When someone challenges me to create something on a budget, I get very serious about it. People often think that decorating a space is very costly, so they make do with what they have, even though they really don't like the way it makes them feel. I got my creative juices flowing recently, when I was tasked to spend only $150 to redecorate a space for the New Year. One of the things I do every morning is get ready (think makeup and finishing touches on my hair) for the day ahead. Having a ...
housewares
Display your Memories
Why keep your favourite memories tucked away in a photo album or sitting amongst thousands of other pictures you've taken (of your cat, yourself, or the city's skyline) on your cellphone and hard drive? Extend the joy of those special moments you've had throughout the year by displaying them some somewhere you can regularly see them. What I like about the Hangit Photo Display from Umbra is that it's easy to customize what's displayed and change things up as often as I want to. I like to ...
Top 10 Kitchen Items Fit For a Foodie
For a foodie, every meal takes on a gourmet dimension. Breakfast is not simply French toast; it is cinnamon-infused brioche, drenched in egg custard, fried lightly and served with a freshly-mixed berry coulis. The proper tools are needed to create culinary concoctions like these. Transform your ordinary kitchen into a foodie's paradise with the following gadgets: ...
How to Make Your Own Lavender Linen Spray
I've been using the scent of lavender to help me get to sleep at night for years. Usually, I put a few drops of Lavender Essential Oil on my pillow, but with certain linens, the oil can stain. Plus, the scent is really concentrated in one location. I've seen linen sprays in stores before, but the bottles tend to be quite expensive—considering it is mostly water-based. I've seen bottles of lavender linen spray, in particular for $20 or more! Kind of crazy, right? Well, I got to thinking—how hard ...
Handmade Block-Printed Tablecloth from India from MyMela
MyMela's Silver Speckle Red Tablecloth makes me want to throw an impromptu dinner party. . .or a romantic meal for 2. ...
IDS West One of a Kind District Handmade Preview
IDS West—Interior Design Show West in Vancouver—is an event that takes place in September in Vancouver. The majority of the exhibition grounds cover interior and industrial design, as well as housewares—as well as a section for handmade products and works by local artists. I'm really looking forward to this year's show and checking out some of the new things in the One of a Kind District. ...
A Volume and Weight Scale — Deserted Island Kitchen # 8
At home we have nice thick metal measuring cups and spoons galore—they rattle around in our cupboards and drawers like a pocket-ful of change. But, just like all those pennies that you can never seem to spend, we hardly ever use them. Instead, we measure by weight: it makes it easy to double, halve, and quickly throw together, recipes from around the world. We couldn't live without our kitchen scale, which lives on our counter with an index card full of conversion factors taped to the ...
Spring Finds from Gus Modern Furniture
Gus* Modern furniture is eco-friendly, well-designed and based in Canada. Jane Loft Bi-Sectional I like the industrial look of this swing-arm lamp. My favourite item (and maybe the most popular one) is the 3-piece Prairie Table set of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canadian Prairie provinces. I love versatile pieces like this tree stump storage box: I could see this being used in a living room to store blankets. What else could you use this for? Maybe extra clothing, gloves ...
Five Fantasy Faucets
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 ...
MyMela Handmade Wooden Tray From India Review
I can picture having company over for the holidays or in the summer, and bringing out coffee or lemonade on this handmade wooden tray. Products on MyMela help celebrate the handicrafts of India. Made of high-quality wood, and expertly carved in the centre to create a beautiful border and middle design, this handmade wooden tray is of a good weight/is really durable. I can just smell India in this tray—and it brings back memories of my trip. I do love the natural smell of this tray. Another ...