A Little Hallway Update with Lowe's

After moving to the lakehouse, Hubby and I tackled a ton of budget-friendly, temporary makeovers to make this house feel bright and modern - and "us" - while we planned and saved for major renovations.  I'm so glad we took the time to do those spit & polish type projects because, other than the main bathroom, all of our major renos (full kitchen, laundry room and powder room gut, new roof and siding, new fireplace and secret door, fish room to laundry room conversion, etc.) had to take a back seat to some major life upheavals.  Although I love the temporary changes we made, I have to admit that I have been feeling a strong urge to pick up a sledgehammer and demo something!  I really want to renovate - probably motivated by motivated in part by the fact that all of our appliances are failing at once - but I have to cool my jets a little bit longer.  I'm so excited that I have had this fish room makeover to work on to satisfy my need for change.

In the meantime, I've been focusing on making small tweaks to our decor.  I've been eyeing the kitchen for a little upgrade and I have been dedicated to finding some missing puzzle pieces to finish the budget-friendly makeovers we did early on.  There are definitely some decor pieces that we have needed to help make our home more functional and help some spaces feel more complete.

Luckily, I have Lowe's Canada to help me out!  They have new home decor themes and one collection - "Modern Nostalgia" - definitely has my name on it, so I brought home a few accessories that are as practical as they are beautiful, in the hopes of putting some finishing touches on previous makeovers - and satiating my urge for change!

I'm sharing the piece with the biggest impact today, but come back to see a few more peeks into the fabulously curated decor finds from Lowe's Canada.

After painting the hallways walls, trim, and doors white, upgrading all of the interior levers and exterior door hardware, we replaced all of the boob lights and even switched out the dated door for one with a more mid-century modern inspired look.  We hung up some art and added the only piece of furniture the small space can afford: a little hand carved stool.  Most recently the floors were painted, along with the kitchen, but there was still a missing puzzle piece: a mirror!  

Whenever I wanted to fuss with my scarf or check my lip gloss before heading out the door, I'd either run back to the bedroom to use the full length mirror in there, or dash through the laundry room to the half bath and use that mirror. 

I had forgotten what a wonderful thing it is to have a mirror by the door!  Plus the hallway can be a little dark at times because even with the wonderful windows, our exterior door is often sheltered from the sun thanks to our carport.  So this Columbia Frame mirror helps bounce a little light around.

It's a beautiful addition to the space, adding warmth to my cool color palette of blues and whites.  It's made from solid reclaimed wood with a hand waxed finish, which adds a lot of gorgeous texture and interest. 

After I ordered it, I was worried it would be too chunky or too rustic, but although the diameter of the frame is very substantial in size (31/5"), it still feels delicate.  Plus I just love how the hand waxed finish plays on the lakeside vibe with its driftwood feel.

In my city, Lowe's Canada took over a lease at one end of our shopping mall and that's where the BEST parking is, so I always park there and slowly loiter my way through Lowe's to enter the mall.  I am so excited that Lowe's stocks beautiful home decor in addition to renovating supplies because I love browsing the aisles but I'm not quite ready to start appliance shopping or picking out tiles yet!

Soon, though, soon...

I was provided product and compensation by Lowe's Canada, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

14 Gorgeous Ways to Display and Decorate with Succulents

My Mom and I are both notorious plant killers, which puzzled the older generations of women in our family, who had decorated their homes in the 1970s when plants and macrame plant hangers and all that jazz was trending hard.  Although house plants will always be a mainstay of interior decor, there's definitely been an intense plant craze that has swept the decorating world once again.  Mom and I resisted for awhile - in the interest of plants everywhere - but it's impossible not to get caught up in the frenzy because plants really make a house feel homier.  Now I'm up to nearly twenty plants, some of which I've propagated myself!

Aside from a large snake plant and a pretty substantial jade plant, most of my house plants are shrimpy little guys.  I really want a trendy, giant cactus but I can't seem to find any around here.  Succulents, however, are abundant and widely available.  Looking to find new ways to display and care for succulents, I started a Pinterest board full of plants (and house exteriors) to help encourage my green thumb, both indoors and outside.  In the process, I've stumbled across some insanely gorgeous and inventive ways to display succulents, so I wanted to round up my favorites for all of my reluctant plant-lovers out there...

P.S. my planter is vintage McCoy but this one is so similar!

Pop a Succulent in a Wall Pocket:

These Umbra Trigg hanging planters are so modern, plus they're such a great way to position those light-loving succulents where the lighting situation is ideal.  In a small house, I really don't have that many surfaces where the light is suitable, so I'm seriously tempted to pick up a couple wall pockets (although this set of four wall pockets has a more mid-century feel, I think):

Let a Succulent Chill in a Hanging Planter:

The glaze on these hanging planters is so rich - of course I love that teal on the right, but I'm also pretty smitten with the softly faceted shape.  As an added bonus, they're handmade!  An un-glazed edge and hemp cord enhance the earthy, boho feel without a stitch of macrame.

Corral a Group of Succulents in a Table Top Garden:

I fell in love with this image of a cactus garden and I can't stop thinking about making a succulent or cactus garden of my own.  I've gone so far as to track down a great deal on a lot of baby succulents, but the perfect container (and spot to put them!) eludes me.  I do love this Mkono ceramic succulent planter because it has a drainage hole to keep those plants healthy, plus the white ceramic is classic and timeless.

Plant a Bevvy of Succulents in a Bar Cart:

I have been pining for that popular turquoise Ikea RASKOG cart for years, but have no where to put it (and no reason to buy it) so I couldn't justify the impulse purchase.  But people are SO inventive - here it's used as a mini succulent garden on wheels.  It's a great way to make sure the succulents are always positioned in a window with the best light.

Stack Succulents in a Tiered Planter:

When I first spotted the Living Art Vertical Garden, I immediately started to ponder a DIY version - and I'm still considering making one.  There was one in shades of mint and turquoise that I loved, but it's sold out.  This one is on sale for $15 (from $50), so I think it would cost way more to buy the supplies.   

Grow Succulents on an Indoor Wall:

For inside, this mini succulent wall is so perfect - and that rustic wood frame is such a great complement to a lush collection of plants.  Another genius way to make use of vertical space in a home and make room for more plants!
 

Place Succulents on an Outdoor Wall:

This DIY outdoor succulent wall is made with handrail you can buy from the hardware store, which makes it a fairly simple DIY project.  This is a great way to keep succulents - or herbs - away from curious critters.

Enhance Succulents with Copper Planters:

There is something about copper that makes me look twice when it's used as a planter - I just love the lush color combo of vibrant green plants with that warm metallic hue.  I spotted an adorable collection on The Glitter Guide and just went totally nuts for them! 

You can re-purpose copper finds from the thrift store (some companies in the 1970s made sets of drinkware in gorgeous hammered copper with matching trays - I'd love to score a great set like that for an arrangement), or you can just pick up a copper planter online.

Protect Succulents in Terrariums:

I honestly thought the terrarium trend would be played out by now but it's still going strong!  I love this brass geo terrarium because it's so elegant (although this house-shaped one is pretty darn cute too):

Add a Shocking Dose of Gravel to Succulents:

I just love when a succulent is topped with gravel - it adds such a fun punch of color (like this grouping of pink topped succulents and the pink gravel terrarium below):

I tracked down some turquoise gravel on Amazon so, of course, now I'm really into the idea! 

Invite a Succulent to the Office with a Multi-Purpose Planters:

Phone dock desk planter.  How awesome is that?    

Treat a Succulent to a Found Object Planter:

I have been obsessed with the rotary phone planter idea and I even snagged an old phone from my grandparents.  Hubby, on the other hand, thinks it's the weirdest idea ever and is totally unconvinced.  That's okay!  I might have an even wackier idea for that phone, anyway.  But now I'm keeping my eyes peeled for unique objects that can find new life as a succulent planter...

Arrange Succulents on a Wreath:

I spotted a gorgeous, rainbow succulent wreath on Instagram and pinned it to my Crafts and DIY board - and it's now one of my most re-pinned pins!  People LOVE this wreath - seeing the reaction has been so interesting.  I'd really love to make one for my front door, but I think this is a DIY that will really add up unless you have access to super inexpensive succulents (these are pretty cheap).  If you're interested in giving it a try, this succulent wreath tutorial is SO thorough (or you might want this mesh succulent wreath form as a solid foundation).

 
Try Succulents as a Table Runner:

Also filed under, "I probably can't afford this, but I love it so much": succulent table runners!  If I attended a wedding or event with a succulent table runner, I'd be stuffing my pockets like crazy.  Look how gorgeous!

Have you tried any unique ways to style or display succulents?  I'm still a "place gently in planter with good drainage and hope for the best" kinda gal, but I'm thinking about branching out...

P.S. If you're looking for a great resource for caring for succulents, check out Succulents and Sunshine - her guide to watering succulents has been so helpful!

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Turquoise + Yellow Inspiration

Just as I was bragging about a warm winter, the temperature dropped and we got a ton of snow.  Earlier this week I cleared the driveway and it was fairly cold (-29 Celsius) and windy.  No matter what direction I tried to blow the snow, I ended up with a face full of it.  When I was finally done, I was so chilled that I just crawled to the sofa and curled up with a cup of tea and treated myself to a little guilt-free Pinterest scrolling.  I pin so much, so sometimes I like to go back through my own pins and get re-inspired (and trim the fat).  This time my eye was drawn to a particular color palette: aqua and yellow spaces!  Yellow just complements aqua home decor so beautifully.

I think this aqua brick house, with its happy yellow front door (captured by Alex on the Road), might be my favorite photo of all time.  These people are my people and it's a shame they live in London because I know we'd be fast friends.  How could you not be ridiculously happy coming home to this colorful house exterior everyday?  It makes me want to paint our garage aqua instead of the charcoal grey I have planned. 

Alex on the Road

As we moved from the townhouse to the lakehouse, I edited our belongings and, in the de-cluttering process, weeded out a lot of the warmer colors in favor of a cool, watery whole home palette of blues, aquas and greens.  To me, the cool colour palette is calming and relaxing.  There are so many different shades of blue, green, and turquoise that in real life the palette feels quite lively - something difficult to capture on camera, which makes many of the different shades look the same.  Despite my rigorous editing, I did, however, keep small doses of yellow and orange decor.

Despite my best editing efforts, I guess I can't help but love a little bit of yellow or orange paired with my aquas so I rounded up some inspiration because a big change is coming to the living room soon and it might just mean a splash of warm colours... 

This aqua front door looks a lot like mine, so I think I might need to track down a yellow chair for beside it.  Hmmm, maybe I should paint the siding white instead... I haven't been able to paint the exterior of the lakehouse for two years and now I'm starting the waffle.

Better Homes & Gardens

Morgan Tinker's home was featured on A Beautiful Mess awhile back and I started pinning her home like crazy!  There are so many reasons to love Morgan's style:  she dyed a slip-covered Ikea sofa turquoise (awesome), has a gorgeous mint kitchen with retro touches, and has an enviably art collection.  And that retro mustard chair with hits of turquoise!

Via A Beautiful Mess

The rooms below are from a house tour featured in Style at Home that I just love.  The home owners have a mint green stove and fridge (!!!) which I like to drool over from time to time.  The home is quite colorful and the bedroom boasts a cheery colour palette with heavy doses of teal & yellow.

The room below, from Maisons Du Monde, is likely a staged space but look at the perfect pairing of teal and yellow!  I love how they mixed all of the different shades of teal and aqua.

Maisons Du Monde

A mustard yellow chair looks perfect against turquoise floors!  Why, oh why, do I not have turquoise floors anywhere?  I was really smitten with the aqua floor in the townhouse laundry room. 

Ranch 54

This mid-century modern home below is very colorful, but the palette in the living room is the most reserved of the entire home, offering up mostly yellow and aqua on a neutral background.  I love how spacious the room feels, thanks to light coloured walls, floors and furniture - plus the big windows don't hurt.

Home Adore

Home Adore

All white kitchen + pops of colour is a look I don't think I will ever tire of, no matter the trends.  I'm currently plotting the kitchen renovation because I know it will take some time to figure out the details.  I'm torn between walnut lowers, to match the bathroom, and white uppers, or just a classic, all-white space.  In this bright kitchen, the mismatched dining chairs are so fun and I love how one of them matches the backsplash perfectly.

Via SF Girl by Bay

This laundry room makeover boasts bright aqua cabinetry, white paneled walls, brushed silver fixtures and beautiful Amy Butler wallpaper with a yellow and teal floral pattern.  (Picture me singing, "these are a few of my favorite things....")

Uniquely Yours or Mine

A different spin on this color combo: a bright yellow squishable sofa paired with an aqua ceiling.  I've often been tempted by an aqua ceiling because I feel like it must really bring the outdoors in - like you're sitting under the sky on a bright day.

Via Desire to Inspire

The artwork sets the tone in this bedroom, which pairs bold hits of turquoise with a lot of textural neutrals and just a tiny slice of lemon.

Via House of Turquoise

 A yellow toaster looks cute in Melissa's kitchen (which boasts gorgeous aqua cabinets).  Sometimes it is all in the accessories!

Hello Yellow Blog

I am so smitten with this square art, maybe because it reminds me of a painting I did, ages ago.  What a simple way to bring some colour to a space - and the wood grain peeking through the lighter colours has such a subtle, organic feel.  The bright yellow bench cushion under it is perfect.

Better Homes & Gardens

The spaces above all offer a BOLD burst of saturated colour, but this yellow + aqua pairing can be so soft and subtle too.  A slightly mellower take on this colour palette, this kitchen boasts soft mint cabinetry and the prettiest yellow floral wallpaper .

Zillow

In this bedroom, pale aqua pillows and a few mustard accents punch up a room of neutrals - and look so rich with those copper pendants!

SF Girl By Bay

Which space is your favorite?

Jenna Rae Cakes

Can't get enough aqua?  I have a whole Pinterest board devoted to all things aqua, plus another one that just features pretty colour combos. 

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See Our Old Townhouse, Decorated by the New Owners!

In the fall I was outside on the deck, making my evergreen wreath, when Hubby called me from work:

Hubs: "Hey, how are you?"
Me: "Bleeding and covered in sap."
Hubs: "Oh my god, why?"
Me: "I'm making a wreath."
Hubs: "Oh. Well, do you have a minute to go to your computer?"
Me: "Is this another Movember video about why mustaches aren't creepy? Because I want to finish this wreath before it gets dark and the zombies come out. Can I look at whatever this is later?"
Hubs: "Yeah, sure, I'll send you the link. The townhouse is for sale."
Me: "Wait, what? Our townhouse?"
Hubs (smugly): "Yep."
Me: "Alright, I'll head to my desk right now."
Hubs: "Thought you might"

It is the weirdest thing to see your former home lived in and decorated by someone else!  I have been waiting for this moment for two years, hoping the new owners would sell and that we'd get a chance to peek inside and see what they changed/what they kept.

Of course, I immediately wanted to share with you, because so many of you were with me back when we were decorating the townhouse and you were there for the emotional (and disappointing) experience of selling it to buy our dream home.  But then I wondered if sharing photos would constitute some kind of invasion of privacy?  I waited months, mulling it over.  Finally I figured that because the listing photos could be accessed publicly - it's not like I'm snagging them from a private Facebook page or something - that it's okay.  It's been staged and photographed for sale, and therefore public viewing, so I'm sure any embarrassing and extremely personal items have been removed.   

To show a fair comparison, I've included photos I took of the townhouse, as a reminder of how we lived in it, and then I've shared a direct comparison of the real estate photos.  Listing photos don't tend to be very flattering, so I thought that it's only fair to compare them.  You can see the full townhouse tour by clicking here and to see the two sets of real estate photos taken when we sold the townhouse, check out this post!

Welcome back to the townhouse!  Here's what the hallway and front entrance looked like when we lived there:

It looked a lot plainer for the real estate listing photos.  The new owners (bottom photo) added shelves where we had an occasional table (and later, a bar cart). 

Top Photo: When it Was Ours // Bottom Photo: Now

Here's our old powder room, which we painted right before listing.

Although I accidentally chose way too bold a hue, the new owners didn't paint! 

Top Photo: When it Was Ours // Bottom Photo: Now

I loved our living room because it had a wood burning fireplace and so much light!

The new owners didn't paint the brick fireplace in the living room!  I would have been so disappointed if they had, because I'd wanted to do it but kept it natural for re-sale.  I am so jealous that they replaced the old, rickety sliding patio doors - something we wanted to do, but we'd already spent so much money updating this place.  The new white doors really brighten the space and make it look so much more modern.

Top Photo: When it Was Ours // Bottom Photo: Now

Here's a different angle of the living room, this time their photo is the top one:

Top Photo: Now // Bottom Photo:When it Was Ours

Not much changed in the dining room, either.  Here's a reminder of what it looked like when we lived there:

It's kind of hilarious how similar our old dining room chairs were to theirs!  The new owners kept the light fixture we chose, as well as the layered sheer curtains.

Top Photo: When it Was Ours // Bottom Photo: Now

I am so thrilled to finally have turquoise kitchen cabinets, but I do miss things about the old kitchen, like our DIY houndstooth tile backsplash and brand spanking new fridge.  Ugh, our appliances in the lakehouse are all so old and rickety (please don't tell them I said that - my appliances always fail after I've spoken ill of them).

I thought the new owners might paint the kitchen cabinets, another project I wanted to tackle but didn't because I was warned it would alienate some potential buyers (plus Hubby loved the wood).  The new owners didn't paint, but they did replace the fabulous cantilevered light fixture we found for above the sink, where there was an off center junction box.  It took ages to find that and it made the off centered box look intentional.  I am so curious as to why they swapped it out...

Top Photo: When it Was Ours // Bottom Photo: Now

Top Photo: When it Was Ours // Bottom Photo: Now

Top Photo: When it Was Ours // Bottom Photo: Now

When we lived there, the townhouse master bedroom was used as our guest space because it had a handy powder room that gave guests some privacy. 

We staged the room as a master for sale, which is how the new owners use it.  They invested in new blinds (unsurprisingly, because our DIY window coverings, here and here, were a budget-friendly quick fix).

Top Photo: When it Was Ours // Bottom Photo: Now

If I were them, I would have placed the tall boy dresser beside the long dresser on the same wall, but I'm weird.  (Our bed was a king size, that's why it seems so much tighter with our furniture in there.)

Top Photo: When it Was Ours // Bottom Photo: Now

Our bedroom, which was technically a guest bedroom, saw the biggest change of all!  We kept it airy like the rest of the house, with white walls and sheers.  We chose this as our room largely because I loved the treed view and giant window.

I think it's the only room they painted and they swapped out our black curtain rod and sheers for a white rod and purple drapes, which is so perfect for a kid's room.

Top Photo: When it Was Ours // Bottom Photo: Now

They used the smallest bedroom as a guest room/office combo, but we had used the space for two desks.

The new owners had asked for some art that I hadn't wanted to leave behind so it was removed from the contract.  In the end, I ended up leaving them the painting in the office as a peace offering.  It's strange to see it in the exact same spot in the office!  They moved the bedroom sheers in here and got rid of my silk drapes.  I wish I'd known they'd chuck them, because that was a lot of silk and I really wanted to take the panels with me.

Top Photo: When it Was Ours // Bottom Photo: Now

In the bathroom, not much changed but you know that I approve of their aqua towels ;)

Top Photo: When it Was Ours // Bottom Photo: Now

The basement, master powder room, and exterior didn't change much.

It's kind of neat to see our former townhome - our first house! - decorated and lived in by someone else.  We had some amazing years there and I think that because this was the first home we purchased, it will always have a special place in our hearts.  It looks like the new owners enjoyed their time there as well (at least I hope!) and I hope they've had a successful sale and moved on to their dream home!

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