February 2009 Home Living Style

Great and Small!

Smart Small Spaces - How to make them work! Metropolitan Home's March issue has a great spread on

furniture for every little room. "From stylish storage to sleek sofas, the new products gathered on these pages are all you need to make the most of miniature spaces." Designing a small space definitely has it's challenges and making sure you have the right pieces can be overwhelming. However this article demonstrates some great storage solutions from convertible beds, nesting tables, small seating, storage shelving units, benches, and more. Because when it comes to small spaces we need to make the most out of our space, making sure that every piece has storage ability and functionality. Ikea has also come out with some storage solutions, I hate resorting to Ikea, but it is true they do have some cool pieces. You will find ottomans that have some great storage space and sofa's that can lift up to be able to store things underneath. Create & Barrel also has some very interesting pieces that would be great to add to any space. Don't be afraid of small spaces, they can be a very fun challenge to have! Plus there is so many more options in furniture to be able to accommodate your needs now a days. Planning ahead is the first step and figuring out the true functionality to your space is very important. If you take one step at a time you will be fine, but have fun with it!

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

The Neglected Laundry Room.

One of the busiest rooms in the house and usually the most unorganized and cluttered space to boot!! For most of us it is the main entryway in to our home. So why is it that we Neglect the Laundry/Mudroom and dismiss it for what it truly could be? A great functional space! House & Home's March issue does a great piece on a fresh new look for your Laundry/Mudroom with just 7 steps. "Their Makeover of the Month". Now these steps can be used in any house,

because lets face it most Laundry/Mudrooms are all the same. With a better layout for functionality there is a much better chance that your space will stay organized and clean, and who isn't looking for that! The issue also illustrates some great storage pieces that you can find at Canadian Tire and for a great price! It just keeps getting better and better! In general the H&H March issue is very good, but definitely take a peak at the Laundry/Mudroom section, because don't forget the tax man is helping with the bill this year, and this type of update to your home falls completely under the Home Improvement 2009 tax bill! "The program offers a tax credit of up to 15 per cent of renovation costs over $1,000, up to a maximum of $10,000 in renovation costs. The maximum benefit is thus 15 per cent of $9,000 or $1,350. " http://whitewashco.ca/ideas.html
So this is the year for that dream Laundry Room, what are you waiting for!!

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

2009's Quick Design Palate Overview!

What does 2009 Design Palate look like? Well this year we are really starting to see simple colours, but colour is still there. What I mean is that you will find rooms that are very muted and simple with the same shades of colour, however there will be a small splash/accent colour that will add character to your space. The last few months of Style at Home magazine illustrates this design style.

Showcasing rooms where there main colours are grey and white, and then small touches of soft blue is added to give it a bit of warmth. So this year you are not going to find a lot of colours put together like we did in the past, three to four at the most and out of those four will be in the same shade, the simpler the better. However, at the same time I am contradicting myself because there is a new movement arising when it comes to design. A 50's twist, were you will find old patterns with funny lively colours modernized, over scaled pieces and a play on mixing a ton of patterns in one space which will be mixed with old prints and antique furniture. Very fun and flirty. However if you want this look you have to be very committed to it and go over board to achieve it, but when done right it does look good! You will also see a lot of PURPLE this year, which is very fun and romantic, so play it up with some small accent pieces in a room to add the 2009 Design Style to your home!

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

The Think Green Widget

"Did you know that recycling one aluminum can will save enough energy to power a TV for three hours? Did you know that 14 recycled plastic bottles yield enough fiberfill for a ski jacket?
Waste Management’s new Think Green widget will show you the rewards of your recycling in real terms. Simply enter how much of each item you’ve recycled and instantly see the effects of your recycling in terms that relate to your lifestyle." http://www.thinkgreen.com/widget

A great site to answer all your Green Questions!
http://www.thinkgreen.com/home

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

Get over those easy eco-mistakes!

It's easy being Green, well that is what they say! Kermit the frog would say otherwise. How do we know we are doing the right thing? With simples changes as shown in this link below we can make a positive impact, we may not save the world but we are one step closer at least.
http://www.greenlivingonline.com/slideshow/get-over-those-easy-eco-mistakes?page=2

Understanding eco-logos "From fish to forests to fair trade, use this guide to improve your label literacy." http://www.greenlivingonline.com/slideshow/understanding-eco-logos
"This guide will help you decipher some of the many eco-logos in the marketplace."

The little things you do today creates a better tomorrow!

Until next time
w&c designer girl!

A Shade of Green from the Government!

The Canadian Government is increasing Canadian economy by adding a number of programmes and incentives "to promote "green" projects and the development of clean technologies and renewable energy." The only thing is, HOW MUCH PAPER DO WE NEED TO DO TO GET THEM???? Apparently "on an individual level, the budget contains measures designed to promote energy efficiency and conservation through a retrofit program intended to provide home and property owners with grants of up to $5,000 to offset the costs of making energy-efficiency improvements. The budget states that grants will apply to a variety of measures that reduce energy consumption, from increasing insulation to upgrading a furnace. The budget pledges $300 million over two years to this program to support an estimated 200,000 home retrofits." Lets make sure we take full advantage of this, this could really be a great start to an eco-friendly home, and what a better way to start a movement then within your own home!! For more information check out: http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=73622
If anyone has more information regarding this program, I am all ears!

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

Home Staging is like a good Spring Cleaning!

With the market today a lot of us are having to put our houses up for sell. It is a buyers market so you want to make sure your house gives a great first impression. When you are selling your property you need to think of it as a house not a home. Which means Declutter, Depersonalize and Simplify. Why are Show Homes so affect? because people can visualize it as their house and their lifestyle not the lifestyle of the people in all the pictures or of the kid that enjoy sports. D.D.S can sometime be hard to do and you start to feel like you are in a show home, but that is exactly what you need to do to sell fast! The more corners you can show the better, it gives the illusion of a room being larger. Less furniture makes a room larger, less clutter lets a room speak for itself. Softer simple colours creates a clean look and a great first impression. Think of walking into a high-end Hotel room and the initial reaction you get from the decor, clean and simple.
Hide the kids toys: when people walk into a house that is over run by kids their first impression is dirt, damage and marks.
Emotion plays a huge role on the purchase of a house, so make sure you capture them with sight and smell! Pick up fresh flowers or light that cookie candle, dim the lights and have soft music playing. It sounds silly but it works!
I had a client ask "how do I know when I have decluttered enough?" when you feel uncomfortable because it is to bare.
You don't need to take my word for it is proven in the stats, that houses that are staged, sell for more and faster. So if all else, what do you have to lose! Yes it will take sometime to do D.D.S but it is time well spent!

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

Heres my 2cents on the 2009 Interior Design Show!

Just got back from this years Interior Design Show - overall okay! The badges I thought was quite creative and fun, plus they were eco-friendly! The booth that stood out the most once again, I am sad to say, was Ikea! I find their booth exciting, clean, easy to understand and inspiring, even if you don't want to use Ikea products they give you some really good ideas for an inexpensive design approach. For some reason I find their booth always to be the most memorable, I don't know if it is because I am shocked on how stunning some of their pieces can look or that when put together right it doesn't look cheap or easily breakable! However the Grand Marnier lounge was very cool!! and the food and drinks were great. I loved that they used different designers to create a different look for each sitting room, they did a great job and all the best to who ever wins the best designed space! There was some neat new innovations and takes on creating furniture out of eco-friendly material and the colour Black and Purple definitely was the colour of the day!

Companies/Products that stood out:

Fleurco - The shower door company - http://www.fleurco.com/

Jelinek Cork Group - comfort finish cork flooring tailored to fit your style. - http://www.jelinek.com/

Tropic North - waterfalls and interiorscapes - http://www.tropicsnorth.com/

ALX- Division of space - http://www.alx-design.com/

and Loewen - Discover the world's most inspiring windows and doors - http://www.loewen.com/

Until next time,
w&c designer girl!

The tax man is helping with the Home Improvement bill!

Budget offers tax break for Home Improvements
so get your cheque book out, the tax man is helping with the bill!!

"If you're thinking about that refurbished kitchen, or putting in an extra bathroom or a new deck, this may be the year to act, because the tax man will help with the bills.
Tuesday's federal budget offered a new renovation tax credit of up to $1,350 toward a wide variety of home improvements, from new carpets to a new lawn.
It was described as a "creative" move that will help many regular folks as well as the economy.
The one-year program, which is forecast to cost the federal government up to $3 billion, is cast as another job-creation measure."

For more information http://whitewashco.ca/ideas.html

If anyone has more insight or information on this new bill please share!!

w&c designer girl!

Everyone has been telling me that Blogging is the new way now, well I just signed up! I don't quite no what to do, so your feedback on making this a success is most appreciated.

Until next time
w&c designer girl!

Home Living Style