smart decor & smart technology
While watching the movie Crazy, Stupid Love I noticed how great Ryan Gosling's character's bachelor pad was. Jacob's place is a combination of classic, modern pieces and random stuff, like a Zebra skin rug. While, I'm not going to tell you to go out and put an animal skin on your floor, I am going to suggest some ideas for recreating the best parts of this look: Glass Top Table from CB2 Lounge Chairs can be found from Stl Loft Style Sectional Sofa from CB2 Rather than using the … [Read more...]
Recently exhibited at the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair, Bantie caught my eye with their fun patterns that they use on cushions, wallpaper, and bags. Bantie also sells fabric that you can use to make curtains or whatever else you'd like. I could see myself making curtains out of this fabric, or a bedspread/duvet cover. … [Read more...]
I've been looking forward to this event for a long time—when I used to live in Calgary, before moving to Vancouver, the Calgary Home and Garden Show was always a yearly favourite. This is the time of year that people think about things like spring cleaning, renovating, redecorating and just refreshing (renewing, and restoring) their homes. The Calgary Home and Garden Show is sure to give visitors lots of ideas for their upcoming projects. What can you expect from this year's Calgary Home … [Read more...]
In our quest to find the best no-VOC paint, Tazim and I have tried nearly every brand on the market. Our first experiences could be cautionary tales that eco-friendly products aren't always all they're cracked up to be—but we were pleasantly surprised by Olympics Premium line, which offers no-VOC options at a value for quality price point. Olympic is one of the only paint manufacturers to put their low/zero VOC-paint out there as their premium interior product—instead of selecting the … [Read more...]
This past Interior Design show in Toronto introduced me to Bocci lighting, based in Berlin. Check out their collection here. These light balls are really eye-catching. I think they'd be perfect for a chandelier or special focus. … [Read more...]
Recently, we've been haunting open houses. Wasting realtors' time while we evaluate what's happening in the local market. After looking at both high-end kitchens and some that need a little TLC, we have a bone to pick: we're really tired of great renovations let down by ugly kitchen faucets. Here are our top favourite on the market right now: property developers, please take note: Karbon, by Kohler MSRP ~1050, prices from 600 Once in a while a design comes along that shifts paradigms … [Read more...]
A Valentine's Day party can be as cheesy, sweet or sophisticated as you want it to be. This cake is so beautifully created that I'd have trouble cutting in to it! More than just having candy and treats for this holiday, get the kids involved with decorations, get them inspired to create valentines, or other related things. What about just having them draw all the things that they love? This type of activity is great whether you have a kid-only party or have a mixed one where the adults are … [Read more...]
Artist Olaf Hajek creates illustrations for a variety of different purposes and of varying subject matters. From commissioned portraits, to an illustrated alphabet project, to magazine covers, Hajek has done a little bit of everything. Hajek's colourful illustrations have a timeless quality to them. Some of the illustrations take inspiration from Dutch still life paintings and portraits, while others would have fit right in with an American folk-art movement. … [Read more...]
No More Worrying About Keys! As I mentioned in my Weiser review, it's easy to update your front entrance and increase your curb appeal by changing your lock or door handle. Weiser is offering one Canadian reader a chance to do just that. I mentioned in my review that Weiser locks are great aesthetically, but also for added security. Weiser's SmartCode Electronic Keypad Deadbolt giveaway—open to Canadians only! Features of the SmartCode Electronic Keypad Deadbolt: Keyless entry … [Read more...]
In a recent post, Tazim talked about the importance of taking care of what you have, and it got me to thinking about how lucky I was to grow up with hands-on parents—even if I didn't realize it at the time. In addition to the usual chores, mowing the lawn or doing the dishes, it was I important to my Mom that all of her kids (two boys and one girl), could cook a meal, sew their own clothes, and plant a garden. Meanwhile, my Dad taught us how to look after a house, from basic plumbing to … [Read more...]
Canada Only:
2 Tickets to Calgary Home and Garden Show Ends Wednesday Feb. 22nd
Win a complete pair of designer glasses (ARV $200+) from ClearlyContacts! Canada Only Ends Feb 29
