Lemon yellow, raspberry red - yummy!

This week, I got to talk to decor experts about trends for the year ahead - always fun! I ended up with several pics that won't make it into my Hot Home Products column, but I wanted to share them anyway. I love the soft, muted colours of the Benjamin Moore scheme (above). It's the third pic I've seen this week with bright yellow pillows, and I think they really pop against the pale sofa. I also love the cheerful raspberry feature wall proposed by the folks at Sico (see below), who think  that "unexpected" colour combos will be big this year. (And dig the antlers over the fireplace - Very Unexpected!) Perhaps most fun of all though are the predictions by Janette Ewen (who's designing the Dream Home for the National Home Show in February - can't wait!) She's calling for sunken living rooms, tented living areas and 70s "casino chic." The last two pics offers a taste of what's inspiring Janette these days.

Happy Birthday, Leon's!

Here’s a bit of birthday news that deserves some attention. Leon’s Furniture is celebrating its 100th year in business. That makes it the oldest Canadian-owned home furnishings retail chain. Three cheers for that! The original store was founded in 1909 by Ablan Leon. He came to Canada from Lebanon with almost nothing, but worked hard and watched his dry-goods business in Welland, ON. flourish into a successful family-run furniture store. (Take a look at the pic at the left for a glimpse into how the store used to look, and the pic below for some of its current offerings.) Today, the chain has 64 Leon’s Home Furnishing SuperStores across the country, and owns Appliance Canada, which caters to the high-end building trade. The family tradition continues — Terry Leon, Ablan’s grandson, is president and CEO. To weather 200 years in the difficult Canadian retail landscape is quite  an accomplishment; and the family is to be congratulated. In fact, I think I'll honour this great Canadian retail giant by going to visit one of the stores this weekend! 

Spring is almost here – no, really!

Some people love winter, and truly enjoy doing things like throwing themselves down an ice-covered mountain while their feet are attached to skinny planks of wood (or whatever they make skis from these days!) I do not number myself among those rugged folk. I prefer to stay home on weekends during the cold, dark months, drinking tea, and reading novels. If I’m feeling really industrious (which happens VERY, VERY RARELY during the months of January, February and March)  I’ll drag myself to the computer and  troll the gagillons of press releases that cross my desk every day. Sometimes I even find something worth passing on to my faithful readers. The new line of modular islands launched by Napoleon — a Barrie-based manufacturer of BBQs and grills — is just such a gem.  And it has nothing to do with winter! The Oasis Island series, which includes a refrigerator, full cabinets, garbage dispensers, paper towel racks, utility cabinets and drawers, can be assembled in a variety of combinations to suit the homeowner’s lifestyle and space. They sound sturdy, too, made from powder-coated galvanized steel, and there are knock outs for easy electrical and gas piping installations. If press releases like these are showing up, spring can't be far behind, can it?  

Take back your shelf space

Okay, so I don’t bring news of world peace or a cure for cancer. (I wish!) But for those of you who hate wasting valuable kitchen cupboard space on 150 storage and baking containers (146 of which have lost their lids), I have Very Important News. FoldTuk is a new line of bakeware that can be used in conventional, convection, infrared, and microwave ovens. It’s made of a compound material called Ceramber, which unlike plastic, contains no petroleum, and can go directly from the freezer to the oven to the table. It’s also non-stick and can go in the dishwasher.

Perhaps best of all, it's collapsible so that several pieces can fit in a small space. I’ve been testing slow cookers lately, and have been using these pieces to store extra portions for later use. It’s very convenient to be able to pop them into the oven when my tribe members return home ravenous from a day of hunting and gathering (or school). The folks who make FoldTuk also say that the manufacturing process consumes less energy than does that of other ceramic and glass products. It comes in four and six-cup sizes, in rectangular, circular, oval, and square shapes. They’re available online at FoldTuk.

You heard it here first - and just in time!

Got a design conundrum that has you stumped? If you're lucky, you might just be able to get expert advice on how to fix it from Brian Gluckstein, one of Canada’s top interior designers. But you have to hurry. The Interior Design Show  is holding a contest in which two contestants who send in a photo and description of their design nightmare will win a chance to have Gluckstein offer solutions to their décor challenge at the show, which runs from Feb. 5 – 8 at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place. Click here for details. Get moving, though – the contest closes on January 15.

The slow cooker – my new BFF

My latest culinary crush is the slow cooker, the countertop appliance that came on the kitchen scene in the ‘70s. They are so convenient. I’m writing about them this week (Sat. Jan 10) in my Hot Home Products column, which I think is packed with good information. I didn’t have space to add a couple of my favourite new slow cooker recipes, but virtual space is cheap, so I’m including two below. They’re easy, economical and if I do say so myself, very, very tasty.

Braised Beef Brisket

(recipe from Crock-Pot)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 beef brisket (3 - 4 pounds)

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, diced

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes

1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes

1 cup red wine

1 cup beef broth

¼ cup tomato paste (ketchup works in a pinch)

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

2 bay leaves

Heat the oil in a pan and season the brisket with salt and pepper. Sear brisket for a few minutes per side. Add garlic and onions. Important – if you have a Crock-Pot Versaware programmable slow cooker (shown above), which has a ceramic pot that can be used on the stovetop, the above steps can be done directly on the stovetop. If not, use a pan for searing. Put all remaining ingredients into the stoneware. Stir well. Cover, and cook on low for 5.5 to 7 hours, or until meat is cooked. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Slow cookers also make a great rice pudding. Just combine in your slow cooker 1.5 cups of Arborio rice with 6 cups of milk, a half of cup of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Cover and turn the cooker on low for 4 to 6 hours. Give it the occasional stir to prevent lumps. To jazz it up, add handful of white chocolate chips and chopped, toasted pecans during the last 15 minutes. Or reduce the sugar, and add a healthy drizzle of maple syrup and chopped walnuts. In the unlikely event there’s any left over, serve it for breakfast with fresh or frozen fruit.

Clever camera

The other day I had to knock a hole in the sloped ceiling beside the dormer window in my bedroom. (I love to tear things apart – it’s the one area of DIY at which I actually excel!) I’m preparing to enlarge my closet, and I needed to know whether there were roof rafters, or electrical wiring, behind the area in question. (I may be green, but I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to slice through the bits that hold the roof up.) The hole that’s left is rather largish (and yes, I did find roof rafters, so it’s back to the drawing board.) Now I have to patch a big old hole with a piece of drywall and that whatdaycallit 90-something compound.

If only I’d had the new Milwaukee M12 Inspection Camera, which can be used to look into holes as small as 3/4–inches, so you can see what’s really going on behind walls, look inside pipes to find wires, blockages or even find lost items (I wonder if it would help me find all those lonely socks that seem to disappear somewhere in the dyer?) It has an LCD screen and a waterproof camera on a three-foot flexible cable, and has a light to illuminate the area you’re looking at. It comes in 6- and 12-volt models, and sells for about $300 at Home Depot. Pricey? Yes. But less expensive than a new roof.

Classic good looks

Just before Christmas, I had the pleasure of speaking with Vincent Gregoire, lifestyle department manager for NellyRodi, an international trend forecasting and brand development company based in Paris. He was sharing his insights into home decor trends, which will appear in an upcoming Hot Home Products column, and he talked about a growing portion of the population he calls “Metropuritans”. These sophisticated urban individuals, who want to find stability and meaning in uncertain times, are searching for a look that's pure, natural and organic. They're also drawn to decor that echoes both traditional and contemporary design elements. “They look back, but not too far back," says Gregoire. “They want a fresh take on traditional values.” I thought of Gregoire's words as soon as I saw Benjamin Moore’s 2009 colour card, which should be available at Benjamin Moore  retailers now. From the look of this room-scape, which comes fom the colour card, the BM design team agrees that simplicity will guide colour trends in the coming year, and is also embracing the new classicism that Gregoire describes.

Mea culpa!

Alright already, so I took a few days weeks off from posting to my blog. So sue me! Can't a girl have a break? Actually, I did mean to keep posting occasionally during the holidays, but they literally disappeared on me. It's all a blur of shortbread, fizzy wine and the thrill of watching teenage boys playing boisterous hockey! I woke up on January 5th, astonished and amazed that I had a Hot Home Products column due in just a few short hours. (Got it done, it's about slow cookers, and it's bloody brilliant!. Later in the week, I'm even going to post a few of my favourite new slow cooker recipes.) Anyway, I'm back, loyal readers, and I promise I'll never, ever again leave you without telling you where I'm going.