Style & Decor Blog

Austin Parkway public beach access, Long Point, Ont.

The August issue of STYLE AT HOME will be hitting newsstands this weekend (yay!), and the theme of the issue is “Simple Summer” – gorgeous summer getaways and easy, breezy outdoor living. 

Last weekend, I had the chance to ditch the sweltering urban heat island (I’m so not a fan of Toronto in the summer!) and escaped to my own slice of heaven – Long Point.

Long Point is a 40-kilometre sandspit that juts from southwestern Ontario into the warm waters of Lake Erie, and has been my summer getaway since I was a kid. Wide, sandy beaches, lined with whispering poplars that glint like silver in the summer sun, and an unpretentious atmosphere among the cottagers who have a real passion for the place… Regional Road 59 takes you down the fascinating Causeway, flanked on either side by marshes teeming with turtles and birds (over 300 species fly through Long Point through the year), and terminates at the Provincial Park – the fourth oldest park in the province. 

One of my fave activities on the Point, of course, is to go dream cottage shopping. I’ve always loved this buttery-yellow beachfront property, which sold two summers ago for a prince’s ransom (I’d heard $750,000, but that’s local gossip talking).

Why do I love it? It’s a combination of knockout location, with a modest, charming design that doesn’t take away from the splendour of the landscape (Long Point is recognized as a United Nations World Biosphere).

The most famous property on the Point, however, has got to be the Old Cut Lighthouse.

Built in 1879, the three-storey fort-style beacon with a fascinating history is now a private residence, lovingly restored. The renovation actually won a number of awards, including “Most Outstanding Historical Renovation in Ontario”. Isn’t the fence awesome?!

I’ve always wanted to see inside, and a little websleuthing brought up these tasty snaps. You can also see the shabby state the lighthouse was in towards the end of the 1990s… The transformation is nothing short of stunning!

Ooh, have I got a treat in store for you…

My colleague and fave sweetie-pie Samantha Pynn has invited me down to Pure Design’s new production office! In the midst of producing the smash-hit’s sophomore season, Samantha decided that her base of operations here in Toronto needed a shot of the same chic she injects in each of her TV makeovers. I’m going to take you behind the scenes at Pure Design to show you the amazing before & after transformation of Samantha’s own office, right here on Style Sleuth… Can’t wait!

I’ll keep you posted…

In the meantime, check out Samantha’s greatest hits from Season One — you can still watch them online on HGTV!

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I’m a sucker for a good “before and after”, and these two shots demonstrate how few rolls of wallpaper can totally transform a space. My friend Genevieve hosted a “wallpapering party” last weekend, and invited four buddies over to lend a hand in making over her kitchen with the gorgeous new Birdcage wallpaper from Graham & Brown’s stunning Mode collection of papers. It took them only four hours — including breaks! — to achieve this terrific transformation. Combining on-trend bird motifs with a boho-chic colourway, Gen’s kitchen is now fresh and fab for 2009!

Mode Collection Birdcage wallpaper

Price: $60/double roll

Available at: Graham & Brown; 800-554-0887

Mark Tuesday, September 30, on your calendars! My good friend and colleague Samantha Pynn - STYLE AT HOME’s Design Editor - will be hitting the small screen with the premiere of Pure Design, her new series for HGTV. Over the course of 13 episodes, Samantha will be refreshing tired spaces, breathing new life into everyday rooms in her inimitable style. You can catch a sneak peek of the show in our October issue (just hitting newsstands now!), in which we go behind the scenes of Sam’s spectacular before & after transformations… 

Premiere: HGTV, Tuesday, September 30, 8:00PM