the case of the navy door

Last week, I uploaded this blog post.

The next day I received an email asking why I have one door that is a different colour than the rest [see below].  Was it like that when I got the apartment?  Did I run out of paint? Did I do it on purpose?

The answer: I did it on purpose.  It's the bathroom door.  At the end of my hallway I have a total of 5 doors in a very tight space. 

When I give people directions to the bathroom it's easier just to say "It's the navy door" rather than "The end of the hall" or "The last door on your right".  This way, they don't end up out in the hallway, in the bedroom or in one of the two closets that have become one of "those closets" that is piled high with junk.

Case closed.

his & hers

Tubs.  What a fabulous and totally extravagant idea.  Hope you all have a wonderful weekend of extravagant laziness.  From House & Home and Apartment Therapy.

wednesday inspiration | a few good bathrooms

Wanted to share with you today some great inspiration for your bathroom.  The bathroom is one room where I usually try to design something a little bit outside of the box, something a bit more interesting than standard fixture placement and tiling.  Here are three great baths from RedOnline.

This first one is one of the best examples of a combined wet room and bath.  The open shower - in behind in the tub - is sleekly crafted and this is the first time I've seen the tiled pan to define the wet space and tub area instead of a plain sloped floor.  The integrated floor pot lights are a nice touch and the sheers and wood/cane chair ensure the room isn't too cold.

This bath, although chock-full of rustic pieces, is still very modern.  The key to this is the monochromatic palette of beige and grey with wood.  It also helps that the lines or all the pieces are so clean and simple.

This is a bath of statement pieces - the GORGEOUS wireframe chandelier [reminds me of the AutoCAD renderings I work with everyday!] the enormous urn and oversized baskets.

ann sacks tile

My favourite trend of 2011 - the return of ethnic and decorative tile.  And Ann Sacks does it best.

books, pages & a bunch of mirrors

I'm always looking for clever ways to display my collections, especially books.  Since I don't have proper bookshelves they usually are stacked in piles on the floor, under the coffee table and into the deep drawers of the bedroom credenza.    Here are a few great ideas I came across. [All images from RedOnline]

I've been seeing this a lot lately.  For those of us who don't like seeing all the coloured spines, you can stack books with their pages showing instead of the spines.  Not the easiest way to find a book, but it looks great.

Magazine racking - these built in ones look clean and neat and this works just as well for books, hardcovers and even picture frames.

I've always loved this idea of stuffing an unused fireplace with books.

Although these are just pages on display, I've seen the same technique used with favourite books and novels.  Simply hang books from binder clips on pins.

And this had nothing to do with books, but I loved the fun and whimsy of displaying a collection of hand mirrors in your bathroom.

stripes, polka dots & a shot of orange

Here are some more picks from my inspiration folders.  I'd file these under "Brighten Up Your Day!"

Why paint a clawfoot tub one colour when you can paint multi-coloured stripes?

Polka dots - heavenly on the ceiling.

Orange is right up there with yellow in my books.  Every room is instantly brighter with a shot of orange.

a new life for my old stool

Finally got around to reupholstering  my grandmothers old leather stool.  Although the stool had a great pattern embossed onto the top, the seam was broken and I was unable to fix it.  I also had intentions of moving it into the bathroom instead of the wood stump and the leather wasn't my first choice for finishes.  So out came one of my favourite graphic fabrics from IKEA and my sewing machine [this wasn't a simple staple gun upholstery job]. I was surprised how my sewing skills have progressed, I'll say that the curves look pretty good, with the exception of the front corner.  I'm hoping the tufting and the colourful pattern distracts you from that.

a shot of jack

In the bathroom.  I love repurposing old bottles, like this bottle of Jack Daniels which works perfectly with the old black and white tiles and some cheerful [albeit fake] flowers in the bathroom.

charcoal & gold

I've been so happy to see gold and brass tones back these last couple of years - especially when it's paired with my favourite colour - charcoal.  [Images from a little Decorpad perusing]

the october issue

For those in fashion, it's Vogue's September Issue. For Martha Fans it's her Christmas Issue. For Canadian designers like me, it's House & Home's October Issue - better known as the Fall Issue. There's a familiarity every year in this issue, the brown, taupe, orange and red [with subtle hits of blue and gray], the kitchen feature [there's always 4 of them], the succulant food section [always rustic comfort food] and the glorious warmth and rich colours of fall decorating. By mid-September I have these issues memorized, I use them as reference time and time again with clients and down right shock them with my skill of pinpointing an exact image or an exact product within seconds. This year's issue doesn't disappoint. My favourites:
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The VP Globe Light [by Verpan] that was featured in Kate Zeidler's Mod-Trad Mix kitchen feature on page 156. [I'll post the full kitchen as soon as H&H publishes it online for those of you who don't have access to the mag, it's a fab kitchen!]
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The grand mid-century modern home featured on page 168 designed by Abramson Teiger Architects. Stunning.
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This William Garvey Tub that was featured in the above home on page 172.
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And the work of photographer Barbara Cole. Her work has been featured previously in the mag before, but I believe this is the first time she's been spotlighted in Artist File. Her underwater work is simply breathtaking.
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