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April showers brought May flowers

I’ve been to Ottawa a number of times in my life but never in the Spring.

I was so happy when a cobistyle store-event raised itself for a trip to our beautiful nation’s capital in May!

I’d read about the Tulip Festival and the well-known story of the Netherlands gifting us with thousands of bulbs as a thank you for safe harbouring the Dutch Royal Family during the Second World War.

But of course, like most things in life, the pictures only tell half the story - the city was alive! Not only with tulips but also crab-apple trees in bloom, live music in the parks, the beloved Senators winning…every Canadian should try to visit Ottawa in the Spring.

It was an uplifting experience, especially when I saw the cobistyle coloured tulip bed - I could have sworn they planted it just for me!

The trip followed just a few days after we had hosted a birthday party for my sister-in-law in our backyard.

Although the weather was glorious, it’s iffy to plant flowers in early May in Toronto.

And truth be told, we’d already blown the budget on the bar and food!

Rather than dole out more money on fresh-cut flowers, I decided to cull as much cobistyle from my supplies, as I could, and brighten the party up with bit of ‘everlasting beauty’.

The party was loosely themed ‘Mexican’ and so the bright colours worked perfectly.

I strategically placed containers full of cobistyle blooms and many guests commented on them, assuming they were real.

Of course they would have been spectacular if they were real but so would my visa bill.

They did the trick for the party and I’m still enjoying them two weeks later! Cha Cha Cha….

Wherever you are in Canada, I hope your Spring is blooming in a very real way.

my style icons

We all admire other women’s style - especially the glamorous ones. Here are four women that I hold high upon the style pedestal: (should we Canadian ladies worry that they’re all American?)

Charlotte Moss - Interior Designer Extraordinaire

I love the Fabricut advertising campaign that they did with Charlotte…

The fabric collection is wonderful too…

I love her because she does gutsy interiors with tons of personality…

Plus it’s always fun to watch someone completely secure in their own style who isn’t afraid to show it off.

She has a great website if you want to read more - CharlotteMoss.com and she writes a fun blog.

A Lady of Ladies - what did we do before Kate Spade?

How can’t we admire Kate Spade?

Even if you don’t love her style, you have to respect the clarity of vision she embodies in her name-sake brand (or at least I do).

I love it that there’s an alternative to the disposable fashion we see so often nowadays.

I don’t like the word “classy” but Kate has it in spades.

It’s interesting that it’s so difficult to find good photos of Kate (the person) - perhaps the pressure of always appearing lady-like is too much?

katespade.com is a great site but since Kate doesn’t own Kate Spade anymore, she’s no-where to be seen. There’s a fun blog - but it’s not personal in any way.

Instant Empire Builder (or at least it seems like it), Tory Burch

Well it sure wasn’t hard to find pictures of Tory.

She has beautiful pictures all over the place - there’s no question, the girl knows how to market her brand.

And she makes for great people-watching with a glamorous NY/Hamptons lifestyle with three young sons in tow, to boot.

I’m envious of someone who can build a gazillion-dollar empire on tunics and flats (two of my favourite things ; )

(And few handbags thrown in for good measure.)

She makes fashion-world domination look effortless - what a hoot.

toryburch.com but the best part is her personal blog.

New Kid on the Block and the only West Coast Gal, Trina Turk

Here’s another fun lady to watch…

She’s a fabric-design Queen with a whole California-vibe going on.

She also loves tunics - I think that has to be the next category of products for the cobistyle empire!

I love the upbeat energy Trina exudes, both personally, and through her products.

Nothing has ever drawn me to travel to LA but if I do, I’ll be sure to look up her stores.

trinaturk.com, she also blogs about livin’ the good life in Californ-i-a .

So those are my 4 ladies of style for today anyway…write a note and tell us yours.

rainbow connection

Right from the time we’re little kids, we’re exposed to colour.

It brightens our world and excites our senses.

That’s why we continue to have fun with colour as adults.

We enjoy it in all kinds of unexpected ways.

At unexpected times.

And unexpected places.

Colour inspires us.

And turns everyday things into art.

And so, naturally we love to decorate with it.

Colour makes our homes unique.

More exciting.

More beautiful.

And more fun.

I suppose that’s why I like to use a rainbow of colour in cobistyle.

It reminds me of when I was a kid.

And choosing our favourite colour was an empowering thing.

It told the world something about us.

Colours have personality. And multiple colours suggests options.

It’s like getting a box of Smarties and choosing to eat the red ones first.

Why are there so many songs about rainbows and what’s on the other side?

Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers and me.

surface chatter

Decorating can be daunting - decisions that are costly - not only financially but also in time. Sometimes it’s easier to just make-do with boring stuff and forget about it.

Well here are two products that will get the decorating buds going again. Neither is expensive. Both are easy to install yourself and best of all, both will bring more character to your rooms.

1) Chasing Paper - “stylish, removable wallpaper for the urban home”.

I haven’t personally used this product but here’s what the website says: “Peel it, stick it, love it. It’s beautiful, well-designed paper that will stick to nearly any surface. Go ahead and get creative! It was created from conversations with serial movers, DIYers, and, of course, commitment-phobes. It makes small projects affordable and big jobs a breeze.”

I did check and although this is a New York on-line company, they ship to Canada (or any country). The pieces of re-stickable paper are generally 2’ x 4’ and $25.00.

I love the idea of covering a plain (boring) painted back-splash…

… or the back of a wall shelf.

It looks best if the area is contained with a clearly defined start/stop.

My only complaint is that there aren’t a lot of colour choices per design.

2) FLOR carpet design squares - brilliant!

I noticed advertisements for FLOR carpet tiles, long before I saw the real thing.

“FLOR is an innovative system of carpet squares that you assemble to create custom rugs, runners, or wall-to-wall designs of any style or shape.”

You put FLOR tiles together yourself using ‘FLORdot adhesives’ that connect squares together (not to your floor). It stands up to kids, pets and spills and if an accident happens, I love it that you can change one square!

I also love it that the company cares about sustainability using some renewable and recycled content in the carpet and offering recycling for used squares.

FLOR is a US company that sells both online and in stores. They just opened their first Canadian store on Cumberland St. in Toronto’s Yorkville. Squares range in price but average around $16.00 for 50cm x 50 cm.

So there you have it. Two peel n’ stick ways to brighten your world this Spring. That doesn’t seem daunting!

warm up to black and white

You don’t need me to tell you black and white is huge in fashion this Spring.

I suppose it’s always ‘in’.

But I find black and white at home can be harsh, even cold, if it isn’t used with a splash of colour….

Or perfectly-imperfect naturals…

I like to use it outdoors for the same reasons - the sharpness works great against the organic look of nature and it’s elements…

I also love to soften a black and white scheme with warm paint colours. I used a cream in our porch and it softly glows when the sun is out or candles are lit.

Recently we installed a new stair-runner and I just realized how similar the colourings of our hall are to our porch! I guess I really do like a warm, creamy space accented with crisp black and white.

The runner is made from Missoni broadloom by the way, which I found at Elte in Toronto.

Just as the warmth of skin colour, and softness of hair, act as a foil against black and white fashion…

So too does wood…

…cork…

…and natural materials, like straw and linen, in home decor…

Even the books in this black and white room, make it more liveable and textured…

Here’s how we’re mixing black and white cobistyle accessory pieces this spring…

And it looks like IKEA agrees - check out the way they styled this cute new little trolley in their Spring collection…

Have fun serving up a bit of black and white fashion in your house this Spring!

how one sad laundryroom got happy

When we renovated our house last year, I decided to throw in a little tune up to our laundry room.

We’re in an older home with a devoted laundry room in the basement and there was no way I could justify the cost of moving it upstairs (or find the space) but I had no trouble justifying the cost of some new tile, paint and decorative doodads to make me feel better when I’m doing the deadly deed.

God knows it needed it…

So - how to spruce up a yucky laundry room without a lot ‘a moula?

1. FLOOR

I started with the floor because it looked so sad and I wanted a more permanent solution than a new coat of paint. Tiles are cheap (if you stick to standard sizes and finishes) and they come in great colours. I knew I wanted to paint the room white (for brightness) so why not have some fun with colour on the floor? I went hunting and found this 8” x 8” tile for $2.36 each and remarkably it’s called the Monocottura “Happy Series” at first I thought I would just choose one colour. But when I told my daughter I liked both the Sky Blue and Apple Green, she gave me the obvious answer - “use both!”. So I bought half of what I needed in each colour, brought them home and laid them loosely out in a few different patterns until I came up with this enlarged checkerboard (less busy than a regular checkerboard) and told my contractor to lay them on the diagonal.

2. PAINT

Once the floor was down it was easy to choose paint colours. I wanted a fresh, crisp white on the walls - whiter than the warm ones I like in living spaces. I went with Benjamin Moore’s Simply White #2143-70 in the Aura Bath + Spa formula and love it. The whole room was painted in oil originally and we found that Aura paint covers it really well. I’ve now used Simply White in our basement bathroom as well and find it works anywhere you want a really pure white with no undertone. I decided to paint the existing peg board and upper shelves in the same white.

Where I had some fun was on the lower built-in cabinet and sewing cabinet. I chose a lime green to match my tiles - Benjamin Moore’s Hibiscus #2025-50 - some might find it too bright and I likely wouldn’t use such a vibrant colour in other places in my home, but it’s clean and fun and I love it here - why not have a bit of fun in a room that only I ever seem to use? (grrrr…)

3. HANGING

I like to hang clothes to dry whenever possible and so I installed 3 helpers…first this great drying rack made of hardwood, powder-coated metal and a rope pully system. It can move up and down if you have high ceilings (which I don’t) but it stays stationary just fine too. It’s from a website called www.urbanclotheslines.com

I also purchased an aluminum wall mounted extension drying rack to hang over my laundry tubs - really great for wet rags or anything dripping - at www.leevalley.com. I love it that it’s made in Spain!

And lastly, I had my painter mount and paint a standard pegboard sold at Home Hardware for ironed shirts and the like.

4. MENDING

I wanted to replace the puny little shelf that was on the wall when we bought the house because I’ve always loved the idea of a mending area. Somehow it makes the whole idea of mending more probable. My hope was to find a cute old shelf and paint it up with my same pint of Hibiscus but after a summer of searching antique stores (there’s lots of forlorn spice shelves out there by the way, but they were too narrow for my needs) I caved in when I found this perfectly-sized craft shelf on sale at Michael’s craft store. It’s not fancy but it does the trick and thankfully it took the paint too!

Did you notice I have a little bank on the shelf? - very handy in a laundryroom for pocket change and one day I’ll crack it open and drive the kids at Starbucks crazy with my pennies.

I also bought this great little sewing machine for quick fixes - what a steal for $69.00 at Canadian Tire - another good reason to repair - not despair!

5. DETAILS

I colour-copied two pages off the internet (quick google search) - one defines laundry symbols and the other is from dear Martha telling me how to get out stains. They fit into no-money IKEA frames in exactly my blue tile colour (score!) and act as functional art on either side of the shelf.

Oh - and here’s a little trick. I would have liked to resurface the top of the shelf unit but I just couldn’t justify it. Still, the chipped Arborite did not say ‘happy’. As a compromise, I asked my contractor to skirt the existing top in a decorative wood trim (took him no time) and once it was painted, it added a much more finished look to the counter.

And so there you have it. Nothing revolutionary. Nothing hi-tech. But a happy little laundry room to call my own, even if I’m enjoying it alone (grrrr…)

…with my cobistyle fishies and lost socks.

curtains for cobistyle ~ take II

In case you haven’t heard, cobistyle is back in the drapery business!

I wanted to scroll you through the patterns we chose for our debut collection - starting with this fabulous blue and white ikat print - so fresh!

For a little more subtle look, I love this faded paisley in denim blue and earthy red, printed on a natural, slubby linen.

Like something more crisp and colourful? We have a multi-coloured ikat that will work with many solid shades you may already have in your home.

I love this sunny stripe - yellow, orange, pink, purple and chocolate - it changes every time you look at it. So lively!

And this modern, stylized botanical, printed on a seafoam coloured chunky, woven cotton. Great for a family room or kitchen.

This vibrant plaid feels like silk taffeta but has the durability of polyester. It’s formal but fun at the same time.

And this large scale floral botanical has it all - colour, character, life - all printed on a chunky cream cotton weave.

If you like botanicals but a more contemporary colour palette - check out this wonderful Dijon yellow with a brown transfer pattern printed on top.

If geometric’s your thing - this charcoal grey circular pattern is contemporary but soft at the same time.

I love the Moroccan pattern on this unlined, crisp white fabric - such a great update to traditional sheers!

Here’s another fun sheer - the colour is somewhere between yellow and green - citrine! - with an embroidered fuchsia scribble pattern. So great on its own, or layered under a plain drape.

Speaking of layers - we did a beautiful linen-look white sheer. Such a classic and hard to find!

And because we loved the white so much, we also did it in natural linen-look as well. These are going in my boy’s room.

I’m a sucker for velvet and so we found four fabulous colours and lined them with a silk-lookalike for a reversible panel that is to die for.

This is the Aubergine - so regal!

And the Indigo - so rich!

And the Citrine is gorgeous…

And Mouse - a warm neutral for all the grey lovers out there…

We’re also selling all of these great drapery fabrics by-the-yard in case you want to match cushions, bedding or upholstered pieces to your drapery. So where to find it? We’re hoping to have a decor store in every major centre across Canada selling this drapery by Fall and in the mean time, you’re welcome to shop it on-line at www.qdesigncentre.com.

Designer drapery at a fraction of the cost of custom - a welcome addition to the market, don’t you think? Now I have to decide which pattern to leave up in my living room where these pictures were taken… please post your opinion!

be my Chinese Valentine

Gung hay fat choy Sweetheart! This past weekend I hosted my (now annual!) Chinese New Year party but this year I merged it with Valentines to give it an even rosier glow.

At first I thought it would be an odd combo…

…but it worked surprisingly well! Have a look…

First the invitations - I found Happy New Year cards (with pink envelops!) at T&T grocery store. They were only $1.49 each and quite beautiful. I wrote the invitation specifying “dress code: RED” and enclosed two traditional Chinese New Years envelopes with chocolate coins inside - so pretty! Walmart was even selling Chinese New Year treats in select stores this year. Bob handled the hand delivery for me.

Next up was putting together the loot bags (my favourite : ) Inside I put a little combo of things - cinnamon hearts and candle for Valentines - soap, lipstick holder and eye glass case for Chinese New Year.

It wasn’t hard to squeeze a little cobistyle into the theme!

I couldn’t resist the Valentine Chinese take-out boxes - sold both at Walmart and Dollarama this year. Perfect!

Then it was time to decorate the dining room. I pulled out all of my Valentine gear (not a lot) - then I pulled out my Chinese gear (a lot - because I’ve always loved it). It’s a wacky mix but sure beats the February blahs!

I set up a green tea bar on my narrow buffet (note the Johnnie Walker RED which the Globe wrote is good mixed in green tea after dinner - the guys sure liked it anyway!).

I hung big cobistyle paper lanterns from my regular hurricane lanterns…

And of course, filled my favourite dishes with candy…

And finally, I set the table… I had to use my cobistyle Geisha girl placecard holders even though I know they’re Japanese.

I used the cobistyle ceramic fortune cookies to stash a homemade fortune at each person’s place and tucked them inside the cobistyle mini fabric-covered boxes.

Very cute. Everyone took turns reading theirs aloud when we sat down to dinner.

I used all the red linens I have, plain white square plates and pink paper napkins. It turned out bright and pretty with all the little bits and pieces coming together to make a fun table.

Then on to food! I had a dozen of these adorable little cups that needed a purpose and so I made an easy strawberry sauce for dessert and put one on each plate.

I also put together two plates of cookies from T&T (the green tea ones are terrific!) and some chocolate covered cranberries for colour.

Then I put together a bar tray to get things started, featuring Chinese beer and my ‘signature drink’ - a Tall REDhead of course!

It’s 1 oz Vodka, 1oz Pom juice, ice, pomegranate seeds all mixed with some lemon lime pop - anyone know how to say Cheers in Chinese?

It was a ton of fun and all that RED was a great remedy to a GREY month.

Happy New Year Sweetheart!

soft sell on high performance

As you may have seen before, I have a corner banquet in my kitchen for family meals.

The shot above was done for H&H magazine in 2005 and you can see by the number of pillows, it was styled more for the camera than family dinners. After a few years of use, and more spilled milk than we’d care to remember, the fabric on the seat cushion was looking a little worse for wear. No, I will not subject you to a ketchup-stained “before shot”….but I will show you the latest “after” as we’ve recovered the seat cushion and toss pillows with fabric from the cobistyle Sunbrella fabric book. Forgive my poor photography skills.

People think of Sunbrella fabric as outdoor canvas - which it is. But now, because of new technologies, it’s also soft chenille (as is my green pillow), dreamy sheer, interesting textures and lots more.

That’s why Sunbrella is trying to change the perception of their fabric to be as much about its performance inside the house, as on the deck, dock, boat, etc.

The wear and tear of a family home can be as damaging to fabric as wind and weather. Sunbrella upholstery fabrics are softer and more comfortable than their outdoor cousins, yet with the same qualities of fade resistance, durability and easy-clean (even with bleach).

I like the idea of Sunbrella fabrics in high traffic areas of the home (family, kitchen, dining, mudrooms and kids rooms) because the website features very thorough care and cleaning instructions as well as an amazing stain chart. I’m sure I’ll be using these for our kitchen sooner rather than later.

To find out more about the cobistyle selection of fabrics designed for Sunbrella, check out your local upholstery shop, furniture store or designer showroom. If you have any trouble, contact Joanne Fabrics for more information.

cottage around the corner

One of the privileges of being a magazine editor (as I was for many years) is that the odd time, you get to feature something of your own personal experience.

This home sits around the corner from my own and I have always admired it - as most people in our neighbourhood do.

A few winters ago we captured it on film for Gardening Life magazine.

The use of red against the winter snow is fantastic and looks great well beyond the holidays.

Our neighbours make the most of their little cottage in the city and really know how to create charm without fuss.

Even the big city blogs agree as it was featured in Habitually Chic this past December. Who says the suburbs aren’t chic?

ring in the new year - loud and clear!

I don’t know if any of you remember seeing my collection of vintage noise-makers when they appeared in House & Home magazine way back in 2004.

I collected them for years but seldom seem to find them anymore. I guess I have enough anyway (39!). They range from ‘very old’ to ‘not so old’ - I can tell by the graphics and wood vs. plastic handles, plus where they’re made - Taiwan, Japan, USA and Germany. Apparently some are actually worth a fair bit more than the few dollars I spent on them.

I love their loud colours and the obnoxious sounds they make. They look great set out in a big bowl or basket over New Years and the kids enjoy the routine of opening the doors at midnight and making as much noise as humanly possible. I usually cart them to the cottage if we spend New Years up north and try to rouse the bears out of hibernation.

We’ve been known to pull them out at birthday parties too, or any celebration that needs some noise.

Perhaps you have a collectible that makes you giggle - please tell us if you do. And have a Noisy New Year!

Photography Nancy Tong.

‘twas the night before christmas-decorating

We all need a little inspiration sometimes. Enjoy!

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

(I am so doing this for Bob!)

With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

“Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Sam (I couldn’t find anything with Blitzen on it)!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky. So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof, The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself! A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

the best exotic merry christmas tree

How do you make the best exotic merry Christmas tree?

Well, you start with one average tree.

Hire two cute elves.

Add a thousand lights (must be multi-coloured to be considered exotic).

Take a tea break.

Add a hundred colourful ornaments.

Including bundles of gold beaded bracelets from little India.

Little beaded books (party favours really) and beautiful embellished ornaments from cobistyle.

Oh, and encrusted purse mirrors from cobistyle too, to add some bling.

So pretty!

Top with one turban.

You’re getting there…

Skirt the bottom with three sparkly sari’s.

And finally, stack up forty gold leaf boxes (that come with the cobistyle ornaments).

That’s what I did, anyway, when I participated in the Gardiner Museum’s 12 Trees of Christmas charity event. The theme this year was Christmas around the world. Each designer chose a country and I took India! I find the colours so rich and gorgeous - they lend themselves beautifully to a holiday tree. It was tons of fun and a great way to raise funds for charity. The trees are on display at the Gardiner until December 9th - go check them out!

public hanging

I’m so pleased to finally have my necklaces hung up and organized so I can see them!

I bought these hangers a long time ago and was waiting for our bedroom to be painted for me to hang them up.

I hung them behind our door which is in a small entry hall to the room.

The best part is that they’re out of the way but still visible. I’m terrible about buying things and never wearing them - hopefully this will help.

I know it isn’t an original idea but I kind of thought it was a bit unique, until I went on the internet (of course), where I found necklaces hung on shower curtain hooks on drapery rods…

On fabric covered boards with tacks…

On all kinds of coat hooks…

On peg boards…

On an old rake head!…

And even as an artistic element in a room.

Oh well, I may not be unique but at least I’ll be wearing a nice necklace.

pumpkin couture

Like most people, I have a love/hate relationship with luxury brands.

One point for the “love” side, is the packaging.

The colour and quality has such substance - a shock in our throw-away society.

Just as the Tiffany blue box has become an icon, so has the Hermes Orange box.

Designer-types are famous for reusing their orange boxes in their offices - to store things but also show off the number of purchases they’ve made at the famous store.

I have a few such boxes but prefer to keep them more hidden.

No, these are not my boxes (big sigh).

Mine are filled with ephemera….old birthday cards, paper souvenirs from weddings and funerals, special photos. Imagine 100 years from now, a great-grandchild will be going through the box, filled with this and that…

I also love the colour.

It’s an inspiration in decorating.

My friend and colleague, Cameron MacNeil, once did a story for House & Home magazines on matching paint colours to prestige packaging - he chose Fiesta Orange (27/701) from CIL to match the famous Hermes orange. I always thought a dressing or powder room would be amazing in it ~So daring, dahling!~

Martha Stewart did it in a hallway…

I love this more contemporary version…

As my own ode to the famous Hermes Orange, we did some wonderful leather-like accessories in cobistyle. A magazine or wastepaper bucket…

Jewellery box…

Tray (and coasters not shown)…

Perhaps Santa will bring you something in an Orange box this Christmas…or even better - some cobistyle!