Ok, this is only sort of decor related but you might like it anyway! Some funny Ikea commercials for your viewing pleasure.
This commercial for mattresses was not aired in the US... too racy perhaps?
A great curtain commercial
This nanny shops at Ikea too!
I hope this put a smile on your face... Happy Monday!
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Heart of the Home... It better be nice!
You know what they say, the kitchen is the heart of the home. More than any other room in a house/apartment/condo/etc., the kitchen is the most versatile room. It's the gathering place when entertaining and on a regular Wednesday night... so it better not be ugly like this one!
It isn't the end of the world if you have an ugly kitchen... kitchen facelifts are really easy and can be done within a reasonable price range. Cupboards can be painted a nice neutral, hardware can be replaced and updated, and even the countertop can be replaced all for a reasonable price.
If your kitchen is beyond salvation and is too ugly for a facelift, my favourite little Swedish buddy from Ikea has got you covered. For much less money than most kitchen renos, Ikea provides a lot of great options. In tough economic times, who can afford expensive custom work? Despite the recent Home Renovation Tax Credit in Canada, a huge reno project could be way too expensive. Let's stick to good old Ikea to keep our minds sane and our wallets plentiful!
Ikea has every style covered... modern, traditional, something to suit everyone's fancy! The kitchen below certainly caters to a more modern style but still incorporates a ton of storage space, which is typically lacking in modern kitchen designs. I love the exposed stainless steel hood over the stove and abundant counter space.
This next kitchen is also quite modern, but certainly very different than the above. The dark floor-to-ceiling cabinets provide clean lines and the hardware reinforce those lines. The backsplash and countertop in the same tone as the cabinets keep the look streamlined and very simple. Complimenting white walls ensures the busiest room in the house doesn't get too dark.
Go to ikea.ca to see their kitchen catalog and check out all the other styles.
It isn't the end of the world if you have an ugly kitchen... kitchen facelifts are really easy and can be done within a reasonable price range. Cupboards can be painted a nice neutral, hardware can be replaced and updated, and even the countertop can be replaced all for a reasonable price.
If your kitchen is beyond salvation and is too ugly for a facelift, my favourite little Swedish buddy from Ikea has got you covered. For much less money than most kitchen renos, Ikea provides a lot of great options. In tough economic times, who can afford expensive custom work? Despite the recent Home Renovation Tax Credit in Canada, a huge reno project could be way too expensive. Let's stick to good old Ikea to keep our minds sane and our wallets plentiful!
Ikea has every style covered... modern, traditional, something to suit everyone's fancy! The kitchen below certainly caters to a more modern style but still incorporates a ton of storage space, which is typically lacking in modern kitchen designs. I love the exposed stainless steel hood over the stove and abundant counter space.
This next kitchen is also quite modern, but certainly very different than the above. The dark floor-to-ceiling cabinets provide clean lines and the hardware reinforce those lines. The backsplash and countertop in the same tone as the cabinets keep the look streamlined and very simple. Complimenting white walls ensures the busiest room in the house doesn't get too dark.
Go to ikea.ca to see their kitchen catalog and check out all the other styles.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Things I love... # 1
I've decided to start a weekly post of things I love. For the very first "Things I Love" post, I wanted to include a very versatile chair -- the Ghost Chair. Ghost chairs range in price but are usually made out of acrylic.
The versatility of the ghost chair is outstanding. It can be used at a desk, dining room table, accent chair, anywhere really!
The versatility of the ghost chair is outstanding. It can be used at a desk, dining room table, accent chair, anywhere really!
Happy Family Day Fellow Ontarians!
In Ontario, we have a fairly new holiday that falls every February called Family Day. That just happens to be today which made this weekend a long weekend.
For me, long weekends are synonymous with cottage living. As a promoter of eclectic yet modern designs, it may seem contradictory for me to love traditional cottage decor.
Moose heads over the fireplace are totally acceptable in a cottage, along with floral sofas, lamps as conversation starters, and an abundance of wicker furniture.
Happy Family Day!
Haute Couture? More like Haute Peinture!
Wallpaper is a drag to put up, and to take down. Believe me... my sister bought a Victorian home full of old lady wallpaper that just had to come down. Being the naive younger sister, I agreed to help strip the wallpaper and repaint... what a mess!
The look of wallpaper is very classic and, sometimes, very appropriate for more formal rooms. When stripes are the pattern you're striving for, you're not locked into struggling with wallpaper. Stripes can be easily painted on walls by carefully applying paint tape vertically. Use a level to ensure the tape has been applied straight, and paint away!
For more detailed instructions, click here.
* Bonus: paint is way cheaper than most wallpapers!
Monday, January 26, 2009
BOOM... Baby Boom That Is!
This past Saturday, I went to a baby shower. Baby showers are, unfortunately for me, becoming all too familiar. I have been to more baby showers within the last year than ever in my life... I guess my friends and family are getting to that childbearing age. While it is nice for the new mom to be showered with gifts to better prepare for baby, they are not as enjoyable for the guests. The part that I enjoy most about baby showers is checking out the nurseries the parents have prepared for the baby's arrival.
Here are a couple of my favourites:
This is my niece's nursery decorated by my sister. This nursery was decorated before the baby's arrival and is gender neutral with a damask accent wall and teal curtains hanging on a modern curtain rod.
The crib transforms into a double bed with headboard for when baby is ready for a big kid bed. The club chair is actually a disguised rocking chair for those late nights. The wooden rocking horse actually belongs to my sister and I from our childhood (the antique character building aspect that I love when decorating). Finally, the dresser doubles as a change table with floating shelf to hold baby socks, shoes, and hair accessories in square tins.
This is a great little nursery for a little boy. It was decorated by a friend of mine, and she knew the nursery would be lived in by her new son. I especially love the light fixture, open shelving above the change station, and three pieces of art above the crib.
These nurseries are great for when the baby is still in infant mode but beyond the first birthday, these pretty rooms are sure to be trashed by toys, and books, and everything else baby! That's when a play room comes in handy.
This is my cousin's baby's play room decked out with lots of open shelving, plenty of baskets to hide small toys, soft mat to play on, and lots of open space to play!
If you were a baby, what would you want for your nursery?
Here are a couple of my favourites:
This is my niece's nursery decorated by my sister. This nursery was decorated before the baby's arrival and is gender neutral with a damask accent wall and teal curtains hanging on a modern curtain rod.The crib transforms into a double bed with headboard for when baby is ready for a big kid bed. The club chair is actually a disguised rocking chair for those late nights. The wooden rocking horse actually belongs to my sister and I from our childhood (the antique character building aspect that I love when decorating). Finally, the dresser doubles as a change table with floating shelf to hold baby socks, shoes, and hair accessories in square tins.
This is a great little nursery for a little boy. It was decorated by a friend of mine, and she knew the nursery would be lived in by her new son. I especially love the light fixture, open shelving above the change station, and three pieces of art above the crib.These nurseries are great for when the baby is still in infant mode but beyond the first birthday, these pretty rooms are sure to be trashed by toys, and books, and everything else baby! That's when a play room comes in handy.
This is my cousin's baby's play room decked out with lots of open shelving, plenty of baskets to hide small toys, soft mat to play on, and lots of open space to play!If you were a baby, what would you want for your nursery?
Come Visit My Apartment...
Here I am writing an interior decor blog without giving my readers a backgrounder on my decor style. In order to give you a better idea of my decor preferences and point of view, I thought I should invite you to see where I live.
It is a one bedroom rental apartment on the top floor of a brownstone building that I have furnished on a fairly tight budget. When I first got the keys, the entire place needed to be painted (including the ceilings!). I chose several shades of grey for the walls with bright white baseboards and trim. I find grey walls to have a calming effect.
I chose this apartment for its amazing character... original pine floors, the exposed stone wall in the bathroom, and the fire places in the living room and kitchen.
A few things I love about my apartment:
- I really love the modern decor with antique contrasts.
- I love simple luxuries like high quality white linens and towels .
- I love open shelving for glassware.
- I love my modern furniture.
- I love accessories in groups of three.
- I love having lots of storage space for clothes and shoes!
- I love the wide baseboards and original pine floor.
- I love the high ceiling in the bathroom.
- Finally, I love that I feel at home in my apartment.
I hope you like what I've done with my place on a tight budget!
Front entrance with mirror from Ikea, coat hooks were a Christmas gift (with the Fleur de Lis on it!):
Dining Room (what you see when you walk in the front entrance) with antique table passed down from my Great Grandpa, 2 glass apothecary jars and a vase for centre piece, tiered chandelier, window mirror made by my dad, and other family items hanging on the wall:
Fireplace in the kitchen, open shelving for glassware and small appliances:
Living room with fireplace, cream leather furniture, antique desk for TV stand, and hand-me-down coffee table:
Office with Ikea desk and shelves, antique slipper chair recovered in cow print material (by my sister!):
Bedroom with matching lamps, white linens accented with silver metallic pillow shams and blanket, three mirrors from Caban:
Open storage in the bedroom from Ikea:
It is a one bedroom rental apartment on the top floor of a brownstone building that I have furnished on a fairly tight budget. When I first got the keys, the entire place needed to be painted (including the ceilings!). I chose several shades of grey for the walls with bright white baseboards and trim. I find grey walls to have a calming effect.
I chose this apartment for its amazing character... original pine floors, the exposed stone wall in the bathroom, and the fire places in the living room and kitchen.
A few things I love about my apartment:
- I really love the modern decor with antique contrasts.
- I love simple luxuries like high quality white linens and towels .
- I love open shelving for glassware.
- I love my modern furniture.
- I love accessories in groups of three.
- I love having lots of storage space for clothes and shoes!
- I love the wide baseboards and original pine floor.
- I love the high ceiling in the bathroom.
- Finally, I love that I feel at home in my apartment.
I hope you like what I've done with my place on a tight budget!
Front entrance with mirror from Ikea, coat hooks were a Christmas gift (with the Fleur de Lis on it!):
Dining Room (what you see when you walk in the front entrance) with antique table passed down from my Great Grandpa, 2 glass apothecary jars and a vase for centre piece, tiered chandelier, window mirror made by my dad, and other family items hanging on the wall:
Fireplace in the kitchen, open shelving for glassware and small appliances:
Living room with fireplace, cream leather furniture, antique desk for TV stand, and hand-me-down coffee table:
Office with Ikea desk and shelves, antique slipper chair recovered in cow print material (by my sister!):
Bedroom with matching lamps, white linens accented with silver metallic pillow shams and blanket, three mirrors from Caban:
Open storage in the bedroom from Ikea:
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