A Breath of Fresh Air - Benjamin Moore's Colour of 2014

Isn't it unbelievable that 2014 is nearly upon us?  And it's that time of year that paint companies come out with their trend colours for the upcoming year.  Benjamin Moore's 2014 colour of the year is "Breath of Fresh Air", a beautiful, ethereal blue, that's being called the "new neutral".  This colour is totally livable and functional with so many different styles.  Pastels are making a return to design, but not the pastels of the 80s, these are toned down with grey undertones.  Have a look:

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Here are some colour schemes that can make 'Breath of Fresh Air' work in your living space:

You can see that 'Breath of Fresh Air' is such a versatile colour as it can be married with cooler tones as in the first combination and with warmer tones of the second, making it a great neutral.

Here's a fun, more playful combination that could work well in a boy's bedroom or playroom.

 

 

I was inspired to put together some items for your home that reflect the trend.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 

 

 

I think 'Breath of Fresh Air' is the perfect light blue and its name says a lot.  More and more people are looking for their homes to be a refuge from the everyday chaos.  This colour reminds us to breathe, slow down and enjoy the comforts and simplicity of home. 

 

If you would like help incorporating this colour into your décor, contact me.



Minto Dream Home

Anyone who knows me knows that I love to check out peoples' homes and how they live.  So, the opportunity to tour a dream home gets me very excited.  I recently toured the Minto Dream Home for the CHEO Dream of a Lifetime Lottery.  The house is over 5,500 square feet of pure luxury.  Check out some of the highlights:

Living Room: Right from the start this room set the tone for the rest of the house.  A very neutral, soothing scheme with pops of colour.  I noticed right away that the scale of furniture and decor pieces were oversized and made a statement...perfect for this house.  This house is huge so what goes in it needs to be as well!  I loved the natural, rustic look to the wood flooring and the organic feel that was created.

Dining Room: Here you can see what I was talking about about scale...huge chandelier, artwork, planter and centrepiece.

Study/Office: You will see here that the carpet on the floor is not an area rug, but it is actually carpet squares fitted together to make a rug.  I have considered using this in the past when I could not find a rug that worked perfectly in a space.  This option lets you customize your rug to the size and design you like. 

Family Room: I really liked the simplicity of this room and how it was injected with a little personality with the ottomans.  Love the coffered ceiling!!

Kitchen: It was nice to see a kitchen that was not too trendy...this one will stand the test of time.  Clean and simple!  You cannot see from the photo, but the kitchen was on the other side of the family room...a wall separated both rooms, which closed them off from each other.  In my opinion, I would have eliminated the wall opening both rooms up...it just felt a little closed off and small for this grand house.

 

Craft Room: I need one of these!  How much fun would this be?

Media Room: In the basement of the house.  This was a fun room with a small kitchen for entertaining.  Definitely a great man cave! 

Upper Foyer: I loved the double staircase and the feeling of grandeur created.  Also loved the oversized chandelier...a little quirky. You can see in the background a seating area with some interesting art on the wall.  It matched well with the cool vibe created in this area.

  

Upper foyer (continued): Although I liked the vignette created here, I felt like it didn't really work with the vibe in this area.  If you look at this photo and the one directly above, I don't think you would say that they are part of the same space.

Bedroom: When I first entered this space, I thought it was the master bedroom (except for the two beds).  This room was spacious and had a two-way fireplace that was open to the bathroom (see next photo below).

Bathroom: This bathroom convinced me further that this was the ensuite to the master.  Beautiful free-standing bathtub, double vanities, etc.  This room was HUGE!!!

Bedrooms: Two beautifully decorated bedrooms with lots of light.  You see the rugs created with various colours and patterns...love these!  Compared to the all the rooms of the house, these felt...dare I say, a little small.

Master Bedroom: I could really get a great shot of this room, but this room again, was amazing.  I loved the simplicity of the millwork around the fireplace.  This room is a great place to escape and relax!

Ensuite: I have to say the even though this is an amazing space, I liked the other bathroom a lot more.  This one just did not live up to the other one down the hall.  I know I may be a bit critical but, don't you agree?

Overall, this house is amazing.  What do you think?  I could definitely handle living here!  Thankfully, the winner of this house gets house cleaning for a year.  

If you want to see more, I've included the YouTube link to take a virtual tour. 

Nursery Reveal!

It was such a joy to design this nursery.  It's such a magical place in which my little boy will grow.  I finally finished it yesterday!  I was getting a little worried that my procrastination would get me in trouble but, the little guy has yet to make an appearance...phew!  I love how it turned out!

 

Nursery Source List:

• Dresser - Kijiji (refinished and repainted)
• Crib -The Bay
• Curtain fabric - Fabricland
• Curtain Hardware - HomeSense 
• Crib Skirt, Crib Bumper - Restoration Hardware Baby & Child
• Custom crib sheet and change pad cover - My wonderful Mother
• Clock box on dresser - HomeSense
• Airplane on dresser - HomeSense
• Globe on dresser - Indigo
• Monkey in the box - Urban Barn
• Pouf ottoman - Claire de Lune
• Pendant - HomeSense 
• Table Lamp - HomeSense
• Mirror over Crib - Zone
• Rug - Overstock.com 
• Wall ledges for books - IKEA Ribba photo ledges
• DIY Hot Air Balloon Mobile - Again, my wonderful Mother (with a little bit of help from me!).  The tutorial and pattern are available here. 
• Paint color- the walls are Benjamin Moore's "White Dove" ---the perfect shade of white

If there is something I missed, please leave me a comment and I will answer! I hope you all like the nursery.

I ♥ Target

Yesterday, Target opened its first three Ottawa locations.  I was somewhat hesitant to even go to the store...picture a 9-month pregnant woman in the middle of pandemonium...but my curiosity got the best of me!!!  I was surprised to find that the crowds weren't as bad as I thought and that the selection of home décor was pretty awesome.  I was pretty excited to see design lines from Beaver Canoe (Roots Canada), Nate Berkus and Target's own Threshold brand.  The options are pretty incredible; I was highly impressed.  There was some speculation leading up to the launch that the selection would not be as good as in the U.S., but I think design enthusiasts will agree that Target is a welcome edition to the Canadian market.

I managed to snap a couple of pictures on my phone (so sorry for the not so great quality).

 

If you would like to fill your house with pieces that will work for you, contact me.

A nursery for the littlest man...sneak peak

With our baby boy due to arrive any day now, I wanted to show you what I have been working on for the nursery.  I'm all about a nursery that can grow with the baby and this room has many grown-up pieces that can move to other places in the home as well.  I really wanted a completely beige/white nursery but the hubs was having none of that.  So, this is what I came up with.  I think it's a classic take on a nursery.  Nursery reveal to come very soon...I'm just putting the finishing touches on it!

If you'd like me to design a room, I'd love to hear from you!  I am currently accepting new e-design clients.  Here's how it works: 

• You want to execute, but I do all the sourcing. 
• The concept and direction is what you need! 
• E-design includes a design board, ideas for the room and a list of sources so that you can purchase the items and get going!

Contact me for more details.