Tag Archives: Interior Design

Sold In A Day

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Recently I staged a home for Real Estate sale that sold in a day.

And it sold for well over asking!

I’m going to credit that very quick and prosperous sale in huge part due to my staging services.

(Hey, when the horn can be tooted, toot it!)

Yes, the home had great bones but was buried in the ‘stuff’ of hectic daily living!

Often when I arrive on the scene the home is in a state of disarray whereby I must then ‘turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse’.

Or…take an ogre and turn it into a princess!

bad hair day

Fortunately I love what I do so when I first walked into this home I was not daunted but rather excited.  Actually excitement is what I put into the home.  I try to create a space that has energy; positive energy.  And a vibe that says, “I want to live here”.

Livingroom before Livingroom before

Living Room afterLivingroom after

Dining Room beforeDining Room before

Dining Room afterDining Room after

Kitchen before  Kitchen before

 

Kitchen after  Kitchen after

Bedroom before bdrm before staging

Before after bdrm after staging  All images via Modmissy

 

 

The Magic is in the Mix

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I love fashion.

Whether it’s fashion in décor or clothing both give me great visual happiness!

A very symbiotic relationship exists between the two – what’s hot on the runway will influence what’s ‘on trend’ in home décor.

I came across this blurb recently in a  J. Crew catalogue that I thought summed it up well.  And although Jenna Lyons, Creative Director for J.Crew is referring to clothing it easily parallels into décor.

Check it out.

 

We LOVE colorblocking……..    www.bebitalia.com

And pattern mixing……..     www.telegraph.co.uk

We think it’s better to clash than to match………   www.houzz.com

We like to break the rules and appreciate a good surprise……..  www.davidchurchill.co.uk

We temper tomboy with heels………  www.artisticdesignsforliving.com

We pair old with new………    www.lda-architects.com Boston

Matte with shine……..   www.houzz.com .

High with low……..   www.freshome.com

Don’t believe there is just one way to wear an outfit…….   www.nuevo-estilo.es

THE MAGIC IS IN THE MIX!

Images via:

1. www.bebitalia.com  2.  www.telegraph.co.uk  3.  www.houzz.com                                4.  www.davidchurchill.co.uk  5.  www.artisticdesignsforliving.com  6.  www.lda-architects.com  7.  www.houzz.com  8.  www.freshome.com  9.  www.nuevo-estilo.es

Feathering the Nest

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This summer above our garage door a nest was built and three birds were born.   Baby bird

For weeks the parents flew in and out feeding and caring for their precious offspring.  These young birds had insatiable appetites and the parents never seemed to stop working.   Hungry Birds.

Then one day I noticed the young birds had ventured outside the nest.  Leaving the Nest.

And the next moment the nest was on the ground and all the birds had flown.   Birds Nest.

Hatched, raised and flown.  Gone.

In my last post I mentioned that my son is now living away at university – born, raised and flown the nest.  Gone.

So, where did 18 years go?

It was only yesterday that he was born.  And what felt like a mere 5 minutes ago that he was learning to walk, talk and then heading off to Kindergarten.  Time flies doesn’t it!?

I have to believe that my years of parenting have given him wings and the ability to soar.  Made him want to venture beyond his very comfortable nest.

But I miss him big time!!

And now there is a void in the house with empty rooms and spaces where my son once occupied.

But instead of feeling sad every time I walk past these ‘gaps’………I decided to re-decorate.

I ‘feathered the nest’ for me!

High atop on the 3rd floor of my home I turned my son’s study into my space of relaxation and comfort.   Feathering the Nest.

Let me tell you there is nothing better than lying on a comfy chaise with a view out the window, my favourite books, pictures of loved ones and the remote in my hand.

Heaven!

All images via Modmissy

A Focus on Space

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Yesterday I attended a focus group for the Brother® Business Smart™ all-in-one printer; the MFC-J4510DW. 

Brother MFC-J4510DW

 

With the ultimate combination of printer, scanner, copier, fax and wireless networking this piece of technology has it all.  Including great looks!

But while attending yesterday’s very informative event it occurred to me that I have not been using my Brother® Business Smart™ to its best capabilities.  Although it occupies valuable real estate on my desk I have been ‘under’ using this all-in-one printer.  I have since changed that.  And love it now even more!

This got me thinking about our homes.  Do we use them to their best or are there rooms/spaces that we ‘under’ use? 

I often say that space is highly overrated.  What good is having a lot of it when we don’t use it??

I like having my formal dining room but how often do I use it?  My TV is in my media room so I don’t really ‘hang’ in my living room.  The guest room is for guests.  I seem to never leave my kitchen as it is the hub of the house which means that I don’t use my other rooms. 

So I have started to re-think some of my space.

Stay tuned!    OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

All images via Modmissy

My Spool Bed

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A year ago I wrote about my ‘curbside treasure’ – my antique Spool Bed. (see here)   Spool Bed

I stated that “one man’s garbage, another woman’s treasure”.  ????

Well……after a bunch of (my hubby’s) elbow grease, this old spool bed that was left for garbage at the side of the road is now my cottage bedroom treasure.

Nothing short of totally dismantling, re-gluing, sanding, staining and altering to fit a bigger mattress the spool bed’s makeover is now complete.  Sweet dreams!Spool Bed

All images via Modmissy

Baby it’s Cold Outside!

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Brrrrrrrrrrr!  It’s cold outside.

Mother Nature seems to be confused offering 12 degree temps (54 degree Fahrenheit) in June.

So I thought it would be OK to talk about fur – mostly fun faux fur.

I have had this photo in my inspiration folder for some time, a tear-out from Style at Home magazine.  The magazine made mention of statement pieces like the well-styled bookcases, the hide rug, table and vase – which are all very lovely.  But who could ignore that outstanding/amazing flokati-covered chair.  Not Me!!!!  flokati covered chair

Another chair that caught my attention is The Cutie Chair by Munna Design of Portugal whose mission is to ‘transform emotion into products’.  The Cutie Chair with its faux fur and gold leaf legs certainly fills me with emotions of happiness!  Cutie Armchair by Munna Design

The Ciprio designed by Fernando e Humberto Campana for Edra is a wonderfully playful iconic piece.  The settee has 9 cushions fixed to an invisible metal tube frame, stuffed with Gellyfoam® and covered in ‘ecological fur ‘available in different fur lengths.  Fun, fun, fun!  Cipria for Edra.

This chair seen on houzz.com is a Mid Century Modern classic piece covered in faux fur.  Serious but not too serious.   houzz.com

So I decided to do my own version of a faux fur covered chair.  I went with yellow to give a pop of colour in a very white guest room plus it matched one of The Hudson Bay stripes in the Point Blanket.  My family have coined it the ‘Big Bird Chair’ (à la Sesame Street).

Oh well….it makes me smile!   Yellow faux fur

 

 

Inspiration Hits – My Newest DIY

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I was struck by inspiration recently.  Whomp!

I believe my setting and scenery had everything to do with my inspiration – sitting in the backyard, feet up, warm dappled sun shining through the canopy of trees and a cuppa tea by my side.  I was reading my July issue of Canadian House and Home magazine and came across a photo in an article titled Relaxed Seaside Living.   House and Home Relaxed Seaside Living

I loved this calm, neutral living room with slipcovered furniture, sculptural rope floor lamp, lots of weathered wood and organic textures.  But there was one particular detail that caught my eye.

So I was inspired to DIY.     DIY Pillow.

Canadian Maple Leaf.

 

Fringed Pillow..

 

And in the wink of a D-eye-Y this was my creation…..      Canada Flag Pillow.

My Canadian Flag pillow.  Perfect for my ‘Relaxed Lakeside Living’!

I chose to use neutral, organic fabrics for a faded, worn look but also these are the tones of my cottage interior.  See my cottage renovation here: https://modmissy.com/2012/09/12/the-cottage-renovation-the-after-photos/

Oh Canada!

All images via Modmissy

Clothing as Art

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Mark Twain once said “Clothes make the man”, which is very true but clothing, shoes and accessories make the woman!

Suffice to say, I LOVE FASHION.

Beautiful clothing hanging in my closet – fabulous!

But clothing hanging as art?

Interesting.

I’ve had this photo in my inspiration folder for some time. Torn from a past issue of Style at Home Magazine I liked this room for a few reasons (ie. furniture, windows) but it was the canvas hanging on the wall that caught my attention.  The wall hanging is a hand-painted Victorian wedding crinoline by Janis Gillan.clothing as art

This got me thinking….’clothing as art’.  So I did a little research and here are a few others I found.

Restoration Hardware amps up a neutral room with this ‘clothing as art’ above the sofa.  Restoration Hardware

This is a shot of Brooke Shields family room with portraits of herself and children and images by Annie Leibovitz and others.  Once again the piece with the gauzy lace dress on the black canvas is quite prominent.  Brooke Shields family room

In her Seams series, Jean Shin created art with clothing by cutting away the fabric of a shirt or a dress leaving behind a continuous linear band around the stitch referencing the body’s skeletal structure, proportion, gravity and gesture.   Jean Shin

Guerra de la Paz works with discarded clothing to create 3-dimensional art inspired by an essential familiarity with the ready-made and the archaeological qualities that found objects possess.  guerradelapaz

This picture is mine.  These are my childhood Barbie® doll’s clothing that I framed.  My Barbie® doll is long gone but her memories ‘hang’ on!   Barbie Clothing by Modmissy

Home Staging

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I have not written in a while because I have had my head ‘stuck in a house’.  Head in House

Really!  For the last 2 ½ weeks I have been staging a huge house (a real biggie!) for real estate sale.  It will be listed for $$ million so a lot of pre-presentation work went into this house.

In total I counted 25 people who at some point throughout the 2 ½ weeks worked on this house.   At times it felt like we were ants crawling all over the house!  Bless the homeowners for being so patient as they lived in the house while all the work was being done.

To get this home ready for Open House presentation I had all the wall-to-wall carpeting ripped out and replaced with hardwood.  Interesting what you sometimes find underneath carpet.  Faux red brick!!!!!

Faux red brickThe stairs were treated to new updated wool Berber carpet.  The mint green walls were painted Benjamin Moore White Down, the dark paneling was painted Cloud White and the wallpaper border was stripped off.

Nothing dates a house like light fixtures so many of those were replaced.  Retro tulip light

All the outside fencing and decking were re-stained to make them look updated.

The garden was tended to.  All the windows were washed.  A cleaning crew went ‘full-on’ inside for a day.

And the homeowner’s contents were edited.  (!!!)  Then I did my thing – staging and propping.

Needless to say the house looked beautiful in the end.

I love ‘playing house’!

I was so focused on this house I almost missed a beautiful part of spring – the blossoms!

Magnolia tree

Forsythia

 All images via Modmissy

Fence Design – Love this one!

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As previously mentioned the fence in my backyard needs replacing – 10 years ago!  And now with summer on its way decisions need to be made sooner than later.

So what’s the 10 year hold up you ask?

Design.

What should the fence look like, what style do I want?  Should I go with horizontal or vertical fence boards?  Stained or natural?  Should it have modern influences or be more traditional?  And what extra details should be incorporated into the design?

I have posted twice about fence designs. See My Fence Design Dilemma and More Fence Designs. 

Similar to a home’s interior décor I believe a fence requires as much thought to the style and design. 

Recently a neighbour of mine decided it was time to tear down their old dilapidated garage and install a parking pad and build a new privacy fence.  Yeah for me!  The [ugly] garage is now gone and there is a really nice fence to admire.  And…..I love the design.  Fabulous Fence Design

The fence boards run horizontally and are staggered in width with narrower boards at the top creating interest and a sense of design.  To break up the abundance of wood 2 panels of sand blasted glass were incorporated giving a contemporary feel to the fence.  sand blasted fence

I like the gate hardware, a black lever-style handle, a variation from the norm.  A peep-hole ‘viewing sliver’ has been built into the design also.  fence hardware and peep hole

So…..is there hope/inspiration for my fence replacement?

All images via Modmissy