Category Archives: home decor

Herb-alicious Centerpiece

May 8th, 2013 | home decor, personal

Garden Photography 017 Herb alicious Centerpiece

I am so in love with our new dining table centre piece. It’s something that just happened after stocking up on herbs at the Royal Botanical Gardens spring plant sale. It’s still too early to plant them out in our zone 5-6 garden so we needed to find a place to keep them safe inside but still be easy to water. And the thing with living in a small cottage-style home is that there’s no hiding anything. We could have lined them up on a plant tray beneath our living room window with the others but we chose to show them off in all their natural glory on our dining table.

Editorial Garden Photography 059 Herb alicious Centerpiece

How’d we get this lovely look? It was super easy! We had eight plants that needed a home and I thought it would be nice if they took up residence on our table, especially since most of them are herbs. Setting them all loosey-goosey on our table was one option except it seemed haphazard and unfinished. My first thought was to put them on a large dinner plate but that wasn’t ideal since our plates are round so it wouldn’t have been a great fit, though it would have done an awesome job containing the runoff from watering.

Editorial Garden Photography 043 Herb alicious Centerpiece

Then I remembered we had this square Ikea dish that could work, so I dug it out and it ended up being the perfect fit! I lined up our eight potted plants on it, looking for an arrangement the worked best with the cascading plants on the corners. Since I had two sweet potatoes I put them on opposite diagonals for balance. But with only eight pots I still had one spot left. I was going to leave the middle open then I remembered a jar of fresh cut parsley from the market in our kitchen so I dropped it in, and bam we were done. I know the jar isn’t perfect, but it makes the whole thing feel a lot more casual so I’m pretty happy about it.

So which plants did we choose?

two sweet potatoes
sweet marjoram
variegated marjoram
scented geranium
corkscrew rush
nasturtium
siam queen basil

Editorial Garden Photography 080 Herb alicious Centerpiece

Darren’s favourite, hands down, is the corkscrew rush. I think he secretly wishes he’d picked up a few. Personally, I love how crazy looking it is, kinda reminds me of Darren’s hair some days, in a very good way. It’s an annual that Darren was told he may be able to nurse through the winter indoors. Maybe we should look into how to propagate it…

Editorial Garden Photography 087 Herb alicious Centerpiece

My favourite is the sweet marjoram. Not just because of how yummy it tastes on eggs, but because this particular plant just has a beautiful, sensual shape that seems so dainty and delicate yet very happy.

And what did this whole thing cost? I feel like it didn’t cost us anything since the herbs are destined for the garden in a few short weeks and we already had the dish. But lets say you wanted to make one from scratch. Well, each of the potted herbs were $3 and the Ikea dish was $7.99, putting you at a grand total of $34.99. Not bad. You could create a similar, smaller arrangement with the smaller version of Ikea’s Ideal dish that would hold four plants bringing your cost down to $18.99.

Garden Photography 029 Herb alicious Centerpiece

I always find it soothing to have bits of nature spread throughout our home. What are you doing this spring to add some life to your space? Are you bringing in some plants? Adding some bright pops of colour? Or are you throwing open those sashes and letting in the sunshine and fresh air?

Art Size for Above the Bed

May 2nd, 2013 | home decor

art sizes above bed Art Size for Above the Bed

We get a ton of emails from clients asking what size art is most appropriate to hang above a bed. There’s a lot of factors to consider – bed size, ceiling height, headboard height, if there’s lighting above the bed, etc. Ultimately it boils down to personal preference and because I know it can be hard figuring out where to start when cutting out paper to see what you like best, I thought I’d give you a starting point.

The bed shown above is a double so it measures 54 inches across. The left column simulates what it would be like if you were to hang the photograph without a mat, say, if it was a stretched canvas or had some other sort of flush mounting. The column on the right shows pieces in standard size frames with mats that are readily available at photo labs and art stores, though frames larger 20 x 24 can be harder to find. Framing can be a good way to make a smaller piece of art look larger, plus it can add a finished look and a nice architectural detail to the space.

So what size art do you like for above a bed? Do you prefer matted pieces or unmatted? Are there other areas of your home that you’re struggling with art sizes? Maybe above a couch or chair?

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Tags - art sizes, displaying artwork, frame size, frames, framing, hanging artwork, standard frame sizes, ways to hang photos

Anita’s Kitchener Stairway

April 10th, 2013 | home decor, photography

stairway photos 4 Anitas Kitchener Stairway

Anita spent six months choosing the perfect shade of white for her stairway. Saturday Paper by Valspar. Talk about a girl after my own heart. She’s drawn to natural things and wanted to create a casual collection of winter photography to hang in her stairway, a mix of professional images and a few she made herself.

Anita’s frames are a mix of Ikea, thrift store, and re-purposed frames that she already had, all in varying sizes. She kept the Ikea Ribba frames their original black and sprayed the rest silver using a combination of Rustoleum’s Silver and Stainless Steel paints. She had her local Framing & Art store cut mats so everything matched, plus because some of the pieces were so small they were able to use off-cuts, which ended up being less expensive than buying them pre-cut.

stairway photos 6 Anitas Kitchener Stairway

She scoured sites like Pinterest and magazines including Canadian House + Home and Style at Home looking for gallery wall ideas and quickly learnt what her tastes were. Anita’s a page ripper, whenever she sees something she likes she tears the page out of the magazine and puts it in a file. She prefers Canadian decorating magazines for their real life style, American mags tend to be over the top and clearly only filled with homes of lottery winners.

When she had a rough idea of her design she cut out paper templates for each frame and started taping them to her wall, which was a big help, tweaking things as she went. Once she got the layout the way she wanted it she started hanging her photographs at the top of the stairs, leaving three inches between the pieces vertically and four inches horizontally.

stairway photos 1 Anitas Kitchener Stairway

See anything there that looks familiar? Anita framed two of our notecards to include in her collection – Vanilla Dream and Cornsilk Glaze

Anita’s best advice?

Measure, measure, and measure one more time. It really does make a difference with how it looks. Having lived with it for a few days now I’m really happy I took the time in planning it.

Have you hung any artwork lately? A gallery wall or a stand alone piece? Or are you planning an art attack in the next few months?

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Tags - artwork, Cornsilk Glaze, displaying artwork, frames, framing, hanging artwork, hanging photographs in a stairway, home decor, interior design, notecards, staircase, vanilla dream, ways to hang photos

Hang Loads of Art Above a Bed

March 13th, 2013 | home decor

Hanging Art Like Michelle Adams in Lonny Magazine Hang Loads of Art Above a Bed

Have you seen this month’s issue of Lonny Magazine? There’s a 24 page piece featuring editor Michelle Adams’ Manhattan apartment, and let me tell you, that girl likes her art! Check out her bedroom! Look at all those pieces framing her bed. Pretty inspiring huh?

I know what you’re thinking – I could never pull that off. So why does it work? There’s lots of things tying all those pieces together.

Frames – First lets look at the frames, they’re all similar in weight and in one of three neutral tones – white, black, and pale wood.

Scale – With the exception of the huge focal point in the centre all the pieces are similar in size.

Balance – There’s a similar amount of art on each side of the bed. The design isn’t a perfect mirror of symmetry, but I bet if you tallied up the square inches of art on either side they’d be very similar. This helps add a sense of balance and purpose to the placement.

Tones – There’s not a lot of bright colours competing for attention here. Really, all the pieces are quite neutral with a few pops of pink that tie in to the rest of her home.

Arrangement – Michelle has subtly divided the art into three different areas – above her bed and above each nightstand. It really helps make things more orderly and not too overwhelming. Lots of space around the large square print in the centre makes it the focal point while the rest of the images are accessories. Plus with the giant piece in the middle stretching close to the ceiling it allowed her to hang the prints next to it quite high too.

Oh, and Michelle also shared some of her advice on collecting:

Hanging Art Like Michelle Adams in Lonny Magazine Tips Hang Loads of Art Above a Bed

I love that she just collects the pieces she loves and worries about where she’ll fit them in once she gets them home.

So what do you think? Is it the perfect amount of art or too much for your taste? What’s your philosophy about adding pieces to your collection? Have any of her tips inspired you?

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Tags - contemporary art arrangement, displaying artwork, frames, framing, hanging artwork, home decor, interior design, Lonny Magazine, modern, ways to hang photos

Displaying Photography Like Christie

January 16th, 2013 | home decor, photography

Displaying Photography 2 Framed 11x14s of Beach Scenes Displaying Photography Like Christie

Christie from Calgary sent me the nicest email along with photos of my work hanging in her home and she’s agreed to let me share them with you. Thanks Christie!

The 8×10 beach photographs (shown above) are displayed in large square brushed silver frames from Crate and Barrel measuring 14.75 x 14.75 inches and are a nice 1.38 inches deep – don’t you just love deep frames? Plus they come with a pre-cut 8×10 off-white mat so all she needed to do was insert the landscape and hang. Easy as pie, huh?

Displaying Photography 2 Framed 8x10s of Winter Trees Displaying Photography Like Christie

Christie also has two winter tree photographs in her living room, don’t you just love the presentation? Symmetry makes my heart flutter… I’m totally digging the snowy pinecone, it works perfectly with the colour palette and I love the idea of bringing the outdoors in, especially in the winter months. As for the framing, Christie writes:

The bright white frames are from Chapters, while the mats are a more subdued neutral white and they both contrast nicely with the photo content. Working on a very clean, flat work surface – measure, measure, measure! I used acid free linen hanging tape just at the top of the photo to hang it within the frame. I used equal borders on the top and sides, and a slightly weighted border at the bottom. The print size allowed ample room to accomplish this within the mat window, and allowed comfortable spacing to display the signature.

The frames themselves are one inch wide, so the two are hung about 1 1/4 inches apart. As the two now make a grouping, I hung them on the wall so that the centre of the grouping (which includes the space between the frames) is 60″ off the floor. Although some art hanging guidelines offer 57″ as a rule of thumb, the 60″ measure (as suggested by Canadian House and Home) looks right in this context and it’s the one I most often use. It’s only a guideline though, and much depends on the wall height, any furniture beneath or beside the work which can make up a composition, and whether people will be sitting or standing when viewing it. Context is more important than numbers.

As for actually hanging them on the wall in the right place – math! Oh, the math! Or trial and error.

What have you hung on your walls recently? And where did you get your frames from? Are you doing it yourself or having a framer take care of it for you?

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Tags - 8x10 photographs, elviage pearl, hanging artwork, ipperwash #1, latent beauty, lifeguard station #2, ways to hang photos

Colours of 2013 – Benjamin Moore

January 9th, 2013 | home decor

Secret Song, Beach Photograph

{Coastal colour palette, left to right – Tranquility, Lemon Sorbet, Van Courtland Blue, Simply White, Stratton Blue}

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Yup! The paint companies have released their forecast colours for 2013 and we love looking at them for inspiration. We’ve already shared with you Sico’s relaxing tones so it’s time to look at the palette Benjamin Moore has dreamed up.

Coastal

Fresh, calm, relaxing. This refreshing, nature-inspired palette is infused with a contemporary sensibility that transcends the unexpected.

Design Tip – Use a fresh paint colour on wood paneling to instantly update your space.

Artisan

Kettle Point #1, Landscape Photograph

{Artisan colour palette, left to right – Pittsfield Buff, Silhouette, Monterey White, Sea Haze, Satchel}

Eclectic, rich, grounded. A rich and inviting palette evocative of treasured antiques, eclectic finds, and distant journeys.

Design Tip – Painting a ceiling or accent wall a dark colour creates a focal point and adds a layer of sophistication.

Urbanite

Latent Beauty, Winter Landscape Photograph

{Urbanite colour palette, left to right – Sparrow, Camouflage, Moonlight White, Marblehead Gold, Polo Blue}

Crisp, polished, chic. This palette of crisp, chic hues and unexpected contrasts conveys a cool, cosmopolitan vibe.

Design Tip – A stenciled backsplash offers a unique design element and attractive alternative to stone or tile.

New Traditional

Muskoka Pink, Georgian Bay Landscape Photograph

{New Traditional colour palette, left to right – Dusty Mauve, Seapearl, Baja Dunes, Golden Straw, Evening Dove}

Elegant, cozy, comforting. A fresh interpretation of classic elegance showcases bold colours and patterns that create a warm and inviting retreat.

Design Tip – Don’t be afraid to mix bold colours with decorative patterns to create an inviting and relaxing retreat.

So what do you think? Which colours are your favourites? Do you think you’ll be doing any painting this year? Where does your inspiration come from?

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Tags - Benjamin Moore, colour, Colour Trends, home decor, kettle point #1, landscape photography, latent beauty, Muskoka Pink, seascape photography, Secret Song, Winter Tree Photography

Colours of 2013 – Sico

December 5th, 2012 | home decor

Lake Erie #10, Minimalist Landscape Photograph

{Switching Off colour palette, left to right – Time and Space, Magic Purple, Powdered Iron}

I’ve been busy drooling over the 2013 paint colour trends for the past few weeks now. So far the Sico collection is my absolute favourite, particularly their Switching Off and Visual Solace palettes. I feel like we’re on the same wavelength, Sico and I, always striving to create a calming environment in our home.

Switching Off

Lake Erie #9, Contemplative Landscape Photograph

{Switching Off colour palette, left to right – Penguin’s Back, Arctic Seal, Satie White}

This is where my heart is right now. Increasing our home’s quiet space, creating room to disconnect from technology and our hectic studio schedule. Silent, harmonizing colours to clear our minds and create room for new ideas.

The Switching Off colour collection reminds me of the night sky which I’ve always said is filled with most of my favourite colours. From the moment the sunset fades until the blackest of night emerges, all those dark blues and purples… I’ve never quite figured out how to work them into our home, especially because I prefer the look of a light and airy beach house. With the Switching Off collection it’s easier to visualize, lots of light greys on the walls, dark wood furniture and flooring, and accent walls and textiles in the quiet colours of the night.

Visual Solace

Lake Ontario #6, Soothing Landscape Photograph

{Visual Solace colour palette, left to right – Opaque Sky, Discreet Brown, Mohair Scarf}

The feminine version of Switching Off. Soothing and joyful with the notion that art and nature restore the soul, warm the heart, and bring out the best in human beings. Visual Solace is inspired by gardens in bloom and paintings by old masters, but what I see here is the beautiful collection of pinks that happens in the part of the sky opposite the sunset – when the vibrant oranges merge with the dark blues and the world has a magical, warm pinky glow for just a few minutes before night takes the reins.

Lake Ontario #3, Peaceful Landscape Photograph

{Visual Solace colour palette, left to right – Good Friday, Madeira Wine, Dutch Sky}

2013 is destined to be about nourishing our spirits.

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Tags - colour, Colour Trends, home decor, lake erie #10, lake erie #9, lake ontario #3, lake ontario #6, landscape photographs, seascape photographs, Sico

Displaying Photography – Jen’s Hallway

December 3rd, 2012 | home decor, photography

Jennifer from Vernon, British Columbia just sent us the sweetest, most excited email! She wrote to share with us her photo of Lake Ontario #1 hanging in her front hallway and she agreed to let us share it with you, hooray! Lake Ontario #1 holds a special place in her heart because it’s not far from Sandbanks Provincial Park where she used to camp with her family when she was a kid.

Jen framed her 11 x 14 seascape photograph with a white 16 x 20 inch frame that she got at Winners in Vernon for $19.99, pre-cut mat included. Hello easy and inexpensive framing!

Having just moved into her place this year, Jen is slowly working through making it her own. She has a big long wall in her dining room that she’s eyeing up some “simple, bright, girly” flower photographs for. So she sent us a photo of the space along with a few measurements and we’re putting together a mock-up to give her a sense of what size art she should hang and how it will all work together. And once she gets it all sorted out we’ll be sure to share it with you.

Thanks for letting us peek into your home Jen!

We’d love to hear about how you display our photographs in your home! What are your favourite sources for frames? Do you custom frame or do it yourself? Do you like wide mats, thin mats, or no mats? What about frames? Neutral colours or something that matches your space?

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Tags - 11x14 photographs, hanging artwork, lake ontario #1, ways to hang photos

Large Photographs on Display

July 30th, 2012 | home decor

Large Photograph Lonny Magazine Ocean Over White Couch Large Photographs on Display

Add colour to a neutral room by displaying a large photograph. {Image via Lonny Magazine}

I love the bold look of large photographs in a home, but maybe I have a bias. We’ve been thinking about changing things up with our current living room art and this might be exactly what we’re looking for. What are some reasons to hang large photographs?

to create a focal point when a room otherwise doesn’t have one
to use as a starting point for your room’s colour scheme
easily make a bold statement about you passions and decor

And as Ikea says, “Go for one large image. Hanging a large print is an easy way to make an impressive statement. It makes your space seem bigger and the subject matter you choose rubs off on the whole room.”

Large Photograph The Cross Millenium Project Octopus Triptych Large Photographs on Display

Triptychs are a fun way to display a large piece. If one photograph is just a bit to small for the space, three separate frames can be used to fill a larger area. {Image via The Cross Design}

Large Photograph S R Gambrel Ocean Over Bed Large Photographs on Display

The water in this photograph easily changes the tone of the room from modern country cottage to beach house. {Image via House Beautiful}

Large Photograph Ocean in Dining Room Large Photographs on Display

Add a focal point to a dining room with a large piece of art. I could stare at this piece all through dinner. {Image via Elle Decor}

Large Photograph Plexman Hockey Over Bed Large Photographs on Display

Compliment modern grandeur with panoramic art. {Image via my very good friend Matthew Plexman}

Large Photograph Lonny Magazine October November 2010 Swimming in Living Room Large Photographs on Display

Large photographs don’t need to hang centred above furniture, as long as they fit their space they’ll look great. This big piece adds a lot of fun and pizzazz to this quiet living room. {Image via Lonny}

Large Photograph joanna goddard bedroom home house tour ocean over bed Large Photographs on Display

A calming water scene, what a beautiful way to wake up in the morning. {Image via A Cup of Jo}

Large Photograph Lonny Magazine August September 2010 Swimmers in Bathroom Large Photographs on Display

Bathrooms sometimes have large empty walls, perfect for art. {Image via Lonny}

Large Photograph Massimo Vitali Beach with Chair Large Photographs on Display

I can see myself curling up in this chair with a book and daydreaming that I’m on the beach. {Image via Apartment Therapy}

Large Photograph Horses Schuchart Dow Ward Street Large Photographs on Display

Use oversized photographs to grab attention and add personality to a room. {Image via Schuchart/Dow}

Large Photograph OferKamilHouseTour 19 rect640 Large Photographs on Display

Put a tall narrow photograph in an awkward, vertical space. They could have placed a floor lamp here but this art makes a much bigger impact. {Image via Apartment Therapy}

Large Photograph Portrait in Dining Room Large Photographs on Display

Larger than life portrait in the dining room, such a fun way to display family images. {Image via Canadian House & Home}

Large Photograph Trees Over Bed Large Photographs on Display

A large photograph in a small bedroom? Oh, yes. {Image via Apartment Therapy}

Large Photograph Slettvoll Large Photographs on Display

See how they’ve pulled colour from this oversized photograph to use as accents in the room? An easy colour scheme. {Image via Slettvoll}

Large Photograph ellen pompeo train station in kitchen Large Photographs on Display

Ellen Pompeo from Grey’s Anatomy has a huge photograph on display in her kitchen. {Image via Elle Decor}

Large Photograph Artistic Designs For Living Ocean in Dining Room Large Photographs on Display

Use one large piece of art to create beautiful symmetry in a dining room. {Image via Artistic Designs for Living}

So what do you think? Do you like the look of large photographs? Do you have any oversized pieces in your home? What do you like about it? Dislike? Do you want to make a bold statement with art like this but something is stopping you? Where are your favourite places for huge photographs?

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Tags - hanging artwork, ways to hang photos

Displaying Photography – Laura’s Hallway

June 18th, 2012 | home decor, photography

framed photographs laura 1 Displaying Photography Lauras Hallway

framed photographs laura 2 Displaying Photography Lauras Hallway

Laura from Burlington, Ontario just sent us some photographs of my work in her third floor hallway and has agreed to let us share them with you, hooray! She was looking for two prints to hang side by side so we helped her figure out what would look great. We ended up custom cropping a vertical image into a horizontal so she could create a nice clean arrangement. She framed her 8 x 10s using 14 x 17 inch silver paint gallery frames from West Elm in Toronto, doesn’t that textured mat look sophisticated?

When it came to where to hang her art Laura centred them on the wall between the two doors to give a nice symmetry to her hall. She positioned them close to each other to unify her display, and hung them about five feet off the floor, it’s a really nice height for viewing, especially in a narrow space.

Such a nice stairway too! I love the wood steps with the white risers and that chunky moulding makes me swoon.

Thanks for letting us peek into your home Laura!

We’d love to hear about your favourite picture frames, do you like simple black wood with a white mat? Do you prefer wood frames that look like wood? Or is metal more your style? Do you like wide mats, thin mats, or no mats at all? What are your favourite sources for frames and mats?