Neverending Projects

I think I could sit in any room in my home and see at least a half dozen projects waiting to be finished. Some of these are general maintenance, like touching up paint. Others are organizational projects, like figuring out a solution for that back cupboard that collects "stuff". Still more are decorating projects, new pillows for the sofa or new drapes for the dining room.

After 3 years in this house you would think that my list of projects would be diminishing but instead it grows on an almost daily basis. I find myself looking at finished rooms in magazines and on blogs and wondering if those people look around their rooms and see projects to be done. Or maybe I'm a product of my genetics. My mother worked her way from room to room in our home, repainting, replacing a few pieces of furniture, buying new window coverings. By the time she finished all of the rooms she was ready to start over at the beginning.

Some days I bemoan my unfinished home, wishing I could sit and look around and just enjoy everything that I see. Most days, however, I love that my home is full of things that I invested time and energy into producing. So many homes end up feeling forced or like a furniture showroom because they were rushed or finished in one fell swoop. My home has evolved and on any given day reflects who we are and how we currently live our lives. So bring on the unfinished projects! At least I'll never be bored :)

A's Unconventional DIY Nursery

I've never been a big fan of the traditional nursery look. Instead I find myself drawn to quirky and somewhat modern nurseries like those featured on Ohdeedoh. So when I found myself planning a nursery for my second child I wanted to create something that I would enjoy looking at and being in. Ideally it would also work for several years.

I'd been enjoying the yellow and grey colour scheme for some time so that was a no brainer. And when we found out we were having another girl, I added in pink for a second accent colour. Budget is always tight around here so there are a lot of DIY elements. But in the end I'm thrilled with how everything turned out and apart from a few more little art projects I feel like the room is finally complete.


Simple wooden letters from the craft store covered with scrapbooking paper and hung with ribbon


The room is teeny tiny so I kept the furniture to a minimum.


The artwork was done using bargain store canvases and masks (a sticker that you lay on the canvas, paint over and then remove leaving the negative image unpainted). I made the change pad cover following the tutorial on Prudent Baby


The dresser is a really old wood dresser from my parent's house. I cleaned it up, painted it and added new drawer pulls.


We added a low shelf in the closet and painted both the same yellow as the dresser


Shelves for knick knacks and photos above a simple toy box. The decals are from etsy store Elephannie


The flowers are by Umbra and I sprayed them yellow


A simple bird mobile made of felt.

Minimalism with Children?

Now that I am on maternity leave I'm spending a lot of time in the house. And the more time I spend in the house, the more I notice areas of the house that are cluttered. Yet after two months of decluttering I find myself no further ahead than I was in March.


A 15 month old lives here? courtesy of Apartment Therapy

I see so many homes in magazines and on design blogs that show these beautiful, streamlined, minimalized homes with children and I'm left wondering "Does you home always look like this?" Seriously, did they take 50% of the kid's things and stick them out on the front lawn LOL.


Courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Where are all the kid's toys? The homeowners always say that their home is family friendly or child friendly. What does this mean? Are the kids relegated to one room in the house? Are they only allowed 5 toys? I have been aspiring to have a home that looks like these homes but I would rather have clutter than throw out all of my daughters' belongings.


Two toddlers and a cat live here Courtesy of Apartment Therapy

Of course that doesn't mean I need to let "stuff" overtake the house. SoI will continue with decluttering and paring down our belongings to the things we use and love. And I'll remind myself that these pictures show only a moment in time and not the lives that are lived in the home.

Spring Cure

Today marks the beginning of Apartment Therapy's Spring Cure. Every fall and spring they host their home cure, an eight week process based on the book intended to help you create a healthy home.

I've participated in the cure 3 times now and each time come out with a home a little closer to my vision of what I want my home to look/feel like. Given that I'm due to deliver my second baby girl any day I won't be participating this spring but I did pull out and reread my copy of the book. I've probably read it 6 times now but every time I find something new or am reminded of something that I want to accomplish in my home.

If you've never heard of the Apartment Therapy cure I definitely recommend signing up and following along the best you can. At the very least, pick up a copy of the book from you local library and take a look. I guarantee you won't be disappointed.

Better Late Than Never

I'm a little late to the party when it comes to Lonny Magazine but I just spent the weekend devouring the entire latest issue and I will certainly be back.

It's filled with meaty articles, stunning photos and a wide range of design styles and influences. If you haven't checked it out yet, definitely head over right away.

Blues

This issue of House Beautiful magazine really hit home why I love this magazine. I've been reading home decor magazines for many years now and I can't recall ever seeing an issue that was devoted to a single color. Lots of color issues of course that cover all of the current popular colors but never 1 single color!!!

So when I saw that the March 2010 issue was all about Blue I was intrigued for sure. And it didn't disappoint. It highlights paint colors, accessories and pages of stunning blue focused rooms. The editor even directed me to a blog that only covers blue decorating: House of Turquoise

I guess it shouldn't shock me that I'm in love with this issue since blue plays a large role in my home. In the living room it appears as a jewel toned sapphire blue. In my bedroom, it's softer, more of an eggshell blue. In both places I warm up the blue with dark wood and chocolate brown. And for a punch of contrast, orange accessories.

I also want to highlight an etsy shop I ran across this week. They are local to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island and have beautiful upcycled painted furniture. One look will make it clear why I thought they fit well with this post.
Turquoise Shed

It came as no surprise then to find a plethora of blue in my inspiration file. Apologies in advance that I don't know the sources. Most have been in my files for some time now. Please comment or email if you recognize any of them.

A Seussery

I offered to help an out of town (actually out of country) friend put together some final touches for her son's nursery. She had already purchased furniture (in a rubbed black finish) and bedding and was down to the final details.
She had a few ideas and a budget that I worked with to create two schemes for her. One with a whimsical feel and one with a classic feel.




In the end she chose a few options from each and modified some to work with her ideas but the finished room is a unique room just waiting for the arrival of her little boy.









This job was a lot of fun to work on but I think one of my favorite parts of it is how it dispels a common myth about working with a decorator. It is a wonderful example of how a decorator can be customized for exactly what you need. I didn't work with this client from the beginning, we didn't do all custom pieces and I never actually set foot in the actual room. The most important part is to find a decorator that can fulfill your needs, regardless of where in the world they are.