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’s throw from the Baltic sea, but there’s something so comforting about it that makes you feel at home. Get the laid-back
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 better for us without making any drastic changes to the layout — because at the end of the day, we aren’t willing to make
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 function. They not only look pretty, but reflect the little light I have in the space and will come in […]
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 hosting a give-away of their most recent print by Jeannie Phan! (Instructions to win at the bottom of this post.) Geared towards t
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, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing [&h
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 expertise simply comes from years of experience both killing and curing plants. So today I’m sharing the tips and tricks for what
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 Guillaume | Julien Martin | Joe Kral | Valentin Chenaille
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 my back, and our foam topper pad is half-gone from when Piper ate chunks of it as a puppy in a fit of […]
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 That Drive Designers Crazy,” amongt others. I’ve noticed it with more frequency over the past few months, and so h
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 the space used to be. (And if you missed it, check out the full before post here and my shopping list here and a cost breakdown he
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 human-sized stuffed chipmunks exist — the home was actually a miniature dollhouse, a project she’s been working on and sharing via
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 week. A few days ago my Unison Home items arrived (pictured above), and it’s totally rewarding to see my mood board come [&h
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 brick surrounding in white. (Yes, this post is six months overdue, but better late than never, as they say!) Why? Well, I’ll l
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 led to sourcing and designing a mood board. (If you haven’t seen the before photos of my backyard, check them out first.) As
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 problem aesthetically, it quickly became obvious that not only was form an issue, but function was even more-so. A month ago, I became s
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 and smaller items. And today, I’m sharing some behind the scenes photos as well as a fun time-lapse video that takes you beh
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 to shop if you’re looking to achieve a similar look! So enjoy and let me know what you think 🙂 Source List: Yellow Velvet
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; based on what our weeks look like function-wise etc. I swap out a pillow here for a pillow there, forgo a throw blanket; move [&hell
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 was huge but overgrown in the wrong places, undergrown in the right places, and spoke to the previous elderly home owners. It was da
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 installed recently (which I gave sneak peek pictures of in this post) and, as with any home project, that led to having to source […
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 absolutely necessary. Admittedly, my kitchen isn’t massive, so the $7k price tag is easier to swallow, however, I saved thousands b
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 and, although I rarely leave empty handed, it’s such a great afternoon spent coming out of winter hibernation (only me?!) to g
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 thing you want your home to feel is either of those adjectives. However, on the other hand, I will always champion buying neutral-toned
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, it was time for an upgrade — but it didn’t come without a cost. In the before photos, you’ll see the […]
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 favorite blogs, the movies and music I watch and listen to, and, well, even by what shows up in my Instagram and Pinterest feeds. As som
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 everything from it. Not only do I hate sets but I hate limiting my options. I like to mix and match styles, and I love […]
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 and social landscape of the industry seems repetitive to me — which has stunted me from creating just for the sake of it out of fear
#HelloProKItchenReno: The Big Reveal of My Kitchen Renovation
What a year… 2015 came with a lot of change, the biggest of which came in the form of my home transformation! If you followed along with my journey with the hashtag #HelloProKitchenReno, you’ll know the journey has ended! I shared an essay on Design*Sponge on this renovation and everything it entail
#HelloProKitchenReno: My DIY Kitchen Renovation
For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you probably know that, for the past few months, I’ve been planing and gearing up for a kitchen renovation, which I’m proud (and nervous) to be executing and taking on all by myself onto of my work raising Piper, teaching, and taking on illustration and d
My Small Bedroom Makeover
Recently, I partnered with Leon’s Furniture to transform my bland, dark, storage-less bedroom into a cozy sanctuary with plenty of space for jammies and plants. Check out the video above (made by Wild and Light) to see the transformation unfold and get my insight into the design process. Get the full scoo
Styling My Shelf The Neutral, Minimal Way
I recently re-arranged the furniture in my living room (again, I know, I know) to accommodate our upcoming kitchen renovation, and I love it. My couch and TV placement has seen three different layouts now (see these posts for old layouts), and I’ve settled on this new layout which makes the room more cozy
Things I Like: Artifact Uprising’s New Layflat Photo Album
I — like many — take a ton of photos. And most never see the light of day, let alone get printed and bound into a book. It was about time I actually printed my photos, and what better theme to focus on than my first (fur) baby, Piper. I’ve been an arms-reach fan of Artifact […]
Leon’s Launches Hello Yellow (+ Psst, I’m a Blogger)
Leon’s Furniture has stepped up their game. Over the past 6 months of working with them and frequenting their stores, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by their selection and where the Leon’s brand is heading. In this time, they’ve gathered together an impressive list of contributors and ha
My Home Tour on Design*Sponge
A few weeks ago, Grace, my Editor in Cheif at Design*Sponge asked the entire D*S team to open up their homes and show them off on the site. I was hesitant at first, as up until recently, I’ve been considering moving and have been house-hunting for nearly 6 months. It’s been an un-enjoyable process t
New Life For a Foliage Embroidered Canvas
A few weeks ago, I scored this awesome framed hand-embroidered canvas artwork at my local Re-Store for $8. And I completely ruined it. The shot below was taken in the store (next to many other adorable embroidered pieces, unfortunately none which had any sign on them of who made them). I fell in love with [&hel
Spring Changes Around My Home
My living room has gone through a few iterations when it comes to furniture. Rugs, couches, plants and side tables have come and gone. But up until last week, my gallery wall had remained the same. This was my set-up when I first moved in 18 months ago: The few months that followed saw a […]
Inspired By: Light Teal
For the longest time, teal conjured up images of nautical-themed rooms or distressed vintage furniture for me, all of which aren’t my cup of tea. But lately I’ve been having a new appreciation for the hue, when pale and light. I still can’t quite love fully-saturated teal, and I may never, but
Ceramic Loveliness from The Pursuits of Happiness
I totally resonate with April Brimer. After working digitally as a commercial photographer for years, she was craving something more analog. In 2013, April caved and dove head-first into the world and possibilities of ceramics. Her darling line of ceramic housewares, jewelry and objects, The Pursuits of Happine
My Small Galley Kitchen Made Better With Wire Chairs from Structube
A few weeks back, I visited Structube’s Liberty Village location and fooled around hand-picked my most coveted furniture pieces from their store to create a curated collection for Valentine’s Day, supported by this video by Wild and Light. One of the pieces I picked were their Wire chairs (which I l
Propagating Succulents: An Update on My Plants
I’m obsessed with my plants. It’s borderline concerning to my friends, but it makes me so genuinely happy to watch a leaf uncurl on my pothos or a new shoot to grow from my palms or the leaves of my jades reach for the light. But what’s even more satisfying is growing new plants from […
This Week Month in Photos
I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve shared some of my life behind the scenes, so feast your eyes on some shots from my Instagram and some that have been sitting in my iPhone’s Camera Roll for months. I found these Kenneth Cole Reaction black slip-ons from Winners a few weeks back. These [
DIY Cotton and Wool Throw Blanket/Duvet
With fall in full swing and winter around the corner, this DIY throw blanket is useful, beautiful and easy to make. A perfect weekend afternoon project! I poke around my local thrift store every few weeks and was tickled when I found this dotted and arrow patterned beauty. I was saving it for just the […
My $250 Kitchen Renovation: Before and After
When I bought my first home last year, I fell in love with its charm and potential–not it’s dated decor. I knew that with a little elbow grease, the home could be brought from 1960 to 2014. My Kitchen Before First thing’s first — I don’t know who those people are. Believe it or not
DIY Natural Lip Balm with Beeswax, Honey and Coconut Oil
Earlier this summer, I bought a few small bottles of essential oils to use as a natural air freshener, to repel mosquitoes and more. So when I got my hands on some raw honey from Martin’s Sweet Farm in Campbellville, I finally decided to put the coconut oil in the fridge to use and combine […]
DIY Gone Awry: You’re Killing Me, Buster
I’m about to end the life of this f*&$ing pot holder I’ve been knitting this thing with polyester rope which has nearly killed me. I swear it’ll be the death of me. Heavy sarcasm aside, it ended up looking great, and seems like it would function fantastically as a pot holder, only it&
How To Copy, Paste & Multiply Your Succulent Plants
If you’re anything like me, there’s nothing more thrilling than free things — and nothing more comforting than a home filled with plants. Lucky for people like us, Mother Nature is one smart cookie. Back in December, I bought a few house plants; some succulents, a ZZ plant (you can’t kill that
DIY Natural Beeswax Candles
When I was a little girl, I stuck a ball of beeswax up my nose. “I wish I could smell this forever!” were my famous last words before breaking out into panicked hysteria. I was making homemade candles with my family to enter into the annual Fall Fair competition in Milton, and I just couldn’t
Happy Plants for The Home and Office
Plants make people happy. No, really, dirt and gardening scientifically makes people happy. Maybe it’s because I’m a tad obsessed with my plants and garden at the mo’, but while leafing through the 2015 IKEA Catalog, I couldn’t help but notice their smart use of plants to serve a purpose
Where to Find (Actually) Awesome Furniture in the GTA
When I moved into my new home last winter, I immediately began the thrilling hunt for affordable, good quality furniture. Prior to this, IKEA was my go-to-store, and while I still love it and find great pieces there all the time there, I had no idea the world of greatness that lied before me in […]
