Loveable Livable Trends: Kilims

As we enter a new season and the colder winds start blowing, we begin to think about preparing for winter. I know, I know, no one wants to talk about winter yet, and neither do I. So instead lets talk about the sudden urge we are all feeling to get cozy. In our wardrobes the knits, boots, and jackets are coming out and in our homes the throws, pillows and rugs are suddenly welcome additions. So in the spirit of the new season I'm going to share with you one of my very favorite trends: kilims.

Kilims are flat-woven tapestry style rugs and pillows that generally known to be Turkish, but can actually be from a wide range of regions and local styles from Turkey to Pakistan. Known for their colour and beautifully woven patterns this is a trend that isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I love, love, love them!

Generally, kilim rugs are not super expensive, although they are increasing in popularity and therefore demand. They range in price depending on their authenticity and age, antique or handwoven kilims can become quite pricey while big-box knock offs are usually the cheaper choice of the rug world.

A kilim in the process of being handwoven

Black and White Wool Kilim

I don't currently have any rugs in my house, but am looking forward to changing that this winter. I love the way a beautiful rug both unifies and defines a space. A colourful rug like a kilim gives you so many colour options to draw upon for your space. And a large area rug helps you to define a specific space, especially in an open concept house like mine. It subtly tells you this is the living room and that is the dining space, etc, etc.

One general rule of thumb is that, in a living room for example, your area rug should touch or slightly go under the front legs of every chair/couch in the room. And if you have say an entertainment unit on the opposite wall from the couch, the rug should be big enough to almost touch it (at the very least). This time the touch rule doesn't necessarily have to apply. But it should be close enough that it still visually reads as part of the space. This tip helps you avoid having an awkwardly proportioned room. Nothing can make a space feel more off than badly scaled pieces such as a big sectional and an itty bitty rug. However, I will give you one caveat: once you know the rules, all rules are meant to be broken! For example, if your area rug doesn't quite reach the edges of all the furniture, but you feel that it still visually unifies the space, then follow your instincts and keep it! ( Just make sure you actually think this and aren't just fooling yourself because you "just bought this rug damn it!")

One last tip: always measure first! I learned this tip recently while shopping for rug. Rugs always look ginormous hanging up on a wall, but won't necessarily be the right size for your space. D'oh! So yeah, measure first!

Clockwise from top left: Kilim Floor Cushions; Throw Pillows; Colourful Diamond Kilim; Kilim Thow Pillows; Red Kilim

Beautiful Red Kilim

Places & Spaces: The Star Cafe & Grill

This post is for my local followers because today I'm writing about a hidden gem of a cafe in small town Saskatchewan. Maple Creek is a beautiful little town in the South West corner of our province and is the gateway to the wild and breathtaking Cypress Hills Inter Provincial Park. It is also home to The Star Cafe and Grill. If your not from Saskatchewan you may not realize what a rare find this cafe truly is. It's not just "pretty good for a small town" - as I've heard lots of local fair described. The atmosphere and the culinary delights would give any high end restaurant in Regina or Saskatoon (or any other metropolis for that matter) a run for their money.   

As a designer, the thing I appreciate the most about this little establishment is the way it's heritage has been lovingly and carefully restored to its former glory. There is not a thing I would have done differently. (I hope the owners read this and take it for the compliment it is, because I almost never enter a space without thinking about what I would do to improve it.) From the original floors and tongue and groove ceilings and walls, to the newly built wainscoting and bar that have been matched so handsomely to the style of the space (my compliments to whomever did the custom mill-work on this place). And that thick stone wall! It spans the entire back length of the cafe and is the focal point of the space. Our waitress told us that it was thought to have been the dividing wall between what was the original general store in the front and stables in the back. How cool is that?

A visit to Maple Creek or to Cypress Hill would be incomplete without a little detour to this unexpectedly culinary delight. Besides the decor, the menu is a list of well curated dishes that have been refined to perfection. Trust me! No one is paying me or has even asked me to write this article. It was simply one of those chance encounters that I am so glad I didn't miss out on and I don't want you to either!

Places & Spaces: My Bathroom

It has been a BUSY few months for Ryley and I. We are getting ready to sell our house and thus, have been working like crazy on all those little things that need doing before putting it on the market. I have to say that we would never have gotten the amount of things done without the help of friends and family! Thank you guys!

Some of the renovations are recent and some have been done for a while, but I thought I would take this opportunity to share my home with you one room at a time. I've been taking photos for the listing, but also for the memories. It is bittersweet putting this house on the market since we have done a lot to it over the years and have so so so many memories here. Part of me doesn't want to leave this place!

So (since it was just cleaned) I thought I'd start this process by sharing pictures of my bathroom with you that my husband and his dad painstakingly tiled, dry-walled, painted, etc, etc, etc. Thank you Ryley and Larry, I love my bathroom!

Places & Spaces: The Happy Camper

Cutesy Camper

It's summer (yay!), and with summer comes thoughts of getting away, camping, cottages and the great outdoors. My husband and I recently had the opportunity to get away for a couple of days thanks to friends who lent us use of their lovely little cabin on a lake, and it got me thinking about finding ways to make our own little getaway. We are far from being able to purchase our own cabin, but camper? Maybe.... How fun would it be to buy and renovate a little vintage camper or RV? While we are still far from making such a decision I thought it would be enjoyable to research vintage renovated campers and share my findings with you.

Red & White Delight

What a little blue paint can do

Modern and Minimal

Eclectic Camper

Tonke Camper

Airstream

Modern Airstream

Loving this cozy white camper

Adorable Hugo Camper

Colourful Camper

Happy Camper

Pretty in Pink

Seriously, how much do you love these little beauties? Way cuter and way more personality than the ones you buy straight off the production line with their notoriously ugly upholstery. So fun, so summer. Makes me want to get back out into nature again!

Your Secret Garden: The Balcony & Small Spaces Edition Part 2

Clockwise from top left: outdoor table; planters designed to hang off balcony railings; outdoor rugs; birdy outdoor lights, outdoor solar lamps; love this balcony railing canvas designed to give low balconies some much needed privacy!            All above items available at Ikea

In part one of this two part series, I explained my idea of a nice, small outdoor space or balcony along with examples to stir your creative juices. Here in this second part I'm going to share some of my latest and greatest finds for your tiny part of the great outdoors. Hopefully it will help take your creative juices from stirrings to reality.

Clockwise from top left: Brommo Chaise Lounge; Double Lounger (ideal for snuggles); acapulco chair; PS VÅGÖ Chair; Umbra Loft Outdoor Couch Set; Tierra Outdoor Pouf; Globe Outdoor Sconce; Figueira Swing Chair

I've chosen all these awesomely fun pieces of furniture specifically with small spaces in mind. Even the couch option comes in individual pieces in order to be customized for your space. Some of this furniture may seem large, but trust me, you'd rather have a few larger comfy pieces than a collection of small rickety chairs.

An extra tip: keep your larger furniture pieces (like an outdoor couch) relatively neutral and add colour with showcase pieces like the swing chair and in your pillows, pots, rugs, etc. This way it stays fun and colourful, but easy to change if you get bored with it. But most of all follow your gut and have fun with it! No need for an outdoor space to feel serious.

Clockwise from top left: Angled Plant Stand; Keep the birdies close; Oscar Rail Planter; ÄPPLARÖ Bench with Storage; Super Fun B&W Outdoor Rug; Woolly Pocket Wall Planters

Aaaaand a few more accessory ideas to keep your secret balcony garden a fun and playful escape! Hope you enjoyed this curated shopping experience!

Loveable Livable Trends: Plywood/Chipboard

Plywood Cabin Interior

As in my previous trend post, I must reiterate that I am not a fan of "trends" and don't recommend following them just because it's the latest thing. This is true especially in the design world, where following trends would become an expensive hobby very fast. Not to mention that the idea of trends feeds into our already rabidly consumerist driven society. However, this does not mean that I don't try to keep up with what is happening in the design world - because I absolutely do. And when there is a trend that I think is interesting, innovative and has major staying power, that's when I'll share it with you.

Chipboard Stairs

Plywood and other raw wood products such as chipboard have been trending as a finish to everything from furniture to taking the place of drywall on walls for a while now and I see no signs of this trend slowing down.

All Plywood Stairwell

I love this look for its raw, deconstructionist look. I also love that it is a statement about how beautiful frugality can be and that we don't always need to use the most expensive, current materials to make a space look beautiful and function durably. 

Plywood Ceiling, Upcycled Cabel Reels as Table and Crates as Shelving

Plywood and Concrete

Textural Repetition

OSB

Awesome Plywood Shelving

Do you have a favorite trend or design element? Would love to here your feedback!

Have Yourself A Modern Little Christmas

This time of year, right now, is such a fun moment. The moment before the chaos, when we start to anticipate the fun and feeling of the holiday season. We want to start buying presents and decorating our homes. But for the minimalists, finding decorations we like is not always so easy.

Ryley & I buy a real (farm grown/sustainably harvested) tree every year and for years put nothing on it but little white lights. My reasoning was that a real tree is so beautiful on its own and really doesn't need embellishments. But after about ten years of this I have started to grow bored of it and have been looking for new ways to show my Christmas spirit.

However, the idea of cluttering up my home with trinkets and nicknacks is still unappealing to me so I put away my everyday decorative items for the season and replace them with the holiday items. Never very many, just enough to give the feeling of holidays: a wreath on the door, a lumberjack plaid throw on the couch (that my friend Nikki gave to me), maybe some candles and faux fur pillows or throws, my minimal tree and yeah, that's about it. If you're like me and looking for just a few new pieces to add to your Christmas decor, here are a few of my favorite finds so far (a lot of these are handmade items from Etsy cause I like to support small business):

Clockwise from top left: Himmeli Ornaments by AMradio at etsy.com; Christmas Tree by Cardboard Christmas at etsy.com; XL Pouf by theRemakerie at etsy.com (even a modernist can use a little bit of pattern); Elf Candleholders by CB2 at cb2.com; Fred lrg moose trophy by Cardboard Safari at cardboardsafari.com; Branch Menorah by JudaicaDesignsUSA at etsy.com; Auskin Jumbo Beanbag by Auskin Fibre at inmod.com