On our recent family vacation to Nova Scotia on the east coast of Canada, I noticed the many colourful houses. Driving along the shore and in the small towns the houses had real personality and punch. Going from Ontario where colour on the exterior of homes is more rare and subtle, it was a refreshing change to see these bright combinations. I snapped a few shots as we drove by to share with you. Some I would use and others were a little too bold even for me... a colour lover! However, why not add something new, even if it's just the front door or some shutters. Travel always opens your mind to new and wonderful things. So next time you are driving , remember it's the journey not just the destination. . . . . . . . it might be corny but it`s true.
Ocean blue roof on a seaside cottage- can`t miss it. It draws your eye to the water.
Shoreline shades. . . . Take your pick.
Trimmed in turquoise. . . . why not. I love it.
Colour on colour, dare to be primary.
My personal favourite- teal. Great combination with the brown door.
Life size dollhouse!
Rustic colour and charm- village on stilts.
This inspiration feeds my desire to have a yellow front door! How about you? Do these colourful coastals inspire you?
Over the weekend while picking up my daughter from work in a small town nearby I looked around at all the older buildings. I saw an interesting window and then another and soon realised within a few hundred feet there were at least a dozen different styles. Arched, curved, rectangular and even some with stained glass. A window can add real character as well as light and a view of the world.
Small town windows
Old, savaged windows can even be given a new life when their time is up in your house. Take a look at these creative examples.
A window on the world- a window can sometimes show you the age of the building, the type of building and even the country the building is in.
On my travels around and about I noticed how many different kinds of benches are along our streets or in our parks. You may previously have thought a bench is a bench but no apparently not. . . You may not have even thought about it. I have, for some reason my brain does that! Here are some fun examples out there in the world of BENCHES.
Quirky plastic wave bench, fun in the park.
Cool concrete creation at the beach.
Pine curve for a crowd
Magnificent mangled metal
Museum masterpiece-the art and the bench!
CHEEKY!!!
Environmentally friendly seating
Catch a bus at the classic black metal
Some cities have made big efforts to make the average bench unique and personal to certain neighbourhoods-like Trend Village in Toronto. Everyone's interpretation is different, adding colour, words, pictures even lighting. Sometimes benches are dedicated to special people in remembrance. Who knew a simple bench could be so important.
Next time you are sightseeing or even just commuting to work look around for interesting benches and maybe even take a seat for a while.
One of my favourite local benches Little Italy,Ottawa
Olympic fever is in the air! Daily we see images of London and it's architecture, while we support the world's athletes. It is a real mix of historic and current modern design. It's one of the few countries where you can see buildings centuries old side by side with almost futuristic structures. The Olympic park and all of it`s arenas are amazing examples of today`s architects.
Take a look at these top 9 designs.
I have been to London several times but not for many years so I haven`t seen the newer buildings but I have always loved the old favourites like these below
When you go to other countries you get to see all different homes and how people live. When I first came to Canada I felt like everything was so much bigger and far apart. I soon realised that there were neighbourhoods, but they did look so different than ones I was used to. Homes were mostly wooden frames with siding, some with brick but very few seemed to be built entirely of brick or stone. the shapes and styles were new to me too. I thought I would show you some examples of great homes found in London where the whole world is gathering for this latest Olympic event. . . .
Every country has it's own design esthetic. Again Britain seems a real mix of ecclectic colour and pattern alongside minimalist contemporary. It's a real melting pot of ideas and history which influence the interiors there.
Take a closer look at the host of the Olympics for more than just the sport. I would love to visit it again one day,how about you?
Added note just in case you are an Olympian reading this. . . . . .