7.29.2011

it's about the journey...



think I'd like to explore wherever these stairs live.






What are you up this weekend?

We're christening the newly-boarded-but-still-unfinished deck with friends - 
who needs railings, right?!

although...  D. will be making his signature Bloody Caesars.... 
(that's a bloody mary made with clamato, for all of you south of the border!)
 and that could spell trouble, lol...


see you monday... x





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7.27.2011

yay or nay: wall decals




and now,
for one that inspires many a heated discussion among designers:

The Wall Decal.
(insert scary music :)





It's a sunny, summer wednesday - why not open up that can of worms?!

Clients want and use these ALL the time.
Most of my designers cronies despise them.

I think that they can be extremely tacky
or quite interesting,

depending on the application...








source 1 2 



That last one may change a few minds :)



 What do YOU think-

 a yay or a nay?





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7.25.2011

Crushing On Color: Jennifer from Rambling Renovators


Ooh, have I got a treat for your weary monday-morning eyes!


The latest Crushing on Color post,
the series where your favourite fabulous design bloggers share their favourite color of the moment with you...


Today's guest post is from the lovely and very talented Jennifer of Rambling Renovators.
If you haven't been to her blog (where have you been?!!)
you really need to head over.
It's chocked full of adventures in reno, and life,
as Jennifer relates her experiences renovating her Toronto home with her husband,
and often shares touching and funny bits about her adorable little daughter, Chloe....
In fact, she's so creative and charming,
that Nate Berkus had her on his show... need I say more?








When Anne-Marie asked me to participate in her Crushing On Colour series, 
I knew I had to write about my latest crush... coral.

Now this colour may be "hot" right now, 
with a pinky-coral called "Honeysuckle" having been selected Pantone's Color Of The Year for 2011,
 but don't mistake this hue as a flash in a pan.

Coral is a bold colour but is versatile too.
 It can take on many a persona, soft and elegant, vintage, worn, modern, or fresh...



Source: bhg.com via Kendra on Pinterest






Design by Massucco Warner Miller



It plays well with other attention-seeking colours like navy or chartreuse












and be as intense as black and white..







                             or it can be quiet and demure and speak softly when called for.













































Source: ohdeedoh.com via Katie on Pinterest




But I like coral best when paired with grey.
 The cool grey makes coral more grown up, less pinky and more orangey. 

A sophisticated blend. Playful but not too sweet.




Source: flickr.com via Perri on Pinterest





Thanks Anne-Marie for allowing me to share my colour crush!





Thank you, Jennifer!

Coral is on my radar right now, as well!
I like it well-saturated and a little heavy on the pink.

The perfect coral palette has got to be that last living room, 
a juicy coral, pale grey, a warm white and gold -  heavenly :)

Thank you for sharing your color crush with us,
and, as always, I'm looking forward to seeing your next post!

(and I apologize about the teeny writing in a few spots - blogger does not like me today :)







ps. got some projects for Tash's room going this weekend, 
found a gem at a yard sale,
and had a wicked brainstorm for a display solution - 
will show you later in the week! 

Happy Monday!  x




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7.22.2011

DIY Art: a tiled mosaic wall hanging

found this over at Desire To Inspire today and am so trying this!

check out the art....






a tiled mosaic.

Genius!!




Pop over to the post, there's more eye candy available :)











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7.21.2011

black + white + art + kitchen perfection



Prepare yourself for some serious kitchen envy.




What do you do when space is limited and the views are so-so?

Paint it white, pare it down and add your own eye candy.








Is it hhhhhot where you are? 

We've just cancelled our plans for the beach today because we can't even BREATHE out there.

The boys have been trying to work on the blisteringly-hot-south-facing-deck through this heat wave, 
and it's progressing a little slower than anticipated as a result -
but we gave them the day off, as well.

I lost the battle for having the decking laid in a herringbone or chevron pattern like this -








apparently the budget would have doubled, as it would have involved changing the structure.

I'm really starting to dislike that dirty "B" word!

But at least it's on a diagonal :)










And there is the beginnings of shade - yay!


Hope you're having a lovely, air-conditioned day :)











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7.20.2011

color post: which pinks love grey






For so many years beige, or some form of warm neutral,
was the go-to backdrop for every space.

Now, with grey at the forefront of design,
many of us are trying to make the switch from warm neutrals to cool ones...








Concerned about creating a space that feels "cold", 
my clients usually want to incorporate some colorful accents when using grey on the walls.

 A question I am constantly asked is what colors work with grey.

If you read my post on clean color,
you'll know that almost any hue works with grey, 
what's important is that it is a pure hue that has been mixed only with white, black, or grey.






but one of my favourite combinations is grey mixed up with pink and it's cohorts...








and when I saw this living room, I swooned, because the color mix is exactly right.

 grey wall and sofa + with fresh garden hues - how about that lush emerald?

(and note how the pillow on the right, sconce art and side table 
pick up the the warm tones found in the wood floor and allow for a harmonious mix.)







Black adds glam to the combo, 
and although I may have chosen a slightly cooler tone for the walls,
those chairs are showstoppers, aren't they?








Turquoise plays well with fuchsia against a serene dove grey backdrop, 
because they are equal in saturation.








Just as the palest of pinks pairs perfectly with the palest of greys to create this tranquil space.








The pink is fairly dominant in these living/dining rooms at first glance,
 but it's actually only the sofa and flowers that are pink.

So much impact from one piece of furniture!

Look how differently the paint and sofa color appear in the different photos.
This is why you should never choose a paint color based solely on a photo!!!
(hmm... I smell a future post :)







and some pretty bits of high contrast...
so want that painting, top left.





2 3 4 5 6 7 



What do you think?
Would you ever use this combination?

Since they are so popular right now,
I think I'll do a few posts exploring grey based color schemes...

any particular one you'd like to see explored next?




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7.18.2011

Loving a little pretty...




I'm not usually a huge fan of overtly "pretty" spaces...






but this bedroom, with it's fabulous floral ceiling,
rattan bed, and buttercup yellow trim
 is weekend-house-guest-room perfect,
isn't it?

Just need the weekend house to put it in :)

How was your weekend?

We had an 80th bday / family reunion for my dear sweet Dad,
a neighbourhood party,
and a bbq here with D's cousins...








busy, but the best part about summer is having a chance to visit with everyone, isn't it?

On the home front,

last week Tash's room went from black to white

(and I reaffirmed my love for a certain paint, 
which I will tell you about in the reveal)








and our back deck has morphed from old and weathered to non-existant :)







hopefully by next I will have some gorgeous finished spaces to show you!





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7.15.2011

Three Important Color Rules (and a really great jewelry source!)

The talented Heather from
is off to NYC (so jealous!) and
asked me to do a guest post for her design rules series.

 Being obsessed with color :)
I decided to do three color rules instead...
pop over and have a read if you like..

And now for the jewelry bit - 
must mention in doing the post I found this very cool online shop,
Oak,
and am now trying very hard to resist their jewelry selection.







oh, and let's be honest, their shoes, as well!








Happy Friday! x





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7.12.2011

Mark Your Calendars!




Get ready, ladies - the amazingly talented Anna Spiro














is launching an online version of her Australian to-die-for store, Black and Spiro








July 28


Really! I can't stand it!


keeping my fingers crossed for international shipping...






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