It's all in the details....

Within this grand entrance the ceiling was plain and typical.  We added in some plastor moulding to mimic the circular shape of the staircase which provided depth and interest to the ceiling.  This is a great inexpensive tip to add to a space that lacks interest!  hope your inspired.

Holiday Mantel 2012

well here it is.... My redesigned 2012 Holiday Mantel.

Many of the pieces I have used are actually repositioned from Christmas's prior.  I love Christmas and often splurge on a few great pieces every year! 

This year I was going for a sophisticated and traditional look with a small twist.

I had purchased my daughters initials in the fall and thought adding them in my holiday mantel would give it a distinguished look.    One of my daughter's name starts with the letter of my surname which worked out perfectly!  I also opted for a non traditional rectangular fresh boxwood & evergreen wreath which made for a super chic look.  

I completed the look using 3M's command tape - Love using this tool for home staging!!

 

 

Here is a picture of my daughters,

who were the inspiration on this years re-design!

Evelyn, Danielle and Lauren

Bringing a home back to the current century.....

YOUR HAVEN was the design team behind this retro transformation.  We were given a 6 week window and a tight budget that would allow for:
New floors
New railing
Upgraded appliances
paint, trim, moulding, lighting,
complete new bathroom
fireplace, electrical and much more.....


Before:

 AFTER

 

 

Main Bathroom Before

 

Main Bathroom After

 

 

Basement Before

Basement

After

 

Laundry Room

 

After

 

Kitchen

After

 

Welcome Home for the Holidays....

The first thing I like to do when preparing for the holidays is start with the front entrance.  I believe in great first impressions,  so for me it starts at the front door!

Every year I take pride in making my urns look unique and different.  This year, I started off with a pre-made simple pot and then I layered in different greenery and accessories to make my custom pots unique.

Although it is time consuming, it is much more cost effective for what your getting!  Hope your inspired to create your own masterpiece!

 

Christmas Decorating

I absolutely Love Christmas, and although its without a doubt,  a stressful time of year its also my favorite and I can't wait to start decorating.

Here are some pictures of my mantel last year... wonder what this years will look like......

 

 

 

Selecting the Perfect Colour Pallet

Selecting the Perfect pallet is often a daunting task for many of my clients.   I ask my clients to take my pallet boards and live with them for a week, and then report back to me with which one they love and want to move forward with. 

Here are some samples of Colour & Fabric Pallet boards I have recently worked on....

and....

and....

Wall Paper & Trim

I have had a recent love affair with Wallpaper.  This is a revalation for me;  when my husband and I purchased our 1st home there was so much wallpaper in the house that we swore we would NEVER use wallpaper again!  but 8 years later I have to admit ... I can find a section in every room that I think would look beautiful..  Wallpaper has changed to much, the paper/fabric is rich and luxe and the installation can be as basic or as bold as you wish.  Here is a sample of a bathroom installation where we used trim and wall panelling to enhance the beauty of the European wall paper I purchased..

North Reno

My Parents have downsized and moved NORTH, 50minutes TOO FAR from me, but I have to admit.... they got a great little bungalow with a pool at a great price.  Granted it needed WORK but its coming along so nicely and seeing my dad jumping into his pool like an 8 year old kid was one moment i'll never forget. 

Here are some pictures of the evolution of the "North" Reno... hope you enjoy...

The revolution of the "Living Room" a room never entered in the 80's & 90's...

Many of you will remember that "special room" in your parents house that NO ONE used but was always immacuatley kept.  Well there is a resurge of the living room in homes across Canada and the amazing part is that it is a space that is actually being used NOW!!!!!  In the 80's & 90's the room was more used as a status room "look at what I have... extra space and furniture as new as the day it was bought!!!"  TODAY, not so much!  we want to create spaces that are unique and that are being used.  We want to entertain and have great conversations.  Creating a room that enhances this is a big deal again!.   Being within the retail world for the last 20 years and as a Housewares Buyer for the last 10 years it has allowed me to be in "the know"  and through research and sales trends within housewares it was apparent that we as a society are entertaining more.  We are enjoying our Food, our Wines and our diverse Cultures within today's society and the Best part is that we are taking the time to learn about them.

Within this particular space my clients, wanted a space they could use to entertain with friends.  They wanted an aspect of "The Bar" within the space and they wanted the room to feel comfortable, relaxing and inviting.   By creating the Bar element we brought in a great Bar cart and various food and wine literature that was used as decor to bring the whole look together.  We purchased the sofa and decorative chairs at The Bay (Gluckstein Home Furniture line, exclusive to the Bay).  We also added a beautiful ottoman that added that piece of intrigue and dimension from Zilli Home Furnishings.  The legs on the Ottomon are beautiful!  Our incredible rug is a organic rug made in Turkey, the uniquness of the rug is the that the overall modern look coming out of Turkey, typically many turkish rugs are much more traditional in design (Rug was purchased at ELTE).  We also added various accessories from The Bay, Home outfitters, Home Sense and the Bar Shop.  Hope you enjoy it and you are inspired to spice up that NON living room space within your home.  And as always if you need help please email me at urhaven@rogers.com!!

http://www.zillihome.com/
http://www.homesense.ca/

http://www.thebay.com/