The Great Canadian Outdoors

I grew up in the Kawarthas, just outside of Peterborough. My family never spent summer weekends at the cottage because we lived in cottage country all year 'round. Our house overlooked Chemong Lake and we had a good sized back yard with a set of swings, a vegetable garden and stone barbeque that my Dad made.

 

View of Chemong Lake from our house, circa 1971.

Fast forward about 40 years. Now I'm living life as a city girl with a 4' x 10' balcony as my own personal slice of the outdoors. Not bad, considering this balcony is almost 25% bigger than my previous one. There are several parks nearby with plenty of room to roam, but some mornings I just want to step outside wearing pj's and with a cup of coffee in hand.

Here on the new balcony, I'm using the same ceramic garden stool, yellow urns and woven chairs that I had at the old place (you can see posts about the old balcony here & here), but there are some new additions. This year I invested in a strand of lights, an inexpensive rug and some real greenery.

 

I picked up two dwarf globe cedars at Home Depot this spring and planted them in the yellow urns. They seem to get just the right amount of moisture from Mother Nature's regular watering ;) The yellow rug is from HomeSense and it ties in perfectly with the colour palette.

I love the string of outdoor lights! Their warm glow gives the balcony so much ambiance in the evening hours. Inviting, isn't it?

So, how do you enjoy the Great Canadian Outdoors?

Creating Comfort in the Guest Bath

When asked about my decision to move 15 minutes outside of downtown Toronto, my answer is twofold. Reason one is that I'm closer to work, so I can catch a few extra minutes of zzzzz's in the morning. The second, more important factor, is the affordability of a two bedroom condo here in Eatonville. Having a second bedroom means that the door is always open for guests (within reason, of course).

The second bedroom has been ready for guests for a few months, and I have added just a few small touches to the main bathroom to make an overnight stay as comfortable as possible for friends & family.

I upgraded to french vanilla marble floors in the guest bath, and I thought that the best way to show them off would be to keep the textiles in the room monochromatic. I chose this Indian block print shower curtain from HomeSense ($19.99!) because it coordinates perfectly with the floor.

The colours in the accessories are soft, including this cherub wall pocket which I found at an antique market in Fenelon Falls a few years ago. A simple touch like this and the vintage gold birds on the wall above the toilet (pictured above) keep the monochromatic scheme from being too boring.

I was super excited when I found out that the developer installed Delta faucets throughout the condo. The brand is known for its quality and Masco Corporation is a great company to work with; they are very supportive of design bloggers.

For the comfort of guests, I have tried to cover all the bases by providing extra towels, facecloths, tissue and toiletries under the sink. Instead of just throwing it all in a pile, I found a great reversible fabric basket at HomeSense ($12.99!), and rolled the towels up inside.

Call for your guest reservation soon!!

Sweet Retreat: Lavender Master Bedroom

It's finally time to take a look at the master bedroom in the new condo. The room is an average size for a Toronto condo, about 10' x 12', which is just the right amount of space for an upholstered queen size bed & two 24" bedside tables. The lamps & bedside tables were from my previous home, but I ordered a new upholstered Decor-Rest bed (Canadian made!) from G.H. Johnson's 6 weeks before I moved in. The bed ended up being ready earlier than expected, and G.H. Johnson's were kind enough to hold it in their warehouse until I was ready to have it delivered.

The wall colour was chosen several months before moving in (see this post & this post), but I had to wait for drywall repairs to be taken care of before painting could go ahead. I opted to paint both walls and trim in Gown, a soft and serene shade of lavender from Sarah Richardson's designer palette for Para Paints. This colour is very restful, which is just what I need :)

After living in a fishbowl for several months, I bit the bullet and had drapes custom made to cover the floor to ceiling east facing windows. Working with Parallele Interiors, I chose a gauzy neutral and opted for an inverted pleat style. The end result is very luxurious, and these drapes serve their purpose, blocking out both the morning sun and any potential peepers.

There are still a few missing pieces in the room, such as artwork or maybe a papered accent wall, but in its current state of simplicity the space is perfectly restful. And that's what it's all about, right?

Source Guide:
Upholstered Bed, Decor-Rest, ordered through G.H. Johnson's
Paint, Gown (SR9), Para Paints
Bedding, Magnolia by Gluckstein Home, purchased at Hudson's Bay
Lamps & Lamp Shades, Aquiesse Candle HomeSense
Bedside Tables, Magnolia (discontinued), EQ3
Toss Pillow Fabrics, Designer Fabrics
Toss Pillow Sewing, Fine Interiors by Susan
Drapes, Fabric, Sewing, Hardware & Installation, Parallele Interiors
Brass Tray, Thrifted, Value Village
Rosenthal Vase, Christie Antiques Show

Wondrous Winter Woodland

This past weekend was very productive, and I managed to get all of my Christmas shopping and decorating done. Woot!! The decor inside is more wintry than the outdoor Toronto landscape (so far!). The kitchen table and sideboard have been transformed into a Wondrous Winter Woodland.

Mother Nature supplied the twigs for this DIY.
They're sprayed with metallic champagne paint,
and adorned with ornaments from HomeSense.

On the sideboard, the reindeer frolic amongst the trees.
These shimmering trees are candles from HomeSense.

This little reindeer's brown fur stole
adds a touch of warmth to the chilly scene.

The PartyLite Woodland Retreat™ trio transitions
into winter with ice blue vanilla mint tealights.

Now it's time to relax and enjoy the Holiday season:-)

New Addition

I recently came across a set of 3 bamboo chairs on Kijiji, and immediately I knew I had to have them!! They were just like the chairs I wrote about in this April 2009 post. Since I didn't need all 3 chairs for myself, I forwarded the ad to my friend Tim of Design Maze and we decided that we would split them between us. And so a deal was struck!

Ooh la la, bamboo goodness...

The caning is in excellent condition, but since I'm keeping this chair at my office until the new condo is ready, I've thrown a colourful cushion (from HomeSense) on the seat to protect it from wear and tear.


Eventually I'll be using this chair in my home office, so I will end up giving it a coat of paint and having a proper seat cushion made. Piece by piece, it's already coming together.

HomeSense Wish List

I could have filled an entire truck during a recent "just pass by on the way home" stop at HomeSense!! I fell for several pieces, but held off on making any purchases since I don't know what will fit into the new condo when I move next year. Several items caught my eye, all by well known, high end manufacturers. Everything here has been added to my ever expanding wish list.

Let's start with the gorgeous etagere made by Drexel Heritage. The sturdy metal frame in a bronze finish supports 6 solid wood shelves - perfect for stacking all kinds of goodies. This piece normally sells for about $800 - HomeSense price $399.99!!

This photo shows a beautifully styled pair of the same Pinacle etagere. Sigh. I would love to have something like this to gather all of my books and fabulous decor accessories.

Photo courtesy of Higdon Furniture

This Henredon cube with antique mirror on top and all sides had a great patina and is a classic piece that will never go out of style. I found similar Henredon cubes from the 1980's on 1stdibs priced at $3750 for the pair! The HomeSense cube is a steal at $599.99


Another Drexel Heritage piece, this console table would work perfectly in a front entry or along the back of a sofa. The marble, glass and bronze combination is super versatile and could be used in either a contemporary or a traditional space. The HomeSense price tag of $299.99 is beyond reasonable for a piece that will last a lifetime.


In the lighting department I found these amazing Ralph Lauren Home porcelain lamps with linen shades. Wow!! These lamps make a statement with both their size and quality. Plus, the HomeSense prices were unbelievable - $99.99 for the patterned lamp on the left, and $119.99 for the blue beauty on the right.


I can't wait to see what's in store the next time I pass by!! For a HomeSense store near you, follow this link for locations.

Homesense Opens in Leaside: My Picks

Just this week, HomeSense opened a new location in Leaside at Eglinton and Laird. This isn't just any old store, though, my friends, it's 30,000 square feet of home decor!!! The store is well stocked with fresh goods, and as always, the prices are right. I toured the store Thursday evening and snapped some photos of my favourite pieces.

These globes ($16.99) are very on trend right now, and would look great on a bookshelf in the study or den:

This upholstered tufted ottoman ($299.99) with turned wood legs is fab-u-lous!! Perfect for putting your feet up while watching a movie:

These lamps ($59.99 each) are totally industrial chic. I'm picturing them on end tables in a very modern space:

These pheasants ($34.99 each) have a very regal look about them. They're extremely heavy, and would make a unique set of bookends:

These jars ($24.99 and up) are statement pieces which would complement any decor. You can never go wrong with white ceramic:

With Hallowe'en almost upon us, the Christmas decor is just starting to come out of the woodwork. With so many amazing holiday items available, you may be inspired to adopt an entirely new holiday theme!!

Traditional Red & Gold:

Gorgeous Green & Gold:

Icy Winter Wonderland:

All photos by Pamela Graham for CherishToronto.

A Page From Style at Home

It seems like I'm not the only one who fell for the bright yellow urns from Homesense. Check out these colourful images from the May issue of Style at Home:

Homesense Launches New Online Site

It's no secret that Homesense is one of the best places to go for well priced home decor items. Now there is also a great Homesense website featuring tips & tricks for decorating and all things related to the home.

Some great highlights of the "Get Inspired" section include:

• Hanging Pictures
• Lighting
• Setting the Table
• The Perfect Wineglass

For the upcoming holiday season, Homesense.ca has some inspirational decor ideas. It's definitely worth taking a browse through the website to pick up some pointers, while at the same time checking out what's in store right now.

Photo courtesy of Homesense.