James Brittain

We spend so much time on this blog praising photographers of beautiful spaces. The buildings we show are stunning but knowing the limitation of my own skills I am constantly in awe of the talent of the professionals who capture images of the work of architects and designers and bring it to life for us. We can't walk into any of these rooms and gasp at their beauty but through photos by über talented photographers like James Brittain we can. There is a clarity to his shots, an understanding of the feel of the space. Love them.

Kim's Komfy Kouch

So I finally got around to getting the instructions for my DIY sofa from my boyfriend and he took a few photos to illustrate some key points. Sorry for the delay folks but I have a terrible memory and have been super busy lately. These are in his words, including the title (which I don't want to take credit for LOL). (Thanks Jeff!!)

First thing is to measure the cushions you are going to use (we used the Ikea's Lillberg sofabed cushions). You want the cushions to fit tightly into the sofa. This will keep the cushions fluffy and in place as you get comfy. The pillows should sit 2-3” below your sides depending on the height of your pillows. You can see the difference in this picture:

The frame is made from 2x4's, the width ones that attach to the legs are first and then 2x4 lengths lay on top around the edges.

Another 2x4 is cut to fill in the gap so the 2x6’s on top sit evenly.

FYI – do not screw your wheels/legs to the couch like this. Use proper screws, something I forgot on the trip to Home Depot. And we're going to switch out 2 of the casters on each of the 2 moveable pieces to finials, because despite using lockable casters, they still move around too much.

Lay some 2x6’s lengthwise on top. You could use whatever width of wood you want, heavy is good so the couch won’t move around when you are. You can see in the first photo an end view without the MDF.

The ledge on the back was made by raising a 2x6 so it would make a space for pillows. If you are going to make a pillow ledge remember to take that into account when making the frame (it was an afterthought on this one).

The sides are finished with the MDF and cut at 45 degree angle at the corners.

The MDF we used (8") is the perfect height to reach from the top of the legs to 2-3” above the frame. The couch sits 12” high to the top of the MDF.

Fill the holes and cracks, prime (we bought pre-primed MDF), paint and accessorize as required (mine still require new pillows - hoping to tackle that ASAP).

Ranch Houses

I absolutely adore books. When I received an email a little while ago about a book called Ranch Houses, I was instantly intrigued. I love the style of ranch homes and there are so few of them up here in Ottawa. The architecture of these houses is a popular one, and it's obvious why, with such huge expanses of windows to join indoor with outdoor spaces. I recently got my hands on a copy of this book, by David Weingarten and Lucia Howard, published by Rizzoli NY, and it my new favourite coffee table book. I only buy books that look great, and this one has the most gorgeous photo on the jacket (and might I add, the cover is a fabulous shade of orange, because that's important too).

I've got to give props to the photographer, Joe Fletcher. The photos are dreamy, and showcase these ranch homes so beautifully. The book features a home that was initially built in 1797, others in the 1800's and 1900's and up to 2005. A brief history is provided with each home, as well as photos of the interior, exterior and landscape. I cannot wait until the weekend when I can devour each photo and every word.

Enough teasing - how about a little taste?

Mae Brunken

Bold, stylish and very eclectic Mae Brunken's interiors embrace colour and drama to create rooms that are showstoppers but still so very livable. Glamour and function with lashings of LA. Whether dark and moody overloaded with drama or dazzling white with a crisp modern edge her spaces are unique and beautifully crafted.

House tour on Apartment Therapy

I've got big news! I have the honour of having my home featured on a house tour over at Apartment Therapy today. :-) Click here for the tour. I've been an avid follower of AT for quite some time, and have had some photos of my home(s) included in posts here and there but this is my first house tour. SO COOL. (I'm hoping their readers go easy on the comments as they can often get pretty foul). Here's a sneak peak of some photos I took for them of nooks and crannies around my house (not sure if these will be included in the tour).