Here’s a quarter …

I didn’t think a quarter was worth much, these days. Back when I was a kid my grandmother would give me and my cousin a quarter to go to the corner store for candy, but even back in the 80′s it didn’t get us much!

But it turns out you can get quite a bit for a quarter! This weekend I picked up this fabulous pitcher and glasses set that I plan on using for Sangrias!

You have bewitched me, body and soul.

I’m in love … with a wallpaper.

This is “Darcy” by Graham Brown, and I’m dying to use this – either in a foyer, or in a powder room.

Of course, like anything, it’s been done:

Isn’t the pattern, in a subtle silver-on-white, just incredibly elegant?

Meet the Flinstones

If you have fond memories of childhood years spent foot-pedaling and listening to your father shout “Yaba daba doo!”, you might be interested in a piece of real estate that went on the Miami market this week. The late Dick Clark’s 1-bedroom, 2-bathroom home includes 22 acres of land, and is nestled atop a mountain surrounded by ocean and mountain views on all sides.

“Truly unique” is the first realtor phrase that comes to mind. This home may not embody a traditional elegance, but there’s definitely something to be said for going back to basics.

Do-it-yourself toolkit

One of my recent goals has been to take on more do-it-yourself type projects, to avoid spending money on new items! In the past I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to afford new furniture and professional installers – but after not working for a fair length of time, I’ve begun looking for any way I can save money! I’ve started installing my own lighting fixtures, redoing ceramic lamps, refinishing furniture, and plan to experiment with patching my own wall holes soon.

The only problem has been that I haven’t had all of the tools I need at-hand to complete these projects! I’m sure my toolkit will keep growing as I tackle additional projects, but here’s what I’ve found to be essential so far:

1. Steel shaft hammer with rubber grip – I didn’t consider the ‘type’ of hammer I was using until I used my mother’s hammer – the grip makes it so much easier to hold the hammer without slippage, and the steel shaft means you don’t have to hit quite as hard! Who knew?

2. Vise grips – just *try* to undo those rusty old bolts without a set of vise grips/locking pliers. No fun at all.

3. Needle nose pliers – needle nose pliers allow you to pinch small objects, or work in tight spaces.

4. Wire cutters - working with any sort of electrical fixture? You’ll be cutting wires. This was news to me.

5. Screwdrivers – this seems like a no-brainer, but make sure you have a quality assortment of screwdrivers. You never know what size screws will accompany your new light, or how ridiculously tiny the screws holding that dresser together are.

6. Measuring tape - I couldn’t have started any of my projects without a measuring tape. It’s been used to measure walls, distances between lights, the lengths of dressers, and the height of my refrigerator.

7. Reversible drill & drill bits - when I started out, I thought I could just screw into my walls/ceilings using self-tapping screws, no problem. WRONG! After spending two hours trying to mount a lighting track to the ceiling, I borrowed my neighbor’s drill and had the task done in 15 minutes. Lesson learnt.

8. Torpedo or laser level - it could just be me, but when I walk into a room and something isn’t straight, it drives me nuts! I haven’t tried the fancy laser levels that are on the market, but I’m itching to get my hands on one – it seems like such an easy way to ensure things are hanging properly!

OK, 8 is a bit of a weird number to leave a list at. But that’s really everything I’ve found a need for so far.

Come back in a few days to see a few of the projects I’ve been using these tools on!

Hello world!

As an introduction to my new blog, and for some of you to me, I thought my first post should be full of fun facts and outline where I’m coming from in starting a ‘design blog’.

First and foremost, I need somewhere to collect my thoughts and musings on design trends, classics, and scares. Even if no one else reads this, at least I will be able to flesh out my ideas in a concrete fashion! I have a million ideas and want to hear other people’s opinions.

Decorum, by my definition in creating this blog, is propriety, elegance and class. These are values that I try to live my life by, and that carry over into my design and lifestyle choices. Decorum also falls into my education in Rhetoric and Professional Writing, as Decorum was an original principle of classical rhetoric, poetry, and theatre.

Now for a little fun, as a way to get to know me and understand my interest in ‘decorum’, here’s a quick list of some of my very favourite things:

THE KELLYS
No list of favourites is complete without a few Kellys! Besides the obvious association, I can honestly say I’ve never met a Kelly I haven’t liked, or disliked the work of any Kelly. Maybe some day someone will include me on their list of favourite Kellys

1. Grace Kelly
Elegance. Style. Deportment. What’s not to love?

2. Kelly Wearstler
Blending classic lines, contemporary style and timeless glamor, Kelly’s work embodies a truly livable-glam aesthetic. Her bold use of colour updates mid-century modern furniture, décor, clothing and accessories.

3. The Hermés Kelly
A silly, impractical personal goal is to one day own a Kelly Green Hermés Kelly

INTERIOR DESIGNERS
Much of my focus lately has been on interior design, as I decorate my home, and as an area I am interested in possibly pursuing as a career. Surrounding myself, and others, with colours, design, and comfort that makes a space pleasing is exciting and enticing to me. I love to design spaces that can be enjoyed by homeowners and guests alike.

1. Kelly Wearstler
I know this is a repeat from the first section, but if you don’t know her work then please do have a look – I am sure you’ll understand why she garners two mentions on this list!

courtesy kellywearstler.com

2. Greg Natale
As far as Aussies go, this one is pretty amazing. Greg’s ability to fuse a modern aesthetic with comfort and class wins my vote.

courtesy gregnatale.com

3. Insert Canadian designer here
I love to follow and support Canadian designers in every area – interior, fashion, art. But there really is no Canadian interior designer who I fall head-over-heels for every time, that I’ve come across. The commercialized Canadian designers (Sarah Richardson, Brian Gluckstein, et al) just don’t have the stand-out appeal that I’m looking for. Perhaps this year I can find someone to fill this hole in my favourites!

COLOURS

1. Purple
Originally reserved for royals (due to the amount of ink or dye required to produce this colour), purple makes a statement without stealing the scene.

2. Gray
Is gray a colour? I’m going to let it count because of how much I love it – the perfect neutral, and gorgeous in light, medium or dark tones!

3. Blue
There is always a shade of blue on my mind. Whether it’s pastel, bold or deep, blue is very close to a neutral in my eyes. Navy blue is a stately classic. In addition, lately I haven’t been able to get enough of the teal/peacock blue shades that suddenly seem to add just the right punch to everything.

EXTERIOR STYLES
What you’ll notice in each of these styles is that I am attracted to stately, traditional exteriors. I love stately, grand homes with solid, old bones, classic architecture, that have been updated to include modern amenities.

1. Parisian Townhouse Chic
I didn’t have a ‘style name’ for my favourite and preferred style (unless we want to get extravagant and look at Parisian Estates) until the most recent issue of StyleAtHome arrived in my mailbox. After glimpsing the exterior of Effie Genovese’s home I can now call my love of porticos, french balconies, stucco and colonnades “Parisian Townhouse Chic”.

courtesy StyleAtHome

2. British Manor
I may never own my very own manor house, but a girl can dream. This particular estate, Lyme Park, was featured as Pemberley – Mr. Darcy’s estate – in the 1995 BBC mini-series remake of Pride and Prejudice. Just last week 10 acres on this estate went up in flames, leaving the property closed. Thankfully there was no damage to the house!

3. Downtown Townhouse
Between time spent in Toronto and New York I’ve developed a fondness for townhouses. I once thought these houses were too uniform and close together (usually attached!), but have since decided they offer the perfect city living arrangement.

My plan was to include other ‘favourites’ in this post, but it seems to be getting long and I don’t want to bore you already! In the future I’ll also be talking about fashion, literature, art, lifestyle and whatever else may catch my fancy. Please keep checking back, leave a comment, and tell me what you think!

- Kelly