... of the Month

A new feature on my blog, ... of the month will showcase great places, stores, restaurants, etc. every month. This month, it's Toronto store L'Atelier, which is always full of unusual furniture and objets d'art at fair prices.

I'm not even in the store and already I want everything! The bedside tables, the lacquer boxes, the lamp; my mouth is starting to water.

As soon as I walk in, I see this great Muranoesque chandelier in purple blown glass. Statement lighting? I think so.

I love these mercury glass chalices, but I wish there was a size in between the large and the small.

This phrenetic bust reminds me of the movie My Fair Lady, which starred Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. Professor Henry Higgins had a few of these in his two-story library in the musical remake of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion.

I loved these framed starfish hung above a simple water feature. They remind me of one I have in my bedroom in our house in Southampton

As you've probably surmised from my blogging record, I'm a big fan of vignettes, and L'Atelier has some of the best.

A burlap light fixture is very Parisian...
... and I loved this whimsical butterfly watercolor.

I thought these bells would be fun to hang on the side of our house in Southampton. You could ring them at dinner time to call everyone to the table.

L'Atelier:

1224 Yonge Street, Toronto

(416) 966-0200

Master Bedroom

A master bedroom should command attention, but still be inviting after a long day. That's exactly what we were thinking when we bought these great chairs covered in a knockout chinoiserie fabric; comfortable, stylish. However, the space was a bit bland. I'd envisioned a table between the chairs, something more substantial on the mantel...

... and throw pillows that would go with the chair fabric and the ottoman.

I started realizing this spaces full potential by cleaning off the bookshelves (housed by chicken wire, which I don't really care for) and replacing books and accessories stylishly.

The mantel was next. Old black and white photos in black frames are the ultimate (and affordable) art failsafe. I layered in a newly purchased mercury glass ball and a faux-bois vase. I added a few little things like an old baby's shoe and an Asprey clock.

Finally I have a table! Somewhere to put my book, some flowers, and a glass of wine. I also found these interesting round pillows, and they totally match the fabric.

A tray on an ottoman always works well, just be sure to use contrasting colors! It's a great place for magazines, a candle, and maybe a piece of art.

Et voila! The finished product. Everything I'd want in a reading space: comfortable chairs, a little table, a fire, and a place to put my feet up.

Decorate... Redecorate

I love decorating! It's a fun and easy pastime that anyone can get involved in. Many people have this misconception that decorating is an expensive hobby reserved for the wealthy, but it can be inexpensive and as easy as slapping some new paint down or rearranging furniture for optimal flow. This weekend, I took on re-doing my basement, a formerly depressing space with dents in the yellow (cringe) walls and off-white ceiling (I feel that ceilings should only be crisp white, or, if so-inclined, a rich statement color).

With a bold hit of red behind shelving and on the TV/fireplace wall, and a warm taupe for the rest of the space, the room is now cozy and inviting with an energizing hit of color. Minimal accessories tastefully make this a fun yet not-too-fussy room. To give the shelves a little extra hint of crisp, I removed the jackets of hardcover books and replaced them with white paper.

The bar went rarely used and often unnoticed before, but it now lends depth to the space through the use of a mirror, a handy decorator's tool to visually enlarge space.

I worked with the existing couches and coffee table, adding a tray and some books for interest's sake.

The crisp white cupboards and mantel also used to be painted off-white... what a difference!

The ping-pong table was already in the room, but often folded up against the wall and, I felt, not getting enough use. So, by moving the existing game table over to sit against the back of the couch, we are now able to have it down all the time. Also, the colors of the table play off the silver-framed union Jack we bought last weekend. We now have a useful and fun lounge, thanks to a coat of paint and some well-chosen accents.