Design Inspiration…Victoria Hagan

Happy September (sniff, sniff!) One of the questions posed to me in the Style at Home interview was “If  you could shadow any designer for a day who would it be?”There are so many brilliant designers whose careers I have followed and whose work I have studied and admired.  But I had to pick one and Victoria Hagan came to mind immediately.  She is a NY based interior designer who has been in the biz 20+ years and has been published in just about every shelter magazine. She also penned a book “Victoria Hagan: Interior Portraits.”...

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Where I Have Been...

Hi there! Are you enjoying the last week before school starts? I took this week off work (sorry clients!) to spend it with my daughter and friends/cousins. Trying to squeeze a lot of fun things in like bike rides, picnics and Wonderland during summer's fleeting moments.I also paid a visit to my friend Tim's blog talking about one of my favourite decor elements - wallpaper.  You can read the post here.Photo Credit: K West ImagesI also found myself on the West Elm Blog and Facebook page. You can read their blog post here. The West...

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“Pretty Together”...Style at Home Feature

Happy Monday! Hope you enjoyed a beautiful weekend. I was at a friend’s cottage for a few days and had too much fun! While driving back from the cottage, I read with excitement,  this tweet (well, I wasn’t driving, I was stopped for lunch, promise!): And then she tweeted this photo so I could at least see the first page. Thanks Amy!  (Sorry about the crease - this one photo is spread over two pages.) I did manage to pick up a copy (or seven!) and couldn’t wait to see the layout, words etc.  I like how they included...

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Random Thoughts on a Wednesday…

Hi there! Can you believe that there are only 2 more weeks until school starts? This summer for some reason just seemed to sail by so quickly.  I have been trying to balance work and take time to enjoy this amazing weather with my daughter. (I hate the heat so this mid-2o degree C weather is just perfect!) 1) I forgot to mention that my latest ideabook for Houzz went live a couple of weeks ago.  It’s titled “Creating a Patio for the Whole Family to Enjoy” and includes some functional and fun products from my favourite retailers. ...

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House & Home’s Kitchen & Bath Issue

Just wanted to let you know that Canadian House and Home’s Kitchen and Bath issue (special interest publication available on newsstands only) is out.  You will want to pick this up if you are planning a renovation or just love admiring beautiful kitchens (I’m in the latter camp.) My favourite kitchen in the issue? This one below of H&H Design Editor Kai Ethier’s small bistro kitchen. Can you guess where the cabinetry is from? She picked them up for a steal at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore and painted them this gorgeous...

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New Sponsor…Decor-Rest Furniture

Happy Monday! Hope you had a wonderful weekend.  I worked most of the weekend but I’m not complaining as I love what I do especially when it’s with wonderful ongoing clients! I’m happy to introduce you to my newest sponsor on the blog.  Welcome Decor-Rest Furniture Ltd!  They are a Canadian fine upholstery manufacturer celebrating 40 years in the business this year. I own two Decor-Rest sofas – one I have had for years that I recently slipcovered and the other that I will share with you soon!  They offer quality,...

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Style at Home’s 20 Questions With Me!

I’m so happy and honoured to be featured on the Style at Home site answering their “20 questions.”  Over the years, they have asked the questions to a number of talented designers and bloggers.  So, I am thrilled to be amongst them!Yes, that would be me on their homepage! Have a read here and let me know what you think.  I chose “Don’t Stop Believin” by Journey as the soundtrack of my life not so much for the song itself but the meaning of those words – don’t stop believing in yourself/you are never too old/good things...

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Client Before & After: Fresh+Preppy Bedroom

I love working on a room from start to finish – coming up with the design concept and feel and then executing.  This bedroom that I recently completed was a fun project.   This is what we started with:The room needed some architectural presence and I thought that panel moulding/trim would be a great solution. As an example, I showed them Jen’s bedroom and they absolutely loved the panelling and decided to tackle the work themselves. They did an amazing job!Photo: Leah KirinIn the Before photo, you can see that the side...

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Guest Post: Tim's Take on "Mr. Decor Happy's Den"

Happy Friday Decor Happy friends! Today is the last blogger design concept for Mr. Decor Happy's Den and I think you will love it! Tim is an accountant by day and a mad decorator by night (and weekends). His home has been featured in all types of media (TV (Steven and Chris), magazines (most notably, Style at Home) and newspaper (the National Post.) So, you can bet that his moodboard will be genius! Take it away Tim!Hello Decor Happy readers! So great to see you all again and this time, I am here to share with you all my idea of a "Man...

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Guest Post: Barbara's Take on "Mr. Decor Happy's Den"

Happy Wednesday and first day of August (summer, please slow down!) Have you been enjoying the design concepts for my hubby's room so far? I'm loving what everyone has come up with and today is no exception. Barbara is here to show us her take on the room. Welcome Barb! With Vanessa wanting to re-vamp her husband's den, aka "man cave" I am thrilled to give her a bit of design inspiration with my vision for the room.A man cave to me screams leather, woods and animals. The whole notion of cave brings to mind a hunter-gatherer,...

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