Sunrise, Sunset

One of the best things about the new condo is the orientation of my suite. The windows in the living room and master bedroom face east, giving an incredible view of Toronto's downtown skyline. On the flip side, the guest bedroom, balcony and living room face northwest, providing vistas all the way to Pearson International.

Of course this also means catching the occasional sunrise...

 

...and spectacular sunsets too!

Photos via CherishToronto on Instagram

The NeverEnding Story

If you ever hear me refer to my home's decor and you catch the words "I'm done"...it means I intend to be done, but I'm not done. That's just the way it works; there's always another layer to add. My very own never ending story.

Once the drapes are up in both bedrooms, I will officially have run out of funds. It's time to put my nose to the grindstone, work hard this summer and rebuild my depleted savings. During that time, I'll most likely come up with a million ideas, some of which will fall by the wayside and some which will eventually come to fruition.

Just this past weekend I placed an order for wallpaper samples. I love all of these beautiful papers!! Of course I'll have to decide where to use them. In the front entry? On the dining room wall? As an accent wall in the master bedroom? So many possibilities...

Clockwise from top left: Thibaut Papagayo (Cream), Nina Campbell Swan Lake (White), Thibaut Augustine (Blue), Thibaut Ting Yuan (Cream), Shand Kydd Budgie (Navy).

For those of you who have been waiting patiently for another room reveal, I'm hoping to get photos of the master bedroom soon. It's a tricky room to photograph due to lighting, so I'm hoping for a bright & sunny weekend :-)

Small Pieces

I've always thought of creating a comfortable home as a process, it rarely happens overnight (unless, of course, you have elves).  Time is spent gathering all of the pieces and then fitting them together just like a jigsaw puzzle. Some pieces are BIG and some pieces are small, but all of the elements have importance in the overall picture.

One of the small things I needed to take care of were new covers for the lumbar cushions that go on the living room slipper chairs. Since I love to tackle my own projects (let's be honest, I take on most of these projects to save $$), I figured I could whip up a pair. Sure, I had made these cushion covers before (see 2009 & 2011), but this time I wanted something a bit fancier...

...I wanted the cushions to have velvet on the front half, a woven graphic on the back half, a fold, sunburst gold buttons and an invisible zipper. I recently had a similar pair professionally sewn for the master bedroom, so I thought, "If someone else can do it, why can't I?" As it turns out, I can do it :-) Yay, me!!

Ta-Da!!!

 

Please take note of the invisible zipper, which I have now MASTERED:

Ready for Guests

The guest bedroom in the new condo is sooooo close to being complete that I've deemed it ready for guests and a reveal. This room has been in the works for more than a year - gosh it takes a long time for a plan to come together!! The faux bamboo bedside tables were found on Kijiji in December 2011, and they were given a makeover as part of a D.I.Y. challenge in June 2012. In the meantime, I put together a floorplan and design scheme, which was largely inspired by the chartreuse lily lamps I purchased in a Peterborough antique shop.

With the idea to spread costs out over the course of the year before the move, I tackled projects one at a time, slowly building my design arsenal. The vintage lamps needed to be rewired and new shades were custom made by Lia at Mod Pieces. I had my old headboard reupholstered in a grey velvet found at Designer Fabrics and upgraded to diamond tufting for a touch of luxury.

While rug hunting last summer at the Elte Outlet, I happened upon the SDH diamond coverlet, and then sewed my own pillow shams from a fabulous printed linen also found at Designer Fabrics. You may remember when I found the kantha quilt at a West Elm event last spring; I like how it adds just a touch of pink to the room.

The showstopper in this guest room is the Sanderson "Lilia" wallpaper in lime & silver. I painted all of the walls in Para Paints Pearl (SR39 from Sarah Richardson's designer palette) to match the ivory background of the paper, and then had the focal wall behind the bed and side tables professionally papered.

Some small finishing touches and the room is ready for guests to arrive. Drapery is happening soon, and then the room will be at 100%. My Mom has already stayed in the unfinished room a few times, but now I'm super for her to see the finished product next weekend!

Source Guide:
 

Wallpaper: Sanderson "Lilia"

Vintage Lamps: Nostalgic Journey

Lamp Rewiring & Custom Shades: Mod Pieces

Coverlet: S.D.H Linens via Elte Outlet

Kantha Quilt: West Elm

Fabrics: Velvet & Printed Linen via Designer Fabrics

Paint: Para Paints Pearl, SR39

Wallpaper Woes

Sooooo...the wallpaper didn't really work out this weekend. Total bust. I prepped the wall, pre-cut seven strips of paper, applied the paste, "booked" it, waited 5 minutes and put up the first strip. It was all going so well...

...Until I tried to trim the edges. Blurggghhh. The brand new blade tore the paper. No big deal, it's at the bottom and it won't show, I'll snap the blade and try again. Total mess. It was so bad and so unfixable that I tore the sheet down, rolled it into a ball and jammed it into the garbage.  Then I cried (this happens on a lot of my DIY projects). I decided right then and there to call a professional. Needless to say there won't be a room reveal this week :-(

Here's how I cheered myself up: retail therapy. I hit up Southworks Antiques on Sunday afternoon and I found some great deals, including a Royal Doulton tulip vase designed in 1982 by Gerald Gulotta. It looks so pretty sitting on my coffee table alongside the Jill Rosenwald vase I received as a birthday gift.

Fingers crossed I can get a professional wallpaper hanger to come in this week or next so that I can put the guest room back together before Easter. My busy season at work starts April 1st, so the sooner the better!!