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decorating

surface chatter

Posted by Cobi on Monday April 08, 2013 at 07:00 AM
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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”.

chasing paper dresser

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.”

chasing paper dishwasher

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.

chasing paper table

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

chasing paper backsplash

… or the back of a wall shelf.

chasing paper shelf

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

chasing paper wall

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

2) FLOR carpet design squares - brilliant!

FLOR basement

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

flor with woman

“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.”

Flor hall tiles

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!

Flor nursery

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 blue and white zig zag

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.

Flor runner

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

decorating

warm up to black and white

Posted by Cobi on Monday March 25, 2013 at 12:59 PM
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You don’t need me to tell you black and white is huge in fashion this Spring.

vogue cover

I suppose it’s always ‘in’.

audry hepburn

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

b+w striped rug

Or perfectly-imperfect naturals…

b+w dining

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

cobi

cobi

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.

cobi

cobi

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.

stair runner

stair runner

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

stair runner closer

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

b+w fashion

So too does wood…

b+w ovals runner

…cork…

office

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

b+w bedroom b+w living room

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

b+w living

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

bl rattan baskets

bl+wh pillow

natural poof

bl+wh houndstooth throw

rattan stool

bl+wh bowls

rattan tray

bl+wh knobs

natural bowl

blwh bulletin board

white natural baskets

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

IKEA trolley

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

decorating

how one sad laundryroom got happy

Posted by Cobi on Monday March 11, 2013 at 07:00 AM
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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…

laundry before overall

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.

laundry before of floor

floor after

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.

laundry before facing machines

laundryroom after towards machines

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…)

green counter

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

hanging gizmo in laundryroom

pully system

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!

aluminum rack

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

white pegs

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!

laundry before facing counter

laundryroom after facing cabinet

thread on shelf close up

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.

bank in laundryroom

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!

sewing machine

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.

ikea frames on either side of sewing shelf

ikea frames alternative shot

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.

counter top trim

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…)

cobistyle fishies in laundry room

…with my cobistyle fishies and lost socks.

land of the lost socks

decorating

curtains for cobistyle ~ take II

Posted by Cobi on Monday February 25, 2013 at 06:59 AM
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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!

blue and white panel

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

paisley

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.

multi-colour ikat

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

sunny stripe

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

woven stylized botanical

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

taffeta plaid

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

woven floral

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

mustard botanical

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

charcoal geometric

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

sheer grey geometric

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.

sheer scribble

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

white sheer

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.

natural sheer linen

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.

purple silk

This is the Aubergine - so regal!

purple velvet

And the Indigo - so rich!

navy velvet

And the Citrine is gorgeous…

green velvet

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

mocha brown velvet

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.

pillow stack

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!

decorating

soft sell on high performance

Posted by Cobi on Monday January 28, 2013 at 07:00 AM
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As you may have seen before, I have a corner banquet in my kitchen for family meals.

cobi

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.

kitchen banquet -1

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.

kitchen banquet - 2

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).

kitchen banquet 5

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.

cobi

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.

decorating

cottage around the corner

Posted by Cobi on Monday January 14, 2013 at 07:00 AM
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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.

wreath on gate

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

door to house

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

front gate

chair detail

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

shed

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

decorating

star runner

Posted by Cobi on Monday October 08, 2012 at 07:00 AM
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Renovation isn’t all dust and divorce. There’s some fun thrown in, particularly in the way of shopping.

black + white geometric

After all the work boots have stopped tramping up our stairs, I’m going to treat us a fun stair runner.

colourful stripe runner

Something dynamic that makes a statement when you come in the door.

horizontal stripe runner

I do love traditional sisel and stripes.

blue stripe/sisel runner

Handsome, classic, colouring…

blue/brown stripe runner

And of course, who isn’t a sucker for traditional casual French styling…

linen t-towel runner

But something tells me this time, I need to be bold. I love the idea of colourful stripes, but my wallpaper is a tone-on-tone ticking stripe and so I fear they may compete.

coloured stripe runner w pink wall

I’m really starting to think something black and white might be the answer.

black and white runner

This is my absolute favourite and would mimic the glass I have on either side of my front door, but I know it’s too white to be practical in our house.

favourite oval runner

Same goes for this blue and white pattern - great looking - but for how long?

white blue runner

A solid colour could work but I’m thinking it’s best with white walls - isn’t this paint treatment a cool idea?

orange runner

No, I’m thinking black and white is the way to go - check out this chevron pattern…

chevron

And this Greek key…

geo with cat

Or I could go really wild and try an animal print - that would hide the dirt.

animal print

So much to think about…and still so many steps still to climb on our stairway to heaven. I’ll let you know what we (I) choose.

decorating

all points bulletin

Posted by Cobi on Monday September 24, 2012 at 07:00 AM
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September is a great month to get organized!

close up

It’s also a time when we’re inundated with invitations, schedules, school papers, etc.

bulletin board loaded with notes

This is one of my favourite home office pictures and it’s the bulletin board that really makes it:

nate berkus office

I love this one too:

ruthie office

It’s great to get all of those little pieces of paper and ephemera off the desk or counter and up on the wall.

2 vertical boards

I love the idea of making the bulletin board itself into a design statement.

horizontal around desk

Here’s an artsy version - I think it would be perfect in a teenage girl’s room - when she’s hanging up her clothes she can also hang up the papers!!!

clothes line

Ribbon boards are my favourite though. These are new to cobistyle this fall. We did them in a blue and black caning design (24” x 29”):

black bulletin board

blue bulletin board

I’m going to run them in a line in my new home office - pictures to come as soon as the plaster dust settles!

decorating

beautiful blue & white

Posted by Cobi on Monday August 13, 2012 at 06:59 AM
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Ginger Jar: A Chinese porcelain jar with a wide mouth; domed lid and often a bulging, spherical body.

Although the Chinese traditionally used the jars to store a variety of goods, they acquired the name “ginger jars” because ginger was one of the most common spices exported to the West.

blue + white close shot w peonies

Today designers use ginger jars for display and decorating.

blue + white in foyer

Of-the-moment American designer Ruthie Sommers chose this vignette for a recent portrait…gee, I wonder why? The mix of pretty blue and white porcelain, with powerful blue/black leather, is fresh and fun looking.

blue + white behind sofa with girl

At this time of year, blue and white porcelain looks amazing outside, and it’s practical because it doesn’t rust or rot like metal and wood.

blue + white on garden table

Of course it looks just as good inside loaded with blooms from the garden.

blue + white in rustic living room

When buying a ginger jar, be sure to ask if it’s water tight so that you can remove the lid and use it as a vase.

blue + white on dining table

What I love about blue and white porcelain is that it’s so quick to mingle. Look at it here in a rustic farmhouse setting…

Blue + white in contemporary setting

And here in a contemporary, art-filled, classical home…

blue + white in tradition foyer

And here in a very traditional hallway….

console loaded with bl +  white

Nothing phases blue and white - it’s like that friend who can mix equally well with royals and rebels alike. Speaking of royals, Ralph Lauren has always used blue and white porcelain in his home line…

bl + wh Ralph set

And I expect we will at cobistyle too. Here are just a few pieces in the current line:

bl&wh ginger jar

blue & white umbrella/large vase

bl & wh lamp

Lots of pieces to mix and match…

bl & wh stool

bl & wh vase

bl & white bowl

Blue and white does love a party ~ it’s definitely at its best when grouped…

bl+wh in stairwell landing

And with a classic decorating style like this, it looks like the Chinese will be exporting Ginger Jars for many years to come!

blue + white on motor bike

decorating

makin’ somethin’ outa nothin’

Posted by Cobi on Monday June 04, 2012 at 06:59 AM
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My friend and colleague, Michael Penny inspired me a few months ago on his blog. He was writing about out setting up his office at home (since then he’s opened a fabulous shop in Whitby, Ont. which you should definitely check out). Anyway, he posted a picture of his pencil crayons and markers in containers :

michael's desk

It got the old wheels churning about how satisfying it is to make something visually pretty, out of things we already have around the house.

It reminded me of when Martha Stewart magazine did a beautiful story on jewellery storage and suggested using old teacups…

jewellery in tea cups

Although not always that elaborate, I do this kind of thing around the house all the time. For example, I had a cute unused honey pot and creamer filling space on the counter…

honey pot and creamer

And one day thought - why don’t I get rid of those ugly plastic vitamin bottles in the cupboard and hide them in here…

honey pot and creamer hold vitamins

I did the same with my rings (I have a thing for big rings)…I put them in a vintage bowl and now I wear them more…

rings in old bowl

Back in 2009 I blogged about using glass vases to hold bangles and I still use these…

bracelets in vases

I love it when people treat bulletin boards artistically to turn them into personal art pieces…

bulletin board

Part of the beauty of makin’ somethin’ outa nothin’ is that it doesn’t cost any money!

toilet rolls in basket

We’ve all got baskets and bowls and cluttering up the closets anyway. Just put 2 things together!

I had these french jam jars in the cupboard and use them for toothbrushes and eye glass holders…

eye glasses in cup

When I entertain, I like to put pretzel sticks in milk glass tumblers or old jelly jars I’ve collected…

pretzel sticks in milk glass tumbler

When I was working on cobistyle I was sure to put a couple of items in the accessory line that I knew would double duty like this drinking glass with a woven sleeve…

rattan on cup

And these cute blue and white ceramic Chinese teacups…

tea cup

Now I can admire them on my desk everyday whether I get my suggested servings of water and green tea or not!

desk supplies in cups

decorating

let there be light!

Posted by Cobi on Monday May 21, 2012 at 07:00 AM
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It’s hard to know where an idea comes from. I’ve always remembered a glass bauble necklace on a woman at an evening event I attended…

glass bubble necklace

And I’ve admired glass and lucite lamps for years now and wondered if I should splurge…

glass ball lamp

I’ve noticed the trend to funky retro light fixtures in brass and glass orbs - sometimes all bunched up…

glass ball fixture - bunch

Sometimes cascading like a waterfall…

glass bubble chandelier

I like them but they just aren’t me.

glass bubble fixture

Nice in a picture, but they wouldn’t suit my home and many like it.

glass bubble on brass poles

So when I started work on my new lighting collection, I got the idea of doing a more traditional chandelier shape but for a new look, featuring uncut glass balls rather than the typical cut crystals…

cobistyle chandelier

I’m really happy with the result and hope it catches your eye too. It definitely satisfies my desire for a glass-ball light fixture but I keep thinking about that darned necklace. Or this one…

glass ball necklace

And how about these earrings…So lovely!

glass ball earrings

But back to lighting fixtures… I found this picture in a magazine file from a number of years ago. I believe the fixture is pink.

open red lantern

And it’s remarkably like the open lantern in my new line! I guess it sat somewhere in my subconscious all those years…

cobistyle red lantern

I have black and bronze lanterns in a few places in my home - some with glass, some without - but I love the idea of red…

red lantern in hallway

Red lanterns are hard to find and yet we see them in designer rooms all the time…

red lantern in kitchen

They bring a bit of whimsy to a room and yet feel classic at the same time…

red toile lantern in kitchen

We incorporated a brick-red lantern into the cobistyle line and I love it. It’s just different enough to be special.

cobistyle brick coloured lantern

Keep your eyes open for more glimmering ideas in Lighting stores this Spring!

decorating

music to my livingroom

Posted by Cobi on Monday May 07, 2012 at 07:00 AM
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My daughter became a teenager over the weekend. She loves anything to do with the arts but particularly music. Her main birthday gift is a piano (her little keyboard just ain’t cuttin’ it any more).
As I’ve been trying to figure out where to fit a piano into our home - I started to look online for inspiration. Of course the best inspiration comes from a grand…

grand piano in living room

And although our living room housed a ‘grand’ when we purchased the house.

grand piano in living room

I managed to fill up the room with furnishings so that the only realistic option is an upright upright (for the pocketbook too).

grand piano in living room

I expected most pianos to be black… piano black

Or dark wood… piano wood

But on a quick search, I found every colour of the rainbow.

Yellow… piano yellow

Turquoise… piano turquoise

Red… piano red

Pale blue… piano pale blue with silouettes piano pale blue

Green… piano green

Cream… piano cream with bookshelves

So many ideas, my ears are ringing. I will post a picture of our purchase once we have it and hope that you will all say, “Bravo!”

decorating

better red than dead

Posted by Cobi on Monday February 13, 2012 at 07:00 AM
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How to liven up a room in your house instantly?

cobi

Add a piece of painted red furniture.

cobi

It could be something big.

cobi

Or it could be something small.

cobi

It could be an unusual find.

cobi

Or something from IKEA.

cobi

It could be a high-end score.

cobi

Or a chinatown score (with a bucket ‘o paint).

cobi

It could be the only red thing in the room.

cobi

Or there could be only red things in the room.

cobi

Whatever piece you choose…

cobi

Red is sure to command attention.

cobi

And so get out your handy paint brush…

cobi cobi

Or if painting isn’t your thing, your handy staple gun…

cobi

Or if stapling isn’t your thing, your handy wallet - because of course I put a painted red cabinet into my cobistyle furniture line…

cobi

And in fact, we’re featuring red in the new cobistyle Lighting line due to arrive in stores later this Spring!

cobi

There’s no doubt, red is a welcome guest in our homes.

cobi

And puts a happy tune in our heart, far beyond Valentines.

cobi

decorating

tangerine dreams

Posted by Cobi on Monday January 30, 2012 at 07:00 AM
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I hate to start a blog with the words “I told you so”, buuut…..it’s about this “Colour of the Year” business….

cobi

I mean, come on, orange you glad you saw it here first?

cobi

Now it’s everywhere - not only in fashion but in housewares too.

cobi

I’ve written about mixing Orange with turquoise but my favourite combo is to mix orange with fuchsia….can you tell by my website?

And by my cobistyle product line…here’s a taste of what’s new this Spring…

cobi

Some people think it’s “too much” to decorate a room with this combo but it’s great as an accent with neutrals…

cobi

Here’s some more cobistyle decor, I love pink and orange on chocolate brown…

cobi

Of course it’s great with black too…gorgeous!

cobi

And crisp white! This is an inspiration shot for my daughter’s coming soon, teenage room…

cobi

It’s a lively addition to a white bathroom too…

cobi

I’m so inspired by vibrant Indian sari’s.

cobi

Of course you don’t have to be Indian to pull the colours off…

cobi

It’s my favourite colour combination in the garden too…

cobi cobi

Even when the blooms are made of sugar…

cobi

What fun colours to use in jewellery! I found this on Etsy…yum, looks like candy.

cobi

Or to decorate with at a wedding…

cobi

Or party…

cobi

So many great ideas…

cobi cobi

Stick with me kid, and you’ll be ahead of the trends without even knowing it.

cobi cobi

And have a lot of fun in the mean time!

cobi

decorating

online inspiration

Posted by Cobi on Monday November 21, 2011 at 07:00 AM
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After spending my career editing magazines, I’ve been very interested to see the online magazine industry unfold over the past couple years. But personally speaking, when asked if I like reading online magazines - my answer to date, is no. Never say never, but so far, they just aren’t doin’ it for me. It isn’t the content - they often carry wonderful stories and beautiful visuals. And it sure isn’t the price - they’re free! But for some reason it feels like monotonous work to turn the electronic pages and they usually lose my attention after a few short clicks. And so unfortunately I have yet to lose myself in a story, the way I do with print mags. I know electronic images don’t fade, yellow or stack up and collect dust like paper, but I also can’t tear a page out and put it in my “some-sweet-day file”.

Have a look at the online decor magazines I’ve been flipping through and let me know what you think! Maybe you can change my mind.

cobi

Lonny was launched in October 2009 and is definitely the top dog, at least on this side of the pond. It’s a bimonthly, online home decor and lifestyle magazine that highlights “extraordinary interiors, innovative bloggers, and the latest market trends”. The magazine’s name was formed by combining London and New York - the hometowns of its two founders. To date, Lonny has published 14 issues.

click here to check out Lonny

cobi

Trad Home is collaboration between Traditional Home magazine (print) and Lonny magazine (online). Trad Home was created to ‘capture a new “evolved traditional” design aesthetic’. I think that means - people who like traditional looks but still want to be current. To date, Trad home has published 1 issue and I read somewhere that there was suppose to be a second issue out last month but it didn’t happen, so now I’m confused.

click here to check out Trad Home

cobi

Rue magazine covers homes, entertaining, recipes, trends and products. It’s put together by two well known American bloggers based in San Francisco and has an eclectic, global feeling. It comes out bi-monthly and so far there are 6 issues of Rue.

click here to check out Rue

cobi

I didn’t realize until I wrote this blog that High Gloss magazine - which used to feature “inspiring interior design, fabulous fashion, fresh entertaining ideas and swoon-worthy travel destinations” - no longer exists. There were 3 issues created of High Gloss before its demise last summer. It sounds like things went south between the bloggers who created if if you read this entry by one of the editors from Elements of Style and this one from La Dolce Vita. Anyway, there are three issues to breeze through if you’re interested and who knows, maybe someone will recreate it. It all seems very ‘easy come, easy go’, in the online business.

check out High Gloss magazine

cobi

Dabble is Canada’s only online magazine covering design, travel and food. At the helm is designer Kimberley Seldon whom many of you will know from HGTV, Cityline, Chatelaine, etc. To date there has been 1 issue of Dabble but it looks like there will be another one soon. Good luck Kimberley!

click here to check out Dabble

cobi

Adore Home magazine is Australia’s first online-only home and lifestyle magazine. It covers “shops, hotels, homes and food. Adore Home invites you into inspirational homes, looks at the latest products on the market and whisks you away to gorgeous holiday destinations. Adore Home’s mission is to bring you beautiful homes from across the globe, tips and design advice from interior experts, as well as easy online access to the latest home treasures.” The Aussies sure know how to make a decorating magazine in print and so lets hope things go the same online.
Adore has published 6 issues to date.

click here to check out Adore Home

cobi

Ivy and Piper magazine covers “homewares, fabrics, home decor and design accessories”. It’s an online Interiors magazine from Brisbane, Australia. “Welcome to our design journal where we share and inspire our clients to embrace colour, pattern and beautiful home decor, which is what Ivy & Piper is all about!” So far there are 6 issues of Ivy & Piper.

click here to check out Ivy and Piper magazine

After having a look, perhaps you feel differently from me and enjoy reading online magazines? If so - please comment and tell us why. Or tell us about another online magazine that I’ve missed! It’s a big internet out there…

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