Kim's personal links
MY FAVOURITE DECOR SHOPS IN OTTAWA
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kitchen remodel in my last house
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my twin sister's mostly kid's rooms decor blog
It's no secret that we love design firm Studio McGee here on Desire to Inspire. Their homes are always so fresh and family friendly, stylish but never pretentious. I'm particularly taken by their Claybourne Project. The combined family room/kitchen is fabulous but it's the office that has me green with envy.
I had been trying to find a large piece of art for over my sofa for months and months and could not find anything that really shouted "BUY ME I'M PERFECT" or that wasn't bank-breaking since my taste in art changes frequently. I had a photo printed on canvas as seen in this post and had no where to hang it but over my sofa in the living room (also seen here when I received a new sofa) which made me realize how badly I needed something BIG and BOLD and DARK because I am enjoying my monochromatic dark grey theme I have going in there. When I spotted this photo randomly on Instagram I fell in love. Now I generally hate art behind glass because glare makes me nutty and taking a decent photo of it can be difficult. I did some searching for options on printing photos (the photographer Amanda emailed me a high-res copy of the photo to have printed myself since she lives in Bali and I'm in Canada) and came up with printing it on photoboard (1/4" thick, dense white material). Posterjack is based in Toronto and offered this at a really good price considering I decided to go 40"x40". And no, this isn't a sponsored post. I came up with this all by myself. :) Because my husband is a very handy guy who is into woodworking, I asked him to fabricate a frame for the photo to make it look more weighty and less poster-y. The result is exactly what I was after. I think it is a dramatic addition to the space. It is in keeping with my dark theme, will not irritate me when I try and photograph it, the printing turned out fantastic and sharp, and the frame was exactly what I wanted. BOOM.
(Sources for just about everything are in this post. Sadly the cats would not leave the new wool covered sectional sofa alone so it is now up in our 3rd floor storage-supposed-to-be-library space awaiting that transformation and the old sofa with 999 claw marks is back.)
I love a show house. They are a dream, a fantasy, a platform for interior designers and decorators to weave their magic. All in the name of beauty. All in the name of style. All in the name of pushing the boundaries. This artful living room at the 2016 San Francisco Decorator Showcase by Antonio Martins Interior Design is inspired by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s expansion. The designer has created a space that celebrates the city’s vibrant creative energy and emphasizes the intersection of art and design. With its white lacquered walls, hot rolled steel floors, curated collection of vintage and cutting edge furniture as well as striking art it's like a beautiful Salon, a meeting place for aesthetes, intellectuals and artists or, in our case, like-minded design lovers. Perhaps if you are in San Francisco you can visit this room and tell me how stunning it is in person. The San Francisco Decorator Showcase is open now through to May 30.
When the folks of cityhomeCOLLECTIVE were asked by their quirky clients (whom they had sold this house to) for help with decorating their living room, dining room and patio, they went all out. I freaking love every bit of this transformation. GO BOLD OR GO HOME! The theme was sharp, but creative…nothing too precious. A game of indoor/outdoor basketball is as common as a glass of wine in the open air. We went to work in attempting to mirror this eclectic gang's vibe with bold colors and textures: a hot pink and grey chair in silk and bouclé (think: Chanel suit), black walls with gold metallic niches, a teal over-dyed rug, and rich green, velvet floor-to-ceiling curtains. A thousand statement details that amalgamated flawlessly. Ever aware of the importance of juxtaposing pieces, we employed graphic black and white wallpaper and brass accents, and used green and pink neon rods to create a piece above the dining table. And–in what would eventually become a bit of an obsession for us as the project progressed–we got pillows. Pillows on pillows, and the crazier the better (ie. Bill Murray in a general's coat). Outside it's just as funky and totally awesome.
Make sure you spot the dog before going further :)
This chic kitchen needs to go in all of your inspiration folders. A lesson on how to turn a boring, outdated kitchen into extraordinary. The living/dining rooms in the second project are fun, stylish spaces with bold pattern and colour accents. Ping pong or dinner? You decide. Via Noz Design.
Photos by Colin Price Photography
Thu, 26 May 2016