Cherish Toronto: January 2016

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Basement Reno: So Many Decisions!!

A friend of mine came to me seeking input regarding the design of his home's unfinished basement. After living in the home for many years, it was time to finish the basement and gain much needed space to entertain and hang out. The basement was pretty much a blank slate: think exposed insulation and ceiling joists. It was the perfect opportunity to customize unused space for the homeowner's needs.

After considering how his family would use the space, it was decided that they would need a kitchenette, a full washroom and a large open area with the possibility of converting some of that open space to a bedroom in the future. Since I'm not a trained designer, I sketched out a few rough ideas but left the major decisions to my friend and his contractor. They worked together to come up with a design plan and a budget, and work started almost right away. Feeling pressure to make decisions, we soon found ourselves spending hours choosing countertops, tiles and paint colours. This is my Instagram capture of what we finalized:

The kitchen backsplash will be a classic 3"x6" arctic white subway tile, which we will accent with a 4" band of the glass & marble mosaic tile. The shower wall in the bath will have a similar look, but with a larger 8"x20" arctic white tile (less grout = less to clean) with a 6" accent band and a 2"x2" dark grey porcelain on the shower floor. Floors in both the kitchen and the bathroom will be the veined grey porcelain Techmarble in a semi-polished finish (love this tile - it has the look of marble without the expense). The bathroom will feature a dark grey Caesarstone counter top with integrated white sink which should tie in perfectly with the accent band in the shower. In the kitchen, all upper cabinets will be painted Benjamin Moore's Silver Half Dollar (2121-40), while the lower cabinets will be a slightly darker Pewter (2121-30). Painting has already happened on the walls and we are happy that we chose Silver Half Dollar, it's a light grey which works really well in a basement with very little natural light.

This past week we chose faucets and cabinet hardware for both the kitchen and bath, and this renovation should wrap up within a few weeks. Here are the mood boards for both the kitchen and the bath:

1. Benjamin Moore Silver Half Dollar (2121-40)
2. Benjamin Moore Pewter (2121-30)
3. American Standard Fairbury Faucet
4. Wilsonart Black Laminate Countertop in Black Alicante
5. Cosmas 96mm Polished Chrome Pull
6. Techmarble Semi Polished Grey Floor Tile 12"x24"
7. Frigidaire Stainless Steel Refrigerator
8. Glass & Marble Accent Mosaic Tile
9. Bright Arctic White Subway Tile 3" x 6"

1. Benjamin Moore Silver Half Dollar (2121-40)
2. Benjamin Moore Pewter (2121-30)
3. Moen Boardwalk Faucet
4. Caesarstone Countertop in Cement (2003)
5. Hickory Hardware 96mm Polished Chrome Pull
6. Techmarble Semi Polished Grey Floor Tile 12"x 24"
7. Kohler Memoirs Classic Toilet
8. Glass & Marble Accent Mosaic Tile
9. Bright Arctic White Subway Tile 8" x 20"
10. Nuvo Parker Polished Chrome 2 Light Vanity Fixture

Saturday, January 23, 2016

It's January, Time to Organize!

Every January I get the urge to get my act together and organize my stuff. It must have something to do with the new year, since one scroll through my Instagram feed tells me that I'm not the only one in organization mode. The current trend is to throw away or donate nearly everything in your home using the KonMari Method, but after donating unwanted items I still have plenty of things that need a home within my home. Because I'm a single in a two bedroom condo, I have the luxury of an entire closet in the guest room offering up some extra storage space. Where else would I keep the ironing board, tool box, drill kit, sewing machine, photo albums, beach towels, gift wrap, suitcases...? I'll leave you with the short version.

I had shelves installed previously in the guest room closet, but they were too shallow and too weak to handle the weight of the items stored on them. As soon as the Ikea wardrobe event started (on now through February 1st) I grabbed my sketchbook and picked up all of the components necessary for a mini closet makeover.

I itemized and measured most of the items that would be stored in the closet before I drew up the sketch, so there was just a bit of tweaking during installation. After putting in an afternoon of sweat equity, the left side of the closet became a spot for guests to make themselves at home and the right became home to all of my hard to store stuff.

How has January been for you so far? Have you been getting organized too?

Monday, January 11, 2016

For What It's Worth: My Opinion on 2016 Golden Globes Red Carpet Fashion

I know, I know, it's another roundup of Golden Globes fashion. But I'm sure many of you have been waiting patiently to hear my thoughts on the subject... Yes..? Anyone..?

I can summarize my thoughts for the celebrities who got it right with a few key phrases: "Jewel Tones", "Keep it Simple", "Proper Fit".

Want to make it work on the red carpet? First, pick a colour that flatters your skin tone. Thank goodness there were only a handful of attendees who chose that blah flesh tone that looks terrible on 99% of caucasian women. Second, don't try too hard; simplicity has its merits. If you try too hard it shows, and that's just not good. And finally, attend as many dress fittings as required to get the fit right. It makes me physically uncomfortable to watch a woman constantly adjust her dress, pulling it up or tugging it down. Always take a pass on an ill fitting gown.

With that said, these were my favourite gowns of this year's Golden Globes: