Sunday, August 7, 2022

New Retail Store in Dundas Ontario - Tessi & Co.

 Greetings everyone !!

Well summer arrived in all it's glory with blazing temperatures.  Much better than cold and snow.  I have been a little under the weather for a few weeks however I am now up and out checking the new gift shops and home decor stores.

Tessi & Co. in Dundas - 43 Cootes Dr., Dundas, ON L9H 1B5

Located in a rustic building and having many different offerings.  This store carries indoor plants, upcycled fashion, jewellery, vintage furniture, art, consignment items  gifts and much more.  The store is a collaboration of many creative small businesses in one store.  There are several rooms to browse through. I had to return a 2nd time to get a good look at everything they carry.  I know I will be returning again and again to check out new merch and pick up goodies for friends and of course pour moi.

Below are some photos I took of the store beginning with a huge statue of a leafy lady at the entrance created by the person who takes care of the plants in the store.

This is a fun and interesting shop!!

                                            WELCOME TO TESS & CO




























Friday, February 25, 2022

2022 colour of the year

 As always the Colour Marketing Group Have named the colour that will be seen in 2022.

ANNOUNCING THE PANTONE COLOR OF THE YEAR 2022

PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri

“The Pantone Color of the Year reflects what is taking place in our global culture, expressing what people are looking for that color can hope to answer.” added Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute. “Creating a new color for the first time in the history of our Pantone Color of the Year educational color program reflects the global innovation and transformation taking place. As society continues to recognize color as a critical form of communication, and a way to express and affect ideas and emotions and engage and connect, the complexity of this new red violet infused blue hue highlights the expansive possibilities that lay before us”.

Encompassing the qualities of the blues, yet at the same time possessing a violet-red undertone, PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression.

At this time of year every well known paint company selects their own personal colour of the year.

This is exactly what we need - a little joy after the past two years of covid19 and to help our spirits as we move through this year.







Saturday, February 12, 2022

A Visit to Piper and Oak

 A while back I was in Paris, not across the pond, but Ontario.  It is a lovely and pretty town on the banks of the Grand River. There are fantastic restaurants and shops.  There are many outdoor activities to enjoy in Paris. We had a great lunch a Stillwaters at the short break between restaurants  being open and closed.

Of course no decorator can visit a new town without checking out the stores featuring items for the home. I checked Piper and Oak and found it to have an assortment of high end giftware items especially home fragrance products - great soaps, creams, candles, bath products.  It is worth the drive to Paris and a visit to this well appointed shop. 

Below are a few photos I took -





Welcome to the year 2022

 Hello everyone

It's been a tough 2 years and we don't know if or when we will get back to what we know as normal. We have learned how to live with this pandemic and all it's many challenges.  It hasn't been easy but we motor on.  I haven't written in this blog since before Christmas mainly because I just wasn't in the mood.  I hope everybody had a good holiday, whether it be Christmas,  Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and any other celebration.  At least this year people were able to get together with family and friends.

Last year I cancelled my website and thought I would retire. Well I have had a few previous clients recently contact me recently so I think I haven't retired - just slowing it down. I plan to spend time with my darling grandbabies and after 25+ years away from it, I have picked up my brushes and canvasses and will be doing some art.





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Saturday, September 4, 2021

Great Home Decor & Furniture at 'Love Your Home'



I found the most wonderful Home furnishings and decor shop in Guelph on Brock Rd.  Love Your Home. I can never resist popping in to these type of places as I am so very addicted to lovely items for the home.  I ventured up to this store just after I had spent an afternoon at the Aberfoyle Antique Market.  Of course I found a couple of items I had wanted and thus made a purchase.  This is a beautiful boutique type store with more than one level of goodies.  It was hard to leave.  I know anyone who is into home decor will want to visit this store.  Not only can you find wonderful furniture and decor items for your home;  there are many items for gift giving.  For sure I will be heading back to this great store. Here are a few photos I took.







                                            




Thursday, August 12, 2021

Aberfoyle Antique Market

 I recently spent a lovely Sunday afternoon at the Aberfoyle Antique Market. As we all welcome being able to get out and do things after  being in lockdown.  For anybody who loves and appreciates antiques this is definitely the place to visit.  It is located on Brock Rd just south of Guelph.  It is open Saturdays for special events and Sundays at an admission cost of $5.00.  It is well worth the cost.  There are over 100 venders with fantastic offerings.  I have attached a few photos of some of the stalls.  I was enjoying browsing so much I didn't take many photos so you will just have to go to see everything in person.  It will be open until the end of October unless we have another lockdown.  If you do venture there, plan on having a lovely meal at the Aberfoyle Mill.








Monday, July 5, 2021

Back to Shopping

 Hello summer!!  Once again it's been a little while since I posted here. We moved into our new home and it has taken quite a long time to unpack, organize and purge some more.  I feel fairly settled now with only a few things to deal with - Christmas decor which fills around 15 rough totes.  Clearly I have way to much.  I will be donating it by end of summer.  

Now that we can go inside retailers it provides great inspiration. One store I recently visited was Graham and Brooks in Dundas.  They sell the most interesting and unique furniture and  accessories.  They are a rustic  style that encompasses re-purposed and vintage pieces that is suitable for your home, garden and cottage.  They source locally with inspiration from around the globe.

The people working on inventory were kind enough to let me take photos which is better than me listing everything in the store.

Please enjoy the photos below ( I am not the best photographer but you will like the products they carry) Take time to visit Dundas and definitely visit Graham and Brooks.  Keep them in mind for later in the season as well.  They have some of the most unique Christmas decorations.













Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Farmhouse Styled Kitchens

This past year or so we have been seeing Farmhouse Decor especially in kitchen design. 

I just viewed these farmhouse Kitchens from the Derring Hall site which are inspiring and I wanted to share.





Friday, March 5, 2021

HOW WE WILL LIVE IN OUR HOMES IN 2021

It has been quite the year with the pandemic.  We have been in and out of lockdown and at other times in small 'bubbles'.  Children are receiving their education virtually and with parents stepping in a lot of the time.  Adults have in a lot of cases been working from home.  Very different from past years where employers were a little less on board having employees work from home.  In some cases it is not practical but in many it is.  People have been getting used to it and find it less stressful not travelling and fighting traffic etc.   On the other hand when day cares and schools were closed it made working from home a little difficult with having the children with us.   Many of us miss the socialization that comes from working with other people as well.  It does appear that in the near future we will continue to work from home.

In looking at this model of working we have to adjust our homes to offer designated space for children and adults while attending school virtually and attending to requirements of our own work.

We have seen a vast amount of homes being opened up as people wanted the open plan in order to have what seemed to be more space and also so we could be with our family and friends.  It seemed nice to be part of the group while entertaining rather than stuck in the kitchen and those with younger children could keep a watch on them with the open plan.

We are now re-thinking the open plan and how divided spaces could work much better now.  We have to carve out spaces within the homes we are living in so that they will work with this new lifestyle.  You can create a designated work area where it can be quiet in any room in your home.  People are asking builders or designers for designated offices and dens to work from.  Children will need to have their own quiet spaces to do their school work.  It is important to look at how comfortable the space will be, for example lighting, temperature.  Light is very important to our sense of wellbeing, however there must be a way to cut down on glare.  Windows really make the space much more pleasant to work in rather than no windows.  Good air quality is important since people working from home could be in their office all day

We have also had to live with gyms being closed and if we consider working out a priority we can designate a spare room or space in the basement to create a fitness area to work out.

Another change is "dining".  We are not going to restaurants these days so we are spending way more time preparing and cooking in our kitchens and.  Addressing any aspect that makes this difficult may be corrected by a simple adjustment.  It is important to have a designated dining area where there are no school books or audit sheets.  

I think all in all we are using our homes better than in past years.  This is the time to look at any improvements you would like to make if you have the time and money. We are spending so much time inside we notice more that should be updated.  

Looking ahead and listening to updates on this horrible virus I feel we may continue to be more or less homebound  so lets make the best of it.  Vaccines are on the way.  Stay well and stay safe. 



Wednesday, February 3, 2021

2021 TRENDS

Every Magazine you look at has a section describing the 2021 Trends and Colours. Most are fairly consistent in that they all offer most of the same information. Then we wonder at the meaning of "Trends".  Are they the same as "Fads"?  No they are not.  A trend is a general direction in which something develops or changes. Trends do not disappear quickly.  They remain popular over a long period of time. A fad is something that  is very popular for a short period of time.

So here are a few trends to watch for in home decor in 2021 -

Fine Line Art which is a continuous line forming a face, body or basically anything.  This works well with minimalist decorating and looks quite contemporary.  It can be found on any decor piece.  This style has been seen last year and actually comes from the famous artists like Picasso.  I have seen it done in a wallpaper covering a small space and it looks amazing.

Geometric shapes have always been around but this year they are are on the rise in all areas of the home.

Rattan and Wicker are still around and gaining more popularity.  They can blend with any decor you have and can lend a relaxed feel to your space. They are being seen in rugs, chairs, lamps and of course baskets.

Curves are becoming more popular as they evoke a softness. 



Light Wood
is very popular after the years of dark expresso.  They go with everything and one of the major pluses is that you do not see dust and scratches as you do in a dark wood. 



Mid Century Modern is usually  bold colours with minimual styling.  This is actually not a trend as it has been around for a long time and remains so.



Japandi
which is a merge of Japanese and Scandinavian.  It focuses on natural materials, textures, neutrals and pastels.  It uses light woods, organic materials and plants.


These are just a few of the trends you will see in 2021.  You don't have to re-do your home to keep up with one of these looks, perhaps just add a little of whichever style you are leaning towards.  You will have an interesting space.





Tuesday, January 19, 2021

The Colour of the Year 2021 as determined by the Colour Marketing Group

Each year we are informed of what the colour of the year will be by the Colour Marketing Group.  This year there are two  Pantonne Colours  -Ultimate Gray and Illuminating a bright yellow 

A not-for-profit, international association of color design professionals, Color Marketing Group ® is a forum for the exchange of all things color. Members represent a broad spectrum of designers, marketers, color scientists, consultants, educators, and artists.




It is said that the Pantonne Colours of 2021 are a marriage of color conveying a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting.  A dynamic duo. Perfect for this coming year. They are two independent colors that highlight how different elements come together to support one another,














Monday, January 18, 2021

The Holidays Came and went....

 My last post was a little late but I am back. We ended up staying in a hotel for 3 months because it was difficult to find a new home unless you joined into bidding wars which we didn't. We finally found it without a bidding war and closed in 2 weeks. We just moved into a the new house and a new town.  It has been quite an experience since we have lived in our previous home for 25 years.  You can really collect a lot in that time.  I did some major purging but it just wasn't enough.  Our new home is smaller and our plan was to symplify things.  We will get there eventually.  I have been unpacking and there will be many more items that I say goodbye to.  I don't need so much around me.  We are now in the middle of January with no snow to speak of.  The good part of being locked down due to COVID is that I can't go out to stores shopping.  I love looking and checking out the newest items in the stores even though I will have to be careful not to buy more.  At least not until I manage to purge more.

The best part of January is that we welcomed a beautiful granddaughter into the family.  She was born 1 day before her brother's birthday.  There will be great celebrations in the future. 

That's it for now