{ Archive for July, 2008 }

suit up!

brett2 suit up!Haberdashery always translates so well to the home, whether it’s upholstery in a somber suit-style pinstripe, or draperies in tone-on-tone silk taken from a necktie. The current vogue for geek chic has seen bold reinterpretations of menswear-inspired home textiles, and I’m wild for this grand-scale argyle pattern carpet, in a chic and sexy achromatic scheme. It’s preppy and playful, and generously sized at 8-by-11-feet.

Price: $799

Available at: The Home Depot, 800-628-0525 for stores and to order.

the perfect desktop fan

allairedeskfan3 the perfect desktop fanJust in the nick of time! This summer hasn’t been that seriously hot, at least not for days on end, but I really dislike Toronto`s hot, humid summers. So I’ve been intending to buy a little desktop fan for, oh, the past 10 summers, and when I dropped into a Restoration Hardware store and saw a brushed nickel beauty, it felt like karma.

My apartment is already well equipped with two much-appreciated ceiling fans (I refuse to get air conditioning), but when I spied the Allaire fan that day in the store, I knew it was the one I had to have. Am I thrilled with it? You bet! The heat be damned!

The Allaire also comes in a black finish and Restoration Hardware`s very pretty trademark Silver Sage.

Available at: Restoration Hardware, www.restorationhardware.com

Price: $119

Make yourself at home!

welcome Make yourself at home!Welcome to the new styleathome.com! I`m so excited to be back! It`s been a lot of work to get this fabulous new site up and running, which is why I was on a bit of a hiatus from my blog. But I`m back and I can`t wait to show you the results of all that hard work. And I can`t wait to get back to blogging about all of my favourite things! In the past few months, I`ve gathered a backlog of fabulous things to share with you and starting tomorrow, we`re going to get right back into the swing of things.

But for now, I`d like to introduce you to the new site. Please, take a look around — check out our new articles, vote in our polls, take a quiz and click your way through one of our new slideshows, featuring gorgeous home interior photos.

I really want to know what you think. So please drop into our forums and share your thoughts. Comments, questions, suggestions? Let us know!

Til tomorrow!
Natalie

crazy for cupcakes

cupcakes1 crazy for cupcakesHungry yet? How beautiful are these designs from The Cupcake Shoppe, based in Toronto? These cupcake creations are so pretty, they look good enough to eat … and luckily, you can do just that! Go ahead, devour a dozen! I won`t breathe a word.

Available at: The Cupcake Shoppe; visit thecupcakeshoppe.ca for more information
Price: depends how hungry you are

throw pillows

pillows throw pillowsSomeone told me recently that her favourite home decor find is pretty toss cushions. I agree. Pretty pillows and chic cushions in extravagant fabrics and vibrant colours just emanate luxury. Throw pillows on a sofa beckon you to join them, luxuriate in them, lounge a little longer. And pillows outside is an easy way to bring the comforts of inside, outside. The outdoor pillows pictured here feature an Asian-inspired design and are comfy but durable enough to withstand being left out in the sun.

Available at: Pottery Barn
Price: $32 to $38

how to be a good house guest

houseguests how to be a good house guest

House guests often get a bad rap. It`s not easy being one. While visiting friends and family can be wonderful and oftentimes, these visits are long overdue … staying over one or two nights might just remind you why you don`t do it more often. It can just be plain difficult to adapt to someone else`s life at home. But if you are going to be a house guest for a night or two, start things off right from the moment you step foot inside the house you`ll be calling home for a little while. Show up bearing gifts. Bribe your host or hostess with something that`s sure to delight. Pictured left to right: Happy Hour Carafe and Glasses ($32), Towering Espresso Set ($32) and Weighted Sphere Vase ($72), all from violet.com.

hotel style

hotels hotel styleI love to travel. I can`t think of anything I`d rather do. There`s such a thrill that comes with packing your bags (the more last-minute, the better!), jumping on a plane and heading somewhere, anywhere. Travel has become so accessible these days that we`re all doing it more and more. And I don`t know about you, but it`s not just exploring new destinations that thrills me. It`s that feeling of checking into a gorgeous hotel and knowing that I`ll be calling it home sweet home for a short while. I love beautiful hotels with rooms that issue a warm welcome the moment you step foot inside.

Pictured above (1) is Toronto`s Hotel Le Germain. This boutique hotel beautifully merges cozy and chic and everything about this room says calm comfort to me. I just want to curl up with a good book on that big comfy bed!

Pictured above (2) is a room across the globe at the Wailea Beach Villas in Maui. This room evokes a whole different feeling, drawing inspiration from the colours of nature on the island. The room feels bright and sunny and the blue and green accents are reminiscent of the Pacific.

Thinking about a vacation yet?

For more inspiration from hotel decor, check out the styleathome.com series Hotel Style — you`ll find beautiful hotel interiors with ideas you can copy at home.

decorating with area rugs

rugs1 decorating with area rugs

I love beautiful wood floors in dark, rich tones. The older, the better. They can evoke a feeling of nostalgia and hold a history of homeowners past. But sometimes, even the most beautiful of floors need a rug to serve any number of purposes; delineating separate spaces, adding warmth underfoot or simply adding a burst of colour and personality to a conservative space. I love these contemporary patterns from Angela Adams. They`re bold but not brash and can add a touch of whimsy to a living room or bedroom. They`re 152×243 in size. Need help searching for the perfect rug? Check out styleathome.com`s area rug buying guide.

Available at: Home Depot
Price: Ranges from $349 to $599

pretty pottery

etsy pretty pottery

Worn and rustic-looking, these wheel thrown pottery bowls are just beautiful! I love the earthtone colours of this pottery. Use them for everyday food (rice seems right, but use them for everything from cereal to ice cream) or simply use them as pretty display pieces on the kitchen table.

Available at: etsy.com
Price: $15 each

jeweled pencils

pencils jeweled pencilsI often find myself bemoaning the fact that rarely do we hand write personal letters or cards and send them out via postal service anymore. And if pretty paper and note cards (like the kind I blogged about here) aren`t enough to inspire you to put your computer away and communicate the old-fashioned way, maybe these jeweled pencils will do the trick. This simply but stylishly packaged slide box of five pencils is the perfect gift for yourself … or … fine, for someone else. With a Swarovski lead crystal at the head, these jeweled pencils are more than just writing tools. In the middle of the day, they might just come in handy as chopsticks to hold your hair up. They are jeweled, after all.

Available at: violet.com
Price: $15 for a box set of five

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