Life Lately: Things I Can’t Show or Tell
My blog has always been the place I share all the things, all the time. But lately, I haven’t been able to because everything I’m working on is top secret and can’
A Charming Industrial Loft (Outfitted in Pantone’s Colour of 2017)
This loft in Madrid is loaded with industrial charm — and just so happens to flaunt Pantone’s colour of the year, 2017. I just love how plants and touches of green warm
An Eclectic + Laid-back Bedroom Refresh
My relationship with my bedroom lately can be summed up with the saying, “quality over quantity.” A lot has changed since I last shared my bedroom, and while it’
Links + Likes: Unique Pillows, #MyCalvins Bedsheets, Gitched Rugs, Bauble Earrings, + This Week’s Best DIYs
BUY Did you know Calvin Klein has a collection of bedding made from the same comfy materials as their undies and tees? It’s divine — and I would know because I just
A Whimsical Wallpaper + Five Hours = A Bold Entryway Refresh
For the past year, my entry-way went through its awkward teen years. Since I finished my kitchen reno (which was nearly a year ago to the day), I had intended to do something w
2017 Home Design Trends + Ideas
Dark, moody, textural, layered, eclectic, escapist, natural, and re-purposed. These are just a few of the words used to describe the predictions for 2017’s style trends. Oodl
Monday Inspiration: Oct.31.16
The BlkSmith Co. | Guim Tió Zarraluki | Ravi Vora | Douglas Rodas | Aleia Murawski
Links + Likes: Cell phone probz, neckerchiefs, Macklemore, Jose Mendez, In The Company of Women + More
I really enjoyed this article on checking your phone — or not checking your phone I should say. It offered a refreshing way of looking at the situation. Ah! This color-blo
Monday Inspiration: Oct.24.16
Sources: Peacock Pavillion | Tun Ho | Unknown |@Tessa_Perlow | Therese Buchmiller | Leif Podhajsky
Life With Piper, My Blue Heeler Border Collie Mix Mutt
Of all of the pages and pages of posts I’ve shared over the years, the one that still gets the most reads and comments is the post I shared about raising our pup, P
Links + Likes: Meal Prep, Ellen Degeneres, Self-Care, Dresses + Anthro’s New Arrivals
Ellen is launching three home lines in 2017 with new furniture, tabletop, and rug collections. Save your pretty pennies, ladies and gents — It’s gonna be good. I jus
#HelloProKitchenReno: One Year Later (with Updates)!
Thanks to Facebook’s on this day feature, I was reminded that one year ago today, I began renovating my kitchen. The before photo in the GIF above was taken just after Habit
Life Lately: Filming + Fashion
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind! I’ve gone from being a freelance homebody that barely left home to essentially becoming a nomad; living out of a bag, driving acros
Monday Inspiration: Sept. 26. 2016
@thecuadro Photo by Mikael Olsson Audubon’s birds Photo by @__noya via @jasoncampbellstudio Karli Ingersoll Backstage at D&G’s Fall/Winter 2017 Show Mike McQuade fo
Things I Like: The Float Frame by Artifact Uprising
I haven’t spent a ton of time at home lately. With such a busy schedule, I’m constantly hopping between other people’s homes, which, in turn, has led me to ho
Monday Inspiration: Sept.12.16
1. The home of Adelaide Daniell, Fraser Daniell and Harry Scott via The Design Files (Photo by Eve Wilson) 2. Peter Langer 3. Monni Jungle 4. A bungalow redesigned
It Begins.
This weekend is my final weekend before my life takes a new turn — a turn I’ve been anxiously waiting for and anticipating since early 2016. As I write this, I’m sitting in m
About a Room: Modern Cottage Living Room
What I wouldn’t give to be snuggled on this big cream sofa in this cottage in the archipelago of Vindö, Stockholm. It may be on an island, a stone’
Before + After: My Itty Bitty Pink Bathroom Makeover
My bathroom is tiny, and yet it sees the most action in a given day– and that ain’t ever changing. It’s always been challenging finding ways to make it work b
About a Bathroom: Mirror Mirror On The Wall
I’m giving my own bathroom a makeover this week (as I mentioned in this post) and fell in love with the idea of using oodles of mirrors on the walls to serve both form and fu
GIVEAWAY: Worker Bee Supply Co. x Jeannie Phan
Started by two busy bees, Becca Gilgan and Eugen Sakhnenko, Worker Bee Supply Co. collaborates with artists to encourage, inspire, and uplift. And today on my Instagram, I’m
Our Deepest Fear
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves,
Links + Likes: Adam J. Kurts’ New Book, Fall Denim Trends, Pantone, Floor Art, the Nordstrom Sale + More
You can now pre-order ADAMJK’s newest book, Pick Me Up: A Pep Talk for Now and Later. Get it! The stunning collage work of Nicholas Mottola Jacobsen. The two
How to Care For Popular House Plants — Even If You Have a Black Thumb
I have over 16 house-plants. And I love each one dearly. So much so that I created a crop top and pillow scribed with “crazy plant lady”. I am not a plant expert, and my expert
Monday Inspiration: Aug 1, 16
Image sources: Valentin Chenaille | Overgrowth | Xochi Solis | Pink Floyd Pig (designed by Roger Waters and built by Jeffrey Shaw) | Jolly Guil
A Moody Blue Bedroom
I’m holding out for a new house before investing in a new bed. It’s a silly moment to stand my ground, but while our mattress game sucks — a popped coil digs into
You’ve Come a Long Way, Champ
For the past few days, I’ve been undergoing the arduous task of individually editing every single one of my blog posts. Yes, it was a major pain in the butt, but it also forced
Music Mix / 07.16
Since I shared my last playlist, mother earth has given us three seasons. (Sorry!) Here’s some notable things I’ve done since (which I’m hoping can explain why
Links + Likes: Timmy Turner, IKEA Hacks, Boo ZARA, Mules, Mid-Century Furniture, Little Pink Houses + More
➔ I visited The Bay the other day to return these shoes (they simply made my size 9 feet look big and clunky, but they’d probably look a hell of a lot cuter on smaller fe
Can We Not? On Shaming + Fear of Making Mistakes in Home Design
Lately, I’ve noticed more and more articles with titles such as, “15 Things You Should Never Ever Have In Your Home After 30″, and, “Mistakes You’re Making
HGTV Canada Greenlights Two New Original Series Introducing Three New Experts (And I’m One of Them)!
Let me set the scene… Yesterday, I woke up to Piper (equipped with a goopy eye-infection) nudging me with a smelly toy, spent my morning feeling ill and mushy from eating le
Links + Likes: July 2016
Everything I’ve been loving for the past month — from hand-formed plates and baseball caps to nail polish, sugar and salt. (Click the photos to visit the links to shop
My Backyard Oasis: The Big Reveal!
Guys, my backyard is so so dope. I’m tickled pink — err, black. [If you’ve been following along with my backyard renovation, you know how junky and dysfunctional
Things I Like: Anu’s Renovated Modern Dollhouse
I discovered Anu on Instagram when I happened upon a photo of what I thought was her home. After a quick double-tap, it took me a few finger-scrolls to realize that — unless hu
Backyard Oasis: Mini Update + Cost Breakdown
My backyard oasis is 98% done! I must admit, it took a bit longer than I anticipated due to some last-minute changes to decor, but the last of my goodies are slated to arrive next
It’s The Little Things: Painting My Fireplace Brick
The thought of painting brick gives some people hives, but I fear nothing — especially when the brick is ugly as sin. Last December, I decided to paint my basement fireplace
Life Lately: I Got a Lob, Tea for Cocktails, The Dramatic Tale of One Pergola + Some Cheap Home Updates
I got a lob! I rarely get my hair cut and choose to live with dead ends on the reg, but it was due time I get a healthy cut, so my blonde tips (which were as dry as hay) are gonez
My Backyard Oasis: The Plan, Process + Shopping List (2/3)
Once the tree mound filled in and flattened, I overhauled my gardens, tossed some junk, and installed a new fence, I could finally muster a vision for the backyard which first
Sliding Barn Door To The Rescue: Replacing Our Generic Closet Doors
When I first bought my house, I didn’t think my closets could get any worse. They were small and ugly. So, I painted the cheap faux wood white, and while it solved the probl
Behind The Scenes of My Tweaked Living Room Looks + Video
On Friday, I shared this video on YouTube on how to shop your own home to create two different looks for your living space (seen above) by simply tweaking and swapping out decor
Shop The Look: My Living Room (+ YouTube Video)
Yesterday, I shared a post with oodles of photos of my living room (along with me and Piper). And today I was inspired to put together a look-book and source-list for you guys t
Ebb and Flow: Life and My Living Room
Rooms ebb and flow all the time. And my living room is arguably the room that changes most in my home — even if it’s ever so subtly: by the season; based on trends;
My Backyard Oasis: The Before (1/3)
My backyard has been “undergoing renovations” for the past two years. One of the reasons I fell for this house was because of the potential that the backyard had. It w
Beyoncé, Swan Floaties, ASOS Jumpsuits + Dresses, Wayfair Outdoor Furniture, DIYs, and Radiohead
I saw Beyoncé last night and it was amazing. (I shared it on Snapchat, so check it out before my story expires: SabrinaSmelko) Her dancing, her performance, the graphics and thea
Backyard Bliss: Wild Flowers, Lazy Lounging, Ambiance + Neutrals
Happy Victoria Day weekend everyone! Hope everyone has plans to eat lots of S’mores and sit fireside enjoying fireworks. As you may or may not know, I got a new patio install
Troubleshooting
Full disclosure: I have been guilty of approaching my work and career with a utilitarian mindset for years, and it’s finally run its course. And as a result, my portfolio is
Links + Likes: Pastel Drawings by Zaria Forman, Botanicals, DesignMilk’s New Podcast, Inbox SOS, NYC Subway Photos + More
I just discovered these gorgeous pastel drawings by Zaria Forman of the Maldives. I may be late to the train, but what stunners. Call it trendy, but I can’t get enough of b
Links + Likes: Tinted Mirrors, Shop H&M Online, LOL @ ART, Good Bones on HGTV and My Dream Kitchen
I’ve renamed this column Links and Likes because Week in Review sounded too much like I was reporting on SNL’s weekend update. Let’s call a spade a spade here, gu
My $7,000 DIY Kitchen Reno Cost Breakdown + Source List
Last fall, I tackled a kitchen renovation. Other than help from my awesome dad who pitched in, I did everything by myself to save money, save for hiring professionals where absol
Week In Review: March 17, 2016
Another week has gone by awaiting a big opportunity — and my patience is being tested — but I’m very hopeful and am crossing all of my fingers and appendages for
Game of Homes Season Two is Coming — And I’m a Guest Judge
Last October, in the midst of my kitchen renovation, I woke up at 4:30 am on a balmy morning and hopped into a warm van en route to a stadium holding four houses, once destined for
OOAK Show Admission Tickets Giveaway!
I’ve partnered with Toronto’s One of a Kind Show to give away 10 free admission tickets to the show running from March 23rd to 27th in Toronto. Yippee! I go every year
Featured in: 55 Women Making Work We’re Obsessed With
In celebration of International Woman’s Day earlier this week, I woke up to discover I was featured in Format Magazine’s list of 55 talented women in creative fields th
Dress My Domain: Shades of Grey
This post originally appeared on Hello Yellow. Admittedly, I’ve never been a fan of the all-grey trend. In many cases, it can come off as sterile or cold, and the last thin
Get The Look: My Home Studio / Office Reveal
My home office has been nearly a year in the making. I once worked in the smaller bedroom adjacent to it, but after we took over the basement and Shawn moved his office downstairs,
Week In Review – Superfront, Tissue Paper Art, A-Frame Cabins, Koen Hauser + More
This DIY tissue paper fruit art tutorial is adorable. If you have blank walls and need a weekend project, do it! ECarpetGallery has some amazing new rugs available. This beauty ca
Stop Looking Out, Start Looking In
It’s easier than ever to compare ourselves to others. And for me, this has extended to comparing myself to others in my creative field. With the internet at our fingertips, i
Dress My Domain: Calm, Cool + Collected
When it comes to my own decor style, I never quite know how to put it into words. Like many, I’m influenced by everything from fashion trends, content found on my favorit
Week in Review: Fixer Upper, Dare to Dream, D*S, Second-Hand Home Shops + More
I’m heading to Toronto this morning to see about getting involved in a thing I’m excited about. I can’t share much more about what I’ve been up to, but if i
Second-Hand Source Bible: Where I Shop For All Things Home
Call me a snot-nosed modern-day kid, but I think the old way of furniture shopping is dated — you know, the kind where there’s one store in your town and you just buy
Oh, But What If?
Oh, what can change in a year, what the future can hold if we only dare to dream. It’s funny how one simple thought — a hypothetical “what if?” — can
Week in Review: One
Writing the first week in review post of 2016 brought a lot of pressure, probably heightened by the fact that I haven’t even shared a week in review post in a month or so! W
15 Designers’ New Year Resolutions for 2016 on Creative Bloq
I was asked by Computer Arts (AKA Creative Bloq online) to share my 2016 resolution as a designer along with 14 other cool people. What’s mine?… Lately, the creative an
In The Kitchen with Nonna
It’s been just over one week that my kitchen renovation has been complete, and I’ve finally been able to enjoy the fruits — err, cookies — of my labour. Thi
