My Future Home...?

I'm obsessed. It's perfect. I have been keeping a close eye on this Montreal house ever since it went on the market at the beginning of the year. Since then, it has gone down in price significantly, enough for it to be aaaaaalmost within reach. But still, not quite in our price range. This store converted into a cottage has everything we want and more character than most condos I have seen over the past few years.

While it does have a weird layout and it certainly isn't the most spacious house I have seen, I feel that it is a perfect match and that it is just waiting for me to move in, give it a little facelift and call it my home. I think that it is a good sign when you can stare at each room, picture all of your furniture in it and image a million different ways of decorating every inch of space. I even have visions of welcoming friends over for dinner, of coming home from work, of the dog running around the kitchen begging for food or my man working in the basement on some project....Indeed, in my mind, I already live there. That makes me sound crazy, doesn't it?

Nina Campbell Fabrics

At the risk of one day being officially labelled as the one of the most girly interior decorators ever, I have to admit that I am really enjoying looking at feminine fabrics full of flowers and butterflies. I wish that I could decorate a little girl's room and go nuts with as many cute, frilly items that I could find, if only so that I could get my fix and move on! I came across Nina Campbell's collection on the Osborne and Little website and a couple of fabrics caught my eye.

Perroquet

My favourite one. I saw this pattern a long time ago in the Domino: The Book of Decorating but as a wallpaper, not a fabric. It was used in an entryway and I was surprised by how much I liked it, especially in black. I particularly like the use of dark walls right now to hide a television, as the sight of a TV on a wall in a living room usually makes me cringe...unless cleverly hidden with beautiful parrots.

Farfalla Silk

Designers Guild Fabrics----The de Chine

While searching through baskets full of fabrics at the store the other day, I was shown the "The de Chine" by Designers Guild and fell in love with it. It wasn't what I was looking for at all for this particular mission and I can't imagine how I could use it anywhere in my own house but it is so unique and delicate, yet colourful and whimsical at the same time that I simply must find it a good home. I will find a use for it somewhere one day. The photo doesn't do it justice at all and makes it look more granny-like and feminine than it actually is. This post is just a mental note not to forget the "The de Chine".

The Search Continues...

A few more samples from Osborne and Little Fabrics. I am still biased to Thomas Paul and his lovely birds and butterflies but it doesn't hurt to look elsewhere while I am waiting for samples to arrive. You never know how big the patterns will be until you actually see them. Worth the wait.

Search For The Perfect Fabric

I'm looking for a fabric to cover up dining room chairs and a rocking chair for a kitchen that should have the feeling of a romantic French Country look without being too obviously "Provencal". I haven't found the perfect one yet (or made the trip to the mother ship, aka The Cross) but here are a few examples of my favourites so far:  

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Or do I Want You?

A completely different, more affordable option from "West Elm", spotted in the latest Lonny Magazine.  More modern, sleek and chic looking, though a step away from the vintage industrial look that I am aiming to incorporate.  This piece raises the question of how much yellow is too much, as I may be one or two items away from reaching the unreasonable amount in my house.  I like that it looks shiny and tidy and I love the price (299$).  

I Want You

Gustave Teak Tables by Roost. I saw them over a year ago at "Area 51" in Seattle.  I still think about them regularly and how perfect they would be for our house.  Not ridiculously expensive but certainly above my budget.  At what point do you have to give in and just get it already? After dreaming about it for two years? Five years? hum....too long....

Little Black Book---Online---L'Aviva Home

I should probably start by thanking all my friends and coworkers for introducing me to all sorts of interesting online stores and website.  My latest recommendation is for Laura Aviva's site for "L'Aviva Home" and I can't stop looking at it.  The owner refers to it as an online trunk show and her philosophy is that the objects we surround ourselves with in our home should "possess a soul, a history and a purpose, beyond mere decoration and that they should help us connect with the world".  I have previously mentioned that I believe that the items we decorate our homes with are more personal and interesting when they are souvenirs, gifts and great finds from our travels.  They mean a lot more to us in that way and we feel good whenever we look at them because they remind us of wonderful adventures and vacations.  As plane tickets and time spent abroad is getting more out of reach for the average person, visits to exotic places far, far away become more of a once in a life time opportunity and less of a yearly vacation away from home.  All the more reason to enjoy the beauty of the foreign nestled in the comfort of our house...

 Moroccan Wedding Blankets

The tradition of these blankets lies in the belief that it protects the newlyweds from evil. Made from sheep wool and cotton by the bride-to-be and her family and these skills are passed on from generation to generation. 

Turkish Hammam Towels

Hand made towels originally used for Turkish baths.  I certainly wouldn't be drying my hair with these and would rather find a spot for it on my couch or over a chair so that I could admire it on a daily basis.

Shyrdak

The nomadic people of the remote area of the Tien Shan Mountains in Kyrgyzstan tell their stories in the wool felt rugs.  Part mosaic, part quilt, they are designed to have spiritual significance as well as being a symbol of the family's prosperity.  The patterns represent symbols and myths " with colours reflecting the balance in nature, and in the cyclical rhythm of the nomad's worlds".  The popularity of the shyrdak is growing in Europe but has yet to reach North America.  

Mexican Coverlets, Tenangos

In the Mexican state of Hidalgo, The Otomi initially made the Tenangos as part of a traditional costume worn by women.  The floral and animal patterns embroided onto the bedspread reflect the lives of the artisans who make them.   

 Ikat Pilows

This method of weaving is now commonly made and appreciated worldwide and has recently gained popularity as a North American trend.  The artisans in the valleys of Uzbekistan still use traditional, 37 step technique to hand-dye their patterns on pure silk.

Tellkari Lamp

These Turkish lamps, also called filigree lamps, have a lace-like pattern and the technique to create them is centuries old.

Tealights

Made from water buffalo horns. 

Kuba Cloth 

 

Made by the Kuba people of the Republic of Congo out of "vintage fabric woven from raffla-palm leaf fibers".  

Michoacan Platters

This photo doesn't do these platters justice.  They are so beautiful.  Some are made in bright colours like the sky-blue (cornflower blue) one that I have my eye on.  It is out of stock but I am patient and determined.  Patterns are traditional floral from Michoacan, Mexico.