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Gift Wrapping Inspiration | Simple Sophistication For Holiday Treasures

I’ve seen some really amazing ideas lately for wrapping gifts with drama and flair – wow! All you have to do is a quick search of Pinterest and you’ll find an astonishing array of extravagant efforts. Gift wrapping is truly an art form for some, and I love seeing so much attention to detail put into the presentation of a thoughtful gift.

I too love gift wrapping, but my style has become increasingly minimalist over the years. I think it’s in line with the mantra that I’m learning to live by as embodied by Leonardo DaVinci’s quote:

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

I find myself cycling back to these words on so many things – interior design, fashion, life choices, balance. And yes, even gift wrapping! So much so, in fact, that last year I bought a giant roll of brown paper with the cutter attached so that my go-to favourite means of wrapping gifts would always be readily on hand.

{Remember my road-map-wrapped gifts from last year? I did love them, but this year I’m taking things in a different direction.}

As it turns out, my blogging friend and paper-afficionado-extraordinaire, Lindsay Stephenson of Little House Blog and The Penny Paper Co., shares my love of brown paper packages tied up with string. OK, so actually it’s more like “brown paper packages tied up with ribbons and bling!” A girl can’t be too simple about these things. But she is my paper-loving-soul-mate and that’s really the point here.

I was truly inspired by Lindsay’s recent post about holiday wrapping and naturally fell head-over-heels in love with her chevron grosgrain ribbon, so I was beyond delighted when she offered to send me some ribbon to play with for myself. {Confession time: I have a blogging crush on Lindsay and think her photographs are quite seriously gorgeous. I love her aesthetic and her honesty, too. You should definitely follow her if you don’t already.}

I’ve come to find that one of the keys to simplicity is quality. Less really is more when the “less” can stand on its own. Just take this gorgeous ribbon for example! All that was needed to finish these packages was a personalized tag. I used this template for the “Oh Joy!” tag above {printed at about 50% scale} and then searched out a shield shaped post-it note and an ampersand-framed address label I had in the house to trace as my templates for the other two tags.

You might want to check out Martha Stewart’s line of post-it notes at Staples for some possible templates to trace – cheap and super cute! And if you’re not into making the paper part of the tags yourself, you can always buy these from Lindsay and use one of her gorgeous stamps to personalize things and keep it all looking gorgeous!

Using some matte black card stock and a simple gold pen, I got my artsy on and created these personalized tags filled with holiday wishes. I simply traced the templates in paper, cut them out and then got a little creative with the gold pen. I really think the simple palette of black, white and gold on the humble brown paper packages works. It makes a statement without being crazy-over-the-top…just my style.

What’s your gift wrapping style this year? I’d love to hear what is inspiring you. Is it all about colour and glamour or are you more of a simple statement girl like me and Lindsay {and Julie Andrews}?

Whatever your style, I hope this holiday season is one of joy and happiness for you and yours. Take time to savour the people who make this time of year meaningful to you. Make memories together. You might not be able to wrap them up, but you’ll treasure them forever and they’ll be more meaningful than anything you place under the tree.

xo
s.

P.S. In a brilliant moment of pregnancy brain, two weeks has turned into three! That said, I am delighted to announce the winners of the Oh Baby! Freshly Picked Giveaway…Amy and Lesley, please email me with your mailing addresses, and CONGRATULATIONS!

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|December 10th, 2013|0 Comments

A Design Find for Foodie Friday | Stunning Manmade Marble Slabs | Apparently There IS Something Like The Real Thing, Baby

I must apologize for not offering any new recipes to you over the last couple of weeks. Getting ready for Christmas and a baby has made things a little extra busy around here, so getting inventive in the kitchen has hit the back burner for a bit. There’s just less time for inspiration to strike when you’re busy trying to get everything on that to-do list done! I’m sure you all know exactly what I’m talking about.

That does not mean that I haven’t had my head in the kitchen, though! Our kitchen really is the heart of our home, as it is for all of the houses I design. It’s where we gather, where natural conversation unfolds about the meaningful stuff of life, where we create together, where we nurture each other with sustenance. Perhaps that’s why I love designing kitchens so much! It means a lot to me that the heart of the home is a happy one…and one that is as functional as it is beautiful.

With all of that said, you’ll understand why I am swooning to the point of needing a fainting couch over today’s Design Find. You think I exaggerate? I do not. Whenever a product is released that marries luxury with practicality, I get rather animated. And with this new product find, I’m basically giddy and jonesing for my next kitchen design project {or my next house so I can use this for myself!!}.

We all know and love the look of a white marble slab kitchen counter. It’s been a classic for literally centuries, but it’s also been a practical cook’s biggest dilemma. Here’s the thing: White marble + red wine, balsamic vinegar, tomatoes or anything else acidic and staining = disaster. Like, instantly. Marble is so porous that it immediately absorbs whatever you place on it, meaning that a pristine and beautifully veined white marble kitchen counter will quickly become mottled and stained if you actually cook in your kitchen.

Man made substitutes abound, but nothing has come close to replicating the natural veining and beauty of real stone. Until now. In fact, what if I told you that the kitchen pictured above was finished with manmade marble slabs? Yep. They are totally beautiful and totally not the real thing, baby. And I bet even my most discerning designer friends would never have known it if I hadn’t told you!

{Manmade Calacutta marble slab}

These incredible slabs – made and imported from Italy – are seriously this designer’s dream come true. With all of the performance of a man-made product – impermeable, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, totally stain resistant and beautifully hard wearing – these slabs are also as close to the real thing as I’ve ever seen. They can even be bookmatched to achieve the decadently custom look you see in the images below:

{Image via Pinterest}

{Image via Croma Design}

These revolutionary stone slabs are being made in a variety of stone replicas, including marbles and travertines. The slabs are 1/4″ thick, but can be mitred for as big an edge build-up as your sweet-loving heart desires.

Availability will start to increase as of January 2014, so get out the AutoCAD and start designing, friends! Those previously inaccessible kitchens just became a reality, proving dreams really do come true. This might just be enough to make me want to move so I can create a whole new kitchen. Oh boy. Those are dangerous words!

For more information on product specs and availability, contact Luis at Trends & Trades.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|December 6th, 2013|2 Comments

High Point Market Highlights | Bernhardt

All it took was one look at this first furniture grouping in the Bernhardt showroom and I felt like I was home. The “northern inspired” room felt like Canadiana-meets-Brian-Gluckstein in the best way possible. A sophisticated library with elegant pieces, unexpected lines and all kinds of warm textures in the wool, plaids, leathers and faux fur, this room really left me wanting to curl up and pull a book off the shelf and stay awhile!

The modern wingback chair {above} with it’s sculptural shape, refined arm and nailhead detail was instantly one of my favourite pieces, and it sits like a dream. This is a piece that could be upholstered a thousand ways that would all be nothing short of gorgeous. As I’ve said before, if you get the lines right on a piece, you can really do anything with it, and this brilliant design from Bernhardt is a perfect example of that design lesson. This chair could easily be taken in a more contemporary Dwell kind of direction with a bright orange velvet and no nailheads, but it would be equally at home in the pages of Traditional Home upholstered in dove grey mohair or a sumptuous leather as it is shown above.

In a moment of “Mad Men meets JayZ” magic, this furniture grouping {above} had me swooning and singing along to a Sinatra/Justin Timberlake mash-up in a New York minute. The brass edging on that coffee table is so irresistibly precise yet so sexy and modern, and the warmth of all that chocolate brown makes me feel like I’ve just been dipped in a visual fondue. The brass frame on the armless chairs feels as though it has an aviator reference, and this is one furniture set I could buy off the showroom floor. As you know, that is saying a lot coming from me. Major kudos to the design team at Bernhardt for this sexy stroke of genius.

I also fell in love with this horn rimmed arm chair, shown here upholstered in hair-on-hide leather {and below in an elegant and refined warm white}. The “horn” is actually moulded resin, but the patina and finish are so realistic I found myself wondering for a brief moment how on earth Bernhardt could reproduce this chair out of natural horn so consistently!

Speaking of hair-on-hide, these next two pieces {below} had me biting my palm and creating my own personal wish list. The warmth and sophistication that these pieces illicit are an intelligent juxtaposition to the often rustic feel of hair-on-hide, and the elegant simplicity of their lines elevates them entirely. They offer the perfect rustic modern statement for a myriad of spaces, all of which I want to design.

Speaking of elegant lines, this feminine and delicately proportioned tub chair {below} is a quiet, classic beauty that totally caught my eye. I love the bamboo frame in the brushed platinum finish, and again, it sits like a dream. A pair of these chairs would make such a refined and inviting sitting area in a master bedroom retreat.

I can’t begin to showcase the vastness of the lines offered by Bernhardt {all executed with exquisite craftsmanship}, but this next vignette should give you some idea of the diversity and beauty of their offerings.

The bone inlay marquetry is stunning, isn’t it? The coffee table {below} is such a gorgeous statement piece in the striking blue that I predict will be the colour of the year for 2014. And those creamy faux fur “Wooly Mammoth” stools? Well they just feel fresh, hip, fun and fabulous in their simplicity, like a pair of Gorusch Mia Paris Boots.

Bernhardt definitely presented one of my favourite showrooms, marrying quality, design and craftsmanship into incredible lines to suit almost any interior. Thank you to Stephanie and her amazing team for such gracious hospitality and endless inspiration!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|November 20th, 2013|1 Comment