When Maureen and Craig first called us, I was very excited. They are family with some really great people I know. I went down to the city to meet them, and just as I expected, they were pretty terrific. Stepping back into the 1800s They live in a super old house. It was built in 1890. They have archival images on their walls, the original door to the house. On the first evening we met, I got to the door and searched for a bell. No doorbell. Well, none that I could see anyway. When Maureen opened the door and I mentioned that we could add that into the project, she laughed. “Here it is!” With great smiles they both explained that the doorbell is 129 years old, the door is original to the house, and they just refused to give it up. You can see in the photo, it’s the circular knob right above the mail slot. They then showed me archival photos they have on their walls, not only of the house, but of a great many important things to them that date back to their roots and their family heritage. I got to know […]
It’s fun, actually. Cooking with your kids. My kids love cooking, especially my son, Logan. He’s been in my kitchen since he was about four. Standing on stools, covered in an apron and oven mitts “to here”. My daughter, Zoe, well she is more of a restaurant manager. She is just like Mommy. Our old kitchen was super small, and even just Logan and I felt crowded in the space. There was no counter for chopping or mixing. Half our “tools” were hidden in other rooms. The kitchen made me super miserable, and eventually, after living in our home for just a couple of years, the joy of cooking became the need to feed my family. It was a chore. A dark, uncomfortable space that my kids and I would never be able to rise to our true potential in. So when we renovated our home, the kitchen was almost the only think I cared about. I spent a long time working that space out on paper and in my own head. We are not unique. Almost every home I go into, for a kitchen renovation, tells the same story. Not enough space. No storage. […]
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. […]
“Well how about a baking station?” I say as my clients and I sit and chat over what we need to incorporate into their new kitchen. “A baking station?” Their thirteen year old daughter has perked up. Head cocked. Looking super cute and suddenly excited. “Yes. I need a baking station.” She smiles at me. She is a little shy at first, but I can feel the happy vibes coming off her. She loves to bake. We have that in common. I totally get how important that baking station is. Back to the parents… “It’s too cramped. We need more space, and counter space without compromising walking space…” and the list goes on. Nothing frighteningly different. They, like all growing families, need space. They need efficiency. They require a place for their “stuff”. The fun part comes later, when I start to ask about style and colours. “We like gray. We like a little more modern, maybe a little funky. You decide.” Those words are golden. “You decide.” YOU DECIDE!!!! So off into colourville we went. With fun patterns and colours. The best part? It’s almost indestructible! New Crypton fabrics are so durable, that we can do almost anything […]
Can you believe it? Fifteen years. It’s still so humbling to me when I sit back and look at what has been built. I remember standing in Monaco. Yes, that place with the famed Casino and the Royal Family. I stood there and looked around me at this perfect place. The streets are magically always clean. It feels like there are little fairies following people around cleaning up after them. The architecture is stunning. Iron adorned balconies, colourful yet tasteful stucco buildings, pretty little cafés and perfectly groomed gardens filled with blossoming, fragrant flowers. I stood there, my eyes scanning the buildings, the sheer drapery billowing in the windows, the sails atop the luxury boats and thought; this is what I want people to think of when they see my business card. I had been working at a drapery store at the time, for about 18 months. My boss had hired me to both sell window coverings, and the bring “design” to his clients. He had been asked for design help, and his solution was hiring me. It wasn’t easy, working for someone else. I was far too independent with my own ideas and goals. Far too honest, which, when […]
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 […]
