Retail Therapy

Spring came and went and somehow I missed it.  It seemed to be summer popped in for a very minimal time and it seemed to be raining way too much for my taste, and poof, it was gone as well and we headed into fall and now winter.   With all the business of the fall preparing for holidays we shop but we do not always treat it as a fun and enjoyable process when we have so much to do.  We are so busy we have so much to take care of that we tend to be happy to have it completed.  Well, now that we are heading into the Holiday season it is a great time to get a little 'retail therapy.'

I love to shop and all decorators and designers are very much into this pasttime.  This is where work can also be fun!  We call it 'sourcing' when looking for items for clients but when it is just for ourselves, it is really just good old fashioned shopping.
The old saying that the shoemakers children have no shoes tends to hold up with designers and decorators in that we are so busy working on clients projects and attending many showroom events to see the latest and greatest out there, we don't seem to have time for our own abodes.  Well now is a great time to take a little time and as Nike says DO IT! 

I really am in need of a little 'retail therapy' for myself and decided to check out some great spots, just to name a few and get your home ready for upcoming entertaining.

Bouclair
Pottery Barn
EQ 3
Structube
Crate & Barrel
Urban Barn
Cocoon
Wicker Emporium

Most are already dressed up for the Christmas season and can really put you in the mood. Watch for a future post dedicated to the wonderful displays at Sheridan Nurseries

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

I have been checking out just a few of my favourite shopping spots and and they are all decked out in their finest for the upcoming holidays...

Sheridan Nurseries

 Pottery Barn

 Homesense

 Wicker Emporium

 Urban Barn

Bouclair

 Interior Design House

Bowring

 Watch for a future post dedicated to the wonderful displays at Sheridan Nurseries

A few 'rules' for creating a great dining room

Top Ten Tips for Designing a Dining Room

1.      The table size should be determined by the size of the room and the other furniture in it. Absolute minimal clearance between the table edge and any facing wall or buffet is 30-36” but this will not allow for circulation behind a seated diner, or allow access to the buffet during a meal. Ideally, you should have 48 - 60” of space between a table and facing obstruction.

2.      Each diner needs his own dining space of 24-30”wide by 16-18” deep. Generally there will also be a shared space between facing diners of

5-9”. 

3.      When buying any area carpet to go beneath the table, all chair legs should sit on it firmly when pushed away from the table. Always buy an under pad to protect the rug fibers from the hard floor. Rug under pads should be about 2” smaller than your rug on each side.

4.      To determine furniture quality, check the details. For example, look for dovetail joints in drawers. ( Fan-shaped tendons that interlock with a corresponding notched mortises) Also, look for a piece of wood that provides a dust proofing layer between drawers.

5.      In a room with an 8 foot ceiling, chandeliers should be hung with 30 -32” of space between the bottom of the chandelier and the table surface. Increase the space by 3” for every foot if you are lucky enough to have a high ceiling.

6.      The width of the chandelier should never exceed the width of the table. Ideally it should be 1/2 to 2/3 the size of your table width. When in doubt, go smaller but not too small.

7.      Always use dimmer switches.

8.      Wall sconces should be mounted 60” from the floor.

9.      Centre pieces should never block the view of diners. Average eye level for men is 27”from the table top and for women it is 19”. 

10.  Finally, have fun and be dramatic when decorating this room. Often it is a separate, more formal space, giving you the freedom to make it different from the other areas in your home. It can be decorated with deeper, richer colours that complement candle light, sparkling crystal and gleaming white dishes.

Sources:    Human Dimension and Interior Space by Julius Panero and Martin Zelni,  Furnish – The Home Furnishings Experts; Winter 2012, Furniture Today Media Group                10 Principles of Good Interior Design by Vinny Lee

Design and Decor Styles over the Years

I have recently been trying to walk the talk with my home.  I am working at 'de-cluttering'. It is mostly the magazines and brochures collected over the years that go back way too many years and are not really looked at again.  I decided to flip through the magazines and if something caught my eye I could tear it out.  This will be an on-going project since there are at least 14 years of magazines.  I have been focusing on my Canadian magazines recently and must say we have many talented designers and decorators. The brochures & catalogues are only a few years old but I figure between them and the magazines, I should be leaving a very nice beverage for the folks who pick up my recycling.  I will keep the amounts down each week but it really looks like I am emptying a store.  

We then get to my tschatkas and it will be like Christmas when I hit Goodwill with the many I simply cannot store in my home.  I used to change them up regularly in order to not get tired of them and of course they all could not be displayed unless I wanted to re-create a store in my living area. I have hit a stage where I want less 'stuff' around me so out it goes.

Back to the title of this post - Design and Decor over the years.  I found in flipping through some of the magazines that our design aesthetic has not changed much in the last decade. When we hit year 2000 we seem to have hit on some fantastic liveable styles that for the most part have lasted through the years.  Of course these are also all created by professional decorators and designers which speaks to the value of working with them in the first place. It also helps the landfill as well as your pocketbook since you are not discarding your possessions so fast.  Changing up accessories and smaller pieces brings new life but the main pieces and foundation of the space can remain the same and look like it was created this year.  Sure, I have to say there are definitely some things we do not want to see again - balloon curtains; borders; too many silk or plastic flowers; and I think you know where I am going.  We have moved to a more natural look in our furnishings and accessories.  I was recently at a seminar by a well known celeb local designer and he was showing us photos of work he had done 10 years ago and it looked fresh and totally current as if he had just completed it.  Now that is a good thing!!

In checking out the bathrooms I noticed we were showcasing stand alone tubs and vessel sinks way back.   Wallpaper is back but in a more user friendly way and great design. 

I can't wait to see what comes next in Design and Decor, but one thing for sure is that I am not keeping this much 'stuff' around in future.

Loving Black and White

Recently I was gifted some Home Decor & Design Magazines from France that my hubby selected for me when he was there.  I love to pick these up when travelling just to see what's happening in other places.  When I was in Cabo recently I was looking for a Mexican Decor Magazine and a nice helpful person informed me I could find English magazines at another location but I wanted the one I found in Spanish. He thought I was a little nuts but that's ok.  I wanted authentic.

While flipping through the various magazines I saw a page of my favourite - Black and White in hounds tooth so I wanted to share it.  It's still hot and I believe it will always be in style.

From the pages of 'maisons de Campagne' here are some b/w ideas

Chalk Paint vs Chalkboard Paint vs Milk Paint....

You may have been hearing about Chalk Paint and wonder if it is the same as the already popular Chalkboard Paint??  They are two entirely different products with entirely different applications.  Yes both come in a myriad of colours so it may be easy to confuse. Chalkboard paint has been around for years and is now available in many great colours to enhance any decor.  It is applied to a surface so that you can apply writing, drawings, etc to it.

So what is all the buzz about lately on Chalk Paint??  Why is it different from Milk Paint??

Milk paint comes in a powdered form and has to be mixed with water and blended.  You have to be careful not to add too much water or it will run off the furniture and if too thick it will leave lumps.  If the piece is pre-finished you need to add a primer.  Raw wood is fine with just the paint.

Chalk paint, created by Annie Sloan in 1990,  is a decorative paint available in 30 colours, both decorative and historical and is made specifically for painting furniture, floors and gives a completely matt, velvet like finish.  

You have to wonder what is so different between this Chalk Paint and the Milk Paint we all know. 

Chalk paint comes pre-mixed but can be diluted with water to create a wash/stain.  It has the properties to stick to almost any surface with prepping..... wood, concrete, metal, matt plastic, earthenware etc. It works well on exterior applications and dries quickly. If you are interested in creating an old worn look, adding a second colour which is then sanded off lightly in strategic spots, will allow the initial paint colour to show through and give an aged look.  Another point of preference is that it has extremely low VOC's and no odor. Adding Annie Sloan Soft Wax, will achieve a subtle sheen as well as protect your piece and add durability.


Below are some of the different looks you can achieve with this paint

 
You may just want a nice smooth finish, no ageing

In summary below are the main reasons to give this product a try.  (from the Annie Sloan website)   http://www.anniesloan.com/acatalog/copy_of_How_to_use_the_paint.html

1. Chalk Paint® is the BEST paint for painting furniture by a long way
2. No need to prime or prepare
3. Extremely low VOC so it is good for the environment
4. You can use it on any surface, indoors and out (the outside of our shop was painted in it -- perfect!) 
5. You can use the paint by diluting it with water to make a wash to show the wood grain
6. The colours are mixed intelligently and the website shows how you can adapt your colours for your use
7. It's a girls' paint, but boys can use it too
8. It's flexible so you can be creative and change your mind 
9. It allows your walls to breathe so it is perfect for cottage walls
10. You can use it as an impasto (thickly) - leave the lid off to thicken 
11. We've been making it since 1990 so it's tried and tested

For more information on this product check out Annie's blog
http://anniesloanpaintandcolour.blogspot.co.uk/

Happy Family Day

Well here we are half way through February and I saw the sun recently and what a pleasure that was.
Thinking about this day and how it is a time for families to get together and do something and have fun of course my mind is always on decor and design so why not feature some great "family rooms".

 

Christmas Decor at the Annual St. Annual Christmas House Tour

This year I was one of the Interior Decorators to 'Deck' a house for the Annual St. Andrews Christmas House Tour in Oakville.  The owner, Shevawn Adams is a Registered Interior Designer and has done a fantastic job of keeping the historic home true to it's time while adding the necessary modern conveniences for today's lifestyle.  I was thrilled that she welcomed me into her home to decorate it for Christmas.  The theme I decided upon was kept minimal, using natural elements - Birds, Birch bark, natural greenery etc, so as to not compete with the architecture and artwork throughout the home.  The homeowner was pleased with the end result and so was I.  Hope you like it!!