At the IDS12 preview yesterday, we were given a sneak peek at what IDS Toronto has in store this year. There’s SO much to see and from the quick glimpse I saw yesterday it’s worth the time to check out each exhibit!
I’ll admit I didn’t get a chance to see everything, being on a time limit and spaces still being constructed, but here are 5 must-see exhibits to get you started at the show:
The Interior Design Show is back for a year of new designs and exhibits!
If you remember, back in the summer I was working on getting my mom settled in her new condo. After my father passed away, we sold our family home and found a more manageable place for my mom to live. The whole process came with challenges, both emotional and logistical. But amidst all this, my unwavering goal was to help my mom create a space that felt comfortable and as much like home as possible as she took her first steps on this new journey of her life.
It’s amazing how much that sense of home was created through the details. Of course it’s the family that makes a house a home but in my mom’s new condo, so much of what makes it a beautiful place for her came in the form of our design choices. We tried to strike a balance between incorporating things that were reminiscent of the home she shared with my dad her whole life and adding new things that would in some ways help to guide her along a new path.
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Looking to decorate your home?
Always dreamed of being an interior designer?
Then head to Pottery Barn!
Two months ago, I set out with a mission to makeover my former condo’s bathroom with a barely there budget of under a thousand dollars. 1k may seem like a lot, but it’s amazing how quickly paint, flooring and plumbing can eat away at that stash of cash. A charming concept image inspired the classic meets mod-industrial aesthetic I was envisioning for my drab and dated bathroom. Here’s a look at the before:
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.
When I was designing my nursery I came across Monte, a Canadian manufacturer who makes gliders that fit into more modern home decor. It was refreshing to know that there were companies out there that took modern approaches to baby items. Although we didn’t get our glider from them, we bought our son Oscar this little Cubino chair from them for our TV room. Oscar is already in love (see him pictured above in it!)
I fell in love with the the charcoal and green colour combo as it was soft and soothing and went with the rest of the decor in our house.
Monte Cubino Chair, $109 + shipping.
Lindsay Stephenson is one of our guest bloggers, who has her eye on all things fabulous in Toronto. When not scouting out the coolest stores and the fabbest finds in the city, Lindsay runs a stationery business (Penny People Designs) and blogs about her life and home decorating projects on Aubrey & Lindsay’s Little House Blog.
If you were sweet on the snap shots from Part 1 of my visit to the Janzen’s family farm, then you’ll be totally smitten over these shots of the farmhouse’s intriguing interior.
If you’ve been following along with the tales of my renovations, you know that I’ve been tackling my one-bedroom condo one room at a time. After completing my bathroom renovation, I think it was just a matter of time before my eyes wandered on over to the kitchen. Though I’d recently made some changes in the kitchen, it wasn’t perfect and that backsplash still caused me anxiety. Let me walk you through it:
OK, this is what the backsplash looked like when I first moved into my condo eight years ago:
The lobster, the tomato … is that beer in a Champagne flute? I just couldn’t handle it but you know how it goes … you get settled into your home and before you know it, eight years have passed and you’re still rooming with a lobster.
Once I’d renovated the bathroom and updated my living room, it was really time to do something about the backsplash. Because funds were limited, my amazing and talented designer Lisa Canning encouraged me to paint the existing backsplash. It was a quick and easy job and really did make a difference; at least I wouldn’t have to look at those lobsters any more. Problem: I took a shortcut (never a good idea!) and painted around my existing stove. I know, I know – I should have moved it but it was too heavy for me so I did the best job I could. But when I got around to replacing my appliances, the new stove was lower than the old, thus exposing the shortcut.
So I suppose it was inevitable that I’d have to rip the whole thing out and start from scratch, which I finally got around to a few weeks ago! And, as many of you probably know, once you start one job, it tends to snowball. My contractor convinced me to replace the countertop at the same time. “Once you put the backsplash in, you can’t replace the countertop without damaging the tiles,” he said. Before I knew it, the countertop was off and out and the real fun was about to begin!
Off I went to Home Depot to choose my backsplash tile. The choice was a no-brainer. I LOVED this tile and knew it would look great with my white cabinets:
This Marble Mosaic tile (Home Depot, $19.99/sheet) is beautiful and looks wonderful contrasted against the dark countertop I selected. The Home Depot sales associate was so helpful, not only helping me to choose my tile, but making sure I knew exactly what kind of mortar and grout I’d need, and pointing out which sealant should be used following installation. He gave me step-by-step instructions, which I listened to carefully, then imparted to my contractor.
Finally! My kitchen looks polished and complete – no lobsters and no amateur paint job peeking out from behind the stove. After all these years, it still takes me by surprise when I walk into the kitchen and see it looking so … finished. There’s nothing more to be done in there now and it feels (and looks!) great. It was really worth the wait.
What around-the-house task do you keep putting off?
The paint is barely dry from my bathroom renovation and my eyes have already started to wander to every other room in my home. What else can I make over?
A renovation is a pricey undertaking so now I’m looking for inexpensive ideas – updates that require no more work than ripping the price tag off! My latest finds have added both colour and function to my place. Here’s what I’ve found:
During a lunchtime stroll through Winners yesterday, I stumbled upon a pair of cushions that were just screaming my name. (Thanks to my friend and colleague Helen who spotted them!) At just $39.99 for two, they’re the perfect addition to my monochromatic living room. I’ve been looking for an inexpensive way to add some colour … et voila! What was even more fortuitous is that they are a perfect match for …
… these fabric drawers from the Martha Stewart collection at Home Depot ($6.99 each). The storage bench (Home Depot, $69.99) provides a handy spot in my foyer for me to drop my purse and the drawers are a catch-all for all manner of things. Right now, scarves, hats and gloves have been tucked away til next winter.
Médias Transcontinental
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