There are so many great stores out there in the Land of Design and one of my new found favourites is "Anthropologie". It's eccentric and eclectic, full of interesting and unique items for your home along with great clothing and accessories that don't look like everything you see in most stores at your local mall! To me it seems very vintage inspired.The selection is really varied and there are so many really cool things sure to appeal to the savvy shopper! When you are decorating your place or dressing yourself it's always nice to have something special that reflects you and makes a statement, making you stand out from all the rest. A colourful patterned pillow or eye catching chandelier may just make your space and your day! Check out these pieces I have put on my fave list! One purchase on the top of my want and must have list is this wonderful wallpaper that I had seen in magazines many times and have finally found at this amazing store. Finally they have a great service on their site for decorator's or the design enthusiast that offers tips and tricks of the trade to help us all out! The stores are throughout the U.S and also there are some in Canada with two in Toronto, Ontario which are my closest and they do ship most things, so start browsing and maybe even shopping!
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One of the big trends right now is WIRE, WIRE and more WIRE ! I am seeing amazing designs made from wire, new and vintage alike. Every magazine and design book and homes on television showcase this cool building material which is flexible, strong and very organic. The shapes and structure are cool and interesting. It's not a new concept but it has taken off and is moving in different directions not just traditional tables and chairs, but also lamps,chandeliers and much more. In a room with softness and multiple fabrics a piece made out of wire adds another level of texture. Take a look at these great spaces.... As always any trend can be incorporated in a small way or go BIG or go home! Take your pick!
In my latest travels by magazine I have seen "Moorish" inspired designs in abundance. The Moorish style begins with Spanish roots expanding to Portugal, Morocco,Tunisia and Algiers. It's architecture is characterized by arches, courtyards, screen work and decorative tile. In today's homes the "Moorish" look is seen in wallpaper, furniture, lighting, textiles and so on. You don't really want to overload your space with all of it just by adding even one will add character and interest. You can find original pieces or one of the many "Moorish" inspired new looks. The detailed cut outs and patterns really add another dimension to a simply styled space. Look at these great rooms to see if the "Moor" style is for you! I found some great pillows on the weekend at Homesense which I should have bought with a "Moor" look pattern in a hit of yellow. Guess where I will be going sometime this week! As I have said before I have an addiction to spray paint and all the things you can change with it! So recently I changed up something I already owned and also went out to find some used pieces to re-vamp and make my own. If you keep your eyes open and look beyond the condition an item might be in when you first see it anything is possible! The first piece up for a makeover was my bistro table and chairs, they were in good shape but as usual I felt like a change and wanted a pop of yellow for my back yard. Then I found two old brass lamp bases with huge dusty rose pleated shades for $9, I immediately re-donated the shades and just kept the bases. I also picked up some frames in rough shape soon to be art work on my dining room wall. I removed all the backing and some interesting looking clowns-yes I said clowns! Take a look at the before and afters. BISTRO TABLE MAKEOVER LOVELY LAMPS........ LET'S GET FRAMED... Watch this space for more makeovers! let me know if you have any of your own....
Artwork by Julie Smith and Lisa Lawrenson My friend and fellow decorator Lisa and I are constantly talking about our next crafty project and we are always on the lookout for something new to try our hands at.... When I was at the Interior design show in Toronto this year I saw the Style at Home magazine display where they used paint can lids across a wall as art. As we work in a paint store as decorators I thought this would be a fun idea to liven up the walls there ! We also found more inspiration on the internet, as you know you can find anything on there! We decided to use old and leftover lids from around the store in different sizes and create our "masterpiece"! It took a while to accumulate enough lids but we finally got there, most of them we used as is but some we added paint to, so we could vary the colours and the textures. Check out our finished product above which is on display at our store Sanctuary Paint & Decor in Kanata! . Art is definitely in the eye of the beholder and we have had mixed reviews on our "art" but we had fun doing it and it is a conversation piece! Check out these other examples I found and maybe try your own recycled art..... One thing I have always thought was a fun idea for kids rooms is a wall of maps, I had a friend who did it in her son's room. You could put up multiple maps or have a mural painted or buy a peel and stick map to cover an accent wall. The map could be of your own country or city or of places far away you dream of visiting! It can be an educational and decorative way to add personality to a space. My husband even said in his first apartment he had six maps up that connected together to create a map of Canada. Now you can buy great wallpaper too in many map designs and colours. Recently I have also seen maps used in many other different ways like lampshades,window blinds and even decoupaged bowls. Look at these great examples and perhaps you could use one somewhere in your home! As you can see maps can be used in every room in the house not just kids rooms, you can use vintage maps with a history or a family significance or just load up on new maps at CAA when you take your next road trip. Either way be creative and see the world!
In the world of design there are many talented designers who start in fashion and then incorporate their designs into items for the home. Both worlds blend seamlessly providing us with exquisite style to surround ourselves with. One of these such designers is Irish born,London based Orla Kiely. She has just celebrated ten years in the industry creating retro inspired clothing, bags,home decor, stationary and even computer accessories. I first noticed her work in the British magazines that I buy when I spotted funky 60's canisters for the kitchen. Then I bought my daughter a journal from Chapters and realized it too was Orla Kiely and then my sister in law and I were discussing her designs recently. I decided to research and see what else was out there by this very talented woman. Her work uses simple graphic images and bold colour. I love the look of the 60's and 70's inspiration reinvented to appeal to us today.She has two beautiful stores in London in Covent Garden and on the King's Road but you can also buy anything on line. Here below are just some of her great fashions and products available with her fabulous designs on! As I always say keep your eyes open and look at what is around you- we can be inspired every day and I intend to be, how about you?
A few years ago my brother in his quest for the interesting and the unique found a new way of building and creating a home. He told me about it then and during his most recent visit last week we talked about it again as he knows I am always looking for something new to blog about! The discovery he made was " weeHomes" a part of a larger company called Alchemy Architects. Founder Geoffrey Werner wanted to build something using sustainable practices, recycling and re-using and reducing waste during the building process. he works in close contact with clients, builders and other architects to create an interesting, eco friendly container home. They start at around $79,000 for a single container and moving up from there with multi-level homes. you choose the size of container and the interior plan and the materials to be used like bamboo and reclaimed wood. Then the home is brought to you on the land you have chosen and purchased. There are even some of these unusual homes available for private short term rental to "test drive" life in a container! In this day and age home is relative, we all have our own idea of what we want and need, whether in the country or the city, mansion or trailer and someone is always coming up with something new and creative. Take a look at these great examples of the weeHome. If unique, interesting and sustainable is for you why not try and get "contained"!
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