Oh, The Possibilities!!

As the final closing date for the new condo draws closer, time seems to be slowing down. Fourteen months have passed since I signed on the dotted line, and these final 2 months are going to feel like a lifetime. To pass the time I'm thinking about how to decorate the space, and this week I'm considering the dining area.

The dining area is one of the few spaces with its own wall. Most of "walls" in this condo are floor to ceiling windows, so this real wall is prime real estate!! The current idea is to install chair rail 36" from the floor, with panel molding below and wallpaper or paint above. I have a few pieces which must be used here because (A) they make sense in the dining area and (B) there are no other wall options. The dining wall must accommodate three items I already have: a white console, a pair of aqua glass lamps and a sunburst mirror.

Here are mockups of the possibilities I've considered so far, but since I've just started brainstorming, the options are wide open:

Above Option: Thibaut Shangri-La (White)
Verdict: The combination of the sunburst mirror
and the busy wallpaper is too overwhelming!!

Above Option: Thibaut Shangri-La (no mirror)
Verdict: The wallpaper is great without the sunburst,
but I really want to use the mirror in this space!!

Above Option: Thibaut Shangri-La
Verdict: Love the wallpaper surrounded by half round
trim, but this still doesn't work with the sunburst mirror.

Above Option: Thibaut Fusion Trellis (Aqua)

Verdict: This is a strong contender, since the mirror &
wallpaper work well together. But is it too much aqua?

Above Option: Harlequin Elite (Duck Egg/Gilver)

Verdict: A clean look, and the metallic stripes are
appealing, but it feels underwhelming.

Above Option: Galerie Fresh Floral (Green & White)

Verdict: I like this look!! It's clean & fresh with just a
hint of aqua. Plus I love the fabulous quatrefoil motif.

Above Option: Navy Paint (Such as BM Admiral Blue)
Verdict: It's dark. It's dramatic. It's paint, which
makes it the most inexpensive option.
But it's kinda boring, isn't it?

Above Option: Aqua Paint (Such as BM Glacier Blue)
Verdict: The panels created with half round molding
make this a much more interesting paint option.
(Colour options will ultimately be determined by
the area rug in the adjoining living room.)

PLEEEEEASE tell me what you think!! Any thoughts on the above options? Any ideas to add?

Welcome Home!

Hopefully many of you are already aware of the Welcome Home Sweepstakes, which raises much needed funds for the Princess Margaret Cancer Care Centre. The Grand Prize this year is a gorgeous home valued at more than $4.3 million and located in beautiful Oakville, Ontario. Thanks to the hard work of Lynda Reeves and the House & Home design team, this home is 100% ready for your family to move in and enjoy!!

Last Thursday, a group of bloggers were invited by Canadian House & Home for a special preview of the house, and it was such a lovely place to spend a late summer evening. I'm willing to bet that the beautifully landscaped yard will enjoy many barbeques, picnics and parties in the future :-)


I snapped a few "sneak peek" photos of the home (which you can see below), but be sure to pay a visit in person if you have the chance. Viewing just started this past Saturday, so stop by the home weekdays from 4 pm to 8 pm, and weekends from 12 noon to 5 pm.

A modern but classic and family friendly kitchen.
Best Feature(s): Marble island, Aga stove.

The perfect dining room to entertain family & friends.
Best Element: Chandelier.

Restful Master Bedroom with Ensuite Bath.
Best Element(s): Private deck, Soaker bath.

Welcoming Guest Room in Shades of Gold and Grey.
Best Element(s): Hickory Chair bed, duvet cover.

If you don't have a chance to visit the home, at the very least do yourself a favour and buy a ticket!! You can't win if you don't have a ticket, and really, everyone wins if you do get one :-) Help conquer cancer in our lifetime!

Click on this link for more access to videos and photos of this year's show home:
House & Home Presents

Above photos by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto.

Labour Day Already?

On The Road

I can't believe Labour Day weekend is already here. This summer went by faster than any other I can remember - what happened to the entire month of August?!?! On more than one occasion I woke up not knowing what day it was or where I was going that day.

Wasaga...?

Or Grand Bend...?

Or Wasaga...?

Or Grand Bend...?

You'll note that there are no sun & sand photos featured above - every excursion to and from the beach stores is exclusively for work - no play allowed :-( My role with my employer is that of women's wear buyer and merchandiser, including all visual display for our two retail locations. And as exhausting as it is, the summer months are my favourite time at work, since it gives me the opportunity to be creative.
This holiday weekend is split - I spent Saturday in Wasaga Beach and on Monday I'll be in Grand Bend. With one day to enjoy some leisure time, I decided to spend Sunday afternoon watching the Canadian International Air Show. It was my first time seeing the show, and it was lots o' fun. I am sure you have enjoyed an incredible summer, and I hope you are looking forward to autumn - the cozy season. I plan to get back to blogging on a regular basis, so I hope to see you here more often!!

Harvards

Snowbirds

All photos by Pamela Graham.

The Latest

Wow, my blog posts have been few and far between this summer!! Today I'm feeling as though I'm finally getting caught up on my to-do list, so I promised myself that I would write a little something for the loyal Cherish Toronto readers who haven't abandoned me yet ;-)


I took the above palm tree photo in LA during our second seasonal buying trip for the store. It was actually very comfortable in LA - warm, sunny days followed by cardigan cool evenings. It's always nice to break out of the usual routine, but as often happens, we were slammed with work when we got back to Toronto. Last week was easily a 60 hour work week, but hopefully the influx of fresh merchandise will give our stores a boost right through until Labour Day weekend.


In other news, I recently received another letter regarding the status of my new condo's firm completion date. Here's the rundown of the letters I've received over the past few months:

Letter dated: January 5, 2012
Tentative Occupancy Date: July 17, 2012

Letter dated: April 10, 2012
New Tentative Occupancy Date: September 27, 2012

Letter dated: June 22, 2012
Final Tentative Occupancy Date: October 17, 2012

Letter dated: July 11, 2012
Firm Occupancy Date: November 14, 2012

I've done this once before, so these little delays are expected. It looks as though I'll be moving into the new place before Christmas, which should work out perfectly! My plan is to spend the last two weeks of November prepping, painting and wallpapering the new condo so that all of the messy stuff gets done before moving all of the furniture in. It's a good thing - at the rate time is flying by, it'll be moving day before I know it!!

Celebrate!

I missed posting on Sunday, July 1st, but I'm sure many of you are also taking this Monday off to enjoy continued Canada Day weekend celebrations. I hope you all had a fabulous day!! And to all of my American readers, please consider this early best wishes for a spectacular 4th of July holiday.

Photo by Pamela Graham