{ Posts Tagged ‘style for less’ }

great outdoors with arren williams

Looks like I’m not the only one with a major crush on the outdoor offerings from HomeSense this summer!

Toronto-based style and design expert Arren Williams has put a fresh spin on outdoor decor (no tiki torches allowed!) with the latest and greatest from HomeSense. (You’ll even recognize a few pieces that I brought with me for my HomeSense vignette on Tuesday’s CityLine!)

madeintheshade great outdoors with arren williamsArren’s got repurposing down to an art. That cute, thick-striped canopy over the Lutyens-style teak bench is actually a hammock ($35)! And this chic shade couldn’t be easier to make. “With a quick and easy stitch, create a pocket in the centre of the hammock to insert your dowel and form your canopy’s peak,” Arren says. “Using eye hooks and cord, anchor your new awning to the wall or fence and watch your outdoor space turn into a place.” Arren rounds out the vignette with a delightful mix-and-match array of floral patterned pillows.

gardengallery great outdoors with arren williamsThis is what I mean when I describe something as “Trad Rad”: a traditional decorating idea turned on its head in a completely radical way. Substitute alfresco-fabulous melamine dinnerware for granny’s china, and the facade of your house for the kitchen wall, and you’ve got a stunning summer look. “These melamine plates and platters ($3 to $7 each) in complementary shades of mod blues and greens are bold, graphic and so much fun,” Arren says. “I loaded up on different shapes and sizes, then planned out a symmetrical pattern on the floor before attaching each to the wall with plate hangers and screws to create this striking garden gallery effect.”

verticallyinclined great outdoors with arren williams

No place to grow but up? Consider stacking lightweight (and incredibly inexpensive!) planters. “When building a vertical garden, use a range of planter sizes to stack and create varying heights,” Arren suggests. “Make it look like you have a well-practiced green thumb by overplanting your pots with a mix of lush greenery — adding instant impact to your high-rise patio or back porch.” Here, Arren’s arranged fibreglass planters (from $30 each) top-to-bottom to achieve a striking architectural effect.

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cityline – backyard benches… on a budget!

Doesn’t it look like I’m getting in trouble here?

cityline cityline backyard benches... on a budget!

I had a BLAST pulling together three style-for-less vignettes for yesterday’s episode of CityLine… Watch the video clip of my outdoor rooms crafted from the best budget finds at IKEA, Canadian Tire and HomeSense by clicking here!

Which budget bench from the vignettes best suits your backyard?

Malaro acacia wood folding bench, $80, IKEA

ikea cityline backyard benches... on a budget!

Hudson resin-wicker weave loveseat, $230, Canadian Tire

canadiantire cityline backyard benches... on a budget!

Lutyens-style green lacquer, $250, HomeSense

homesense cityline backyard benches... on a budget!

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get the look of a hotel terrace

hotelterrace get the look of a hotel terrace

Let’s face it — we’re more inclined to be pulling the “staycation” this summer. Instead of flying to some far-flung, sun-drenched vacation resort, we’re going to invest in our own nest and hunker down in our own private havens.

But that doesn’t mean abandoning glamour, of course. Even in the depths of a gloomy economy, you can bring the look of a haute hotel terrace home with a few well-chosen bargains from HomeSense. Yes, ladies and gents — that vignette above is strictly style-for-less stuff, pulled together entirely from HomeSense!

Here’s the lowdown on those low-priced, high-style outdoor essentials:

1daybed get the look of a hotel terraceOutdoor daybed, $1,300

 

5pillows get the look of a hotel terraceMetallic cushions, from $20 – $35 each

 

4glassvases get the look of a hotel terraceDecorative handblown glass vases, from $10 – $15 each

 

3icebucket get the look of a hotel terraceGlass ice bucket, $50

 

Coming soon to a HomeSense near you!

 

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summer shopping at homesense

Bargain hunters, be warned. You will covet the fantastic finds I recently scouted from the HomeSense summer preview… Because really, to borrow a phrase from those inane credit card commercials, “Can you afford not to”?

Ready? Let’s go!

hs 1a summer shopping at homesense

High-gloss ginger jars, from $25 each

If you only buy one accessory this summer, make it a ginger jar. “Must have” is a term that’s over-used, but these shapely stunners really do work just about anywhere.

 

hs 2a summer shopping at homesense

Embroidered cushions, $25 each

Crewelwork and embroidery are hot hot hot, and it’s rare to see such elaborate stitching at such an amazing price point… Snatch’em up!

 

 

hs 2d summer shopping at homesenseEtched-glass drinkware, $4 each

Taking design cues from on-trend Moroccan tea glasses, these little gems would make for lovely votives as well.

 

 

hs 4c1 summer shopping at homesenseRetro-inspired glass goblets, $3 each

These beauties will have your guests wondering how much you’ve just plunked down for antique Depression-era glassware. Borrowing the jewel-like tones of those 1930s antiques, but updated in a global medley of pressed-glass forms, these goblets are a surefire way of introducing a splash of summer to any tabletop.

 

These pieces are trickling into HomeSense locations across the country… Happy hunting!

Check out HomeSense or 866-466-3707 for the location nearest you!

 

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style for less: blue and white chinoiserie vase

picture 1 style for less: blue and white chinoiserie vase

I suffer from acute buyer’s remorse, but more often than not, it’s because I DIDN’T buy something that caught my eye. I’m haunted by the sale price for nights after passing up an incredible deal. Hitherto unseen holes in my decor — ones that would have perfectly accommodated the item I’ve stubbornly refused to buy — taunt me mercilessly. The item in question this time around? This gorgeous blue and white Chinois vase from Bombay. Regular store price is only $69 (a great deal in itself), but I also passed up Bombay’s two-for-one deal this weekend… Why? WHY?!?! Imagine a pair of these beauties flanking a mantel, or even a fireplace hearth in lieu of andirons. While I’m still sulking, please feel free to share your best (and by best I mean most traumatizing) case of buyer’s remorse.

Blue and white squared Chinois vase, 18.5-by-6.25″

Price: $69

Available at: Bombay, 877-326-6229

style for less: spring at bouclair

bouclaircrop1 style for less: spring at bouclair

Stretching your decorating dollar has never been more important, and there are very few retailers that allow you to stretch that dollar quite like Bouclair. Bouclair’s spring look-book is a revelation for “Style For Less” hunters, like myself — light, bright and airy, and with a price tag that won’t break the bank. I’m absolutely in love with the ridiculously inexpensive glass table lamps flanking the bed. The clear glass obelisk bases are a total breath of fresh air, especially if — like me — you’re sick of those overdone lucite bubble base lamps, but still covet that look of breezy transparency. The overscale print on the duvet cover is so spring-fresh, and the symmetrically arranged mirrors are great cheap n’ chic statement pieces. Bring on Spring!

Sun mirrors, $100 each

Glass lamps, $50 each

Marigold duvet cover (double), $80

Cushions, from $17 each

Available at: Bouclair, 800-268-2524

style for less: ikea markland flooring

ikeafloor style for less: ikea markland flooring

I’m not normally one to get excited over laminate flooring, but IKEA’s latest is surely one of the greatest new flooring options of late. It’s called Markland, and it’s the glossiest, whitest, lacquered-look flooring you’re going to find at such a stellar price point (less than $30 per square metre… Craziness!)…  I had the chance to feature a Markland floor in a photoshoot for the May issue of STYLE AT HOME, and then saw it installed — as wallcovering, no less — at IKEA’s showstopping space at the IDS a week ago, and my enthusiasm keeps growing. Definitely one to file under “cheap n’ chic”!

Markland laminate flooring

Price: $26.79 per square metre

Available at: IKEA, 866-866-4532

red lacquer

hs c3 red lacquerThe November issue of STYLE AT HOME is now gracing newsstands across the country! I’ve taken the mantle of producing the Home & Style column this time around, and as an opening page to this section of what’s hot in home decor, I highlight red lacquer as a trend that we’re spotting absolutely everywhere. Love the sheen, love the dramatic shot of colour. Here’s a fave piece that I found while scouting for the column that I just couldn’t squeeze onto the page… How sweet would this scarlet stunner be in a space-strapped front hall, anchoring a curvaceous mirror? If that’s not enough to make you drool, check out the rock-bottom price tag.

High-gloss lacquer side table

Price: $159

Available at: HomeSense, 866-466-3707 for stores.