Weekend Happenings

Here's what I was up to this weekend:

Putting together some Easter bouquets 

Visiting antique shops in Nanton

Loving the beer keg lights at The Libertine

In Search of....A Staircase Light

I am in need of a new light for my staircase.  I'm slowing working my way through the house, replacing each light as the previous owners clearly got a deal as they are all identical and cast a horribly yellow glow and they are just not my cup of tea.  I would probably be more into them if they were actually original to the house but they are just inexpensive reproductions.

Current light fixture (don't worry, I did finish cutting in while I was painting)

I've finally narrowed it down based on a few inspiration photos and now I just need to find something similar within my budget.  I have noticed that a lot of similarly shaped lights are sold as pendants with one light bulb but I'm looking for at least three as more light is needed for a staircase.

Ranch at Live Oak Malibu photo by Mark Adams Pictures via Remodelista

via Style at Home

A few options:

Star Lantern from Circa Lighting

Four Light Black Framed from Signature Lighting

Denison Ceiling Light from Elte

I'm still on the hunt but pleased to know that there are a few options out there.

Pinspiration

Madeline Weinrib

This room is so unique in how perfectly all the various patterns work together.  This is accomplished by keeping all of these different patterns within the same colour palette. It's all just variations of blues and creams.

It inspires me.

Weekend Happenings

Here's what I was up to this weekend:

Making my planter look a bit more 'spring-like' 

Getting new doors installed

Filling in a lot of holes on my new doors

Craft Room - Update II

I finally wallpapered the wall behind my desk with pages from an old set of encyclopedias.  I previously discussed different projects I was planning with these books here.

These encyclopedias are pretty unique as they contain pictures rather than a lot of text.  I spent several nights leafing through all five volumes and selecting pages that include items related to architecture, design, furnitures, etc.

I just love the vintage images and many of the pages have aged from use and time so some are a bit more yellowed than others.

Pinspiration

Styled by Myrica Bergqvist

This room has a lot of white in it - white floor, white sectional, white ladder, white floor lamp, white table, white walls, white trim and a white ceiling - but it doesn't feel sparse or cold.  Bright pops of colour are added with the rug, throw, pillows, artwork and that fantastic pink flower pendant.

By keeping all the big (expensive?) pieces in the room the same colour you could easily change up the feel of this room with accessories.  Imagine creating a nautical theme by adding the colour combination of aqua and sand into the room.  You could hang a painting of crashing waves, put down a neutral jute rug, add blue/green pillows, a rope ball on the table and a basket of driftwood on the floor.

It inspires me.

Craft Room - Update I

Sneak peek

There has been a lot of progress in my craft room (see my plans here).  A huge part of this project also included painting my stairwell and the trim along my staircase and I am really happy with how it's turned out.  Here is what the space looked like before:

My first step for this project, was to rip off all the trim around my doors and take out the shelves in the closet.

Weekend Happenings

Here is what I was up to this weekend:

Wallpapering my craft room (post to come)

Working on my Blogging Your Way e-course homework 

Organizing my all of my tear sheets in lovely Russell & Hazel binders

Blogs that Rock

I'm currently taking decor8's latest Blogging Your Way e-course,  Blog Bloss.  We still have two weeks left in the course but I have learned so much already.  I also love how it enables you to connect with a huge community of people that all share similar interests and passions.  It is such a warm and supportive group.  This week's homework is to analyze eight blogs that we think rock. Here are the ones I love

6th Street Design School always has great photography and I like the "You might also like" links at the end of each post and click through those quite often.  I appreciate the simple typography used for the title and Kirsten Krason also includes links and contact information for her various design services.

Anyone with a love for glitter equal to mine needs to be on top of my list.  Coco & Kelley blogger, Cassandra Lavalie, kicks it off with her glittery gold "Hello" page link - so pretty.  The links at the top of her blog allow readers quick access to certain categories and keeps the site from being overly cluttered.

Rambling Renovators, by Jennifer Flores, leads you right into her design style with an illustration of classic white subway tile flanked by two schoolhouse lights.  Jennifer also has a very relaxed writing style that makes it enjoyable to check out her blog each day.

I don't know how I stumbled upon Door Sixteen but I am a big fan of blogger Anna Dorfman's aesthetic.  She shares her design style and various projects in her Brooklyn apartment and City of Newburgh home.  The sparse black and white style of the blog keeps the focus on her photos and I appreciate that all of her posts are really true to her.

The layout for Poppytalk is really clean and feels like a magazine.  I'm hoping to improve my photoshop skills and look for inspiration from how they display their photos/DIY projects.

8 Foot Six has great links for before and after home tours, thrift store finds, etc.  Again, I'm really drawn to Shannon's use of a white layout and the simple, black title.

Simply Fabulous Chic is authored by Inge, a fellow Blogging Your Way student.  The layout incorporates lots of 'white' space and is crisp, clean and not overly cluttered.

Corrine Kowal at Emerald Green Interiors lays out her photos really well.  You can also tell that she has a certain (colourful!) viewpoint on design and it's consistently represented throughout her blog.

I had already done a bit of analysis last month as I'm planning to do a blog re-design but this assignment really allowed me to put into words what I like.  There are certain themes I can see when I look at this grouping overall and I think they'll have a strong influence on my re-design.

#blogboss

St. Patrick's Day - Wreath loving

I love wreaths on front doors. They may be considered 'old-fashioned' to some people but I really like them.  I think they dress up the front of your house.  When I was living in apartments and condos, I couldn't have wreaths on my front door but as soon as I owned my own home, I started pulling out the ribbon!

For St. Patrick's Day, I was inspired by some foam, glittery shamrocks I found at the Dollar Store.  I paid $4 for the packets (with extras to spare) and the rest of the materials used were items I already owned.

For the backing, I used cardboard from a leftover moving box I had in the basement.  For the template, I just traced around a glass bowl.

I then traced around a small plate so I could cut out the middle.

Then out came the glue gun and I started to alternate the foam shamrocks by colour around the cardboard circle.

It wasn't a perfect fit and I was left with a bit of a gap at the top, so I just covered it up by layering three of the same shamrocks (glittered of course) at the top.  I ended up really liking the effect.

I finished up the wreath with some green ribbon so I could easily hang it and here is the finished project:

The entire project only took about 20 minutes and with a low cost of $4, it's perfect to hang outside for a couple of weeks.

Pinspiration

Clive Tompsett photo by Skona Hem

I really like how comfortable this room feels.  The couch looks like it's covered in a soft, worn-in linen and is decked out with a lot of cushions you can just sink right into.  Painted floors also convey a very relaxed vibe and this is only further accentuated with the casual rug and large pillows to sit on.  The plants and flowers in the room look like they came from the garden and are arranged in an unfussy manner.  

There is a lot of balance in this room as many of the colours and textures are repeated.  You see the same pink in the sofa, the cushions, the flowers and the wall.  The yellow is repeated in the pillows, the vase and the letter 'S" that's mounted on the wall.

One of the most noticeable features is the faux wainscotting made by using two different colours on the wall.   Such an easy DIY project and again keeps this room feeling so cozy and carefree.

It inspires me.

Weekend Happenings

Here is what I was up to this weekend:

Making a St. Patrick's Day wreath

Toasting up some home-made granola

Scoping out coat racks (this one is from Crate & Barrel)

Making a mosaic tray during a workshop at the Habitat for Humanity Restore

Store Love - Iron Crow

I stumbled upon a fantastic antique/vintage shop this week, Iron Crow (4403 9 Street S.E.).  I was searching through kijiji and found a few items attributed to this store and attempted to look them up.  They are so new that at this time they have no social media/websites, etc. so I just decided to pop by and see what they had.

The shop is an absolute find.  Lots of lovely antiques, collectibles and refurbished pieces. The prices are very reasonable and I really liked how the store was set up so that similar items or themes of collections were together (i.e. western, nautical).  I'm really looking forward to their upcoming grand opening.

Great bench/coat rack with storage 

Propellers and other nautical paraphernalia 

Carved figure and several wooden winches

Fireplace mantle and stained glass windows

Lovely wooden filing cabinets

Old fire extinguishers 

Skis, sleighs and snowshoes

I loved this unique, adjustable metal and wood shelf 

Corner shelving unit

Old metal toys

Antique buffet

Great wooden cheese box

New kitchen buffet

Butter presses

Various coffee grinders

So many great pieces to choose from

Wooden panels

I have a thing for boxes/containers/trunks/chests

A large collection of frames

This shop is certainly worth a visit and I'm excited to go back for a second look.