Can you use spray paint indoors? This might not seem like a common homeowner question, but it comes up more often than you would think! You might associate “spray paint” with graffiti, but a surprising number of homeowners find themselves needing a can. Beyond the decorative repainting of light fixtures and furniture that you see on TV, spray paint delves into the world of specialty primers. Specialty Primers Speciality primers provide extra sealing before you repair damage, or finish knotty wood. So some cases where you would need a small amount of specialty primer are: you have a watermark on your ceiling there is an…

Conventional wisdom tells us to consider the resale value of your renovations. This can mean anything from painting in neutral colours to adding an addition you don’t want… but is it good advice? We think not! Reasons to Renovate On this subject, we side with Canadian finance guru Gail Vaz-Oxlade: renovations aren’t investments. The housing market is unpredictable, and trends change in both design and demographics. If you’re not planning to sell in the near future, it’s unlikely that you’re going to reap a significant financial reward for most renovations. There are two good reasons to renovate in our opinion: first, as part…

As the spring days brighten, natural light streams into our spaces, showing us anew what has been cast in shadow all winter. With that can come a renewed awareness: dust bunnies everywhere! Things out of place! Why are there sixteen loose screws on this windowsill? Suddenly, the urge for a purge can be strong. And lately, it seems that methods for decluttering have turned into near-religious movements. Our own very first viral pin came from the Fundamentals of Staging series, for a kind of decluttering that I would not recommend unless you’re selling your home! I actually feel terribly guilty that people…

A lot of staging articles focus on how to reduce your stuff. But even if you’re selling an occupied home, it is possible to have the opposite problem: not enough stuff. Staging is about telling a story, which requires the right balance of furniture and household objects. There are several different situations in which you might find yourself without enough stuff for staging, for example: You’ve already taken possession of a new home and moved some of your things People previously living together have moved apart, and stuff has been divided Certain key pieces were never a part of the home: for example, a…

Before replacing worn-looking teak furniture, give refinishing it a try! Refinishing teak is easy and satisfying. Teak was a popular wood in the late 20th century and was used for everything from furniture to cabinetry to decking. Sadly its popularity caused the species to become endangered, and the only times you will see new teak wood items to day is with reclaimed wood. So if you do have teak in your home, refinishing it rather then replacing it is the best option. Refinishing might sound intimidating, but fear not! Teak is actually easy to refinish, which is one of the main reasons…

Lighting can get really technical, really quickly. This post will get you started on the basics of residential lighting, so you’ll be ready to talk to a designer, electrician, or lighting retailer about your project. Colour Temperature (Kelvin) Colour temperature is a way of talking about the colour of the light, measured in Kelvin. Lower K values are a warmer red-yellow colour, and higher K values are more blue. If you want to learn more technical details, Lowel EDU has a great article that shows the Kelvin range in relation to familiar lighting settings. Colour temperature is especially important when choosing LED lighting.…

If you are diagnosed with ADHD as an adult, one of the first pieces of advice you’re going to come across is to create a structured environment. But a lot of the practical how-tos on doing so are aimed at kids. There’s plenty of advice about setting up homework space, but much less about making the kitchen less overwhelming or how to create visual reminders without postits. An ADHD Journey ADHD affects space in a few ways. People with ADHD tend to like visual reminders of what they’re working on as a memory aid. Combined with difficulty organizing and initiating uninteresting tasks,…

I expected a standing desk to be helpful for my back; what I didn’t expect was that it would be even more helpful for my ADHD! In order to explain, let me talk for a moment about the ADHD mind, and how distractibility and impulsivity both benefit and get in the way of my creative work. ADHD Brains are FULL of Thoughts People with ADHD often talk about how they have many thoughts at once. There is a neurological reason for this (one of my favourite sources for learning about ADHD are these talks by Dr. Richard Barkley), but basically it boils down…

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. Understand these seasons can help you better accomplish your project goals. In this post, I’ve created an overview with key tasks for each season. Prep Season: March to May 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…

Whether you’re doing a project yourself or hiring a contractor, getting the correct permits is an important step. As a designer, Lenore has worked mainly with professionals who wouldn’t think of doing work without the necessary permits. However, Carmen’s experience buying her first home exposed her to the reality that not every homeowner understands the importance of getting a permit before you renovate. Because of those two perspectives, this post addresses both the why and the how of permits. Note that it’s hard to write a general post about permits because there are a lot of specific issues that vary by municipalities. Make sure that…

When you move into a new home with an ugly kitchen, it’s easy to feel like tearing it out and rebuilding from scratch. But we recommend living with a kitchen for up to a year before making any major changes. Why? Because problems of style and problems of function are often very different, and require different solutions. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly The following case studies illustrate the wide range of problems and solutions that a kitchen can have. Kitchen Case Study 1: “The Good” The Problem: This family had a new, well laid out and functional kitchen, but simply didn’t like it.…

If you’re like me (Carmen here), you probably start dreaming of your home renovation by flipping through the IKEA catalog, your favourite design magazines, or searching Pinterest. This hole in my basement floor is the only interior evidence of my most expensive reno to date. And who could blame us? Beautiful finishes are what make a project exciting. And as someone who has spent an entire 4 years’ of reno savings just to have my plumbing continue to drain to the city’s sewer, I definitely recognize the disappointment of a purely functional project. But the look you love is not actually the best…

Make the best use of your space so that you can enjoy it by analyzing how you use it first. This post contains tips for planning your room layouts around your life While designing a room according to how you use it may seem like a very basic concept, 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. Connecting the design…

After attending this year’s Interior Design Show in Toronto, I have come away with a bag full of specifications and a head full of ideas. From new innovative products to prototypes yet to be launched in the market, it’s a fun way to start a fresh year of design. A couple of highlights I loved AyA Kitchens‘ booth, which used cupboard frames to create a sculptural design. A beautiful abstract structure was hung from the ceiling, while a similarly constructed sculptural piece reached up from the countertop, filled with plants that gave the effect of growth and beauty. Here’s a great picture from their…

The other day, I told a new acquaintance I was a home stager and heard a horror story: their friend had hired a stager who insisted that they buy new furniture for every room! I don’t know about you, but moving is stressful enough without having to contemplate a complete overhaul of some of the most expensive items in your home, only then to face moving or disposing of them. Staging Tells a Story The thing is, creating a furniture showroom is not what staging is. Simply put, staging is about marketing your house to the group of people most likely to…

If you are a fan of our blog, you may have noticed a long absence. Carmen, who does the blogging, has been dealing with a hard-to-diagnose back/leg issue that has had her out of commission. Lenore has been busy with exciting projects that we are planning to photograph and add to the blog over the next few months. For now, posting might be a bit erratic, but Carmen is going to aim for at least once a month while she’s recovering. If there’s anything you’d like to see us cover, contact us, or let us know in the comments!

During initial planning meetings, there is an inevitable moment when you say you like something and your designer turns to you and asks “why?” Sometimes this can feel like a challenge or a judgement, but it’s not! For a designer, the reasoning behind your decisions is as important as the decision itself. When considering the choices for your design, we are taking many different things into account, and knowing why you liked something can help us prioritize and choose between the many possibilities in the project. A good designer will give you what you want, not what you ask for Finding the reasoning behind clients’ choices can…

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. 2017’s colour of the year is “greenery” and its perfect for some low-key, trendy spring decorating. Now, I’m a strong believer that trends should only be followed if you like them, and that you shouldn’t break the bank to do it. I like to use trends for inspirations, and find simple ways to include them in my seasonal decorating. The great thing about Greenery is that it can fit…

We 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! Recently, Lenore and I had a…

Have you ever wondered whether its worth the effort to paint your kitchen cabinets? Well, not all painting is created equal. Read on to learn about painting and lacquering cabinetry, with tips to help you plan a beautiful and affordable new look for your kitchen. Do it yourself or hire a professional? The do-it-yourself option is popular for low-budget kitchen updates. However, this is a time consuming option, and unless you have a lot of experience painting wood, an option that will have a “home-made” sort of finish. That look can be great in the right kitchen, but it’s something to keep…