Bedroom Tour.

I'm back today with another bedroom in my home. If you missed the last one you can check it out here. This one is a little softer than the black and white of the master bedroom with its light grey walls (Para Paints Cashmere), white curtain panels and antique wood dresser.

Almost winding down with the house tour updates. It's nice to have bright and professional photos to have in the tour. However, I change things around a lot and soon I'll have to do it all over again! Well.. I hope not:)

Master Bedroom Tour.

Next up on the updated home tour is three of the bedrooms upstairs. Two are used as bedrooms and one is used as a den. There are actually four bedrooms upstairs but one of them has not been updated since I've owned the home so I'm leaving it out of the tour. I hope to tackle it sometime soon and I'll be sure to share the before photos with you then.

Here is a look at the master bedroom. There isn't much "master" about it other than the fact that it's our room! It is oddly shaped with a little alcove ceiling, a slanted wall and tiny closet but I find it cozy and bright. It's also not particularly large with makes it hard to photograph but here are a few shots that Rachel managed to capture for me.

For us Canadians, it was Thanksgiving weekend and dear Mother Nature was very kind! Such wonderfully perfect fall weather. The kind of days when everyone agrees that fall really is the best season. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at my parents' house with the crew, went apple picking, hit up a neat new antique shop where I scored some fun pieces, took Beaufie on some good walks and I even went for a motorcycle ride with Steph. It was all around lovely.

Back tomorrow to tour another bedroom!

DIY Abstract Brush Stroke Art.

A little while ago, I saw this abstract art piece in the gallery wall from Orlando's living room. It was from West Elm and the price was really not too bad. Of course, it also seemed like it would be oh so simple to make your own. I mean it's just brush strokes right? But if you've tried to do your own abstract art, you and I both know it's never as easy as it seems.

We had a large framed canvas hanging in our incomplete bedroom gallery wall and I would stare at it while in bed at night and wonder what we could paint over it to make it work. My thoughts drifted back to the West Elm art but never got around to trying it out.

Little by little, I started to see a few other bloggers who had the same idea and had actually made the attempt. Kristen's at The Hunted Interior was the one that sold me. It looked so fantastic above her green piece of furniture. 

I also discovered Amanda's and Emily's and they were awesome too. Plus, they made it sound super easy! I primed the canvas from my room and then while I was painting the staircase, used the same white paint to give the canvas a couple of good coats of white paint with my roller. Next, I crossed my fingers and simply dry brushed some thick lines with black craft paint. Simple as that.

Here is how it turned out. I'm not sure I would have it on display in my living room but tucked away in my bedroom where only a few critical eyes will see it, I quite like it.

The gallery wall itself is a work in progress. There was no measuring involved and mostly it's things that were in boxes but I wanted on display and found a place there. It needs some tweaking and there are a few spots where there are empty nails but someday it will be finished!

Some of my favorites are:

• Photo from Steph's grandparent's wedding (very top, black frame). Everyone is so serious and mafia-like. 
• My sweet mom and dad on their wedding day (top, white frame). 
• One of my favorite quotes (I carry your heart with me, I carry it in my heart. ee. cummings) 
• Stephane as a little boy holding his mom's hand (bottom right, white frame.) 

There are more on the other side but when it's all finished, I'll share them all at once. What do you think of my abstract piece among them?

Softening Up for Spring!

I've been bored with our black and white bedroom. I like that it feels clean and crisp with the white walls and I still love the floral wallpaper on the slant wall behind the bed. However, I want to soften the space with some color and texture.

First up, I moved my 'For Like Ever' print from another bedroom into ours.

I also added a little pink ikat pillow. I think I'll also ditch the black pillows for something a little lighter.

And I suppose that is all I really did! The question is, do you think I can pull off some panels on the window? I think it may provide some softness if they don't overpower the size of the window. (This is an old photo but it gives you an idea.) I have soft grey linen Ikea Aina panels that I could use. 

I'd love your input! Feels good to be back to blogging. It's soon time to start planning our bathroom renovation!

Framed Letterpress Prints.

Happy Monday everyone! It was a great weekend.  We celebrated a special friend's birthday with a fun girls night sleepover in her beautiful new home. Saturday, we were spoiled with a sunny warm day and we were able to get some yard work done. It felt good to spend some time outside. It has seemed to be cool and rainy the last few weekends.

Over the weekend, I got around to framing my new letterpress prints from Shop JSGD and put them up in my bedroom. I knew they weren't perfectly level but in the photos they look really off, so turn a blind eye:)

I used some matching gold frames that we had around the house. They hang over my dresser, just under the window. The black one is quite dark and shows every reflection but I love the intensity of it in person. Plus, the gold lettering satisfies my current fascination with all things golden.

Beside the lamp I keep a black and white photo of all the women in my family. My mom, two sisters, sister-in-law and 2 sweet nieces and myself. It was taken for our family photos a couple of summers ago and it was my favorite of the day.

I also keep a tray of my favorite perfumes and Stephane's colognes on a porcelain white tray. Not much more simple and pretty than a grouping of fragrances. Speaking of.. I got Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf for my birthday. Have you smelled it? It's heavenly.

So far, I'm really liking the new little nook in my room. Now to keep it tidy!

New Bedside Lamps.

It has been a long while since I shared my bedroom. It's not overly large but I like the layout of the room and how fresh and bright it feels. My House Tour page is embarrassingly out of date. I may start the update with this room, now that I have some new lamps! I really need to get on that. Like soon. The house doesn't even look the same!

I picked up the lamps last week at Winners on a quick shopping trip. The ones I had there previously were simply doing the job. They were too small and I'd been searching for replacements for many months. Because the ceiling is slanted above the bed, the lamps couldn't be too tall but I wanted something with some weight.

I think the new ones fit the bill. They fill up the space and are so much prettier! I don't keep much on the table other than lamps and maybe a book or magazine. I'm a huge vignette fan but a clear space beside my best feels right to me.  

 Still love my Audrey Hepburn print!

I'm thinking of recovering my bird pillow with some new fabric. I'm over birds. I was sort of thinking black and white spotted fabric with pink piping. I'm sure I'll change my mind a dozen times. I'm open to suggestions!

My nightstands are part of the Hemnes series at Ikea (which don't seem to be available anymore). My headboard is vintage (with a chevron pattern!) which I freshened up with a coat of glossy black paint. Did I mention that I still love love love my wallpaper? It almost feels like it was hand sketched and seems to disguise the fact that the ceiling is slanted over the bed.

I'll try to get more photos of the room soon so that I can update my house tour. Then move on to update the rest of the house tour as well!

Bedroom Makeover ~ Updates.

The Easter long weekend has come to an end. Unfortunately, we woke up Easter morning to a little bit of snow but that didn't stop us from enjoying the day. All in all, it was a relaxing yet somewhat productive weekend.

We got the headboard hung in the bedroom. I still haven't put nail head trim on it. I think I will go ahead and order the silver nail strips from Lee Valley but I am actually a bit nervous about doing it. I'm afraid the fabric will buckle. If you know any tips, please share!

I think my new pillows with navy piping look sharp again the headboard and the crisp white bedding. I ordered some fab new fabric to make a small lumbar pillow as well. I'm excited for it to arrive. Can't forget about the bold art print that's been hung already in the room - this fabric will tie it all together! 

I hung one of Gaby's paintings on the wall but I think it's a little small so I'll likely add something else with it to fill the space. Isn't it a cool piece? Love the colors.

In case your wondering what the status is on the dresser with the sticky paint, I'll be back tomorrow with an update. Let's just say my plan didn't work and it's gone a whole new direction! Hopefully a blessing in disguise! Seriously crossing my fingers on this one.

Linking up to Serenity Now.

Weekend Tidbits.

Finally a few crocuses... Spring is here!

A great weekend all around! Got to see my girlfriends on Saturday night which was fun and reminded me we don't seem to get together enough. They really know how to make me laugh:) The weather was beautiful on Sunday so we spent the whole day outside, cleaning the yard (living next to an intermediate school means lots of chip bags and candy wrappers!), raking and trimming away all the dead leaves in the garden. Who knows, we could get another snowstorm yet but it was nice to see some signs that spring has arrived!

On our trip to Halifax, we picked up some new outdoor lighting. Steph had a chance to install them on Saturday. There is a new light above the stairs and a hanging lantern in the porch. There hadn't been a light there previously and I love it!

Please ignore the front of the porch. It's in desperate need of a paint job. Last year when I redid the porch, I got tired.. and decided to tackle it next year. Which is now here so it's been added to the to do list! Also, I only primed the ceiling last year so that needs to be painted too. Added to the list!

Here is an update on the bedroom. Remember when I was having trouble with sticky paint? I thought that putting a coat of Varathane might help. I was wrong! I have one more thing to try, then I will officially cry. I'll keep you posted. Thank you to all of you for your tips and empathy:)

On a brighter note, I got new pillows for the bedroom makeover! I ordered fabric from Tonic Living, planning to make a couple of pillows myself. Then I realized how sharp they would look with navy piping. That is out of my realm of sewing expertise so I brought them to Pins and Needles, a local sewing shop. They did a great job and for what it cost, I'm unsure if I will ever bother to make my own pillows again!

Yep, that is the headboard leaning against the wall behind. Yet to be hung. It was too nice out to inside working on projects.

To finish off the weekend, we went to see the Hunger Games last night. Here's my take, in case you are wondering and if you've see it, feel free to share your own opinion! Overall, I enjoyed it. It mostly stayed true to the book and it was well cast - Jennifer Lawrence was perfect as Katniss. I found myself torn between, finding it long and complete frustration, when so many details of the book were left out. I guess it's that typical lurking emptiness when a movie simply cannot fulfill all the details, emotions and intensity of a book. All in all, a good movie but as always, the book was so much better!

Here's to sunny skies! Have a great week everyone!

I Need Paint Help.

I painted the dresser and stayed true to my word.. it's not white! I rummaged around through the paint in my basement and found, among an embarrassing number of cans, a can of a beautiful grey paint. I figured, why not? Saved me from going out and buying some. Plus, it was a snow day so I was confined to the house!

The color is Jet Set by Debbie Travis but was mixed in Beauti-tone's Natura paint line. It went on nicely and I liked the color against the walls. It almost has a hint of purple to the grey. (Yes, I know there is a crack in one of the drawers. I like when things aren't perfect.. or maybe I'm just lazy? :)

Looks not bad, right? However, strangely enough, the paint doesn't seem to want to dry. It dawned on me where the paint came from. My good friend Emily bought it to paint a cabinet in her dining room. It turned out great but 2 years later, it's still tacky! We had the paint here so my dad tried it on a little table he was working on. Same problem!

Hmmm... anyone use this brand of paint before, or run into this problem? I wish I had remembered this before I started. I'm hoping that a coat of water based Varathane with seal the finish. Thoughts? I'd appreciate any suggestions!

On a brighter note. I have 8 pretty glass knobs to add a little sparkle to the piece! Once I get this sticky situation figured out, I'll be back with a proper before and after.

It's Like Finally Up!

After arriving home from our weekend in the big city (Halifax:), we decided to tackle framing this print for the bedroom makeover. I wanted it a while ago (You can read all about that here). At the time it was sold out but one of my sweet readers emailed me and offered to sell me hers. It had come out in different colorways and she had chosen to go that route. The price was right and I saw it as a sign.

Sadly, the print sat in its tube for over a year. You see, it's rather large at 24 x 36 inches and framing it was p.r.i.c.e.y. I did some searching online and saw that some people mounted it into the largest Ikea Ribba frame, on top of the mat. While not ideal, easiest bet for me! Since we don't have an Ikea around here, I waited patiently until I could somehow get my hands on one. My parents just returned from a trip to Ontario and brought one back.

Please ignore the dresser, it's getting ready for a paint makeover. I love the punch of color again the freshly painted neutral grey walls. One piece of advice. Do not attempt to frame something with your dog around! I think we had to take it apart three times to get the Beaufie hair out from between the glass and the print. Frustrating!

Here is another view from the doorway. Some say this print is "overdone" but I still love it! Like, really love it.

And a couple of shots up close. Yes, I really do love it!

Have you figured out the accent color for the room yet? Time to paint the dresser, hang the curtains and some more art. Now to find the perfect pillow to tie the grey, navy and pink together! Later kids, I'm off to do some etsy shopping:)