As the winter Holiday season ramps up it is easy to get bowled under mountains of to do lists, social obligations, presents to buy or make and of course, decorating your home.  Decorating can be a hugely stressful endeavor for many people, as it is a front and center visual and therefor easy for other people to judge.  Or for us to feel like they are.  Every year the media, (both professional publications and social media) seem to scream at us about what we ABSOLUTELY MUST DO THIS YEAR!  Did you see that A-list actors Christmas tree???  These seasonal boughs will change your life!  Wreathes in this new style will show everyone you're in "the know"!!!  Must be cutting edge!!  No one will come to your party or have a good time if you use last years colour scheme!  OK, that last one might be a stretch, but its what it feels like to me.  I'm here to tell you all of that, and I mean ALL OF IT, is a load of BS.

Sure, change up your decor, follow a trend - but do it because you like it, not because you feel like your stuff is not good enough.  Trust me, it is.  The holidays are an industry like everything else.  If you don't need to buy new stuff every year then they don't make as much money.  It piles unnecessary stress on an already stressful time.  

I'll be perfectly honest, I haven't bought a new ornament (other then one as a present for my son every year) a or holiday decor item in at least 7 years.  Probably more.  I HAVE bought new lights because those things die at an alarming rate, and I like a tonne of them.  Its not that I don't ever see anything new that I like, but that I have nothing I want to replace and a limited amount of storage space. 

So how do I achieve an apparent stress free atmosphere?  It is definitely more then a mindset, and I'm sharing my personal strategies below.  There is no one right answer, and what I do may not resonate with you and that's OK!  But maybe it will spark an idea, or maybe it will make you appreciate what it is that you DO do more. 

Burnout and overwhelm are real issues that can take what is supposed to be an enjoyable celebration and turn it into a nightmare.  Creating systems that work for you can turn into traditions that are both enjoyable and take the stress and guesswork out of the season.  

So if you are bored with your decor, or see something that inspires you that you want to integrate, that's wonderful!  There are always new ideas out there and our tastes and environments change throughout our lives.  Changing up decor and including the tastes of those around you, are things I greatly encourage.  Give yourself room, however, to do what makes YOU happy, makes YOUR heart sing, regardless of the industry side of the holidays shouting at you from grocery store check out aisles and social media.  Choose peace on earth and a silent night.

Designing a room often starts with an inspiration image.  The design expands from there and many things are factored in.  Why, then, are there rooms that don't feel like they work?  Don't get used?  Or worse, feel like they're working against you?  Often our assumptions of what we need, our preconceived notions of what we "ought" to have, or the way we want our fantasy selves to live/work/play lead us in a direction that doesn't complement the way we actually live/work/play.  This disconnect can be avoided by following an often ignored crucial first step: Analysis.  Doesn't sound fun?  Well it can seem like it wouldn't be, but it can be an interesting dive into you, your family and your life.  You can work on it at the same time as your aesthetic choices, but I do highly recommend you stick to mood or pinterest boards and don't purchase anything until its finished.  

Designing rooms based on how you use them in reality seems like a very basic concept but often rooms end up being designed for their desired or named purpose instead.  For example: a dining room that is furnished with table and chairs but the family always eats in the eat-in kitchen. Depending on the family, it might make more sense as a music room, or home office.  While in the mind of the adults dinner parties and sit down dinners together at a carefully laid table with that beautiful table cloth that never gets used may be what they desire, in reality the chaotic casual meals within reach of the fridge is how the family actually lives.

So how exactly do you do this all important Analysis?  I've outlined it below in 3 steps.

2.  What do you currently do or have that you want to maintain? 

• Focus on the room itself. If you have something that you want to keep, but it doesn’t matter where in the house it goes, don’t list it here.

3.  What do you want to do that you can’t do, and what is in the way? 

• If the room is used for its purpose but always messy and uncomfortable, you may want to take some time to address the clutter before continuing. Before launching any redesign,  changing the purpose of the space or not,  you need to sort through the stuff to see what needs to stay and what needs to go either out of the house or into another room.  Otherwise you’re going to be designing for clutter not the purpose of the room. 

4.  What do you want to have that you don’t already have? 

• This is important even if you are not changing the purpose of the room.  Things like storage space for toys, bookshelves, a fireplace, a bar, or an adjacent bathroom.

5.  Who is using the room? 

• In particular, are the people using the rooms the intended ones? For example, do you have a living room that you want to be an adult space but its over run with kids toys? Is there a family room where the kids can’t do their homework because the TV is always on?

Once you’ve analyzed how you use your space, you’ll have a good sense of what needs to change and how hard those changes are going to be.

Similarly, if you want to create a space with a new purpose, or a dual purpose space, like a guest room / craft room, or a home office in a bedroom, set it up with what you have first, use the space for a few days, and then repeat your analysis to see what you need before investing in desks and storage solutions and so on.

Tip: If you are thinking of adding a larger piece of furniture to a room but are not sure if it will work, you can try using painter’s tape on the floor, or piling boxes to the size of the piece to get a sense of how room will feel with a new bed or desk or shelf or whatever item it is that you are considering.

Once you’ve worked with the new space arrangement for even a short time, you’ll know whether you want to move forward with your redesign yourself, or whether you want to consult a designer.

If your space needs renovation:

If you have identified issues that you think will require renovation, consulting a designer before your renovate is a good idea, even if you plan to do the actual renovations yourself. However, there are a few steps you should take before you call the designer!

First, if you can do even a little bit of rearranging for a trial run, you should do so. Second, you should also answer the project planning questions as well as you can before calling in the designer

This is a short version of the information I gather when preparing for working with new clients. You don’t have to have everything figured out, but answering these questions before starting will help the project go forward quicker and smoother. Don’t worry about the HOW yet, just worry about the WHAT.

This can snowball into other rooms. If your space has become a dumping ground, or you decide to move an activity to another location, you may find a similar issue in another room.
During you initial thinking and research stage, take a walk around and see if there are spaces or rooms that will work for the relocated items, activities, and people.

If you can’t think of where or how to relocate things, this is the kind of issue you can bring to a designer. The solution might be as simple as a furniture rearrangement to integrate the overflow activities and items to a new location, or you may need to rethink your plans.

Some designers, like myself, will offer a fixed rate for short consults. Even if you want to do it yourself, it is good to hire a designer for an hour or two so you can discuss your space analysis and the solutions you’ve identified.

This is especially important if you’re planning renovations. While furniture layouts are low-risk solutions that have few consequences if you get them wrong, renovations that miss the mark can be costly, time consuming, and miserable.

The great news is, if you’ve gone through the first three steps listed here, you’ll be able to make great use of a one or two hour consultation: you’ll know the WHAT and you can get the designer’s advice on the HOW.

Do a space analysis of your existing home if you are moving to a new one. This will help you figure out your must haves and want-to-haves, as well as keep you focused on how the living spaces you look at will support your life and the things you love to do.

If you’re ready for a designer’s input, or if you have questions, get in touch!

Whether you are considering a large-scale project with contractors, DIY projects, or just some regular home maintenance, the phases of your projects can be more suited to one time of year than another.

Understanding these seasons can help you better accomplish your project goals. In this post, I’ve created an overview with key tasks for each season.

Large Projects
Prep season is most important if you’re planning on hiring professionals for your project. Contractors will be difficult to schedule during the high season, so these are the months to get your plans finalized with designers and architects, as well as to find and schedule your contractor.

Schedules fill up fast in the high season, and it can be very difficult to find a contractor during this time. In particular, if you haven’t scheduled a professional outdoor painter by now, you may not get one this season. Don’t let this discourage you… but know your project might take a little longer if it’s not scheduled by now.

Most indoor painting can be done anytime, but I recommend painting radiators in the summer months when the heat is off. This avoids stronger paint odours and ensures that the paint cures properly. How fast the paint cures can have an impact on the finish and in some cases, the quality of the final result.

Tip: There are lots of good deals to be had in the High Season!

• Tools often go on sale leading up to Father’s Day (the third Sunday in June), so if you need something new for a high season project, check for sales in June.
• People tend to donate after spring cleaning, so this is a good time for thrifting. Since the ReStore salvages quality kitchens from renos, the high season is probably a great time to shop there as well.
• July is a clearance month for furniture, and can offer some great deals on new furniture.
  

This is the easiest period to schedule contractors, but the sorts of jobs they can do are more limited. And of course, if you’ve got a big reno in mind, this can be a good time to start planning. Designers will also have more availability in these months, and starting early can maximize your opportunities to get deals on necessary items, and have them assembled or delivered before the reno starts.

The low season is one of the best seasons for painting indoors (with the exception of radiators!), for a few reasons.

• Light: These months have the greyest coldest type of light and if colours look good now, they will look good in summer. On the other hand, colours that look fresh and crisp in the golden summer sunlight might be rather dreary or dark in the clearer bluer winter light and shorter days. The same applies to choosing wallpapers: the low light of the low season will help you choose wall coverings that look great all year round.
• Availability: If you need a professional to paint or hang wallpaper, this is the season where they are most available.
• Cheer: Let’s be honest, the low season isn’t just low in terms of renos. This is the season where a lot of us miss the bright light and long days of summer, and start to feel cooped up indoors. Tackling a smaller decorating or painting job in this season can be just the thing to help your indoor environment feel fresh again.

Last Thoughts

If your project is in the works and cannot follow this schedule, think of this post as a way to set realistic expectations.  Things may not happen on the schedule you originally had anticipated: perhaps your contractor will have a cancellation and be able to fit your project in during the high season with little notice, perhaps you'll be waiting for an October start instead of  July one.  Many things beyond the season can effect the timing of a project - back orders happen constantly and can really throw expectations out the window. 

In view of that, my last tip is to plan plan plan!  Have your orders in and confirm stock of items before you book that hotel to stay in during the renovation.  Talk to your contractor and designer to get a clear picture of their timing expectations and any potential snags.  Finalize the design details as early as you can, confirm when things are locked in and cannot be changed.  Open communication and advanced planning can really take a lot of the stress out of what is generally a very stressful time.  Things will go wrong - the important things are to remember that the timing of the project will fluctuate, have competent people helping you, and contingency plans in place for the worst case scenarios. 

I’d love to hear what you are doing over the course of the year. Have you got projects you’re planning? Questions about how to phase them, or what you need to get started? Let me know in the comments!

The most common repair that walls need before repainting is the fixing of small holes made by pictures or shelves. Whether you’re redecorating or staging, there are some easy DIY steps you can take to make sure that your wall looks smooth and gorgeous when you’re done.

To illustrate these steps, I’m using a personal redecorating project I did a few years ago. We had a large picture wall collage (also called a gallery wall) against a vibrant colour, but with the addition of some new furniture and the changing use of the space as a place to put on boots and shoes, we needed to rethink both colour and style.  This looked, at the outset, to be a big project that I was dreading getting started on.  Just looking at all the repairs I needed to make felt exhausting.  However it went much faster then I anticipated and was actually kind of fun once I got started.  Using the following method made the actual filling of the holes less fussy than usual which had the added benefit of improving my mood as well as cutting down on the time it took to sand them all.

The Original Picture Wall:

So, here is a step-by-step guide to help you get the best results:

First, prepare the wall

1. Remove all the pictures, shelves, nails and screws.
2. Wipe down the wall and trim with a dry or damp cloth to remove dust and cobwebs. If your wall is in a kitchen or bathroom, brush your fingers gently along the surface to feel for grease or soap build up (grease looks shiny and soap is slightly sticky). Remove buildup with TSP all purpose cleaner or soapy water and rinse thoroughly.
3. Remove switch plates. This is an opportunity to inspect them and clean or replace them.

Next, repair the holes

You will need: a hammer, trowel, spackle, sand paper, paint brush or roller.

When you remove a nail, a small lip will form in the wall. If you fill it at this point, there will be a bump on the wall.  It will be difficult to smooth the spackle around the hole, and there will be a lot of sanding in your future to make it appear to be smooth.

Instead, Use a hammer, tap the hole to create a small dent or crater. Do not hit hard enough to break the wall. The goal is to create a small indent where there may previously have been a slight protrusion around the hole.

Like this:

Not like this:

Fill the dent with spackle. Once the compound is in the hole, smooth it with the trowel.  This should be quick and easy as you are filling in the dent only.  Try not to spread spackle onto the surrounding area very thickly - some is going to happen, but smooth it as best you can with the trowel while wet. Once the spackle is dry, sand it smooth with the sandpaper (about 150-220 grit) or a fine sanding sponge. It will end up looking like this:

Now you’re ready to prime and paint!  If you skip the priming step the finish of the spackled spots will be a duller sheen from the rest of the wall.  Primer seals the spackle evenly so that the paint is absorbed evenly and maintains the original sheen.  If you do not have access to primer, an extra coat or two of the finish colour will create enough of a even film over the spackle that the sheen will match very well.  The shinier the paint, the more coats you will need to maintain the desired sheen without primer.  If you are using a flat or eggshell paint, usually three coats will be enough.  If the paint is semi gloss or gloss, expect four coats to maintain the same sheen levels.

Another way to ensure a seamless invisible repair is to use the same tool to paint as the original.  That means if the repair is in a place where a roller was used (this is 95% of the time) use a roller to apply the new coats of paint instead of a paint brush.  Paint brushes and rollers make a different physical textures on the wall and this can lead to visible repairs as it effects both the sheen of the paint and how the light bounces off it.

By taking the time to indent and fill the holes, your freshly painted wall will look great!

Painting a wall is a fairly straight forward thing to do.  But there are several mistakes that can make it a nightmare task.  In this post I'll talk about my top three painting mistakes, and how to avoid them.

I know so many awesome knitters, and if there’s one thing that unites them, it’s “the stash.” Yarn for upcoming projects, yarn they loved and just had to have, leftover yarn, gifted and inherited yarn… stashes can quickly grow out of control. In fact, when I needed a picture of a stash for the cover photo, I texted my knitting friend and the co-owner of Fleece to Fabric and said “are you near some yarn right now?” Her response was “Always” and she sent me a picture of what was next to her at that moment!

Spring is always a good time to update and refresh décor. After the cozy dark winter months, I’m ready for fresh spring air and sunlight, and I get full on spring fever.  Here are several ways to do a refresh for spring!

Wasps are usually an outdoor problem, of course, but it’s almost summer! A time when interiors and exteriors are far more open to one another. Perhaps surprisingly, wasps are actually a beneficial insect. They eat virtually all pest insects and larva in your garden and lawn, and like bees, they are pollinators. But unlike bees, they are far more aggressive, and they can make a mess of your outdoor wood furniture, decks and fences, plus I'm really allergic to them.