Those Canadian Bloggers

The finalists in each category for the Made in Blog (MiB)  Best Canadian Blog awards  as determined by reader voting have been announced.  

This is the first year I participated in the  awards process ( Home Design category).   Thanks to everyone who voted  for this blog because you helped Designing Home make it to the top ten.  A panel of judges will now decide the winners in each category.  Stay tuned for that big announcement. 

One of the advantages of my participation was an introduction to other Canadian blogs that I didn't know. Perhaps there's a blog or two in the list that you might like  to check out or follow.   Click  here see the  top ten  list for home design.

 You might also like to check in on  A Pop of Pretty, another St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador  blog that's also in the top ten for home design.

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Kerri  of A Pop of Pretty is currently participating in a Canadian Blogger Christmas Home Tour.  There are loads of close up photos of all her decorating efforts for this year's French Inspired Christmas Theme.  As she says in her blog description she loves all things pretty and there's no doubt that comes through in her space.

 If you'd like to see what other Canadian home owners are doing to get their homes ready for the festive season you can begin with Kerri and then link up to other open houses in blogland right across the country.  The link list is at the bottom of her post. 

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As I followed the links myself,  I found another local blog Adventures of the Uncommon Common Law  from St. John's.  I thoroughly enjoyed  seeing Becki's take on a modern Scandinavian  inspired Christmas. And why wouldn't I?  Her space has lots of neutrals, textures, clean lines, and white- a graphic delight.

 After visiting the homes of all these young energetic bloggers here's me- the grandmother blogger-   ill prepared right now for the festive season.

 I have no home tour to offer, but  I will have a Christmas post or two when I get the hang of my fancy new camera.   My decorating efforts,  as you may know from past posts at Christmas, are  a bit understated and usually consist of recycling and rearranging what I currently have.  I've begun to pull things out, and I'm happy to report my husband made me a lovely trough box (from recycled wood, yet to be painted) for an arrangement.

 I'm feeling nostalgic this year and thought my granddaughters would enjoy seeing my collection of wooden Santas I've painted over the years. Until more exciting things happen here,  I'll leave you to enjoy the links above. Have fun.

Am I the only one who needs to get moving on Christmas?

Choosing a drapery colour

Ah, the dreaded question.  What colour draperies should I have?

Part of being a decorator is making informed decisions about design.  Keeping current with trends  through reading and viewing is a must, but trend knowledge is not enough.  You have to understand what affect your choices will have on a space.

I posted this picture on Designing Home Facebook Page as an example of a style board I create for clients.  I am not one for vivid colour, but I didn't have to live with the colour, a young lady who loves rich colours did.   Should I have argued with her and said you shouldn't have bright draperies. NO!  I have to balance my client's likes with the principles and elements of design.

Vibrant  draperies 

Let's look at what this colour choice  did for this room.

 You can't ignore this window treatment, it's not only the vibrant colour, it's the placement and amount of it. That means a lot of colour jumping forward in the space. The draperies also serve to  frame the artwork and the sofa. The more muted sofa is anchored and held captive, and you need an equally vibrant art work to compete with the windows. When you look at this space blue is primary and everything else is secondary.

The overall effect is focused and the room appears smaller than it actually is.  That's a great tip if you have a large space that you want to appear smaller/cosier.  Go for darker/brighter  window treatments that draw the eye.

 I see this as a lively, energetic scheme that is equally matched to a sparkling, vivacious young lady.


On to number two example....

I removed the vibrant draperies and choose something more in line with my personal taste.  I like my spaces to be expansive, and tone -on tone- window treatments  (keeping the colour of the drapes and the walls very similar) is  one way to achieve that look/feel especially in a smaller space.  

Now the sofa and artwork stand out as they didn't before.  Your eye connects the light colour in the chairs with the draperies and you visually wander the space. 

On to example number three....  

Same window treatments, but I'm tweeking a few other things. Without the blue pillows on the chairs,  and the blue vase on the table, the space is even even more opened up.  The overall effect is fresh and inviting,  reminiscent of a summer garden - always a look I gravitate to.  The wooden tables help that feel too. 

So there is no right answer to the question "What colour draperies  should I have?"  It all depends on how you want your room to look/feel. 

If you wan to find out more about current trends in window treatments check out this post and several others in my side bar. 

What's your preference when buying  window treatments ?  Are you a neutral or a colour lover?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just stopping in from sunny Florida to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!! I'm incredibly thankful for so much in my life...including all of you! Thank you so much for stopping by each day to read my blog, for your comments here and on Facebook/Instagram, and for loving turquoise along with me!

I'm going to take the rest of the week off so I'll see you back here on Monday...be prepared for some holiday decor! Until then, I have some great turquoise items scheduled to be shared on my shopping blog Everything Turquoise, so don't forget to check that out too! 

And for lots more of this fabulous coastal Thanksgiving tablescape, head on over to Sand and Sisal...Kim really blew me away with this one!!

Love turquoise? Visit my shopping blog Everything Turquoise...updated several times throughout the day! Check out Decor by Color for even more color-themed shopping!

Guest Blogger: Kelly Rogers of Interiors for Families

Hey there! I’m Kelly Rogers, of Interiors for Families and Kelly Rogers Interiors. As a longtime reader of House of Turquoise, I am tickled pink (or, should I say, a mid-tone blue-green) to be filling in for Erin today while she is enjoying some well-deserved sunshine down in Florida.

Do you know anyone who has delayed decorating their home because they have small children, and are worried the little ones will just destroy all of their beautiful things? Maybe this even describes you? And when is it actually “safe” to make an investment in your home – when the kids are 10? 15? Off to college?? That’s an awfully long time to live in a home you don’t absolutely love. Well, my sister-in-law was one of these people a few years ago, and her dilemma became my inspiration to become a decorator (and to start my blog as a resource for similarly puzzled parents!).

Today I’ll show you around her family’s beautiful home, which just so happens to feature our favorite hue (of course!). Together we created spaces that not only reflect their taste, they are also durable enough to stand up to their three small children – currently aged 5, 3 and 1. It’s grown-up style made kid-friendly (my passion!).

Come on in!

The foyer of this house, which is a lovely old Tudor, has a great, original feature, which is the massive arched door that greets you upon entry. It was getting a little lost among the “50 shades of cream” here, and throughout the first floor living spaces. We used a wonderful strie wallpaper from Farrow & Ball to accentuate the lines of the door – and of course to incorporate some much-needed color, which also helps to define this as its own space with its own function. This is the “formal” entrance where guests are welcomed, and not the mudroom where kids are running in and out all day long. It’s also appointed with a bench (shhh…Home Decorators with a re-covered cushion!), a show-stopping mirror, and a narrow console with a surprising amount of storage, tucked into a very shallow niche. The creamy walls of the adjacent living room are reprised here on the ceiling.

The powder room off the foyer received a quickie makeover with two simple updates: paint and a new mirror. The bold color, Benjamin Moore’s Fair Isle Blue, helped to put the existing busy granite floor tile in its place, and connected it beautifully with the blues found in the foyer and living spaces. We used their Aura Bath & Spa paint, which is zero VOC and mildew resistant.

This is what you see when you walk through the front door – a large front-to-back living room with a lovely view out to the backyard through an epic picture window. There is no separate family room or den in this home, and this space is also “Grand Central” when it comes to traffic – you have to walk right through it to get anywhere. The imperatives for this space were many - something polished enough for entertaining grown-up guests, comfortable enough for TV watching, and open enough to accommodate playing (or army-crawling!) children and people walking through 24/7.

Before I go any further, can I just address the elephant in the room? You’re thinking, here she is going on and on about family-friendly design, and she does off-white upholstery?? YES! You, too, can use light fabric on your furniture – as long as it is the right type of performance fabric. Here, I used Ultrasuede on the CR Laine chesterfield-style sofa. The manufacturer even gives you directions on how to remove ball point pen (spoiler alert: use rubbing alcohol)! And it is super easy to keep clean and looking fresh, feels luxuriously soft, and is durable as all get-out. The other fabrics here, and the custom Stark area rug, have been treated with a non-toxic, eco-friendly stain shield.

To better take advantage of that view outdoors, and to claim a previously underutilized space, we set up a reading area with a chair-and-a-half and ottoman, also from CR Laine. It’s the perfect place to snuggle up with the kiddos and enjoy some special stories. By the way, I do realize that I am probably the only decorator in history to ever style a living room photo shoot with a stuffed animal seated on a chair. That’s just how I roll ☺.

Here’s a little “peekaboo” box-pleat detail on the new valance! It’s like a friendly greeting every time you come down the stairs.

With the arrival of baby #3 came an opportunity for the two big brothers to share a bedroom. We didn’t have a huge budget for this room, so we used existing pieces, like the folding bookshelves, where possible, and found great deals on bedding from Pottery Barn Kids, and a great graphic flat weave rug from Land of Nod. Even the paint color stayed (as did, by popular demand, the paratrooper decals ☺). One splurge was the custom upholstered cornices in a favorite John Robshaw ikat print from Duralee, which provide a purely decorative top treatment that is layered on top of the existing, functional blinds. By the way, using a classic color scheme like red, white and blue is not only timeless, but it can make it easier to decorate on a budget with ready-made, widely-available pieces (more options!).

Thanks for joining me for this tour of a very special family-friendly home – a Tudor with turquoise! To see all of the “before” pictures, and to learn more about this transformation, please hop on over to Interiors for Families!

Photography by Eric Roth


Love turquoise? Visit my shopping blog Everything Turquoise...updated several times throughout the day! Check out Decor by Color for even more color-themed shopping!

Guest Blogger: Lisa of Lisa Mende Design

Hello! My name is Lisa Mende from Lisa Mende Design. Thank you so much Erin for allowing me to guest post for your readers, while you are on holiday with your family.

When you asked me to guest blog, my mind immediately went to the bedroom and bath, Robin Baron designed for Ronald McDonald Long Island Project Design Phase Two. While the room isn't turquoise from head to toe, it does have turquoise as the exclamation point of the room.


















The initial renovation of the Ronald McDonald House Long Island was a ground breaking effort by Kravet and designer, Anthony Baratta with additional support by New York Cottages and Garden Magazine in 2013 and was called Project Design 2013. Phase One included renovations of 18 bedrooms, kitchen, breakfast room, five common areas, first floor restrooms, and three laundry rooms.

This year, Project Design Phase Two was completed. Traci Zeller and I had the honor of being asked to participate along with 43 designers from across the United States. One of the highlights of working on Project Design Phase Two, was meeting families who stay in the house, while their sick children are being treated in area hospitals. It was a reminder how important our environment can be in healing, when dealing with life threatening traumatic illnesses. This project was very meaningful to Traci and I. It was fun to meet new designers working on Phase Two, as well as reconnecting with old friends, like Robin Baron of Robin Baron Design of New York City whose work I'm sharing today.

Robin's bedroom featured beautiful custom wallpaper by Fromental, custom bonnet beds, and custom fabrics, all designed by Robin. I am including a complete list below for reference. Robin's vision was to provide a happy, comforting, and healing environment for the families who stay in the room. I think she achieved just that!

Complete Resource List for Robin Baron's Ronald McDonald Room

Major Contributors:
Fromental
Artistic Tile
JAB Anstoetz
Baron Upholstery


Resources:

Area Rugs - Stark
Closet - TransFORM
Nightstands - Baker
Ceiling lights - Ilomio
Lamps - Aerin Lighting
Side table - Currey & Co
Lamp shades - Blanche P. Field
Desk Chair - Christopher Guy
Desk Chair Fabric - Kravet
Wallpaper by Fromental
Bedding Fabrics - Vanners
Flooring - Lumber Liquidators
Bed Upholstery Vinyls - Robert Allen
Window seat cushion fabric - Kravet
Chair & Ottoman - Martin Albert Interiors
Sheet Sets and Throws - Serena & Lily
Window Treatment Hardware - Kravet
Cabinet Hardware- Simon's Hardware & Bath
Pillow,chair & Lampshade Trims - Samuel & Sons
Desk Chair Piping, chair & ottoman - Christian Fischbacher
Chair & Ottoman Piping, Window Seat Throw Pillow Fabric,
Headboard & Window Treatment Fabric - JAB Anstoetz
Magnet Fabric & Lampshade Paper - Lori Weitzner Designs,Inc


Contributing Workrooms:

ABC Mirror and Glass
Magnet Board Framing - Chelsea Frames
Window seat cabinet - Antique Glass Studio
Window Seat Throw Pillow Fabrication - JJ & J Custom Home
Bedding & Window Treatment Fabrication - The Ruffled Window
Desk Chair Reupholstery & window seat fabrication - Avanti Furniture Corp.


General Contractor: Courtland Contracting
Electrical Contractor: AMR Electrical Contracting
Painting: TGC Contracting
Wallpaper Installation: G&J Installations
TV Installation: SHAPE Home Automation

Photography Credits : Phillip Ennis Photography


Love turquoise? Visit my shopping blog Everything Turquoise...updated several times throughout the day! Check out Decor by Color for even more color-themed shopping!

Guest Blogger: Amanda from Dixie Delights

As always, I am super excited and flattered to be entertaining y’all at House of Turquoise today!  With two school aged boys, this fall I relocated the toys to the basement and transformed our playroom into a family office. 

 

 

 
Okay, okay, so y’all are probably thinking that it doesn’t look much like an office.  And you would be quite right!!!  This is the most versatile space in the house, I think.  It is the first room off the foyer and cleans up nicely to look like a sitting room.  But most hours of most days it looks a lot more like this…
 


We use the little sitting area for reading and studying, and clear off the coffee table for homework and projects.



The two ghost chairs turn right around and double as desk chairs for the littles at two custom, built in work spaces that occupy one whole wall of the room. 



Inside, there are two side by side units with closed storage, basket storage, bulletin boards, dry erase boards and computer desks.  There is a basket for the week’s homework and projects, a basket for school work to save and a basket for notes home from the school/teacher about events, dates, etc.



Moving right along, tucked in the closet is the World Headquarters for my little Dixie Delights operation…



 
I have stored all of my party wares (plates, cups, napkins, straws, favor bags and such) on the very top shelf in the larger baskets.  The smaller baskets hold craft supplies like paints, glues, tapes, etc.  There is room for my printer off to the left as well – this was previously located on the floor of my closet and it was always a pain in the neck to print anything.  I adore the versatility of the peg board for keeping things of all shapes and sizes that I use almost every day just an arms reach away.  I can’t tell you how much time I spent standing on my head trying to get something out from the bottom of stacked bins in my guest room closet for the last five years.

 

 
The last little piece is the wall with the windows. 



Hop on over to Dixie Delights to see all of the sources and details and many, many more pictures!!  Thanks for having me, y’all!

Amanda

Love turquoise? Visit my shopping blog Everything Turquoise...updated several times throughout the day! Check out Decor by Color for even more color-themed shopping!

At Home: Get merry and bright!

 Rituals are an important part of our lives, even if they can be boring at times.  My official marker for winter is an appointment to get the tires changed on our car.  It's happened. Winter is officially here, even if we only had a dusting of snow followed by torrential rain.

 Each year as I  approach the end of November, Christmas creeps into my thoughts.

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 While I love to look at all the seasonal additions other people make to their homes, and I marvel at the time and creativity it takes to decorate, I keep things as simple as possible.  I'm a vicarious decorator,  enthralled by others' efforts and the numerous possibilities without the physical work and outlay of cash.

 Here's a good example.

Every time I visit my daughter's house I am greeted by her inviting red door (now there are boxwoods in the planters) ...

and covered porch large enough to have two tables, a bench (made by her dad) and a chair.  

This space is calling out for Christmas decorations now that the cushions are stored for the winter. 

Don't get me wrong, my daughter  doesn't need my help to decorate, and she's very independent.  For the last several years she's had some great looks for her front door, but this is the first Christmas for the bench on the porch. 

 2013 Wreath made from  her garden shrubs 

2012 Sparkle and glam wreath 

2012 Glowing snowballs and white sparkle twigs

  What I liked about the feather wreath and snowball planter was its longevity into the winter months.  If you are putting effort into a project, you should aim to get the most from it. 

This is a "what if" post... what if I had that porch.  If my daughter is reading this now, she's rolling her eyes. I'm always on about something, and in the end she'll do her own thing as daughters usually do.

Let's start with the boxwood planters on either side of the door.

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I have the cedar and my daughter has lots of silver balls.  Anchoring things because of the high winds is always a challenge.  I use tree ornaments and stick a wooden skewer  through the top and down into the soil.

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Then there's  twigs and berries to add height and colour.  This is a great solution when planters bank a door because the added height and colour would be at eye level. 

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Following the dictate that simple is best, here's an idea to build on. This is an easy look to achieve and it invites modifications.  Not sure where you would ever find  gigantic pinecones in our neck of the woods, but you could certainly carry off the rest of it and make some bright additions.

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How about a plaid blanket or plaid pillows for a nice splash of pattern and colour?  A definite considering plaid is very in this year (so I've been told).  I'm thinking about the  red plaid scarf my daughter just purchased.   It  could be folded around a summer pillow and pinned.  A piece of fabric would achieve the same look.   Presto!  Job complete - one plaid pillow.

Here's a simple idea along those lines I just whipped up.  I know how much my daughter  loves happy little signs!  Not!  

or.....

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 you could make burlap cushion covers with stencilled polka dots (a great kid friendly project)....

or

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 you could use a  plain red blanket and blend it with  the summer white/black cushions for a very graphic look

... and 

Just a few simple changes to pillows 

and add bright arrangements for the table.... 

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Then there's always lanterns and greenery for the tables.   Get the spay paint out if you already have black lanterns.

Lit twig balls are always a big hit, and they could be added to any container depending on the size.  You can also spray paint twig balls and just go with colour and no lights. 

Why not take an idea from my sister Vera's  red bird themed Christmas pot from last year?  It continued to look good for months after Christmas. 

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Love the idea of skates in a swag for the front door.  This would be super easy with a red door and lot of accessible greenery on one's  property.   And I just found my daughter's  little white (now yellowish) skates in the storage room clean out!  Ideas! Ideas!

Or just give in and put a  plain old wreath on the bench. How simple is that?

No pressure!

What are you doing with your entry for Christmas?