If I told you there was a paint that you could apply without sanding or priming and that cleaned up with soap and water, perhaps you’d be as excited as I was when I heard about chalk paint.
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Chalk Paint has Its Appeal – House Proud, Sun MediaRead More »
Who among us hasn’t wanted to take home something beautiful we saw in a movie: a piece of furniture, stunning artwork, Daniel Craig. …
When you think of wallpaper, you might get a mental picture of a busy floral print that looks a lot like antique upholstery fabric. Perhaps the smell of lavender and musty books comes to mind with a musical accompaniment counted in by Lawrence Welk. Ah-one-anna, two-anna. Well it’s time to associate a new image with wallpaper because it’s back in a big way. …
House Proud – Wallpaper is Back in a Big Way, Sun MediaRead More »
I let out a squeal of joy when hubby announced that his annual early-spring project would be replacing the tired living-room carpet with laminate. In my typical approach, I set out to view virtually every type of flooring available to mankind and along the way I discovered some unusual and funky designs that weren’t right for us, but beautiful to consider. Instead of merely supporting lovely furnishings, flooring is now making a statement of its own. …
House Proud – Anything Goes Underfoot, Sun Media, April 12 & 14Read More »
They prefer pinks, flouncy curtains and floral-patterned rugs. You like calm neutrals, soft lighting and the clean lines of wooden blinds. The only thing you have in common is that you both saw the same place as a space you could make into a home. They’ve moved out and now you’re moving in so it’s time to get rid of any trace of them and truly make the place your own. …
House Proud – Without A Trace, Sun Media April 5 & 7Read More »
Our guest bedroom has a hardwood floor with an odd little corner that was covered with some very old-school stick-on tiles. …
House Proud: A Penny For Her Thoughts, Sun Media, March 22-24Read More »
*A note about this column which appears in The Toronto Sun and in other Sun Media newspapers this weekend. I’ve received quite a few emails already asking about certain plants that appeared with the column in various cities. Sadly, I can’t identify them nor can I even see that particular version of my column! Not only do I not know when or where across the country my columns appear, unless someone writes and tells me, photos are chosen locally. In Toronto, they decided to use a picture of people suffering from allergies. Having said that, I truly enjoy the feedback about House Proud. …
Last fall, our little family expanded in the most delightful way. For a while, hubby and I have been debating the pros and cons of hearing the pitter-patter of little feet in the hallway and in November, it finally happened. Yes, we adopted a rescue cat. …
House Proud: Cat Hair Be-Gone! Sun Media NewspapersRead More »
My apologies if this weekend’s Toronto Sun column seems very familiar. It’s based on the experience we had with Miracle Method which was the subject of earlier posts. It’s called working smart, not hard! So I took the blog posts I wrote about the reno and turned them into a column complete with photos I took of the process. …
Get That Reno Done Right – House Proud, Sun MediaRead More »
When people say they don’t have any style or décor sense I say, nonsense, you just haven’t found your décor guru yet. Thank goodness for the leaders in the field who present an array of options for us to accept or reject and, often unwittingly, define our own style. In an era when it just makes economic sense to shop at home, a Canadian manufacturer is celebrating its success and its star power as it marks 40 years of manufacturing without ever leaving the country. …
Style and Substance with a Made-in-Canada Label – House Proud, Sun MediaRead More »
Ikea means different things to different people. For some, it’s a place to stock up on inexpensive essentials for offspring leaving the nest. For others, it’s the home of organizational inspiration for a closet or a room. And still others see it as the preferred option for in-home kitchen design and installation. Its name conjures up an image as individual as the shopper who straps on a big blue bag and strolls through its Marketplace but there’s one irrefutable fact: Ikea has always first and foremost been about innovative product designs. It can’t be a coincidence that Ikea rhymes with idea. …
It’s a bit of marketing genius aimed at young professionals. A Toronto design firm has taken the mystery out of turning a condo from a clean slate into a beautiful, albeit small, home. It’s called The Condo Quickie and it has become the most popular service offered by Isabelle Glinka and her company, Lux Design. Glinka says she had that “light bulb” moment when she conceived the idea and immediately trademarked the name. …
Buying a cottage by the water is simply out of reach for many people. But what if you could find one at about half the going rate? …
House Proud – Search For Cottage was a Moving Experience. Sun MediaRead More »
A prevailing decorating philosophy has required a chic family home to appear as if a television doesn’t exist. The so-called idiot box gets hidden away in an armoire or worse, relegated to a man-land in the basement. Guests are meant to believe the home’s occupants would never be so gauche as to glom onto the latest hit show. The TV is only brought out from its hiding place when the prying eyes of strangers aren’t about. …
A great publicist is worth his or her weight in gold. I’ve worked with all kinds. From the ones who want you to do their work for them to the ones who try to tempt you with extravagant bribes in the expectation that you’ll look favourably upon their client. Hey, how do you think I got this diamond necklace? …
Everybody wants a beautiful kitchen. It’s the heart of your home and a savvy property owner knows it’s also where you’ll tend to get 100% return on your renovation costs upon resale. …
Many people look at an old, wooden door and can’t see past the chipped paint and broken window panes. But a growing number of salvagers and artisans see that same door for what it can become; a cabinet, a coffee table or a headboard. …
When I was a kid my parents had a patio set made of redwood. It was heavy and expensive. I remember dragging the pieces inside for the winter using my entire 10-year-old muscular prowess and running out to the yard to save the cushions from the rain. Over time, the wood faded in the sunlight and what didn’t fade tended to chip, requiring several touch-ups over the years. My, it’s wonderful how outdoor furniture has evolved. …
Great Design Moves Outdoors – House Proud, Toronto SunRead More »