{ Archive for the ‘Design’ Category }

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

flora and flight stationery

flora flora and flight stationeryMore stationery I love. Shocking, I know. These adorable designs have a bit of a French country charm to them and portray pretty botanical images that make me think of spring, even though winter is showing no signs of releasing its stranglehold. That`s not very optimistic, is it? Anyways, the Flora and Flight collection features pocket pads, note cards and gift enclosures that are not only impossibly sweet but so handy to have at home for emergencies … OK, not EMERGENCIES, exactly. They`re no good for putting out fires in the kitchen or anything. But you know … emergencies like forgotten birthdays and last-minute dinner parties (you know you never like to show up empty-handed).

All available for purchase online at randomhouse.ca.

Flora & Flight Pocket Pads, $11.95

Flora & Flight Note Cards, $15

Flora & Flight Gift Enclosures, $15.95

message on a candle

candles message on a candleHow pretty? This set of 12 candles from redenvelope.com is absolutely delightful. Burn one candle every month for a year and focus on the candle`s message for the month. Each candle features a “wish” written down the side, wishes like Love, Joy, Adventure, Balance and Comfort. What a lovely idea. The candles are lightly scented with a floral aroma and each one burns for about 30 hours.

Available at: redenvelope.com
Price: $75 for set of 12

say it with pretty paper

cards1 say it with pretty paperI love sending out handwritten notes and cards. I love the whole process of it. I love carefully choosing a card or a piece of pretty paper. I love sharing a few personal words. I love signing off with a flourish, putting to paper the curves and curls of my name, perfected years ago as I sat doodling in one math class or another. But these days, we email. We text message. We Facebook and we MySpace, we instant message and we BlackBerry. We call from landlines, cordless phones and cells. But rarely do we ever take the time to put pen to paper it seems. And with such beautifully designed stationery, it`s really quite a shame. So think about it — pop a note in the mail. These cards pictured above are like a little piece of art that anyone would be thrilled to receive in the mail. Check out fabulousstationery.com for tons more designs.

Plus, take a look at these beautiful stationery options. You`re going to want to write a letter now. Do it.

blinged out office accessories

swarovski1 blinged out office accessoriesEverything`s better in crystal, don`t you think? If you thought Swarovski was all about cute but utterly pointless crystal dust-collectors … I mean figurines, collectibles, whatever you want to call them … think again! The crystal retailer offers up a killer collection of all kinds of blinged-out treats, from jewelry and accessories to home decor goodies like picture frames and stemware. But my faves are these office accessories that are totally extravagant but so pretty to look at. Talk about taking something ordinary and making it special! The Amazone Headphones (pictured left) are made of polished stainless steel with fully faceted drop-cut crystals on the ear buds. The Lock Out USB Key (pictured right) is a memory stick, masquerading as a lock. This 1GB memory stick is also made with polished stainless steel and Silver Shade crystals. You`re going to want to take good care of these!

Prices:
Amazone Headphones: $175
Lock Out USB Key: $210
Available at Swarovski stores across Canada; for more, visit swarovski.com

PLUS: Check out 8 eco-friendly home office ideas on styleathome.com.

fab file folders

file folder3 fab file foldersIf these colourful and stylish file folders don`t motivate you to organize the heaps of junk on your desk into neat, orderly piles, perfectly protected in pretty file folders, there`s just no help for you. Sorry.

Available at: crane.com
Price: $11.95 for package of 6 (left), $12.95 for package of 12 (right)

Are you a piler or a filer? Take the quiz to find out!

hermes teacups

hermes cups1 hermes teacupsBold, brilliant, beautiful. These Hermes teacups and saucers are gorgeous, featuring painted scroll patterns inspired by the intricate ironwork found on Spanish balconies …. who would have thought? I just love the boldness of the red on the delicate porcelain of these cups and saucers.

Available at: bluefly.com
Price: $198 for set of 2 teacups and saucers (left), $252 for set of 2 teacups and saucers (right)

Afternoon tea, anyone? Start a new tradition with our guide to teatime etiquette.

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