If you've been to any trendy, industrial-style restaurant or boutique, you've likely encountered bare bulb pendants. Great on their own or in groupings, there are endless ways to make this little bulb-on-a-wire shine. Here are a few inspiration shots that caught my eye:
Even though every other restaurant in Toronto seems to have caught onto this trend, I still like it. When lit, these individually hung bulbs twinkle like a night sky.
Here, an array of colourful wires keeps this look playful. I love the mass of cords hanging from the ceiling.
This bare bulb is transformed into an ultra-modern wall sconce thanks to a cantilevered, sculptural piece of wood.
Wrapped around a metal rod, they're transformed into a sort of messy chandelier. It's a simple solution that's quite eye-catching.
A similar treatment was used in this dining room shot. I'm loving the copper rod, too. Seems easy enough to DIY, no? Try a similar copper rod project here.
What are your thoughts: should bulbs go nude or do you prefer a nice lampshade?
Photo credits:
1. The New York Times Style Magazine, photography by Ambroise Tézenas
2. Mimou
3. Weekday Carnival
4. Sköna Hem, photography by Anna Kern
5. Lokal 54
Sometimes the best decorating comes from keeping it simple. Consider colour: used on a grand scale, a single hue can create a dramatic room.
Take Diana Vreeland's famous red living room: Rich in wow-factor, it was the perfect backdrop for the legendary magazine editor's larger-than-life personality. I recently read her choice to go with red, red and more red was because, "I want this room to be a garden — but a garden in hell."
Magazines — including House & Home — have devoted entire issues to the all-white room, but I also think its counterpoint, the all black room, can be just as livable and inviting. A rich mix of textures keeps the look luxe, not gothic, so the overall effect is cosy and calming.
Designer Miles Redd, the reigning champion of exuberant colour, used shades of black on black in a men's dressing room. Tailored and timeless, it's hard to imagine a more soothing space to get ready in the morning and begin to unwind at the end of the day.
See our Editors' Daring Paint Colours photo gallery for more ideas.
Photo credits:
1. Styleite.com
2. Ecosalon.com
3. Favn Sofa, designed by Jaime Hayon, Fritz Hansen
4. Miles Redd, photography by Francesco Lagnes
I admit, it's trendy, but I can't seem to get over damask wallpaper. I've tried to talk myself out of wallpapering an accent wall in my living room — knowing I might tire of the busy pattern — but I keep going back to my love of damask.
Here are some examples of the varying colours and pattern sizes:
And here are my top picks from Graham & Brown:
Large Damask Paintable Wallpaper (#17773)
Suzanne in Black & White (#18126)
Aztec in Gray (#30981)
Nothing too bright — I'm leaning toward a bold grey pattern.
What do you think? Are you over damask?
For more inspiration, see our Wallpapered Rooms photo gallery.
Photo credits:
1-2. House of Many Hues blog
3. Damask and Design blog
4. Graham & Brown
5. Graham & Brown
6. Graham & Brown
A friend of mine is looking for a house and recently invited me to check out a potential place. It was a cute, three-bedroom Victorian with bright, spacious rooms and warm hardwood flooring, but one thing struck me as particularly strange: all the baseboards in the living and dining rooms had been removed, leaving an unsightly gap between the drywall and the floor. Basically, it looked like a face with no eyebrows — something was definitely missing. It got me thinking of the myriad ways that my friend, who doesn't like a lot of fuss, could use baseboards to add character to the house. Here are five options:
Sometimes simple is best, like the painted white square-cut baseboards in Bonnie Brooks' understated urban loft.
Similarly minimal but much warmer, designer Ashley Botten and her photographer husband Christopher Wahl recessed hardwood baseboards into the wall for a clean but casual look in their home. The reveal above the baseboards is particularly sharp.
The unfinished baseboards in the Georgian Bay cottage of Juli Daoust and John Baker — the couple who run Toronto's Mjölk — have a rustic charm.
Traditional, unpainted wood mouldings will never go out of style.
Stylist Sasha Seymour faced her kitchen cabinet toekicks in brass, doubling as vintage-looking baseboards. I like how the metal shimmers against the herringbone floors.
See our Painted Trim photo gallery for even more inspiration.
Photo credits:
1. House & Home November 2011 issue, photography by Virginia Macdonald
2. House & Home June 2011 issue, photography by Christopher Wahl
3. House & Home June 2011 issue, photography by Stacey Brandford
4. House & Home May 2012 issue, photography by Angus Fergusson
5. House & Home September 2011 issue, photography by Michael Graydon
I've lived in my mid-town Toronto rental apartment for a little over two years. The main living spaces have received due attention in the decorating department — some even a second round.
My kitchen, on the other hand, while recently renovated and painted, still looks rather generic and lifeless. Save for a few accessories, I'm going to begin transforming the sterile atmosphere of my kitchen by DIY-ing a roman shade for the large window above my sink.
I came across these examples on my favourite blogs and websites, and was inspired by the vibrant patterns and colours. Plus, roman blinds are great for privacy.
In particular, this one represents the look and feel that I want to create. Designed by Thom Filicia for Kravet, the bold and sophisticated pattern and cheerful colours in the fabric offer just as much impact as hanging a painting.
My colleague Cameron MacNeil created a great step-by-step guide to building your own roman shade, and I'm going to tackle it!
... stay tuned for my after photos.
Update: Click here for how my DIY shade turned out!
Photo credits:
1. Lauren Petroff
2. Quadrille
3. Traditional Home
4. Urban Grace
5. House Beautiful
No green thumb? No problem. Pick up this plant du jour for a spot of fuss-free greenery.
Spiky and unpretentious, a cactus offers the perfect Arizona-chic vibe for summertime. Pair it with industrial pieces and worn leather for a rugged, masculine look.
Anthropologie put together this space that just screams hot weather. I love that the green ikat sofa has a cactusy-feel to it!
How about a cactus in the kitchen? It doesn't shed or collect as much dust as leafy plants, making it the perfect countertop companion. (Can you believe that this space is actually a hair salon?)
These prickly fellas lend a southern touch to this bohemian space.
Designer Tom Scheerer added a succulent into this entry in the beachy de Givenchy residence. Aloe's a good choice if you prefer a softer look (and feel!).
This cacti wall might be difficult to achieve in Canada, but if you have the interior space to move these 8-foot-tall monsters back indoors for the winter, this might be the perfect alternative to an outdoor hedge. I would love to bring a little desert decor to my backyard...
Photo credits:
1. Photography by Manolo Yllera, as seen on Yatzer
2. Anthropologie
3. The Brick House
4. Inspire Bohemia blog
5. Photography by Eric Bowman
6. West Elm
I love taking photos of flowers, trees and foliage. Spring is the perfect season to get outside and start photographing some of your favourite species. Here are a few of my recent snapshots:
Recently I enlarged and framed some of my photographs for my friend's dining room. I took these on vacation last year. I had them enlarged them to 36" square and framed them in simple white frames. The cost was about $300 to frame and print each photograph. I think it offers great impact in this space!
What do you think? Have you tried something similar? Share below!
Learn how to create your own DIY Gallery Wall.
Photo credits:
Cameron MacNeil
Jacqueline Kennedy once said of the White House: "It would be sacrilege merely to redecorate it — a word I hate — it must be restored and that has nothing to do with decoration."
A true patron of historical architecture and interior design, Mrs. Kennedy was disappointed by the lack of heritage furnishings in the White House when her husband took office. So much so that she referred to it as "the dreary maison blanche," and decided that her first project as First Lady would be to restore her new home to its former glory. She sought out many original furnishings that had belonged to former presidents and reinstated them at the White House.
Here you can watch Mrs. Kennedy eloquently describe the beautiful fixtures she reclaimed for use in the State Dining Room that aired on CBS in 1962. Isn't she charming?
To the left, the State Dining Room in 1962 after Mrs. Kennedy's extensive restoration. And on the right is the State Dining Room during the administration of George W. Bush, where thanks to Mrs. Kennedy, gold flatware that was owned by President James Monroe and china services from the Eisenhower and Truman years are still in use.
The Kennedys hosted a gala in early 1962 after the restoration. Oh, to be a fly on the wall!
Jackie's commitment to restoring the White House got me thinking about the difference between redecorating and restoring. It is satisfying to bring new life to something worn and well-loved — reupholstering your grandma's old wingchair or refinishing your home's original hardwoods, say — rather than getting caught up in the vicious cycle of consuming and discarding the latest trendy decor.
I'm pretty far from living in the White House, so to suit my more modest restoration needs, I like to check out the Habitat for Humanity Restore, where you can find great used building materials and furnishings, and all proceeds go to charity. I've scored more than a few bargains there, most recently a panelled wood bathroom vanity ($50!), a Sub-Zero fridge (with tags still on), and a fellow H&H editor recently found a beautifully crafted kitchen for less than a thousand dollars!
This weekend, why not check out your local Restore and give something used a second chance? Somehow I think even Jackie would approve.
Learn more about Reupholstering Antique Chairs and an 1830s Restoration.
Photo credits:
1, 2, 5: Jack & Jackie blog
3a. The White House Museum
3b: The White House Museum
4a. President Kennedy Photos blog
4b. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis blog
Notice how breezy and cool Sofia Coppola looks in this photo snapped for House & Garden? Yeah, me neither. I'm too busy ogling her sky blue sofa.
One of the most repeated pieces of design advice I hear is to invest in a well-made sofa in a solid neutral colour. It's a great tip — even I've said it myself. And when I bought my sofa, I followed this advice and purchased a sleek modern shape in a sensible dark grey fabric. It's a great sofa, but when I see beautiful rooms showcasing a sofa in a gorgeous eye-catching colour, I admit I get a little wistful.
I have a particularly soft spot for sofas in any shade of blue. Now, some will argue that blue is a neutral. Certain shades, anyway. When I asked H&H senior design editor Margot Austin if she thought pale blue could be considered a neutral, she was quiet for a few seconds, then answered: "Sure. It's the colour of the sky, it goes with everything."
Still, blue is no beige. A beige sofa would disappear in this room and let the walls and the window coverings steal the spotlight. This robin's egg blue camelback style has no such plans; it's the first thing you notice, and the ultra-pretty shade gives the traditional room a cheeky lighthearted twist.
Indeed, in a neutral setting, blue can become the lively hit of colour.
Or the perfect background for a simple print.
In a modern setting, primary blue fits the mood. A rich shade can draw the right kind of attention to a sofa in a unique shape or make a standard silhouette feel special. And if your sofa is doing all that, then the rest of the room can get away with being sparse.
Not that it has to. In any hue, blue is a cheerful, livable colour, so why not go for it? I wish I had.
For more blue inspiration, see our Blue Rooms photo gallery.
Photo credits:
1. House & Garden via Apartment Therapy
2. Photography by Melanie Acevedo
3. Pebble Beach, Katie Ridder
4. Real Simple via The Little House in the City blog, photography by Ditte Isager
5. Photography by Melanie Acevedo
6. Photography by Roland Bello
I’m not really one for living way up in the air. My own apartment is on the ground floor of a four-storey low-rise, and that suits me perfectly fine.
Recently, however, I fell for a Vancouver tower designed by famed British architect Norman Foster. It's striking enough for me to wish I lived 20 floors up. Called Jameson House, its façade is made of four side-by-side cylinders that give the building a unique character. But while the tubes add punch, they create a difficult interior design challenge: what do you do with a circular room?
Circular rooms can be tricky for the obvious reason that most furniture is designed for rectilinear spaces. In some of the units at Jameson House, Foster (who oversaw the interior design as well as the architecture) smartly divided the space with an angled wall — allowing for both a living room and bedroom in the same area — but still played with the shape by using a curvy sofa, side tables and coffee tables.
There is something interesting about the contrast of the curved and straight walls.
Jameson House got me interested in how other designers deal with circular spaces. The above dining room by Peg Berens is gorgeous. The dramatic silk wall covering is beautiful, and works particularly well in the bow of the wall.
This living room isn’t a true circle, but I like how the sofa echoes the gentle curve of the window in this Montreal space.
What I admire most about Patrick J. Baglino Jr.'s living room design here is the wit in the carpet choice, which nods at the whole tension of circular rooms in a world of squares.
Photo credits:
1-3. Foster + Partners, photography by Nigel Young
4. Peg Berens Interior Design
5. House & Home February 2009 issue, photography by Angus McRitchie
6. Patrick J. Baglino Interior Design
