Displaying posts labeled "Sponsored"

As someone who has bought several Montreal condos in the last 15 years, I have worked with several interior designers. My experiences with them have been mostly positive, although I’ve also had my share of problems in the past.
Whether you’re planning to remodel your condo or buy new property, hiring an interior designer is a big decision. Most people who hire a decorator don’t have a concrete idea of what to expect, and this often leads to anxiety and problems along the way. But you don’t have to make the same mistake (which can be costly at times). Read through the suggestions that I’ve outlined here so your experience will be generally positive and you can expect a much better outcome for your home improvement project.

1. Preparation is a must!
A very common mistake that homeowners make is that they expect their interior designer to simply know what they want. The first time I hired a decorator, I merely told her my budget and shared a few ideas. Three days later she presented me with a design and as it turned out, I didn’t like most of it. It was then I realized that if I had only showed her some pictures of the concepts I liked, then maybe she’d present me with a design that I would approve the first time.
So before you meet with a potential decorator, you should have at least some idea of the style you like. You can also show your decorator the color schemes you want. Doing these will save you time and money.

2. Set realistic goals.
We see HGTV shows and start dreaming of high-end window treatments, hand painted wall designs, and shiny ebony floors. But you have to be realistic. Don’t expect your living room to look like a million bucks if you’re only willing to spend $5,000 for this project.
On a related note, it’s also important to be practical with your timeline. If you’ve been watching too many home improvement shows on TV, then you probably think that everything can be done in 3 days (or less!). But that’s usually not the case. Many interior decorators spend a week planning and creating the design alone. The whole project can take a month or so depending on how much work needs to be done.

3. Finally, have confidence in your designer.
Of course, it also pays to actually do your homework and find a designer that has the experience, training and track record. Ask around for recommendations and be sure to check their portfolio before you even consider them.
Once you’ve found your interior designer and you’ve already agreed on the design/concept then it’s time to let them work their magic. Designers should be open to your ideas if you’ve been thorough and explicit about what you want. Remember that your interior designer can visualize the completed project for your condo’s interior and veering from their design plan might lead to an unsatisfactory outcome.

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This post is a contribution by a guest writer

I was approached recently by Garaga, a Canadian manufacturer of garage doors, who offered me a brand new garage door of my choice. I was elated, as garage doors have always been a bone of contention with me. Here in Ottawa builders always install cheap, run of the mill garage doors on houses and you are guaranteed to see this on every house in the suburbs in particular. Something that has rattled my cage for as long as I can remember is how much I hate that most homes have garages that are set forward from the rest of the house so it is ALL you see. Yet no one seems to put any thought into the design of their garage doors. My current home is located in an old neighbourhood (1940’s) and most garages are detached and located in the backyard at the end of a long driveway. Lucky for me because my garage is a bit of an eyesore. It really needs to be re-built one day as it is in rough shape and leaning to one side which is why I turned down the offer of a brand new garage door (soooo bummed). It would just look ridiculous. I will however absolutely take Garaga up on that offer when I have a new garage. 🙂

To show you why I am so bummed, here are samples of some of the fantastic garage doors they have designed, starting with some modern ones…. 

And some with a bit more of a traditional/country look

I wanted to also reference a couple of new designs Garaga recently launched:

This one is called the Prestige. An elegant and sophisticated option. 

This is the Vog. Sleek and contemporary and a bit more minimal than most doors. Download this brochure for more info, and check out this link for their 4 new designs. 

Their website is really great – it lets you select all of the different options to build your own door, has a large image gallery, offers a free quote and provides locations of all of the dealers in your area. Around these parts there is Ram Overhead Doors in Ottawa and Domac Garage Doors in Gatineau in case you want to go get yourself one! And on that note, if you do decide to get yourself a new garage door, send me before and after photos and I will share them on the blog!

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This post is in partnership with Garaga. All opinions are my own. 

I came up with a list of my top 5 favourite online furniture stores conveniently located in Ottawa and Toronto and wanted to share because you all need to know about these shops. Why? Because they are awesome and owned by awesome Canadians. And you can shop them online!

The first in the list of best online furniture stores is Furniture Maison. This is a new-to-me online store whose focus is on clean design with a simple aesthetic, including Scandinavian, mid-century modern and industrial influences. Furniture Maison develops direct partnerships with furniture designers that own their manufacturing facilities, eliminating the middleman and unnecessary mark-ups. Also, their online-only approach minimizes overhead which allows their relatively small operation to offer their products at affordable prices without compromising on quality. I know this for a fact because they sent me a sofa and it is FANTASTIC and incredibly well made. Here are some pieces they carry that I am a big fan of:

Concrete coffee table

My sofa! Part of their collection of mid-century modern furniture. The Ruby reversible sectional sofa.

Not your granny’s rattan! The Aloha chair

The Louvre TV cabinet. For all your stylin’ media component needs.

I need a room to fit this in. Seriously in love with the simplicity of this loveseat. The Leo 2 seater sofa. A great course for Scandinavian furniture online – check out more of their Scandinavian furniture best sellers.

Another Scandinavian-vibing piece is the walnut media unit.

Next up is The Modern Shop, always a favourite for modern furniture online, and in-store! Located in downtown Ottawa and a quick 15 minute walk from my office, this has been a local favourite of mine since Michael Shaikin opened it in 2010. I have visited Michael’s shop on many occasions and I am pretty sure I have never once left empty-handed. If I’m not in there to pick up a to-die-for light fixture I have ordered (last one was the FLOS IC S1 pendant for my foyer – SO GOOD!) then I’m grabbing all sorts of little odds and ends like Hay Denmark plant pots, a brass Flax Wall air plant holder by Aliec Tacheny and Kin Tealight Holders by Claesson Koivisto Rune for Skultuna. The Modern Shop carries just about all of my favourite brands of furniture and lighting such as Ingo Maurer, Ferm Living, Gubi, Menu, Moooi, Normann Copenhagen and Tom Dixon. Here are some photo examples:

 Greta Grossman Grasshopper floor lamp by Gubi. I bought the pendant version for my kitchen – it is so classy and timeless.

The Recycled Tube Light by Toronto-based Castor

Marcel Wanders for Moooi carpets. I ordered one of these the other day (still can’t believe it) and am impatiently awaiting its arrival. !!!!!!!!

Outdoor furniture designed by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec for HAY

Brass Etch pendant by Tom Dixon

Another on my favourite online furniture store list is a newcomer to the land of online shops. Green Light District is owned by a really sweet couple, Deborah and David, and I got to know them when their shop started out here in Ottawa but they have since packed up the shop and opened it in the funky Toronto neighbourhood of Roncesvalles. Their shop is really special because all of their pieces are original designs, made to order for them by designer owned companies using natural materials only, with a significant hand-made component, craftsmanship and a commitment to eco and social consciousness. Deal breaker right there. It was only a few months ago that they decided to take their wares online so now you can shop virtually if you’re located in Canada or the United States. I have lots of incredible goodies from this store – including a ton of their Wonki Ware dishes from South Africa (my absolute favourite dishes of all time – I will never ever part with these), some vases, a wax lantern and of course, my Magnet lounge chair. So happy you can now buy furniture online from GLD!

A photo I took in my previous home of my Magnet lounge chair. I was able to chose the leather and cord colour so I went with all black. HOT! And as I always say, it’s like sitting on a could.

Saddle leather and solid iron chair

Leather Acapulco chair

Outdoor Acapulco chairs

I really wanted this linen wall hanging but it ended up being too big (I was going to use it as a curtain in my bedroom). Wondering how I can make it work…

Next on the list is Alteriors, another shop here in Ottawa. Jacob and Monika own this gem filled with some of the top modern furniture brands out there. Every time I walk into their store I want to pass out or cry because I adore everything they have in their showroom and I wish I had an endless pocketbook. They carry Ligne Roset (oh YESSSS! and every time I go in I drool over the Togo sofa), Knoll (one day I must acquire a Bertoia chair), Bensen, Cattelan Italia, Herman Miller and more. Here are a few photos of some of my favourite items they stock that I would LURVE to own…

Togo! Togo! Togo! Togo!

Ligne Roset Ottoman Sofa

Ligne Roset Ploum Sofa by the incredibly talented Bouroullec brothers. This one is up there with the Togo.

Florence Knoll round table

Herman Miller Eames molded plywood lounge chair

Last but absolutely not least is Black Rooster Decor. I discovered this shop on Instagram and have been following them religiously ever since. Their shop is located in Toronto and I have not had the opportunity to visit it yet but instead I drool uncontrollably over their online shop all the time. They carry a wide range of styles, from mid-century modern to art deco to European antiques. And to note: they ship worldwide and have warehouses in the States to make it easy peasy to shop. WOOT! Everything they carry makes my heart skip a beat, from the furniture and lighting to the huge selection of accessories. It was hard to narrow down a few favourites but here goes…

The Gwyneth cabinet. AH MAH GAWD!

The super hot Laguna sofa

This is beyond cool – a polycarbonate Wingback chair

The Jonny chandelier. A drama queen for your staircase.

The Modela chair. This is what you buy for your husband when you already spent a fortune on other items and you need something to distract him with. Plus you will love it too and probably fight him for it.

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This post is in partnership with Furniture Maison. All opinions are my own.

Doherty Design Studio

As many of you will know I’m in the throes of organising a bathroom renovation. Searching for inspiration, planning, sourcing. I have so many images in my inspiration files I thought I’d share a few. Although my heart is set on a boho, vintage vibe I’m equally drawn to clean lined, contemporary bathrooms. They always look so fresh and fabulous… and I’m finding that sourcing the look, particularly online, is so much easier which is really important when you’re time poor like I always seem to be.

Mim Design

Owen Architecture

Neometro

Bicker Design

Architect Prineas

Architects Eat

Doherty Design Studio

Neometro

Mim Design

Architect Prineas

Bicker Design

Decoraport is an online platform which delivers products directly to consumers in Canada and United States. The core categories of products offered by us includes home decoration materials, home & garden, furniture, appliances, sports & outdoor, etc. Meanwhile, we are also building our fulfillment infrastructure, delivery network and showroom, which support our fast growth and ensure customer satisfaction. Decoraport`s mission is to collect featured products and quality makers all over the world. And through our system, those quality makers could sell their products and deliver them directly to consumers with the lowest cost. E-commerce is a revolution.

Some time ago I received 2 sets of table legs from an awesome Swedish company called Prettypegs to make some tables from. I was really excited about this for a couple of reasons. First, finding cute/cool table legs is a serious pain. Second, my husband (Daff Design) has gotten into wood-working over the past couple of years and this was a great excuse to get him to make me some tables, because there are never enough tables! It took an embarrassingly long time to organize this project but I am stoked to say my tables materialized and they are DAMN FINE if I do say so myself. The first set of legs I picked out are the August legs (perfect height for coffee/side tables or sideboards). I went with the teak/blue finish but now I see they have an ash/black combo that would have been ideal in my grey room. YAY for options! The saffron yellow is gorgeous too if you’re looking for some spunky colour. 

Turns out my husband made the table top out of hemlock which I don’t love with the teak legs so I may paint the teak part black or dark grey eventually. Regardless I LOVE this! These legs are fantastic and have a funky Scandi modern vibe. It is now a table that houses this rather large plant next to my sofa. 

(The hanging light is the Aim pendant by the Bouroullec brothers for Flos, the kilim pillow is from the Third World Bazaar, the ferals have scratched the crap out of my leather sofa and we have yet to purchase and install trim since our floors were refinished because the projects in this house are never-ending so don’t look too closely)

I also picked out the Estelle legs in black ash/brass that are the perfect height for desks, kitchen tables and in my case, console/sofa tables. These come in 6 finishes but I think the black/brass combo I chose is my favourite. A few of my cats are always hanging out in my windows watching the birds and squirrels so I thought this was a great opportunity to make a table that fits right under the windows in my living room at the front of the house. We went to a local wood supply shop and I found the most incredible piece of spalted maple that had distinct black patterns and some worm holes. The table looks amazing, the cats love it and now I have a new spot to house some of my plants. 

(Cowhide is from eBay, the faux fur stool is from Homesense, the leather and wood chair is from Green Light District, the Jieldé lamp I bought off a DTI follower, and the clay vase is by le lou ula, walls are painted Downpipe by Farrow & Ball)

Thank you Prettypegs!