Those Canadian Bloggers

The finalists in each category for the Made in Blog (MiB)  Best Canadian Blog awards  as determined by reader voting have been announced.  

This is the first year I participated in the  awards process ( Home Design category).   Thanks to everyone who voted  for this blog because you helped Designing Home make it to the top ten.  A panel of judges will now decide the winners in each category.  Stay tuned for that big announcement. 

One of the advantages of my participation was an introduction to other Canadian blogs that I didn't know. Perhaps there's a blog or two in the list that you might like  to check out or follow.   Click  here see the  top ten  list for home design.

 You might also like to check in on  A Pop of Pretty, another St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador  blog that's also in the top ten for home design.

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Kerri  of A Pop of Pretty is currently participating in a Canadian Blogger Christmas Home Tour.  There are loads of close up photos of all her decorating efforts for this year's French Inspired Christmas Theme.  As she says in her blog description she loves all things pretty and there's no doubt that comes through in her space.

 If you'd like to see what other Canadian home owners are doing to get their homes ready for the festive season you can begin with Kerri and then link up to other open houses in blogland right across the country.  The link list is at the bottom of her post. 

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As I followed the links myself,  I found another local blog Adventures of the Uncommon Common Law  from St. John's.  I thoroughly enjoyed  seeing Becki's take on a modern Scandinavian  inspired Christmas. And why wouldn't I?  Her space has lots of neutrals, textures, clean lines, and white- a graphic delight.

 After visiting the homes of all these young energetic bloggers here's me- the grandmother blogger-   ill prepared right now for the festive season.

 I have no home tour to offer, but  I will have a Christmas post or two when I get the hang of my fancy new camera.   My decorating efforts,  as you may know from past posts at Christmas, are  a bit understated and usually consist of recycling and rearranging what I currently have.  I've begun to pull things out, and I'm happy to report my husband made me a lovely trough box (from recycled wood, yet to be painted) for an arrangement.

 I'm feeling nostalgic this year and thought my granddaughters would enjoy seeing my collection of wooden Santas I've painted over the years. Until more exciting things happen here,  I'll leave you to enjoy the links above. Have fun.

Am I the only one who needs to get moving on Christmas?

Choosing a drapery colour

Ah, the dreaded question.  What colour draperies should I have?

Part of being a decorator is making informed decisions about design.  Keeping current with trends  through reading and viewing is a must, but trend knowledge is not enough.  You have to understand what affect your choices will have on a space.

I posted this picture on Designing Home Facebook Page as an example of a style board I create for clients.  I am not one for vivid colour, but I didn't have to live with the colour, a young lady who loves rich colours did.   Should I have argued with her and said you shouldn't have bright draperies. NO!  I have to balance my client's likes with the principles and elements of design.

Vibrant  draperies 

Let's look at what this colour choice  did for this room.

 You can't ignore this window treatment, it's not only the vibrant colour, it's the placement and amount of it. That means a lot of colour jumping forward in the space. The draperies also serve to  frame the artwork and the sofa. The more muted sofa is anchored and held captive, and you need an equally vibrant art work to compete with the windows. When you look at this space blue is primary and everything else is secondary.

The overall effect is focused and the room appears smaller than it actually is.  That's a great tip if you have a large space that you want to appear smaller/cosier.  Go for darker/brighter  window treatments that draw the eye.

 I see this as a lively, energetic scheme that is equally matched to a sparkling, vivacious young lady.


On to number two example....

I removed the vibrant draperies and choose something more in line with my personal taste.  I like my spaces to be expansive, and tone -on tone- window treatments  (keeping the colour of the drapes and the walls very similar) is  one way to achieve that look/feel especially in a smaller space.  

Now the sofa and artwork stand out as they didn't before.  Your eye connects the light colour in the chairs with the draperies and you visually wander the space. 

On to example number three....  

Same window treatments, but I'm tweeking a few other things. Without the blue pillows on the chairs,  and the blue vase on the table, the space is even even more opened up.  The overall effect is fresh and inviting,  reminiscent of a summer garden - always a look I gravitate to.  The wooden tables help that feel too. 

So there is no right answer to the question "What colour draperies  should I have?"  It all depends on how you want your room to look/feel. 

If you wan to find out more about current trends in window treatments check out this post and several others in my side bar. 

What's your preference when buying  window treatments ?  Are you a neutral or a colour lover?

A Thanksgiving table setting

Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite times of the year! It might have something to do with the fact that my sister visits from Florida this time every year but thats not all! I love having a large group of us gathered around the table for a meal. I want my girls to grow up with tradition and know the importance of being thankful for this blessed life we have been given. Not just at the holidays but all year long. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to revaluate what is truly important.

This year we are hosting one of our largest feasts yet! 

I couldn't be more excited!! And if you know me at all...you will know that I believe 

 every special occasion needs a beautiful table setting!

I've been loving all these gold dipped white feathers on Pinterest for awhile now and I knew I wanted to incorporate them in to the setting.

 I also knew I wanted to use gold or copper flatware but of course its a little pricey! Why does everything I love cost so much!! Ugh! 

Even at $20 a setting for the Target Threshold setting, which I love, it would be a pretty penny when I needed 12 settings! Aack!

I may have to start buying a few sets a week because I do love them!

What to do? I guess I could spray paint some?!

Well, I have been thinking about doing this little project for awhile and I guess there is no better time then now....right?!?!

So off the the craft store for supplies...

I recruited the girls for some help and we tackled the feather project first.

Then I headed to my local thrift store and bought as many matching sets of flatware I could find

$6 later and this is my loot...

12 settings!

I also picked up some spray paint and sealer.

Now it was time to see what happens!

I taped them so just the handles would be sprayed...don't want my guests ingesting paint...that wouldn't make for a good holiday meal!!

First, I sprayed them with the paint front and back, letting them dry in between. Then I sealed them the same way. I did this over the course of a few days so that they had plenty of dry time. 

The end result! I love how it all turned out and I am super excited to show you the entire room all finished and ready for Thanksgiving! 

If you follow me on Instagram you have seen a little of what has been happening around here!

Hope you all are enjoying the holiday season as much as I have been!

See you soon!

At Home: Get merry and bright!

 Rituals are an important part of our lives, even if they can be boring at times.  My official marker for winter is an appointment to get the tires changed on our car.  It's happened. Winter is officially here, even if we only had a dusting of snow followed by torrential rain.

 Each year as I  approach the end of November, Christmas creeps into my thoughts.

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 While I love to look at all the seasonal additions other people make to their homes, and I marvel at the time and creativity it takes to decorate, I keep things as simple as possible.  I'm a vicarious decorator,  enthralled by others' efforts and the numerous possibilities without the physical work and outlay of cash.

 Here's a good example.

Every time I visit my daughter's house I am greeted by her inviting red door (now there are boxwoods in the planters) ...

and covered porch large enough to have two tables, a bench (made by her dad) and a chair.  

This space is calling out for Christmas decorations now that the cushions are stored for the winter. 

Don't get me wrong, my daughter  doesn't need my help to decorate, and she's very independent.  For the last several years she's had some great looks for her front door, but this is the first Christmas for the bench on the porch. 

 2013 Wreath made from  her garden shrubs 

2012 Sparkle and glam wreath 

2012 Glowing snowballs and white sparkle twigs

  What I liked about the feather wreath and snowball planter was its longevity into the winter months.  If you are putting effort into a project, you should aim to get the most from it. 

This is a "what if" post... what if I had that porch.  If my daughter is reading this now, she's rolling her eyes. I'm always on about something, and in the end she'll do her own thing as daughters usually do.

Let's start with the boxwood planters on either side of the door.

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I have the cedar and my daughter has lots of silver balls.  Anchoring things because of the high winds is always a challenge.  I use tree ornaments and stick a wooden skewer  through the top and down into the soil.

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Then there's  twigs and berries to add height and colour.  This is a great solution when planters bank a door because the added height and colour would be at eye level. 

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Following the dictate that simple is best, here's an idea to build on. This is an easy look to achieve and it invites modifications.  Not sure where you would ever find  gigantic pinecones in our neck of the woods, but you could certainly carry off the rest of it and make some bright additions.

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How about a plaid blanket or plaid pillows for a nice splash of pattern and colour?  A definite considering plaid is very in this year (so I've been told).  I'm thinking about the  red plaid scarf my daughter just purchased.   It  could be folded around a summer pillow and pinned.  A piece of fabric would achieve the same look.   Presto!  Job complete - one plaid pillow.

Here's a simple idea along those lines I just whipped up.  I know how much my daughter  loves happy little signs!  Not!  

or.....

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 you could make burlap cushion covers with stencilled polka dots (a great kid friendly project)....

or

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 you could use a  plain red blanket and blend it with  the summer white/black cushions for a very graphic look

... and 

Just a few simple changes to pillows 

and add bright arrangements for the table.... 

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Then there's always lanterns and greenery for the tables.   Get the spay paint out if you already have black lanterns.

Lit twig balls are always a big hit, and they could be added to any container depending on the size.  You can also spray paint twig balls and just go with colour and no lights. 

Why not take an idea from my sister Vera's  red bird themed Christmas pot from last year?  It continued to look good for months after Christmas. 

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Love the idea of skates in a swag for the front door.  This would be super easy with a red door and lot of accessible greenery on one's  property.   And I just found my daughter's  little white (now yellowish) skates in the storage room clean out!  Ideas! Ideas!

Or just give in and put a  plain old wreath on the bench. How simple is that?

No pressure!

What are you doing with your entry for Christmas?

Why you should photograph your home

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I bet you have stacks of photos in albums or boxes  (if you are of a certain generation) or stored on external hard drives, on online sites like Flickr or in the cloud.  When you sort through all of them you may be surprised how few of them actually reference  the physical attributes of your home through the years.    I went looking for photos to do an entirely different post,  and ended up writing this one instead because I didn't find what I was looking for.

Whenever I see panelling I am instantly brought back to my teenage years.  I don't need a photo of my siblings at that time.  That one decorating trend conjures up all sorts of memories, and is as powerful to me as a photo of my family.

Add orange and avocado chintz fabric on a sofa and the memories are complete.  That's the power of our physical environment, the power of place.   And who can forget avocado green and harvest gold if you lived in the 60s and 70s? It was the backdrop for my post secondary education, my first job, and my marriage.

Later it was  the red shag carpet and flocked wallpaper in our  first house.  I know I'm dating myself terribly just to make a point.  NO, I didn't choose it, I inherited it and removed it eventually.  That was a difficult room to sleep in for someone who needs a calm environment.   I certainly didn't like the space, but I remember it for a totally different reason; it was the room I brought my first child home to.  A good thing she was a great sleeper with that wild wallpaper. 

 For my daughter this colour scheme will be her instant playback of her teenage years.   I hate to admit it, but we had lovely peach walls in our living room and cream, blue and peach wallpaper  in our dining room - with borders!  I had the perfect flow going from  light peach  to navy blue wallpaper and European cabinets in our kitchen.

 I'm sorry now I didn't put more effort into charting my "built environment"- colour choices, furniture, artifacts, and art work.   I actually had to go searching for images online to illustrate this post.

If I had more of my own interior shots,  I would lay them all out in a timeline and test my theory of embedded memories.

Is it just me or do you think your home is as important in your memories as the events that happened there?

Snoozing People Pillowcase in the Shop!

The Two Little Bugs  shop is open for business! 

(for a little while anyway)

Just a few weeks ago I made this appliquéd pillowcase for Emma's bedroom and I've had special requests for them ever since!

So I thought it would be fun to bring back Two Little Bugs Clothing Co. for a short time and offer these pillowcases in my shop!

 Little Snoozing Fella

Little Snoozing Lady

They will be available from now until Christmas!!

Check out my Instagram for a chance to win one of your choice!!

www.twolittlebugs.bigcartel.com

Our Grey Walls

Hello!

This is just a short little post for everyone of you that has asked me to share the color of grey paint on my walls. 

We have two colors on the walls in our house and they are white and grey and that's it!

Again, too much color and I get anxious!

The funny thing is that this color was a mistake. I'm the obnoxious lady that asks the poor people at Home Depot to re-tint the paint in the mis-tint area and this is how it came out! 

So today I'm sharing the formula with you! I hope you love it on your walls as much as we have on ours!

 

Accessorizing: Learning from a pro - Vicente Wolf

Part 4 of 4 Accessorizing your home

I am intrigued by the designs of Vicente Wolf.   I've studied them as I study compositions by famous artists  in an effort to dissect  the lines of design, and the thought processes he engages in as he creates beautiful spaces.  In my opinion a good  design never looks too put together, too matched, but has  an effortless, collected feel. His always do.

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Pale backdrops  and a mix of antiques and cultural artifacts are his trademarks, but there is so much more to his designs.  When you observe his work closely you find that there are design features he is drawn to that get repeated in variations in different spaces.  While each space is unique, you can see similarities in  his choice and arrangement of objects.

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His background in photography obviously informs  his interior design aesthetic or maybe it's the other way around.  When I look at any space he has created, I see so many compositions within compositions, layers that cause you to look throughout his spaces.  I am  also sure they are photographed  to make you do just that.


The artist in me is attracted to how he organizes random objects into vignettes (object compositions).  So after much viewing, thought, and reading, here's what I've learned from this brilliant, self-taught, New York designer.

Repeat  still life elements

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Wolf  often uses a painting to inform a vignette created near it.  Elements are repeated from the artwork as in the tree and scrubby plants  in the tray.The three candles mimic the strong vertical in the left of the painting and there's really three table tops- one in the art, the table itself, and the tray on the table.

Layer furniture

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Not only is layering furniture a way to deal with limited space and provide versatility to meet various entertaining needs, it is also an effective strategy  to  provide visual interest and a focal point in an otherwise simple space. I like how the  large ottoman (often a signature piece for Wolf) is the only pattern in the room.  It is also a way to move  circular shapes around  an otherwise rectangular space.

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Another idea for layering a table and an ottoman. Circular motifs play in this space too.  Have you noticed the use of higher tables? 

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Circular motifs and layering under a bedside table.  The textural and geometric  elements of  pieced or woven wooden elements are also prominent as you can see below. 

Use texture and geometry in wood

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Sometimes these effects are used over mirror to create intricacy and depth. 

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Suspend mirrors/art  in space

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 Frame  compositions in compositions 

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This vignette illustrates  how to organize objects and frame them with what lies behind.  In this case the fireplace frames the vignette in front of it.  I also love how the mirror acts as an additional backdrop element in this vignette.

I'll finish with an important observation.  While I have highlighted some of the common themes I see in Wolf's designs I do not feel that his spaces are all the same.  He obviously feels it's important to work with clients to create personal spaces for them.  When you look at the slideshows on his website this is very apparent.  As he notes in Lifting the Curtain on Design (one of my favourite design books of all time)  page 128, " I know how to paddle a canoe.  But I approach each river in a different way"



If you're intrigued check out this interview done by Canadian House and Home.

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And here's a great read  if you like the glimpse I've given you of this designer's work.  

Floating shelves, mixed chair styles,  limited patterns, repeating shapes and so much more not covered here.  I am limiting myself severely on this topic because I would break my self imposed post length rule. 

Feel free to add your comments to keep the conversation going.