Barcart Essentials

(psst... before we get into talking about fabulous barcart essentials, don't forget about my can't-be-missed Holiday Sale. All e-design boards are BUY ONE, GET ONE AT 50% OFF - now until December 31, 2015. One room per board. No need to be local. You can check out some examples of my design boards here. Send me an email so we can get started and reimagine that room in your home you've been thinking about!)

Can you believe that we are only just over a month away from Christmas? And with this Festive Season, comes a variety of holiday parties. And what's a holiday party without a few fantastic cocktails? Now, I'm not a bartender - far from it, so instead of giving you recipes for a fresh take on a classic drink, I thought I would share with you my fresh take on a classic barcart.

I love this one from Chairish:

I love the mix of gold and mirror on this cart. And those oversize wheels really make this barcart stand out.

Now, to bring this cart to life (like it needs it, right?!), I would love to outfit it with the following items:

 

Glassware from Z Gallerie

 

Arrow bottle opener from Indigo

 

Sleigh bell Bottletoppers in silver and gold from Anthropologie 

 

This to-die-for Kate Spade glass ice bucket

 And how cool are these toasting flutes from Z Gallerie?

 And finally, what's a great barcart without an array of booze? 

 

Source

Cheers to a very happy & safe holiday party season!

SALE!

It's been awhile. I know. But, I'm trying to get back in the saddle, so to speak. So in light of that, and this giving time of year, I'm announcing a HUGE SALE on all e-design boards.

All E-Design boards are BUY ONE, GET ONE AT 50% OFF.  Each design board (one room per board) is $100, and you can get the second one at only $50. 

What's great about E-Design boards, is you don't have to be local either! Simply send me a quick email with pics of the space you are looking to redo, and dimensions, budget, and maybe an idea of the look you're going for, and I will create the design board and email it back to you. I'll also include a complete source list and design plan for your new space.

You can check out previous boards that I've created here. And if you are local (Ottawa-area based) and are interested in an initial in-home consultation first, I can do so at my hourly rate of $40, with the purchase of a design board.

Send me a quick email (my contact info can be found here), and let's chat about how to redo that space in your home that you've been thinking about.

(FYI - Sale ends December 31, 2015 so HURRY!)

 

Small Space Solutions

I may be in the midst of building my dream home, but that doesn't mean that I'm not conscience of making the most out of my space. And for those that are short on space, there are plenty of tips and tricks you can use to maximize what you've got.

Take for instance, the downtown renter, who when it comes to a finding an apartment, location is everything. This apartment for rent in Ottawa (my amazing and beautiful hometown) is small but sweet - perfect for the person who wants to be close to everything.

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To make the most out of an apartment this size, consider these great ideas for a beautiful home.


1. Paint

First and foremost, paint is your best friend. You can change a space in an instant with a great wall colour. Plus, when it comes to renting, you can easily repaint the space back to a neutral beige or white (depending on your lease agreement). A bold accent wall can also define the space, especially in a studio apartment like this.

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You can also use wall stencils as a faux-backsplash in the kitchen.

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2. Furniture

The key to picking great furniture pieces for small spaces is to choose things that are double duty. Ottomans that can be used as a coffee table when placed together, a dining table that can be used as desk during non-meal times, and ovens for sweater storage. No, wait, that's Carrie Bradshaw's apartment.

This coffee table is chock-full of extra storage for DVDs, magazines, etc.

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These cube ottomans are perfect for those that are short on space. The top flips over for a flat-top to use for drinks and the inside gives extra storage space. And you can easily move them together to use as a coffee table, or apart as extra seating.

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 I love the clean lines of this pull-out couch, so no matter how small your place is, you can still have guests stay overnight.

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3. Art & Mirrors

Just because a studio apartment is small on space, doesn't mean that the art on the walls needs to be downsized. In fact, I would go the opposite. Bigger is better. Define a space with an oversized colourful piece of art. Same goes with mirrors. Mirrors help bounce around the light in a room and when placed correctly, can make the room appear larger.

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I love these mirrored shelving. They would be perfect in a small entry wall and can be used as a quick catchall for your keys, sunglasses, and cellphone.

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What are your go-to tips and tricks to save on space in your home?

Dream Home: An Update

First of all, I want to address what happened here at home in Ottawa yesterday. Our city (and country) was rocked with a terrorist attack and a soldier was shot and killed. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. I went home last night and hugged my daughter so tightly - I appreciate and am grateful for everything the police and first responders did to keep our city safe. #ottawastrong


Now, onto to something a little lighter... an update on the construction of our dream home.

Since I last posted, a lot has happened.

The windows have been installed along with the front door (to be shown in an upcoming picture). All electrical, plumbing, HVAC has been installed. The insulation and the drywall has been completed as well. The siding has been started on 3 of the outside walls (the 2 sides and the back). Next week, the painter will begin with the primary coat, and I'm hoping trim work and flooring should start shortly after that.

It's coming along - pretty quickly actually, but I wish I was moving in tomorrow!

Stay tuned for more pics!

Raise the Roof!

If you follow me on Instagram, you will have seen the latest on our dream home being built. But if you haven't seen it, here she is...

The roof shingles are officially on! And over the past 2 weeks, both HVAC and plumbing have been installed. We're hoping that windows and electrical start to go in this week. We're very excited everytime we drive by and see what else has been done. In fact, my husband and I have little bets when we turn on our street about what we think has been completed.

If you don't want to miss out on the excitement of our dream home building, follow me on Instagram!

Big Changes

It's been awhile since I've posted here, but lots has been happening over here on the home front. Back in April, my hubby and I started chatting about maybe selling our house and maybe looking at moving. That maybe turned into a huge YES!

We loved our home but the neighbourhood and the lack of backyard were far from ideal. We lived in a new build community where the houses are built too close to each other for our liking and you have very little backyard to do anything with. So, we started talking about finding a new home with more space. We started our search for an older home that we could renovate and make our own, but with the prices of the "decent" homes that we found, it would blow our budget to have to then turn around and renovate it. Ideally, we would have loved to custom build our dream home. We thought that wouldn't be an option for us either as we thought it would cost us too much. But, we thought wrong. We found a great small builder who already owned treed lots for sale and were willing to work with us in creating the perfect home for us. We were sold!

By the end of May we had signed the agreement, put down a deposit, and finalized the architectural plans. By beginning of June, our home was on the market, and within four days, it was sold! It was all happening so quickly. We were given a closing date of December 19, 2014 for the new home, but with luck we're hoping to close by beginning of December.

We have moved out of our old home and are currently living with family while our dream home gets built. We have already selected our interior and exterior finishes. And within the past few weeks, the foundation has been poured and the house has been framed.

We are so excited to start this new journey and of course I'm thrilled about designing new spaces for our home. Our dream home will be just over 2,700 square feet with four bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, dining room, study, family room, kitchen and breakfast nook, laundry room and mudroom. I'm giddy with excitement for all the new furniture, lighting, artwork, and decorative accessories I get to source and buy. Not to mention finding new places for my old favourites in this fresh space. I'll be sure to post more about the building process and of course all the new projects that I'll be tackling once we move into our home this fall/winter. Also, make sure to follow me on Instagram as I'll be posting plenty of pics too!

Ensuite Bathroom Refresh

It's amazing what a little paint can do to transfer a room. I spent my last weekend painting our ensuite bathroom with a fresh light grey (Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray).

Here is the before picture of the bathroom painted in builder's beige...

And here is the after...