{my weekend}

My sweet sister managed to get us some really cheap tickets to the BC Home and Garden show that took place this past weekend at the Vancouver Convention Center. We were privileged to have received tickets from these two talented ladies, Pam and Elke from Botanus, who sit on our community garden board with my sister. It is the same garden where I met Jodi of Simply Inspired Home! 

The BC Home and Garden show was a bit disappointing. I had hoped for more designers, home furnishings, etc. It really catered to the man of the home with lots of trades selling their roofing supplies, paving stones, greenhouses, hot tubs, flooring, builders, with a few small eco friendly sellers mixed in.

As we were wandering around I heard some familiar voices and as we headed toward the main stage, we came upon Colin and Justin, the Scottish dynamic design duo that are currently living in Canada. They are the hosts and designers behind the design show on HGTV Canada "Colin and Justin's Home Heist" where they makeover homes desperate for a new look with flair and a budget that the average person can handle.

They were hilarious, talking about their spray tan fiasco, how they met Debbie Travis, making fun of Canadian underground basements, our love of big freezers and hideous appliances! They showed amazing before and after photos of a few projects they tackled on their show and gave tips on how to re-do a space without spending a fortune.

After walking around a bit more, enjoying the garden booths I decided to drag my sister to meet Colin and Justin. We were lucky as we were the last 2 people that got to meet them! They were just as funny in person.

{my cute pregnant sister}

{The debonair duo}

With the exception of my painting projects going wrong, I had an exciting and busy weekend.

How about you?

XO Barbara

{games room: inspirational photos}

 My attempt is to create the room on a very strict budget. So far I have only purchased paint, the best money spent so far. For only $45, the room changed dramatically. It went from a gray-lavender to a serene watery blue, Woodlawn Blue, a perfect backdrop for this space. On Wednesday I shared with you the fabric that is inspiring the colour scheme of the space.

 Currently we have a wall of Billy bookcases in a dark stain to house the kids books, photo albums and other reference books along with our ugly computer desk, which is now too big for the space. Hopefully I can source a desk, sofa, side table and TV console/sideboard/bookcase for the room.

Want to see the photos I hope will inspired the design direction of the room?

The first is one of my favourites!

source: Emily A. Clark

What great idea Emily had using a circa 70's sideboard Craigslist find as a TV console. Perfect for storage as well, I could get our crafts and games to fit into a piece of furniture like that, freeing up space in the closet. We have the same television and I love she incorporated it into a gallery wall. This really de-emphasizs the television, creating a more visual pleasing wall.

Or I am thinking of lower bookshelves to run along the wall with the TV mounted on the wall surrounded by larger scale art such as this basement room in the 2010 Princess Margaret Hospital Lottery home designed by Canadian House and Home.

 Don't the sofas just call out to you, "sit down, curl up"? They are the Ektorp sofa from Ikea, I am thinking they would work perfect in our space. 

Priced right and kid friendly.

source: House and Home

The newly created games room will have have a office/computer zone in the corner, I love how this is a stylish yet compact office space.

 Perfect for our room!

source: Rate My Space

This is one of my favourite playroom photos.

What a comfortable, casual and colourful space, perfect for a family to hang out, something I hope to create in our room. 

via: Desire to Decorate

I guess you would all like to see photos of the room?

OK, here is what the room looked like on Tuesday.

Scary, 
I know.

You'll have to wait until next week to see the current state of chaos the room is in {if you dare}.

XO Barbara

{the great switch: part II}

The walls are painted in 2 of the 3 rooms.

My amazing daughter {she is the youngest, of the two girls, almost 15} helped me paint all day Monday; she is the one who got the whole switch process going by helping draft out floor plans for the rooms on the weekend.

Yesterday I moved the contents of 3 closets and then decided to purge. Its amazing how easily a family can accumulate junk stuff that just takes up space! Feels good to sort and organize, except my back and hands are sore. Moving furniture, boxes and painting can be a real workout.

 Hmmm... think I need to start running again.

The games room is still in disarray but it feels good to finally get things somewhat under control.

Some furniture needs to be re-painted and sourced, I am always looking for an excuse to hit Ikea, furniture, fabric and thrift shops.  

Let me show you the fabric that is inspiring the colour scheme of our newly carved out games room space. I am hoping to create a cozy, vibrant, family friendly space. This colour scheme is a brave attempt away from my usual black and white. My resolution this year is to inject some colour and to play with patterns. The games room is a perfect laboratory to experiment in!

Pulling colours out of the fabric I chose to paint the walls Woodlawn Blue, a Benjamin Moore colour that I had colour matched using Behr paint with built-in primer. This paint goes on so smoothly and has fantastic coverage, not to mention it is low VOC, so it has minimal "paint" smell.

I am also loving Raspberry Truffle as a great red accent for the room, maybe a side table in this colour?

The fabric was purchased in November on sale for $7/m! I only bought 2 meters and wish I had purchased more. I am hoping the fabric store will get more in, then I might buy more to make drapes or recover a chair? {Taking a cue from Sarah 101 yesterday where she suggested using a large floral print on an accent chair}

I am going to have fun with this space!

Now if I could only win the lottery, then I could go really crazy!

{dreamy kitchens}

I love kitchens. 

 I dream of having the perfect kitchen {one day}as it is the heart of our home.

We are currently renting our home while we wait to find our perfect home, in the meantime I have serious kitchen envy. 

I am not saying that our current kitchen is bad, I have seen worse. It is just stuck in a 90's oak time warp. It has great bones, solid oak cabinets, lots of counter space and tons of storage. It has so much potential. But...

I don't think the owners of the home would appreciate me painting their cabinets, they are of the "never-paint-perfectly-great-wood"generation.

So instead I dream.......{and wait}

source: Canadian House and Home

to have a kitchen like this one day.

 This kitchen by fabulous Canadian designer, Tommy Smythe has to be one of my favourites. It is in my {dream} kitchen file. The mix of black, white, stainless steel, marble and rustic elements makes it an absolute dream.

Another fantastic kitchen in my {dream} kitchen file is Margot Austin's kitchen. Margot is the senior design editor at one of my favourite Canadian decor magazines, Style at Home. If you think you have seen this kitchen before on my blog, you have. It took part of a What's Your Style in One Picture challenge From The Right Bank

Lastly, this gorgeous kitchen from the January 2010 issue of Style At Home, has also made it into the {dream} kitchen file. Even the stools are fantastically glamourous with their nailhead trim.

So while I cook and bake in my not-so-glamourous-oak-with-mismatched-appliances kitchen I will {dream} of one day washing dishes in my gleaming farmhouse sink while tap dancing on hardwood floors, rummaging for canned goods behind white cabinet doors, rolling out cookie dough on marble counters and whipping up a Kraft gourmet dinner on a shiny stainless steel stove.

~Don't Show This To My Husband~

As I was browsing through design*sponge this morning, I stumbled across this Toronto home. The home belongs to artist Courtenay Wotherspoon. What almost made me fall off the chair is this photo of her gorgeous entryway. 

I am married to a bike FANATIC, who cycles every chance he gets, collects bicycles to the point that one lives in my family room (it migrated from our bedroom). It is a bone of contention. He thinks I should incorporate it into our home design. 

This photo should NOT be shown to him!

source: HGTV Canada

I love Courtenay's quirky sense of style and her home. In this space, she successfully marries the heritage staircase with an Ikea console, vintage framed mirror, Starck ghost chair and the practical bicycle as art. Isn't the archway to die for?

LOVE it!

 (except we will still keep this photo away from my husband, this could help his cause)

  

~An Afternoon Tea with Good Company~

This past weekend I had the most wonderful afternoon with good company. Victoria, a very friendly, talented designer and blogger and one of my biggest supporters organized a tea for local bloggers at a quaint cafe, The Little White House Salon Cafe in historic Fort Langley, BC. 

source: Marcus Design

Source: Design Ties

I was honoured to be included in the group that is full of amazing talent. While relishing the tiny sandwiches, savouries, desserts and petit fours we enjoyed great conversation, getting to know one another a little bit better. 

Source: The Little White House

source: The Little White House

It was delightful  to meet in person the ever talented women behind inspirational local blogs. Among the group was ( from left to right), Nancy from Marcus Design, Maria from Colour Me Happy, Victoria from Design Ties, myself, Tracy from My House of Giggles, Catherine from peace love sweater, and Karla  from Kerrisdale Design.  

Myself, Victoria, Karla and Nancy

Source: Marcus Design

Karla, myself, Catherine, Nancy and Maria

We enjoyed wandering around the The Little White House, the furniture, accessories and clothing shop owned by Cheryl Krecsy, whose home and this shop has been featured in various publications such as Style at Home and Canadian House and Home. The shop and cafe is situated inside a historical home, The Marr House. 

The shop is loaded with gorgeous furnishings, antiques, luxurious linens, one of a kind clothing, lighting and accessories. Everywhere you looked there was a feast for the eyes.

source: The Little White House

Source: Marcus Design

I love the rustic elegance of the cafe, the mix of crystal chandeliers, ornate mirrors, white furniture and the rustic barn board walls.

source: Marcus Design

 I love this chandelier, it reminds me of a cluster of grapes. I love how it casts a unique shadow on the ceiling. 

Thank-you Victoria from Design Ties for organizing the get together. We all look forward to more!

~Upholstered Headboard~

Gathering all the furniture and accessories for my daughter's room has been such a fun process. I am making changes along the way, trying to listen to my daughter's desires for what kind of space she wants. She will let me paint her room Stonington Gray but doesn't want any white furniture. She really wanted a new desk and a different bed. I sourced out a great find from Craigslist and will share later on. 

What she REALLY wants is an upholstered headboard. Before I can make her a headboard I need to change up her bed. She is currently sleeping on the one half of the pine bunk bed she had shared with her sister.

 But that is so yesterday! 

I have sourced some inexpensive box springs for both my girls' beds and will be picking them up next week. In our garage I have a huge piece of plywood that will be enough to make two headboards, one for each girl. My dad is coming to visit next week and am hoping I can sweet talk him into bringing his jigsaw and cutting out a shape for the headboard. Maybe a plate of cookies and a good cup of coffee might do the trick??

Now the dilemma is: What shape?

via decorpad

A slight curve?

via design*sponge

Really curvy?

source: Aubrey and Lindsay's blog

(Check out the side table, I am using that as an inspiration for my daughter's room)

 A slight sexy curve with nailhead detail?

via decorpad

Or with square lines and tufted?

I will pull out the fabric which I have had for almost a year and see how it will inspired the shape. Hopefully by the next few weeks I will have the bed up and room finished!

Here is a great DIY upholstered headboard video tutorial from my favourite online design show that is produced by Canadian House and Home!

~Fabulous Find: Mirror~

This has been my lucky week for fabulous finds. 

I found this fantastic mirror in the clearance section of Homesense for $20.

 It is the perfect addition that will add the touch of glamour for my daughter's room. I wanted a starburst mirror but find this one more original. I love how there is the layering of two mirrors and the overlapping wires that give it the look of a flower. With her walls painted Stonington Gray, a tufted headboard, the mercury glass side lamp along with the thrift store lamp I re-vamped with silver leaf, her room will look elegant and grown-up, very fitting for a girl who is about to turn 16.

 Slowly I am collecting the accessories and furniture needed for her room, I have been enjoying the process and can't wait to put it all together. The challenge is to try to spend as little as possible and so far I have been finding bargains galore!

I have another find for her room that I found on Craigslist yesterday and am picking it up on Sunday which will require a coat of paint. Can't wait to show it to you.

Oh - remember how I was hoping and wanting me some chiang mai dragon fabric? 

Well......

 *sigh* 

I found a store that could order some in but {gulp} the price tag was a bit much, at $256 per yard I think I might just have to win the lottery!