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!

Christmas dinner at my house this year!

Every family has their own Christmas traditions and ours is to share the Christmas Dinner responsibility and not only rotate the hosting household, but also everyone contributes to the meal. Christmas 2016 is my Year to host and in preparation I decorated my table in advance. At a time of the year when spending can peak, I want you to know that I didn’t spend a dime on this table setting! I scrounged up pieces from around the house to pull this look together. Pulling in pieces from around the house not only keeps costs down and eliminates waste, but also ensures the look will fit seamlessly with your decor.

Each chair was adorned with material knotted at the back for a classy, but casual feeling. The two materials used were simply torn in strips then tied around the back of the chair. The table itself was first covered in a white cloth. I didn’t have a white tablecloth large enough so I layered two white curtain panels that I use during the summer months outdoors. The top was then covered in a natural linen tablecloth and knotted in each corner with twine for an added detail.

With the tablecloth in place I decided to use old music sheets from the 1950’s as the place settings.

Because I was decorating my table well in advance, I didn’t want to add cutlery or plates straight away. Instead I prepared napkins by tearing material into strips and tying them around the folded napkin then finished with a little twig.

Each place setting was given a French designed cup and saucer with 18k gold trimmings just to add a little joie de vivre.

The Christmas table centrepiece in my house would be nothing else but rustically refined. Pine branches in a glass vase wrapped in twine set upon an oversized handscraped distressed wooden tray.

Along with the pine branches in a vase, I added 3 vintage canning jars wrapped in twine and filled with burlap and a flameless tealight candle. A swirly whirly branch adds another natural element and of course an antique castle key that I picked up while travelling through France…just because.

The best thing about setting my table early this year is I get to enjoy it for awhile.

Merry Christmas Everyone. Enjoy everything the holidays have to offer.

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

The kitchen is it’s original state.

A view of the adjoining living area.

Overall, this basement suite had pretty good bones, equipped with a large bathroom that had recently been updated, multiple storage closets and a good sized bedroom.

While the majority of the work, focus and budget, was put towards the kitchen, we did freshen up the rest of the suite with new carpet in driftwood tones complimented by new paint throughout. The entire area was brightened up in a soft neutral grey called Balboa Mist by Benjamin Moore.

Now for that kitchen!

Floors, Blonde Maple Laminate, still in good condition so we decided to work with them. Kitchen island, sideboard and appliances would also be staying. One additional appliance would be a microwave hood range.

For a little refresher of where we started, here is a before pic of the kitchen.

Things we needed to consider (everyplace has them);

The bulkhead above the cupboards on the far wall.

Luckily for us, upon investigation, we were able to cut further into the bulkhead, adjust the hight of the duct work and expand the length of our cupboards. By doing this, we were able to incorporate the fridge into the cabinetry making that old gal feel a little more connected plus add more storage. We then added crown moulding along the upper cabinets to completely conceal the bulkhead. Worked like a hot darn!

Moving the kitchen sink out of the corner of the room. 

Nobody loves doing dishes, and standing in the darkest corner of a room and working under upper cabinets makes this job down right nasty. Solution! Expand the kitchen cupboards and counter space so the sink could sit under the window. Easy right?? Haha, well not so fast. The window was sitting just a little lower than the existing counter so we needed to do some nifty thinking. Instead of moving the entire window up to accommodate the change, we opted to incorporated the countertop into the window sill. A bay window of sorts. To do this, we had to use a thinner quartz of 3/4″ thickness instead of the standard 1and 1/4″. Also, rather than butting the cupboards up to the outside wall, we built them out to line up where the existing base cupboards sat. By doing all this, we created a huge amount of space around the kitchen sink and well, in my opinion, it looks down right fantastic!

We decided on a light coloured quartz countertop called Seleno by Silestone. This countertop reflects the honey colour of the Maple flooring, the greyish/green tones of the island and the reddish/brown tones of rubbed bronze cabinet pulls.

Moving the dishwasher out of the laundry room closet.

We were already going to be playing with the plumbing when we moved the kitchen sink, so why not have a little more fun and move the dishwasher out of the laundry room closet and put her right next to the sink where she always functions best.

Creating much needed storage space.

We created oodles of more storage space by expanding the overall length of the cabinetry at both ends and incorporating far more drawers instead of cupboards. The old cabinetry was in good shape so once removed it was donated to Habitat for Humanity.

Brightening up the entire area.

The whole area was brightened up with a fresh coat of paint (Balboa Mist), white shaker style cabinetry, a reflective counter surface and of course, under cabinet lighting. Remember that dark corner of the room? Gone! This kitchen is now flooded in light and a high functioning layout.

Gorgeous suite that any tenant would love…even when they were doing dishes.

With a few alteration’s, I knew this fixture would look fantastic in my dining room.

The black and copper metal frame of the lantern did not suit my decor and I felt looked a little flimsy, so I was off to the hardware store to purchase some spray paint. Now there are a multitude of colours and textures of spray paint on the market and your choice is not limited to whats on the shelf as some stores are able to make a spray paint in any colour you wish. With all these choices available, I went waaaay…out there and got…brown. Boring, boring, boring I know, but I was after an old world feel in my dining room and I found the heaviness of this textured spray paint added both weight and dimension to the metal pieces of this lantern.

I also needed to grab the pieces to cover the lighting hardware. I was hoping for metal, but they were special order so I decided for a couple of bucks, I would try the white plastic covers first and see how they turned out. In the end, they were fine and once in place, you would never guess they did not come with the Fixture.

To paint the plastic tubes, I created a spraying station. I grabbed a chunk of wood, drilled a few holes and then screwed in a few bolts. Pop the plastic tubes over the bolts and voila, spray away.

I waited for a nice clear day and did all my spraying outside. This is the downside of spray paint. The fumes are awful so do it outside if possible. If not, make sure you have loads of ventilation. Just say’n, take care of those lungs. They’re fairly vital.

I had an extra metal extension piece (connects the fixture to the ceiling plate) from my previous light fixture so I ditched the chain that came with the Lantern and used the metal rod instead. Although I already had this piece, I originally purchased it at a local lighting store (McLaren Lighting), where they are available in various colours and lengths.

If using a metal rod, you MUST measure! Things to take into account are how high you would like the fixture to be from the table top, how long the fixture itself is and the depth of the ceiling plate. From this information you should get a clear idea of how long your metal rod needs to be and order accordingly. The chain is much more flexible as far as hanging goes, but in this case, I liked the clean simple lines of the metal rod and I had it, so why not!

Over the years I have sprayed fixtures in a high gloss white, a rubbed bronze, a black and a bright blue. All of these turned out to be exactly what I was shooting for so if you come across a second hand light fixture with great bones to be afraid to grab it and let your imagination go wild….or simply….go brown!