Pinspiration

This space feels very warm and liveable.  The design is comfortable and unfussy.  I like how the layout of the artwork mimics the line of the staircase.  The room is layered in varying shades of gray and cream and one bright pop of fuchsia.

It inspires me.

Pinspiration

via Urban Kaleidoscope

This room has a comfortable, lived-in look.  The gorgeous light fixture (Arctic Pear Round Chandelier from Ochre), purple-tufted sofa, and antique mirror above the fireplace work really well together.  The pale, unfinished floorboards also help to keep the room from being too 'fussy'

It inspires me.

Pinspiration

via Spicer + Bank

I am a huge fan of the Voliere pendant lamp from The Conran Shop (designed by Matthieu Challieres) and seeing it caused me to pause on this image.  What I really like is the mix of old and new in this space - the orange Eames rocker in front of the ornately carved stone fireplace which is then topped with mercury glass bottles.  I also love the chevron wood flooring and the panelling on the walls.

It inspires me.

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.

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.

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.

Dreaming of .... Front Hall

"Dreaming of...." will be an ongoing series as I begin the process of turning my house into my home.  First up, the front hall.

Here is my front hall as it looks today:

Certainly an improvement from where it started and you can see the "before" shot in an earlier post Mini-makeover - Front Hall.

This is what I'm hoping it'll look/feel like though:

Suzanne Dimma's gorgeous front hall - via House & Home

Front hall of one of my fave bloggers - via  Door Sixteen

Pops of yellow and a great shelf for keys - via Better Homes & Gardens

The home of Janette Maclean - via Design Mom

Wonderful red door and classic penny tile - via House & Home

Although these spaces look different and have varying design styles, they do have several common themes.  All of these front halls are bright and welcoming and certainly suggest to guests what they may expect to see in the rest of the house.  Each space has personality and includes repeating patterns/colours which is important in even a small space.

I'm hoping to accomplish something similar with a few additions like:

New tile - I'd love something white, bright and vintage

Octagon & Dot with grey grout

Basket weave

Penny round

Coat rack - without a hall closet, my jackets are currently stashed in one of the three (yes, three!) closets in my bedroom which is not very convenient

Coat Rack Bench - Restoration Hardware

Grid Coat Rack - Crate & Barrel

Metal Tipped Coat Rack - West Elm

Shoe rack - it's nice to be able to have several options at the front door

Kellan Shoe Rack - Pottery Barn

Shelf - something small for my keys and a few accessories

Rustic Wood Shelf - Pottery Barn

Holman Shelf - Pottery Barn

Reclaimed Wood Wall Shelf - Restoration Hardware

Seating/bench - I've always wanted a rustic bench at the front door and finally have space for one

Addison Storage Bench - Crate & Barrel

Offset Bench - West Elm

Storage - a bit of a catch-all for toques, mitts, scarves, shoe polish, bags, etc.

Barika Totes - Crate & Barrel

Metal Mesh Bin - Restoration Hardware

Woven Felt Baskets - West Elm

Repeating pattern/colour - I don't have a large house, so I'm planning on working a similar shade of blue into each room in my house.  The rug I recently added is a perfect start and adding a small tray, vase or piece of artwork in the same colour will tie it all together.

Fold Key Hook - CB2

Lacquer Stash Box - Jonathan Adler

Mille_Fleurs by Brea Souders - 20x200

Books - A Second Life

After my uncle passed away this summer, my Mom found some books in his apartment that she thought I could use for various decor/craft projects.

The "I See All - The World's First Picture Encyclopedia" has five volumes and is exactly what it sounds like, an encyclopedia of pictures rather than text.  Each page is jammed with various snippets of black and white pictures of definitions, historical events, famous personalities, etc.

I looked the books up on-line and they aren't worth a lot and don't appear to be rare or overly unusual so I don't feel too bad cutting them up.

The biggest project I'm going to use them on is to wallpaper my upstairs office nook.  The inspiration is from one of my favourite stores in Toronto,  Love the Design.  The owner, Christine Flynn, wallpapered one of the walls in her store with pages from vintage books.  I love the look and think it'll be perfect for a small space.

I'm currently going through the books and pulling pages with topics related to design and other personal interests so the images I see each day are ones I really love.  With five volumes though, there are a lot of extra pages so I'm looking for a few other crafts to do.  Some ideas include:

Table runner

Wreath - tutorial at Katydid and Kid

Wrapping paper

Run the pages through a printer and add new images

And the list of potential craft projects goes on and on and on.

Letterpress drawer - DIY

Before I left TO, I stopped by a local letterpress shop and picked up two vintage job aids for a fantastic price (one for me and one for my mom).  I planned on hanging mine on the wall and using it to display little trinkets, photos, bits of fabric, ephemera, etc.

Waiting to find a home 

Looking on a few sites though, there are a lot of other inspiring DIY projects and uses for these hardworking tools of organization and now I'm not sure what to do with my tray.

Store/display your jewelry with a pop of apple green -  via BlackForestCottage

Turn it into a coffee table - instructions via Martha Stewart

Add it to an existing piece of furniture - design via Schub Laden

Turn it into a collage of family photos and trinkets - instructions available at Offbeat Home

So many great options and now I'm really confused as to what I'll do with my tray.  I think I'll stick with my original idea though knowing that when I'm tired of the look I can change it out into one of these other DIY projects.

Oh, Canada!

It is Canada Day and it's the one day of the year when unassuming Canadians wave the flag and drape ourselves in red and white.  I think a little Canadiana in your home though lets you celebrate this great country on a daily basis.  Some of my fave finds are:

Prairie Tables by Gus* Modern

Walking Bear Table by Moss & Lam

Great Lakes Pillow by Nicole Tarasick

HBC Point Blanket

Schtick Hockey Stick Hangers by Urban Product

Canada Type Map by Bold & Noble