Make-it-yourself home decor ideas

2 great gals — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 01:40:39 +0000

How did you spend Family Day weekend? I picked up two great craft books filled with fantastic ideas for the home. I am planning a bunch of new projects – I hope these will inspire you to create something personal for your space too!

Simple Sewing with a French Twist by Celine Dupuy is a gorgeous book with photos and step-by-step hand drawn illustrations for each project. Even if you don’t sew, the photographs are so pretty that you will enjoy imagining yourself in these spaces.

Sew Charming by Cath Derksema and Kristen Junor amps it up a notch with detailed instructions for quilting and screen printing your own fabric!!! Fabulous – now all I need is a little courage to get started!

The Homemade Home by Sania Pell I have had for a while. It sits on my bookshelf with orange sticky notes poking out of the pages where there are projects I want to make (almost every page!) This one has simple ideas for every skill level – some projects take less than an hour. On some of the sticky notes I have written how I would take some of the ideas in a different direction. This is what makes the projects truly personal.

H&M Home please come to Canada!

2 great gals — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:01:20 +0000

You may know H&M for their trendy, of the moment clothing but did you know they have a line of housewares? Not (yet) available in Canada, their home collection is chic and affordable. Check out their UK site. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to pick up a few fresh items like these?

2012 interior design show: trends and ideas

2 great gals — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 15:20:16 +0000

This year’s show is fabulous! The last day is today, so all design addicts, head down to the Metro Convention Centre for some eye candy. Visit IDS 2012 for details.

Trends include:
handmade wood furniture – rustic mixed with modern – still going strong

industrial – mix an element or two into your space to add just a touch of edge

Canadiana – hitting it’s stride

I loved the creative use of metal shipping crates as the base for an innovative ‘treehouse’. each room very different from the last.

Can’t make it down today? Next year’s show will be held Jan 24 – 27, 2013

CB2 restores the old building

2 great gals — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:37:28 +0000

Of course I had to check out the grand opening! CB2 has done an amazing job with the restoration – I love the beautiful two toned brick outside, what a beauty! They have kept a few features that were landmarks i.e. the old Big Bop sign and part of a mural – I think it was in Holy Joe’s. There is a section that is just a facade of brick a couple of feet away from a 2 story high wall of glass – pretty cool!

CB2 comes to Toronto!

2 great gals — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 17:57:19 +0000

I don’t know about you, but every time I see a building with paper on the windows, I hope for a new design shop. Taking over the old ‘Big Bop’ building at the corner of Bathurst and Queen (651 Queen St West), Crate & Barrel’s sister store will be opening tomorrow. CB2 is a the trendier, younger sister of Crate & Barrel. What a great way to rejuvenate this little stretch of downtown. I can’t wait to see the restoration of this old building!

While in the area also check out Design Republic at 639 Queen St West. A great mix of industrial materials and clean lines – my favourite is their custom tables and benches from reclaimed wood. Gorgeous!

rug tips from Anthropologie

2 great gals — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:08:47 +0000

I remember feeling lucky the day I found out Anthropologie was coming to Toronto, it is a favourite stop on my trips to NYC. They of course do boho chic better than anyone, whether it’s clothing or home decor. While cruising their site I found this little gift – tips on choosing the correct rug for your space. Take a peek if you are in need of a new rug or just in need of a bit of inspiration!

This is the Pliant Laurel Rug. Too bad they don’t ship them to Canada. I guess it’s just inspiration for me. (Or maybe another trip to NYC…)

creative walls, display and collections

2 great gals — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:23:50 +0000

Creative Walls: How to Display and Enjoy your Treasured Collections by Geraldine James is a definite example of ‘more is more’ style of display. While I generally lean toward a simpler aesthetic, this will definitely appeal to those of you out there that like to fill up every inch of wall space – you know who you are!

The images are characteristically European with their crumbling walls, patina and rustic charm. There is a certain relaxed, lived in feeling that is immensely comfortable – ‘put your feet up with a cup of tea’ sensibility.

The best thing about this book is that it shows that almost anything can be elevated to wall art. You don’t have to spend a fortune to create a uniquely personal space.

Canada delays incandescent phase out until 2014!

2 great gals — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:39:19 +0000

It’s official. Canada is delaying the phase out of incandescent bulbs until 2014. The general public needs to be made aware of and encouraged to properly dispose of compact florescent bulbs (the mercury content is toxic and can’t be thrown in regular trash). This also gives lighting manufacturers time to research, test and market new energy efficient options that are not toxic, like LED’s. Check out Earth Easy for further info about LED benefits and options.

Good news for all those who, like me, love the glow of an incandescent light bulb!

decorate, what a perfect book title

2 great gals — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:38:30 +0000

Design book number two… Decorate by Holly Becker (another design blogger & founder of Decor8) and Joanna Copestick. Simple, just as the title implies. Great design doesn’t have to be complicated or over the top or expensive. This book showcases everyday beauty – the beauty in a countertop display of utentils, a collection of coloured glass bottles, a simple flower arrangement.

There is a current running through this book that is light and happy, punctuated with bright pops of colour and originality. It is full of design tips and of course absolutely beautiful images and something I think makes this book extra-special; it has quotes from designers throughout the book that are both informative and inspiring. Here are a few of my favourites…

“I want my home to work for me not the other way around, and so every design choice I make is based on practicality as well as aesthetics. I really believe a home is something to live in, not just admire.” Atlanta Bartlett, designer

YES!

“When you intentionally decorate the look and feel of your space, you become more genuinely yourself, more at home in your skin and in your space.” Carrie McCarthy, author

Intention is the key word here. Living with intention. Creating a home with consciousness means being selective about what enters your home, careful editing and keeping the energy levels high. And you thought decorating was just about making something look good!

“The best rooms in a home are always evolving. Mix it up and only bring into your home things that you love.” Lyndsay Caleo, metalsmith

Now you know what to do with unwanted Christmas gifts…let them go. They will drain your energy every time you see them. Seriously, thank the person that gave them to you and let them go. You have permission.

“I tell people that it’s okay not to get it all done at once. Great design can be accumulated over time with editing and through trial and error. Your whims change. There is no silver bullet for designing a space of your own.” Amy Butler, designer

Have patience, take your time and don’t buy everything from the same store. Great design evolves over time. The most personal spaces are ones that are meaningful to those who live there.

So this year when you are making design decisions; make them personal, make sure the end result is immensely pleasing and don’t be afraid to have a love affair with your home.

best design books ever!

2 great gals — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:16:24 +0000

Lucky me! For Christmas I received three of the most gorgeous design books and have been pouring over them ever since. One of the things Susan and I love to do is look at beautiful rooms and deconstruct them, figure out what makes them work. Is it the combination of colours, furniture placement, art, styling, mix of unusual items? These books will keep you in decorating bliss, enjoy!

Design Sponge at Home by uber-famous design blogger Grace Bonney has it all, design tours of gorgeous homes of artists and designers (including Jonathan Adler, Genevieve Gorder and Toronto’s own Bev Hisey), design tips, DIY projects, before and after transformations – all the best parts of her blog!

Favourite project ideas from this book; using wool army blankets to make floor pillows, making a designer cat scratching bed out of old cardboard boxes, painted old wood floors in large colourful patterns and most of all – the styling! Beautiful spaces that are incredibly personal. The homes she has selected reflect the people who live there. I feel like I know them a little, their collections and ways of using their homes says so much about who they are – and that is what I call decorating at it’s very best.