Sometimes it's a hit, sometimes it's a miss....

So remember how I was so exited for the Barrister's Cabinet that Cory and I were going to re-do?? Well we finally finished it after months of procrastination.

Then we thought it had gotten some sort of mold spores in the wood, so we gave up on it, and it sat in our garage for longer than I would like to admit. Then after a close examination, from my mom, it was determined that something must have just blown in the open garage and stuck to the paint. (My frown turned right-side up, into a smile )

I was so jazzed that even though the doors and the hardware were not yet finished, I got Cory to drag that sucker upstairs and I put it into place. Fantastic right???

WRONG!!! I think it looks AWFUL!!! For starters, it is NOT the right height. Nope, it is too tall, far too tall for the space. BOO!! It is also not long enough. I wanted something at least the same length as the table it was in-line with..

Lastly, we stained it a glossy ebony. Unfortunately, the espresso colored dining table and chairs we have, are mush more on the redish ( cherry) side... So this piece sticks out like a sore thumb.

Unfortunately, it is too deep to use at the top of the stairs. I think it is too deep and too short to use on the big wall in living room, and too tall and deep for under the living room window. Both bedrooms are also full of stuff.

However, after some brainstorming today.... I think I can make the piece work in either the loft bathroom ( perfect for towels and extra toiletries) or in the loft/office.

I'll try stuff out tonight!!

Seasonal Decor

Despite what the weather outside is telling me, fall is in the air. Truth be told, I am a fan of fall. Something about the crisp weather and the beautiful leaves that makes me just want to have a great long walk outside, and then curl up in front of the fire under a warm blanket, reading a good book. aaaaahhhh!!!

Anyhow, despite being a lover of fall (it's also my birthday season) I am not typically a fan of the colors associated with the season. Nope, you won't find any reds, oranges, yellows in my home. Brown is the exception cause it's a neutral. As well, I've never been the type to change my home decor with the season. But the pictures I found today, inspired me to maybe try a little something this year to make my "cool-toned" home more Fall Cozy.


This room is great, as it truly shows how to use all neutral pieces and change the feel of the room using accessories. So cozy looking...

OOOHH... PUMPKIN PIE!! These chairs are beautiful. Ivory would look nice too, but wouldn't have nearly quite the same POP or feel!!

I used to buy real gourds every year, but they go soft and mouldy after sometime lol, so that can get costly. This year I bought artificial ones, but these candles are also cute and create great ambiance.

Love white pieces and these holders look so sharp against a dark wood mantle!

I have a soft spot for firewood in a beautiful container. Unfortunately, our current home has a gas fireplace, but I could always put a leather basket with some beautiful birch logs in it, for show....

Love the look of these twiggy hurricanes. Mind, campy faux bois makes me smile. Probably due to the fact that growing up, my parents had faux wood panelling on their van. :)

All above images are courtesy of Pottery Barn

I fell in big-time love after seeing them on another blog I read.

The pair my love of white pieces and fall in one happy piece of pie. Plus, since we have such dark furniture in our place, the white would look amazing!

These greyish hued baskets are the perfect thing to hold fantastic mini-gourds or the mounds of fake Autumn leaves I picked up. What a great idea to create a modern cornacoupia (horn of plenty) for our sideboard!!

These "gears" aren't at all holiday-themed but the wood just seemed to fit with everything else, and the more masculine look of this decorative piece is something different than what we typically have in our place

Last three images courtesy of Williams Sonoma Home

Full on Fashion frenzy....

Nanette Lepore is certainly not afraid of color. I found that out when Elle Decor featured her home. It is pretty funky and fun!!

While this entry way is fun ( notice the beautiful console table covered in silver ostrich skin) it is very tame compared to the helter-skelter fabulousness of the home.

The parlor is fairly proper and I love the use of dark fabrics (which is unusaly for a parlor)

WOW-EEEE!! What a change of pace from what we've seen so far. LOVE THIS!! Teal blue pouf! Velvet upholstered armchair, zebra cushions, Adler lamps and look at that show-stopping "pirate ship" chandelier!!

I have to say that while I love the chairs, the lack of color in room makes it my least favorite. It kinda looks like a really old photgraph, that has yellowed..... It needs an update to bring it up to par with the rest of the home!!!

... especially when the food will be comig out of a kitchen with a personality as bright as this!!

Talk about a real dressing room!! I bet you can guess what my fave part of this room is? You got it!! Front and center is that round ottoman!!

This sitting area in the Master Bedroom is super chic!!

Model('s) Home

Any fan of Fashion will probably recognize the name Jessica Stam. If not, you'd probably recognize her face. I caught photos of here home at Elle Decor and it is as beautiful as she is!
What an entry way!!! Love the chair and the uber cool metallic sunburst artwork!


Directly off the entry is this chic little dining area.. with potted plants, and metallic wallpaper, this could be a cute little terrace eating area!!

The living room carries the same color scheme which helps unify the space, the the soaring ceilings in this room, make the small room look so much larger.

These gorgeous Morroccan doors create quite a focal point for this room!!

What a great place to curl up and read!! I love every item in this photo!

I love the continuation of the colors, but in a more moody tone in here. YAY metaliic floral wallpaper!!

1906 Chicago Townhouse

This townhouse from Traditional Home is one of my faves in a long, long time. I love how amazing, yet liveable it looks!!

When your front door looks like this.. there better be something amazing inside.....
Love the African feel... This front entrance has all the essential pieces I think an entry way needs!! And somehow, manages not too look overdone or cluttered. YAY!

What a great living room. I love the artwork above the sofa. Nothing in here looks too contrived.

Oh goodness... this is hearth heaven!! Look how huge that thing is!! There is the perfect sized mantle and above...

I love how they did silver-leaf on all the walls and the chalkboard piece is so fun.

Cute, fuss-free kitchen....

Head out the French doors to this lovely patio!

I've always wanted to have a water-feature in my yard, this little guy is kinda scary though!!

OOOHHHH!!! I loving this graphic bedroom

Especially since it has this fireplace and little seating area... (sigh)

Greetings!!

I can see you're stopping by, but barely anyone is saying anything. Stop in, make comments, please. If you like something, let me know, if you hate, let me know that too.

It's nice to hear what others have to say.

Thanks!

Funny Farm

Our house is always entertaining. We're a little wacko, and both love animals ( especially me). Cory often jokes that with the amount of animals I plan on having.. that it will be like a zoo at our place.

I came across these Leather footstools by Jonathan Adler and I think they are super cute.

I know Cory would hate them.. especially when I told him that they range in price from $595 - 1100.00 US lol...

But they sure would add some POP to our space!!

Warmth

To make up for the fact that I haven't posted in a while, I am gonna post a crap-load of pretty stuff today.

Or for that matter, this stuff is from a home in Traditional Home, that while beautiful, would still be entirely comfortable for a man.

Love all the antique pieces in this living room. With menswear fabrics, these are less precious, and definetly functional.

A sideboard like this one, is my dream!!

This white kitchen is a little bit feminine, a hint perhaps at who's the cook in the house?

YAY!! I love seeing white serving platters on display. As a collector, I am looking for ways to show mine off!

When paired with rich creamy leather and wood, an animal print rug looks very masculine.

Pretty Pretty Princess

I came across this room a long time ago, in Traditional Home I had a (less fancy) version of this room when I was a teenager and I loved it... The purple somehow says "more mature" than pink would. :)

What's not to love about all the shimmery, metallic fabrics? This stuff makes me want to curl up and enjoy the pretty-ness of it...

Well that's just GARBAGE!!

A few months back, you may remember that Ms. Pacman broke in our house. Ms. Pacman is out garbage can. Or should I say MY garbage can. I bought her a few years back,when I was single and fell in love.

Unfortunately, she broke and for the last little while we have been stuffing a garbage bag in the pantry, just carlessly on the floor. It's not always good as sometimes we forget to close the pantry door and sometimes the cats get into it, if there is anything of interest for them.

I was initially really sad, given what I paid for her back then, when I had no money lol. But then realized, that she really didn't work in our new space and kinda stuck out like a sore thumb. She did however, look infamously cool in our old apartment....

So while we were out this past weekend, we decided to have a look at Home Outfitters for a new one, since we knew they had lots ( I surprised Trish and Kev) with one two years ago when they got married.

HOLY CRAP!!! Are those things ever expensive!! I knew I paid a fair bit for those, but it was a gift, and she was my BFF at the time, so I justified it. Plus I think I signed up for the store credit card that day and I think I saved like 50% my purchases for the day, just by doing that!

They did indeed have tons of different sizes and styles for us to choose from. Unfortunately they were in the $100- 250 price range!!! WTF???

FOR A GARBAGE CAN???!!! That seemed a little ridiculus to us, and so we left, empty handed... Well not exactly, Cory bought an egg cooker thing to make his eggs round and perfect for breakfast sandwiches... but I digress.

So now I am on the hunt for a cost-appropriate garbage can, prefereably in stainless steel to match the rest of our stuff. If anyone has any suggestions, please volunteer them!!

Filing Cabinet Update

NO.. I don't mean pitch and purge all those files you no longer need ( like paperwork on appliances you no longer own)... uhhh.. nevermind that's an issue that's already ON my to-do list

This photo and the tutorial that came along with it, was on Apartment Therapy and I think it is sooo cool.

Thankfully, I don't mind the black one we have.... since it goes with everything else in the office, but I am not against making it look even more amazing. Especially, since it got scratched up a bit in the old house, since the cats were using it as a launching pad for jumping up onto the window ledge above the desk.

But I may have to take on the task of transforming ours into a beauty and maybe I'll spend more time getting those files in order.

Random Stuff I'm loving

I save every picture I love. Which means I often have folders full of random goodness.


So here are random, beautiful things I have come across and fallen for.



First up, is this fantastic little side table from Nicky Hilton's home. She found this great Chanel tray at a vintage shop and had a base made for it. This is a great little piece and would look fantastic anywhere!! What a great idea! (Photo from Instyle Magazine)

I think the only thing I don't like about this photo is Miley Cyrus!!! That teal-y blue color is my favorite color in the world! I don't know if it is wallpaper or a paint treatment but I adore the walls!! The zebra chairs are the same ones I have been coveting here in Edmonton!! I have lamps similar to those ones! And I love both the stools and the bedding!! I am tempted to turn our bedroom into a mock-up of this room....(From Instyle)

This living room is apparently that of Anna Spiro from Absolutely Beautiful Things ( I apologize as I came across this somewhere else and am not 100% sure...) I love that she has essentially all neutral furnishings (save for the poppy slipcover) and just punched everything up with throw pillows!

Loving this Raspberry daybed. I also really like where they've placed this.... I would love to have a hallway deep to enough to place something like this near the front door. The colors in this make me so happy :) (From Domino )

I really like this wallpaper... I would probably pair it with something less matchy-matchy though...

Love the mix of old and new in this punched-up space!! This would be a great place to play a game of chess! (Traditional Home)

Aqua cabinets... swoon!! Look at all those drawers and cupboards!! Plus lots of glass front doors!! YAY!!

Yummy cowhide barstools!!

These look a little short for our island bar... But would be so fun in our space!!!