Style At Home – May Roundup

The May issue of Style At Home is bringing in the summer! It makes me feel like we’re this close to summer when I see articles and photos about outdoors spaces. Yay!
Within the first few pages I saw a really fun and easy DIY by Jessica Waks that I want to try out – fabric covered flower pots! So smart. I mean, who doesn’t have some less-than-stellar looking pots and some nice fabric remnants hanging around?? Seems like an easy fix now, doesn’t it!
Lindsay Mens Craig (an intern turned designer for Sarah Richardson) decorated her 800-square-foot condo in downtown Toronto by mixing and matching styles, colours, and textures…and it all works together! My favourite spaces are her dining room and bedroom.
The dining room is a nook in the living room (as it goes with most condos in Toronto!), but it’s well-defined. The sparkle on the chair legs and pedestal base as well as the glass table top really make the the space feel airy. I love it.
I love all of the contrasting textures in her bedroom!
This kitchen and office space are from the home of Vancouver-ite, Effie Genovese, and was created with the help of Jim Bussey from Formwerks Architectural.
I love the cabinetry  in here. There's a mix and match of solid and mirrored, which is a nice way to bounce light around the room. The mouldings are also great, as is the large island and pendants above it.

Canadian House & Home – April Roundup

The April issue of Canadian House & Home has to be my favourite to date. It’s got the most gorgeous interiors! Every time I thought I saw something absolutely beautiful, I’d turn the page and see something even better. It’s like this issue was made for me!

The next few pictures are of the lounge by Piero Lissoni from the International Design Show, which took place at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto in January. The West Elm display was very popular with a lot of bloggers, but this was by far my favourite display. In this article, Linda Reeves said this was Best of Show for her too. What draws me to the room most are the light colours and feelings on airiness. Some details that I love are the super tall bookshelves, the couches, the dining table, and chandelier.

 

Instagramed! Sitting on the couch in the top photo at IDS

This townhouse is owned by Patricia Lovett-Reid and designed by Lisa Rogers. I really like that the high ceilings and light walls are grounded by the rich darker hardwood floors. The furniture is very streamlined as well, giving the space a more modern feel. The over-sized art above the console in the dining room is a great addition to the space and I love the built-in look of the desk. Also, check out the circle window! That's an awesome detail.

This Scandinavian-design inspired condo is owned by Tom and Catharina MacMillian and was designed by Anne-Marie Fleming of Boxwood Architects and Jill Greaves. Not to sound crazy, but this living room looks delicious. Like drool-worthy delicious. I just want to pick it up and plunk it down in our condo. I want to list what I love, but let's just say it's everything. Literally everything. Ok, well I'll list a few things: I love how bright the space is. I love the scale and colour of the sectional... although I'm a slob and would never be able to keep that clean. I love the round simple coffee table. The art in the corner... and the touches of wood throughout the space - the chair, the side table. And in the bedroom I love the built-in headboard. I go gaga for a good built-in and this one is awesome.

This home is owned by Byron Peart and Stefan Weisgerber and designed by Richard Keyes from Bulthaup Toronto. I love the European white oak herringbone floors and the glass banister leading up the glass half wall upstairs. It's such a great way to open up the space and let the light in.

Just when I thought I couldn't like the space any more, I see the next picture, which shows a dramatic black feature wall with a framed Hermes scarf for art and a slatted footbridge that wraps around the upper perimeter of the room. To. Die. For. 

This minimalist Scandinavian-design custom-built home is owned by Katherine Yaphe and was designed by Richard Wengle. I love the chairs (they're from Formstelle Morph Lounge chair, Avenue Road). The silhouette is great, as are the legs and the fabric. I also really like the wide planks on the floor and the floating console in the dining area.

 

Did you love this issue of House & Home as much as I did? Seriously, this has got to be my favourite issue to date!

Style at Home - April Roundup

Just a reminder, don’t forget to enter my giveaway! The contest closes on Sunday March 11th!

The April issue of Style at Home was filled with colour. I guess the closer we get to spring, the more we want to bust out with some colour in our lives. I was looking for some kind of trend in the colour scheme, but it seems anything goes, as long as it’s bright.
Fellow Canadian blogger, Tim Lam, had his condo featured this month. Congrats! His home is full of colour so the S@H team definitely chose a fitting space for this issue. One of my favourite things is getting a sneak peak into Toronto condos. I love to see how other people configure their space.

The Rule of 3: This is so true! Whenever I place two items together, it doesn’t look like enough; four items looks, well, square; and 5 items is just too much. I ended up pairing down my mini bathroom makeover to just include 3 of the 5 items I originally put on the cabinet and it looks a lot better.

The moulded-plastic Eames chair with the Eiffel base (and all its knockoff versions) is something I’m always drawn to. I really like the look of the seat in white. It would be so low maintenance – just a wipe down every now and again and you’re good to go! I wonder how comfortable they are… Anyone know?

Impressive Zinio Customer Service

Let me start this post off by saying I wasn't going to post today. Today is Family Day in Ontario (and Alberta and Saskatchewan), but I don't have the day off because I'm a public servant. I went to bed in not the greatest mood because I knew I would have to work today, even though I had a great weekend at home with Kevin.

So here's the story:

About a week ago I got an email from my friend, Sara, who told me I should read this month's issue of Chatelaine magazine because it had some great small-space solutions in it. I currently have two magazine subscriptions (Canadian House & Home and Style at Home), which I read mainly using Zinio.

About Zinio:

Zinio is the world's largest newsstand and bookstore. With its many digital products and services, Zinio creates better ways for people to discover published content, get more of it and do more with it. Now, readers can purchase content once to be read on any screen. Zinio provides the ability to shop for, search inside, read, share and save digital content in 23 local newsstands in any country in the world. 

I barely even glance at my paper subscriptions anymore because with Zinio I can read them over a week earlier than the mailed version. I also found a Zinio app for my iPhone so I can read my magazines anywhere - no computer necessary. Sweet!

So yesterday, while perusing Zinio on my iPhone, I decided to check out the digital price for this month's Chateleine magaine: $2.99 for one month, $12.99 for a 12-month subscription. Really? $12.99 for 12 issues? They were practically giving it away. How could I say no? I put through all my information, but I got an error message...

 Gah! That sucks! I'm not the most patient person. I love buying things and getting them immediately, which is exactly what I was expecting, so this error message was less than ideal. I followed the instructions and sent them an email, including the above screen shot. I wasn't expecting to hear back for at least a few days though (agony!) because it was 1. Sunday night, and 2. it was a Sunday night preceding a holiday. Double gah!

Much to my surprise, I got two emails from Zinio within a couple hours (but I was already asleep), where they were apologizing for the inconvenience. Emails like this are always appreciated! First up was this one:

 Then this one:

That's right...FREE. I read this at 6am this morning thinking, "Sweet, they're gonna give me a free issue." No folks, the whole subscription is free! Woohoo Donald L! You are the shizzzz!

The value is $12.99 - nothing huge, I know, but it definitely started my day off right :) And I love being able to share positive customer service experiences. Note: I always love to share negative customer service experiences too and have been known to blacklist companies forever. Le Chateau, I'm talking to YOU!!!!!!!! Worst customer service EVERRRRRRRRRRRR.

To continue on in my positive mood, I had an absolutely clear drive on my way to work this morning and got here in record time because there were no cars on the road. 

So far today is feeling like this: (seriously, if you want to get your day off to good start too, watch this video).

Canadian House & Home - March Roundup

The March issue of Canadian House & Home is all about COLOUR...something I always struggle with. I'm such a grey and beige lover. This issue definitely helped me see why I should get out of my neutral comfort zone and into the world of kaleidoscope colours!

I read through the March issue about three times.. and every single time I looked at Ferm Living's peacock pillow I thought, "Neapolitan ice cream", which of course makes me want this pillow! Anyone else see Neapolitan? No? Alright then, moving on...

I've mentioned before how much I love grasscloth. It's so purrrdy and textured.. what's not to love? It's usually a material one sees in very neutral colours and understandably so, as the texture alone has enough impact. But check out these lovelies here: red, pink, purple grasscloth! I especially love the purple Ansai Sisal one through Design by Colour. It is by far the least expensive so my inner grasscloth lover must be a frugalista! By the way, that capri teardrop lamp by Jonathan Adler ain't too shabby either. I'm really digging the proportions and the smooth base. 

While I'm more a fan of white textured bed linens, I had to post these duvet covers and quilts. They're so pretty! I'm a sucker for stripes so my top pick is the preppy navy and white striped duvet cover from West Elm. Which one do you like best? 

This home is a tall Victorian semi in central Toronto and it used to house a boys' school. Currently, it is the home of Alexandra Bennett her husband, Brian Moore, and their family. I looked at this picture over and over because I knew there were elements of it that were great, but it took me a few look-throughs to pinpoint them all. First up, is the painting - that's easy. It's beautiful. Looks like a peony to me and was painted by Vancouver artist, Bobby Burgers. Second up, the blue door. Look how TALL it is! Victorian's generally have taller ceilings, but that door is a masterpiece. Stunning. Third up, the beautiful thick white trim and baseboards. Those baseboards are practically knee-high on their daughter! Very luxe. Also, I need this quote by Alexendra to remind me to use colour a bit more: "It's only paint. It can be changed"

Photography by Virginia MacDonald

You know I love a good DIY. Everybody loves a good DIY, right? Well, this DIY here is canvas material that was hand painted with water paints in a chevron pattern, then stitched into a roman shade. Love! Great idea. I love the soft colours. Someone needs to try this out. That someone would be me if I had a window to cover!

Photography by Michael Graydon

How do you feel about colour? Do you splash it all over your house like Alexandra or do you use it more sparingly? Maybe you're like me and you barely use it at all (grey and beige are colours too dagnabbit!) 

Kitchen Island Potential

I've always wanted a kitchen island. In our last apartment, I really want to get the Utby table from Ikea, which isn't technically an island so much as a table, but I would've used it as an island and put some counter height chairs around it. Kevin nixed the idea because he wanted a tradition 30-31 inch high table...womp womp. In the condo, I think I might be able to swing a small island (Utby, you might be able to come home with me after all!) in addition to a dining table. I'm refraining from buying anything before we move in (heck, the place isn't even built yet), but I spotted this picture in House of Fifty magazine and let me tell you, there was some major swooning going on...

Do you have an island? Or do you wish you had an island, like me?

Photo source: House of Fifty Issue 4 Spring 2012 Pg 24

Style at Home - March Roundup

The March 2012 issue of Style At Home is all about decluttering and storage solutions in smaller spaces - two ideas that go hand in hand. They're also particularly relevant as we get closer to spring... and spring cleaning!


I'm pretty sure I gasped when I first saw this. This vacation home is located in the Laurentian countryside, just north of Montreal. Guylain and Katrine Verdier are the homeowners of this 5000-square-foot house, which was designed in collaboration with Marc Julien and Denish Cyr of JCB Architectes and designer Jean-François Ménard. There is so much to love about this space. I love that there are wood floors and ceilings as you don't often see wood ceilings - gorgeous. I love the cabinetry, the backsplash, the touches of reclaimed wood throughout the space, the lightness, the airiness. They did a fantastic job of mixing modern and rustic elements. The space feels light and flowy because of the windows, the white shaker cabinets, and the acrylic chairs, but is well anchored with all of the wood - the floors, ceilings, bookshelf, and dining table.

Photography by Nicolas Ruel, Styling by Lucie Desmarais

This townhouse is owned by Catherine and Nick Chan, and is located in Toronto's King West area. It was a pre-build purchase, so the homeowners brought in the services of Ryan Martin and Amy Kent from Croma Design to help bring their vision to life. Ryan describes Catherine's style as "modern, clean, spare" with "a lot of texture" and I think they captured it perfectly! The minimal aestethic with the beige and grey palette really lets the textures shine - check out the grasscloth accent walls (swoon!), the bedding, the bed, and the sparkle above the couch. All perfection! If I could combine the kitchen and dining room of the Verdier's house with the living room and bedroom of the Chan's house, I think I'd have the perfect space.

Photography by Michael Graydon, Styling by Christine Hanlon

Photography by Michael Graydon, Styling by Christine Hanlon

This console table caught my eye. I love the long and skinny legs. It's also quite narrow, so it would work very well in a small space... perfect for condo-dwellers!

Photography by Angus Fergusson

This office belongs to fellow blogger, Jennifer Flores from Rambling Renovators. My favourite parts of this room are the L-shaped desk that creates two workspaces, the mix of open and closed storage, and the configuration of the storage - some high, some low. You don't often see the Expedit bookcases hung on the wall, so I appreciate the creative use!

I really enjoyed the interiors in this issue of Style at Home! Do you love the mix of modern and rustic décor as much as I do? 

Canadian House & Home - February Roundup

The February 2012 issue of Canadian House & Home features lots of home makeovers - just the thing I love to see! Who doesn't love a  good "before and after"?

I found one feature to be especially relevant to me, Old Is New Again, Reno No. 3. The homeowners Joel Bray (a designer) and Ryan Baldeo gave their 690-square-foot condo in downtown Toronto a huge facelift... and I loved the results! I'm always attracted to makeovers of smaller spaces as that's exactly how Kevin and I lived in our old apartment and how we will continue to live in our new condo being built this year.

Joel and Ryan bought a condo with a very generic layout and turned it into a space with great flow and traditional touches. They made the space feel much bigger by using light colours on all surfaces (floor excluded) throughout most of the home. The traditional touches were brought in with the use of moudling, panelling and cornices in the common spaces and white dolomite marble on the floors and walls in the bathroom.

 

I love this dresser. The two-tone look is great and I love the tall legs. It's also styled very nicely!

In other news, I found two other features to touch on that would bring great style to a smaller space. The first is flush mount lighting. Some condos (and houses) are built with 8-foot ceilings (ours, luckily will be 9-foot) so having a pendant light or chandelier can prove challenging. In this scenario, a flush mount light fixture would work perfectly. I'm particularly fond of the drum shade and chandelier ones below.

The other feature was the February Style Files, which suggests replacing builder hardware with decorative knobs and pulls. This is a great idea. I'm not too big a fan of brass, but I love the style of these knobs...Perhaps in an oil rubbed bronze finish?

 

What do you think are the top design ideas to create flow or give a custom look to a small space?

Style at Home - February Roundup

The February 2012 issue of Style At Home is my favourite to date! I think I love it so much because it's all about kitchens and I have kitchens on the brain as-of-late.

If you look through my kitchen inspiration folders, you'll find I have a definite style when it comes to kitchens: white shaker cabinets, dark wood floors, stainless steel appliances, chrome hardware, gray tile backsplash. So that being said, you can see why I would love to have any of the kitchens featured in this issue! So beautiful.

This kitchen belongs to designer, Elle Maison. And look! It has everything I love in a kitchen. Swoon... She also opted for a large single sink instead of a double so that she can soak larger pots and pans. Kevin is the dishwasher in our relationship, so I'm sure he would appreciate something like that.

This home is owned by Sarah and Aaron Smith, and was designed by Aly Velji. I love everything about this kitchen too. The glass-tiled backsplash adds just a hint of colour to the space and I love the effect. I also really love the pendant lights, the roman shade, the marble counters, and the micro-suede island stools. 

This homeowner, Christopher Craib, hired designer Jessica Kelly for his kitchen reno. While this kitchen is just a tad too industrial for my tastes, I love love love the backsplash. I love that it's textured and that it is continued all the way to the ceiling. At the other end of the kitchen (not pictured) is a built-in bench. I'm such a sucker for banquettes and benches in kitchens!

Up next is Style At Home Editor-in-Chief, Erin McLaughlin's Ikea kitchen makeover. The kitchen plan was created and executed by Ryan Martin, Amy Kent, and Michelle Lamontagne of Toronto's Croma Design. This is a real chef's kitchen for sure. My (and Erin's!) favourite element in this room is the hand-cut Calcutta Michaelangelo marble from Antica Tile & Stone laid in a herringbone pattern for the backsplash. It's just gorgeous. 

 

A snippet from an article from Scott McGillivray caught my attention and applies to 3 out of 4 of the kitchens mentioned here because a lot of people (me included) probably can't afford counter-to-ceiling marble backsplashes - Scott suggests saving money in a kitchen reno by applying more budget-friendly tiles in a creative way (ie: subway tile in a herringbone pattern like below) or just use the expensive tiles as a trim or in a feature area. Smart! 

And last up is fellow Canadian blogger of Rambling Renovators, Jennifer Flores, whose home was featured in Style at Home!! Congrats to her! It's very cool to see a magazine spread of someones home whose blog you've been reading. Her home is already gorgeous and S@H did a great job with the photos. 

There are two things that I really love about how Jen and her husband renovated and decorated their home: 1. I love that they use yellow and blue as the accent colours and carry it throughout the home. It creates great flow. 2. I love that they decided to keep the original layout instead of tearing down all the walls to create an open concept house. Sometimes open concept has its benefits, but I think I favour more the division of rooms. Yes, it might make the house seem smaller, but it also creates more intimate spaces (and allows you to make a huge mess in the kitchen without anyone being the wiser :P )

Did you enjoy the February issue of S@H as much as I did?