Jan 17, 2012

The Hallway - 2012

One of my big goals for 2012 is to make this hallway work.  It's certainly somewhat slightly improved from what it was, but faux concrete block and ship wheel lighting are haaaarrrrdd to work with. Have I ever shown the ship wheel lighting?  It's amazing.  


The 'lighting' of the lighting is terrible - so sorry. I think the ceiling looks like a little chicken has been out for an upside down stroll.  Maybe I need some sleep. 
It's also a narrow space so it's difficult to add anything to spice it up (apart from my $5 thrifted table that I recently spray painted with black chalkboard paint).


We usually have a cuter front mat.  This is our winter mat. Cute winter mats do not officially exist.  Well they do, but I can't afford them. 
This year, I plan to update the flooring in the front and rear entryways with Kismet Tile.  Based in the US, Kismet manufactures totally individualized and wildly colourful Moroccan concrete tile. I'm obsessed.  They are fairly reasonably priced ($25/sq. ft) and  most importantly - THEY SHIP TO CANADA!  yay!  I think the space could easily handle some bold colour - which may actually detract from the concrete block patterned walls. (ever noticed that faux concrete block interior walls has NEVER come back into vogue since the 50's? - there's a reason for this).  



I also plan to repaint the water cooler cabinet. 



Yellow just doesn't cut it with oak floors.  Think I need something cooler, like a deep eggplant or dark teal to counter the yellow/orange of the flooring and wood trim.  I am also committing myself to framing some family photos and hanging them in the stairwell.  Hubby wants them in the living room.  I'm more of a hallway kind of gal.  Do I sense an arm wrestle?  


LP

Jan 11, 2012

House Colours

We have some big decisions to make in 2012.  This is the year that we paint the exterior which will finally clean up what has been a wee eyesore in our neighbourhood for some time.  The roof was damaged in one of last year's biblical hail storms and we are on the list to have the roof replaced with new.  It's about 15 years old, so close to the end of its serviceable life.  We're on the wait list for February (!! - who roofs in February?) and are replacing with a black roof. 


The current paint scheme is dirty creamy/white - camouflaged during winter months save for the chartreuse door that literally hurts my eyes in the winter.  The paint scheme has been set for months.  


Merci Redneck Modern


That is until I have started obsessing about a single colour house.  Very 70's, certainly not period appropriate, but I'm suddenly very taken with every element (trim, sash, body) painted in a neutral colour with a pop colour door (warm yellow).  Am I crazy? 


 I finally found an example I like in this month's Dwell.  



I prefer this colour

House for reference (I miss summer)
There's almost no trim on the house and the the shutters were added.  I would even consider keeping a more modern designed shutter to replace the aluminum ones.  

Then add this door, in yellow: 

The Fortuna from Crestview Doors
This doorbell from Spore (that we ordered with the kitchen light from Lumens and have yet to install): 
And this address plate from Modplexi on Etsy.



Now to convince the hubby.... 

LP

Jan 4, 2012

Living Room Update - 2012

We have a big list of 'to-do's' for 2012.  And now that the backyard is done, we will have some time to devote to things like ... EL PINKO!!!  (which is marginally better since we painted the walls and counter.  Marginally.  [read: not worth showing - still sucky]) The goal for this year is to get some things done around the house that don't break the bank, like updating with paint, wallpapering, polishing out metal hardware (which I've been doing every day for the last two weeks - I have officially erased my fingerprints).  So over the next few weeks, I will be highlighting some of the projects we are going to tackle, room by room.  The big items for this year are El Pinko and painting the exterior.  Other than that it's updating as we are inspired and the budget allows. 

The first room, only because I am currently in it, and can assess while I'm sitting down, is the living room.  Now, I know I said I wasn't going to bring in any more retro items into the house, but we flipped things around in the living room after we de-xmas treed, opened up the space and added some modern pieces to balance out the old. So, yeah. I lied.  

We finally have a dedicated, comfy little area for reading in the living room.  

Love my new HBC blanket from my ma/pa.
But, since there is not a stitch of built-in lighting in the room, we need some task lighting. A pole lamp - just like this one - would be perfect.


However, I seem to only come across pole lights like this on Kijiji.  No.  

 A vintage typewriter for beside the reading corner.  I love design that is kid friendly and interactive.  I hide little figurines in  small spaces and love when kids can play with decor without it being too stuffy and formal. I'm sure I'll be driven mad with phonetically-misspelled typewritten notes strewn around the house by my 5-year old but I can handle it. 

Attempts to thwart Santa from our youngest.
I also want to find a new chair to replace this one this year.  

I love our little mad men chair but it can't handle all the girly swooning it gets daily from the kids and is starting to show its age.  This little chair epitomizes 'occasional' chair and would be much better preserved in a quiet room with a cute side table.  Like a grumpy old cat who doesn't like to be pet.

I also think I need some of these yellow ball flowers in some German pottery that seem to be in every mcm design shot lately.  I have no idea where to find them but I'm willing to have them sent from some ridiculous place on the other side of the world so I can create a cool vignette like this one.   
Courtesy Brick House
A bullet planter.  This has been on my list for years.  Easy to find online but impossible to source in antique stores.  Perfect for the rotating plants that I kill on a regular basis.  Purgatory for plants, here, I tell you. 

Courtesy ModCats.com
We desperately need more light in the living room.  With such wide exterior overhangs, it's like 8pm in this room at all times.  I've been coveting this from Schoolhouse Electric for our corner teak unit - which you may not know, has a secret compartment for adult fun.

Ion Lamp in White
Why yes, that is a light globe and two lava lamps (one which might be my daughters). 
What have we here?  A secret bar?
Finally, we need a new rug,  which is strategically placed to hide the silly putty ground into it.  We purchased the current one for our very first townhouse back in 2005 for $90.  I've been on the hunt for a new rug for years but have since learned that we get ripped off on rugs here in Canada.  A decent rug is at least over a $1000 and Overstock.com won't ship rugs here. I know.  You feel sorry for me. You should send me a rug.

LP