interior motive

Kitchen Inspirations

2012-01-19T22:33:00.003-05:00

These are my inspirations for my new kitchen. I am leaning towards a black and white neutral base as the house is circa 1875, with hits of carera marble in hexagonal forms and pure white walls. The original mouldings and old wood floors should soften it up. Before and after images in the making.

Spring Cushions

2012-01-19T20:19:00.003-05:00

Judy Ross is always one of my favourite textile designers. Here are my current favourites for Spring. I am currently working on a full renovation and black and white are featuring heavily in my design inspiration for the finishing touches. I always like to pair these bold neutrals with a complimentary colour to add a little zest. This year it will be greens of the lime/yellow

family. Roll on springtime...

All mapped out

2012-01-19T20:08:00.003-05:00

Here is a new concept in art for your walls. Did you go to university in a particular US state? City Prints Map Art have a creative selection of maps dedicated to several well known universities. Even if you didn't go to any of them, I personally think theses prints are a great simple graphic way to add colour and texture to any room. They come in 12"x12" unframed, but are also available in larger sizes to order. Custom maps are also available as a commission. Below are a few of my favourite colours. They would also work really well in black and white. www.cityprintsmapart.com

Join us on Facebook

2011-11-24T14:46:00.001-05:00

Facebook page with more photos and posts, join me there to see an upcoming renovation project from start to finish. https://www.facebook.com/theinteriormotive

Old Montreal Loft - BEFORE

2011-11-08T23:51:00.003-05:00

This spring I had a great opportunity to completely redecorate a large loft in Old Montreal. The 2400sf loft was completely empty and was bought by a couple who live in Australia. The main fixtures such as the kitchen and Bathrooms remained, but it is amazing what new paint and a whole new palette of furnishings and accessories can do for a space. I bought absolutely everything which is a feat in itself especially for such a large space. Timeline ended up being two months. It was a truly great project for truly great clients.

Kitchen area before.

Bathroom, green and beige, before.

Living area was khaki green before with beige. I didn't manage to photograph it before.

I opted to paint everything Oxford White and work with fabric and texture to bring colour and warmth into this space. This is an old building that was revived in a modern way into large loft spaces but it retains some of the old stone work. I decided to make the exposed stone the hero. Pulling out tones and colours from it as my main base and adding is of colour to define each area.

Its not a rule to have to paint an open plan space in one colour, but in this case with such a large space with the only natural light source coming from the huge front windows I wanted to keep it as light as possible.

Living/Dining area.

Old Montreal Loft - After

2011-11-08T23:25:00.013-05:00

These are the after photos. It was a unique experience to work with clients who were not only living so far away, but also without meeting them in person. Like all home purchases, we often only visit a place for 10-15 minutes before we sign on the dotted line and are handed the keys. In this situation it was actually me who was handed the keys on closing day and also the brief to create a warm and welcoming vacation home. With the power of the internet we came together to design their space. Two months on the space was finished and finally this Autumn we were able to meet. I was delighted to learn that they love their Montreal Pied-a-Terre.

Lovely Fabrics

2011-10-25T22:16:00.002-04:00

These are some of the coziest pillows I have seen this autumn, check out all of Judy Ross www.judyrosstextiles.com for many more delightful pillows and much much more... you will be hooked.

Long time no post...

2011-09-26T22:07:00.002-04:00

Sorry for lack of recent posting, I spent the summer in the UK and have some exciting new British stores to blog about as well as a few new stores that have opened up here in town that I have seen since returning to Montreal, so plenty of news and photos to come.

Beige Style... fabulous

2011-06-09T10:03:00.002-04:00

On a more positive note about my recent shopping expeditions, Beige Style which is situated on Notre Dame Street in the Atwater Market area are truly amazing. Michael is the owner along with his team members Kate and Ben are extremely helpful and very professional.
If you are shopping for some unique pieces to add a special something to a room or you are embarking on a real change in style, head over to see them. They have something for everyone, if you have a tight budget its possible to pick up small and interesting items at great prices and for more upscale items they can order custom sofas with a huge range of fabrics to choose from and all with extremely good service. I highly recommend a visit even if its just to brows all their wonderful things. www.beigestyle.com

Maison Corbeil, not such a good choice.

2011-06-03T23:59:00.004-04:00

I am currently working on a full decoration project, which is very exciting and has its challenges, but this challenge is good as the brief is slightly different for me as I usually am more involved in design for renovation as opposed to complete furnishing of a home.

One of those challenges for me is shopping for furniture in Montreal. I am more used to shopping in a city like London where competition is rife and choice and price point is way more vast than in Montreal. However there are great items to be had and as part of my brief was to furnish a 2400sf space in just a little over a month the heat was on to find the perfect blend of stock pieces that combined with some vintage that would make for a great looking space for what is a great and trusting client.

One store here that offers a nice selection of pieces is Maison Corbeil and I found some super gems there. But on a less than complementary note their customer service is absolutely dreadful.
The sales assistant that helped me was patient and helpful when I was browsing. The company on the other hand have an appauling attitude. I spent quite a bit of money with them but upon receiving a broken chair and a scratched up table in my delivery (not cheap items either) I called to talk to someone about it the receptionist was rude, the person handling the situation was rude. Basically after you have spent the money you are no longer important to them. Shocking. I was told that a replacement could take up to two months. When I explained I couldn't wait that long and could I get a refund for the damaged items, they said no. The consultant that dealt with my purchases was not available in the store on the day I went there, but no other sales assistants would help me. In fact when I was asking one of them about possible alternatives she just said no I can't help you even though the store was empty.

Without going into a long and terrible story I would just like to warn anyone out there who may wander into their store. They sell nice things but the sales assistants are ill mannered and extremely unprofessional and so is the management.

My advice, if you can, look for a different store in which to spend your hard earned cash.

Current Fave...

2011-04-07T13:58:00.005-04:00

This is one of my current favourite places to browse around. So if you are in Montreal or you are a Montrealer looking for a stylish place to shop or browse in a place that offers a little hint of British chic and a hint of humour, head down to Laurier Street East and check out Buk & Nola. Super fabulous place, especially the cushions. www.buknola.com. And while you are down there pop into Lapin Presse, they do delicious coffee and grilled cheese.

Decadence from down under

2011-02-07T14:09:00.005-05:00

Signature Prints are the proud custodians of the extraordinary Florence Broadhurst design library and they own the exclusive world-wide commercial licence to this iconic library. The amazing selection of fabrics, wallpapers, rugs and throws are to name just a few disciplines to which they have applied some of these magnificent prints. Bold and timeless, they are absolutely gorgeous. Check out more on their website. www.signatureprints.com.au.

Check for Tartan

2011-01-29T09:11:00.004-05:00

Is Tartan making a comeback? I'm not sure it ever went away. But I think it is becoming a stable pattern in more contemporary designed spaces. I am English not Scottish and Tartan skirts were all the rage when I was a wee lass back in.... well long ago. Alfred Sung uses a lot of Tartan inspiration and below images of a hotel designed by Garry Cohn uses the famous check pattern as a great accent. Tartan is great because it can be masculine or feminine depending on the style and colour of the fabric and therefore is very easy to apply in any space for anybody.

Roll on Summer with Alfred Sung

2011-01-26T08:49:00.004-05:00

Although its still cold and snowy outside, Spring is not that far away. Soon we will be thinking of Summer days and evenings out in the back garden or on the terrace and sitting outside in comfort and style is a definite must. Here is Alfred Sung's 2011 outdoor collection. Available at The Bay.

2011 Trends

2011-01-24T18:48:00.003-05:00

Trends for 2011 are including a hint of black and black browns. One of my favourites is of course white walls, lots of neutrals and then a nice pop of a super dark floor or sofa. This year that dark is trending towards the blacks and warm blacks. The reason this is always a winning combination of tones is because it lends itself well to contemporary as well as more traditional styles. As we have seen in recent years adding a retro chic something is always a great talking piece in the home. I am thinking that retro shaped desks and dining tables will be big this year.

adding style with pets

2011-01-12T10:13:00.005-05:00

Love your home? Love your pets too? It may sound superficial but you decide to overhaul your home, you spend time and money making it look great and then you have to add a rather ugly looking cat or dog bed into the decor!
Well those days are over. Finally you can love both in harmony. A Danish company called Pet Interiors has designed an amazing line of pet beds that would look stylish in any space. Check out www. pet-interiors.de for an amazing range of well designed and quality made pet beds. I am especially fond of the retro looking cat beds.

Kitchen inspiration

2010-10-16T20:52:00.004-04:00

Here are some inspirational images for the kitchen of our clients renovation. The appliances will be black so we decided to go with a dark brown/black flat front base cabinet and glass with stainless framed upper cabinets to keep the space light. White quartz for the counters and also for the island. The floor is American walnut so the tones will mix well with the cabinetry and give warmth and texture.

the demo and reframe

2010-10-02T20:01:00.008-04:00

So in 4 weeks Marcelo and Stephanie's condo has come quite a way, been very busy with it so haven't had too much time to upload photos. I always tell people that 70% of the reno time is messy and although a lot of work is going on it doesn't look like much but I am happy with the progress. Plumber and Electrician have both been, drywall to start this week. Photos to come.

From West back to East.

2010-09-20T19:30:00.006-04:00

So its all go for us, fall has brought us straight into the swing of a full scale gut and renovate of a two bed condo in downtown Montreal. The couple we are working for are Marcelo Souhami an Engineer and Stephanie Delisle a graphic designer who are originally from Montreal but had been living in San Francisco for the last three years. They have now returned to re-occupy their Montreal condo that had been rented in their absence. Now however they have a little third member to add to their family called Oscar and although he is still small he has his special requirements so this is what launched them into deciding to tear down the walls and re-draw their home to suit their needs. Here are some before pictures, I will be posting our progress as we go.

Going Dutch

2010-09-13T20:41:00.012-04:00

Ruud and Anja are family of mine living in Einhoven in Holland. Ruud is an award winning lighting designer for Philips and Anja is an all round creative who loves to create master peices on her sewing machines and in their home. Together they have created a lovely eclectic space, that I absolutely loved when I visited recently for the first time in many years. There are modern lines and imaginary lighting all put together with items that they have collected from their many travels the world over. Lots of items collected and around your home doesn't always mean clutter, I think it can give a home a personality and a love built over time, just like a good marriage, which is something that they definitely have.

During a conversation we had about renovations the subject of nightmare bathroom stories is one that most seasoned renovators have. Anja told me about how they waited and waited for the completion of their main bathroom which includes an amazing two person bathtub. When it was finally all done they of course decided to take a nice relaxing soak in the new tub. There are speakers in the wooden drop ceiling and watery blue lighting. It was all perfect until they noticed that their was a manufacturing fault in the bathtub, a big crack! The tub had to be removed and replaces as well as the tile. Fortunately it now is perfect.

Ruud managed to acquire some rounded glass panels from an exhibition, he decided to adapt one of them for use as a shower door and made the shower a round room.

To create to round shower area in the bathroom they took some space from their bedroom and in turn created a round wall with light torches formed in the plaster of the walls. It is a very simple and minimalist bedroom and this wall is a striking feature.

My favourite, white walls with all sorts of pops of colour in the form of cushions or chairs. Anja painted this mid-century chair bright pink and then made blue cushions. I love it.

The both love to cook, the kitchen is mainly open storage, everything is close to hand, its warm and inviting, small but you walk in and can almost taste all the delicious dishes they have cooked in this kitchen.

This amazing hardwood floor is full length planks, mighty expensive but look how gorgeous. This is the first floor landing, the modern light is paired with items collected on a few journeys, each piece with a story to tell.

Techno trend

2010-08-22T23:21:00.003-04:00

It goes without saying that technology is always in our homes in one form or another. But when Apple started getting creative with the style of their first iMac's back in the days, well that is when the boring old black or beige televisions and computers became a thing of the past. These days there is colour, shape and style applied to all technological items that we use in our homes ranging from coloured washer/dryer combos to cookware. But I am still finding it hard to buy creatively stylish home entertainment units for music or DVDs and if anyone out there in Canada know where I can buy a white television I would greatly appreciate the tip. Here however are a few items I found that look interesting.

Switch it up

2010-06-23T10:28:00.004-04:00

Every little touch contributes to the style of our homes so I was delighted to see that Forbes and Lomax are now producing their switch and socket panels for the North American market. I am a huge fan of these transparent ones. www.forbesandlomax.com

cool outside

2010-05-23T11:50:00.003-04:00

Feels like summer...yes? Time to spend those free hours at home as much outside as possible. Here are some more unusual outdoor spaces that are minimal but tranquil and stylish all the same.

think pink

2010-05-21T17:55:00.003-04:00

I used to hate pink, litterally ever since I was 13 and my mum bought me this awful pink coat that I had to wear. But in recent years I kind of made peace with pink, thinking of it as a more exotic colour with a lot of eastern promise. Of course it goes well with white, lime green and turqouise which are my three favourite colours. Here are some well placed pink shades.

Bedroom before and after

2010-05-17T18:48:00.004-04:00

The main bedroom was orange, mind you so was the office which sits just off the main bedroom. Alfresco or Tuscan for some, but it didn't work for me. Other than using my favourite, white paint, new teak flooring that was used seamlessly throughout, nothing much changed but hey presto huge difference with small effort.

Thank you Amy

2010-05-17T09:07:00.002-04:00

If you like to follow interior design blogs then check out this website: http://graphicdesigndegrees.org/top-100-interior-design-blogs.

Amy Cook, a freelance online writer has compiled a top 100 interior design blogs list and I would like to thank her for adding my blog to her list, I am pleased to have come in at No. 39. :-)

Office before and After

2010-05-05T22:17:00.007-04:00

The office is a small room of the principal bedroom with access to the front balcony. Originally the door to the walk in closet was in the office area, we closed this up and moved the doorway to the bedroom so that a custom desk and shelves could be built. It is now spacious. I feel that and office is a private space much like a bedroom therefore it is not a problem that it is off the bedroom. My cat certainly likes it.

Hallway before and after

2010-05-05T21:53:00.006-04:00

The previous tenants had a lot of clutter and open shelving in the hallway.

Albeit a hallway it is an opne concept apartment and it definitely needed storage. So I put in a built in closet at the end behind the door, it is a dead space anyway and in a perfect place fr coats and shoes. I used panel frosted glass doors to carry on the look of the custom glass doors I used for the bedrooms.

Bathroom before and after

2010-05-05T18:44:00.008-04:00

Two closets, one in the hallway and one in the back bedroom, both of which were backing onto the bathroom were eliminated and added to the bathroom space. The bathroom was originally very cramped and also contain the washer and dryer, now the bathroom is much more spacious, we even managed to have a 34 x 66" Neptune bath as well as a 50" Vanity with vessel sink. All kept in a white as there is no window and I used glass mosaic to add some sparkle.

Kitchen Before and After

2010-05-05T18:14:00.006-04:00

Sorry been offline for some time and I know these photos are way overdue so here is the first of some before and after shots, many more to come in the followings days.

The kitchen was a small box off the side of a narrow hallway leading to the back bathroom and second bedroom. I decided to remove an under stairs closet and open up the wall next to the dishwasher to shorten the hallway. As well as letting in so much more natural light the kitchen is much larger and airy. It is an amazing kitchen for what is a small downtown Montreal condo. High gloss cabinetry and cement grey quartz create a light modern feel. I added a horizontal mirror on one wall to add a little dimension. I havn't decided on whether to have an island as I quite like the open feel of the kitchen as it is. Gotta love my african teak hardwood floors, they were a bit more expensive than I had planned on but completely worth it.

The difference so far

2010-01-30T21:22:00.003-05:00

More for myself than anything, this is the before and almost after, already huge difference.

Reno final stages

2010-01-30T21:12:00.006-05:00

Sorry, these photos are not the most recent, but its been so hectic with the reno and I am packing to move this weekend that I havn't had much time to take photographs. More pictures to come soon. Floor delivery was delayed and therefore we did lose a week in there, even though there was plenty of other stuff to do. Anyway, anyone who has ever lived through a reno and for those who never have, it always looks like a building site right till the end. Its only when the final tools have been packed and gone that you can clean up and start living. Some people have come over and looked in horror in the belief that its still so far off but its only because there is still stuff going on. I am happy its looking really good.

More inspirations

2010-01-20T22:18:00.003-05:00

Coming up very soon will be more photos of my ongoing reno, its not far from completion but in the meantime while looking at the 2010 HGTV dream house I found plenty of Inspiration. The hardwood flooring that I have chosen is also an exotic brazilian hardwood with colours very similar to the Brazilian chestnut shown here.

Great office layout, I love desks that are not facing walls.

Great warmth and texture in this flooring.

Quite a lot of use of colour here but with all the light its not overpowering, its still neutral and tranquil.

Sunset room.

Great tile, I love it, I bet its expensive though!

reno Stage 2

2010-01-13T19:23:00.005-05:00

So far so good, most of the weird coloured walls are gone. White is all around and also window frame spraying is progressing. The kitchen is a nice open plan and since the walls became white it has openend up the space so much. In the kitchen we discovered a huge maze of pipes for the other apartments, so for safety we added 3/4 inch ply all over the wall so as not to risk putting any screws into the pipes once the wall is closed. It also reduces the noise factor.
The electrician has been and fitted some of the lighting. Hopefully we will have a toilet by next week!

London Lush

2009-12-19T18:48:00.008-05:00

Gone along time ago are the days when going out for a drink in London was about going to your local spit and sawdust pub. London these days is a hub of well styled and delightfully furnished bars and private clubs. It is several years now since I left there but I still look out for new and interesting places. I wouldn't move back but I have to say that London is still a leader in edgy style and glamour when it comes to interiors. Below are some pictures of the Soho House family of bars which include, Soho House, Shoreditch House and Electric House in Nottinghill.

Reno Stage 1 - Week 2

2009-12-18T20:56:00.003-05:00

Week 2 of the reno has come to an end. Its been very hectic this week. Both the electrician and the plumber were on site for most of the week getting as much finished before the beginning of the holidays.

Hallway lights put in. Alas they had to be shifted from my original desired placing due to joist restrictions but my electrician Pierre did an excellent calculation which in the end made very little difference in the look. All the appliances arrived on time. Bathroom tiles and new hot water heater bought too.

New walk in closet door created in bedroom and old doorway closed up. Created a window area high up on the bedroom wall that adjoins to the living room to let more light in.

Electrician ran out of time to finish the rough for the kitchen but managed to relocate wires so that the remaining part of the old under stairs cupboard wall could be removed. Kitchen will end up being an excellent size.

Zen Neptune bath arrived finally. Jean Lepine Plomberie have nice stuff but their customer service leaves little to be desired. I wouldn't advise a delivery from them, they make a lot of promises they can't keep.

Fortunately plumber has enough to keep him busy until bath arrival.

Bath framing all complete and floor leveling too.

Bath goes in without a hitch, framing is perfect.

All plumbing for bath is hooked up and now testing that everything works and is safe.

Sam and Alex the plumber seem happy enough.

This is one big bath, it takes ages to fill up.

The rest of the floor to be leveled this weekend and floor tile can begin. Hopefully next week we will have a functioning toilet for the first time since the reno began and hot water to boot.

Stainless mosaics

2009-12-17T07:30:00.002-05:00

I am absolutely loving stainless steel Mosaics.

Bathroom inspirations

2009-12-09T20:21:00.004-05:00

Now that the demo is all done the framing in the bathroom has begun, so here are some of my bathroom inspirations.

Demolition excitement.

2009-12-07T21:44:00.011-05:00

So the Demo began December 4th. We managed to gut the kitchen and take down the wall that blocked it from the main living space.

From the entrance the space seems much more open.

There is always way more junk to get rid of than you think there will be.

Incorporating the old understairs cupboard as part of the kitchen has added considerable space. The kitchen is now 16' long.

The long narrow hallway that I named the rabbit run now seems more light and less long without the original kitchen wall.

Adding the old closet in the spare bedroom and a closet in the hallway to the bathroom has hugely increased its size. The bathroom will incorporate a generous closed off laundry area that will replace the lost storage in the hallway.

I was so surprised by how much the additional space made a difference. I managed to buy a fabulous Zen Neptune bath that is 34" in width as opposed to 32" and I still have space for a great sized vanity.

The old bath ready for removal. Plumber arriving Friday. Phew.

Reno Stage 1

2009-12-07T21:05:00.014-05:00

So my new renovation is underway. Its a two bedroom + office condo in a greystone building in a great location between the lower plateau and the village in Montreal. I closed on it on Thursday 3rd December and the demolition began in full swing the next morning. Its now Monday and about 85% of the demo has been completed and the transformation is therefore underway. We are excited...(if not a little tired) Here are before pics. Demo pics tomorrow.

As you enter turning to the front of the apartment there is the main bedroom with an office space to the side and walk in closet. Currently a strange orange colour.

This is the view from the office to the bedroom. There is a small balcony off the office with cute double doors.

Yep its orange. It really glows when the sun is out.

You enter the apartment into a large 22' x 15' living dining space.

Its a little dark but with a coat of white paint (my favourite colour) it will lighten up considerably.

This is the view from the opposite wall to where the corridor to the back of the apartment is, which has the kitchen, bathroom and back bedroom.

This is the understairs cupboard and the current view of the kitchen from the dining area.

Kitchen left side

Kitchen right side.

Bathroom...Hideous!

Back bedroom. Sam started ripping out back wall from bedroom into the bathroom while I took the rest of the pictures. Very keen he is.

Coming soon....

2009-11-30T10:58:00.002-05:00

This week I am closing on a new property that needs a complete overhaul. I will be blogging about this renovation from start to finish with before during and after photography.

Best looking refrigerator

2009-11-27T10:58:00.003-05:00

SMEG is very popular in Europe, far too expensive in North America but looks good all the same. Somehow you can never get tired of retro, it looks good in almost all styles of kitchen.

When I lived in London...

2009-11-25T18:58:00.004-05:00

When I lived in London (UK) this was one of my favourite stores. Nowadays I can but browse their wares online and try to calculate the huge shipping fees it would take to bring any of this stuff back with me should I make a short trip to my native land. Still its nice to look and be inspired. Londoners are typically eclectic and that is what I like. Still I would never move back.
www.habitat.co.uk

Style on a budget

2009-10-21T14:37:00.008-04:00

Want to add some style to your home but have a limited budget? Here are a few items I found on www.bouclair.com that are rather nice. Not so long ago I was on the hunt for some mercury glass and to my surprise it was at this store that I found some for such a good deal. This store is well worth checking out.

Great duvet and pillowcase set from $69.99

Animal print is big this season 60" x 84" rug $99.99

Glossy vases are glamorous with or without flowers starting at $3.99

Tea light holders and vases that shine starting at $5.99.

We can't all afford Kelly Wearstler Imperial trellis so these are a lovely alternative.

Simple elegant lamps, a steal at prices starting at $19.99

If price is not an issue....

2009-10-17T23:03:00.007-04:00

Got plenty of money to spend? These would be a few items on my very expensive shopping list if money was no object. Check out www.surrounding.com for more pricey treats and some affordable ones too. Interesting selection of LED door bells and door numbers, look under Spore and Zerogravity in their menu.

Rags to Riches 2

2009-09-19T18:43:00.008-04:00

Another chair I found on the street. It got a second chance at style with new upholstery and a little sparkly cushion. My friend who helped me bring it home thought it was hideous and not worth saving but even he was amazed and impressed with the result. I have seen similar ones for sale in a vintage shop for $600. What a find.

Hand over the Bar Stools

2009-09-08T22:43:00.004-04:00

During an offer on my house sale a potential buyer made a request to add my bar stools into the purchase deal. I was quite honestly rather shocked as my lovely simple bar stools took me ages to find and I was rather reluctant to give them up. Anyway after a recent trip to San Francisco I realised that there are however now many more delicious new bar stool designs to choose from on the market that don't necessarily look like something out of a Star Trek episode so all is not lost if I have to hand them over as part of the deal. Here are some great ones I discovered.

Clear calling

2009-09-05T15:20:00.003-04:00

Can't get enough of lucite? Check out this new range of clear plexi furniture from CB2, www.cb2.com. They also ship to Canada.

Walls of pattern

2009-08-21T22:13:00.004-04:00

You either love or hate wallpaper. But in recent years it has made a huge come back, designers seem to love it and its all the rage to have a feature wallpaper wall in an entrance hallway or bedroom. I am of course a self confessed lover of simple white paint, but even I have toyed with the idea of a bit of wallpaper in say a small powder room but I never quite got there. Here however are a few that I found that even I could actually live with, even if only in small quantities.

Renovation Love

2009-08-18T20:52:00.024-04:00

Three years ago I began a relationship with one of the most ugly rundown houses on my street. Over those years I fell in and out of love with my renovation successes and woes, there were trying times, with literally blood, sweat and tears. But I truly fell head over heels in love with this little neighbourhood of Point Saint Charles just south west of downtown Montreal. I found so many great neighbours who became friends. In the end though my little house turned into a little gem. But now I have decided its time to move on and put what I learned into a new project. I realised that although I love my house its the area that has endeared me most of all, so today I listed my house on the market with both a heavy heart but also with immense excitement of the next project to come. I hope to stay in this neighbourhood and even in an ideal world on my same street with my fabulous neighbours and I can say for a well traveled person that is a major statement on my behalf. So here are before and after photos of my renovation experience.

If you would like more information about my listing visit my realtors website at: www.montrealrealestatesource.com, its also in the links section to the side.

Desk accessories

2009-08-04T09:34:00.009-04:00

I am a lover of stationery. I think I make lists and write things down just so that I have an excuse to go out an buy yet another good looking journal or note pad. Just like great accessories can complement a fashion outfit, shouldn't a desk be finished off with a few of its own paper jewels? Stationery can pull together a look of your work space and they need not be expensive. Here are some note books that could give your work space a little extra style.

Desk Dilema

2009-08-03T21:46:00.013-04:00

A good friend of mine recently phoned me in a state of despair. Whilst in the midst of tidying and organizing her home office area, her desk suddenly collapsed. Fortunately neither she or her computer were hurt in any way but as a busy graphic designer and fashion blogger (http://fortheloveofallthingsfabulous.onsugar.com) she needs to have a dedicated work area at home that is functional as well as stylish. So here are some of my favourite home office/work area inspirations for my 'desk less' friend!

Black is both traditional and modern and reflects the desk style well.

A round desk can work well if you have the space, although my office is small
I opted for a round table instead of a desk.

If you work from home a lot a desk with a view can be a good idea.

These days often a simple sleek dining table can function well as desk space.

If space is limited or your desk is a room that serves more than one function,
simple glass and trestle legs are less imposing on the space.

As always when in doubt, white always works for me.

Outdoor Oasis

2009-07-30T10:09:00.007-04:00

Canadian summers are all about outdoor living. We spend winter all cozy and cooped up inside, but when summer finally arrives its time to head outdoors, whether its to the cottage or just into the back yard. The weather this year might not be co-operating very much (well at least not here in Montreal) but we can still get some inspiration for our outdoor living spaces.Here are some of my favourtite outdoor oasis's, beyond my own little terrace of course.

Rags to Riches

2009-07-28T20:07:00.007-04:00

Its amazing what people leave on the sidewalk. Moving day in Montreal used to be July 1st but these days you would be amazed what you can find left outside for garbage almost all year round. I found two chairs which I painted one of which I re-upholstered in a funky zebra fabric, it now has pride of place in my entry hallway.

Perfect patterns

2009-07-24T12:40:00.008-04:00

Bold patterns are back, I wonder if pattern ever really went away. Whether its graphical or floral, contemporary or traditional there is always a space in our homes that can accommodate a little pattern and it adds a little humour. Here are some of my current cushion favourites.

White is always right, or is it?

2009-07-23T20:24:00.003-04:00

When it comes to painting my walls I love white. In my opinion white can never be wrong when it comes to creating an interior space.

White goes with every other colour so it gives you the freedom to mix and match fabrics or add a wallpaper feature wall with bold patterns and the beauty of it for me is that when you get tired of coloured accessories or you want to change up a room from a summer feel to a winter feel its just a throw or a cushion cover change away!

So when a friend of mine brought over her real estate partner to my home, I was very surprised when he exclaimed that it was ‘too white!’ I’m not easily shocked but that statement left me momentarily speechless. I always thought that in the world of real estate, when it comes to selling a house, neutral was usually a good route to take.

In addition, although my place does have white walls, I have in my lounge an aubergine coloured velvet sofa and dark Jatoba wood floors, its very much just white walls. I use colours and textures to give the room warmth in the quantities that work for me, but it does beg the question ‘is white still the reliable safe colour’? Is there such a thing as too much white? So these are some examples of white spaces that I feel work perfectly well without being devoid of charm!