It's One Room Challenge time!!! What is this about you ask? Linda from 'Calling it Home' organized a challenge to bloggers and designers to makeover a space in 6 weeks (gah!) She features 20 fabulous bloggers and allows guest participants to link up (one of which is me!) each week as the makeover is happening every spring and fall. A daunting task but I'm up for the challenge! (*ask me how I feel next week*) I'm taking on our powder room which isn't in bad shape but it needs a revamp. The walls are brown, the mirror isn't something I'd pick, the floors need a re-do, etc. Time for a change! (Read: John is nervous) Here is my mood board for this space: It's inspired by pictures I took at the beach in Fort Myers this winter. You know me with birds. I'm ... [ Read More ]
Leaks, Repairs and Design, oh my! (The tale of our Kitchen Nook)
Oh the joys of home-ownership. A minor leak prompted a phone call to the plumbers (to be sure it didn't turn into anything major) and they ended up hacking out part of the wall of three rooms on each of the three levels to replace this massive pipe: (If you’re in the Ottawa area and in need of a plumber, Belanger Plumbing is the one to contact – they were fantastic!) While we dreaded having to patch, paint, and do whatever to cover these crazy holes, it presented an opportunity to my want-to-be-a-designer self. First stop, the kitchen nook! Let’s take a look again at what we had to deal with: Crazy, right?! What was there before you ask? Since we park our cars in the back of our home, it is used as our primary entrance so I made a makeshift mudroom complete with a bench ... [ Read More ]
Beautiful Wallpaper from Unexpected Sources!
As I'm prepping and gathering all of my materials for the "One Room Challenge" coming up in a few weeks (!!!) I've been sourcing some wallpaper. My sources though are not the usual spots you'd expect to find wallpaper so I thought I'd share them with you! The first one will blow your mind. (It blew mine!) You know my love for peel-and-stick wallpaper by WallPops but do you know where I get this product from? BestBuy! Why BestBuy? Their prices are comparable, if not lower during sales weeks than other sources and they deliver lighting quick. Here are a couple that I love, one of which I've used! (P.S. Click on each image for more information) Another source you may not expect is Bouclair! Do you remember when they used to be a fabric store? They've since turned their ... [ Read More ]
Front Entrance (aka Mudroom) Makeover!
Ok kids, this project took me ages to figure out and complete. And it's a tiny space! Our front entrance. It has bugged me since the day we moved in and I have been dying to make it interesting and welcome. But first let me take you to what it looked like before and what it looked like after my "I'm sick of beige" feeling kicked in: I loved the new look that the paint refresh gave (it's a rich dark gray and the trim was freshened up as well) but I couldn't figure out what to do with it afterwards so it stayed bare for awhile (a year maybe?!) That was until I found a mirror that I loved and some lovely leggy stools: What's the problem you ask? This: Yeah...see those light switches and alarm panel? They're functional but not very pretty. And they were not installed ... [ Read More ]
Gorgeous (and Affordable!) Lighting Options
Gah. So this week's post got bumped to next week because of camera issues so I did a post switcheroo. But it'll be worth the wait, promise! I'm currently working on updating a space in our home and lighting was next on my to-shop-for list so I thought I'd share my go-to places for affordable (but chic!) lighting. Hint, think big-box stores! You think I'm crazy, right? Hunt online at big box stores and you'll be amazed at what you can find. And generally you can pick them up in store for free (i.e., no shipping fees) and return them without a hassle in case someone (*cough* John *cough*) absolutely hates what you've chosen. Here are a few that I have been looking at and keep in mind that I don't get paid for featuring any of them - I genuinely love each and every one of these ... [ Read More ]
There for the Making – The Zero Dollar DIY Challenge – February Edition!
Sarah from 'Flourish & Knot' gathered a great group of bloggers together for a few challenges in 2017, all revolving around DIY solutions that only use materials you have on hand (i.e., you're not allowed to spend any $$$!) February marks our first challenge and I had some work to do to figure out what I already had to solve a few problem areas in our home. I decided to tackle a small area of our pantry that is overrun with plastic bags. Anyone else have this issue?? I thought a reusable fabric bag could hold them all in but this is what it looks like: And more often than not, this is what happens: The solution I used came from a former co-worker of mine (Marc, if you're reading this, I first thought you were nuts but now I think you're a genius!). It ... [ Read More ]
How to DIY quick and easy bulletin boards!
I've been asked how I made those bulletin boards in my last post so I thought I'd share my process with you! Here are my materials: cork tiles or sheets (I bought these at the dollar store) self-adhesive shelf liner scissors A pretty basic list, right? The cork sheets at the dollar store are actually quite thick compared to others so you don't have to worry about applying a backing material when pinning things to your bulletin board. The first thing you need to do is cut the cork sheets into the size/shape you want: Laying out your self-adhesive liner, face down, place your piece of cork onto it and then cut around the cork sheet, leaving about a 2 inch border all around your piece: Remove the cork and carefully peel your liner, leaving it face down, ... [ Read More ]
A tale of two cabinets…
Well, one really that's split into two. And when I went in to reach for something recently in said cabinet, twelve things fell out and smacked my head in the process. So here I am with another organizing post! This cabinet is in the kitchen right by the back door and it serves as a multi-purpose storage space for things like tape, change, sewing kits, scissors, etc. I was so frustrated that I don't have many before pictures (believe me, this space was JAMMED!) but here are a couple to give you an idea of the mess that was inside: To put it all back together required a purge and an assessment of what we need/use in this jack-of-all-trades cabinet and then something to categorize all the stuff going back in. Say hello to these little wonders: I had measured the space ... [ Read More ]
A nod to Valentine’s Day decor!
Valentine's Day is just around the corner and while I'm not a huge Valentine's Day person, I do love all things pink! (John is not a fan of pink for decor but now that we have a little girl who loves it, he's outnumbered in the decorating-say department) :) But it doesn't all have to be hearts and flowers for this occasion's decor - check out some ideas below to incorporate a little pink love into your home without being too holiday focused (and without breaking the bank!): This bedspread combines gray (my favourite neutral) and light pink in a geometric pattern which is both light and cozy. It reminds me of a feather-down jacket! This rug - oh how I love this rug! The price is ridiculously low and it is simply adorable. This mug in pink and gold would make me feel glam ... [ Read More ]
A little play area for our little girl!
As promised (quite awhile ago!) more living room goodness! I may have mentioned it before but our living room re-design happened pre-child so thoughts of washable surfaces and rounded edges did not cross our minds. Then I became pregnant! Versatility, storage and having a place to play became the most important features to have so a re-design of the re-design happened. You may have already seen this corner of our living room from a previous post: Originally it was going to house a lounge type chair (think the Eames chair by Herman Millar) along with a chic side table for drinks. That plan got revised quick once we found out a little person was on its way so this is what it morphed into: We didn't think an Eames chair would make a great toy gym. As much as I tried to make this ... [ Read More ]
