DIY and Thrift Shop Upcycling

I have been a volunteer member for the Marketing Committee of Habitat for Humanity Halton for a few months now and after my last meeting wandered into the Burlington ReStore for a look at how the expansion plans were coming along.  While I was there the DIY bug hit me and I decided I should look for some paint for a chair I've been meaning to spruce up and a shelf that needed some attention.

I found a small $4 can of soft blue paint that is the main accent colour in my office inspired by this picture that hangs over my drafting table.  It's over 4 feet wide and almost feels like I'm looking out a window, near the ocean, soft breeze blowing in...um hmm, but I digress!

The cherry stained wood chair was in great condition but needed new fabric and a paint job to revive it from the basement corner and back to the life of the living. 

So I took it apart, gave it a good cleaning and sanded down the glossy finish.  Then I picked out some fabric from my archives that I found at my favourite fabric outlet for $2 per yard (yes $2 not $20!!) and recovered the seat with some new foam and batting.

Et Voila!

I love the energy of the colour palette in this fabric and the zig-zags

remind me of the waves in my artwork.

Next the shelf, a thrift store find for $15. 

Again some cleaning and sanding, the top was quite roughed up.

Nothing a few coats of pretty paint couldn't fix.

Now I have another place for fabric samples, furniture catalogues, wallpaper, and paint decks. 

And, more surface for the never ending library of design books and magazines.

I found the Foo dog at Homesense and the nude artwork at Artsource - each for $5.

You should definitely give Habitat ReStore a look-see if you are doing renovations or projects around the house.   They have a great kitchen section, tons of doors and windows, bathroom fixtures and lighting, paint, and more.  There are lots of treasures to be had if you are a DIY type and great deals too!

Happy Treasure Hunting!

Gray Matter

I've been working with a client in a modern space and have been spending a lot of time sourcing items for the black, white and gray colour scheme.  Gray has become my new black!  I've been loving everything I'm seeing in textiles, wallpaper, metallics, floors....

Gray is like a chameleon blending in with its surroundings while creating a calming backdrop for almost any colour to thrive.  It can be modern or traditional.

Monique LHulier via Decorpad, Joe Schmezler photography

Candice Olson wallpaper

Gray can add a sense of patina a historic quality associated with nobility and elegance.

Decorpad

Alkemie

Steven Gambrel

Gray can be organic .... allowing the natural essence of wood to take center stage.

Domino

Textures come alive in gray hues, velvet is inviting, silk is brilliant, wool is enveloping.

Greige

Amy D. Morris

Schumacher





Osborne & Little

Robert Allen



Cole and Son Classix



Cole and Son Contemporary II




Schumacher Go Baroque

 

Gray metallics are today's most popular finish for hardware in both modern and traditional spaces.
Gray tiles make a white/gray bathroom look heavenly spa-like



Traditional Home

Traditional Home

  Gray has overcome austere and ambiguous conotations to become a star in the design world,

I'm happy to have it in my creative repertoire.



via 1st Dibs Wedgewood black basalt covered urns

 


Artwork via 1st Dibs
by Lillian Bassam 1917, Anne Saint-Marie New York



Now, all I need is a gray cashmere sweater-dress!

 

Alexander Wang via The Sartorialist



and maybe these Pedro Garcia beauties!



What's your favourite Gray?

 

 



Storage Solutions: Built-In Cabinetry

Do you ever look at a beautifully designed room and wonder, "Where do they put all their stuff"?  I've always admired rooms that take advantage of all the vertical space by putting in custom cabinetry that was designed and built for the items the homeowners want to store.  It can become the focal point in a room with little architectural interest as well as a great way to stay organized.



Steven Gambrel

Hallway nooks and odd niches make great spaces for bookshelves and custom cabinetry

that may otherwise be left empty.



Candice Olson basement family room

This basement was given a focal point with custom cabinetry to enclose the fireplace, TV and all the pretty things the client had to display on open shelving.

I'm redecorating a small townhouse living room that was in need of some serious storage as you can see from the dated "before" picture below.  My client had a tiny oak cabinet that served her well in 1997 but was forced to keep her favourite treasures in the basement because she had nowhere to display them. 

So I worked with a cabinetmaker that specializes in media solutions to design and build a unit that fit her requirements of a bigger, flat screen TV, storage for media equipment to be hidden, and open shelving for her treasured Hummel figurines that she's been collecting for years.  We added some curvy legs to make it look more like a piece of furniture, traditional trim across the top to match her adjacent fireplace trim and lighting for a little sparkle in the evening and, to show off her prized collection.

Here's the sketch of the unit that was designed to ensure the shelves would fit my client's specific needs.

We made sure to maximize the space available on this wall.  The unit is 88" wide and 84" tall.  On the lower center doors we placed metal screens instead of wood panels to accomodate the media units while keeping the side door panels solid to hide all the things they don't want to display.  We included glass shelves and doors on the upper cabinets with crystal knobs for an added bit of elegance.  We then selected a paint colour that worked with her kitchen cabinetry also visible from the living room.

Here's the new unit (with old TV inside)
against a freshly painted gray wall with a hint of green

The screened-in doors add some additional interest and texture to the piece.

We will be placing baskets on the bottom center shelves to create a uniform and tidy look while keeping all the DVDs and smaller items hidden.  My client was so pleased with the final outcome and what a big difference it made in the room - she couldn't wait to display her favourite things that had been in storage for so long.

The interior lighting is really pretty at night and makes the crystal candle holders on top sparkle.

Vintage glassware came out of boxes and can now be enjoyed everyday.

More to come on this makeover in a future post.

If you need great custom cabinetry, check out Mulligan Woodworking in Mississauga.

Canadian Gift Show - Part 2

This segment of my visit to the CGTA has a mix of well known sources of design inspiration and some new introductions for me.

Muti & Co. has a wonderful collection of furnishings and accessories for any style home.  Creative Director Lisa Aiken was kind enough to highlight some lovely vignettes she designed and new products they were featuring at the show.

More Black Glamour - also featured here

Can't resist the silver velvet chair and organza floral pillows with mirrored furniture and hits of fuschia...

or are we calling it Honeysuckle now?

Elegant European flair

Garden inspiration

Their huge selection of mirrors is striking against the deep blue wall

I was totally struck by this picture and I MUST have it for myself!

Another stop on my tour was a well known brand available in some of the finest home decor retailers and often cited in shelter magazines, Torre & Tagus.  The drama of the black and white foundation, while captivating, took a back seat to the bursts of pink, purple and silver sprinkled throughout.  Birds, poodles and orchids beckon to be noticed!

We were all swooning over the owls at West Elm in December

A new flock is coming ladies!

This mirror would be fabulous for my powder room makeover (someday!)

You don't need an expensive floral bouquet for these gorgeous vases,

just a few simple blooms or large banana leaves.

Her boyfriend is over here

Amy Butler known for her fashion & print design has collaborted with New Orleans based manufacturer Kalencom to create gorgeous bags and travel accessoies.  Made of eco-friendly organic cotton, low impact dyes and the highest grade leather accents, zippers & trims along with bulletproof construction! 

Can't beat that.

The lovely Lin was very helpful demonstrating the quality construction, versatility and functionality of all the pockets, beautifully lined with high grade leather in this photo below.

Look at all the gorgeous colours and patterns.  They come in a wide variety of styles such as totes, dufflebags, laptop bags, diaper bags, various sized travel and carry-ons. 

The only problem is which amazing pattern to choose!

Still more to come from CGTA 2011...