I’ve always loved paneling, especially grid paneling. It seems to elevate a home by adding depth, class and interest. But as many of us already know, it can be pricey!
Lately, I’ve been inspired by so many beautiful rooms out there that I had to try it myself. But to do it in a way that would cut the cost, not the impact! Here’s what I came up with.
I’ve interviewed a lot of decorators and design luminaries over the years. A lot. But I still think I’d have a twinge of the old butterflies-in-the-stomach at the thought of interviewing Martha Stewart. Don’t get me wrong: I died a little inside when I wasn’t able to make it out to Canada Blooms on the 20th, when decorating’s grande dame made her scheduled appearance. (I was on holiday, and it turns out, not too far from where Martha flew after the show to check out her fave Canadian breeder of Friesian horses.) I’m just in utter awe of the lady. She’s done so much to elevate decorating and design in the public eye. Everything about her is just so… Epic.
My colleague, Senior Design Editor Margot Austin, had the chance to interview Ms Stewart that day, and you absolutely must check out Margot’s play-by-play of the fateful meeting here.
We’ll be featuring some of our fave finds from Martha’s cost-conscious (and awe-inspiring) new collection for The Home Depot in our June issue (coming out in a matter of weeks), but I couldn’t wait to share one of the standouts of the releases — The Martha Stewart Living paint collection.
Boasting 280 colours, and made from a low-VOC formula, the paint collection is (as expected) a pretty big deal. To tide you over until the paint collection hits Home Depots nationwide in May, here are Martha’s Top 12 Colours for Spring/Summer 2010. Delish!
Those grays are particularly tasty, and the two teal/aqua options are a sure sign the trend for turquoise is still gaining momentum. (I’m taking an Araucana Teal lookalike on my next CityLine segment… Can’t wait to see it covering a whole wall!)
You’ve also got to check out the paint chips for the collection, which are truly spectacular. Each chip is generously-sized (3×6″), and on the reverse, features a suggested complementary ceiling and woodwork colour from the range. So clever! Tintable tester pots ($5 per 8oz.) are also available to help narrow down your selection before committing to a colour.
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Guest post by Style at Home’s senior design editor Margot Austin:
I`ll admit it. I have a Google Alert set for my name. It`s fun to see where mentions pop up. Funny thing is, often the mentions refer to Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos, a band that often plays Austin, Tex, or Margot Austin, author of children`s books like A Friend for Growl Bear. But yesterday it was all me. This very Margot Austin got a mention on The Martha Blog. Yes, THE Martha. Here`s a play-by-play of how it all came to pass.
It all started on Thurs, when I got the call that I would have 7-10 minutes to interview Martha Stewart that Saturday. Only 2 other media outlets would be given similar access. Yay! Martha came to Toronto last Saturday to take in Canada Blooms and promote her new product line at Home Depot. Here are the highlights:
1 My hands and nails were a mess from weeks of painting and DIY projects. Did a quick home manicure Friday night. As I was backing out of my driveway Sat, saw at least 3 nails were already chipped. Drat. Thank goodness it was very pale nail polish (plus we all know Martha has worker hands so I thought she might not notice).
2 Couldn`t decide what to wear. Decided on my red jacket and blue and white striped T — Springy and nautical. On my way out the door realized there were pen marks on the jacket. YIKES! Quick change. Not happy with final choice (boo).
3 My curls are unruly. Sat was a very bad hair day. (boo)
4 There was a major entourage: about 5 PR people, plus a few people from Home Depot.
5 Martha`s handshake is the fingers-only kind. Weird. Ladylike but firm.
6 Tested my tape recorder many times before entering the interview. Worked fine. Sat down in the room. Pressed Record. It just beeped and wouldn`t work. She was in full sell mode — talking talking talking before I even asked a question. I actually said excuse me and admitted the recording trouble. No luck. Then she gave me the classic Martha scold: “I guess you`re just going to have to take notes.” I smiled, shrugged, apologized and started writing immediately!
7 I felt I was just getting started when a PR rep said “One more question.” GAH!
8 We ended the discussion on paint. It was when she mentioned Francesca — a colour named for one of her French bulldogs — that our true bonding began. We talked paint for a few seconds and then went right to the important stuff: our mutual love of Frenchies. Here`s a pic of her Francesca and my Lulu — cuties, no?
9 I gave her the Sept 2007 STYLE AT HOME and showed her the pic of Lulu in the story on my kitchen reno. Not only did she love the shot and my pup, but she also loved my kitchen. Martha loved my kitchen!
10 I politely pushed my way through the throng of people waiting for her to speak on the main stage and made my way to the media platform. How was Martha`s presentation? Meh. But I still love her — oh, and did I mention that she loves my kitchen?
Learn more about my chat with Martha in upcoming issues of STYLE AT HOME. Needless to say I`ll be spending hours with all the paint chips, but here are my other favourites from Martha`s new line at Home Depot:
1 Baluster lamp $99. Lovely cerused finish, great scale.
2 Regency fountain, $169.99. Love the simplicity.
3 Fretwork outdoor rug, $119. One of these for my deck please!
4 Ribbed glass 3-in-1 convertible pendant, $59.99. Classic vintage look and adaptable to different ceiling heights. Nice.
Well everyone, the deadline for submitting entries for the Style at Home Makeover Contest 2009 is drawing near so I invite you to submit your entries before it’s too late! Brought to you by the Fall Home Show, the contest is a great opportunity to win gift cards from Home Depot that can help you turn your decorating dreams into reality. Visit the Style at Home Makeover Contest for full details. Deadline for entries: September 24, 2009. Good luck!
Above is a photo of a bedroom from the West Elm website. Love it! This is the kind of look I’d aim for in my bedroom if I were in makeover mode. Alas, I can’t win the contest; better luck to you!
I love my condo. I really do. When I first moved in, I spent so much time choosing the paint colours, furniture and accessories. The result is a warm and cozy space that I just love to spend time in. But … as the editor of a design and decorating website, I`m continually surrounded by new and exciting ideas. My mind is always whirling with just one more change I could make to my home, a tweak here, a new item there … it`s a hazard of the job, I suppose! Pictured above are rooms that totally capture my imagination. It`s a hot and sticky August here in Toronto and these interiors are light and bright and if I could, I`d makeover my home to look like these! (Photography by Gap Interiors.)
Do you have a room in your home that`s in desperate need of a makeover? If you said yes, then I encourage you to enter the Style at Home Makeover Contest, brought to you by the Fall Home Show. Simply upload a photo of a room in your home that`s in desperate need of an overhaul and tell us why you need a makeover. You could win one of two $2,000 gift cards from Home Depot to help you turn your design dreams into reality. Visit the Style at Home Makeover Contest for full contest details and for your chance to win. Good luck!
If you were at the Style at Home Show this past weekend and visited our Dream Master Bedroom, you couldn’t miss the stunning Graham & Brown wallpaper that set off the walls in our feature space (beautifully put together by our senior design editor, Margot Austin, with help from the rest of our super-talented design team!).
Home Depot is now carrying Graham & Brown’s five smart and stylish, environmentally friendly wallpaper patterns. Included: the dramatic Heritage in Charcoal (above left) and more subtle Summer in Oatmeal (above right).
Produced using papers made from FSC-certified wood and printed with water-based inks that contain no solvents or VOCs, the wallpapers are recyclable and cleverly packaged in compostable materials made from corn starch.
Click here for more info on G&B’s enviro efforts. And, if you’re a do-it-yourselfer, check out our handy story on hanging wallpaper.
Available at: www.homedepot.ca
Price: $36 per double roll
Do you have a product you’d like to recommend for this blog? Email me at naturalchic@styleathome.com!
While I haven`t had the courage yet to wallpaper a room in my home, I`m definitely thinking about it. I love the idea of wallpapering one feature wall with something bold and dramatic but I just haven`t gotten around to it. But as I research my options, I`m finding more and more beautiful designs and now the problem isn`t so much whether to wallpaper as it is which design to choose. I recently discovered a great line of wallpaper products available at Home Depot. They`re from The Wallpaper Company and the designs are beautiful. Pictured left is a sample from the Jewel Tone collection and pictured right is a sample from the Mystic Purple collection. On the Home Depot site, you can choose a sample room (including living room, kitchen and bathroom) and then select from a wide assortment of papers, to see how they will look. It`s fun to browse through the options and I`m sure you`ll be inspired!
Before you get started, check out Style at Home`s tips for hanging wallpaper and check out other ways to dress your walls in style.
Visit us at the Style at Home Show, Oct. 17 to 19, at the Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place, Toronto. Go to styleathomeshow.com for more information and to order tickets.
Médias Transcontinental
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