Best Seat in the House!

I finally broke down and bought myself a new chair for my living room. While I loved my new/old chair, it just seemed too big and assuming in our cozy (read smaller) living room. IKEA to the rescue!

I bought this Jennylund chair and had it shipped to me.

I LOVE IT!

My mum bought me this beautiful wool blanket (from Homesense/Homegoods) for my upcoming birthday and I love its felted flower embellishments:

Is it strange for a chair to make someone so happy?

The Marvelous Down Under...

As a proud Canadian, I like to share the talents of my fellow Canadians any chance I can. One of the best selling Canadian magazines is House and Home magazine, and I have recently discovered some of the great blogs over on their website, too. One of my favourites, is from Meg Crossley, Senior Editor with the magazine. Meg recently shared the renovation of her basement within the pages of House and Home and on her blog. To say it is a fabulous transformation would be an exercise in restraint. In my opinion, Meg has elevated her basement's status from sub-terrain to go-to haven, worthy of coming up for air...and heaps of praise. See for yourself!

Before:

...and, happily, after:

And her basement laundry area, before:

and after:

Is it not perfection??

To see and read more, pick up House and Home`s fall 2009 Make-overs special issue, and be sure to visit Meg`s blog, here. Thank you for so graciously sharing your photos with us, Meg!

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(all images, courtesy Meg Crossley and used with permission)

In Living Colour...

above photos: Designer Guild.com

We all get cravings. I am having colour cravings, and photos like these are working to tempt my sweet tooth. But, if your tastes are more of the vanilla persuasion, check out this creamy confection:

(photo source, Design Inc.)

I also love living rooms, and there is a whole lot of living to be done in these great rooms. These are no humble abodes; in fact, they are more like runway fashion shows laid out on canvases that we call living rooms, great rooms, parlours.

photo: House to Home

No matter what you call them, aren't they so lovely all dressed up this way?

Can your television be art??

photo source: www.auton.com

photo: www.hgtv.com

Sure...I guess so...mm hmm...if you say so...Can you sense my hesitancy?? Indeed, televisions have invaded our living spaces since their invention, but after a respectable run on concealing them, we are now being encouraged to put them on display...be proud of them...in a sense, let them take center stage! I, for one, tend to have a bit of a problem with that. The current thinking, that it is just as attractive to hang a huge plasma t.v. above a beautiful fireplace, doesn't quite sit well with me. I do confess however, to having suggested it as an option to clients for whom watching television is the major focus in the room. For many things I live by the mantra: It is what it is- however,there is certainly no making a television pretty. Sure, they have definitely upped their cool factor, and a high end/expensive plasma baby will certainly impress some folks, but ultimately I still call for the concealing of the "black hole" in an armoire or the like.

...But is the armoire being relegated to "passe"?

In my family, we definitely watch t.v., however, it is not a huge part of our lives. We are just as likely to use our main living area to read the newspaper, play a game, watch an impromptu "concert" or just hang out. The t.v. is not always on, and when not in use, it is tidily tucked away in a small armoire my husband built for me. Out of sight...out of mind.

Perhaps the funniest description I have heard for the new "plasma wonders" is sexy. What?? There are those in the design field who like to throw that word around to be chic and hip. I call it decorating jargon..."sexy plasma screen t.v."..."a punch of color"..."the table provided visual weight", etc. etc. Every industry has their lingo, but I've never personally gotten a sexy vibe off a piece of furniture!! Have you??

I think the reasons for the trend towards showcasing one's high-end television can range from simple practicality to the desire to elevate their sleek televisions to the rank of status symbol. In other words, you show your goods because it's just not practical to hide them, or because you want others to see your "silky bits".


Either way, the choice is yours. Personally, I'll continue to hide my basic, functional televisions and steer clear of this trend. Call me old-fashioned if you will, but somethings just can't compete with the more traditionally displayed mantel adornments...a beautiful mirror or a great piece of artwork. In this case, I'm taking sides with the armoire!!

This, to me, is plasma placement done very well!!

Open:closed!

(photo: www.southernliving.com )

Other happier, if not pricier, compromises to conceal one's plasma t.v. at the flick of a button are shown below. Two great websites to view the possibilities include: http://www.vutec.com/ and http://www.auton.com/

The sliding artwork option:

photo: www.auton.com

The flip-down screen option...albeit quite techie looking:

...again, the sliding artwork...get posing girls!!

above two photos: www.auton.com

In addition, Hooker Furniture, which specializes in home entertainment units, states on its website that it is "...offering several new styles for plasma TV owners. The most expensive units offer the pop-up option. Others are consoles with brackets on the top to affix to the television. And larger wall units feature a wide, shallow central area for the skinny TVs."

photo: Hooker Furniture

What is your opinion...hide it or flaunt it??

I oughta make an ottoman...so I did!!

photo: Country Living Magazine

Last week, there were two crucial elements missing from my living/family room. A big, beautiful rug, and an ottoman. It seems there is a golden rule (not mine!!) that every living room needs ample seating (check!); fireplace/mantel (working or not...check!); television carefully concealed in an armoire (check!), sufficient lighting for reading (check!); ottoman or coffee table to display swank books designed to make the homeowner look highly intelligent or stylish, or both (I just stick with home decor mags, since I'm not really either!!!)...and a soft rug/carpet for man or beast to sit on when aforementioned seating is occupied...oh yeah, and to ground the room (widely-used decorating speak).

`Well, about three years ago, I decided I would build myself an ottoman (sidenote: this always means hubby will build said project). Every single episode of Trading Spaces seemed to include this project, so if flighty Hilde could do it, surely I could!! I purchased some legs, the fittings, and always meant to pick up just the right fabric. Fast forward to October 2007 and I was on the case!!! I was inspired to start the task after revisiting the local fabric shop in my small town that had recently reopened after...well, I don't know why it closed! No matter, a discreetly placed roll of fabric caught my eye and I had my Aha moment! The fabric seemed to be a good match/coordinating pattern to go with my sofa, so I quickly asked the storelady to cut me off enough to make a respectable sized ottoman. Then, since she had the scissors, I decided I would buy enough to give MY chair a new slipcover. I gave her the directions quickly, like I make every decision for my home, and 8 metres later and some trim, and I was in business.

LONG story short: I made it, it probably looks that way, but it's an ottoman all right and it has filling the living room must-have requirement quite nicely. Hubby (who figured we didn't need it/didn't want to take the time to make it, but did because he loves me...and I can nag oh so well...) seems to have his feet up on it each evening, and likes to spread his inky newspaper on it. All in all, it probably cost me $60 to make...which isn't that cheap for something that looks homemade, but I think I like it. The fabric is giving me pause, though. Not on the ottoman, but I'm a little worried that I was a bit rash when deciding to use it on my beloved chair. I think it is a bit heavy for the room, and I probably shouldn't have picked it for a large furniture piece. But hey, when you live in a small town with only one fabric store and the fabric selection remains the same for at least a year, a girl can't be faulted for jumping at some new blood!!!

As for the other missing piece of my living room picture, a rug, well... I'm working on it. Which really means I'm working on convincing hubby! Any large purchase is a slow process for him. He has to come to terms with the notion that you can't get a good rug in the right size for under $100!! I am slowly breaking him in that the rug will cost a fair bit more than that, and that is hard!! I am certain that, in time, he will come to accept this and that he will realize that we must accept that which we cannot change, and also that I will be there for him every step of the way. Just as I vowed to on our wedding day...

Well, here is my masterpiece...what do you think?? Oh, and I'll show you pictures of my chair when the slipcover is finished... and definitely not made by me!!!

Cheers!

Got the Blues??

To be honest, I have only recently (in the last few years) gotten back into the colour blue. The last few homes I have built I used tons of yellow in all its shades. Cream, pale yellow, daisy yellow, right up to muted mustard shades (think Benjamin Moore's Vellum. In the home prior to this one, I discovered the most beautiful shade of blue- kind of a washed out robin's egg blue. I used it in my bathroom and I loved it so much, I carried it with me to my new home (again in the bathroom). I also painted my kitchen cabinets the freshest shade of blue-gray and I am thrilled with how I feel when I enter my kitchen. Blue truly is soothing...not at all cold, although I think I will feel cooler in the summer with so much of it around me.

Colour selection is one of the most daunting choices when decorating a room (or rooms). That is because there is so much choice!! Does it really make a difference if you go with the dark sage as opposed to the olive green? In a word, yes - every space has different light and shadows and a colour can look totally different from room to room. My best tip is to find a colour you love either in a decorative item or even the clothes you are wearing. Chances are, if you like a colour enough to wear it on your body, you will likely enjoy it in your home. Take this inspiration piece with you to the paint store and have them colour match it. This is your best chance for making the right paint selection. Meanwhile, back to the blue, why not give it a try? Paint a small bathroom or even the back of an open cabinet or shelving to breathe new life... fresh air...a bit of summer... into your home!!


***the photos above show my kitchen (sorry for the repeat performance), and my dream living room and bedroom (if I could start from scratch...)

Slipcoverin' it all up!!

Thank goodness for slip covers!! They have been a "blessing in disguise" for me in my home. It is not in my budget to purchase new sofas as often as I would like, so I have taken advantage of the slipcovering craze! The first sofa I ever purchased was back in 1992 and was in true "country" style-a blue gingham sofa bed that was neither comfortable nor very adaptable to different colour schemes. We kept that sofa for 9 years...long past its time as the springs were gone from the boys jumping on it. The next sofa was a compromise...I wanted a pale yellow waffle weave sofa I saw in one of the local furniture stores. It was, however, out of my budget so I settled for a yellow, plain sofa from the Sears catalogue that was on sale for $600. It was well made and close enough to the look I was going for and in fact is still serving us well in my present home, but is SLIPCOVERED. After too may moves to count, it had seen better days, but was still in great shape (i.e. no sagging, busted springs, etc.). I met a wonderful seamstress lastr Spring and she did the most incredible job making me the slip cover I had always wanted but just could not find in stores. I have wasted too many dollars on those department store slipcovers that look atrocious after sitting on them for 5 min. They are impractical and make more work than they are worth. The whole point of a good slipcover is to hide the ugly, not create more of it!

The slipcover my friend made is perfect to me. I wanted it to fit like a glove and be easily removable with no slack, and it is! I selected an affordable linen-look fabric in a pale taupe and had her sew piping using a light teal colored satin. The contrast between the two textures works great together and she sewed the seat cushions separately so that I can just remove and wash those as needed. I am thrilled with the results and figure I have bought myself several more years with this sofa. In fact, even though I plan to buy the sofa of my dreams in a few years time, I think I will have another slipcover made so that I can change the look and extend its wear longer as well.

Next up on the slipcover scene is a new cover for a rocking arm chair that I have had since 1994. Underneath its 6-yr old slipcover lies the ugliest chair you have ever seen. I bought it in a Home Hardware in Baddeck, N.S. (so you can just imagine how pretty it is) in the middle of a heat wave. I had just given birth to my first child and had no comfortable chair to nurse him in. Off to the store I went and when I sat in that chair, it was mine! I went on to nurse two more babies in it and I have my cup of tea in it every night. It is the rare person who ever gets to sit in it when I'm around. My kids and husband all know that it is "Mum's chair" and relinquish it to me without prompting. A good chair like that is hard to find! To get rid of it because it is ugly is like "throwing the baby out with the bath water." That is why slipcovers are a totally worthy piece of the decorating puzzle. Find a fabric you love, a great seamstress, and you can be a true "recycler" Make sure your slipcover is easily removed, of a durable fabric and pretty! Rescue (and revive) that favorite chair or sofa. After all, beauty is on the outside and the inside.

**the top left photo is my sofa before slipcovering; top right: with new slipcover; and bottom right is my dream sofa from Restoration Hardware.