pass and I’d generally nail the presentation, but that heart pounding moment was always there to kick things off.

Now days, I get that heart pouding whenever I come across a home spread that is really good.  OHMYGOSHINEEDTOSHARETHIS. I clicked my way through this House Beautiful article tonight like a maniac, adreneline going crazy. Mark D. Sikes and Michael Griffin did such an incredible job of the design of this home. WOW. I can’t even begin to tell you about the background details of  the home as I didn’t even stop my oggling and image saving to read the article {time for that later}.

Black and White and Natural. A little blue and white thrown in never hurt anybody. Aaaand let the drooling commence!

The New Traditional by Mark D. Sikes and Michael Griffin
House Beautiful Magazine Dec 2011/ Jan 2012

Gorgeous isn’t it? Pretty yet not precious, has that fresh, crisp feel that I love.

Before I continue, can I say one thing? It drives me nuts when my subscription arrives AFTER the issue hits the newstands. Argh. I won’t lie, I get all jittery when it’s late…and {call me crazy} I totally picture the Canada Post people sitting around the postal office, reading my H&H and House Beautiful, eating bonbons and {gasp} creasing the pages….

ANYHOW, so my magazine addiction is so bad that I literally couldn’t be in the same room with that new glossy without snatching it up and cracking it open. How could I ignore it, sitting there next to me on the table, taunting me with its gorgeous cover shot? I’m not exaggerrating when I say that  I DEVOURED it right then and there. TOTALLY RUDE GUEST, but old friends understand me and the wee bit of design magazine addiction I have. I poured over the issue, sighed with delight at the pretty, and the visit continued

The October 2011 issue features {among other great spaces} the latest showhome designed by Lynda Reeves and team for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation. Every year they manage to create absolutely gorgeous-yet-liveable, current-yet-timeless showhomes that I adore. Last year they went for Hamptons beach house inspired {who doesn’t love the Hamptons??} and it was perfection. This year is no exception. Taking inspiration from wine country {you all know I’m sucker for Napa!} they have created a gorgeous home – Noteworthy, in fact.

Wine Country Inspired Showhome by the House & Home Design Team
House and Home Magazine October 2011

For a more detailed look at this lovely home, visit House and Home online to view the video tours {these images are taken from those…forgive the poor quality!}

Well, first of all THANK YOU for some many sweet comments on the “Before and After” post for our Blue Bedroom. The room turned out simple, fresh, and pretty and we’re so glad you liked it too!

I’ve gotten a few emails with questions about the room, so I wanted to do a quick post answering them. Here goes….

The original design plan called for a great taupey gray for the walls. But after looking at samples, we decided that the existing colour, Ralph Lauren Barn Owl White would work fine with the scheme and save a bit of money from our tight budget that could be better spent elsewhere. We felt the colour ended up working just fine!

The phone is from Pottery Barn. They come in black or silver and you get get one HERE.

As you know, we used Kravet’s Jellybean 1635 for the Euro shams on the bed. We backed them with a coordinating turqoise linen {great for saving a little bit of $ when using a pricier fabric}. The stripe is from Nautica for Robert Allen. It’s called Baron Stripe and the colour is Espresso. It reads more as a browney {is that a word?} charcoal though and worked well with the charcoal in the Kravet print.

We also did a couple pillows for the window seat in Robert Allen Dwell Studio “Gate” in Jade. If you are interested in ordering any of these fabrics, they can be purchased through Kerrisdale Design. Send an email to info@kerrisdaledesign.com for details.

The bedside tables, headboard, and bench are all available through Kerrisdale Design {info@kerrisdaledesign.com for pricing info}.

Other Sources:

• Task Lamps – Robert Abbey Alvin Boom Lamp in Nickel
• Art – frames from Pottery Barn, bird prints ripped out of a Cavallini and Co. calendar
• Convex Mirror – Kerrisdale Design
• Rug – West Elm Jute Boucle in Flax
• White linen pillow – Pottery Barn Jute Braid Pillow Cover in Ivory
• Duvet cover and sheets – Ikea
• Quilt and Shams – Pottery Barn Pick-Stitch Quilt in Sandalwood

Have a great day!

I try to avoid doing posts filled with just pretty images. There are a ton of amazing blogs who are much better at that than I.

But when you are a designer and you receive a stack of interior design mags every month, you inevitably come across spreads that delight you and you want to share. I don’t mean spreads that you look at and go Gee, that’s nice {cause it’s all beautiful}. I mean the ones that give you shivers of delight when you flip the page to them and you are instantly in awe because they are SO YOU. Anyone know what I mean? You analyze each image, read and re-read the article, flip through again randomly while cooking dinner and give a happy sigh at each and every page. #designdork

Am I the only one who spends this much time poring over their favorite spreads?

Since my husband only provides a nod and “it’s nice” when I show him my fav glossy pages, I decided I’d start a little series on the blog called “Noteworthy“. Magazine spreads that hit the ball outta the park, make my heart go pitter patter, and are completely me.

Hope you enjoy!

Rustic Elegance in Muskoka by Jennifer Ferreira
Style at Home Magazine September 2011

This living room kills me! Totally has a bit of a Darryl Carter feel – LOVE

Who else is in love with this gorgeous retreat??

I’m refering to the recent Master bedroom design I did for a client. My very sweet client contacted me this past fall asking for help with her Master bedroom. Her and her husband are like a lot of us, focusing on decorating the rest of the house while the master bedroom gets neglected. A shame, because as busy parents of several little ones, they totally deserve a wonderful space in which to relax at the end of the day.

So, when February hit we got the ball rolling on the design scheme {I was booked solid and that was the earliest I could squeeze it in}. During our inital meeting it was clear that my client wanted a really fresh and happy space, nice hits of colour and a brighter feel that they currently had. Classic pieces for the furniture that they wouldn’t tire of. The word Pink even got tossed around when chatting about potential colours! The colour of the year was already making its way into our designs!

After I had a good grasp of what my clients were after, I hit the fabrics showrooms hard, and fell head over heals for a pattern from Kravet called “Jellybean”. What could be happier sounding that a fabric named after an old-fashioned candy?

When I saw the pattern I was first drawn to the pink colourway {top} due to my discussions with my client about going the pink route. But then I saw the turqoise one and thought how perfectly it fit my clients. Dilemnas!

So, I set about doing somehting I don’t normally do. Two colour scheme options. Pink and Blue.

Presentation day rolled around and I was excited about {and torn between}  both schemes. At breakfast I made my kids guess which one my client would pick. Surprise, suprise, the vote was torn along {stereotypical} gender lines:

I reviewed the design schemes with my client and she was torn too, loved them both! I left everything with her {samples etc}, and later than night the family of 5 had a vote- Blue or Pink?

And the next day the answer came back….we were going blue baby!!!

Here is the scheme they picked {click to enlarge}

The design got implemented and completed a couple months ago, and my clients are so thrilled with how everything turned out. Their bedroom has gone from being a neglected space to one that they enjoy relaxing in after a busy day of work, kids, and pets!

BEFORE

AFTER

all ‘After’ photos by Tracey Ayton Photography

I hope you enjoyed a little peek at this project. It certainly wasn’t the biggest project {in size or budget} that Kerrisdale Design worked on this Spring, but it was one of my favorites.  These clients are such a lovely family and it was a treat to create a space that they adore.

Mommy amnesia you could call it. You somehow forget the pain of childbirth {enough to be willing to do it again!}, where your car keys are, and the angst and frustration of certain stages.

Me, I had forgotten all about the joys of two year olds. Terrible Two’s, huh, what’s that?

Carys has hit the Terrible Two’s quite suddenly, and seriously friends, THE DRAMA that has entered our house. The girl can pull a temper tantrum like no ones business. To be completely honest, it scares me…… I mean, I only had brothers {3}. Boys I’m used to, and I can’t help but wonder if the Terrible Two’s of today are but a glimpse of the Terrible Teenage years of tomorrow??? Am I cut out for 13 year old girl drama??

The main struggle at the moment is clothes. I know, I know, she’s TWO, IT’S NUTS! She has decided that only dresses are pretty and therefore she shall where nothing else.

Today arrived and it was cloudy and yucky and NOT a good dress day. Playing on the playground at daycare wouldn’t work in a dress on such a cold day. So I brought out the jeans and t-shirt.

All I can say is wow. Like, WOW. Tears, snot, wailing. {Momma’s you know the story}

In the midst of the performance I asked her, “Carys, are you done yet?”

I kid you not, she stopped {tears, thrashing, snot, kicking, the whole shebang}, looked at me, and said “Not yet” in a calm voice. Then she went back to her tears/thrashing/snot performance. The girl should get an Oscar. It was truly impressive.

I would have been a bad Momma to grab a camera to record the performance for the purpose of a blog post. Tempting though.

Ah, I love that girl. The sweetness far outweighs the drama. Definitely.

{white lilac – our wedding flower. My sister in law graciously let us chop away at her gorgeous bush that year and we used the blooms for decorations and to carry for bouquets, mixed with other white flowers}

Eight Years

Happy Anniversary to my husband! Eight years ago today I married my sweetheart.

He is the best husband, friend, and father for my kids I could have asked for. He is the brawn and skills behind my house projects, maker of Saturday morning breakfast, and wrestler and tickler of our children. He knows just how to irk me but he uses these skills with restraint and moderation . He makes me laugh and knows how give a good hug when I’m upset. I’m thankful for him and every year I learn more about what this marriage thing really means.

And though our eight years of marriage haven’t been without challenges, I know without a doubt that there is no one I’d rather face them with. Better Together? Yes I think so indeed.

Next up on the tour {go here to read part 1} is the Family room at my clients new house. Being avid entertainers, they decided to forgo doing a formal living room, and instead have a wonderful “Great Room’ – large kitchen, family room, and eating area. Perfect for parties, as we all know everyone always ends up hanging out in the kitchen anyhow!

Family Room {click to view larger}

A lot of inspiration for colours is taken from this beautiful Schumacher fabric {my photo colour is a touch off its a bit warmer/creamier in person but you get the idea}

And I’ve ordered some of {everybody’s favorite} Imperial Trellis pillows from the wonderful Ceri at Cooper Grey {www.cooper-grey.com}

Hope you enjoyed another sneak peak of this client project. With a day packed with meetings, furniture deliveries, and other fun stuff, I better get going! Have a great day,

I’ve got a backlog of design scheme boards I’ve done over the past few months for clients that I’m excited to share with you over the next couple weeks.

First up is a house we’ve been calling “Modern European”. I’ve been working with the owners since the end of January, selecting fixtures and finishes for the new build. There is nothing more satisfying than being able to play a role in a homes design right from the start, and now that we have moved on to decor and furnishings, its so nice to be seeing the full scheme play out.

Right from the start my clients used the words modern, European, Tuscan, warm, comfortable, etc to describe the home they were building and the design they were after. Earthy browns, creams, ivory….think rich wood and limestone, aged bronze, and touches of worn gold.

To give you a feel for the home, here is the front elevation {a rough mockup from the architect}:

Once all of the decision making for the building portion was done {just the past week or so}, we turned our attention to discussing the furnishings and decor {the “fun stuff” if you will!}. There was a little catch, however. It seemed that this portion of the project would have to be competed in a very short timeframe. With a wedding happening shortly after the homes completion, and out of town guests arriving in June, we needed to get this new home furnished and gorgeous by the end of May {6 weeks!!!}. Yikes!

Anyone who has ever purchased large items for their home knows this…. it is rare nowdays for stores to stock things. Waiting anywhere from 8 to 16 weeks {in Vancouver anyhow} for a sofa isn’t out of the ordinary! Were we up to the challenge of decorating this new home lightening-fast in time for the wedding festivities? You betcha!

 The key to having a design come together quickly and be implemented on a short timeline? A designer who undertands her clients well, clients who trust their designer, good contacts & reliable suppliers, some creativity, and the ability to work with in stock items. Yes, we designers LOOOOVE our custom pieces, but it wasn’t happening this time round!

SO, first up on the “Modern European” design scheme tour for today? How about the Master bedroom? After a busy year of house building and wedding planning, what could be better than a relaxing Master retreat for my clients?

Master Bedroom Design {click to enlarge}

The colour scheme is based off a gorgeous Kravet fabric called “Latika” – 100% linen with a stunning print of grays, caramel, ivory, and black. It’s a wonderful pattern that straddles the line between traditional and modern . It feels timeless yet fresh. Here’s a couple closeups:

The rest of the bedding selections will pull from this fabric – ivory sheets and duvet,  taupey coloured coverlet, and some other accent fabrics that reference the caramel, gray, and black. The Latika fabric will be used on some Euro shams.

Out of all of the rooms we’ve designed for these clients, the Master is one of my favorites! To me it feels restful and elegant, everything a Master bedroom should be, I think. I can’t wait to see all the pieces come together and share some pictures with you!

Here are a some pictures I took last year at the farm …gives you a taste of what our days will be filled with! Word has it that one of the ducks on the farm has just had eighteen {!!!!} new baby ducklings, so you can bet Ben and Carys are pretty excited. Ok, so I’m pretty excited too! Nothing cuter than baby ducklings, and on Easter,  how perfect is that?

I should mentioned, last year on the farm there was a little Egg Incident. Though I don’t want to point fingers at who caused one of these pretty eggs to be broken, I’ll leave you with some telling photographic evidence. I WILL SAY however, that the alleged egg-breaker has now become a big girl of two who picks up eggs with expert care

Seriously, with those big brown eyes she can drop all the eggs she likes, and I’m pretty sure no one would care a bit!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend celebrating Easter and realxing! What have you got planned???

A month ago some former clients {oldies but goodies!} that I’d worked with last Spring emailed for a bit of help. They had bought a beautiful piece of land in North Vancouver and were working with a builder to create their dream house.

The builder whom they are working with is known for more contemporary architecture, but my clients tend to lean towards the more classic when it comes to design.

Their builder had put together three options for the exterior design of the house, but none of them were quite hitting the mark for my clients, which is why they called for a little help!

Option 1 – Contemporary

Option 2 – Transitional

Option 3 – Traditional

I decided I liked the basic idea of the “Transitional” version best for my clients, and set about making some subtle tweaks which gave it a touch of elegance.

Here’s the “Kerrisdale” version of Option 2:

Oval Windows, Panelled Front Doors, Straight Columns…. clean and classic touches! Picture a great lantern-style hanging fixture at the front entry and coordinating wall-mounted ones on either side of the garage to add to the look.

Just a few simple details, but the end result was a design that perfectly fit my classic clients! Their email response to the changes made me smile:

“I love it Karla! I just couldn’t figure out what it needed and you hit the nail on the head! ”

Happy clients….is there anything better? 

_________________________

I am thrilled and honored to be participating in Karla’s fantastic ‘Dress the Designer’ series! Her work and her career path are so inspirational to me, so I am excited to ‘virtually’ dress this fabulous lady today! I adore Karla’s classic, clean and preppy design aesthetic, and I tried to translate this into pieces for her wardrobe by choosing items with clean lines, less pattern, and more texture. I think of classic investment pieces like the Dorothy Perkins blazer and the Marc by Marc Jacobs bag as the ‘custom-fabric sofas’ of our wardrobes! My favorite piece has to be the John Lewis Stripe dress, it exudes the ‘Hamptons’ vibe with a touch of glam like so many of Karla’s spaces do. As a designer, artist, wife, and mom, this girl has many roles to fill so I tried to give her a few looks that could suit this busy lifestyle. And I think the same rules that we apply to design should apply to our fashion: mix high and low end pieces, combine the old and new, and follow the rules but know when to break them!

~Nancy

_________________________

Nancy, you totally get my style, these outfits are completely me! Thanks for bringing us a dose of fashion inspiration today, have a wonderful weekend!

I’m a HUGE fan of musicals. Seriously, name any song from Annie, Sound of Music, Grease, Mama Mia or whatever, and I can sing and dance it with perfect choreography. Now, don’t go asking this introvert to perform in public, but trust me….at home in my bedroom in front of the mirror, I got moves.

For someone who adores musicals, you would have thought I’d be all over Glee, right? But for some reason I’d never gotten the chance to catch an episode. Today that all changed, however. A quick break from work spent browsing online turned into 45 minutes of my life sucked away by the time waster that is Youtube. How could I tear myself away though, as I’d come across video after video of dance-in-my-chair musical goodness courtesy of Glee?

And then I stumbled across Gwyneth’s appearances on Glee and I was sold. As I have said before, I love Ms. G, and her Glee performances have provided reason #957 why Gwyneth Paltrow and I should be friends.

Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1_B9FCZJMA&tracker=False

SO, it’s a given that I’m tuning in tonight for my first Glee episode. And while I’m busy memorizing Gwyneth’s dance moves {she’s back for tonights episode!}, I’ll also be filling out my application for membership to the Gleeks club!

Any other closet musical fans out there?

_________________

I just love this look for spring.  I wanted to mix pieces that you may already have in your closet like a basic tank or cargo pants then adding in a new jacket and those to die for boots to bring it up a notch.  Adding a textured little jacket in a nude colour (a hot colour for Spring) with a cargo pant is all about the mix of feminine and masculine pieces.  Bring in a floral or patterned scarf with some gorgeous jewelry and you’ve got a great outfit to wear out to lunch with friends or a cocktail after work.

Andrea

_________________

What a great Spring look Andrea! Love the combo of khaki with crisp white and that pretty nude colour. I’m loving the Spring outfit inspiration, now all I need is some sunshine to go with it!

If you aren’t familiar with Andrea, be sure to pop over to From My Living Room to check out her wonderful blog where she writes about her projects and design inspiration.

Have a great day, and thanks Andrea!

{no, not me, but she looks like I feel! via Getty Images}

A big mug of tea is making it bearable though, and I’m being a trooper today, plowing through a some design schemes as well as selections for a couple of building projects I’m working on.

This peek of Carys pink room {hallelujah it’s finished!!!} is as good as medicine though for clearing away a stuffy head and replacing it with warm fuzzies. Colour of the year or not, I love a touch of pink. Can’t wait to show you the full room once its professionally photographed {very soon}!

Hope you’re having a wonderful day!

PS. my husband Jeff built the headboard frame and we both upholstered it. I spent a looong time tapping in each and every nail {not a fan of the strips myself}. Worth every minute though, as Carys loves to pat the headboard and say “pretty bed”

Though I know what I like and {I think} have a good fashion sense, it doesn’t translate into me always looking put together and feeling stylish. I am great at picking out pieces, but then I get home and have trouble putting together full outfits. You know the feeling, standing in a closet of clothes with that Nothing To Wear feeling?

As I described my fashion issues to a friend the other day, I had an epiphany. My complaints sounded exactly like the things my clients said to me! “I can pick out a nice sofa, I just have trouble pulling together a complete look for my Living Room”, etc etc.

So I decided I needed some inspiration, a style intervention if you will. If I had some complete looks to work from and a gameplan for putting together outfits, perhaps I’d move from only being able to dress rooms to being able to dress myself too?

So I’ve recruited the help of some of my most stylish design blogger friends. They’ll be stopping by periodically and sharing some outf its they’ve come up with. Inspiration for me {and you too} for some great looks.

Visiting today is the very stylish Sarah of Flourish Design + Style. Sarah and I share the same tailored, classic aesthetic, and I’m super excited about what she’s cooked up for me!

 ____________________

A chance to dress my favorite designer?! How fun! When pulling together a look for Karla, I wanted to build a few pieces that will give her versatility. I tried to create just one outfit, but I kept adding more… so I went with it!  I’m sure in the span of a day she is meeting clients, checking in with contractors, shopping and sourcing and cooking supper! I know what a hardworking designer and fabulous family girl she is.. so the pieces will work for her no matter her role(s) in a day. Starting with classic basics ( what I’m known best for ) that will carry through seasons and adding fun surprise elements like a bold blue skirt, hot pink flats or a fabulous little dress. Statement jewelry by Stella & Dot ( ha! Sorry, had to get that in there ) adds a great layer and can keep your style on trend.  The looks that can be made with these pieces are endless…which is just what this busy girl needs.

xx Sarah____________________

Ah Sarah, this is wonderful! I love the combination of such classic basics and am totally inspired to put together some fabulous outfits! For those of you not familiar with Sarah’s blog, she’s recently become a Stella and Dot stylist. I love great statement jewellry so I know I’ll be popping by her shop to check out the Spring collection…hope you will too!

Thanks Sarah for the inspiration!

The panelling and fireplace place have been complete for a little while now, and the results are GORGEOUS {you all know I’m a sucker for panelling!}. We were over for dinner on Friday, so I snapped a few quick pics while I was there to share with you all. As you can see, some of the larger furniture pieces have arrived, but we’re still working on smaller items, accessories, art, LR paint, etc.

To refresh your memories, The BEFORE:

And the AFTER

Isn’t it coming along beautifully? We’ll be working on the finishing touches for this space soon, and having it professionally photographed in the Spring. Can’t wait to share the final shots with you!

I was just saying today how proud I am of our Canadian design mags, both Style at Home and House & Home magazine. I honestly get all patriotic when I see other {US/International} design blogs writing about stories/images from either magazine.  Proud Canadian am I, I think we have fabulous design magazines in this country! So needless to say, to be included in one of my favorite magazines is very cool and I can’t thank Style at Home enough!

You may recoginize the photos from the issue from my portfolio. Janis and I originally shot the condo for my portfolio last year {image below from that shoot}.

When Style at Home decided they wanted to feature the condo in an issue, they booked to shoot it again {they planned to be out in Vancouver shooting some other spaces and wanted to do mine at the same time}.

So, one day last summer, my client Giselle VERY SWEETLY let us come back and shoot her place again for Style at Home. For me it was a really fun half day of watching the pros at work – Janis Nicolay back to shoot the condo a second time, and Christine Hanlon {Style at Home editor} there overseeing styling. Two very talented ladies whom it was a pleasure to see in action….I learned so much from both of them!

Thanks again Style at Home for including Kerrisdale Design in your Small Spaces issue!  

Our first introduction was an email I received from her shortly after we opened our home decor store. “Congratulations on following your dreams” it said, and introduced us to her paintings -  works that she calls “emotive landscapes derived from memories”.

Since our first introduction, we’ve continued to cross paths…everywhere from the Art issue of the Block Magazine {we were both featured}….

….to coincidently ending up in the same local Mom & Tot music class, both of us pregnant with our second children at the time.

With her home studio a stones throw away from where our store used to be, I’d often see her out walking with her daughter, frequently bringing yet another painting to the post office to send off to a lucky client {and given the frequency of these sitings, it seems there are tons of lucky Zoe clients out there!}.

Is it cheesy to say I’m pretty inspired by Zoe? Regardless, I’m gonna say it. She’s a mother of two, following her dream of being a working artist….and doing a killer job at both. What’s more inspirational than that?  She’s an active supporter of the local art scene, she blogs, she does gallery shows…. oh yeah, and she’s probably one of the sweetest people you’ll meet. The kind of person with such an enthusiasm for life, art, business, and family that you can’t help but feel an excitement for all the possibilities.

I’m not the only one who’s taken notice of her talent. Design*Sponge readers may remember the feature on founder Grace Bonney’s kitchen….I spy a Zoe Pawlak hanging above the stove {below}! She has even had her work shot for Martha Stewart magazine, after San Francisco designer Chloe Warner commissioned a painting from her.

When I knew I wanted to showcase Zoe on my blog, I emailed her and asked her to give me a rundown on what she’s currently working on. Seriously, folks, the list was longer than my arm….this girl is Doing Stuff….and all of it very cool. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Zoe is currently finishing a two minute video on her work that is by Jesse Savath. It showcases her painting a commission for a blogger in Morocco named Maryam
• From February to July she’s curating the windows of the Lululemon Lab in Vancouver
• She is co-owner of the Loaded Bow, which supports and fosters relationships between female entrepreneurs
• She is offering her first print for sale {limited edition of 10, ordered through Zoe’s website www.zoepawlak.com }
• She will be at IDSWest 2011
• She is now offering her work for rental for home staging purposes  through Dekora

Awesome, right?

I don’t pretend to be an art critic, I just know if I like something or not. And when I see a painting of Zoe’s, the words that come to mind are sublime and JUICY. Fresh, happy colours painting a surreal scene that conjures of the warm sunny laziness of a white sand beach. Happy and upbeat yet restful. Her series of figures appeal to me greatly too, with their elegant, graceful lines.

I love Facebook for its ability to keep me in contact with people like Zoe.  When she recently posted photos on Facebook of new work I knew I had to share.

{LOVE this one below!}

And last {but not least}, my favorite of the latest offering. Pretty please don’t gallop off and buy it, I’m currently saving my pennies for it

Thanks Zoe for letting me showcase your beautiful work! Stop by Zoe’s site for more paintings and updates on her work, or follow her on Twitter!

As long as I can remember I’ve been an avid reader. I started reading early and from the get-go positively devoured books – novels, biographies, historical books, you name it, I read it. In particular I was always fond of the classics for girls…. Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, and others. I read and reread these when I was young.

My grandma’s house had what we always called The Den. A fairly small room, bookshelves lined each wall, with titles filling each shelf. Grandma had {matter of fact still does have} almost every title in the original Nancy Drew series, as well as Cherry Aimes Student Nurse, Vicky Barr Stewardess, The Hardy Boys and other vintage reads.

I loved how those old books {belonging to my Dad and my aunts} looked lined up on the shelves, their hardcovers painted in vintage hues and illustrations. I’d power through 2 or 3 adventures in an afternoon, ignoring the formulaic plots and simply enjoying the fun of seeing Nancy, Bess, and George solve the mystery {yet again!}.

It’s funny how being able to get lost in a book becomes such a luxury, doesn’t it? With the arrival of the thick {sometimes dry} textbooks of university to wade through, reading for enjoyment became a thing of the past. Motherhood doesn’t allow for much reading time either… the few, priceless spare moments in a day seem to get spent on the necessities {showering and brushing ones teeth are important…} rather than lounging with a good read.

Lately though I’ve had books on the brain. Yes, our lives are overtaken with technology and media and computers, but isn’t there something so fabulous about a real, physical book?

Images of bookshelves and libraries keep catching my eye…..

And the design of the books contained on them have too.

The blogosphere has been gaga for awhile over Coralie Bickford Smith {for good reason!} and her stunning illustrations for Penguin Classics. The moment I laid eyes on her volumes of classic books {think Emma, Little Women, Great Expectations, etc} I was transported back to sitting in The Den holding those old Nancy Drews {not saying they are on literary par, mind you} and loving their colours and vintage feel. I was smitten.

And so I was bit by the bug. The Book Bug.It’s becoming a sickness, really.

So far I’ve collected these {most have arrived and a few are en route}:

Then I came across this beautiful girls room decorated by Full House blogger Christina for her daughters.

My book-obessesd brain zeroed in {of course!} on the vintage books on the shelf….PERFECT for Carys’ room!

I scooped up a vintage My Book House set on Ebay for $30 and I was a happy camper.

But the obsession didn’t end there. Any Made by Girl readers remember this post of Jens? Since I saw it I’ve been trying to track down a copy, and awhile ago I bought these both for my office bookshelf:

images 1 Vogue 2 fredflare.com 3-5 decorpad.com 6-7 Coralie Bickford Smith 8-9 Full House Blog 10 Amazon.com 11 The NeoTraditionalist 12 Neopolitan Etsy Shop

After a fun-filled and jam-packed 4 days in Los Angeles I’m back to the grind …..kids, work, and the usual fall time sickness has hit full force! Los Angeles was a great time though of visiting suppliers, shopping, Disneyland, movies, eating out {yummy food and such a treat not to have to cook or cleanup!}, Lakers game, and more. We sure missed the kids though!

I don’t have time today for a lengthy post, so I thought I’d quickly share a Design To Go scheme I did for a husband and wife this fall. The husband arranged the Design To Go package as a birthday present for his wife, isn’t that a sweet thing to do??? They wanted something modern and simple, and they already had a sofa and loveseat that they wanted me to work with, and wanted to invest in some great art to fill the space. Here’s what I came up with for them {click to view larger}:

I just wanted to mention, the art piece specified in the board above is by talented local designer/artist/blogger {triple threat!} Michelle Morelan.  I had the pleasure of meeting her in person at a local design bloggers event and she is incredibley sweet and smart. Stop by her site and checkout her amazing work!

Hope you are having a wonderful day,

Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll be back next week!

Now, I don’t know what thoughts go through other mothers’ minds when they find out they are going to have a little girl. I can clearly remember the moment I found out though….

Jeff and I had our scheduled ultrasound at 21 weeks to check on growth and development. Cold goopy gel, fuzzy gray scale image…the usual stuff. We waited patiently as the ultrasound tech squinted at the screen, tilting her head. After what seemed like an eternity she turned around, grinned, and said “there are absolutely NO boy parts…you’re having a girl!”.

I squealed, and then immediately the following thoughts hit me {yes, in this exact order}-

1. “Oh my goodness! Dresses! I get to buy dresses! Pink dresses!!!! Where’s the nearest baby Gap to the Hospital?”

2. “OHMYGOODNESS, this means I get to decorate a pink room….. Pink! Ooooh it’s gonna be pretty….Pink pink pink…”

3. “Braids! Pigtails! Barrette’s. I GET TO DO HER HAIR!!!!!”

Fast forward several months and my beautiful Carys is placed in my arms. Exactly as I’d pictured her…..Big brown eyes, long eyelashes, pink cheeks and full lips. WAIT JUST A MINUTE, hold the phone…. Where’s the hair???

Yup my girl arrived a baldy. Nothing on top for a barrette or elastic to cling to. A total shocker after the mane her brother was born with. It’ll grown in soon, everyone told me, and I repeated this to myself for reassurance.

And grow it did….. at least the bottom anyhow. Yes, my lovely daughter grew a fairly decent mullet, the bottom section flourishing while the top stayed short. Not the best look. So, a little trim was had, and Mama continued to wait…..

and wait. And then wait some more.

Then, miracle of miracles, one day I pulled out some elastics “just to see”…..and by golly, we made some pigtails!

A photoshoot was had {when Mama waits that long for something she wants pictures to gush over}.  The dream was realized.

I love my girl – bald, mullet-headed, or otherwise. But those little piggies are pretty cute if I do say so myself

The Floorplan {click to enlarge}

 The Design Scheme {click to enlarge}

 Am I the only one hoping to snag an invite to the housewarming bash??? I think the Smith’s are going to have the ultimate hangout space once they finish getting all the pieces of their Design To Go plan in place.

Have a wonderful day!

Thanks to Chedva and Dagny for including me in the fun!

I’m a big believer in adding architectural detail to rooms. Great millwork painted a fresh coat of white can work miracles!

With clients I’m always looking to address the bones of the house first….creating beautiful, classic bones in a house means the rest {furnishings, decor}  is easy {ok, easier }. When there is balance and proper scale, and  architectural details are done right, you don’t need to go overboard with furnishings and decor…’cause the room is already stunning!

The past month or two one of my clients I’ve been working with has been some of our closest friends. They grew up with my husband, we travel yearly together, and our kids our the same age. They’re our best buddies . In September they moved into a beautiful home and wanted help coming up with a plan for the house. Since they see themselves living there a long time, they wanted to do it right, and invest in some small renovations and good quality furnishings that they’d love for a long long time.

Two of the areas we zeroed in on first to address were the entry and the living room fireplace {which you see the moment you walk into the entry}. Both big, grand spaces,  but the existing look just didn’t live up to it’s potential. Lucky I’m good at seeing potential

Here is the entryway when they moved in:

A look from the entry into the living room:

For the entryway {with 18′ ceiling} I wanted to break up that height a little bit, and decided that to do panelling throughout the bottom half would be a good solution. Our millwork guys have been working hard, and here are a few pictures {sorry blurry phone pics!} I snapped this weekend to show you the progress {95% done and awaiting a coat of crisp white paint!}

Gorgeous already! I’m so excited, panelling always makes me happy

For the fireplace we had many issues…..off centre UGLY track light, weird wood thing hung on it {we were told the previous owners had it built to mount 4 small paintings on above the fireplace}, ugly tile, too small gas insert. We decided it ALL had to go.

For starters we decided to switch to a larger gas insert that didn’t have any grills running across it. A cleaner, more beautiful look with way more viewing area. Given the large size of the fireplace surround, it needed it. We went with the Regency Liberty L676 {check it out here}. As shown on the manufacturers site: 

Much prettier than the old one!

My rough mockup of the new and improved fireplace {sconces will be in the polished nickel finish, not bronze as shown, and convex mirror will be solid black}:

And here is where the work is presently {can’t wait for that track light to be gone!}:

I’m headed over there now to check on progress and dropoff this new chandelier {just arrived this morning!} for installation in the entry.

Have a great day!

Suzanne Kasler

Hello all,

Whew, was that a long blog break or what? Totally not planned {or wanted} but life around here has felt like a full speed sprint. With too much to cram into too few hours {who decided we only get 24 per day anyhow??} something had to give, and “writing blog post” has gotten nixed from the “To Do” list far too many times. We won’t mention how long it’s been since my last post, shall we? No need to embarrass me further

The reason for the blog silence however, has been all good. I would never in a million years have guessed I would have such a wonderful response from people from seeing Kerrisdale Design in House & Home and Style at Home this fall. I feel awfully, incredibley, thankful.

Domino Magazine

Susanne Dimma’s Entry, Canadian House & Home

This amazing response from potential clients has been a lesson in saying “No”, however. My, how hard that one is. A timely {for me} post from uber-blogger Erin Gates of Elements of Style had this to say:

 ”When success happens quickly and all at once, it’s hard not to feel like it’s a fluke and that you have to say yes to everything and scoop up every opportunity and job because it will probably never be this way again.”

YESSS I thought when I read that line. That’s totally how I’ve felt! And yet, me quickly taking on every job that comes my way doesn’t say much about faith – in God or myself – does it? And so I’m beginning to teach myself to say no….trusting that there will be more fabulous projects, that God has even more good stuff in store, and that my business will grow, develop, and flourish in good time. Stress and overdoing things  need not enter the picture!

Lonny Magazine

Joe Mimran, Canadian House & Home

Thank you for all the kind emails and Twitter messages during my absence – they made me feel wonderful and I’m so glad to be back interacting with all of you!