The New Bathroom!

Well, it's finally done; our brand new bathroom, revealed! Overall, I'm am extremely pleased with the result. The look embodies the sleek calm I was after. Nothing trendy or showy; just quality materials with a simple level of detail keeping the look classic & contemporary.
I am very proud of my husband and I as a team. I chose all the finishes and fixtures. He did all the labour except for the tiling.

Since this bathroom was created from scratch in a different location than the old bathroom everything needed to be done. Plumbing, electrical, walls and even a new ceiling were done by my husband with a little bit of assist at times from our 2 daughters, aged 22 & 25. They learned a lot in the process as well which was great!

My starting point was the Duravit sink/vanity and cabinet. Once I saw them in a photo on their website I knew that was the look I was after. I could have kept looking; after all, these had to come from Germany with a wait time of 2-3 months. Knowing however, that the options would be endless and I would become more confused the more I looked; I just went for my first choice.

From there I sourced floor tile and found the perfect porcelain that had the same warm grey tones in it. Done. I was quite sure the feature wall would be a mosaic tile and found the right watery colourway I was after. Done. To merge the floor and feature wall tile I went with a basic white subway tile; affordable and you can't go wrong with a classic was my rationale...

Chosen wall colour is the lovely 'Cloud White' from Benjamin Moore. It creates a nice subtle depth and warm contrast to the stark white in the subway tiles and fixtures.

The print on the wall by the door is by the fabulous Toronto shop, Field Guided. It has the airy, non-distinct quality I was after. It creates a subtle focal point for the eye to rest on. There are a few details yet to come. I've sourced a fabulous Braun wall clock in white & grey that I want to hang over the door. As well, some more new towels and bath products to adorn the space and create a luxurious feel will be added. We gradually will have to 'believe' this new space... funny but the other night went my husband got up to use the bathroom he went down the hall to the old one! (it will be dis-mantled in the near future and be merged with a back bedroom to create one big office for me). Stay tuned!

Eclectisaurus- Toronto Store Watch

This is a post on my favorite vintage furnishings shop in Toronto: Eclectisaurus.
The owner, Leslie, has an amazing eye and doesn't compromise. If she doesn't personally like and believe in a piece it will not end up on her shelves.

She acquires her stock from varied sources and as she becomes more and more known in the design community some excellent pieces are brought directly to her. She is passionate about her work and the never ending quest for finding the best of the best for her shop.

In the bleak grey light of winter, walking into this vintage store is positively uplifting; color, texture, shape and form, whimsy and elegance are all on show as your eyes rest on one lovely vignette after another.

She is a master of display and of course has great material to work with. This space is not static; you can go in on a weekly basis and always have something new to behold. Her prices being exceedingly fair, stock moves quickly.

If you live in, or are visiting Toronto be sure to check out this very special Cabbagetown Shop...

Bathroom Renovation Post #1

This photo signals the start of our upstairs bathroom renovation. Things reached a tipping point for me a few months ago. Lifting floor tiles, damaged surface on the porcelain sink and gross lighting that doesn't help looking in the mirror as we age finally got me to this point.

We moved into this house 26 (!) years ago. We raised 2 daughters who now are launched and living in their own apartments. During all those years we did small upgrades on our home every few years; adding crown molding, new hardwood floors, finishing the basement, new carpeting + paint a couple of times...

All through the years however, we never tackled The Bathroom. We moved into this century old house in the 80's- not a great decade for interior design, looking back on it. The main upstairs bathroom was never well done to begin with; cheapish materials and a bad layout too. (the tub goes along the length of the narrow space instead of across the width).

We have decided to 'go for it' in the fact that we are actually moving the LOCATION of the bathroom as well. By eliminating an unnecessary portion of hallway where the old bathroom was, this space can be opened up into a huge studio/office space for me. (yay). The new bathroom, which will be the same size as the old one, will be carved out of the middle bedroom- leaving enough space for a small office for my husband and for resale purposes, enough space for a nursery or guest bedroom for future homeowners.

Contemporary; clean + modern is the mandate for this new bathroom. Duravit fixtures are perfection in their simplicity. White, warm gray and watery aqua is the colour palette.

I will post updates as it all progresses including some before pictures which I can't bear to reveal just yet! Stay tuned...

House Proud 2011

A little indulgence on my part today...

Nothing radical had been done to our house in 2010 but little changes; re-arranging some furniture, de-cluttering and adding in some new, fresh pieces has been good for this old house.

A few notables: a striped wool blanket on the back of the couch from Mjolk, gorgeous large Atterby, Sweden lamp in corner, (found at a thrift store), small crochet pillow on couch from Emma Lamb, 2 vintage cat prints from Eclectisaurus, Art Deco wall shelf from Eclectic Pelican and last but not least, our ever faithful cat, Rupert!

My New (Old) Studio

It all started with my amazing find of this vintage Steelcase Desk. Found at the
Salvation Army Thrift
for the glorious price of $19.99.

A week of de-cluttering later, here is my new and improved studio!
(yes, these ARE the after shots... you should have seen it before)...

I have 3 zones; my computer/desk set up,
my 'sewing central' by the window, and,
in between my paper zone where I can create cards or any other
graphic design type project.

my style is lots of color tempered by natural wood finishes
and grounded by the block of black & chrome
via the desk. it's happy, creative space that doesn't take itself
too seriously!

Gorgeous Cushions

I have cushion envy. Big time. These are my friend's Clare's cushions. I helped her re-vamp this little sofa about a year ago. It came from her Mom's estate all the way from Great Britain after she passed away. It held great sentimental value for Clare. This sofa was also built like a tank; in a good way! The fabric, however was a dull, tan color that had long since seen better days.

I had an upholstery expert I know from the film biz re-do the piece in this great brushed steely blue velvet. As per Clare's wishes it was all filled with down feathers. In her memory when she sat on this couch you sank into it, were enveloped by it and this aspect had to remain through the cosmetic makeover...

Back to the cushions... Clare knows a good thing. I had lusted after these whenever I browsed through Constantine, an exquisite home decor shop on Yonge St. in Toronto. Every item in this shop is hand picked with an eye for the best. The best does not come cheap let's say.

One day I went to visit Clare and I was stunned to see 5 of these silk velvet works of art cushions in her living room. She had been working out at a gym across the street and spied them in the window. The rest is history...

The colors of this collection are out of this world. I doubt my picture does them much justice here but you can get an idea. Luminous and sensual these down filled squares of delight are a feast for the eyes and skin. They shimmer as the light through the front window filters into the room.

They do her Mom's sofa proud.

Happy Mother's Day to all!

Inspiring Spaces

These stunning locations are for rent for photo shoots and filming in the U.K. They are all from a great website that you can check out here: thebeachstudios.

I love peeking into these amazing spaces for inspiration. They are all a bit larger than life but get me thinking outside the box...

I love LOVE the idea of stacking books into a non-functioning fireplace. What a great use of space that I never would have thought of...

I hope you enjoy browsing this site as much as I do!