A Bathroom Update with Removable Wallpaper and Paint.

It's hard to believe that we've been living in our home for about five years, but still have a number of rooms that are untouched. The process of decorating/designing ones house a home takes time and I am thrilled with the progress made so far! This bathroom is upstairs where Ian's room is and was in need so some tlc. Since his bedroom was updated, I thought his bathroom should be too. 

It was a simple makeover and I was able to work with the lovely folks at Chasing Paper.  I chose the triangle paper designed by illustrator and wallpaper designer,  Kate Zaremba. Kate's limited edition collection line in collaboration with Chasing Paper launches tomorrow, June 15th.

Can you believe it- the walls were painted barely beige. Blasphemy, right? 

my ever reliable wallpaper installer and friend, Don doing his thing

Ok, so get this- the wallpaper is peel and stick. Yes-it's removable! A stylish way to transform any space, Chasing Paper features peel and stick fabric that is simple to install, easy to remove. The paper is also super sturdy. Even Don(wallpaper installer) commented on how strong it is. I chose the triangle pattern because it's fun and I thought it perfect for a child's space.

Kate Zaremba's limited edition features five prints in Black Swan, Bright Eyes, Flora, Muse Variations and Triangles, the collection will retail for $50 per 2 ft. x 4 ft. panel in June 15 for 6-weeks only at Chasing Paper.

I painted the bathroom after the wallpaper was installed(in hindsight, I should've painted before the paper was installed).  Since I love to paint so much, I have quite a bit of left over paint in the garage. I decided to use the Benjamin Moore White Dove that I used in this room.  The white pairs beautifully with the color way of the triangle paper. 

Believe it or not, I also had that blue paint I used for the door. I color matched Benjamin Moore Blue Symphony with Valspar for another project and still had almost a gallon left over.  I thought it would make the perfect pop and i was right. It also picks up on the dark blue in the paper.

Ian approves and is fond of all those colorful triangles. He also told me to paint the bath tub blue too. Haha! 

Giveaway Winner and not so great Pictures...

Hi everyone! I MISS you all so much, but I also enjoy seeing the number of boxes left to unpack dwindle… First thing’s first, it’s way past time to announce the winner for the giveaway. Thank you to everyone who participated! Drum roll please,  the Winner is Ren –Lady of the Arts! Congrats Ren!

OK,  the not great picture above is a peek into the sunroom (which is fast becoming my favourite spot to just chill) I cannot locate the charger for my camera or that of the hubby’s, so I have to resort to taking pictures with my phone. We recently had custom blinds installed (what an expense that is, especially with those big arch windows!). However, they are a necessity and I love how simple they are.

This is really the formal dining room which is adjoining the kitchen. As you can see, I think Baby Z looks better in the space than some fancy dining furniture. This works perfectly for me as I can see him and vice versa since he’s right off the kitchen. I will eventually dedicate the space to formal dining but for now, this suits us best. The rooms are obviously not decorated yet, but I wanted to share a peek with you anyway. The pendant light is the Le Klint from DWR. There will be more to share of course once I get rid of my boxes and things are more presentable.

What Happens When a Traditional Builder Constructs for Me...

I remember the first day I met my very traditional builder and his look of sheer “you must be kidding me look” when I told him what my vision was for the house. However, thankfully I didn’t scare him off, in fact he said he was up for the challenge. Nonetheless, my idea for painted garage doors and a yellow front door wasn’t met with much enthusiasm, but he succumbed to my charm(or maybe he realized that i do know a thing or two:-))as you can see from these pictures.

I wanted to have the garage doors painted  the  same colour as the rest of the house simply because I wanted a seamless look. I didn’t want the garage doors to contrast or stand out and that is what would’ve happened if they were left white(the colour/stain they had originally) or if they were painted in the trim colour. Additionally, I knew that I was going to be staining/painting the front door with a lovely pop of colour and I wanted that to be the focal point.

What a pop, right?  The colour is called Yellow Highlighter by Benjamin Moore. Now, imagine how lovely it’s all going to look once the lights are put in on  the exterior  and all that dirt replaced with nice green grass and some  beautiful landscaping.  All of those missing elements will/should add warmth to the overall look and anchor my bright yellow door. Plus, i think with these colours, Spring may just get here sooner than later!

I will be addressing my decisions on interior colours shortly. Also, if you’re curious about the other exterior colours of the house, see here for more information. The end is finally in sight (fingers crossed that we won’t get any more snow) and I am just jumping out of my skin with enthusiasm! So, did you all have a great weekend? We went to lovely Charlotte this weekend and I was blown away by the architecture of the historic and modern buildings. The houses there are so majestic too!  Welcome to Monday my friends. XX

One up, many more to go!

(view of a part of the foyer looking into the dining room)

That’s the light I chose for the foyer. There are also recessed lights that flank both sides of the fixture. Although I chose lighting for most of the rooms, there are at least four still without lighting-decisions, decisions…

I haven’t been able to get this Marjorie Skouras designed Empire chandelier(available in an array of colours) out of mind! But, alas,  at over $6,000, it is way out of my budget!

It’s so gorgeous in turquoise too! Happy Wednesday everyone! XX

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Running Errands related to the New House.

Yesterday, we were holed up at the lighting store(the merchant used by the builder for the lighting) for quite awhile attempting to choose lighting for the house and staying within the budget. We are allotted $2500 as our building allowance and with my taste, it was a challenge choosing light fixtures that I love while acknowledging the budget. I was determined not to go over budget, as lighting can be changed in the future. However, it was impossible to do so. We were still over budget at the end…

Baby Z was having a ball in the store; opening and closing cupboards, touching the fixtures, and using the store as his running playground. I think the store clerks were relieved when we finally left.

Today, I’m off to the Tile merchant. How is everyone? I hope your week is progressing beautifully and that it has been a productive one so far!  I will be catching up with you all as soon as I am home long enough to do so.  Have a wonderful day my lovely friends. XX

It's on and Popping: Exterior Colours of the House

(this view shows a straight shot of the back of the house)

Yep, i think the colours i chose for the exterior are popping:-). I really do love the end result. I chose the colour, Benjamin Moore Mineral Alloy #1622 for the siding. Mineral Alloy is a beautiful blue grey colour. I wanted a colour that would have presence and highlight the lines of the house beautifully. I think this colour delivers.  For the trim, i chose BM Maritime White #963. It complements the siding colour nicely and is light on its contrasting effect.  

It was an overcast day when i took these pictures, so you're not really seeing the richness of the colour, but you can get a great idea nontheless of how it looks from these. So, what do you think? Have a lovely day everyone. XX

From the ground up: The Makings of the New House...

(view of part of the backyard from the sunroom)

Thank you for your lovely words of encouragement yesterday. I am exhausted and very excited at the same time. These are some pictures of the house. It's cocooned in a cul de sac with a wonderful backyard-the perfect place for Baby Z to grow up. The construction has progressed much farther along(than shown in these pics), but i wanted you to see it from the beginning. I will be showing you more and sharing an update about my color choices, etc. in the coming days.

I hope your Thursday will be a splendid one! I will be visiting you all shortly and a warm welcome to my new readers! XX

Painting Dilemna.

Drywall is going up in the new house, so I am at the stage where i need to pick my interior colours. However, the builder uses Sherwin Williams and while I have used Sherwin Williams and like their paints,  I wanted to use only Benjamin Moore paints. While i know Sherwin brand of paint colours are great, I've painted with both and prefer Benjamin Moore paint as I prefer the durability...I also  am partial to their Aura line. Do you think i'm  making a big deal? My painting allowance limits me to just two shades of paint. If i want to use more than two colours, then that is at an additional cost! I consider myself a professional painter, so it's painful for me to pay someone else a ton of money to paint. On the other hand, i would love to have the house painted in the colours i want before i move in. What do you all think? Should i just wait until i move in to paint the colours i want or suck it up and pay the extra to get it done now?
Click here to view the tour of this home that has the fun office featured in the pic above. BTW, all the wall colours in this tour are Benjamin Moore paint colours:-). Happy Thursday my lovelies! xx