/Design

Introducing Project Backyard Makeover

Backyard Makeover Fabrics

The best and most meaningful memories are made gathered around the table.

Without a doubt, some of the happiest memories I’ve ever made have been gathered around the table with my family and friends. I feel like savouring daily meals together is one of the healthiest practices we have as a family. Turns out I’m not alone. In fact, researchers are saying that eating meals together as a family improves our health and even improves our kids’ vocabularies more significantly than reading them books at bedtime! And did you know that the only thing you can do to improve on the healthy, happy habit of eating around the table together is to do it outside? That’s why this little backyard makeover is so close to my heart.

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Not totally offensive, but not exactly pretty and inviting, right? So over the next 3 weeks, our plan is to create a space worthy of making summers last as long as possible. We had Thanksgiving dinner out here a couple of years ago, and I’m hoping we can do the same thing this year but with way more comfort and style.

Here’s the plan:

  1. Using the most stunning Sunbrella fabrics, including some delicious accent fabrics from their collection for Holly Hunt Great Outdoors, my friends at Deka Home & Patio are going to sew new seat, back and decorative cushions to bring the sectional back to life. Check out the first photo in this post for a peek at where things are headed there.
  2. I’ve wanted a dining pergola for forever, and thanks to Toja Grid, my dreams are going to become reality. Their super deluxe easy system of brackets is going to take the stress out of creating our dining structure, and then our friends at Deka are going to create some beautiful outdoor panels to frame it in and warm it up using more Sunbrella goodness.
  3. We’ll be painting the whole thing out with VOC-free, non-toxic Fusion Mineral Paints. We recently stucco’d the house a warm white and want the dining pergola to blend in.
  4. We are having our friends at Dinuovo create a ridiculously gorgeous custom dining table made out of stunning natural White Cherokee marble from Polycor. I can’t wait to show you more about our plans for that next week.
  5. To tie the dining and living spaces together, Dinuovo will be making a new cocktail table out of the same natural stone from Polycor for the seating area. (Bites lip) It’s all going to be so GORG.
  6. That dining table will seat 10, so we’ll be selecting some new dining chairs from partner Structube as well to complete this fresh, modern classic outdoor entertaining area.
  7. Generally tidy up, trim and refresh everything else for a truly inviting finished space for family and friends to gather.

We’ve given ourselves a rather ridiculous timeline to get all of this accomplished, in large part because summer is basically halfway done already! I do hope you’ll follow along with our progress as we transform this “almost there” outdoor living/dining area into a “we want to spend all of our time there” kind of space. While I’m definitely feeling daunted by all of the work yet to be done, I can also envision the finished product, and that is what is driving me forward.

Check in next week for the juicy details on the custom dining table, coffee table and chairs, and be sure to follow my Instastories in the meantime for some behind-the-scenes updates. Oh yes, and we will be throwing in a week and a half trip away to San Diego while we’re at it just to keep the pressure on. Because why not, right?

Looking forward to catching up with you and filling you in further next week!

Sarah-Signature

By |July 26th, 2018|0 Comments

The Cosmopolitan Closet Of Your Art Deco Dreams | Les Ensemblier at Kips Bay Show House 2016

“Design must seduce, shape, and perhaps more importantly, evoke an emotional response.” I love this quote from artist April Greiman and couldn’t agree more. Good design is about more than just beauty. That’s why the foundational design philosophy at iconic Canadian design firm Les Ensembliers resonates so deeply with me. Their mission is to build meaning into beauty, and they do so with a refined elegance that is truly breathtaking.

So when your mission is to imbue meaning into your design work, where do you begin when starting with a concrete box, no architectural details, no client’s story to tell in the space, and only one month to design and execute? If you are the brilliant partners at Les Ensembliers – architect Maxime Vandal and interior designer Richard Ouelette – you begin with the classical elements of style, proportion and space planning and a trusted partnership with the construction team at Best & Co.

“We had to imagine our own story for the dressing room, so we envisioned what we would do if we were designing Lauren Bacall’s private retreat, the secret place where she would keep her most prized collection of treasured things. It became a secret garden, like the inside of a jewel box.”

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As with any highly treasured jewel box, exquisite finishes tell the story. With classical space planning establishing the room’s perfect proportions, Vandal and Ouelette turned their attention to the decadent Art Deco-inspired details. The narrative began with the spectacular peacock finish on the door fronts of the closets, a collaboration with the talented Pellegrino Ebeniste. Inspired by a fabric woven out of the plumes of more than 200 birds, Les Ensemblier took the more compassionate route by choosing to create this custom finish instead. I’m sure you’ll agree, the end result (as seen in the close-up image above) is truly magical.

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Were this the only stunning finish in the space it might read as too strong an element, but woven together with the Ralph Lauren Pearl Ray Shagreen wallpaper on the walls and the radiant Ralph Lauren Marella Plaster wallpaper in the insets of the ceiling treatment, it reads as a cohesive story told over time.

The ceiling treatment – one of my favourite design elements in the room – was inspired by a historically referenced Art Deco geometric pattern that Les Ensembliers then deconstructed to create the modern classic pattern. The elegant plaster work serves as the perfect visual balance to the strong geometry of the gorgeous Gabriel Scott light fixture.

Ceilings are often forgotten design opportunities, but in this case, the ceiling was designed to centre the room, making the space feel longer and taller by creating a focal point that lifts the eye (and the spirits) with a sense of wonder and delight.

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The stunning vintage rug from Joseph Carini, with it’s blush and turquoise hues, infuses the space with femininity, history and style, giving voice to the well-traveled life Les Ensembliers imagined for the lady of the house. Design choices like this one serve to evoke the Europe-meets-the-Americas aesthetic that Les Ensembliers understand as uniquely Canadian. It is an aesthetic that values design history while charting its own course for the future, and Les Ensembliers are firmly at the helm.

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The antechamber to the lady’s dressing room continues to tell the story of a well-traveled life. Inspired by fine luggage from the house of Goyard in Paris, the built-in dressers speak to the luxury travel cases of a bygone era with their textural wallpapered insets, stunning black horn Ochre handles, and decadent purple-velvet-lined drawers. The Fortuny hand-painted silk chandelier – one of my all-time favourite light fixtures – creates a soft and elegant counter-balance to the fiercely fashion-forward style of the Gabriel Scott fixture in the adjoining space. I adore the mix.

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Suffice it to say, Les Ensembliers stole the show at this year’s Kips Bay Decorators Showhouse. The buzz about their decadent space reverberated across every floor of the home as guests explored the showcase, and rightfully so. With offices in Montreal, Toronto and New York, you can expect to see their spectacular work finding pride of place across the globe. I, for one, am waiting with bated breath to see what this incredible dream team will design next.

Be sure to pop back to The Curated House next week for more inspiration on how interior design can tell your story. Until then, may your dreams be fuelled by wanderlust and your days be filled with love.

Sarah-Signature

By |June 29th, 2016|0 Comments

One Room Challenge Spring 2016 | Week 6 | THE BIG REVEAL!

“Good things come to those who wait,

But better things come to those

Who work for it.”

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Hello darlings, and welcome to my virtual “The One Room Challenge Is DONE!” dance party! You may not be able to see me dancing, but believe me, I am dancing, and I’m singing Sia’s Alive at the top of my lungs! I’m not gonna lie, It. Feels. Good.

My photographer jokes that I really should have called this one the “One Floor (And A Bit) Challenge.” He’s right. Because our main floor is so open concept, our living room makeover spilled over into zhushing the kitchen and dining room a bit, and even crept up the stairs with our lovely gallery wall. The good news is this: ONE, we did it! And TWO: we love it! I couldn’t be more grateful to be on the other side of this design dare, and I’m thrilled to be sharing the reveal with you today.

For simplicity’s sake, I’ll share the source info with you below each photo. I can’t wait to hear what you think, so please share your thoughts in the comments below!

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SOURCES

DRAPERY FABRIC: Groundworks for Lee Jofa / UTTERMOST COPPER DRUM TABLE: Bellacor / BRASS FLOOR LAMP WITH LINEN SHADE: LampsPlus / COPPER FRAMED ARTWORK BY JAIME DERRINGER: Minted / GUMI ARMCHAIR BY BRUNO MOINARD: Avenue Road / VELVET LEOPARD PILLOW: Arianna Belle / BABY TEARS PLANT: Sweet Woodruff / PINK SOFA BY HUGUES CHEVALIER, PARIS: Emily Quinn / VINTAGE BEADED LEATHER TRIBAL PILLOW: Stone Textile / PEARL COFFEE TABLE: Bernhardt / SOUK RUG: West Elm / BRASS BOX ON COFFEE TABLE: Pottery Barn / COPPER CANDLE: Kit + Ace / QUARTZ GEODE: Centro Garden

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SOURCES

ESSEX CREAM LEATHER CHAIRS: Industrial Storm for Whittington & Co. / KUBUS ARGENT PILLOWS: Arianna Belle / FRINGE FLOROGRAPHY PRINT: Ashley Woodson Bailey via Citizen Atelier, finished with ArtResin / MODERN RESIN CANDLESTICKS: Creators Of Objects / DWELL STUDIO BLACK DECORATIVE BOX: AllModern / COFFEE TABLE BOOKS: Emily Quinn / HAVEN SMALL DRESSER: Bernhardt / BRASS SHIFT KNOBS ON DRESSER: Upper Canada Specialty Hardware / DWELL STUDIO GOLD URCHIN (on side table): AllModern / SILVER TRAY WITH HORN HANDLES: AllModern

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SOURCES

PAINTING ON PIANO: David Gillanders via ArtInteriors / “LEGS” PHOTOGRAPH: Jeremy + Claire Weiss via ArtStar, framed in Framed & Matted frame / SEBASTIAN HERKNER BELL SIDE TABLE: Avenue Road

And now, on to the dining room refresh! I can’t begin to tell you how much I love the softness added by the simple Kravet linen drapes, made sophisticated by the elegant trim detail banding the leading edge of each panel. As it turns out, softness was the theme for this room’s update, and the lambswool seat covers communicate that in both look and feel, making our Ghost chairs a much more comfortable perch for long, lingering dinners with family and friends. Also adding to the feminine edge is the stunning floral arrangement by Lisa Gray of Sweet Woodruff in the centre of the table. In my dream life, I’ll have arrangements from Lisa in my house on a weekly (or at least monthly) basis! Also on my dream life wish list is the stunning Serax Belgian tableware from Emily Quinn. So organic, so elegant, so unexpected. I couldn’t love these pieces more!

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SOURCES

PANEL MOULDINGS: Metrie / BLACK HONEYCOMB VASE: Joss & Main / FLORAL ARRANGEMENT: Sweet Woodruff / ORGANIC FINE BONE CHINA DINNERWARE: Emily Quinn / STEMWARE: Emily Quinn / COPPER FLATWARE + LINEN NAPKINS: West Elm / CREAM LINEN DRAPERY FABRIC + GREY DECORATIVE TRIM: Kravet Canada / ARTWORK: Kathleen Weich via ArtInteriors

Up next is the zhush of the kitchen which was one part pretty and one part practical. The practical came in the form of an upgrade to touchless technology with our amazing Brizo faucet and matching soap dispenser. Practicality also came home to live with us via the glorious arrival of our Bosch dishwasher, the silent, panelled-in wonder that has made our lives forever better. The pretty is all about the transformation of the bookcase, the gorgeous Groundworks Channels linen faux roman valance, and the gorgeous copper accents from Wayfair.

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SOURCES

COPPER CANNISTER SET: Wayfair / HAMMERED COPPER TRAY: Wayfair / POTTED ORCHIDS: Fiori Oakville / TURKISH TEA TOWEL: Pamuk & Co. / CHANNELS EBONY LINEN FABRIC FOR FAUX ROMAN: Groundworks for Lee Jofa / SOLNA TOUCHLESS FAUCET + MATCHING SOAP DISPENSER: Brizo / PANELLED-IN DISHWASHER: Bosch

I’m not going to lie, the bookcase makeover is my favourite change in the kitchen. The tension between the sophisticated and edgy Thibaut faux alligator wallpaper on the cabinet back, the more feminine leopard wallpaper-wrapped books with their calligraphy labels, and the Anewall portrait of a lady, elegantly framed and dipped in Farrow & Ball paint sets up my favourite kind of juxtaposition. It is both modern and traditional, a mix of masculine and feminine, a touch of classic and a dash of unexpected whimsy.

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SOURCES

FAUX ALLIGATOR WALLPAPER: Thibaut / LEOPARD PRINT WALLPAPER: Thibaut / PORTRAIT OF A LADY: Anewall DIPPED IN PITCH BLACK PAINT: Farrow & Ball /

And last but not least, the gallery wall seen from a different angle than the one I shared with you last week. If you’re planning to create a gallery wall yourself and want to know my sweat-proof method for getting it done in no time flat, be sure to pop back to last week’s post and download your guide to installing a gallery wall like a pro!

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ART FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ABSTRACT PAINTING BY KATHLEEN WEICH: ArtInteriors / CALIFORNIA WALL: Art by Melody Hansen in Framed & Matted frame / BLUE MONDAY SIGNED PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT: Minted, framed in Framed & Matted frame / ABSTRACT PAINTING BY TREVOR CRAIG MCDONNELL: ArtInteriors / SMALL LANDSCAPE WITH CLOUDS PAINTING: Etsy, framed in Framed & Matted frame / SIGNED + FRAMED TREE RING PHOTOGRAPH: Minted / PAIR OF MIXED MEDIA SMALLS BY JAY HODGINS: ArtInteriors / MANUEL ANTONIO ROCKS SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH: Minted

I don’t know about you, but I cannot wait to see the reveal posts from all of my fellow One Room Challenge daredevils! Be sure to check out the links to their blogs below, and come on back here next week for more fuel for your beautiful life!

For now, I’m signing off with a heart bursting with gratitude for the amazing people who made this edition of the One Room Challenge possible: my incredible husband, Linda from Calling It Home, my supportive network of friends and incredible brand partners, and all of you amazing friends who have chosen to come along for the ride. Thank you for joining me! I hope you’ve come away feeling inspired for how you can tell your own story through designing your home one room (or perhaps one floor) at a time.

All photographs by Larry Arnal

 

Sarah-Signature

Claire Brody | The Curated House | Design Manifest | Driven by Decor | Honey We’re Home | Hunted Interior | The Makerista | Making it Lovely | My Sweet Savannah | Pencil and Paper Co. | The Pink Clutch | Simplified Bee | Sketch 42 | Jill Sorensen | Orlando Soria | Thou Swell | The Vault Files | Waiting on Martha | The Zhush | Media Partner House Beautiful | TM by CIH 

By |May 11th, 2016|85 Comments