decor happy

Organizing Ideas for a Child's Room

2012-01-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

My latest idea book for Houzz is live. You can read it by clicking on the link on the sidebar or here: http://www.houzz.com/photos/419824/Child-s-bookcase-modern-kids-torontoHave a magical week!(I'll explain my strange blogging soon!)

Blogger’s Share Their Best Organizing Tip(s) – Part VI

2012-01-26T01:48:00.001-05:00

Happy Thursday! Welcome to the final instalment of January’s Getting Organized series. Thanks to all the wonderful bloggers who gave us a peek into their their homes, closets and bathrooms. Today, my two guest bloggers are talking about organizing in a toddler’s room and a basement.

1) Courtney from A Thoughtful Place:

Hi there. I am so excited to be sharing one of my favourite spaces with you today, our son's closet. I think I am most proud of this space because we really took the time to plan it out and make sure it would work well. When we changed his room from a nursery to a big boy room, I noticed that he really didn't have any hanging clothes {not many at least!}. So we moved everything to his dresser and took the doors off the closet.

That actually worked well too, because as the over protective mommy, I was always worried he would slam his fingers in those large, heavy doors.

So now the space is for his books and toys. The shelf above hosts some bankers boxes that I can store random things in. There will still be room for me to install a rod between the bookshelves and the wall when the time comes. The two bookshelves were mine when I was a child. It's fun to see them used again. I also like that the wooden toys made by hand by our dear Great Grandfather now have a handsome place to rest. What also makes this space work is that there are plenty of bins and buckets for all of his toys. As long as they make it into one of those when it's time to clean up, I am one happy mama! Thanks so much for letting me share one of our favourite organizational projects.

2) Cecilia from Everything in 3’s:

When we renovated our basement a couple of years ago, we created a hallway of lockers for storage. Our initial thought was to assign one locker per child. As it turns out, we decided to use each locker to store our seasonal gear and sporting equipment.

When you open each locker, we divided the space into thirds. We designed a shelf above and below the main space and installed double hooks.

From left to right:

One locker houses our kids' gear. Things such as helmets, lacrosse sticks, sports pads, ice skates and roller skates all have their place. The other lockers are organized by seasonal activity. One locker stores tennis and golf equipment. Another is filled with Summer items -- life vests, boogie boards, cooler bags, waterproof totes and floatation rings. The fourth locker is filled with mostly my husband's random things -- a football, baseball gloves, his lacrosse sticks, coats and ski boots.

Because each locker is designated for an activity, it makes it easier to find things. Everything is in one place. If we had designated a locker per child or per person (i.e. one for our son, one for the girls to share, one for my husband and one for myself), then it would have been more difficult to pack up to go to an activity. Imagine rummaging through 4 different lockers to collect helmets, or 4 sets of ice skates? This system works really well for us because our kids are still young. Maybe once our kids are teenagers everything will change, but either way, the best thing is no matter how neat or messy the insides are, you can shut the doors and not see all the clutter!

Thanks so much Courtney and Cecilia! I love what you have done to keep organized. Please be sure to visit their blogs to see what they have both been up to!

I hope you enjoyed this series! I’ll see you back here soon!

Blogger’s Share Their Best Organizing Tip(s) – Part V

2012-01-24T01:00:00.001-05:00

Hello there! Welcome to Part V of my organizing series where I have asked some of my favourite blogger’s to share their best tip. Today we are talking about organization in the bathroom. I have to admit, this is my downfall – there are always at least 20 lotions, potions and makeup containers on the counter at any given time. And I know I drive my hubby crazy (although he never says anything because he’s just that kind of guy.) Maybe these tips today will get me all sorted out!

1) Nancy from Marcus Design:

I get so excited to organize in the New Year! Ok - first confession - I am still working on the organization of all my morning toiletries. I've purchased a python tray which should arrive in the mail any day, and I'll be placing it on my bathroom counter to keep everything I need right at hand. I'm going to use cups to hold various brushes and a bowl to hold bobbles and jewels. This way makeup brushes, perfumes, hair products, and my jewellery that I grab on a daily basis can be effortlessly organized together, laid out in front of me, and look pretty at the same time! Who knows, maybe being so organized will even shave off a couple of minutes from my morning routine!

Here are my inspiration images I'm working towards:

source

2) Staci from Inspired Life:

Hello Décor Happy readers, I’m thrilled to be here with you today {Thanks Vanessa}! I’m here to share my 3 tricks for keeping bathroom cupboards organized and looking great.

1. Use the height of the cupboard by inserting shelves, and door space by using hooks. By doing this you can end up with three times the amount of storage space, which is always a good thing.

2. Use baskets to group like items and hide the clutter. I personally hate opening a cupboard and seeing a sea of clutter, so using baskets keeps it pretty and organized looking.

3. Create labels for the baskets. Doing this will allow you to access what you’re looking for a lot faster, and if you make cute labels like I did, it adds a nice decorative element in an unexpected space.

And there you have it – Organizing bathroom cupboards can be as easy as 1-2-3! I hope you found this a little bit helpful. Thanks again to Vanessa for having me participate, it’s been fun!

Staci xo

3) Michael from Michael Penney Style:

If you're faced with an old bathroom lacking in storage, embrace the 'unfitted' look and add a quirky little cabinet like I did. My vintage pedestal sink didn't leave me with any under cabinet storage and I still needed somewhere to stash all of the toiletries. Sara and I found this little cabinet in an antique shop in Maine and loved the original green paint and it's history and patina. It holds so much and looks great too. Get even more practical storage on top by styling with a pretty woven tray and some glass canisters. A loosey-goosey art arrangement of mix 'n match frames continues the unfitted casual style.

Photo credit: Donna Griffith, originally in House & Home Magazine.

4) Speaking of bathroom storage, I spotted this on Pinterest the other day. Just had to include it here as it’s so pretty.

Thanks to all the fab bloggers participating today and sharing their bathroom organizing secrets with us!
Have a magical week everyone! See you back here Thursday with the final part of the organizing posts. Hope you have been enjoying them! You can catch up on reading them here.

Blogger’s Share Their Best Organizing Tip(s) – Part IV

2012-01-19T10:31:00.001-05:00

Today, I’m happy to welcome three stylish bloggers who are sharing their closet organization tips. Find out how to outfit an empty closet, organize shoes and what makes the perfect hanger (plus more!)

1) Vitania from Verdigris Vie:

Hello Décor Happy friends, it’s Vitania here from Verdigris Vie. Happy New Year, are you off to a great start? I was thrilled when Vanessa asked me to participate in this organizational post because I knew it would push me to tackle my upper hall closet!

A few years ago, we moved our laundry machines to the basement and we were left with a huge closet on the upper level. I wanted to make sure I had a place for everything without spending too much. A little research and I knew I could pull together exactly what we needed. I headed over to Ikea and measured up the PAX wardrobe system, and then waited for their annual sale. Four hundred dollars later I came home with this beauty. It took a little time to shimmy in, but it fit better than I expected. There are a few inches off on one side which is perfect for sliding the ironing board and extra baby gate into. Coats, shoes, purses extra linens, and more are neatly tucked away. This month I might do the same with our entry closet!

It took 40 minutes for me to tidy up today. Not included in these photos but making their way back into the closet are a scrabble game, a box of tea light candles, a pink piñata (don’t ask) and my husband’s yellow rain slicker. Some things just take away from a pretty picture.

So there you have it, an easy solution to optimizing the space in your closet!

Thanks Vanessa! xo, Vie

2) Christine from The Glam Blog:

Thanks so much for having me on your blog today to talk about organization in your closet. Besides diamonds, SHOES are definitely a girl's best friend and therefore, you must show your shoes some respect! Beautiful shoes should never be left in the shoe box....they should be out on display in all their glory!!

If you are looking to better organize your shoes in 2012, than a shelf is a MUST. You can get this via a fully built in closet organizer or a couple of shelves from any big box store!

When I was planning my built-in I specifically asked for shelves to display my shoes in my walk-in closet. And this is how I display my “BFFs.”

There are many ways to organize your shoes once they are displayed on a shelf:

· By colour

· By season

· By function

· By heel height

Mine is almost a combination of all the points above. The shoes I wear the most are at eye level and the ones I wear the least are at the bottom. You’ll notice that all the flats are at the bottom since you will rarely ever see me wearing flat shoes!

I also like to showcase each pair with one shoe facing forward and the other facing backward so I can see the front and back of each shoe. Some shoes have such magnificent heels while others have cute bows or gorgeous details on the front, so why ignore either end.....and it definitely helps to see both sides when choosing a shoe to wear!

Well, I hope you enjoyed your peek into my shoe closet and that I have inspired you to showcase your shoes on shelves also! Happy Organizing!!

Glamorously yours,

Christine xoxo

3) Amy from Eyeseepretty:

Thanks Vanessa, for having me on your lovely blog! I’m thrilled to be taking part in your fabulous organizing series.

When it comes to organizing, I am a typical Virgo in that I like everything in its place (well most of the time). It makes me particularly happy to get ready in a well organized closet. It’s like shopping in a chic, exclusive boutique but without the credit card bills!

One of the things that I love about my closet is the hangers. Not just any hangers though...these velvet hangers not only take up a third of the space of a normal hanger, but the velvet keeps things from sliding off onto the floor. I purchased mine at Home Outfitters but I’ve also seen them at other retailers like Bed, Bath and Beyond and HomeSense. Trust me, these are life changing.

Storage can not only be functional but pretty as well. These great divided organizers are great to hold jewelry and scarves but I like to use mine for belts. Plus the geometric pattern looks great out on display.

I find that having pretty things about inspires me to be more creative in how I decorate and how I dress. It’s hard to throw on a pair of schleppy yoga pants when you have a leopard coat and a vintage Dior bag staring at you.

I looooove jewelry. I find that if it’s out, then I tend to wear it more often. Vintage pink ashtrays make great holders for rings and bangles. I also love how the bookends keep my clutches under control.

While this is a tiny space it makes me happy to start my morning here. Add a cup of coffee and I can’t help but have a great day.

~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks oh-so-stylish ladies for opening up your closets for us to have a peek! I think I need to go shopping for shoes, jewelry and a fancy hat now! Not to mention, start tackling some of my own closets using these great tips.

The January organizing series will conclude next week. You can read earlier posts here. In the meantime, I’ll be back with some inspiration which you won’t want to miss!

Blogger’s Share Their Best Organizing Tip(s) – Part III

2012-01-17T10:20:00.001-05:00

Hello there! Welcome to Part III of my January organizing guest posts. Are you busy getting organized for the year ahead? I know I have been.

I should revise the heading to “A Blogger Shares…” as today, Tim is sharing how he keeps organized in his Toronto condo. He sent me quite a few photos which were all worthy of showing – so he is posting solo today!

Good morning everyone! I was greatly honoured when Vanessa invited me to guest post at Decor Happy today to share organization tricks and storage solutions. Want clutter free living in a bedroom without a closet in a 750 square feet condo? No problem: as long as you build in a massive amount of smart storage! In my case, I evaluated various options and decided the only way to incorporate storage without having a huge piece of furniture in my bedroom was to build in storage along the headboard wall!

I had also selected this beautiful dresser from Style Garage. It adds an industrial flair to the space and a crazy amount of storage for clothes (and fabrics in my case).

I incorporated both open and closed storage in my design to allow for display and maximum storage. A custom built-in solution similar to this could be rather expensive. To save costs, I went with ready-made pieces from IKEA (PAX system and kitchen cabinets) and had them sprayed in soft grey to unify the look. I then customized the walnut pieces to complement the headboard, the IKEA pieces, and most importantly, serve as bedside tables with drawers!

I love the design of the PAX system. All of its components are tailored to make storage solutions and organization a walk in the park! Check out this ingenious censored lighting IKEA launched in 2011.

Here are a couple of close-ups of the custom floating bedside tables with storage. Another stylish box in charcoal grey for a sense of refined living and again, more storage!

Of course a serial decorator like myself needs an insane amount of storage for accessories. What you see here is just the tip of the iceberg! This is how IKEA kitchen cabinetry keeps me organized.

A striped fabric bin with a nautical twist offers a stylish organization solution for magazines.

One last attempt to maximize storage, I selected the MANDAL platform bed with 4 large drawers from IKEA. This is where I store my linen, bedding, blankets and off season clothing.

As most condo dwellers will agree, there just isn't enough room for storage to keep our "stuff" organized! The generic builder's closet usually comes with one shelf and a rod. Certainly not the most efficient use of space or an easy way to organize clothes, shoes and “stuff.”

I'm lucky enough to have inherited a double closet right off the foyer, and now let me show you how I turned it from builder's basic to closet organization at its best!

Opting for elegance and sophistication, I installed a pair of frosted glass panelled doors instead of the standard bi-fold doors. Inside this closet is a combination of the PAX system and a simple DIY shoe rack made with plywood, which was then stained in dark walnut to match the PAX component.

I also have one more closet down the hallway. To turn the bi-fold door from drab to fab, I added thin wood trim to create the panel effect.

This closet was actually tricky to tackle. With the small opening in the middle and rather deep and wide on either side, it was difficult to install a stylish built-in solution. To solve this storage dilemma, I turned two PAX systems sideways and pushed them all the way in at either end of the closet. What I have accomplished in effect is a walk-in closet where I have two tall towers with storage at my disposal!

I use one side for extra jackets and the other side for all my craft supplies. There is even room for my ironing board!

I hope you enjoyed these economical and highly effective storage and organization solutions. I would love to see you using a couple of these ideas in your own home!

Thank you so much Tim! This post was filled with beautiful storage solutions so had to share all of it. I love what you have done with your condo – smart, stylish and budget friendly! Lots of inspiration for anyone living in a small space or challenged with small closets.

(Note: Ikea’s Bedroom event is on until Feb 5th. Receive 15% back in Ikea gift cards when purchasing a Pax wardrobe. So you too, can have stylish storage like Tim!)

Come back on Thursday when I will have some more closet solutions for you via three lovely bloggers!

Blogger's Share Their Best Organizing Tip(s) - Part II

2012-01-13T14:32:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday everyone! I have a few more organizing ideas for you today courtesy of some fab blogger/designer peeps. They are sharing some ideas on how to organize a home office and how to create the look of built-ins without the price.

1) Jen from Rambling Renovators:

Thanks for having me over Vanessa to share my organizing tips! When it comes to organizing solutions, I like to keep things easy and fast. I find it's easier to keep organized when you have (a) a home for everything, and (b) keep like with like. Here's how I've organized things in my home office:

Magazines are stored by season in magazine holders...

Stationery items are kept together, making it easy to send a quick Thank You note or find a postage stamp...

Fabric goes into metal bins where I can see and access it easily...

Paint chips have their own spot too....

As do all our tech gear - cameras, battery chargers, video cameras, cords. These are kept in a high cabinet, far away from my curious 2-year-old's fingers!

With designated homes for all our stuff, it makes it easier to find things and put them away.

2) Sarah from Sarah Berry Design (London, UK):

I have a giant wall year planner which I use to plot everything. Right now it looks pretty empty as I've only just started to fill out all the yearly events such as birthdays, trade fairs and holidays etc. It's a fabulous work tool as it allows me to see at a glance the forthcoming weeks months and year all in one place, so I can easily block out project time, as well as balance work better by being able to see what I will be working on and when and so can better plan my time. I also add client appointments so I can monitor how much time is allocated and colour code everything, using stickers, post its, labels and highlighter pen as well as the wonderful washi tape for marking out events.

I have the wall planner on my large Homasote board which I covered in neutral linen and which stands on the floor by the door of my office, it's about 5'7" high so I can fit a lot on to it. I use this to prep for moodboards and try samples out together, it's a great way of keeping all my inspiration and project material together and organised, and such a flexible tool.

3) Sharalee from Escapade:

When Vanessa first approached me about contributing to this series, I had a momentary flash of fear - I glanced around my office space, surveying the chaos and realized that my current 'system' could only be called organized by the same theory that recognizes randomness as a pattern in mathematics. There is a place for everything - and everything soon-to-be in place... at some point, hopefully soon... I have to admit the busyness of the holiday season has left me in a bit of disarray. With a chocker-block full schedule and very few spare minutes, my home office has been left bursting with bits of beautiful inspirations and good intentions. Enter my new organizational best friend - Evernote. A must have for all of you busy bloggers, mums, designers and style savvy women out there who do it all. It's perfect for people like me who far too often think in pictures and have a dozen projects on the go at any given moment. You can use this handy app to create reminders and to-do lists, store photos, create folders for different categories and create moodboards. What's better, it seamlessly syncs your phone and laptop so your inspiration is available wherever you are. Suddenly my desk full of tear sheets and computer screen filled with images have become clear, calm and under control. I couldn't be more delighted.

4) Michael from Michael Penney Style:

Love the look of built-ins but can't stand the price? Do what I did in my old apartment and use three ordinary Billy Bookcases from Ikea side by side. Then head to Home Depot for some MDF, pre-primed flat stock which you have cut to size at the store. Just get two horizontal pieces to tie the three bookcases together and four vertical pieces to trim out the edges of the book cases and cover your seams where two butt together. Simply predrill tiny holes and use small finishing nails to attach the MDF to the bookcases and hold everything together. Then counter sink and fill holes with putty. After sanding, I used Benjamin Moore's Cloud White (CC 40) paint in a semigloss finish to paint out the MDF. And there you have it - DIY and super affordable built ins!

Thank you all for participating - what wonderful ideas! I may just borrow a few. I will post Part III next Tuesday. Stay tuned for some small space storage solutions and some closet makeovers!

Have a happy weekend!

Blogger's Share Their Best Organizing Tip - Part I

2012-01-10T08:51:00.001-05:00

Hello again! Thanks for all your lovely comments on my last post! It means the world to me!

Today I’m happy to kick off my Organization guest post series called “A place for everything…” which has been my mantra as of late (e.g. see my last post.)

Today’s tips are all about organizing jewelry. I left it up to each blogger to decide what they wanted to write about and four (so far) came back with jewelry - great minds think alike! You will love what these talented ladies and gent have to share!

1) Barbara from hodge:podge:

Vanessa, I am flattered to be asked to share an organizational tip with your readers! Living with 5 people in one house can be an organizational challenge. I am always looking for ways to improve how things are organized. Thinking outside the box can really help with organization, I don't always want to put things away out of view but somehow incorporate our "stuff " into the design scheme and bring in the pretty. I have a beautiful cake stand I won a year ago, not wanting to hide it away in some dark cupboard, but didn't want it collecting dust on a bookcase, I decided to use it in my bedroom as a jewelry stand for my costume jewelry! When I need it for a party, I simply slide off the collection on top, give it a wipe and it serves another purpose. Then when I am done with it, back to the bedroom it goes.

I love displaying jewelry and another great way to store beautiful trinkets is to store them in pretty bowls. I found this pretty silver bowl at the thrift shop and gave it to my daughter to store some of her trinkets. Not only does it serve a purpose to corral her stuff, it adds a bit of pretty to her side table! Don't always think things need to be put away, display your collections and incorporate them into your decor. Not only is it organized in one spot, but pretty as well!

2) Jane from Modern Jane:

I don't profess to be a great organizer but here is one thing that works for me. I use one drawer in my dresser to store my earrings and bracelets. I use two crystal trays and a set of four crystal coasters. It keeps things organized but I also love the pretty sparkle of the glass against the shiny pieces! Less pretty, yet functional, is a plastic ice cube tray for small stud earrings and rings!

3) Michael Penney from Michael Penney Style:

DIY Jewelry Organizer:

My wife Sara is forever picking new and vintage jewelry here and there and it's so easy for it to become one big jumble. To make it easy to see what she has, I came up with this DIY jewelry organizer. I started with an ornate picture frame from Value Village which I painted flat white. The bad 70's painting inside (painted on a thing board) was popped out and covered with some left over linen fabric. I used grosgrain ribbon and a glue gun to add a little border too. Then I used regular tea cup hooks (meant for your kitchen cupboards) in a grid, screwing them right into the old painting board. I was careful to leave enough space for most of her necklaces to hang without getting tangled. It helps keep her organized and looks pretty too!

Photo credit: Angus Fergusson, originally in House & Home Magazine.

4) Sundeep from Designwali:

Hello Decor Happy Readers,

When it comes to organizing I have always dreamed of being one of those super organizers with label maker in hand...alas, doesn't happen for me in real life. I like things clean and for everything to more or less have a place (which for me can be as good as stashing stuff behind closed doors). For a long time my closet was a disaster zone and literally gave me big time anxiety (like the kind where 'I can't find anything' and 'I can't sleep' and 'I hate my whole wardrobe and somebody nominate me for What Not to Wear so I can get all new things' kind of anxiety). So I finally caved into my husband's suggestion to get a professional closet organizer put in (I was cheaping out for awhile and magically hoping my husband would DIY it) and man oh man, did it ever pay off. Now I have a gorgeous spot for my things and I love to organize my jewellery in my drawers, add hooks for my necklaces and use Japanese ceramics to hold all my bits and bobs. What have I learned from all of this? Closet organization makes you feel good and sparkly bauble organization is the key to a happy life (well, at least very very happy mornings).

Wasn't that fun to peek into these bloggers' homes? What creative and pretty ideas - not to mention their glam jewelry collection! Thank you so much for participating! Be sure to head over to each of their lovely blogs to check out what they have been up to!

Come back on Thursday for more organizing tips from some of your favourite bloggers!

My Best Girl’s Room Complete!

2012-01-09T14:10:00.001-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Mine just ended as my daughter is back at school today after two weeks off.

I have some photos of my daughter’s room to share with you. Here’s how it looked before and you can read a previous post here.

And here is the After:

I think you have seen everything before except the cute little ottoman/stool I had made from leftover headboard fabric. (Wish I had taken an extra minute to fold the duvet cover properly.)

You know how I love Tommy Smythe? Did you catch him suggesting the floral fabric above for the girl’s room in the latest season of Sarah’s House?

He said it would be a great jumping off point for a colour scheme with the pinks and greys. (Sarah thought it was a bit brown so they didn’t go with it.) I chose the fabric because I didn’t want a white or cream background as it would get/look dirty in no time. I also loved the pink, coral and red combo found in the fabric.

The chair was the rocking chair we had since our daughter was a baby.

It is Canadian made and comfortable so I had it reupholstered in a stripe Kravet fabric and changed the rocker to legs.

We have had the chair for 10 years and I’m sure it will last another 10!

The lamp used to look like this but I found a lovely pinky-red hand blocked print and Lia made a new shade and painted the base a cream colour.

You have seen the dresser before but I changed the knobs to a different one from Anthropologie. A painting by my daughter and a print from Cozamia look pretty over the dresser.

Besides the headboard, my favourite part of the room is the bookshelves from Ikea. Before, the floor would be covered in books, magazines and “stuff” and now everything has a place.

(Photos 2,5,8 and 9 by Leah Kirin)

This is what held up completing the room. I had been searching for one large wood bookcase to fill the wall to no avail. I ended up going back to my first choice (doesn’t this always happen?) which was the Liatorp as two of them together fit the wall perfectly. I love the beadboard detail and painted in this deep coral colour (pulled from the headboard fabric), I think it looks amazing.

I’ll do another post on the DIY linen bulletin board, the “art”. and the items on the shelves later. Just want to add though that the “donuts” are actually a tea towel by Avril Loreti that I framed.

What do you think?

If you need decorating help, please contact me at vanessa(at)vanessafrancis(dot)com.

Guest Post Series – Getting Organized!

2012-01-08T01:15:00.001-05:00

Remember this post last year? Well, I have rounded up a few bloggers again to share their best organizing tip(s). I don’t know about you but January for me always feels like a fresh, clean slate with possibilities. A chance to make some changes, get organized and make room for more important things to come!

via Martha

If you would like to participate and share a photo of an idea or an area in your home that you are proud of, please email me at decorhappy(at)gmail(dot)com. Even if you aren’t a blogger but a reader with great style, please contact me! Would love to see how you stay organized!

I’ll start the series on Tuesday and run it every Tuesday and Thursday in January. Stay tuned for lots of tips from your favourite bloggers!

(I’ll be back Monday with the ~~final~~ photos of my daughter’s room. Yay me!)

Living Room Art Wall (New Additions)

2012-01-06T01:41:00.001-05:00

I hope you aren’t too tired of seeing my art wall in my living room. (And I can’t promise you that this will be the last time since I will probably change the room this year – new coffee table/ottoman, new paint colour, maybe reupholster the sofa. Oh, the life of a decorator – always changing things up!)

But the main reason you may see this wall again is because the beauty of an art wall is you can add and subtract as you please. This is how it looked for most of last year.

And this is how it looks now:

Photograph by Leah Kirin

I mentioned my newly acquired Robin Pocisk painting here and I love it. Not hard to see that I love paintings with all shades of blue. (I also have posted a photo of the painting in the adjoining dining room – you guessed it, more blue! Can’t get enough!)

The yellow and blue floral original small painting was a thrifting find (upper right hand corner.) It is amazing what you can find for very little money – I am converted!

The beach scene above the middle blue painting was recently given to me by a very talented friend. (I took down the rudimentary nude sketch that I did in art school much to my daughter’s delight!)

The tree print is from marbler Robert Wu and was purchased at the One of a Kind Show. (The two non-green pillows were also OOAK purchases – from Fluf and Kailey Hawthorn.)

A few people have emailed asking how to do an art wall and although there are tutorials out there using kraft paper cut-outs etc. – I just eyeballed everything! I didn’t want it to look too perfect. In fact, it looks more perfect than I wanted. The only thing I did to start was to hang the large blue painting (by Matt LeBlanc) off center and build around it. So easy to do.

Make 2012 the year that you rid your home of blank walls and mass produced art. With Etsy, art gifted to you, thrift stores and your own photographs – you will be filling up your walls with art in no time. (Note: I have 12’ ceilings in this room – so you wouldn’t need as much art as I have here!)

Happy art hunting!

Instant Kitchen Update

2012-01-04T10:11:00.001-05:00

I can’t believe I lived with our standard builder faucet for six years. One of those “if it’s not broken, why fix it?” situations.

Well, even though the faucet could have lived another six years, I felt it was time to add some pretty to the kitchen by way of a new faucet. (Would love to change out the counter and backsplash but those items are a wee pricier!)

She is the Baliza from Brizo (Delta’s premium brand.) I had originally chosen the Venuto but soon realized that I wouldn’t be able to open my shutters because of the faucet’s high arc! Not being able to open the shutters and window wasn’t an option so I returned it and chose the Baliza.

Although not as statuesque, it still has a presence at almost 12” tall (just under the shutter!) It’s design is based on a nautical lighthouse and it comes in four finishes - I chose the chrome. I wanted a single handle pull-out spray (rather than a separate spray) and this one has two-buttons and four functions: stream, spray, volume control, and pause. (I didn’t even realize this until I was writing this post!) I did notice how smoothly the pull out moves though.

Baliza is the first pull-out or pull-down kitchen faucet to allow water volume to be controlled from the wand! Brizo is always one step ahead of the curve!

And ready for her close up:

(Above two photos by Leah Kirin)

I can’t believe what a difference the new faucet has made. (I haven’t changed anything else in six years other than painting some art and displaying my tea towel from Bookhou which is too pretty to use!)

If you are looking to change your faucet, take a look at all the beautiful designs at Brizo!

{Note: A big thank you to Brizo for providing me with the faucet to try out. Be sure to check out Masco Canada’s design and lifestyle blog Beige is Dead (love that name!) Masco represents Brizo in Canada.}

Catching Up With…Bob and Cortney Novogratz

2012-01-02T11:33:00.001-05:00

I’m happy to be starting the year off with an interview with none other than Bob and Cortney Novogratz.

Bob and Cortney are a husband and wife team with seven children (including two sets of twins) who have been creating vibrant and hip spaces for 16 years.

They began their career in renovating and design by purchasing a condemned townhouse in Chelsea, NY in 1996. “They gutted and rebuilt it, and discovered they were not only skilled at doing so, but also that they enjoyed the process. “We liked the chaos, and we grew as a couple,” Ms. Novogratz said.” {Excerpt from here.} That was the beginning of a series of real estate purchases and renovations some of which are chronicled in their book Downtown Chic.

Their recent design show, Home by Novogratz, premieres in Canada tonight. Viewers of each half-hour episode will witness their unique design talent as they transform spaces, be it residential or commercial, from concept to completion. It’s just what Canadian design TV viewers have been waiting for!

You can watch a short clip (love this scene which comes across as unscripted) from one of the episodes airing tonight and also get a tour of their Brazil home here.

This was their recent holiday card - adorable! The Times of London called them the “Coolest Family in the World.”

What do you think sets Home by Novogratz apart from other design TV shows?
On Home by Novogratz, we attempt to show new, edgy decor ideas you might not have seen before. We always want to be different and original. We urge our audience to step outside their comfort zone and try something new.

Before of the Living Room featured in the first episode of Home by Novogratz.

I have to ask this question! Do you have a nanny or someone (a team?) help you out with the kids or at home?
We are very lucky to have help. We are appreciative for every bit of it.

Who inspires you (each of you)?
We are both inspired by people who take risks, who innovate; individuals who are unique in their outlook.

Name one thing about yourself that readers may be surprised to learn?
Even though we are both so identified with New York City, we both have southern roots.

I love that one of your design mantras is “There are no rules.” Do you have a design element that you always try to incorporate into your designs?
Each project is different but if you wanted to know things we do consistently – we love pops of colour, we use interesting art to enhance every project, we love a mix of vintage and modern, high and low. But having said all that, we love to approach each space with fresh eyes and do what that environment calls for, as well as the needs and lifestyle of the people who will be using the space. So we’re open to anything and try to come up with new ideas all the time, challenge ourselves and push the envelope a little bit (or sometimes, a lot!)

This is the After of the first episode airing tonight. The young, urban clients wanted “industrial cozy” and the Novogratzes delivered.

What is the most common mistake people make when decorating?
Scale is often a big problem for a lot of people. They tend to have too many furnishings and pieces that are too big for the space they are decorating.

What does every room need?
Art – anything from your kids’ creations to collectibles, family photos, flea market finds, gallery pieces. Mix it up, but putting art in a room can change the whole dynamic of the environment immediately and with great impact.

What are three simple changes someone can make to their home right now for maximum impact?
Clean out your clutter and make your room spacious. Go for a fresh coat of paint, maybe with a focal wall in a bright hue you had never considered. Hang a cool piece of art on your wall (see above.)

Note: The Novogratz’ have a line of low VOC paints with Stark and the colours are gorgeous!

What’s next for you? When can we expect to see your collection for the home?
We have a lot of new, cool things coming in 2012—including a home decor collection and a new season of Home by Novogratz. Stay tuned!

Thank you Bob and Cortney for taking time out of your schedule to answer my questions!

Be sure to tune in to HGTV Canada at 8:00 pm EST today (Monday, January 2nd) for back to back episodes of Home by Novogratz.

I screened the first two episodes and what I loved about the show is how Bob and Cortney work together as a couple – blending their differing design points of view to come up with a stellar result. They make life with seven children and their design projects seem easy, cool and fun!

Will you be watching?