Pretty Patios for Summer

With summer just around the corner, tis' the season of wining & dining on the patio -woo hoo! I truly admire & appreciate the look of a well put together garden patio design.  Mine never seems to be quite as glamorous (or as tidy) as I'd like it to be, but each year we are slowly making progress. If I had my way, we would have a separate space at the end of our yard that looked like this....

Pottery Barn - Organic greens and muted yellows are a great combination for a fresh feel.

Whether it be at home or at the cottage, with so many ways to give your patio a personality, there are no more excuses for dull and uninspiring outdoor settings. 

Ceramic Garden Stools are one of the many fabulous & functional accessories to choose from when searching for summer decor.  They are available in different patterns, an abundance of colours and can vary considerably in pricing depending on where you choose to shop.

If you can, I suggest purchasing more than one for your outdoor space.

These garden stools are versatile pieces that can be used in various spaces.  To get the most bang for your buck,  purchase stool styles that will work with your interior decor as well as your outdoor colour scheme. This way you can appreciate them year round and changing things up often means that you will be less likely to tire of your decor.

I like how the lazy lying pillows relax the look of the room

Depending on where you reside,  your outdoor living space may not have as much greenery as you would like.  Potting large plants and trees will help fill the void of this missing natural element required to transform your space into a dreamy oasis. 

Imagine how sterile and cold this rooftop would look without all the beautiful greenery that brings it to life.

Lighting is also a 'must have' and plays a big part in completing the look of any living area.  In the above photograph the soft glow from the candles exudes a feeling of warmth and coziness.  Here are some more pictures that I was drawn to that utilise simple and decorative lighting ideas.

Oh how I love the look of Pottery Barn

These lights remind me of little honey bee hives.

I snapped some pictures of lanterns I saw at the Aberfoyle market this past weekend.  They could be included in your design to give an industrial or rustic edge to your look - either inside or out.

Below (left), this pair of metal trellis's were also up for grabs at the market. All you would need to do is rub them down gently, paint them in your desired colour and add a quick climbing plant. Easy, peasy!

I also found a metal bird bath - the perfect invitation to getting more wildlife to visit your garden.



We just adore having feathered friends around.

So, what are you doing to your backyard to make it look more pretty this year? We've purchased  maple trees & will be planting them Saturday.  The trees will fill up some of the space left by a neighbour who last summer cut down a lovely 40 year old tree (grrr...) that bordered our property.  We've never planted trees, so if you have any advice - it would be much appreciated!

Spring Fever, pass it on!

Earlier in the week we had some amazingly beautiful weather that has pumped me up for the spring season ahead!  I have been booking more colour consultations for the upcoming weeks and I'm positive that spring being just around the corner has a lot to do with that.  This is a great time of year to easily freshen up your home's decor by changing wall colours or adding bright pillows and pretty flowers to give you the fix you may be craving.  

How lively are these colours!?! Spring inspiring!!!

With the onset of spring comes Easter & images of fluffy cotton tails.  The picture below reminds me of the delicate pastel colours I would use as a child to paint Easter eggs.  I can't wait to get creative while egg painting with the kids this year, it's so much fun!  If you find yourself decorating eggs, why not use them to adorn some branches either inside or out to add a playful look to a vignette.

Source

Dont' be afraid to get 'carried away' with colours this spring time, it will make you feel good!

Blue skies, soft buttery sunlight and balmy temperatures naturally gets us in the mood to clean, organise and liven up our surroundings. Spring fever is just the excuse you've been waiting for to change things up.

If you want to add some colour to your space and would like advice in doing so, contact me and I will help you fall in love with your home again.  You can find all my contact details on my website: www.creatingcontrastdesigns.com. 

Revitalise your ~delicious decor~ by injecting pops of colour to every area of your house, I guarantee it will make you feel happy and lift your spirits!

Halloween Decoring Ideas

This is the perfect time of year for having fun with decorating.  I have sourced a few great ideas of places to buy spooktacular (sorry, couldn't resist) decor items to get you in the mood for Halloween.  Why not get into the 'spirit' of things and entertain family and friends in an amusing way?  Even if you don't get into costume for this occasion there are plenty of things to dress up around the house, so let's have a look!

Halloween inspired Wreath

These cute little witch booties are leg covers for your table - much more fancy than my tights!  They are available from Pier 1 for $9.95 each and come in the traditional black and orange or you can opt for ghoulish green and black stockings or princess witch legs in pink and purple. 

 My favourite item is the Skeleton Hand Drink Dispenser.  What's your favourite?

You can purchase any of these items on line here from Pottery Barn (be sure to check delivery time, as Halloween is almost upon us).  The black bottle toppers cost $24.38; the Tombstone Chalkboard hanging on the wall is on sale for only $128.32 and the creepy Skeleton Hand Drink Dispenser is just $101.38.  Monogramming is available on this piece but it is limited to just one letter.  I think it looks great without it, personally.  All prices are Canadian dollars and do not include tax.

Playful mice silhouettes

This vignette with old books, spiders webs' and black mice silhouettes is a playful way of adding fun to your homes' decor for Halloween.  The brassy colour of the books along with the shaded mice are reminiscent of the expected black and orange theme while the spider webs add extra layers.  The mice are part of the Martha Stewart Crafts collection available at Michaels.

Here are some other ideas for Halloween home decor that I couldn't help but giggle at when I saw.

These candle sticks have an eerie look of childrens' apathetic faces, but I kinda like them for Halloween!

We all have scary relatives in the family, but any quite like this?

Have a Safe and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

A few ideas for Decorating your table for Thanksgiving

I'm sure like me, you are all busy getting ready for Thanksgiving and enjoying this wonderful summer weather we are having.  Therefore, this is a quick post to show you some ideas I found for decorating your table (if you have been given the honour of hosting) for Thanksgiving this year.

A soft colour palette with detailed finishing touches. Tall candlesticks make for a more traditional look.

Napkins placed on each plate with a leaf & delicately tied is an easy way of making each setting festive.

With little effort, these make a great centre piece that look fabulous.

With these cute name cards your guests will know where to sit & 'gobble' their meal. If you are having a lot of people I would suggest putting your guests full name on each card to ensure there is no confusion when its time to for them to take their seats.

I thought this was a cute way of setting the table for the young ones. The crayons in the hat are a great touch and keeps the kids busy between courses or waiting for the meal to arrive.

If you've decorated a dinner table, I would love to see it.  You can send me some pictures and I will add them to my blog post. 

Whatever it is you have planned, I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving and the long weekend with family and friends.  It really is what life is all about!

Change your seasonal décor without breaking the bank

Change is good.  Change allows us to move with the times and explore different things that life has to offer.   Without change, life would be boring and uneventful.

My favourite time of year

As we enter a new season, why not try making subtle changes to your homes’ décor to keep your look current. Here are a few ideas that allow you to easily create a fresh feel without costing a lot of money.

 

Linens and Curtains

Daniel Stuart Bedding

In the fall and winter seasons, replace light and airy curtains with more full bodied window treatments that will add warmth and depth to your bedroom. A duvet cover with warm hues will help you feel extra cosy when crawling into bed on a cool autumn evening. Be sure to change up accent cushions to compliment your duvet cover and finish off the look in the bedroom. 

Floral Displays

Beautiful table setting

Although I am not a big fan of faux flowers, I understand that it may not always be feasible to keep real plants in certain living spaces. (Or if you are like me, you just can’t keep a plant alive) When done properly, artificial floral displays can look life like and add colour and softness to a room. 

So simple yet very effective and pretty.

Switch your delicate spring coloured florals to plants that more suitably reflect the current season. If your colour palette is such that you can incorporate deep oranges and dark reds, this will help you feel as though you are bringing some of the outdoors in.   Or go against the norm and add deep purples and apple greens to your decor!

Shower Curtains and Towels

A bit bizarre, but I like it!

Shower curtains are an easy and inexpensive way to add colour to your bathroom.  As there are so many styles and colours to choose from, you will have no problem finding suitable towels to match.  If you can, buy towels when they are on sale.  I find that the Bay and Sears have great sales throughout the year and I even purchased my last towels at 75% off the retail price.  I was stoked!

Entrance Mats
 

So many colours to choose from

Chances are your foyer or mud room mats take a beating, especially if you have children.  If you are diligent at keeping these mats clean and they are washable, you could get 2 years out of them.  Mats can be a great way to introduce a new colour to your space, just be sure to repeat the colour at least two more times in the room to ensure flow and harmony.

Pictures/Photographs

My 2 kiddies at the pumpkin patch

We all take photos throughout the year, but the downside of digital is that we are less likely to print them nowadays.  My advice is if you have personal photographs around the house update them with more recent pictures.  These can be photographs of anything that interests you - nature, animals or family photos.       

Serene and stunning

Once you have these alternate seasonal accessories you will be less likely to tire of your homes décor.  If you can do this twice a year, each season will feel like a fresh start.  By the time you are longing for change, spring will roll around and you can revive your décor again with your lighter, brighter and whiter soft furnishings.  Embrace change, I promise you won’t regret it!

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Looking for professional help with your home decor?  Please contact me and I will be happy to help you fall in love with your home again.  E-mail me at: claire@creatingcontrastdesigns.com.