Prest-O Change-O Grey to Gold

In my house, procrastination knows no bounds! Shortly after New Years, I found a dining set on Kijiji and posted about it here on January 31st. At the very end of that post, I wrote the following:

"The chairs will need to be recovered in a new fabric,

and I'm obsessed with the idea of using a deep yellow velvet.

Can you picture it?" 

Fast Slow forward to March 1st, when I purchased 3 yards of fabric for this little project (keeping receipts helps to keep track of spending and project timelines), spending a lavish $36.36. Then life happened, and I tucked that bolt of fabric into a corner for more than 7 months before rolling it out in preparation for cutting. I removed the existing covers from the best fitting seat and chair back to use as pattern pieces to cut the new fabric.

There was some sewing and some stapling involved in this project, but I won't go into too many details, it's fairly straight forward. The trickiest part was avoiding wrinkles in the fabric while stapling and I didn't do a great job of that, but oh well. Despite the telltale DIY signs, I'm happy with the fresh new look:

I love the contrast of golden yellow against navy blue. What do you think?

A Dragon DIY

I trust that many of you had a lovely Family Day or Presidents Day holiday - depending on where you reside, of course. I spent a fun weekend with my Mom - we watched Olympics, caught The Monuments Men at the theatre, did some shopping, ate some good meals and worked on a DIY project. Because what's a long weekend without a little DIY?

^ Before & After ^

I found a pair of vintage 1980's (is that really considered vintage?) stools for the kitchen island at Around the Block just over a month ago, and the makeover is halfway complete. This past weekend I took the old seat covers off and used them as a pattern to cut the new fabric. I fell hard for Dwell Studio's new Ming Dragon fabric when I saw it on Tonic Living's Instagram feed last October; it's the perfect match to other elements in my open concept kitchen/dining/living area.

I even managed to match the patterns!!

My first time making piping was surprisingly quick & painless :)

 

Now I'm a bit stuck on what colour to paint the rattan part of the stools. White: too stark? Navy: too much? Gold: too bright? Brown: too boring? Cream: too wishy washy? Any ideas out there...?

What's Brewing for February...

Today I just thought I'd wrangle together a few thoughts about what projects are currently in the works. Hot on the heels of adding character to the dining room wall, I've been trimming out the main wall in the living room. As a matter of fact the wall is ready for paint and I'm currently trying to psyche myself up for that final step. If all goes well, this project will be completed by the end of the weekend. Stay tuned...

Last week I talked about my latest Kijiji score (a fabulous 1970's chrome dining set) and soon I'll be on the hunt for a few yards of golden/saffron/mustard yellow velvet to recover the chair seats & backs. I'm thinking this is just about the perfect shade:

Above image via.

There is one more project in the works too. A few weeks ago I found this pair of stools for the breakfast bar at Around the Block consignment shop:

^^They're interesting...right? I've been looking for a pair of stools for quite some time, with a strict criteria - the "right pair" needed to have backs for good posture & comfort, they needed to be counter height (not bar height) and they needed to be in my (low) price range. Et Voila! These babies met the criteria, although I know they'll require a little nip & tuck to update them.

I'm considering a fresh coat of white paint paired with this Dwell Studio 'Ming Dragon' fabric from Tonic Living:

 

Only three projects on the go right now!! And just when I thought I was getting close to the finish line.

Is it ever really done?

IDS 2014: The Bold & The Beautiful

As a design blogger, it's an annual highlight to attend the Interior Design Show at The Metro Toronto Convention Centre here in Toronto. The show is open to everyone and continues until Sunday January 26th (click HERE for tickets). There are so many great ideas for kitchens and baths, which is great if you're renovating, but since I'm in a condo that's just over a year old, my personal interests lie more with the "softer" side of the show.

Which participants "wowed" me this year? Hands down the top award goes to Ikea - it was one of the few booths (#926) that made me gasp just a little. The ensuite/dressing room vignette had me swooning at "hello"...

The Ikea booth designers had a vintage daybed upholstered in a 

sweet combination of the Berta Ruta check & whimsical Algort fabrics.

 

The mirrored gold tile was a showstopper - it was all over Instagram.

We should all have the nerve to try something like this at home.

GOLD = BOLD!!

 

Simple & sleek, Ikea's white Dalskar faucet is a rare creature.

Above the space hung a celestial grouping of Stockholm chandeliers.

The Ikea booth designers really know how to "wow" a crowd.

 

Sebastien, the creative director at Urban Barn, obviously loves his job. His vision for the company's IDS booth (#2234) was visually striking, whimsical and amusing all at once. The colour, the vignettes, the accessories...it all made me want to pay a visit to an Urban Barn location stat!!

Each vignette had a tagline, developed by the Urban Barn merchandising team.

Funny, right?

The bedroom vignette below was super feminine. I wish I had taken more photos.
Think creamy white with accents of soft grey & blush. Loved it!!

Cocoon Furnishings was another top contender for fabulous booth design (#1628). This interior design showroom has just launched the Aerin Lauder home decor & furniture collections, available in Ontario exclusively at their Oakville location. I wish I had more photos, but the booth was very popular and it was tough to get a good shot.

The Cocoon merchandisers always delight visitors with chic vignettes.

The green & gold scheme offers the promise of spring.

The entire Aerin collection is so chic, and yet so liveable.

On my wish list: That creamy shagreen tray. Love!!

With a small display (#SN18) in Studio North, Vancouver's Edgewater Studio always manages to make a big splash. Their glass tiles are enough to make me want to rip out a wall of perfectly good tile in my main bath and start over. Trust me, these tiles are just so good!!

The simplicity of this matte & gloss Honeycomb pattern drew me in.

This would be beyond amazing in my master bath ensuite shower.

I can think of so many ways to use this Maven tile.

Backsplash...Accent Wall...Inset niche...

Total showstopper!

 And how about this art glass Tiara tile?

So many possibilities!!

There is still so much inspiration at this show, even if you don't think you need it. Sometimes a small detail is just the spark needed to create warmth in a home.

Before I close off this post, I just want to mention a few others for beautiful booth design:

Living Lighting on King

This booth (#740) had a special theme: Once Upon a Dream

Stunning!!

Sarah Richardson Design

Everything, and I mean everything in this booth (#1510F) was covered with

Sarah's new fabric collection for Kravet.

The team at SRD must have spent many hours prepping all of these details.

That's a studded & fabric covered ladder below.

I loved this creative corner of the Masco Canada booth (#710).

The sleek & modern freestanding tub filler is a work of art.

Enjoy the show!!

All photos in this post were taken by Pamela Graham (me)

for Cherish Toronto.

2012 Outdoor Fabrics: Kravet Soleil Lifestyles

New outdoor fabrics from Kravet Soleil Lifestyles are now available, and the patterns are so pretty that you'll be tempted to use them indoors as well (and why not?). Developed to withstand the elements of nature, these fabrics are resistant to the sun, and are extremely durable.

Kravet has worked with Echo Design to produce the Caneel Bay collection, a group of fabrics designed for a modern time, but with a classic sensibility.

"The vivid color palettes of sky blues, lime greens,
rich oranges and sophisticated neutrals conjure up
the feelings of a modern marketplace, where
bold stripes, intricate textures and beautiful
patterns coexist in harmony."

Created by designer Windsor Smith, the Tahitian Holiday collection features modern and graphic patterns in combination with coordinating plains, inspired by Windsor's travels:

"The vibrant and fresh color palettes of brilliant
greens, orchid pinks, ocean blues, sunny yellows
and strong neutrals, evokes a beach paradise
where surf, sun and sand meet."

All photos via Kravet.

On Now: inVU Clearance Sale

The inVU Clearance Sale has just started at both
the Toronto and Mississauga locations.

I am so there!!

All images courtesy of inVU Drapery Company.

Clarke & Clarke Bukhara Collection

This morning Clarke & Clarke sent out a little tweet, featuring a preview of their new Bukhara fabric collection. I love the hassocks upholstered in the Zari print. So pretty!!

More about the Bukhara collection:

Bukhara is a stunning collection of embroidered linens, coordinated stripes, jacquard and plain fabrics. The inspiration comes from ancient Persia, where traditional ethnic patterns are combined with rich, bold colours, producing a very unique mix of fabrics for curtains, upholstery and decorative pieces. Woven with linen and viscose, the quality is very fine and the drape soft and luxurious. The wide choice of colours makes this collection suitable for both the traditional and contemporary home.

All photos courtesy of Clarke and Clarke.

Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

Now that I've found the bamboo bedside tables I've been searching for, I can finally move forward with the guest room design. Although my move in date is at least 9 months away, I think we can all agree that it's a good idea to start early. I mean, seriously, it took 6 months just to find the right nightstands!

These lily lamps are the room's jumping off point.
Obviously they will need new shades and finials:

Of course, each lamp will sit atop one of these
vintage faux bamboo Thomasville nightstands:

The new bedside tables will get a lick of Herringbone
SR73, Para Paints, Sarah Richardson Designer Palette:

Perhaps I'll add a pair of these pretty knobs
from Haveli Home to the drawer fronts:

I would love to use this Ophelia fabric as drapery
since there are so many colours to play with:

But that would mean this Sanderson Lilia
wallpaper is out of the question:

A tufted headboard covered in a plush velvet
will add a touch of luxury and warmth:

I've decided on this creamy Pearl for the walls

SR30, Para Paints, Sarah Richardson Designer Palette:

The bedding will be restful, like this simple

Lexington Quilt in pearl from West Elm:

It's all starting to come together!

Do you have any interesting design projects you'd like to share? I love getting comments, so leave one below and let me know what you're working on!!