Work In Progress: Front Entry

There is paint on the front door!! Coral paint!! To be precise, this lovely shade is PARA Paints' Ooh Long Tea*. And since I am bound by the rules of condominium living, let me be clear: the paint is strictly on the interior of the front door. With no natural light and a door previously painted dark brown the front entry felt a bit gloomy, so I decided that a light colour would be best to brighten up the space. Now it feels much more welcoming.

I knew I wanted to highlight the coral in the Persian rug at the front entrance, so choosing the colour was the easy part. The tricky part was painting around all of the door hardware - I'm not bad with a roller, but I'm terrible with a brush. A few touch ups may be required :(

I gathered my Nate Berkus pineapple & Jill Rosenwald vase to assemble a coordinating vignette on the tiny entry table. Did you know that the pineapple is an emblem of welcome & hospitality? The fern is a new addition and hopefully will survive in the low light conditions.

  
By the way, this is where the gold leaf quatrefoil mirrors ended up after I discovered that they wouldn't fit above the bedside tables in the master bedroom. The mirrors also do a great job of making the small entry seem brighter & bigger than it truly is. I'm still mulling over the possibility of adding a fun wallpaper to this area, but until I find just the right pattern that idea is on hold. What do you think so far?

*Thank you to PARA Paints for supplying the paint for this project!!

A Study in Storage

When it came time to negotiate the purchase of my new condo, I knew I should ask for a few "extras".  I really wanted smooth finished ceilings throughout the unit, which unfortunately, the developers weren't willing to provide :( In lieu of that, however, I was offered built-in cabinetry for the study nook. Can I just tell you? Best. Bonus. Ever.

The amount of storage in this little nook is more than any simple desk could ever accommodate. Three drawers, full height adjustable shelving behind the cupboard door, open storage and a desk surface. I store so much stuff inside the cupboard; everything from paint chips to binder clips.

 

The open shelves above the desk are the perfect spot to display a few of my favourite things. I like to mix up the display whenever I find a new addition - like the faux Staffordshire dogs I recently scored while thrifting. 

The faux bamboo chair I found on Kijiji (see this post) looks right at home in the study nook. I was originally planning to paint the chair, but considering its excellent condition I decided to leave it natural. I think it looks fab at the desk, and I use it all the time - in fact I'm sitting in it right now ;)

Have any of you purchased a new home or condo recently? Let me know if you've scored a good deal during negotiations!

Rug Rehab

Once I started looking at rugs, learning about how they were made and the effort goes into creating a hand knotted pattern, I became a bit of an addict. Rugs truly are an art form which I have come to appreciate, but it's gotten to the point where I have to be cut off from purchasing any more. I bought my last rug a few weeks ago - a 2'x3' wool Hamadan which I found at Karakashian Rug Gallery at Bay & Yorkville. At $125, it was such a good deal that I just couldn't resist and the gentlemen at the store were so nice that I was more than happy to make a purchase. Karakashian will be closing soon, so if you're looking for a rug at a great price, it's worth paying them a visit!!

After deciding that the size of the ebay rug was fine to use at the front door I needed to find one for in front of the kitchen sink, and this pretty in pink little number was just right for the space. Such a beauty!!

 

In comparison, these Hamadan rugs from Ikea are lovely, but these are a bit smaller and not as unique. In a stunning turn of events, at $149, they're actually more expensive than the rug from Karakashian.

 

Gotta run - I'm off to rug rehab ;-)

Purchasing a Rug on Ebay

Have any of you ever purchased a vintage rug online? While scanning ebay listings a few weeks ago, I fell in love with a little rug that I thought would be perfect either at the front entrance or in the kitchen. I wasn't too sure about ordering without seeing the rug in person, but the ebay seller had over 6,000 sales and 100% feedback, so I decided to take the chance. It was totally worth the risk - the rug is sooooo pretty!!

Don't you just love the colours? A navy blue field, a coral medallion and a green inner border - such a gorgeous combination. I decided to use the rug in front of the sink in the kitchen, since it felt just a bit too small at the entrance. The experience of buying a rug on ebay was completely painless, so I may try it again in the future ;-)

Vintage Persian Rug: Process of Finding "The One"

For me, the great debate of 2012 had nothing to do with politics. Instead it was all about choosing the right rug for the living room in the new space, and it was the subject of many, many posts throughout the year. In the old condo the living room had broadloom so a rug wasn't required, but with laminate floors the new place would definitely require the warmth of some texture on the floor. Also, with an open concept living and dining area, the addition of a rug would also help to separate the two spaces.

The hunt for the one began almost a year before the eventual move in. I attended auctions and estate sales, visited consignment shops and endlessly scoured listings on ebay, Etsy, Kijiji and Craiglist. The breakthrough moment was when fellow bloggers Christine of Bijou & Boheme and Vanessa of Decor Happy tweeted about finding an antique rug dealer at Toronto's St. Lawrence Sunday Antique Market. Meeting Amedeo was the Best. Thing. Ever. He let me take several rugs "on approval", and I ended up trying SIX before finding the perfect one. Don't believe me? Here's proof:

My VW Beetle with four 6'x9' Persian rugs piled into the back seat:

Thanks again to everyone who cast a vote when I needed opinions about which of these three initial choices was the best. In the end, Rug #1 (left) came out as the winner, Rug #3 (right) was first runner up and Rug #2 (center) came in dead last behind Rug #4 (nonexistent, still to be determined).

I also really liked the first rug, but there was something about it that wasn't quite right for me - I think that the colours were a bit too bright (I may have used the word "circus" to describe the colour scheme). After so many tries, I was getting discouraged, but when I unfurled rug #6 I immediately thought to myself, "This my rug. This is the one." The size was just right (6'8" x 10'6"), the colours were bright but subtle. Perfection at last. Here it is in the test space at the old condo:

 

When the sun is shining the colours are vibrant and cheerful, while in the evenings the hues become soft and warm. I love that this rug has some personality - note the bunny and the bird woven into the pattern. Practically speaking, as an investment, I'm in this for the long haul.  A hand knotted Persian won't wear out in my lifetime, and the variety of colours provide a limitless palette to work with if when I decide to change things up.

 

I'll miss those auctions, estate sales, and endless hours of trolling through shops. What will I do with all my spare time? Ummm... maybe get the master closet organized, paint the bedrooms, hang some artwork. Okay, no worries, lots to keep me busy!!

Fall Home Show: My Pretty Picks

Yesterday I visited the Fall Home Show at the Better Living Centre at Exhibition Place - the building sits beside the beautiful Princess Margaret Fountain, pictured above. I can never pass by without snapping a photo of the Toronto landmark! But I digress, back to the Home Show visit. This show is a great launching pad for those planning an upgrade or remodel of their homes. Whether it's a kitchen, bath or basement renovation, there are plenty of exhibitors who can help turn your dreams into reality. 

For me, since I'm moving to a brand new condo, I will be decorating rather than renovating, but there were a few things that caught my eye as well. These are my top 3 picks for pretty:

(1) Natural stone tile in a chevron pattern from Creekside Tile Company. This would perfect as a kitchen back splash or an accent tile in the bathroom.

(2) Also from Creekside, this tiny circle mosaic was super cute at about half the size of a traditional penny round tile.

(3) There were several rug retailers at the show, and this gorgeous silk Bakhtiari rug from Persian Designer Rugs definitely caught my eye. Unfortunately it was too large - for both my space and my budget :-(

 

Visit the website for more details about participating exhibitors and celebrity guests: Fall Home Show

All photos by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto.