Sarah Walker The Curated House, Author at The Curated House

2014 Brian Gluckstein Princess Margaret Lotto Showhome | PART ONE

I’ve been putting a lot of thought of late into what my Dream House Wish List looks like, assembling mental pictures and thinking through styles and historical periods for reference. There are really three architectural periods – Georgian, Regency and Art Deco – that most speak my language, and this year’s Princess Margaret Lotto Showhome is a beautiful interpretation of a modern day Georgian classic.

Designed by Canadian Design Icon Brian Gluckstein, the house is awash with details and delights around every corner. I had the opportunity to chat with Brian as he graciously toured a small and privileged group of designers and design bloggers through the house before it’s grand opening. I loved hearing Brian’s insights into the nuances and design details of the process behind this beautiful South East Oakville home, and now I’d love to take you on a little tour as I share with you some of the details that are firmly planted on my personal Dream House Wish List.

SIGHT LINES

To make a house truly engaging for the mind – and to make it feel open and embracing of the hum and buzz of daily life – a dream house should have really beautiful sight lines. What does that mean, you ask? It means that when you look down a hallway or through a room, the place at which your eye comes to rest should be interesting, ideally extending to you an invitation to come in and see what is around the next corner. For me, this includes an abundance of natural light to draw you in and open you up to the possibilities. That is what an inspiring space should do, after all, isn’t it?

It was actually the view from the mudroom through to the Conservatory {see below} that first had me catch my breath a little. Yes, I just said Conservatory. Here’s a sneak peek of that beautiful sight line.

Note the rhythm created by the repetition of archways, the tray ceiling details and repetition of light fixtures down the hallway. Yep, you guessed it. Dream House Wish List details.

I’m going to make you wait for more details on the Conservatory {you can just make it out at the end of the hallway}. Just a glimpse for now, but we’ll come back to it, I promise.

The gracious curved staircase also offers beautiful site lines at every level of the house, and the window that extends through all three floors floods the staircase with natural light.

NATURAL LIGHT

For me, one of the ultimate indulgences on my Dream House Wish List is simply a house that is drenched-to-the-point-of-drunken with natural light. I think Brian and I speak the same design love-language in this regard, because wherever and whenever possible, he insisted that the windows come right down to the floor or function as garden doors to keep the flow of indoors to outdoors as effortless as possible.

Isn’t the rear elevation of the house gorgeous? Totally a modern classic.

These doors were swung wide for the little fête we enjoyed together, showing off this house’s true design destiny: a lifetime of effortless entertaining. Dream House Wish List? Check.

HANDMADE CRAFTSMANSHIP

There are a couple of ways in which this year’s Princess Margaret Lotto Showhome exemplifies my personal passion for handmade craftsmanship. The first is the fireplaces. Not only did Brian design a beautiful two-way fireplace for the front hall entryway and living room to share as a warm Canadian welcome on a cold winter’s night {pictured below}, but he also appointed a decadent and refined marble fireplace to serve as the focal point for the family room and the Master Ensuite. All of the fireplaces in the house were hand-carved in Portugal. {Note to self: Design trip to Portugal for inspiration = a must!}

Detail of the Art Deco inspired fireplace surround in the Family Room.

Is unwinding at the end of each day in a classic cast iron tub while mesmerized by the hypnotic sway of flickering flames on your Dream House Wish List? Yes? Me too. Check and Check.

Note the master vanity floating in front of a large window – the perfect spot for flawless makeup application!

The second brilliant touch of hand-made craftsmanship in this house is found on the wallpaper in the dining room. From afar you might think it is “just pretty,” but this wallpaper is anything but “just pretty.” It’s actually the secret gem in the house, which you realize when you get up close to it. The beautiful chinoiserie of flowering branches and birds has been painstakingly hand embroidered onto the silk paper by artisans from England’s Fromental. The colour palette was customized just for this house. It’s truly exquisite! Just look at the feathers on the bird in the second photo below.

FLOOR PLAY

One of my design signatures for many years has been detailed floors – specifically with the use of mosaics inset as tile carpets and with the use of larger tiles to create herringbone and chevron patterns. Naturally, Brian features both in this spectacular Showhome.

{I’m beginning to think he has been reading my Dream Home Diaries!}

I particularly love the use of these simple subway tiles {above} to create the striking yet subtle herringbone pattern featured on the main floor of the house. The tiles look like natural stone but are in fact a quartz composite called Technoquartz, making them perfect for high traffic areas.

The herringbone pattern, as you know, is my all-time favourite and I feel it grounds and elevates the main floor all at once with an approachable sophistication that is just my cuppa. Brian shared that he found these tiles stacked in a discounted section of the showroom and started playing with them while everyone else was chatting. He knew they were the perfect choice the moment he’d laid out the herringbone pattern. Now, you’ve got to love a man who scoops up a deal and creates something as beautiful as this with it!

I hate to be a tease, but I’m going to leave you hanging on until tomorrow for the next instalment of details from this gorgeous house! There’s truly too much to squeeze into one post, and I want to do it justice. I hope what you’ve seen so far will fuel some dream house dreaming tonight.

xo
s.

All images courtesy of The Princess Margaret Welcome Home Sweepstakes

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|September 30th, 2014|0 Comments

Four Fabulous Reasons to Join Me at Blogpodium!

In just one short week, hundreds of Canada’s brightest and best bloggers will gather at the event of the year for reigniting our blogging fire: Blogpodium. For all the summits and conferences and gatherings that happen south of the border for American Bloggeratti, Blogpodium is really the it conference for those of us in the great {and, thank God, not-yet-white} north.

“Why should I be there?” I hear you asking. Here are four fabulous reasons to join me at the table:

1. Relationships In Real Life

Last year I sat around a lunch table with a group of amazing and inspiring women from across the country and inadvertently landed right next to the lovely Lisa Canning. We compared pregnancy notes {we were both pregnant at the time} and dished about life as interior designers and what our goals were for our blogs. It was so wonderful to connect with someone who was experiencing a lot of the same joys and challenges I was facing, and we’ve kept in touch since then!

THAT’S ME IN THE BLUE at 6 1/2 MONTHS PREGGO!

The internet can be a lonely place, loves. Even though we may be connecting with tens of thousands of people with our posts, we don’t get to connect over coffee most of the time. And I don’t know about you, but relationships are my oxygen, my fuel and what reignites in me a desire to inspire and create meaningful content. After all, if it’s not for meaningful connections with real people then who is it for? So come and put faces to names and meet new kindred spirits. You’ll be glad you did.

2. Inspiration and Collaboration

This is a phenomenal opportunity to hear people’s stories and learn from their successes. Not just those with a mic, but also those sitting right beside you. The world of blogging is an ever-evolving medium, and having the opportunity to be a part of the conversation about where we’ve come and where we are going helps to shape it for the better…for all of us. And who knows? You might just find someone you want to collaborate with – on a series of posts, on a project or as a peer mentor. Come open and ready to both give and receive.

3. Brand Relationships

I am duly impressed with the fruitful efforts of the Blogpodium team in engaging with fantastic brands. They continue to aim higher and work harder to provide an environment for you to see and be seen so to speak. From the market-like environment of the breaks to the targeted breakout sessions, this is a brilliant opportunity to connect with brands that really understand a mutual win mindset.

4. Flat-out Fabulous Content

It is so easy to create noise and fluff in a world that is already cluttered with the DIY-how-to-become-an-internet-sensation-overnight-glitter-glue of social media. That is NOT what you will find here. From marketing experts educating you on SEO and how to architect brand partnerships to photography and vlogging workshops, you will be taking notes, picking up business cards and making the connections you need to propel your platform forward, loves. The keynotes will inspire you, the breakout workshops will equip you, and together it will fuel you for a fabulous finish to 2014 and a fresh start for the New Year ahead!

So here’s to making connections, learning, growing, and shaping this fun and fabulous world together as we get our inspiration on. I hope you’ll join me!

xo
s.

All photos by the fabulous Annawithlove Photography

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|September 6th, 2014|1 Comment

Announcing The Babe

I am long overdue in sharing our newborn photos with you, so in the spirit of Throwback Thursday, I’m playing catch up today! The truth is, I don’t think cuteness has an expiration date, and there is a serious overload of cuteness in what our dear friend Gabriela Hansen captured here, friends. Yes, I’m biased, but oh my heart! Looking back I still swoon and turn into a puddle of mama-mush at the site of my sweet newborn babe, and I had the hardest time narrowing it down to just a few photos to share with you on here. I mean, just look at those precious little feet!

He looks so tiny and delicate in those early days, doesn’t he? I absolutely love this shot {below} of his big brother tenderly kissing his forehead as Tate fusses and reminds us all who’s in control. You’re surrounded by love, little man. It’s all good.

Noah truly is an ah-MAZE-zing big brother, loving Tate and paying such thoughtful attention to his needs. And yes, even changing diapers! {Hi fives for that mama win!}

As you can see above, Noah’s got the “big bro glow” and it hasn’t faded yet. Such a gift…

…As is the sight of my love holding our second born baby boy in his arms. There’s nothing like the bond between a dad and his boys to melt the heart of his wife. {Graham would have been featured in more of these photos if he hadn’t been working! Love that man. SO much!}

As you can see, we are pretty seriously smitten. It’s for real, folks. This little guy has my heart.

We couldn’t keep all that goodness to ourselves, so working with Minted we created this very special birth announcement to share with our family and close friends.

I can’t say enough about how impressed I am with Minted. I’ve worked with them twice now and they have totally exceeded my expectations each time. From the high quality of the extra thick, matte card stock to the customization with designs created by indie designers to the proof process to the customer service and super fast shipping, I am a fan. Simply put, they are my kind of people.

And they are your kind of people too, because in the spirit of generosity Minted is offering readers of The Curated House a 10% discount AND free shipping on any orders from now until May 21st when you use the code CURATED10FS at checkout! Translation: It’s time to set down that cup of coffee and go check out all they have on offer! Not only do they do birth announcements and invitations and printed paper goods of all kinds, but they also have an amazing collection of limited edition art prints which is exactly where I would be heading if I were you!

I do plan to share much more with you in the coming days, including Tate’s nursery and Noah’s pied-à-terre and more about our birth story {the early days}. But for now, our pace is being decided by the sweetest little dictator I know.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|May 8th, 2014|2 Comments