Where does the time go?

My weekends feel longer when we go out on a Friday night or get away for a weekend; maybe it’s simply the feeling of having done more that makes me feel like I have had more. Although at work, when we are stretched and busy all day long, I certainly don’t feel like I have had more time, and I could always do with a little more.

Wherever time and place find you this coming weekend, I hope you have a wonderful one. It’s a long weekend in Canada – officially named our Civic Holiday. The long weekend at our height of summer, and it looks like it’s going to be a sunny and warm one.

A Scottish summer

This weekend sees me travelling to see my loved ones in Edinburgh; it’s been a long forty months since I was last there. I can’t wait for my feet to touch the earth, to smell the sea and for my hat to be blown off my head multiple times a day – such is a Scottish summer.

The air always feels so pure there, possibly because it’s (usually) always windy and being an island, there is always a new weather pattern coming in. I am so thankful we have missed the sweltering temps that were experienced in the UK earlier in the month. That would not have been fun – I go home to Scotland to get away from the heat. A perfect temp of around 19 degrees to me is ideal summer weather!

Travelling seems to have become a little more complex, and I am manifesting my luggage arriving with me in Edinburgh. I admit to buying trackers to place inside our bags so we can hopefully find out where they are. I heard a lady interviewed on the CBC who did this – it took Pearson a month to find her luggage, but she took comfort in knowing that she knew it was in the airport even if Air Canada didn’t.

We had to change our flights at the last moment as our connection from Heathrow was cancelled in BA’s efforts to reduce the amount of air traffic out of the airport. It’s certainly crazy times, so we will pack our patience, positivity and at least five days’ worth of clothes in our carry-on and hope for the best! Tally ho.

Reimagining rooms

Several of my clients moved last year and it’s always lovely when pieces we have carefully sourced and specified for one home, work perfectly in a new one. This was the case for my client’s kid’s rooms. They both had completely differently sized spaces before, but they loved their beds and some of their accent pieces and so all was reimagined in a new space.

Above was the son’s bedroom when we completed it in 2016.

His was a very compact space with a bed designed with drawers and a wall of millwork for clothing as well as a desk area.

This is the new take in 2022.

The carpet, bed and art are the same, but the walls in the new home are painted a fabulous saturated colour, and the linen draperies emphasize the high ceilings. We went darker with the bedlinens and added a wall-hung slatted bedside table. In this new home, he has a second space where we have placed his desks.

In the daughter’s bedroom in 2016, we all coveted her closets; the room was long and skinny, and we maxed out all the millwork to provide both a vanity and a desk area.

The colours were soft and muted, and I loved the play of textures in the space.

In the new version, the carpet, bed, chaise, and bedside table are the same, but we have added tones of salmon pink and sunny saffron yellow. It’s a sophisticated palette for a twenty-something with great taste.

More images from this beautiful home can be found on our new website via the button below.

Sometimes I feel designers can get a bad reputation for always seemingly wanting to start with an empty palette – sometimes, it’s at the client’s request and sometimes, it’s simply necessary if new spaces just won’t accommodate existing furniture.

If you are a bit of a serial mover, I would never buy a sectional sofa as those are frequently the pieces that don’t work – the return is usually on the wrong side, or they are simply too small or large for the space. Most other pieces, if in good condition, can be reworked / reupholstered for a new space or home. It really pays to take your time and invest in quality timeless pieces that are easy to refresh instead of replacing.

This month’s loves

A random smattering of things that made me happy / smile this month!

1. Caked Coffee, Toronto – Ok, so I don’t drink coffee, and I don’t eat gluten. So when I stumbled upon this lovely little vegan bakery, I felt like I had won the lottery – they have the most delicious GF (as well as regular) cake in a jar. It’s indulgent, a little naughty and oh so delicious, located very close to High Park. Run, you’ll need to burn off the calories to justify the cake!   2. Also, in the High Park neighbourhood – Holden Grace. Ethan Dann cuts and styles my hair like no one else ever has. The man is a genius with a pair of scissors, and Anthea Kay is a colourist extraordinaire. Set in a beautiful salon with views onto High Park, it’s a beautiful space to spend time in.   3. Apricot Flowers, Mount Pleasant & Manor Rd E – Whether it’s plants for home, our studio or client gifts, Cathy’s store never fails to make me buy more than I came in for! Her curated and compact space is always brimming with green, and it’s truly always such a happy place to visit. She has a wonderful selection of planters too.   4. The Rock Store, Harbord Street, Toronto – Never one to pass by a crystal or an opportunity to pick up a book to help deepen my meditation practice, I adore this store. Sometimes I go in with a plan of what I want, and other times, I just see what I am drawn to.   5. Casper Dog Beds – When we were shopping for all of Reba’s various things, we purchased her a Casper dog bed, and I have to say they are brilliant. Lightweight but comfortable, Reba now has two in our home, and she loves them. What I love is the neutral fabrics they are covered in and the fact that the cover is removable and machine washable! It’s brilliant. This is Reba with her new monkey that she would not let go of even while sleeping – yes, she is adorable.

Well, that is how we saw the month, wishing you a wonderful weekend and if you have plans to travel to Edinburgh, please check out a newsletter from a couple of years ago where I wrote about some of my many favourite places. All still stands true, but I am hoping to add some new picks following my holiday, I will update all and post on my site.

Have a wonderful August