Been a couple of Weeks!

Hey folks, I've been away a couple of weeks, I'll explain this Wednesday.  In the meantime a Friday Fav is due and a Friday Fav shall be produced!

Wonderful blog to follow, written in Danish and English, Ellens Album. Very upbeat, VERY stylish, very fun.  One sofa, three ways.

'Till Wednesday!  Have a good weekend folks.

Bill
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Monday Morning - Guu and Paper

Welcome back from the weekend.  I feel like mine is still going, been a funny few days.  

Sampled some great japanese at Goo Izakaya, if you've never been, its a lot like a tapas bar. Order too many dishes and share them all with friends. Delicious.

And the paper went up!  Tada!  Finally, after months of waiting, it arrived, and we jumped on it right away.  

It's a grainy shot, so I'll keep it small - more to come!

Bill

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Friday Fav - Big Brick Wall Edition

Friday Fav, and its from one of the better design blogs you will ever follow.  Dezeen has been around for, well, I don't know how long.  But its been and while, and its been a good while.  

Onto the picture!

Follow the link, and check out the rest of this article.  I have a super soft spot for modern additions to traditional spaces, and this is a great example of how to blend them.  

Sneak Peak - A New Project In The Beaches

A little sneak peak here of a project in transition.  The home is in a fantastic location in The Beaches, down near the R.H. Water Plant.  Quiet street, trees everywhere, and incredibly private.  Down the street, cafes, restaurants and shops.  Spots like this are the reason people want to move here!

Now to share.  Like I said, this is a sneak peak, so bear with me, these aren't exactly professional. 

  

Kitchen space is white cabinets on white cabinets.  Framed inset, classic, simple lines.  Counters are Super White Quartzcite.  Floors are walnut with just enough colour on them to hide some of the strongest variation.

This cabinet section will act as a servery for gatherings and be the coffee center for early morning brews. The coffee machine is a counter model, but it's got a dedicated water line and everything needed will be housed in those drawers.  The best of looks and the best of function.  Knock box can sit in the top drawer, and all of the storage you need for cups and beans.

Cute laundry room, soft blue gray tone.  A little cleaner than some of the other spaces in the house, and I love how the crown and light valence trim turned out.  

 And these baths!  Oh these baths!  Each is different, but all carry a similar tone and weight throughout the project.  More to come too, Mudroom, Master Bath and Living Room Built-Ins.  

A little bit beachy, a little bit elegant, and you've got to admit, some of these are just a lot of fun.

Bill

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1,000 and Counting - The Pinterest Edition

When Keri introcduced me to Pinterest, I didn't know what to think.  Is this another social network?  Seems like a massive distraction?  I was right about one of those.  Its become a bit of a guilty pleasure.  I'm increasingly finding myself neglecting which ever project I should be working on, and scanning Pinterest for the latest fashion find or DIY project.

I even have a favourite Pinner I follow.

Over the weekend I passed the 1,000 follower mark, so I thought I would share some of my favourites with you, and post a couple new picks before I pin them to one of my boards.  

Men's Fashion - What Men Wear: A Men's Style Board 

My Men's fashion board was a huge surprise for me. I didn't expect to enjoy pinning to this board nearly as much as I do, and it's become the one that is followed most.  These are my favs and most pinned.

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What am I pinning right now? These two, right from  Cup of Couple & Style of A Guy  

Interiors & Exteriors - In, On, or Around the Home

My biggest passion for sure. Residential design is where I spend my time.  I find Pinterest especially  inspiring for interior spaces.  Such a massive variety, all in one place, all for me to devour! 

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And finally, down here at the bottom, two new Pins from Desire to Inspire.

Bill

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Great Grays - Picking a Wall Colour

Decisions, decisions. Our lives are full of them and really, what would it be without them.  When you're designing, everyday is decisions.  Location of sconces, placement of furniture, and wall colours - always wall colours.

Finding the right wall colour can and should be one of the most fun parts to any project.  As you've been inundated, reading our nursery posts vigorously this past while, I've been choosing a wall colour.  I knew gray.  That much I knew.  But which?  Warm? Cool? Blue, red, purple, green, totally neutral?

I've settled.  But I will most definitelly share the process.

I began with some simple Pinterest, Houzz and Google searches.  Snapping up pictures, saving them to a dropbox (dropbox is my lifeline these days) folder and generally hording.

Then chips came out, as did my wallpaper and and a notepad.

Old favourites are a good place to start, as is the Benjamin Moore App for your iPhone.  I pulled out one of my all time favourite colours, Iron Mountain and began here. I've done a number of kitchen spaces, and kitchen cabinets, in this deep rich tone.  Its a warm, slightly brown gray. Look at the Comparison above.  On the left is Iron Mountain, on the right is Wrought Iron. Although its hard to see it on screen, hopefully you can pick it out a little, there is a blue that isn't in Iron Mountain, but brings a coolness to Wrought Iron that I want to avoid.

Yes I like Iron Mountain, as the above pics display, and I like that it's carrying a warm undertone without being red or purple.  Where do we go from here? Now I start comparing.

Here are a handful of colours, all next to Iron Mountain (right in the middle).  I really do want to stay away from blues, and red or purples too.  I don't mind if there is a slight hint of green, though it needs to be kept slight, because my wallpaper has a tiny green cast to the gray.  Looking at these, I'm realizing that I really don't want to go dark.  I've seen some beautiful dark walled nurseries, but I want bright and light - maybe I can find that happy medium? 

Now that I've got it down to a few solid (lighter) colours, I'll compare to the wallpaper.  I want to pull out one of the colours in the paper, without going too white. My trim is a pretty true white and I'm trying not to repaint it.  This is Gray Owl (the darkest), Intense White (the lightest) and something else in between, I honestly should have written that down!

After much thought, much comparing and much rethought, I've found my happy medium, Gray Owl (OC-52).  I love the depth to this colour - it's not a rich colour, but it carries a weight. And it pops next to the white trim.  Its gray without being cold, and it gives me a gray/neutral that I can work with for the rest of the space. 

I'm seeing some chevron pattern pillows on a charcoal sofa, all offset with a straight white crib. - And an as yet undecided accent colour.

Next up, the work. This room's not going to paint itself!    ...my Mom is going to paint it...   Ha!  I'll lend a hand too, but she'll most likely be done before I get the chance to help, she's a pro.

Bill
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