The Ottoman

Great functionality that can find a home in almost every setting. I love an ottoman instead of a hard surfaced coffee table. I find it offers a sense of relaxation and comfort and possibly a splash of wonderful colour, pattern or texture. Throw a tray or two on that baby and you’re good to go. I upholstered this ottoman (see my post Reupholstering a Large Pleather Ottoman) in a silvery sage chenille fabric to add a soft subtle tone in the room and tufted it with crystal buttons for a touch of glam.

Ikea’s Kivik or Ektorp affordable storage ottoman’s are great for smaller, casual, high use spaces. I have had mine in the family room for years. Structurally solid, lid opens for additional storage and slipcover comes off for easy washing. Fabric is a highly durable cotton twill, but if it starts to look a little tired or if you just want a new look, pick up additional slipcovers available in a variety of colours.

The Pouffe

Right on trend and a great addition as a foot rest or a floor pillow. Again, perfect for adding some great texture, pattern or colour to any room.

The Bench

Benches, hard surfaced or upholstered, are perfect for seating at the the front door, dining tables, at the end of a bed or to fill in as a coffee table.

This elegant little gal serves as extra seating in my daughters room. Gorgeous feminine lines along with beautiful silk fabric and a unique profile make this bench a show stopper. To see how I refurbished this bench have a look at Parisian Inspired Bench.

This bench sits at the end of my bed and it is one that I created myself from a coffee table. No post on this one I’m sad to say. I keep a crate that was once used for transporting flower bulbs under the bench for extra storage.

The Stool

I love stools for their versatility. Group’em, stack’em or let’em stand alone. They can look so pretty while adding a tonne of functionality. Chinese inspired ceramic stools like the one shown above have been around the world of home decor forever and honestly, I think they will be around for longer still. They are so diverse in colour, texture and pattern and work in many styles.  Use it for additional seating or as a table both indoors or out.

This more industrial looking hand crafted swivel stool made by CB2 has currently found a home at my kitchen computer station. In the past, I have used it as a side table. I love the heavy angular cast iron legs topped with a Mango Wood seat.

I have two of these Sari Stools that I purchased from Pier One Imports years back. To give them a new look, I picked up some faux yak fur, cut it to size and draped it over the stool. Creates a casual, cozy feeling while adding loads of texture..

My kitchen stepping stool. A unique hand made wooden stool with loads of character. I fell in love with it the moment I saw it.

Not all my stools are functional. This antique wooden stool and wooden Chinese pillow are there just to look good! So rustic, worn and loaded with history. They set the stage for other items I have picked up on my travels.

My husband often says I have some sort of obsession and quite frankly, he could be right! Now if only I could become obsessed with something a little more productive, like exercise!

One quick chuck of a pillow can change the entire feel of a room and if you stick with a winter theme rather than Christmas, you can enjoy the look for the entire winter season. I picked up a couple of these vintage skate cushions at Home Outfitters on sale for $11.00 each. This Cushion works perfectly in my front entry which has a relaxed weathered feel to it.

TIP: Try to choose cushions with zippers so the covers are easily interchangeable. This also makes storage a dream as you only have to store the cushion cover rather than the entire bulky insert.

Faux fur throw cushions (say that 3 times!) are a fantastic way to add a touch of warmth to a room. Adding cushions picturing wildlife is right on trend this year and pair perfectly with anything fur. Adding an antler or 2 like the one seen on the side table above, is also a great way to achieve this look while staying right on trend this winter season.

One of my favourite local shops for zippered cushion covers is Fabricland. Not only do they have a huge selection, but they are reasonably priced and often go on sale. Here, I paired a cushion you could use all year with a winter themed cover. You don’t have to replace every cushion in the room to get the feel of winter or the holidays. By popping in one themed cushion that compliments your style and colour you can achieve a seasonal look without breaking the bank.

If your an animal lover, adding whimsical throw cushions like the one above by Ruby Etc is a great way to get the feel of winter in a contemporary way. And I mean c’mon, how cute is this greyhound in a toque.

For the lover of everything outdoors, nothing says winter like this cushion depicting a lone tree out in the Toronto snow.

If it’s warm and cozy you are after, look for wools, tartans and knits to give any room a wintery cozy feeling.

I love, love, love my throw cushions. Just by adding one cushion, you can change the entire feel of a room, unite colours and add texture and pattern. That’s a whole lot of power for a little 20 x 20 package of fluff!

One thing that will inevitably stand out if you get the chance to visit Turkey is the gorgeous architecture. With ancient structures, domed ceilings, gorgeous tile work, use of colour and lets not forget loads of Kilim Textiles. It is no wonder we look to Turkey for some decor inspiration.  

Ceiling of the Hague Sophia

Ceiling of the Blue Mosque

Photo Credit: Nazmiyal Collection

Adding a touch of Turkish style these days does not necessarily mean a trip to Istanbul, although I do highly recommend it! As the popularity of Kilim in the world of home decor has increased so has it’s accessibility. I am sure many of you have noticed it popping up at big box stores and if you haven’t yet, you will after you read this. These hearty textiles, some of Turkish origin, are typically made of wool and cotton in a flat-weave technique to create a pileless finish. Traditionally all natural materials with a durability to last the years.

Photo Credit: Marcelle Guibeau

Colours and patterns are endless and as a result compliment a multitude of styles.

Photo Credit: Jodie Cooper Designs

Photo Credit: N-Project

Photo Credit: Design Sponge

So durable, that they are a perfect choice for high use areas like kitchens, hallways or dining rooms.

Photo Credit: Pottery Barn

Because they are low pile, with pattern and colour abound, Kilim textiles are great for any room and especially for those that love the layered look.

And if you’re an eclectic nut like me that loves odd little treasures collected from around the world then something Kilim could be just what the designer ordered.

Photo Credit: kilimpension.com

If you would like to read more on Istanbul, see my post Turkish Delight

Okay, okay, so I know she doesn’t look like much with the dated original fabric, but I fell in love with this beauty on site. The gorgeous lines of the solid Oak bentwood frame made this chair not only virtually indestructible and unique, but beautiful from every angle.

The frame was in great condition and only required a quick vacuum and wipe down.

Now for the fabric. I choose this fabric for a couple of reasons. The first was that it was in the sale bin and the second was because I LOVED IT! I knew this chair was going to require a fare chunk of material so in order to keep costs down I was on the hunt for something less expensive, but good quality. After measuring, I purchased 5 meters of this mid century inspired fabric that would transform the look of this chair entirely. At less than $10.00 a meter and a couple spools of thread, I was out of the fabric store having spent less than 60 bucks.

I then used the cushions to mark, cut and sew my new fabric. I typically like to reuse as much as possible, as this not only keeps costs down, but also keeps perfectly usable items out of the rubbish bin. For this reason, I took the time to remove the zippers from the old material and sewed them onto the new fabric. A bit fiddly and time consuming, but a venture that I consider worth taking.

After the main cushions were complete I covered the 3 throw cushions. I decided to offset the pattern by doing the 2 smaller cushions in a creamy white. Super happy with the end result of this chair that would look perfect in an open concept room where it could be viewed from every angle.

I purchased this  lovely ornate picture frame from the local Salvation Army store. I fell in love with the details and size of the frame immediately and knew that a quick lick of paint would turn this tired looking frame into something stunning.

Here is the frame in the condition in which I found it.

I painted the frame in an off white colour. One coat was all it took as I knew I would be distressing the frame. After painting, I used a coarse sandpaper and scuffed up the frame, focusing on edges and highly patterned areas.

After painting the frame, I was ready to focus on the cork board. I had an old mirror backing kicking around that I decided to use, but you could also use a heavy cardboard as your backing. I then cut the board to size, keeping in mind that I would be covering the entire board with material. I purchased a roll of cork and spray glued it onto the backing. Cork comes in different thicknesses so make sure you grab a thick one for stick pins. I then centered my material on the board and stapled it in place.

Now, all that was left to be done was inserting the material covered cork board into the frame, attaching some heavy-duty picture hanging wire and voila…a Parisian inspired cork board.

These old wooden windows have literally been my headboard for over 13 years. I salvaged them from my mom’s backyard many, many, moons ago. Only some of the glass was intact when I found them so I just popped out the remaining glass so all I was left with was the wooden frame.

The frame can be painted any color you wish to coordinate with your decor and believe me these little ladies have seen many changes over the last 13 years. I used these windows as a headboard on their own and also with fabric as shown above.

To add the fabric I used a sheet of plywood cut smaller than the window frame and covered it in cotton batting. After this, I cut a piece of material a little larger than the plywood and covered the batting. I then stapled the material in place. A tip for this, is to situate your material just so, then flip the whole thing over so that the plywood side is now face up. To make sure the material stays is place, staple in the middle of all four sides then start working your way out to the corners. You can also spray glue your material down I guess, but I like to change my material so I prefer to just staple.

After material is in place, you can simply screw the fabric covered plywood onto the old window frames and attach them to the wall. Theses frames are pictured with a king sized bed, but would work with any size and configuration. One of the many reasons I love this idea. It is so versatile and so easily changed. Feel like you need a pop of color, change the fabric or repaint the frames. I suspect I will have this headboard for many years to come.