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 […]
Spring is finally upon us. After a long Canadian winter, it is a welcome time for us all. So, with most of us spending so much time at home, what better time to get to your spring home maintenance? One of the questions our team is often asked is; “what are the important things to remember at home this time of year?”. Therefore, here is a checklist we have created for you, to make sure you keep your home in tip-top shape this year. You can print it and keep it up on a corkboard, fridge or in a safe spot, so you can refer to it every year. Spring Checklist Change batteries in all your fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors Purchase paper compost bags for yard cleanup Change your furnace filter Check caulking around your kitchen counters and tubs or showers. Have fixed if needed Clean kitchen exhaust hood and filter Vacuum refrigerator coils Check fire extinguishers, this should be done at least once a month Clean gutters, check for leaks & make sure they are attached securely Clean & seal deck if needed Inspect foundation for cracks & leaks Check exterior paint & touch up as needed […]
One thing I love to do is plan family vacations. It’s like looking out the window at a future time. It takes me months. Yes, you think I am over the top. But we tend to visit each spot only once, so I need to make sure that in our limited time there, we do and see everything we want to, and have time to chill. Whether we are flying or taking a road trip, unless it’s an all-inclusive, our family vacations tend to require quite a bit of driving. What better time than now, while we are stuck indoors, to plan a trip? Planning ahead, even now, is making me happy. It’s a project the entire family can take part of, it’s teachable for the kids, and gives you some time to dream of a future when self-isolation is a thing of the past. Since I plan to busy myself writing a lot of blogs to get myself through this, there is only so much design related information I can put out there without feeling like my inner writer is suffocating. So here are some great ideas for planning your next road trip or fly-away. Pick a destination We’ve […]
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” […]
Out of what turned out to be over 100 submissions, we put out a vote and Mac, Age 9 won. BUT, we felt so strongly about Ben’s beautiful heart, we decided to include it as well!! For every shirt ordered, all proceeds will go directly to Out of the Cold Foundation. To read more about this initiative, please see our blog at https://www.monacointeriors.ca/outofthecold/ To place your order, please refer to the size chart below. Send us an email to info@monacointeriors.ca and we’ll get your order processed. You will receive an invoice which you can pay using etransfer or a credit card. Once you’ve paid, we’ll print your shirt and send it along. If you would like your shirt before Christmas, please place your orders by December 10th, otherwise, they may not arrive on time (we hear that Santa takes up a lot of Canada Post operations in December). Let’s pull together and show our community, and these 2 wonderful artists, how much we really care! For questions or concerns, please contact us via email or give us a shout at 905-882-8824 Have a generous and terrific day! Revi
A contest for kids to help fundraise for homelessness and poverty.
Well hello there! If you have been following my social media for the last week or so, you have noticed that we are putting on a one hour class to teach the public how to get a proper contract and good financing for their renovations. Why? You ask, would we do this? I guess the truth is, that both Jonathan (handsome guy in photo above), and I are very nice people. Hah! It’s true. And these two very nice people are very very tired of seeing other very nice people get into financial trouble with shady businesses. When I started my business 17 years ago, I set up accounts with all my suppliers, and they asked me what terms I would like for paymet. 30 days? 60 days? (this means, how long after they deliver the goods do i need to pay for it) My answer was actually this: I will give you a deposit for the goods as is required, and the balance will be on delivery and inspection of the goods. So a day. Why would I do that??? Well, because if you are using a client’s money to pay for goods, then you better use the […]
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 […]
Often clients call and ask me if it would be more economical to buy a new sofa or reupholster one. Off the bat, I can tell you the cost is roughly the same. It’s not a decision regarding economics. It’s a purely emotional decision. In all my experience, the most common reasons have been: “It’s the most comfortable sofa in the world.” “I want to be environmentally conscious.” “It fits perfectly into my space.” But my reason was purely sentimental. My Grandparents and their sofas I grew up in Montreal. Dollard to be exact. Just about a 30-minute drive from my father’s parents who lived in the village of Mont Royal. They lived on a nice, tree-lined, low rise apartment-lined street. They lived there for 30 years. From my early childhood until just prior to my marriage, I spent almost every Saturday with them. They owned a diner on St. Laurent. It was called Irv’s diner (the previous owner’s name), and my father would drop me off in the mornings on his way to work. At the end of the day, we’d hop in a cab and head over to their apartment where I’d eat too much chocolate, and […]
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