inspiration for decor

That’s right, EIVOR and VILMIE are my new friends from IKEA.  This past weekend I dropped by my local store to pick up the EIVOR throw I’ve been meaning to buy for a while now.

I originally saw it online and while I loved the graphic black and white stripe, I was a little skeptical on the quality, given the price was only $29.99. Well, let me tell you, for 100% polyester or whatever its made of (sorry, cut the tag off before checking) it is pretty darn nice. It’s cozy, it doesn’t look like it will pill, and I love the look!

And see that black and white pillow?  Also an IKEA find. It is the VILMIE FIGUR ($13.99) and I love it!  You may have noticed the corner sticking out of one of my Christmas decor shots, as I haven’t decided where I like it best – on the sofa or on my bed. What a dilemma.

(images: 1&2-IKEA, 3-me)

Welcome to everyone stopping in by way of à la mode and Just a Touch of Gray!

Last month I participated in the Roomspiration Series and linked up my master bedroom and my son’s nursery. Both rooms made it to the top 3 top-visited on rooms on their respective day! How exciting and what an honour!  A big thank you to Rachel and Shelli for hosting the link parties.  If you haven’t already, hop on over to their blogs to see some of the other most popular rooms:

On a related topic, I am planning on a temporary substitution in our bedroom. Originally, as shown in my inspiration board, I planned on buying this classic Hudson Bay Co. point blanket ($275-$475):

But while I save my pennies for that purchase, I think I may pick up this new EIVOR throw from IKEA for a fraction of the cost ($29.99):

A good substitute for now don’t you think?

Excuse my absence as of late. My day job has been all-consuming these past few weeks and I simply haven’t had the time to continue my exploration in the world of design.  The most recent issues of House & Home, Elle Decor, and  House Beautiful, sit by my bed waiting to be read.  Sigh. When I do crack ‘em open I’ll be sure to share some new inspirational pictures and ideas.

In the meantime, I thougt I’d share another installment of:

If you recall my past posts on kitchen banquettes and tile shopping, I’ve been working with friends/clients on their new home.  Move in day is rapidly approaching so everything is quickly coming together, which is very exciting (it’s so much fun to live vicariously through clients!). The one room in the house that’s getting a complete design, is their daughter’s room.

About one year ago, I completed a nursery project for their bun-in-the-oven. At that time the gender was unknown, so we went with a soft blue paint, white furniture, and gender neutral accessories.

Once the gender was known (a sweet tiny girl), we added some pink accents. For more pictures and the inspiration board, click HERE.

This time around we are using the most of the same pieces (pendant, crib, dresser, glider, side table), but going we are going fully on girly with pink + orange + green accents. Here is the inspiration board:

Move-in day is less than a month away so I should have some great photos to share with you soon!

Months ago I shared an inspiration board for my son’s nursery but I never got around to posting any final pictures for you.  Since we’re starting to think about moving him into a big boy bed in the next few months I thought I better take some nursery pictures before things get changed up. We’re already in the process of transitioning him over, starting with a toddler table + chair set (not telling which one we chose yet…but it’s arriving next week!).

Originally I had dubbed this a “green and brown themed nursery” but as the room came together a few owl prints were purchased, then owl accessories were given as gifts, …..and now it is definitely an owl-themed nursery.  I know, I know, owls are everywhere these days. I didn’t start out with the intention of using this über popular accessory, it just  happened.  Admit it – they are cute. And my son loves his “howels” and “hoo-hoos”, so that’s all that matters.

Hope you enjoyed this little nursery tour. I’m sure I’ll have an update on his toddler room sooner than I’d prefer. Sniff. Sniff.

In case you a interested, here are a few sources:

• Crib (yes, it does look small and that’s because it is a European/mini crib, which are hard to find in Canada!) – DaVinci AnnaBelle Mini Crib, in Espresso, purchased at Baby Shack but widely available in the U.S. We also have the matching change table.
• Paint – Benjamin Moore’s Nature Lover (CC-726).
• Pendant Light – LERAN from IKEA
• Picture Ledges - RIBBA from IKEA
• Chair – POANG from IKEA. This chair made a great nursing chair since it bounces easily, is wide, and the leather can be wiped down easily. I made it even more comfortable with a sheepskin throw.
• Lumbar Pillow – from West Elm, no longer available
• Knit Pouf – from CB2 (fyi – the first CB2 store in Canada will be opening in Toronto this November!)
• Playmat – by Skip*Hop in Green/Brown, widely available at baby specialty stores
• Twinkle Twinkle Owl Print – from Etsy vendor Curry on the Couch

P.S. Here are a couple outtakes from the photo shoot – blocks get strewn down the hall, the little guy wants to climb into my shot, and we all take a Kraft Dinner lunch break….

(images: d.simpson)

UPDATE: I’m taking part in the ROOMSPIRATION blog hop & link party. To view many more inspiring nurseries, click HERE and enjoy!

Here is installment #2 of my little series documenting the many decision points of a new build. Today, we’re diving into the crazy world of selecting bathroom tiles.  Have you ever been tile shopping?  There are thousands of tiles to choose from. Literally. So many colours, shapes, materials, and price points.  It can make your head spin (but in a FUN way).  At least I think so.

The home is going to have five bathrooms but recent focus was on the kid’s bathroom and the master ensuite.  The general feeling of the home is transitional: a little tradition with a little modern – you know, a little of column A and a little of column B. Overall, there is an emphasis on a classic, timeless look, with a dash of modernity.

The starting ideas for the kids’ bath were a look that wouldn’t date in 5 years, a bright space, and it must be easy to clean.

From the following image, we really liked the dark floors (easier to hide dirt), the white subway tile, and the organic look accentuated by the marble stone and wood cabinetry.

As tempting as that marble is, there won’t be any in this kiddy bathroom. Marble is being saved for the parents, in their ensuite. So subway tile it is. But this is a good thing! I’m such a huge fan of the subway tile – clean, classic, and cheap.

The colour-blocking from the next image was a hit.  Such a great alternative to the too-often-seen stripe of mosaic tile. This is different and fresh:

So where did we land with the kid’s bathroom?  Dark grey ceramic floors, over-sized white subway tile in the bath and one wall, and a thick stripe of blue-y glass tile as an accent.  Can’t wait to see how this turns out.

Moving on to the master ensuite, let me show you a few of the inspiration images I pulled:

I won’t spell out all the details now, but the ensuite is going to have lots of white carrera marble, grey brick, and shiny accents.

P.S. If you missed post #1 on the kitchen banquette, check it out here.

(images: 1-hgtv, 2-house beautiful, 3-pinterest, 4-style at home, 5-houzz, 6-pinterest

This past week I finished an Inspiration Board for a young couple who recently moved into a little old home with tons of character.

Their living room is small but quaint with a central fireplace, built in bookshelves, and great hardwood floors.  We were starting 95% from scratch, as the only living room items that moved with them were a console table and a flat screen TV.  As newlyweds and young professionals, my clients wanted to invest in some quality furniture and accessories in a classic style that will grow with them over the years. 

Today, I am featuring their Inspiration Board and a couple ‘Before’ pictures. In a few weeks, I hope to have some great ‘After’ pictures to share with you.

And here is the space we’re working with:

Lighting is important! As you can see, there are no overhead fixtures and the front window faces West so there is no direct sunlight during the day. Comfortable seating is also important since they want to be able to entertain friends and family in this main room.  Luckily the lady of the house is an excellent sewer (she sews gorgeous quilts by hand!) so she will be making her own drapes and pillows; through a mixture of fabrics and pattern we’ll add a little life into this living room.  I am very excited to see the finished space. Stay tuned, I’ll share pics when I have them!

~If you need a little inspiration for your own home, please contact me, I’d love to help~

Just got back from the home office installation and wanted to share a sneak preview.  The room isn’t completely finished (still waiting on the side table from West Elm which is on back order) and art needs to go up, but so far so good don’t you think ?!

Loving the chevron Roman shades and the mix of patterns!

See my previous post for the BEFORE pictures and the INSPIRATION BOARD.

Do you have a room in your home that needs a little love?  Need a few ideas?  Contact me, I’d love to help!

It’s going to be a busy design weekend over here.  The pendant lights for my MIL’s kitchen came in, so a trip to Universal Lighting is on the agenda for tomorrow (love this place  but the website is meh so you should check it out in person), followed by an early evening event – Canadian Design Bloggers Meetup. Tommy “Sarah’s sidekick” Smythe will be the keynote speaker. Can’t wait!  Sunday morning I’ll be checking in on an in-progress project (more details to come on that), then over to another client’s home for her office installation!

This office project has been fun to work on. My client (Melanie) has a great sense of style and the rest of her house is totally awesome. However, her office is the one neglected space in the home.  As she is in the process of launching her own business, Melanie was really craving an office space that would reflect her own vibrant personality and would allow her creativity to flourish.

Here are a few BEFORE shots.

With a limited budget but good bones to work with (all existing furniture stayed, as did the wall colour), we got started on a plan that included:

• a DIY nail head corkboard for all her notes, pictures, documents, and snippets of inspiration (jump over here to see her step-by-step instructions!)
• Roman blinds for the bare window
• organization of those shelves (as a professional organizer, she took care of that herself)
• an injection of colour and pattern with the selection of 3 fabrics
• selection of several pre-owned art pieces and personal photographs to hang on the wall and picture ledge

Here is the Inspiration Board:

Stay tuned for pictures after the installation!  Have a lovely weekend all!

Since posting about my decorating plans for our small bedroom, I’ve received a number of requests to share some updated photos.  Though it is still a work in progress, here is a sneak preview of our bedroom thus far.

If you recall  this post from a few weeks ago, here is the inspiration board I put together:

I’m on track with the overall look, however I’ve decided to forgo the parsons desk since it’ll be a tight squeeze.  Although working from my kitchen table isn’t ideal, I do like the walking space we currently have around the bed.  Your bedroom is supposed to be your sanctuary to relax and be comfortable, right? So the desk is out.  In more exciting news, the most recent addition to our room are the fab LOVE pillows from Lush Designs in Greenwich Village.  Fresh off the plane from London (thanks Mom!!)

Since you can’t see it in the shot above, here is a shot of our Moroccan-style pendant:

I’m pretty happy with the results so far.  Especially since this is what we started with:

Next up on the bedroom to-do list:

• Rug for next to the bed
• Lined linen drapes to cover-up the vertical blinds (we aren’t allowed to take those down)
• Decide on art for walls

Stay tuned for a final reveal!

UPDATE: Today I’m participating in the ROOMSPIRATION blog link party. For more inspiring master bedrooms, click HERE!

This past week I was seriously inspired by two blog posts.  The first was the brilliant entryway by Emma over at the Marion House Book.  Both the console table and oculus (which she then turned into a mirror) were found at an architectural salvage store here in Toronto (!). Totally laid back but with loads of personality and style.

Isn’t it lovely? So welcoming.  I also really liked how she styled her console table.  It’s too easy to junk up your console with all those things you walk into the house with and drop on the first horizontal surface.

Then I read this post over on Decor by Christine, where she gave a rundown on how to create a beautiful tablescape or vignette.  So that got me thinking about all the junk that gets piled up on our entryway console and on our bedside tables. Especially on our bedside tables.

Exhibit A:

I would like to point out this isn’t my side of the bed.  That said, I will take full blame for leaving that frame picture-less.  As you know, our bedroom is a work in progress but that is no excuse to ignore the piles of junk as they grow and grow.  Please tell me this isn’t just us – you have junk on your bedside table too, right?

Anyway, as I said I was inspired to clean things up and now I’m proud to say, this is my side of the bed-

Exhibit B:

I am almost certain I’m going to be able to keep my bedside table this nice and tidy.  The key is this lovely tray I picked up at West Elm – because what you can’t see is a bunch of little items sitting inside the tray (necklace, rings, chapstick, nail file, some change, etc.)  Not only does the tray corral those books and mags I’m so inclined to keep on hand, but it also nicely hides all those random items you toss off at the end of the day.

Ok – time to go tidy up your bedside table and try your hand at an attractive vignette.

(images: 1-the marion house book, 2-me, 3-me)