Create Charisma with Candles !

Candles can really add to a room. They alter the mood in any space quickly and it is such an inexpensive transformation. Candles make the largest of spaces feel intimate and romantic.

So here are some things to remember when choosing and using candles -

1. Scented candles, if the scent is strong before it is lit, pass on it, as the scent becomes stronger when lit.

2. Do not use scented candles at a dinner party it can take away from the aroma of the delicious meal.

3. Put your candles in the fridge an hour before using them, they will take longer to burn.

4. Stick with similar colour tones so your use of candles looks intentional and not like you just grabbed every candle in the house during a power outage.

Fun and Fabulous Finds!

Looking for fabulous fabric?

check out http://www.joann.com/

Looking for a personal piece of art? Something that is truly meaningful to you and just as unique?

check out http://www.learntodream.co.uk/

Go local - new Ottawa home style magazine!

Check out the premiere issue of "Our Homes" a local magazine all about design and decor with tips and tricks, interviews and ideas for any type of home.

www.ourhomesmagazine.com/ottawa

The reason why this is so great? This magazine celebrates local designers and stores in the Ottawa region - so it is easy for it's readers to achieve the look they want in their dream home.

Who says Ottawa doesn't have style?

Don't fight your style, Find it!

So you found a great house - you love the location, the price was right and now it's time to put your stamp on it, so now what? Take a look at the architecture of your home and that will give you a direction to move in - is it traditional? modern? sunny rooms? somber rooms? etc... Use those aspects of the home (or room) as a starting point, that will give your design some direction and intention - don't try to fit a square peg into a circular hole. When you fight the natural flow of a home (or room) it is obvious and rarely works.

Once you have really connected with the style of your home, next is too look at it empty and come up with a plan. Placement of furniture (existing or new) and figure out what goes where and possibly what you'll need to purchase or purge.

Think colour - don't get to specific but have an idea of the tones that will work in your home. I was in a beautiful chalet in the Laurentians which has the original wood beam ceilings and unfortunately the owners painted them a fire engine red because they wanted a funky colour - that funky colour would have worked better in a blanket, throw pillows or other accessories. The wood beams would have added some charm, warmth and maybe even a lofty feel.

So if you have a traditional home but like the look of modern what can you do? A LOT!! Take traditional shapes for example a wing back chair but upholster it in a pattern fabric. Add elements of sparkle like a funky mirror over the fireplace mantle. Don't go too over the top but splashes of modern in a traditional home is very chic and a truly personal style.

Last step is to shop, look around at all sorts of stores to create your one of a kind personalized look. Don't make your room or home look a like an image out of a catalogue but something from a stylish decor magazine.

When you work with the existing style of the home and mesh it with your personal taste you really end up with something fabulous and fun!

Unwaste your space

On this blog I have offered many suggestions on how to make better use of your space, getting organized and removing clutter. Recently, my husband and I tackled the daunting task of cleaning and organizing our garage (yikes!). We came across a lot of junk and a lot of old paint cans from the previous owners. We called a junk removal company hoping they could dispose of everything - they took everything except the paint cans. So where can you drop off paint cans, solvents, anti-freeze etc...? Check out this website http://www.makethedrop.ca/. It has all of the information you need such as what you can drop off, how to transport it to the site safely and by entering your postal code along with the type of items you wish to dispose, the website will give you a list of several drop off sites in your area. So easy!

Orange Drop is here to help everyone recycle municipal household hazardous and special waste materials. They encourage us all to follow the three R's - reduce, reuse and recycle. Their goal is to ensure that these types of materials to not end up in landfills or poured down sewers or drains but they also realize that having them sit in our homes is not a solution either. Their program is focused on the last R - recycle. The Orange Drop program is here to help recycle and dispose of these materials in a safe and easy way.

Together we can all help make Ontario cleaner and greener!

Fireplaces : Drab to Fab!

In this heat it is really tough to think about decorating the fireplace but soon enough you'll want to do nothing else. The fireplace is functional and fashionable whether it's gar or wood burning it is the focal point of any room - how can you really make this focal point hot?

Here are some great tips -

-- think about the overall look you want and decorating your fireplace accordingly, contemporary design is clean and traditional/formal more ornate.

-- think about the size of the room, that will help you determine how dramatic you can get.

Ways to make the fireplace 'pop':

-- add a beautiful tile for the surround and hearth or if the fireplace breast sticks out from the wall, maybe tile the whole wall. stone, ceramic or even glass tiles can make strong statements

-- paint the fireplace breast in a bold colour

--double vision - (best in a big dramatic room) the plaster fireplace mantle/surround you have around you fireplace can also be added to the breast, paint it out the whole area in one solid colour, the second mantle/surround acts as an extra large and bold frame for art or a mirror

Decorating the fireplace -

-- the mantle tends to get cluttered with family photos and trophies. keep the trophies in more personal spaces like bedroom shelves or the office. the photos should be framed and mounted on the wall in a montage above the fireplace (or the sofa)

-- candlesticks and vases are classic and clean. have them flanked on either side of the mantle and keep the sides a even.

-- the fireplace breast is the perfect spot for a large mirror, a fabulous vase with flowers or a beautiful piece of art.

The fireplace itself should be the focal point by adding to much colour or clutter you are turning it into an eye sore. Keep it clean and simple no matter your personal decor style!

Coming soon to Bouclair Home

Anyone that knows me at all would know that Bouclair Home is one of my 'staple' stores when it comes to staging, decorating or just some simple room updating. This store offers great prices for the latest trends in colours and styles in home decor.

I was very excited to hear that this fall (Autumn 2010) Bouclair Home will have a line of children's and junior bedding! From what I have seen the colour waves are age appropriate, fresh and fun but still super stylish. Gender specific and neutral! Stripes, solids, polka dots and more! See in store for more details!

Furniture face lift!

My husband and I spent our Canada day doing various chores around the house (sounds like fun right?). We had been putting off these chores for some time, with a new baby and busy work schedules we just did not have the time. One of the day's tasks was the empty the garage and find our patio set. Find it we did and boy it looked tired! We still set it up in the rear yard but it truly looked pathetic. Truth be told it was a hand me down from someone who purchased newer and nicer patio furniture for themselves - so it was already pretty used but we took it and have not really used it - maybe because it looked so awful.

We discussed buying a new set with all the sales on now but did not see anything that we really liked, so why spend the money. As a short term solution we decided to spray paint our current set, use it for the summer and if we wanted to, maybe purchase something new next spring.

We were not sure how the set would turn out but it had to be slightly better than how it looked currently. We went to the Home Improvement store and purchased our cans of Rust-Oleum spray paint. They had a ton of colours and finishes (textured, smooth etc...) check out their website http://www.rustoleum.com/ for ideas and see all the things you can do at your home with a little bit of spray paint. Check out Inspiration page for ideas and do it yourself resources for tips and tricks.

Our set looks brand new and spectacular. We were able to choose colours that worked with some other item we had in the yard and we even decided to paint the wicker chairs too! It did not take long and it was a fun project to do together at home.

It is amazing what a face lift can do!