THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED. CLICK HERE TO SEE WHO WON!
Truthfully, other than picking up on some of the controversies surrounding Sochi's anti-LGBTQ policies, I haven't paid much attention to the Olympic Winter Games. I've lived in a bubble, selfishly focused on the lakehouse. Without television, I've whiled away my evenings painting. Wait until you see how I've brightened the space so far! With the Winter Games now in full swing, it seems some design enthusiasts are distracted from focusing on the sporting events and politics, and intrigued by the international inspiration that can be gleaned from the event. Leading Canadian paint brand CIL® has great ideas for bringing colours from around the globe into our spaces here in Canada. They've looked to the games as a way to pick up some gold-medal worthy design ideas! What a great time to introduce a watery blue palette inspired by the Mediterranean, or mod neutrals imported from Scandinavia.
In the spirit of the games, how would you like a chance to win something? Thanks to CIL, one of my Canadian readers is going to win 3 gallons of paint to makeover a room or two.
Contest Rules:
This contest is only open to Canadians (sorry my non-Canadian friends, but CIL has been proudly Canadian since 1927).
The winner can pick any CIL colour and paint finish. Literally anything your heart desires. It won't be difficult to find your perfect colour - there are more than 1200.
Contest closes Sunday, February 23rd at 12pm EST. Check back Monday the 24th to see if you'll spend a few days with paint in your hair, like me!
It's easy to enter, just leave a comment answering the question below:
Have you ever been inspired by a certain city or country when decorating your own space?
If I were to answer, I might cheat and admit that I absolutely love the chic, Canadiana lodge look I've spotted more than once in Canadian House & Home magazine. Think Hudson's Bay blankets, warm woods and creamy white walls. I haven't tried the look yet, but maybe someday!
Bonus Entries (leave a comment for each):
Follow CIL on Facebook
Follow CIL on Twitter
Follow CIL on Pinterest
Share this giveaway with someone!
As always, anonymous entries are warmly welcomed - no Google account needed. You don't need to leave your email info either, but just leave a first name and make sure that you check back Monday to see if you're the winner. Without your contact info, I'll need you to shoot me a quick email to claim your prize!
Disclosure: I was approached by CIL to run a giveaway for my readers centered on the theme of the Winter Games. I was more than happy to partner with a great Canadian company to connect you with a fab freebie. These words are all my own. I was not compensated in any way for running this giveaway, although I will be working with CIL in the future for a paint makeover of my own! All photos and images are from CIL.ca.
Great giveaway Tanya! Perfect timing for me and my (hopefully) imminent move to the condo :)
ReplyDeleteI follow CIL on Twitter :)
That's so exciting that you're finally moving!! Congrats!
DeleteI also follow CIL on Pinterest!
ReplyDeleteYes absolutely! When I was living in London, England I felt super inspired by the style and architecture there. I happened to help my parents decorate a room just after moving back, and it had a very English feeling about it.
ReplyDeleteThanks! :)
I can imagine that spending a year in London would be very inspiring. Your parents must have been so touched to have a little bit of the English aesthetic you picked up. It was like you brought home some of England for them :)
DeleteI like CIL on facebook
ReplyDeleteI follow CIL on twitter
ReplyDeleteI follow CIL on Pinterest
ReplyDeleteI rent a little house in a little Manitoba town that was painted in tones of peach, rust, seafoam and butter when I moved in 5 years ago. Its owners spend their winters in Texas near the Mexican border, and I think the paint is an homage to the warm and inviting homes found in Mexico and Cuba. The colors make my home warm and inviting, and I have decorated with warm neutrals and lots of art that I have created.
ReplyDeleteI definitely understand wanting to infuse a Manitoba home with warm colours, reminiscent of Mexico and Cuba. Such a great way to cozy up during the cold Manitoba winters!!
DeleteFun! No, I don't think I've ever been inspired by a certain city or country. I usually go more for a feeling - calm, cool, warm etc. Fingers crossed - I have a lot of walls that need some paint lovin'!
ReplyDeleteNow I have that 70s song . . . "more than a feeling . . . " stuck in my head. How did this happen??
DeleteYay for some free paint! I've been inspired by Scandinavian design before- love the clean lines and wood tones!
ReplyDeleteI love Scandinavian design too! Do you think it's something in the water? How are they so stylish??
DeleteOooooh I so need this!! I need to paint a PINK kitchen that I have been putting up with for 15 YEARS!! It's a rental and I don't want to invest the money. lol. I'd say I Greece is a place I've taken inspiration from before.....with the crisp white and bright blues.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry I couldn't hook you up with some paint for your rental. I totally understand not wanting to invest the money. Surely your landlord doesn't love to pink. Maybe they would provide the paint in exchange for your free labor??
DeleteLiving in Halifax has changed the way I decorate; I can see the Atlantic Ocean from my apartment, so my living room is filled with lots of blues, silvers and whites.
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so jealous! A few of the Atlantic Ocean is amazing.
DeleteI've been pinning lots of ideas for a Canada themed room for my little boy, I think it would be a fun theme that I could do lots of animal art on the walls and a big CPR rail vintage poster as well as warm flannel plaid sheets. Something that would easily transition to a pre-teen room later on. Now that we're expecting a 2nd child and I'm not sure if they'll have to share a room, I've been thinking of a bicycle themed room. Pottery barn kids has lovely sheets covered in bikes, and there are so many fun art prints on etsy featuring bikes and animals on bikes. I think it would work if a boy and a girl have to share a room and also for the age gap...not too baby and not too toddler. Either choice, there are so many fun ideas out there for kids rooms and a nice bright paint colour to really make the theme stand out and the room feel fresh is an exciting place to start.
ReplyDeleteI love your ideas, especially adding a CPR rail poster. I love my vintage posters from Hungary - they add such a feeling of history.
DeleteI'm following CIL on pinterest :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't been inspired by a country but do get inspiration from looking at the colour palates that CIL puts together - I love looking at new ways of decorating with paint!
ReplyDeleteThey definitely put together some gorgeous palettes!
DeleteFollowing CIL on facebook
ReplyDeletefollowing their Pinterest boards
ReplyDeleteFor a while as a teenager I wanted everything decorated like a beach house. ha ha ha Does that count?
ReplyDelete-amanda
Totally counts!
DeleteI haven't been inspired by a certain city or country in my decorating but I have tried several times to get a nice beachy blue and have failed each time! I just don't think that I can do blues very well.
ReplyDeleteOh no!! Maybe try blues in accents and try a creamy white or pale grey paint for the walls? I've made mistakes with blue paint too - I always pick too dark a colour and should look more toward the paler hues. In a room, a lighter colour has more impact than on a swatch. Don't give up :)
DeleteI have always been inspired by the East Coast when it comes to decorating and eating.
ReplyDeleteYum!
DeletePaint has magically transformed my whole house! It was dark burgundy and brown and I've painted the main & upper floors white. So perfect. So bright! I still have my basement to do and CIL paint would be just perfect! I'm still leaning toward painting the basement white, but there's beige carpet and I'm wondering if I should try to be adventurous with a bit of colour instead. I wonder if I can get away with a grey/taupe colour down there. Must. Investigate.
ReplyDeleteOh...I'm completely inspired by Scandinavian simplicity. We both suffer from dark winter days/nights, so living in a white space really helps to brighten things (i.e., my mood) up!
Thanks for hosting the giveaway Tanya. Looking forward to seeing more of The Lakehouse soon. p.s. Dial-up? How do you do it!?
Congrats!! You won!!
DeleteAnd don't worry, we don't have dial-up - I was just surprised that's still an option! We have something between dial-up and high speed. It's an adjustment, but we knew there would be compromises.
I already follow CIL on Twitter.
ReplyDeleteI now follow CIL on Pinterest!
ReplyDeleteThe gorgeous blue of Lake Louise is a very inspirational colour to me. I seem to have a love for turquoise shades of blue! Great Giveaway!
ReplyDeleteMe too!! I love watery colours, turquoise being my favorite.
DeleteI've never been to iceland but I'm always inspired by pictures of hot springs and the grey blue environment. One day I will go! I'm finding myself painting the whole house in various shades of this colour.
ReplyDeletetwitter StephCD_
Ooo, I've never been to Iceland but the beautiful photos I've seen of it are so alluring. What a great source of inspiration!
DeleteI follow CIL on Facebook
ReplyDeleteI follow CIL on twitter
ReplyDeleteI follow CIL on pinterest as stephchd
ReplyDeleteI'm more inspired by bloggers than by a certain country, but I do love the calming styles and colours of Japanese decor. I'm painting my whole house right now, so good timing for me as well!
ReplyDeleteHappy painting!!
DeleteI follow CIL on Pinterest
ReplyDeleteI 'like' CIL on Facebook
ReplyDeleteI follow CIL on twitter.
ReplyDeleteAny country with a beach, I love the calm colours of sandy beaches and blue skies. Polly
ReplyDeleteI agree!!
DeleteI don't think I've ever really been inspired by another city or country. I've never travelled outside Canada or the US, which seems crazy now that I've typed it out! But I've recently bought an old farmhouse and find myself gravitating toward the country vibe since I moved. Can't seem to get enough of rustic pine furniture! Great contest! CIL is my go to paint.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that's crazy at all! We have a beautiful country and a great neighbour in the US. There is lots to see and do without having to cross an ocean. Hubby and I have loved our trips to Europe but on our last one we pledged to see more of our own continent before we book another flights abroad. Some Europeans had seen more of Canada than us - so embarrassing!
DeleteI follow CIL on Pinterest
ReplyDeleteI like CIL on Facebook
ReplyDeleteI'd love some paint! I'm inspired by nature - the trees and oceans from Newfoundland were I grew up and the Rockies where we spend lots of time camping.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Newfoundland (it's on my list), but I can imagine it's inspiring from photographs. So lucky to have grown up surrounded by such beautiful nature!
DeleteI'm VERY inspired by the minimalistic, pure, clean lines look - like houses i've seen in Sweden.
ReplyDeleteI'm so jealous you've been to Sweden! I spent three hours there once, and I'd love to go back sometime - after I've seen more of Canada.
DeleteFollowed CIL on Facebok
ReplyDeleteFollowed on Pinterest
ReplyDelete...and followed on Twitter too!
ReplyDeleteIve always been inspired by the old farm houses, barns and fields in the country. I spent a lot of time at my grandparents farm in Northumberland county growing up.
ReplyDeleteJulia DeDecker
Such beautiful inspiration!!
DeleteI have been blessed with in-laws that own a Muskoka cottage so that place has had a huge influence in the design and feel of my home :) I need to make my livingroom more cottagey, hope I win!
ReplyDeleteOh, very nice!! A Muskoka cottage is definitely a great place to draw inspiration. I love the idea of taking the feeling home with you, so you can enjoy it all year round.
DeleteI get my inspiration from the colours in my garden so I have to say Canada.
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful!! Your garden must be so beautiful.
DeleteI follow CIL on Facebook
ReplyDeleteI follow CIL on Pintrest
ReplyDeleteThis would be amazing!
ReplyDelete... follow on Pinterest (lindsaypaul11)
ReplyDeleteFollowing on Twitter (@lindsaypaul11)
ReplyDeleteand of course I'm following on facebook!
ReplyDeleteI've always loved the clean, crisp look of Scandinavian decor, but I've been too nervous to actually try it!
ReplyDeleteI say go for it!! If it's too plain, it's easy to layer in some more colour and texture.
DeleteI'm following CIL on facebook
ReplyDeleteI follow CIL on Pinterest
ReplyDeleteOver the years I have been inspired by a couple of different countries. When my ex and I were splitting up I painted my entry hallway in warm Mexican colours hoping to exude happiness and joy into the space. It worked. Today I am more inspired with much cooler tones and am drawn to Scandinavian styling and colours. I love a clean bright look with shots of bright colour.
ReplyDeleteI love that you've experimented with different looks from different countries!! I'm with you: bright look with colours. I'm moving toward that direction too.
DeleteI'm following on Facebook
ReplyDeleteI'm following on Twitter
ReplyDeleteI'm following on Pinntrest
ReplyDeleteNo, I can't say that I've ever been inspired by a country when doing a room.
ReplyDeleteFair enough! There's so much other inspiration out there!
DeleteI am also trying to make very thoughtful purchases for my husband and I going forward! We both love the white, bright and clean lines of Scandinavia. It's very on-trend right now, but I will always be drawn to white.
ReplyDeleteIt's so lucky when your personal aesthetic aligns with what's in style because it's easy to track down pieces you love!
DeleteSadly, my inspiration comes from what my wife wants to do.
ReplyDeleteAwww, so sad.
DeleteI have always love the colours of Santorini, one of the Cyclades. The white buildings with blue roofs against the sky and the ocean ... like heaven.
ReplyDeleteDreamy!
DeleteHaving lived near the ocean a few times in my life, an ocean/beach/coastal palette is always inspiring to me when decorating my home.
ReplyDeleteYou're so lucky to have lived on the ocean!!
DeleteLike many here I like the Scandinavian look.
ReplyDeleteScandinavian design is gorgeous, it's understandable :)
DeleteI followed CIL on pinterest
ReplyDelete