Friday, November 29, 2013

Rielly's Retreat

Hi,

I have been SO excited to share some new photos of a completed project with you! I recently had the great privilege to work with a super sweet and fun teen, Rielly, to create a space all her own. I had so much fun working on this project!

At our first meeting, Rielly told me that her perfect room would be a combination of black, white, and Tiffany blue and would include the following details:

  • pretty drapes and LOTS of pillows 
  • a bench at the end of the bed 
  • a place to curl up and read 
  • photos of herself and her friends 
With the colour palette and those ideas in mind, I set to work sourcing a fun array of fabrics, furniture, and accessories. I also had a wonderful time creating some DIY items that really help to personalize her space. 

Here is what I came up with: 




In my opinion, EVERY girls' room should contain a chandelier. This one is from IKEA.  



Just like every girls' room should contain a chandelier, it should also include a little bling. I fell in love with this sweet little clock from HomeSense with its rhinestone detail. 




Wall colour is custom, but is roughly based on the colour "Tropicana Cabana" by Benjamin Moore. The Gemini wall art is from HomeSense and the  letter "R" is from Michael's (I podged patterned paper on to it, let it dry, and then sanded the edges for a smooth finish). 




A super comfy, small scale, and cost-effective option for seating in a bedroom is the Ektorp Jenny Lund chair from IKEA. A cozy faux fur throw and a graphic print pillow complete Rielly's reading nook. 





This is a great overall shot that includes the striped rug from Crate and Barrel, and the custom upholstery (gorgeous headboard and bench) by Stefan at the House of Upholstery and Slipcovers




Close-up detail of the beautiful craftsmanship that went in to this headboard. 





This is by far my favourite shot of the room. I love the wide-angle, and I love how inviting Rielly's new bed looks with all of the custom cushions. The fabric is from Tonic Living and all of the beautiful sewing was done by Lisa Sinclair




To make this adorable flower, I roughly followed this set of DIY instructions. 




For continuity and flow throughout, I used the same velvet on both the headboard and the bench, repeated the nailhead trim detail, and used the grey and white
zig zag fabric as piping (also found on the drapes). 




Now, while I am sure the bench was intended to serve as a place to sit, or more realistically, to accumulate piles of clothes, (and not as a place to display colour-coordinated French macaroons), sometimes style trumps function (or at least until the photo shoot is over and we can eat the props!) 




The table lamps and side tables (tables custom sprayed in "jet black" by Benjamin Moore) are from HomeSense and the mug, coaster, and candle
are from Anthropologie.




DIY ribbon board - the large-scale damask fabric is from Tonic Living




The gorgeous jewellry "tree" is from West Elm and the glass jar and adhesive
rhinestone trim is from Michael's





For this DIY, I took a combination of Rielly's personal photographs, some downloaded photos of her celebrity "crushes," and then added in some inspirational quotes (found in the scrapbooking section at Michael's). Apparently, Channing Tatum is attractive whether you are 15 or over 40! 




Gallery wall of photos and quotes. 





Another DIY - I created this "tree of tags" using additional quotes that I matted on card stock and then hung from the branches of this cute little tree. It adds a pop of colour and some visual
 interest in the room. 




A close-up of the tag tree. 




The lacquered box and damask organizers are from HomeSense



So, that's Rielly's Retreat. What do you think? We had the opportunity to see Rielly's first reaction to her new space, and it was pretty great - I think she likes it!

Thank you so VERY much to Rielly and her family for giving me the chance to design her room, to Sarah Leeman of Bean Shoots Photography for capturing the true essence of this room, and to my fabulous design assistant, Denise Sharp, for all of her help.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Kerry xo

Saturday, November 16, 2013

winter wreaths

hi,

I love wreaths. I always have, and I always will. I especially love natural winter wreaths - a daily reminder that, even though most plants are covered in a thick blanket of snow for several months of the year (I do live in Canada, after all!), spring will come again. They also seem to communicate a heartfelt, "WELCOME, please come in and stay a while"sentiment.

Have you ever noticed that wreaths can take on the personality of their "owner?" No, I am not one of those individuals who think other people look like their dogs, but I do think that one's holiday wreath can say an awful lot about a person.

If you think I am crazy, just take a look below.....




THE LINEAR, "TYPE A" PERSONALITY (just like me!!!)




CLASSICALLY ELEGANT. 




MERRY AND BRIGHT 
(this sentiment can also be used to describe an individual's personality - and I am grateful 
to know several women whose demeanour would fit the bill). 




THE COTTAGER 
(who apparently has a strong affinity for power tools!) 




THE "MARTHA" 




THE WINTER FORAGER 




THE TRADITIONALIST 





THE "SAVES HER YARN SCRAPS" KNITTER (also me!!!)


So, what will your holiday wreath/s look like this year?

Have a lovely weekend.

Kerry xo