Posted by Cobi on Monday September 27, 2010 at 06:00 AM
colour •
fall •
flowers •
nature •
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Poor Mums - they get no respect.
Maybe it’s because they’re available year round - you can always find them at the supermarket.
They aren’t expensive, heck, they’re even penny-wise!
They’re basically always there for you - rain or shine - but whenever anybody imagines a Mum, they just think ‘same old, same old’…
But that’s not true!! You just have to take a little closer look to see that Mum’s are beautiful!!
They come in many shapes, sizes and colours….
And sometimes it’s just how you put them together that makes the difference…
Mum’s love weddings. And even if we don’t have a wedding in the plans, we can often steal ideas from them…
How cute is this, young and old, boys always love their Mums…
So when you’re doing your fall decorating, don’t forget to include Mum.
She’s easy to work with…
And ask any pumpkin, Mums are not pansies, they’re sure to look good for a long time.
Posted by Cobi on Monday September 20, 2010 at 05:59 AM
decorating •
organizing •
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I will be appearing on the first show of the season of Steven & Chris today at 2:00pm EST on CBC. Please tune in if you can!
We’re featuring a fun little decorating project that I worked on with homeowner Susan Taylor.
It was so easy to pull together and makes a huge difference in her home.
Susan lives in a brand spanking new townhouse that has a landing space part way up to the second floor.
The space is about 7’ wide by 8.5’ deep with a ceiling height of just over 9’.
Susan hadn’t done anything with the space and mentioned to me that she had thought of using it to display her many finds from years of travel in the East. I jumped on the idea and could immediately imagine a cozy little ‘travel nook’ that would display her collection of elephant figures that were currently all around the house, other odds and sods picked up from her travels and related books and photo albums.
The first thing we did was line the back wall with a bookcase that ran the width of the space. Running it from one wall to the other gives it that built-in look. This piece from IKEA is extra tall which is important, and at $279, it fit not only the space but the budget. Here it is if you’re interested. The rug is also from IKEA and it was my absolute favourite at the store because of it’s lovely muted look - much more authentic than many rugs of it’s kind. I was so glad it fit! It’s called Kattrup and at $229 it’s a steal. As I said on the show, we could have used a rug that delineated the living space and left the traffic area bare - in some ways that might have been more practical - but this rug is a real beauty and at full size gives the space the feeling of being a real “room”. Wait ‘till you see the transformation……
The other large pieces we put in were all from Pier 1, which of course has built a business on this global look at a great price.
The chair we chose is nice and sturdy but covered in a natural banana leaf weave. The little tulip shaped table was just the right size for a lamp and to hold a coffee. And the red ottoman is a handy, occasional piece that will work anywhere and gave that perfect hit of colour.
Almost everything else is Susan’s - of course! - including the hand carved floor lamp she carted back from India in pieces and had never put together. Here she is on my left and Melissa Coghlan, my segment producer from S&C on my right.
The landing really came together as we envisioned and hopefully Susan can use it to plan many more adventures in future!
Posted by Cobi on Monday September 13, 2010 at 05:59 AM
cobi's house •
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My kitchen is featured in Chatelaine magazine this month - the October issue is on newsstands today.
It was fun to spend an afternoon ‘back in the biz’ with two talented people I worked with in the past - Virginie Martocq, Home Editor at Chatelaine and photographer, Michael Graydon. Here’s a picture of them hard at work, with Michael’s assistant, the lovely Valerie.
Of course, when they first asked me to be featured, all I could think about was the nicks and bumps on the cabinetry and the wear and tear on the floor (our kitchen isn’t new) but then I thought, ahh, those imperfections only show that we use it! And overall, we do still love it and spend part of every day in it - cooking, cleaning, talking, singing, laughing, spilling, fighting…. how could you not love that space?
Anyway, I know how much good photography can hide, and so we went for it 
.
Thanks Chatelaine! It was lots of fun.
Posted by Cobi on Monday September 06, 2010 at 06:00 AM
organizing •
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Labour Day. Kids back to school. Ready again for a more routine life.
Like clockwork, the Spring and Fall are the seasons to regroup, reorganize and reconsider all the crap we collect!
Personally, I’m a Fall person. I feel recharged from a wild and woolly Summer and ready to take on the world again.
Unfortunately my house does not feel the same way. It’s dazed and confused by what just happened over the past few months and it’s begging for help to see the light (at least enough that we can see the dust!).
And so, I present to you today, The First Annual Chuck-It Challenge! Trumpet please!!
Stay with me, here’s what I propose:
1 Room per Week. Now that doesn’t sound so bad, does it?
You get to pick the room. You can plan them out, or decide last minute - however the mood takes you - or in my case, whichever kid’s crying the most about holes in their socks.
You have 1 week to clean out that room - take a box with you!! - get rid of unused stuff and look after small repairs.
You can clean too if you want, but that’s not what this exercise is about, so don’t get bogged down by the usual maintenance.
If It’s a small bathroom and you get it done on Monday after work - great! - you’re done for the week.
But if you know you’re away next week, do two rooms this week. No excuses.
I’m really going to give this little scheme a try. I’ve counted up my rooms (including a outdoor spaces) and I have 16 tackle spots.
If I stay on track, I’ll be done by the end of the year. Hopefully I can work ahead so I can give myself the holidays off ; )
If you don’t mind, I’m going to list mine here so I have the added pressure of public scrutiny.
I think I’ll print it off for an official check-list on my bulletin board as I likely won’t do the rooms in this order.
1) Playroom - this has to be first so I can donate a bunch of toys to the school fall fair
2) Aidan’s room - very, very, scary closet
3) Charlotte’s room - oooohhh, that’s a biggy, better book a day off work
4) 4 Bathrooms - I think that’s doable as 2 don’t have much in them
5) Garage - help!
6) Storage sheds - book Bob
7) Mudroom - perfect timing to organize winter gear and see what fits
8) Basement storage room - ho hum, it’s likely going to be cold outside anyway…
9) Living room - looks good on the outside but I know what’s in those cupboards and it ain’t pretty
10) Dining room - pretty light one, do this on a busy week
11) Kitchen - can’t wait to get into those corner cupboards!
12) Master bedroom - yuk, so needs renovation, I’ll do this room very begrudgingly (like anyone cares)
13) Office - easy, I can do it when I should actually be working
14) Laundry room - interesting…can’t remember the last time I did anything in there other than laundry
15) Recreation room and basement bar/hall - better known as “the drop zone”
16) Gift room - yes I have one, I’m obsessed. By now the Xmas gifts should be out and so it’s a good time to do it
To be honest, the list may look long but just having the house divided up this way makes it feel easier to approach.
And lets face it, if I even get half way through the list it’s better than thinking I can’t anything done because the job’s too big.
And so how about you? Are you up for the challenge? Or do you just want to tell me to chuck-it? I know, I know…you’re a Spring person.
