#sodomino instagram feature

Just a teeny little Instagram feature on Domino's social page...nbd. 

Another goal accomplished and only 2393985732 to go...

inspiration: cabin in the woods

Have you ever walked by a house and wondered what it looked like inside? When I lived in Toronto, one of the creepy things I liked to do was walk my dog at night. People usually had their lights on and you could kind of peek inside and see what was going on with their decor. I lived on the border of a pretty swanky neighbourhood, which made it pretty interesting--and is why I don't care to do it as much in my new slightly-less-swanky neighbourhood (no offence to my current neighbours).

I came across the above image on Pinterest and thought it would be interesting to pull together a few images, imagining what the space might look like. One of my favourite bloggers, SF Girl By Bay does this often on her blog, and the results are always fun.

image 1 | image 2 | image 3 | image 4 | image 5 | image 6 | image 7

e-design: rustic dining room décor

Oozing with rustic charm, this combo of ladder back farmhouse chairs, wicker accent chairs and a weathered dining table take country-kitchen to the next level. Add a statement chandelier that will be stunning and feel luxurious when dimmed for an ambient dinner or mid-day coffee with friends.

set of 4 ladder back chairs | set of 2 wicker arm chairs | extendable dining table | paneled mirror  | shed antler chandelier

4 fab home decor books

For as long as I can remember I've been an avid reader. And I have been so pleasantly surprised at how seamless my love of decor and books seem to be--from beautifully styled bookshelves, to gorgeous coffee table books, to a limitless selection of books from fabulous designers and bloggers. My colour-blocked bookshelves can barely handle new additions, but I'll be squeezing these new fall releases into the mix.   

Styled: Secrets For Arranging Rooms, From Tabletops To Bookshelves by Emily Henderson

I've been waiting many moons for this little bundle of joy. A long-time fan of Emily Henderson's blog, I have no doubt that this book will live up to my fan-girl expectations. Perfectly-imperfect-mid century-modern-eclectic with a touch of Spanish Mission, her style is out-of-this-world fabulous and her ability to mix pricey designer pieces with vintage one-of-a-kind gems looks effortless and chic. In my mind, this book has potential to be the new bible for Domino-lovers. 

The Kinfolk Home: Interiors for Slow Living by Nathan Williams 

A stark contrast to Emily Henderson, the Kinfolk crew are able to piece together the most dream-like interiors, tables, recipes and events you can image. Just as the title suggests, they've mastered the art of 'slow-living' aiming to simplify life and encouraging us to spend time with friends and family whenever possible for simple, yet beautiful gatherings. Like the magazine, I have no doubt that this book will be best enjoyed on a Sunday morning with a cuppa joe in your favourite mug.  

Apartment Therapy Complete And Happy Home by Maxwell Ryan and Janel Laban

Just as I go to Martha for all of my baking and etiquette questions, I go to Maxwell and the Apartment Therapy team for my home decor questions. If you've thought it, chances are they've written about it, and have countless user comments pipping in with their two cents. I'm sure this book will be packed with home improvement / decor tidbits and goodness. 

Lovable Livable Home: How to Add Beauty, Get Organized, and Make Your House Work for You by Sherry and John Petersik

I was very late to the Young House Love bandwagon. I knew of them, but wasn't a daily follower. This past summer I perused their blog and loved what I saw, however, they had left the blogesphere and were no longer producing new content. Luckily they have a new book that is packed with never-before-seen DIY projects, home renos and home tours, and I can't wait to get my hands on it! 

Did I miss anything, or have you read any of these books yet? Leave a comment and let me know!

e-design: calm and casual living room

Want a luxurious living room that allows you to feel calm, cool and relaxed? Surround yourself with breezy blue hues, ultra-soft textures and natural elements. This combination of finishes will create a serene environment that will make it easy to curl up on the couch and forget your day. 

The addition of furniture in grey, whites and wood allow accessories to be changed out to reflect the seasons. The addition of plants and greenery purify the air and help to reduce stress—adding to the peaceful, serene and relaxing sense within the space. Add a white mohair blanket to the above, and you'll be snoozing on the couch in no time. 

Coffee Table | End Tables | Sofa | Wood Grain Pillow | Geometric Pillow | Table Lamp | Prints 

7 beautiful bathrooms featuring wood tiles

This past month, school has been packed with projects focused on bathroom renovations, giving me a chance to pay close attention to the fixtures and finishes that are available in the market. And as much as I love gorgeous grey-and-white-veined marble in this part of the home, I'm also loving the look of ceramic wood tiles in the bathroom.

When paired with a glass shower, a wood tile floor can make a tiny room feel more spacious. Incorporating soft textures such as a fluffy bathmat, a stack of cotton towels, a beautiful relaxed roman shade and greenery adds a layer of warmth and coziness to the space. Bringing the wood-look onto the bathroom walls or shower surround also creates a unique, spa-like setting in your master, guest, or basement bathroom--just don't forget to heat those floors!

While sourcing inspirational images featuring wood tile finishes I found an abundance of contemporary rooms, however I think this finish would also lend itself perfectly to a transitional- or rustic-style bathroom. What do you think?

** UPDATE: Jenny Komenda of Little Green Notebook (one of my favourite bloggers!) just posted 8 Tips for Nailing the Wood Tile Look as well as a few gorgeous examples--including a herringbone pattern

Transitional Bathroom by South East Interior Designers & Decorators LEIVARS

Contemporary Bathroom via Coco Cozy

Contemporary Bathroom by Seattle Architects & Building Designers Chris Pardo Design - Elemental Architecture

Contemporary Bathroom by Sydney Home Builders Capital Building

Contemporary Bathroom by Miami Design-Build Firms MILA DESIGN

Transitional Bathroom by Burlington Interior Designers & Decorators Claire Jefford at Creating Contrast Designs

Rustic Bathroom by HGTV Smart Home 2015

back to school desk refresh

After such a busy summer it feels good to finally have some free time to putter around the basement and get my space ready for school. I spent a massive chunk of time commuting to downtown Toronto on the GO Train, but it forced me to slow down and think about what is important to me, why I am back in school and what I want my career to look like. With the help of two amazing podcasts (After the Jump and The Lively Show) I’ve settled on a list of goals that I would like to achieve. Some are short-term goals that I can chip away at over the next few months, and some are more long-term that involve a little more time and patience to achieve.

One short-term goal was to get my desk in shape and “blog-worthy” for the first day of school. Not only is it finished, but I managed to make a gif—something else I’ve wanted to take a stab at. It definitely isn’t perfect, but it is close enough and was surprisingly easy to create (this blog explains it all)

* * *

Last year I had a less then great experience with Rust-Oleum’s Chalkboard Paint and Magnetic Primer (purchased from Home Depot for $10 - $20 each). After four coats of Magnetic Primer, it still didn’t hold much more than a sheet of paper. The Chalkboard Paint was fine, but even after washing with water, there was always a cloudy film left on the wall. This year I decided to create a “Living Mood Board” by nailing an assortment of bulldog clips and magnets onto the wall. This way I can pin an assortment of fabric samples, paint chips, floor plans and more onto the space without requiring of a million magnets. A few favourite images and postcards are still hung using magnets, but the clips do a much better job at keeping things in place.

The rest of the space still needs some work, but am hoping to save those projects for the One Room Challenge, a bi-annual linking event hosted by Calling It Home (you can read all about it here)…another goal to hopefully cross off the list! For now, I feel ready for the new semester and putting this space to good use.

nursery tour: sarah sherman samuel

As hard as I try to create and post content that is my own, I can't help but share this charming little nursery created by Sarah Sherman Samuel of Smitten Studio. For now we'll file this deep into the cabinet of "Things I Do Not Need" but those hunter greens, crisp whites, metallic accents, Turkish rug and texture on texture on texture--it's as chic as it is adorable and that pretty palette would work just as perfectly for an adult.

For the full tour, head to Sarah's blog, Smitten Studio. ...and check out the instructions for her simple Ikea hack that had stunning results (hint: it involves the dresser above)  

diy: trunk transformation

I have been struggling with this little trunk for almost a year. Initially painting it black and spray painting the trim and hardware gold, it never looked quite right. I had been using it as my coffee table, but felt too heavy for the space and the rest of my décor. When I moved back home, I had used it as a place to keep my parent’s stereo, and was shoved into a corner in the dining room and forgotten about. 

This weekend my sister, brother-in-law and two-month-old nephew will be moving in for the summer. My mom and I have been busy transforming the basement (which had been my office/homework space) into a bachelor pad for the little family. 

We installed a wall-to-wall built-in, rearranged the furniture and made several trips to the Goodwill (drop-offs only, no more shopping allowed). We were smart about everything we brought into the room, opting to keep pieces the pieces that were practical, functional and small-scale. 

When it came time to choose a coffee table, I wanted to bring back the trunk. It was compact and there was an opportunity to refinish the inside, and use it for storage (something I had always meant to do, but just lacked the time). That same week while perusing Instagram, I spotted a room Emily Henderson had styled for Target, and noticed that the coffee table she used was a white trunk. Fast-forward a few days later, and my old trunk is now sporting a crisp, clean shade of white. Light and airy, it matches the tone of the room, and blends in perfectly. 

The rest of the room is very close to being complete, but still in need of a few minor tweaks.

**For both versions of the trunk I used a matte wall paint from Para. Hardware and trim was spray painted, and have held up perfectly. 

summer reading series: good bones, great pieces

Summer Reading Series: Good Bones, Great Pieces: The seven essential pieces that will carry you through a lifetime.
By Suzanne & Lauren McGrath

Mother-daughter design duo, Suzanne and Lauren McGrath, take readers through several stunning and unique spaces that incorporate each of their seven essential pieces. With an array of eclectic rooms, seamlessly combining new and vintage furniture and accessories, there is something to inspire the traditionalist, modernist and everyone in between.

Each chapter dedicated to its own piece of furniture and readers are given a brief history lesson, what to look for when sourcing, price ranges (affordable pieces exist and are featured), proper naming conventions and small tidbits of information behind their clients and their room’s inspiration.

Hailing from New York, Suzanne and Lauren have gained the praise of Martha Stewart, been featured countless times in Domino magazine and run a beautiful blog, as well as a successful business: Suzanne McGrath Design. This book will leave you itching for a garage sale, second-hand store or even a dig through your basement looking for those old tables you can now impressively refer to as ‘demi-lunes’; because you will know that beautiful, comfortable spaces are created with a combination of pieces that range from cheap and cheerful to top-of-your-budget, and by knowing the rules, you can masterfully choose those that will carry you through a lifetime.

floral shelf DIY

A few years ago I had picked up a set of three metal shelves from Urban Outfitters. Marked down so low that they were practically free, I grabbed them all without knowing where they’d wind up. Fast forward a year and a bit and my new room had an empty patch that was screaming for a set of three metal shelves ;)

I’m terrible at documenting projects with photographs, but covering the shelves was fairly simple. I traced each side of the shelf onto the wrapping paper, cut them out and pasted them piece by piece onto the shelf. For the top ledge, I used a slightly larger piece and folded the excess bit over to the underside of the shelf for a clean edge.

Gently smooth out the air bubbles as you lay the pieces of paper flat—this is probably the most important step to achieve a clean and smooth finish. Easy peasy.

The final product is now the perfect place to showcase an eclectic mix of books, pictures and mementos that had previously been cluttering the dresser.

Up next: deciding on a colour to paint that pink table!

mood board: study space

And another school project makes its way into a post :)My favourite project this past semester involved finding some real-life clients with a space in need of some finessing. My sister and her hubs gladly volunteered their time and space for the assignment, and after a few quick interviews and assessments, I put together a few mood boards with ideas and options for their bachelor-style apartment. 

One of the mood boards featured a functional new study space for my sister against a 5-foot wall that juts out between the bedroom area and living room. Being a medical student, most of her time is spent reading, listening to online lectures, and whatever else being a med student entails. This layout allowed for a space to properly set up the desk, shelving for storage and displaying favourite objects, a spot for her waterfall bookshelf, and some fun ways to accessorize it (ie the DIY chair). Painting stripes onto the wall would be a cheap, chic and renter-friendly way to differentiate the space from the rest of the apartment and help her get into the mindset of studying (hopefully!)