new home

image from livemodern.com

we're moving november 1st.
ed has given me free range over the design of our condo - however, we're on a very tight budget and whatever i decide to do can not be a permanent thing. we're only going to be here for a couple of years but as i see it, for those years i want to live in a space that i find comfort and relaxation in. i want it to be a home. our home.

so this will be my first "rental" budget re-design. i plan on using our space to get more low budget clients and even clients living in rental units for fast and quick fix-me-ups. after all every challenge is an opportunity.

there are 2 things i definitely want to incorporate in the space. first, a black wall and second a white fireplace mantel. the black wall i'm thinking of putting up in our dining area. we have 1 large wall in the dining room which is hidden from the rest of the house unless you walk into the dining area that i would love to paint black against a row of black and white photographs. the white manel fireplace i want to fill with chopped wood and place on one of the walls in the living room which filters into a sun room which is surrounded by floor to ceiling windows which makes the entire space feel very much like a loft.


image from housetohome.co.uk.com

one of my passions when it comes to designing is mixing vintage with modern. luckly i've been able to work with clients who have the same love of design as myself.

Baby Mommy

I'm going to be a mommy!!!

74. For the love of BLACK

black and be a daunting color to work with, especially on walls but for some reason I've always been drawn to the dark allure of black interiors. it's sexy, dramatic and so out of the norm.

so you can imagine my excitement when my client mentioned last night that she wanted to incorporate some sort of black in her space! at first i thought she meant black furnishings but when i realized she wanted more - on the walls, on the floors, on the stairs or where ever my heart desired, my eyes widen and my heart started skipping beats ... could i be hearing this right? I have the opportunity to live out my black interior dreams through her? and so start my quest to find the most inspiring black spaces.

72. Stylings

if i were a bachelorette, i think i would do a vintage, fem - french country style living space. the elegance and dainty touches bring such joy to me. however, at this stage of my life, i think my husband would have a heart attack if i dressed the house in lace and floral designs!



images by stylist lucyina moodie

71. TIFF

TIFF(Toronto International Film Festival) is currently red hot in Toronto right now, we had ticket's to watch "Miracle at St.Anna's" on Sunday and the Q&A with Spike Lee but I came down with a horrific flu that rendered me bedridden so the tickets went to friends of ours. However, I did have a little run in with a celeb ... non other than, actor Viggo Mortensen! He was chilling out, having a smoke in front of his hotel with his friend when Ed and I happened to walk by.



As much as I hate being the star struck fan, we had to stop and talk to him. With a cig in one hand he brought out his other to shake ours and we stood for a good few minutes just standing around chatting it up as if he wasn't one of my favorite actors of all time!!!

I know I won't be able to watch anymore movies this week, but man does the city start buzzing when TIFF starts up. Anyone else have any encounters with celebs this week???

70. UW Studios

UW Design Inc. is a Toronto based progressive, multidisciplinary design studio who combines innovative, original thought with an understanding of commercial/residential and practical realities.







I personally love their range of diverse style. Every space they create has a unique feel to them unknown to the others. A true design firm that really caters to the clients.

69. Fall into Fall

i love autumn!
its my favorite season of the year... mother nature just transforms into a dynamic blend of colors and shades that bring a smile to my face. it's the only season when our family gets together - for thanksgiving and then for our annual trip to the pumpkin patch right before the end of october. this season, i'm going in for my surgery the day after thanksgiving so i have a lot to be thankful for!

and while i'm laying in the hospital bed i will be dreaming of fall decor i can start working on while i recover!

68. Chair Flaire

i saw this image on design corner and had myself a good laugh. the point behind this hilarious chair pad is to transform your generic seating environment into a very modern blast from the past, with prints from antique chairs to classic Eames chairs at an affordable price. "If ya can’t afford an Eames, just make it like you have one."

the creator of this chair pad Chenhhui Su states "it not only transforms our generic seating objects, but also creates personal spaces in the public environment. It changes the environment immediately and temporarily, which in turn brings us an instant pleasure in daily life."

i couldn't agree with him more!
i personally love chairs. they serve so many purposes, from being a functional object to visually captivating objects, conversation starters. but most importantly, chairs can immediately transform a space. taking old, antique chairs and transforming them into beautiful, modern peices of art is what i love to do. here are a few of my favorite chair images.


image from fresh home



image by madison mag


image by homes & garden

67. hi ho, hi ho, it's house hunting we go

image from house and garden

i've always wanted my own place, but now that we're actually looking to purchase, i never dreamed that the whole process could be so hard. it's so different designing for others and designing for yourself, especially when my husbands idea of good design is an old lazy boy and a 72" flat screen! needless to say, our ideas clash - however he's been one of my biggest fans and has given me full reign over the design process of our future home. the hardest part for me is picking a style of home i like, because i just love so many different styles ... i love the metropolitan feel to lofts, the openness and raw architectural details, but i also have a passion for modern country that brings a sense of warmth and serenity to a space. vintage furnishings, lots of textiles and layers on layers of umph oh, what about small space condos for simple living, or ... the list goes on. i can't seem to decide. i'm hoping when i see THE space i will know it and love it.

condos, single detached homes, lofts, town homes .... there's just so much out there.

66. Summer Hiatus Is Over

my summer hiatus is officially over ...
what a crazy roller coaster ride of a summer i had this year. from having to attend 8 weddings, shooting 1, being in 2 and attending all the other 5 (and i have 2 more in september) i had a hard time balancing work with my design with weekend excursions to weddings and on top of all that, i just found out i'll be having to go in for surgery thanksgiving weekend (in canada that's in october for all you americans). needless to say, i've been busy.

did i mention, we're looking to purchase our first home??? well, we are!
this is an exceptionally exciting time for me, being that i've never been a home owner - but as a designer, it's an opportunity for me to really sink my teeth in my own space from start to finish. color me giddy with excitement!



i'm so excited to catch up on all your fantastic blogs!
thanks for all of you who dropped by to share your thoughts and greetings during my absence. it was very much appreciated!