If you are anything like me, your are getting sick of being at home. Getting bored of staring at the same spaces, day in and day out. I am. It’s exhausting being at home. Which is funny, because when we are all out in our regular lives, all we want is a few days at home to enjoy our families and relax. But, as in any aspect of life when one has no choice, that’s all one wants. So, how can we change our environment a bit, to make the days feel a little newer and not stale and boring? One thing I do when home staging, or even just redesigning a space, is look at what is there already. Often my clients want to toss out everything and start over. But, just as often, they have wonderful pieces that, in the right location, can really change the feeling of a space. When I first started out…many, many years ago… I was called by a retired couple (well into retirement), that were unhappy with their condo living space. They had a limited budget, but wanted it to be less cluttered, cramped and awkward. In one hour, we moved so much […]
Okay, let’s be very clear. I am losing my mind already and it’s been a week. Mostly because I have zero “stay at home mom” skills. I had exactly 12 days off from the day my children were born until the day I hobbled back to work. I am self-employed – zero maternity leave – and having twins, I really couldn’t afford to allow my business to suffer any more. I had been on bedrest for months. It was imperative that I go back to work. So, I hit the road 3 days a week, and hauled my babies around if I had to leave home the other 2 days a week. It was tough. But it was survival. Now, ten years later, I am a stay at home mom by self-isolation. No, I am not sick. No, I have not been around anyone who is sick. Yes, I am still seeing some clients (super-screened) and I am still getting to my office (which is basically self-isolation in a second location) as much as I can. But I am also spending an extreme amount of time at home alone with my kids. So are many, if not all, of you. […]
Before diving into this blog post, I want to extend love and support to all my clients, readers, followers, friends, family and everyone else out there, as we have all been greatly affected by Covid-19. It’s a scary time of uncertainty, fear of loss both personal and financial, feelings of seclusion and being overwhelmed. I have been in business for almost 18 years. In that time, I have met many amazing people. I have an entire network of business owners that are helping me keep my head from basically exploding. If you need anything, from a great therapist to talk to, someone who can give you financial or tax advice, a trusted lawyer, someone in the health industry that can help your immune levels stay high, a doula because you are pregnant and terrified and needs a calming voice; whatever you need, I’ve got someone amazing who would love to help you. Get in touch, I would love to share their information with you, and help you through this time. Now, onto the blog: Spring is finally upon us. After a long Canadian winter, it’s usually a welcome time for us all. This year, so many of us are “stuck” […]
I. Want. COLOUR! Is there a little kid inside of you screaming for colour? It’s like this deep longing inside your soul that jumps up an down with glee every time you see bright pretty toss cushions and brightly painted walls. You are reminded of summer, and amazing vacations and sunshine and life. Oh but you can’t! What will people say? Would if you got sick of it in a year? I love this blue wall. I look at it and think “can’t someone out there want a blue wall?” And then I remind myself that if I renovate the house again, or even suggest a paint colour change; my dear, wonderful husband who just finished this house, might be a little miffed. Bang! Bang! Ok, so maybe you aren’t as sick of gray and white as I am. You haven’t done countless homes in that colour palette over the last ten years. But, the trends are leaning warmer now, and begging for more colour. I guess we could sneak some in? Just a little? We can warm up your grays with creamy pinks, or pops of blue? Tans and olive greens? It’s a slippery slope. You […]
Well. I don’t often write about what can go wrong on a jobsite. But, being in the world of design and construction, the odds are, something will go wrong every once in a while. Welcome to the bathroom renovation project we are calling Murphy’s Law. What ever could go wrong, did. BUT, because our team is so dedicated and so honourable, our client never had a thing to worry about, and in the end, their master bathroom is just perfect. When our clients called, I was very happy to hear from them. Several years ago we did their kitchen and main floor. Last year, it was his parents kitchen. And now, they trusted us once more to renovate their bathroom, and do a few other things in the house. Before Here is a before photo of their bathroom: The bathtub took up a LOT of space. The shower was super tiny and the vanity didn’t offer the type of storage they wanted. To save a little on the budget, we tried our best to keep the plumbing as close as possible to it’s existing location. That’s a cost savings that most people don’t really consider. It costs a lot […]
I am humbled. There comes a day, in most adults lives, if you have been working at your career long enough, when being humbled happens. Click. Humbled. For me, this happens often. Over our years, as we grow, our lives change, we move in different directions, our friendships morph as well. People we once saw and spoke to daily become people we see at parties. Our neighbours, specific friends, people we make time for, take the front seat. As does, in my married life; swim class, ski lessons, guitar, gymnastics, school, playdates, travel, blah blah. But it is when those people, those friends, whom you facebook with but never see, never speak to, when they call you and they ask: “Can you help us. Can you do our home.” That’s the moment. Click. Humbled. They are going to trust me. Me. The person they knew when I started my business 16 years ago. The person who they saw dance at 2am, pre-married, pre-kids, act like a buffoon, me. Yes, I was once an unruly young adult. It’s true. And those people, whom I still love dearly, they want to hire me. It’s happened twice this year. Once, I got to create […]
April is national stress awareness month. Sounds gross. Feels worse. Stress is a real thing, unfortunately. My assistant found this statistic: At least 1/3 of Canadians feel that they are constantly under stress because they are trying to accomplish more than what they can effectively handle and not taking the time to decompress often enough. That’s a mouthful. It gives me a headache just reading it. So, how can we help? No, I am not coming over with a giant glass of wine. I am not babysitting your kids or making breakfast. But here’s some really good advice, and a few things we can do to ease your troubled mind. You aren’t a contractor or a designer. So plotting to do your own renovation may be a little overwhelming. I can most definitely say, do a little Google-search, and find the perfect team to help you with whatever you plan to do at home. If you’ve read my past blogs, I have discussed at length, the things you should look for in a good team. But what are some essential things a designer can do to guide you into a less stressful life? Here’s a list: 1.We can create […]
Why a second opinion, and possibly a third, is sometimes necessary. When Sonia and Jay first called us in, they had spoken to other contractors first. I can’t remember if it was 1 or 2. What I do remember, is they had some grand plans for their main floor, and when they laid it all out for me, I truly felt they were planning too much for their space. Their intent was to open up their kitchen to their den/living room/family room, whatever you want to call it. For a townhouse whose main floor consisted of those two spaces plus a dining area, in my opinion, it seemed a bit much. I am fully aware that the new “in thing” is to have giant, open spaces. But those spaces should make sense to the home and the lifestyle of the people in it. Also, budget is always a factor. If you spend more money on a renovation than your home’s value can tolerate, then A) you have to live there for many years to recuperate your investment or B) you can never leave without a loss. So, a part of what any good designer or contractor does, is evaluate that […]
I have been working in the design industry for over twenty years now. Most of those years have been fabric filled. It’s really an obsession of sorts. My reps come to visit my office, they bring armfulls of new books. The books are filled with swatches of new and exciting fabrics, textures, colours and patterns. The smell of the fabric fills the room. The colours bounce around and the patterns dance like butterflies around my head. Okay that’s super hokey. But seriously. One the the best parts of my job is finding the perfect fabrics for a space. Drapery fabric. Makes a statement. Warms up a room. Creates mood and a luxe vibe. As long as ice-cream kiddie fingers aren’t grabbing them, they will look good for a really long time. And furniture! Who doesn’t love a soft velvety sofa with cushions that scream pretty, or industrial or chic or fun or bright or carribean or a combo of any of those and so many more! Those toss cushions! How we designers love thee! And how many hours have I spent picking out the perfect fabrics ?!?!? It sometimes drives me mad. But it’s fun. And I love it. […]
Where did the blog go? It’s been over a month! It’s been forever!! I want to see pictures of the renovation! Of the kitchen! Send me something! What happened to the Designer’s Renovation Journey? Those are some of the comments we’ve received lately from readers and clients. Thank you so much for keeping in touch and caring and reading my words! We were a bit trapped. Unable to post new pics of the kitchen, because…well, until just yesterday, they belonged to someone else… In the early fall I received a call from someone at MOVATO Home. They publish several home magazines, including Toronto Home Magazine. “We’d like to feature your kitchen in the magazine. It needs to be complete and ready for photos by January.” Who says no to that? I was so excited. The Article from the Toronto Home Kitchen issue is below. You can pick up a copy at most newsstands, Chapters, Indigo, Amazon etc. Or you may get a copy from me…I have a few… The Deadline Steven (husband who is basically doing the work all on his own), was not so pleased with the deadline. He looked at me, knowing very well that my January deadline […]
