Happy Kitchen Project: Kitchen Accessories
Day 26: Happy Kitchen Project: Kitchen AccessoriesWe are on to the final week of our âHappy Kitchen Projectâ which means we are down to our final few posts about âhappy kitchensâ. Weâve talked about many different ways to inject that âhappyâ vibe into your space and many different recipes and ideas to turn your kitchen into your favourite room where you can gather to create memories with family and friends.The final touches to any space are the accessories. This is...
Happy Kitchen Project: Kitchen Textiles
Day 12: Happy Kitchen Project: Kitchen TextilesThis might just be my favourite part of any design work. I LOVE textiles!! They can just add so much personality into any space but a kitchen doesnât have as many opportunities to use textiles so you have to make them count! It is nice to bring fabrics into the kitchen as it is a hard working space that has only hard surfaces and textures. Bringing in a little softness can go a long...
Happy Kitchen Project: DIY Ombré Tea Towels
Day 4 Happy Kitchen Project: Do it yourself OmbrĂ© Tea TowelsWe have been talking about a âhappy kitchenâ and how to achieve that. Weâve talked about colour and how colour can infuse a space with a lot of personality.Once you have your inspiration and colour palette decided on, try implementing some of the projects and ideas we have come up with. We love this project because it is simple, and you could do it with kids or make them for...
Placemaking For Your Backyard BBQs
Placemaking For Your Backyard BBQsSo often our backyard BBQ placement is an afterthought. We put money and energy into designing our interior space and even our garden, but summer comes along and we then remember the BBQ. So what can you do to make your outdoor BBQ more of a feature and a more useful space than just putting a freestanding BBQ on your back deck or patio?This image below is a perfect example of a very thought out...
Local Love: Karen Carmichael of Jai Style
Local Love-Karen Carmichael of Jai StyleWe had the pleasure of interviewing Karen Carmichael about her Jai Style company here in Vancouver. We love what she had to say about her company! Read on to find our more about Karen.Please share with us how it is you came to start your company.When I moved to Vancouver from SE Asia four years ago, I had brought several of the ceramic pieces with me in my personal collection. When friends would come to...
Wednesday Recipe: Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Wednesday Recipe: Chicken Lettuce WrapsRecipes seem to go through trends and right now Lettuce Wraps seem to be on trend. You will find them on many menus in hip restaurants these days. So I went online and found this great recipe and thought I would try it out for you. It is tested on my fussy teenager. I got an actual, âWow! These are really good!â from him. High acclaim from my quiet boy!First things first, I always collect all...
Inspirations for Backyard Heating
Backyard HeatingSo far we have discussed backyard entertaining, so today we thought we would talk about backyard heating. As dusk settles in in Vancouver it can tend to get a little chilly. So what are our options if we want to extend our hours of outdoor entertaining? Patio or deck heaters used to be just for restaurants but now they are found in residential use. You can find ones that are portable and are run by propane but there are...
5 Design Tips âfrom Wallpaper to Being Bold!
5 Design Tips âfrom Wallpaper to Being Bold!Here are a few design tips we have pulled together for you.1) Use a large patterned wallpaper to strengthen a space and an un-patterned wallpaper to lighten a space.A large pattern infuses a space with energy especially if it has colour but even if the colours are quiet a large pattern on the walls will make the room feel more dynamic. To just add texture to a space a grasscloth wallpaper...
Create An Oasis With Water Features
Create An Oasis With Water FeaturesWater features are a great way to make your backyard into an oasis. In our city environments, traffic and urban noises can be masked by the sound of running water. There are so many variations-from a very simple container fountain to something much more complex.Check out these images to give you some inspiration!Vancouver Zen Garden by Joost Bakker Architect.Contemporary Patio by Berkeley Architects & Building Designers WA Design ArchitectsContemporary Landscape by Newport Beach Landscape...
Why Do These Rooms Work?
Why Do These Rooms Work?Rather than point out why a room is not working, this time around we thought we would do a little photo analysis to determine what actually makes a room work? If you can look at an image closely and imagine yourself in the space then you can find out what will work for you. Pictures can be used for more than just eye candy-we can use them to help us understand how a space works in...