Royal wedding: Regal touches for the home

Call it an occupational hazard, but after months of feeling so-so about the royal wedding, I've finally gotten swept up in all the pomp and circumstance, the fashion and, even, the fairy tale. So, in honour of tomorrow's early wake-up and tiara sporting, here are a few of my favourite regal touches for the home:

As a girl who grew up with Prince William staring at me from all those teen mags, well, I can certainly sympathize with the feeling, expressed so prettily on china (as regular readers are well aware, I'm a sucker for anything typographic). The 'It should Have Been Me' bone china plate retails for $32 at kkoutlet.com. (Spotted on Style at Home).

Continuing on in the fun, perhaps cheeky, vein is this typographic treasure, $22 US, on Etsy.

This sold-out souvenir tea towel, from Etsy seller claudiagpearson is a sweet nod to the day.

This Crowns and Coronets wallpaper, at $70 a roll, from Graham and Brown, was designed in honour of the royal nuptials, and can be "jazzed up" with the company's Royal Jewels for a custom touch.

And this bowler-inspired chandelier was just too cute not to share! (HALO chandelier, via Apartment Therapy).

A pop of purple

Even if the weather has been less than spring-like, I'm still striving to embrace the season (while sporting a wool coat).

And part of that means pulling in more pops of colour around my space as I go through my seasonal deep clean - fresh tulips in the kitchen, new tchotckes on my (newly installed!) shelves and, even, a little friendly pop of colour in my fridge.

Admittedly, meal preperation and stowing groceries aside, I don't spend a whole lot of time peering into my fridge. I never thought about making it prettier inside (so long as it's clean.)

But then I saw the "rich aubergine" Mavea water pitcher, and, well, because I'm a sucker for anything purple, I just had to have it.

 
In addition to looking pretty in my fridge -- and on my table, where it's often sitting waiting to be refilled -- the pitcher also has a handy digital display reminding me when it's time to change the filter (I always forget) and a sort of "trap door" in the top, so you don't have to remove the lid to fill it.

But really, I got one because it's pretty.

It's also available in sage green, black, white and red for $39.99, at retailers Williams Sonoma, Sears, The Bay and Home Outfitters.

A chair for hugging?

Sometimes, design comes up with brilliant solutions for problems in our homes that we'd long ignored - take, for example, the Magisso magnetic dishcloth holder that preserves your kitchen's sightlines without leaving your dishcloth in a soggy heap at the bottom of your sink.

Othertimes, it solves problems that I didn't know even existed.

Take the Hug Chair by Ilian Milinov (spotted on Twitter, original post here) - designed to make the simple act of having someone sit on your lap more comfortable - by keeping them from sitting in your lap at all. Instead, your loved one perches in near proximity on a separate raised seat.

Useful? Perhaps. Though obviously not as cuddly as the original. To be honest, to me, that extra seat is less about togetherness and more about being a perfect laptop perch - now there's a problem I did need solved.

A touch of the Irish ... green room roundup

Ah, St. Patrick's Day. While the evening festivities are certainly a draw, I also see it as an excuse to explore a colour that doesn't factor very heavily in my wardrobe or decor: green.

So, in honour of my green dress, and those lucky few already raising a pint this afternoon, here are a few spaces that make it easy to be green:

This room by Colin and Justin is certainly a little too bright green for my taste, but I admire how boldly it embraces the grassy shade to make the space feel fun, young and modern.

This kitchen, also by C&J, is a subtler way to bring a splash of fresh green into your space. Soft green cabinets are perfectly accented by the oh-so-carefully staged floral arrangements and green apples.

The green cabinets in the kitchen, as spotted on House & Home, ratchets it up a notch, but I kind of love them - especially when paired with the wallpapered ceiling and the industrial, exposed lighting. Not to mention those cute mismatched schoolhouse chairs.

This room, sourced from Katy Elliot, is a much subtler take on the shade. A darker, muddier green, it's more in line with my preferences at the old Casa Speedy - and it keeps the room from feeling like it's St. Patrick's Day, or Christmas, year-round. Plus, I love how the dark hue is balanced by all that fabulous white moulding.

This dining room, spotted on Desire to Inspire, is simply stunning. The green wallpaper. The mid-century modern chairs. The casual leafy centrepiece. I love it.

You can scope out more green spaces on Apartment Therapy. Happy St. Patrick's Day - Sláinte!

Lighting up in my apartment

I must confess, winter makes me complacent. First, there's the holiday rush, where shopping, decorating, travelling and partying pushes aside normal routines and to-do lists. Then there's the January blahs, when all you want to do at the end of the day is cuddle up with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate. It's hard enough to keep up with the day to day maintenance tasks - hello buying a new frock to make up for two weeks without laundry - not to mention tackle all those home improvement jobs that have slipped off your radar.

Come March, I'm finally ready to shake off the cobwebs, both literally and figuratively. I'm tackling those dustbunnies and getting the Jennasium ready for entertaining again after a slow winter.

Perhaps the biggest, and silliest, sign of my complacency was the lack of overhead lighting in my apartment. In the summer, when I moved in, light in the evenings and the mornings wasn't a problem. I acknowledged it would be a necessity, but I didn't take any action. As the days grew shorter, I started grousing about how dark it was in my place as I pulled out mismatched socks and sweaters that turned out to be purple instead of black.

But, instead of dealing with it, I, like so many other homeowners and renters, just worked around it. As the months passed, I started wafflilng on whether I should even bother. After all, I'm a renter and a bit of a nomad - I've had disposable contacts last longer than addresses.

Then, my brother came to visit, and, inspired by the extra set of hands (and his electrical savvyness), I finally got around to installing overhead light fixtures in my living room and bedroom.

Man, did it ever make a difference. Getting ready is the morning is simpler. I'm finding it easier to stay organized. It's brighter, more welcoming, and, I must say, really quite pretty. I should have done this months ago!

A hastily snapped shot of my feminine fixture for the bedroom, via iPhone as I hastily matched clothes (in full light!) this morning. Below, when it's turned off.

And, for the living room, I swept over to Ikea for a simple pendant, which looks, upon second glance here, ridiculously crooked in this shot.

I chose a white pendant, and shortened it dramatically, because I wanted to keep the sightlines in my teeny tiny space as open as possible.

Finally, inspired by how much more human I felt when I wasn't stumbling around in the dark, I added a pop of black to my console table.

The fact that my pack and go lunch is in this shot is a sign that I really shouldn't snap photos hastily on my way to work. Ah well. Apologies.

Either way, adding more lighting has made a huge difference at home - and inspired me to tackle those other simple tasks that could improve my life!Re-organizing cupboards, moving fridge shelves to better accommodate wine bottles and a new shoe rack to accommodate my collection have all worked their way back up my list.

What household improvements have you been putting off?

Wordless Wednesday: Valentine's Day eye candy

(Courtesy Tara Dalla-Nora - learn how to get the look here)

(Michael Graydon/Style at Home)

(Valentini, from Canadian House and Home)

 

(Apartment Therapy)

 

(Elle Decor)

 

(DesignSponge)

Crack open those crayons and colour block your home?

For the Spring 2011 runways, "Designers went positively colour mad, seemingly determined to use all the colours in the Crayola box — in one outfit," says the Star's Derrick Chetty.

With textiles embracing bold hues, walls, of course, can't be far behind. And, sure enough, Sico paints is already saying colour zoning - basically using blocks of colour to highlight walls and room features - "is the hottest trend in home decor right right now."

 
 
"It's all about using colours creatively to add interest to spaces and bring rooms to life," says Dominique Pepin, Sico's marketing manager. "People today invest more time in decorating their surroundings and are demonstrating this by using colour in unique ways to deliver personal style to their living spaces."

Pepin notes that colour zoning's a fun trend because it's inexpensive and has endless possibilities - you can paint whatever you want on the wall to add "a touch of fun, sophistication or flair."

Easy ways to try out the trend include painting a wall a different colour to divide a space, or using shapes to create the illusion of a headboard or fireplace surround, create a faux ceiling medallion around a chandelier or make frames for decorative mirrors, photographs or paintings.

To get started on a colour zoning project, Pepin offers the following tips:

More than a feeling: Decide how you want your space to feel, then examine where you can best place pops of colour, for example, you may want to make ceilings feel higher by painting a vertical stripe above a low table, or make it wider with horizontal stripes. Dress up a bare wall with a variety of shapes and colours or add a large square backdrop to highlight a painting or piece of furniture.

Give it a test run: Before you take the brush to the wall, sketch out your desired shapes. Pepin notes that circles, curved lines and overlapping shapes invoke a light, fun feeling while rectangles and sharp edges create a more serious tone. Find an arrangement that suits your eye, then measure and draw them out on your walls using painter's tape (for straight lines) or a pencil. Sico suggests using a paint brush instead of a roller to carefully fill in your shape. For the cleanest edge, limit the amount of paint on your brush.

Make it pop: Get colour inspiration from pieces that are already part of your decor - such as a favourite shade in a pillow or painting. Using shades from the same colour family provides a sophisticated, soothing look while contrasting colours packs more of a punch.

"When it comes to colour zoning, the only limit is your imagination," says Pepin. "Be adventurous - some of the most unexpected colour combinations can look terrific and make for a great conversation piece."

For more tips on colour zoning, check out Sico's Virtual Decorator or pick up their new colour zoning leaflet at a Sico retailer.

Dining for swingers

In January, I often find myself thinking about sprucing up my space and entertaining, likely as an antidote to the dreary weather and the letdown of the end of the holiday season. After a month or two of parties, returning to your normal routine is, of course, a bit of a drag.

Duffy London’s Swing Table certainly offers a chance to add a little more offbeat fun to your next dinner party.

The four poster table supports eight hanging, swaying chairs and a central lampshade. Made of walnut and powder-coated steel, and available in custom colours and sizes, it retails for £2,995.00, or about $4,700 CDN.

It's basically the grown-up version of a swing set!

Or, as the website says more formally, "This design creates an exceptionally divergent dining experience and aesthetic, creating a room within a room, with chairs that hover around the table, it also makes vacuuming a breeze."

I suspect easy vacuuming would be necessary with this - can you imagine the amount of fallen crumbs, dropped plates and spilled wine from overzealously swinging guests?

What do you think - is it a way to make dinner parties more fun or a way to ensure guests slop their soup?

Spotted on Design Milk.

Resolutions for the home

The new year offers a fresh start for so many of us - whether we're committing to live healthier, pursue a dream or simplify our lives, it's a time to make promises, and, hopefully, follow them through.

And, when you're revamping your health and beauty routines, career and lifestyle choices, why not also tackle your home?

It's not too late to resolve to do better in 2011 - so I've rounded up some of our top tips to help you make your space even more beautiful and functional this year:

Clearing clutter top of mind these days? Start by tackling these common clutter zones then learn how to organize your closet in 10 minutes. And don't miss our top 9 ways to banish common clutter problems.

Resolving that this is the year you'll finally get into a perfect cleaning routine? Revisit our spring cleaning guide for our top tips.

Sick of stacks of papers, out of place toys and swamped surfaces? You need our guide to getting organized and our dos and don'ts for reining in home chaos.

Dreaming of a space that looks magazine ready? Check out our top five swoon-worthy styling tips.

Plan to redecorate in 2011? Learn how to keep the peace while decorating with your mate.

Wishing for peace, prosperity and relaxation in the new year? Try one - or all - of these 10-minute feng shui fixes.

Personally, 2011 is going to be about editing my possessions. With "curation" a big buzzword these days, it's about cutting back on the amount of stuff in my space, and selectively choosing which pieces to showcase, stow or ship out.

By cutting back on what I own, I'll be able to max out my storage space for the things I really need and use, simplify my cleaning routines and give myself lots of space to breathe and relax at the Jen-nasium - because really, shouldn't we all be focusing on enjoying our homes in the new year?

http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/repairsandrenovations/article/817882--tackle-your-clutter-zonesher

A few more fabulous gift finds

Sure, I have my fair share of dreams of sugar plums, and spiked egg nog, but I also have a few longer lasting items populating my holiday wishlist.

While some of my top picks popped up in our gift guide earlier this month, here are some of my favourites that didn't quite make the cut in the paper:

Why choose just one photo to hang on your walls? The Kodak Pulse 10” Digital Frame, available online at Kodak and big box electronics retailers, $200, takes the idea of a digital frame one step further by allowing updates via email and Facebook. That means loved ones can share their newest shots from a distance, keeping your walls fresh and up to date.

Whether displaying holiday baubles, treasured mementos or homemade goodies, the modern lines and subtle gold or silver detailing of these artisan bowls from inVU Drapery Co., invudraperyco.com, $49-$100, are the perfect complement to any decor.

No home bar is complete without a set of classic, go-to glasses. These sleek stemless champagne flutes from PC Home (presidentschoice.ca), $10 for a set of four, will elevate anyone’s holiday entertaining spread and look classy serving sparkling wine, mixed drinks, juice or even desserts.

Custom finds are a decor must this season, and what’s more custom than building your own centerpiece? Whether you’re craving clean symmetry or organized chaos, the seven candleholders of The More the Merrier, available in black and white at Mjolk (mjolk.ca, 2959 Dundas St. W), $159, can be rearranged to suit your fancy.