Lamps, lamps, lamps
26/10/09 Filed in: Products
I tell all my clients that lighting and lamps make a very big difference in a home. It is not just because lighting is crucial for practical reasons, lighting also gives your home character. Great light fixtures can make your home look interesting, unique, sophisticated and fun. There are so many options out there, and I cringe every time I see the typical ceiling "boob" light in the most common homes. There are so many options, and it does not have to break the bank.
During my visit in Finland last summer I saw in a magazine the new PS collection from IKEA. Since then I have been trying to find a specific lamp called Maskros, which means dandelion in Swedish or directly translated worm-rose. Well, as sometimes happens, EDMONTON has it in their store but Calgary does not. So I call my good friend Michelle in Edmonton and she buy's it for me almost the next day. We meet up in Canmore and I get my lamp, which I have never seen in real life. Here is a picture I had seen:
Now my home is not contemporary, but I am determined to mix the old and the new so figured I could at least give it a try for $200.
Here is what Maskros looks like in the box as well as a detail of the paper flower:
I then realised how big this lamp actually is, about 90 cm (32") in diameter. But I was determined to use it somewhere and the only room with a high enough ceiling is the master bedroom.
When we finally removed the ugly ceiling fan that I had been looking at since we bought the house, we hung Maskros from the ceiling and started to assemble each stem and adding the white flowers to the end.
And voila, Maskros is up. Better pictures to come...
During my visit in Finland last summer I saw in a magazine the new PS collection from IKEA. Since then I have been trying to find a specific lamp called Maskros, which means dandelion in Swedish or directly translated worm-rose. Well, as sometimes happens, EDMONTON has it in their store but Calgary does not. So I call my good friend Michelle in Edmonton and she buy's it for me almost the next day. We meet up in Canmore and I get my lamp, which I have never seen in real life. Here is a picture I had seen:
Now my home is not contemporary, but I am determined to mix the old and the new so figured I could at least give it a try for $200.
Here is what Maskros looks like in the box as well as a detail of the paper flower:
I then realised how big this lamp actually is, about 90 cm (32") in diameter. But I was determined to use it somewhere and the only room with a high enough ceiling is the master bedroom.
When we finally removed the ugly ceiling fan that I had been looking at since we bought the house, we hung Maskros from the ceiling and started to assemble each stem and adding the white flowers to the end.
And voila, Maskros is up. Better pictures to come...
Every room needs a throw!
03/09/09 Filed in: Products
I first saw these throws by Merben International Inc. last summer, and immediately fell in love. They come in many colours and are so chic looking, yet homy. Don't you just want to curl up with a cop of tea and a good book under this one.
The evolution of a kitchen
03/09/09
When you first move into a new home, you often know you will be changing things in the house once your budget allows it. Here is a kitchen that went through some changes over a few years. See which one you like the most.
How the kitchen was built originally by a builder:
Kitchen cupboards painted white: also note the pantry door. We covered the glass with a board on both sides, painted it black with magnetic blackboard paint.
Back-splash changed from slate to white tile:
The first one has a warm tone, the second one a lot brighter and the third a clean, polished look. I like the fact that the white back-splash and the white cupboard doors provide a calm canvas; a background that can be splattered with any colour (appliances, bowls, baskets etc.)
How the kitchen was built originally by a builder:
Kitchen cupboards painted white: also note the pantry door. We covered the glass with a board on both sides, painted it black with magnetic blackboard paint.
Back-splash changed from slate to white tile:
The first one has a warm tone, the second one a lot brighter and the third a clean, polished look. I like the fact that the white back-splash and the white cupboard doors provide a calm canvas; a background that can be splattered with any colour (appliances, bowls, baskets etc.)
Dog bed
23/08/09
Gus' bed was starting to look very bad. In fact, we have had it since he was a puppy, he will be two in November. His round bed has been chewed as well, and even if it has been washed, it just is not the same any more. Dog beds are also expensive, and often not made in fabrics that I like. When I was visiting my sister and her new dash hound puppy Sissi, I noticed her dog bed was similar to some IKEA carpets I have in my "stash of fabrics I want to do something with one day".
But my dog is LARGE, so I had to piece four of these small carpets together.
These Ikea area rugs were about $3 each and I used and a zipper I had on hand. I also used a 1" foam insert, (not shown here).
And here is the happy Gus (he is smiling, it just does not show well) on his new bed.
But my dog is LARGE, so I had to piece four of these small carpets together.
These Ikea area rugs were about $3 each and I used and a zipper I had on hand. I also used a 1" foam insert, (not shown here).
And here is the happy Gus (he is smiling, it just does not show well) on his new bed.
Welcome to a NEW blog
23/08/09
I have had a blog for a while, but shamefully it has not really been a blog. My old blog page is now called Client Work and Stories, because that is what it really is. I sometimes publish stories in magazines and adapt them to my own web site. When I have a chance, I like to take pictures of my clients homes, before and or after, and will now showcase this in my client work section. As for my blog, I have been inspired by so many out there, amazing bloggers that just make my day. As I get better at this I will add links to my favourite blogs.
