Willing to give wallpaper another chance?

While wallpaper may be gaining ground in magazines and among designers, Yourhome readers answering last week's poll said they're not planning to embrace the trend when they redecorate their homes.

More than 66 per cent said they wouldn't paper their walls, while just under 20 per cent said they were thinking about it and 15 per cent have already broke out the paste and tried it in their home.

I've personally been tempted to wallpaper at least a portion of my new apartment after drooling over the lush new colours and textures on the market - a bold, graphic print may make an excellent accent wall in a trendy condo while a textured or foil paper can add interest to almost any room. Other noteworthy new trends include wallpapered ceilings or framing a particularly lovely paper sample and treating it as art.

However, like many of the voters in the poll, I've been hesitant to take the plunge and paper my walls - in part because I can still remember an ill-fated redecoration when I was a kid, in which the paper actually fell off the walls in the middle of the night.

As a result, I'll likely continue to paint, throwing in some texture techniques to add that extra little bit of visual interest that window shopping for wallpaper has made me crave.

This week's poll asks readers to choose their favourite room to redecorate - I know it's hard to pick just one, but give it a try! Cast your vote on the bottom left of the front page.

Crate and Barrel opens in Canada

U.S.-based home decor, housewares and furniture chain Crate and Barrel opened its doors in Canada for the first time yesterday, drawing a big crowd at its new Yorkdale Shopping Centre location.

By 11 a.m., a mere hour after opening, shoppers were crowding the halls, baskets laden with contemporary-looking dishes, cookbooks and decorations as well as pillows, sheets and blankets in lush and trendy colours — including fabulous mossy greens and vibrant royal purples (which we all know I have a weakness for.)

As I wandered around the bottom floor, filled with kitchen supplies, office furniture, decor items and throw pillows, I was thoroughly overwhelmed by the number of other shoppers (it was a Thursday, so while crowds were expected, I figured some of those eager shoppers would need to work) and the sheer quantity and variety of products in my favourite shade of purple.

On my first trip through the lower level, I was so taken with the dinnerware and decor that I missed the healthy smattering of dining and living room tables and chairs dotting the floor, decked out in ways sure to impress guests for Thanksgiving or Halloween.

All hands were on deck at the banks of cash registers, and the staff was almost surprisingly cheerful and upbeat considering the crowds. Checkout time was speedy, and two very helpful salespeople were more than happy to answer my questions, help me with my basket and just welcome me to the store.

And, customers were just as happy to welcome them. It seemed like every time I turned a corner, someone was exclaiming happily, "I've been looking all over for this" or "Finally, something that will match my living room." People were happily stacking up goodies for their holiday tables, gifts and kid's dormrooms.

Shoppers were also busy at the contest kiosks, where you can enter to win a $500 gift certificate in monthly draws — and, by the looks of the baskets and people roaming around, no one would have any trouble spending it!

Moving upstairs in the 35,000 square-foot-store, I was greeted by even more shoppers testing out comfy looking sofas and chairs, gorgeous beds and checking out the rainbow of fabric samples, textures and colours to customize their choices.

A lot of the products are Crate and Barrel exclusives, which helps the store carve out its niche in an already crowded market, and another nice perk is that much of the furniture is made with eco-friendly concerns in mind, including sustainable sources of wood. In the States, the store is almost legendary for its gift registry, which offers registrants the chance to purchase the rest of their goodies after the event with a 10 per cent discount. Sadly, the registry won't be online until 2009.

I kept telling myself I was visiting solely for research purposes, but couldn't help but fall prey to a fabulous silver vase (it looks simply smashing on my bookcase), purple glass tealight holders (only $1.50 a pop!), silver picture frames (how else will I showcase those wedding photos?) and a few other odds and ends for my still-in-progress living room.

I did exercise some restraint, opting to take some time to think about the soft purple throw for my yet-unpurchased new sofa (though a microfibre fawn three-seater did catch my eye) and a lush, antique-looking purple velvet chair.

I wove my way out of the still crowded store more than an hour after I ventured in for what I promised my husband would be a "quick trip, just to poke around.”

Princess Margaret prize home

It seems like every time I turn on my television I'm watching a commercial for the Princess Margaret Welcome Home Sweepstakes.

The grand prize is a $3-million home in Oakville, styled by home design guru Lynda Reeves, but the TV spots just don't do it justice - the house and grounds are truly gorgeous. (Check out the article and slideshow on Yourhome.ca.)

While we all may not own such lush properties, the interior design alone is well worth taking a peek at for project inspiration. Reeves put a lot of effort into making the house feel casual and comfortable, for example by widening the door frames, and such tricks are easily applied to our own reno projects.

Personally, I think the great room is drool-worthy with its cozy colours and splash of pattern - a style I'd love to mimic in my own living room - and I would absolutely love to curl up for a movie in the TV room (though I think I might get a little too comfy and fall asleep in it!).

So get inspired, and, if you're the gambling type, you could call this lush property home. Early bird ticket sales end Oct. 30.

Changing decor with the seasons

Last week, Yourhome.ca asked readers if they change their home decor when the seasons change. More than 60 per cent of respondents said no, while 22 per cent change it up occasionally and 17 per cent see the change in temperatures as a chance to switch things up in their home.

Personally, I'm in the middle category. I don't change up the whole house - or paint - but when the temperature begins dropping in September, I gravitate toward darker colours in pillows and accents and start piling on the blankets. By December, my home is a winter wonderland (I simply adore all things Christmas) and come the warming temperatures of Spring, I'm more than ready to pack up the blankets and deck the halls with bright, happy colours, like citrus or candy hues. By September, I'm ready to start the process all over again.

This week's poll asks readers whether they're ready to give wallpaper - which, like Britney, is making a comeback - another chance in their home decor.

Cast your vote on the bottom left of the front page.

All the cool kids are talking about it...

The blogosphere has been buzzing about Glide's TwistTogether Lamp.

The glowing Lego-like blocks can be twisted together in a ton of combinations to build your own fun, custom lamp.

Looking at them, I can't help but hear the Super Mario theme song and envisioning our plumber hero jumping over them.

You can even add additional sets, a light up stick man or the soon-to-be released twist-together shelves to the mix.

They're available in chocolate (pictured) or candy colours and are US$109 + shipping per set of four.

See them in action here.

Clutter: comfort or chaos?

Over the weekend, Yourhome.ca published a feature on the home of Austin Clarke. The celebrated author says he "couldn't live without clutter" which got me thinking about my own home.

I'm a super-organizational type, an 'everything in its place' kind of gal. I find clutter overwhelming, to the point where I'm sometimes tempted to tidy other people's stores, offices or homes.

My husband, on the other hand, thrives in "organized" chaos in his workspace, while maintaining a perfectly alphabetized library of video games, DVDs and CDs.

Of course, coexistence and busy lifestyles mean compromises with clutter must be reached. I've come to accept that it's not the end of the world if the dishes aren't all washed up after dinner (several nights of coming home from work and washing dishes past midnight during university helped cure the habit) and that mail will inevitably pile up prior to sorting, no matter how detailed your colour-coded and labelled filing system is.

I do, however, still need my own clutter-free, personal space. In previous homes, it's been a desk, a corner of the kitchen, my dining room or even a bookshelf which I can meticulously organize and will remain clean even during stressful periods like the pre-Christmas shopping blitz, work reviews or, up until recently, wedding planning.

With this coping method, I still get bothered by messes around the house, but it rarely keeps me up at night anymore. (Though, in the interest of full disclosure, I must admit to having clutter claustrophobe nightmares after flipping through Clarke's home slideshow).

Do you find clutter comforting or chaotic? How have you incorporated this into your home design?

Home Show weekend

I hit up the Toronto Fall Home Show Thursday night, which both inspired me to re-decorate and made me very sad that I don't have the budget or the space to take home all the gorgeous goods on display.

There was a ton of stuff on display - from granola bars and soy milk through to hot tubs and kitchens - but here's a taste of some of my personal highlights:

Suddenly, stainless steel doesn't seem nearly as cool as it used to. I missed the fifties and the diner era by a few decades, but retro stunners from Northstar let you revive the style without compromising the technology.

They offer the choice of electric radiant elements or gas burners along with a slew of other options, complete with matching range hoods and fridges. While the mint green, buttercup yellow and flamingo pink may be truer to the era, I'm pretty keen on the candy red set. And, if the 1950s aren't your thing, they were also showcasing a throwback to the 1850s. Nifty.

Moving to decor, Ottawa-based Wall Juice had a couple of their wall tattoos on display, including a great series of colourful trucks for kids' rooms. Decals are becoming a very popular decorating option, giving you the effect of a mural but none of the permanence - perfect for renters like me or wary types.

Also, I want a slipper chair. The armless chairs (featured here) are sleek, stylish, comfy and would fit perfectly into my apartment. But, with a black and white rabbit, I would be a little concerned with how that great white finish would hold up to his fur (and teeth).

And there was super drool-worthy jewelry at Sugarlime's booth - I'm still regretting not picking a particularly luscious pair of silver sparklers (I'm partial to the Susies). I know it's not exactly home decor, but your personal accessories should really be as stunning as your home.

I also wanted to open my wallet at Modern Interiors' booth, which had super heavy duty cutting boards featuring end grain, to avoid dulling your knives. While there, I also learned that rubbing a lemon over the board after cutting chicken or fish should eliminate any lingering nasties and that I should really stop dunking my current board in the sink. Apparently, they don't like that.

In the most riveting presentation category was this garlic grater plate thing. Sadly, I didn't catch the name. Basically, it was a colourful plate with a bunch of raised dots in the middle. Rub a clove of garlic over it and you get a spreadable garlic paste. Delicious, I'm sure. And the guy doing the presentations was so enthusiastic that I didn't once consider the fact that I have no use for the product.

A new editor, a new blog

Welcome to Yourhome.ca’s new editors blog!

This space will be a chance for me to share cool links, tips, news and ideas and to vent as I go through my own home decorating struggles – I’m a newlywed trying to merge belongings and styles while still keeping the nearly-life sized cardboard cut-out of Halo’s Master Chief off my living room wall.

For starters, I thought I’d introduce myself by answering five of my favourite home-related questions:

What's your decor style? While I drool over lush decor trends from chic boutiques, and seriously eyed a yummy yellow sofa, I tend to opt for clean lines and neutral classics with pops of colour in vases, picture frames and textured throws and pillows – my long-time favourite is jewel-toned purple.

What's your must-have item? After a slew of wedding presents, my must-have list is actually a three-way tie between my electric grill and griddle (it makes the perfect pancake, as well as delish meat and veggies), my oh-so-soft 600-thread count House & Home duvet and sheet set and my fleecy Nova Scotia tartan blanket, which doesn’t match anything in my house but keeps me warm and reminds me of home.

What piece of furniture would you be? So, we know Prime Minister Stephen Harper would choose fruit over veggies, but what piece of furniture would he be? (Leave your guesses in the comment section below!) Personally, I think I’d be a bookshelf – steady, useful and full of random facts and trivia.

What's your biggest home challenge? Other than struggling to keep the apartment I share with my husband and pet bunny Allistair clean, my biggest challenge has been merging our belongings and trying to decorate our new home while optimizing our fairly limited space.

What's your favourite trick around the house? Bamboo and wicker baskets – they can be used anywhere and are great for hiding clutter in a pinch.

That’s all for now! I hope that you will share your thoughts on trends, ideas and the site as a whole. I look forward to your comments and emails.