What Is Your Front Door?

We always talk about your house as being a reflection of your personality. Often times this becomes a focus on the interior, leaving the exterior neglected, forgotten and forlorn. Your neighbours feel the same way!! Oh, oh! It is time to do something. The same thought that goes into the creation of your interior should start at the curb. A neighbourhood is a nice place when it is welcoming and well taken care of. Start something, your neighbours will follow.

Think of your house as a greeting. Does it smile or frown? The personality that is your home speaks to the people walking by. People do look at your front door. They might say, “Wow, that’s pretty!”. That’s what you want. Show them your version of happy.

You love red, you want something bright, you want a showstopper. Where do you start? Look up. What colour is your roof? What are the hard surfaces that can’t be changed? Don’t fight ‘em, work with ‘em. How do you work with these features? Do you hate the salmon coloured siding on your house? Maybe it is trimmed with white, making it look peachy, try Benjamin Moore’s AF-720 Sparrow. Suddenly your brick is a sumptuous, soft terra cotta. Like all art, it is just finding the right colour. Look around…what are your neighbours’ colours? Where do you live? What can you do to make your house as special as you are?
Let’s start by putting aside old rules. It is no longer a question of what can be painted, but what can’t. Vinyl siding, brick , masonry, even glass, can be refinished.

Want a good idea? Take a picture of your house and look at what others see.

Use it as a “paper doll”. Try on some new outfits!

What's your situation?

Does the room you’re in boss you around? Maybe the table is in the middle of the traffic pattern, the end of the couch might protrude into the hall or the big T.V. just doesn’t look as good in the room as it did in the showroom.

Perhaps your in the wrong room!?* Yes. The room’s function doesn’t quite work, so what can you do? Change the situation. For instance, do you have a large dining room, just across the hall from the family room? Could the family room become an extension of the kitchen and the dining room be just a few feet away. Perhaps you could view the T.V. better in this new room and the dining room would be perfect in the old family room. Ok, does the children’s room seem overcrowded but have the best view in the house? Could the principal bedroom (that’s the grown ups) benefit from being cozy and quiet with a great view, while the children have more room to play.

When an architect creates a home there is sometimes room for improvement, that’s where your creativity comes in. Flip a room, open up new possibilities, be the boss of your space. Imagine the fun of moving to a new house, right in your old one!

Rejuvenating Inspiration!

Last weekend we headed to the big City of Toronto on a complete adrenaline rush after Willy and Kate’s amazing wedding!! What a wonderful start to a weekend away. We stayed at the Westin Harbour Front Hotel in a lake view room, watching the coming and going of people on the Ferry and planes landing on the runway. And WOW! Tapas at Kutura, the hip Toronto destination. (http://www.kulturatoronto.com/)
Saturday morning we were so excited to wake up early and hit the Designer’s Market hosted annually by Kimberley Seldon located in the Distillery Historic District. To view the restoration of this area is worth the trip.

We LOVED Balzac’s coffee shop where we enjoyed our morning latte and the exposed brick walls and massive chandelier.

After hitting the market a second time for more deals we ventured around the Distillery District, taking in as much as we could. There is always interesting things to find at market booths, such as the Mari Cla Ro bags, (http://www.mariclaro.de/ca/bags.html) a truly unique company. With all new things buzzing in our brains, we needed to find, Pure Spirits Oyster Bar and Grill (http://www.purespirits.ca/venue.php) for some absolutely scrumptious food. We loved the atmosphere there and the sculptured ‘face’ patio chairs set against a great deck wall. With lunch finished, we headed to Younge Street to discover a few fabulous stores.

One of our favorites was "1212". Two full floors of sensory overload, inspiration in every corner and wow who could pass up that adorable, modern dollhouse! The exterior of "Artifacts" beacons you in. There you find everything, clothing, shoes, home accessories and furniture. For all you chandelier lovers, look at this fabulous light! This store "Boo Boo and Lefty" just screams casual elegance. We couldn’t resist taking a photo of this bath tub at "Au Lit Fine Linens", a dreamy place.

Overall a fantastic trip and we feel completely rejuvenated, inspired and ready to go!

Donna outside Artifacts.

A fantastic lamp at Boo Boo and Lefty.

A little doll house, with a modern twist!

We could have spent the day at 1212.

One of many pretty vignettes at Au Lit.