Interiors
Life in the 21st century means taking the best of history and making it work for you
Chez Brit & Barclay
Ah! I finally found my perfect sofa. It’s my ideal red, cozy velvet, beautiful tufting…and I basically stole it, it was so cheap.
When you’re curating your ideal living space things take time, so don’t rush the process. I’d much rather wait till I find all the wonderful things that I really, really want.
By the way, this living room has been THE hardest to finish. It isn’t very big and it has to house my grand piano, plus it’s got the fireplace to work around. Finding symmetry has been pretty difficult. But i can officially say it doesn’t bother me in the slightest like it once did and it has become my favourite room to relax in.
Have you ever thought of furniture as gendered? Maybe not, but this pair of chairs really brings your attention to the fact that furniture 150 years ago was designed with men and women’s physical differences in mind, but also their social status too. If you look closely today, you might recognize some of it as inspired by queer and feminist theory. If you’re interested in seeing more, look up work done by Gabriel Ann Maher. As a side note, it might it might interest you to know that the thrones at Buckingham Palace for Queen Elisabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh are the same size, colour, and shape. It a world where everything they do is symbolic, this says a lot.
This table was only the second dining table I ever painted and I love it to bits. The harlequin check makes me feel like I’m living in wonderland and my Mackenzie Childs butter dish is a fun accent to play it up even more!
I painted the table one rainy weekend when I was stir crazy. It’s a table that we ate dinner at every night when I was young (except when we had harvest dinners in the field, of course!) and my mom never really loved it. So when my parents were out, I decided to grab some paint and do it up. I think they were a little shocked when they came home.
Oh well. It’s safe to say that it is definitely loved more now that it ever has been before.
Apparently doing a faux brick wall is harder than I thought. Of course you can do it on the cheap with panels from most local hardware stores, but that looks too fake to me. And as much as I love wallpaper, it doesn’t work for me either. But I ordered these panels from Windsor Plywood and Lumber (Regina) and they really did the trick. It gave my husband and I the challenge to work together as a team, and by golly…I think we achieved it without too much fuss. Every time I look at this wall I am proud of our effort and pleased with the mood it sets in the room. Couldn’t be happier.
I’ve been hunting high and low for a brass fireplace screen and I’ve finally found one that I like. One can never have too much gold, right?!
And while I’m a maximalist all the way, I actually enjoy this view way more without all the Christmas decorations and clutter. This feels like the right amount of maximal to me because I get to focus on the books. Books books glorious books. They can take you anywhere!
This area rug just pulls the whole room together and adds a level of coziness that every basement needs. Annex Interiors in Regina has a great selection, and I am so thankful for their help in selecting this ‘Lorien’ rug for this room.
Every heard me talk about bringing nature indoors? I’m not always quite so literal, but I love the pop of colour that these little birdies bring against the black wall and traditional portraits.
I studied music for 13 years with the same teacher. I knew she taught me dedication, perseverance and a whole lot about music. I did not know she also taught me to love stylish design.
When I hadn’t practiced enough, she would banish me to the room with the Steinway to keep at it until I had finished my task. I spent many hours in that gorgeous room as a teenager. My favourite part was the lavender wall with a chartreuse green couch that spanned one side of the room.
I guess I loved it so much I wanted to incorporate those colours into my own home.
Cheers to all she taught me!
Well, not exactly. But I love these little brass nic nacs that add a little exoticism to my dining table.
Maybe it’s because I’m a fairly dramatic person, but when i decorate…I like to see some drama. Sometimes I even imagine my portraits talk to each other (and all the Harry Potter fans grin).
I happen to love portraiture. The style itself dates back to 1000AD and has evolved significantly over time.
During the Renaissance people loved the provide because it hearkened back to ancient medallions. During the Baroque and Rococo periods it became an even more important record of the status of individuals in their opulent garments. And from Realism to Impressionism to Cubism, the portraits changed with the times.
I can’t wait to expand my collection. I also happen to like my modern graphic designed print of the vandalized portrait largely because I like the juxtaposition (not because i condone vandalism duh). It seems to reject that style of art in a completely different way. Maybe someone just hated looking at her face? Who knows, but I like things that make me puzzle and question.
Trying to figure out what to do with an empty wall…why not try out an eclectic gallery wall?
The idea of the salon wall goes all the way back to the Renaissance form of the cabinet of curiosities. It’s an exact style of displaying collections in a dedicated room, whether paintings, relics, or natural history oddities. Back in the day, the possessions were meant to show off the greatness of their owner.
Nowadays, salon walls can house family photos, your kids scribbles, or for me personally…my eclectic tastes.
my two favourite pieces on the wall are the largest one in the middle (a photograph I took in Vatican City) and the harbour view painting. I love both because they remind me of the adventures Greg and I have had while travelling (the harbour reminds me of Marseille and our trip there). Because what is life without adventures?!
Holland Home
content coming soon.
Prairie Palace
There is still much sourcing of beautiful and rare furnishings to do and so the project is not yet complete. Here are a few sneak peeks!
Of course, we are ever inspired by a classic European design. This floor style dates back centuries and isn’t going out of style anytime soon.
History is at the heart of B&B, and the thrill of the hunt is part of the game. These are beautiful antique pieces that we’ve sourced for clients from around the globe.
Queen Street Glam
content coming soon.
When we live in winter for so much of the year, why not bring spring in year round?!
This was the first China cabinet I ever refinished. I love it to bits because I’m an old soul who likes English teacups, silver teapots and pretty vases to hold my flowers.
This china cabinet is perfect for housing all my treasures that I don’t want my little one to get into and displays everything as if it’s all part of the decor.
I painted it with Behr paint and sealed it with a Minwax top coat, all from Home Depot. My favourite addition though is the House of Hackney artimis wallpaper that now provides the backdrop. If you like this, maybe you should check out one that I have for sale, just head on over to the Boutique.