THE SUMMER’S END ISSUE IS HERE! A look back at summer, featuring our wicker favourites, Beach life at home, LED lighting design and a home tour of a stunning Irish Country Home. For subscribers only - its free and easy to subscribe in the sidebar. Stay tuned for FALL updates coming soon including peaks into our newest historical home renovation projects, and a modern new build nearing completion. Until next post, you can find us here… Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest ..read more

My love affair with Wicker Summer is the quintessential season for all things wicker, but my affection for this woven material knows no bounds - I believe there’s a place for wicker every season of the year. Wicker has been around for centuries and inherently imbues a timeless character and it can be woven into designs that are contemporary or traditional in style, rustic or refined. Wicker is all about hand-woven TEXTURE. Wicker refers to all things woven from natural plant material like willow, rattan, reed and bamboo, and today even includes synthetic fibres. The strands can be be left natu ..read more

My Go to sourcEs for bedding There are occassions when I’m designing a bedroom that I’m not just tasked with selecting the bed frame or headboard but everything else needed to make it sleep ready - from the box spring to pillow protectors, including washing, drying and ironing for that first sleep. Outfitting and dressing a bed for multiple bedrooms at once is daunting when you consider all the components needed alongside the varied choices and price points. Usually if I’m hired to take this on its when everything is needed new from scratch, whether its for a seasonal second home or for a newl ..read more

designing an ensuite for a contemporary new build Over the past 6 months we’ve been working on the interior finishes and details for a new seasonal home on the Sourth Shore near Hubbards, Nova Scotia. With the Architect’s floor plan already developed we began by reviewing the potential of some pending changes due to the deletion of a staircase and basement level including the layout of the home’s two bathrooms. The entire floor plan with the exception of the inner block of rooms (utility room, Linen Closet and bathrooms) would remain as planned and we proceeded with developing all of the finis ..read more

FAVOURITE BOOKS: The deVOL Kitchen English country kitchens like Devol Kitchens and Plain English were inspiraiton for me back in 2012 when I designed my own kitchen in our 1850’s East Coast home. Clients are also often forwarding me their pins and screen grabs of deVol Kitchens as style references for their kitchen renos too, and not just in heritage or century homes. The deVOL Kitchen company recently releaed a book documenting the philosophy of the founders and the evolution of their now iconic line of kitchen cabinetry and fittings. I was gifted the book for Christmas and have spend many h ..read more

simple & timeless spring style: my favourite online finds This week brings the arrival of spring and I for one am so ready for some green! Our transition to green on the East Coast is much slower than the rest of the country so while I’m eagerly looking forward to a change of season its my the least favourite weather-wise. My mind is craving GREEN and spring blooms but it requires a lot of patience here on the coast while we first endure the dreariest weather.. At this time of year a natural urge to refresh and revitalize our surroundings can take hold of us. Spring isn't just a change of ..read more

first impressions Stepping in the front door of a house you instantly get an impression of the home’s style and character along with a sense of what the rest of the spaces may look like and an indication of the owner’s personal taste. The goal with our Modern Aerie reno project is to update the interiors of the 35 year old home to align with its contemporary architecture and the owners evolved taste for modern design and contemporary art. From the front door through the entire interior. The home is a contemporary architect-designed bungalow with elevated and sweeping ocean views, nestled ..read more

Cabot Trail Espresso MartinI If I’m hosting a gathering I always love to make a special cocktail for the occasion, usually served when guests arrive. Since one of my favourite liqueurs to have on hand for the holiday’s is Cabot Trail maple cream (on my list of Holiday Essentials in our Holiday Issue!), I created this recipe just out of the blue last year when family were staying with us over Christmas and New Years. As we’d had our espresso maker cranking out double shots and lattes every morning, in a spontaneous moment one afternoon I decided I wanted to make some espresso martinis for happy ..read more

The holiday issue is OUT I know this is very last minute for Holiday decor inspiration or gift ideas, but also that’s kinda the theme of my holiday style, so in my world this is right on time! For subscribers only - but its free and easy to subscribe in the sidebar. Stay tuned for more Holiday updates this week including a recipe for a decadently delicious cocktail. Until next post you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest ..read more

A Three-toned Kitchen Concept & Progress The kitchen in the Copper Barn residence is in an open concept space that includes a living area with fireplace and a large dining area.  Located on the second level of the barn building, there’s also a walk-out to an elevated deck and two dormer window nooks where we incorporated built-in bench seats.  The ‘before’ plan was a blank slate for the most part, there were electrical and plumbing rough-ins already in place but there was flexibility in being able to move those to suit the proposed kitchen design. Here’s a look at the final floor ..read more