/Oakville

New Christmas Traditions | Cutting Down Our Own Tree

I love good traditions. Not tradition for tradition’s sake {I kind of hate that}, but traditions that imbue meaning and memories to the special seasons of our lives. The truth is, the holidays can be tough for a lot of us as we recall some not-so-happy times gathered around the old family Christmas tree. But I believe that for those of us for whom that is true, we get to redeem the meaningful seasons on our calendars and in our lives and by making them special now.

So this year, we’ve started a new tradition, and I thought I’d share with you a few shots from our family adventure of cutting down our very own tree for ourselves for the very first time.

The day was in fact kind of magical to start in that we had the first frost the night before, so the morning had a misty-grey filter that had washed over everything: sky, earth, trees. I managed to get a few shots {above} of the incredible details of the frost. Truly winter wonderland kind of stuff.

Gratefully, the day warmed and the frost melted by the time we headed to Will’s Christmas Tree Farm.

Greeted by an open wagon filled with people in the front and trees in the back bumping along past us, we pulled into the lot and walked through to the fields of trees to begin our search.
Buckle & Bridle Cardigan via Anthropologie

 We were looking for a tree that was not too big {so as to not swallow our living room whole}.

And not too small {though it was sweet to see the beginnings of Christmas Trees Future growing up out of the mossy earth}.

After perusing the rows with a critical eye, we spotted the Douglas Fir that would display our ornaments and shelter our gifts this year. With the saw provided by the farm, my guys set about cutting it down {to the delight of our 9 year old who felt like the embodiment of a lumberjack in that moment}.
 

It came down with surprising ease {says the girl behind the camera} and my strong and noble husband then decided to forgo waiting for the wagon in favour of carrying it back himself.

The last step in the process was the coolest. This giant, whirly Christmas-tree-bundler-upper packaged up the trees in the blink of an eye. So much easier to get them home like that, and so fun to watch!

And with that, we had successfully started a new tradition! What are you favourite and most meaningful Christmas traditions? I’d love to learn from you as we craft our own unique rhythm for this season.

Tomorrow watch for some special photos with inspiration on trimming the tree {and yourselves} for the season.

Happy Thursday!

xo
s.

By |December 6th, 2012|2 Comments

House & Home | Princess Margaret Showhome 2012

I just love it when visual beauty is woven together with a beautiful cause. There are few ways to imbue deeper meaning to architectural and interior design than to offer those gifts as a means of raising funds for cancer research. That’s just what Lynda Reeves and her incredible design team do each year with the Princess Margaret Showhome. The Showhome is just one of several prizes available in this luxury sweepstakes, and the funds raised support Toronto’s incredible Princess Margaret Hospital in their fight to conquer cancer. The House & Home team – under Lynda’s deft design direction – have been building spectacular homes in Oakville for several years now as a part of the Welcome Home Sweepstakes. These beautifully designed luxury dwellings are no doubt the coveted prize each year, and this year’s $4.3 million home is no exception.

One of the things Lynda and her team do so well is re-interpret classic concepts with a decidedly modern flair. This year’s modern farmhouse style offers a wonderful mix of charm and warmth on a grand scale, brought to life on a very clean canvas of restrained colours and textures. The stone exterior and white interior walls are both graphically punctuated by the stunning black metal-framed windows and doors, creating a satisfying rhythm throughout the home. The design choice is brilliant as these doors and windows nod at both classic French design and an industrial loft style simultaneously.

There is an undercurrent of global influence throughout the space with rugs, textiles and objets which suggest a well-traveled aesthetic. The pops of pattern and colour that punctuate the home make a bold statement against the quiet backdrop of calming neutrals.

The vista down the hallway to the lounge – framed by the black metal and glass doors and textured by the stacked wood and rough-hewn shelves beyond – is my favourite view in the house. Architect Ray Murakami of Murakami Design clearly speaks the love language of sight-lines, beckoning inhabitants to nestle in and recharge in this seemingly secret room tucked away in a quiet corner of the house.

The kitchen is a visual stunner, and the island {decadently panelled in Bianco Carerra marble} is the piece de resistance in my opinion. The dramatic black Grange pantry cabinet is a strong visual anchor, and the clean lines and simplicity of the main wall of cabinets is quite calming. My only tweak to this kitchen {were it mine} would be to add more refrigeration as my family eats so many veggies that we require more than your average drawer and shelf space! I think customizing each end of the Grange pantry {disguising a full-length fridge on one end and a full-length freezer on the other} would serve the purpose without disturbing the aesthetic. The doors could be panelled in the same style and mirrored  where there is currently glass to maintain the open feel I so adore in this kitchen’s design.

The house is elegantly outfitted head-to-toe in Hansgrohe plumbing fixtures {my favourite!}. With flat screens and a washer/dryer from LG, this luxury residence is definitely equipped with the latest and best in home electronics and appliances.

You can visit the Showhome in person at 220 Pinehurst Drive in Oakville weekdays between 4-8pm and weekends noon-5pm. Tickets can be purchased on site and are also available here.

I hope Lynda Reeves and her team have inspired you, not only with their design prowess but more importantly with their charitable spirit in leveraging their gifts for a greater cause.

xo
s.

All photos by Michael Graydon

By |October 16th, 2012|0 Comments

The Art of Discovery: Anthropologie Home Furnishings

As promised, today I’m going to share with you a few of the treasures I stumbled upon on a recent visit to Oakville’s Anthropologie store. The new store finds its home in a renovated and extended old bank building on Lakeshore Road in Oakville’s charming downtown core. The architects and designers involved in the design planning are in my good books. Rather than attempting to create a seamless extension off the back of the original building, they kept the gap between old and new on the second floor to create this lovely gallery opening above. I think it does a delightful job of narrating the story of the space by making it a feature rather than burying it into the proverbial woodwork.

Housed within this inspiring structure are countless inspiring pieces just waiting to be found. Just take a peek at a few of my fav finds:

A bold, painterly floral puts a modern twist on this classic bergère chair. Also love the burlap on the arm rests. It’s all about the details for this curvy little number.

I absolutely LOVE these Splattered Pull Up Chairs,  the perfectly proportioned occasional chair that could tuck quite nicely into a front entry, a nook under the stairs or in the corner of a bedroom in need of an infusion of colour and whimsy. The splattered denim upholstery, handpainted by New York artist Carol Horn, is what defines this chair’s refreshingly casual, carefree charm.

This vibrant orange linen upholstered Howell Wingback Chair is the perfect juxtaposition of a classic silhouette with a modern palette. Bold in its colour and yet simple in its textured loveliness, this is a statement piece to enliven any living room or perhaps to serve as “his and hers” chairs for the head and foot of a large dining room table.

These green antique French bistro chairs – complete with peeling layers of history in the form of perfectly chipped paint – are available as a set of four! A rare find at a reasonable price for the sense of story they will bring to the space they get to call home. They would be the perfect perch for morning coffee in the garden.

Another pair somehow makes me think of tennis matches played in long skirts in the 40’s. Perhaps it’s the shape of the chair back and the perforated metal? Onlookers might have comfortably taken in the game in simple metal chairs such as these – a lovely pair to bring a nostalgic warmth to any front porch.

Check out the recycled glass bottle chandelier! So unique.

And this one which was hand-made out of jute and melted plastic cups (among other things) by the amazing team of creative artists who work for the store! This one is display only, but here’s something very similar that you might be able to track down if this becomes a “must have” on your list!

They offer an endless selection of inspiring home + design books from which to choose. Well worth  perusing. “Paris Vs. New York” is already on my wish list.

Also offered is a lovely collection of cabinetry pulls for those looking to refresh an old dresser or side table.

Remember those antique signage letters I stumbled upon at the Christie Antique Show? These zinc letters have a similar feel and are available all year round…in every letter of the alphabet, of course.

Love this hot pink, ikat-upholstered linen sofa with the classic English roll arm style and turned wood legs. Feels like something I could have inherited from my English grandmother and then reupholstered in a contemporary fabric to suit my modern tastes.

As I’m sure you’ve discovered just from reading today’s post, Anthropologie is not just about apparel. In fact, the more time I spend in the store, the more treasures I discover for house + home. They will definitely be on my regular hit list for sourcing inspiring and unexpected home décor. And so we say: Welcome to Oakville, Anthro! We’re so delighted you’ve made yourself such a lovely and inspiring nest in our neck of the woods. We plan to visit frequently to see what surprises you’ve got in store for us.
xo
s.

By |June 26th, 2012|0 Comments