Wednesday, June 20, 2012

A Tale of Two Curtains



My top pick is the opaque Wood Block Circles cotton canvas panels with the embellish patterns. The canvas curtain panels allow natural light to filter through and the neutral color makes it easy to coordinate with the other fine furnishings in our home. The best part is the price! All sizes are on sale at West Elm starting at $19.99 per panel.


My second favorite is the Moderna Natural Crewel curtain panel made from a faux linen. It has an embroidered brown pattern with a earthy nature design. It looks elegant but the quality is questionable with mix reviews from buyers on Overstock.com. Price wise it is comparable to the West Elm window panels.

I am leaning more towards the curtains from West Elm but because they are not returnable, I have to be absolutely sure they will work with our windows. 

Color My World


A bunch of branch colored pencils in a handmade box made my day. One of the nifty finds I found at Home Goods today. 

Monday, June 18, 2012

Coffee Table Edition

My dream coffee table is the Ty Pennington round metal and glass table with rubbed bronze finish by Howard Miller. It's the perfect size (20" X 40" diameter) for our over sized sectional and it combines everything I want in a coffee table - the metal frame, glass and hard surface combination. There is ample storage space for our magazines and photo albums. The quality and craftsmanship is unsurpassed. However, the price is about $300 over our budget. 


$621.60 - Ty Pennington Round Metal Glass Table via Amazon.com
I did find some lovely alternatives. These moderately scaled contemporary metal round tables have a similar look with smooth clean lines and a art decor, mid century inspired design. They are sturdy and attractive. A few feature the glass and hard surface combo but so far none of them can compare to the Ty Pennington. My other alternative is to choose a rectangular shape coffee table but a round shape table is more ideal because it creates a sense of flow and provides contrast to the rectangular shapes in our living room. 
$49.99 - Vittsjo coffee table via ikea 
Wood and Glass combo. Made with tempered glass which is more durable but the size is too small. 
$142.99 - Round Glass Top Coffee Table via Overstock.com
Minimalist design but does not offer any storage space

$399 - Foxed Mirror Coffee Table via West Elm

Smoked glass surface with minimalist design. Simple and beautiful but not storage space



$294 - Hammary Nueva Round Cocktail Table in Aged Copper

via. Wayfair.com
Like the Ty Pennington is has a beautiful bronze finish. 
$399- TFG Martini Coffee Table with shelves in Java Oak via Mayfair
My second favorite coffee table. It does not have the glass surface but still feels airy. 

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The Perfect Palette

In our pursuit to find the perfect shade of blue, the hubby and I played with a few paint colours. My personal fave, Pale Smoke from Benjamin Moore is a smoky shade of blue that is cool and light. It has subtle hints of grey. It also perfectly compliments Province Blue (an accent colour I adore). Our second round pick is Wales Gray (also available at Benjamin Moore) has a lightly colored stone facade with a bluish green cast. Both paint colours work well for our living room and dining room. The cooler colours really create a space with an expansive feel (ideal for our open floor plan) and a restful atmosphere. As homebodies the serene palette is very comforting. 





Sunday, May 20, 2012

Inspiration Boards




Inspiration boards courtesy of Young House Love