Inspired Spaces...Bring on Spring!!

I really do cherish my weekends at home as they're few and far between. Some gal pals were coming to visit last weekend, but due to some crazy weather, we had to cancel our plans (insert sad face here). With the change in plans, I thought I'd take advantage of my time at home to freshen up the space a bit and start bringing in some Spring.

February is such a 'funky' month....we're well into winter, have snow up to our knees, the fun and festivities of the holidays are long over and we see Spring starting to pop up in fashion and decor. All of the bright and airy Spring looks and pieces have us yearning for warm sunshine filled days,  green grass, patios and flowers. Seeing as I don't see green grass or drinks on a patio happening any time soon, the way I like to start bringing Spring into my home is through flowers. Tulips happen to be one of my favs and they're in abundance right now...and...they're oh so reasonably priced!  When you can find them for $10 a dozen, I can't think of a more chic, fun and cheap way to insert some Spring and colour into your home!

I also like to turn to magazines for inspiration, especially this time of year, because part of the February Funk also can bring with it a bit of a lack of inspiration. It's a transitional time when it comes to fashion and decor...we want to bring out all the light and airy Spring pieces, but they seem out of place with snow still on the ground. I find turning to magazines helps with finding that balance right now and I owe a huge THANK YOU to House and Home Magazine for the article, A Study In Contrasts, in their March 2015 issue. The kitchen designed by Barbara Purdy and Olivia Botrie on pages 84-87 is the epitome of my dream kitchen! Every...single...detail and element from the exposed beams, to the colour palette, to the cabinetry, that island (swoon), the windows, the pantry (those doors)....EVERYTHING is absolute perfection. 

When it came time to freshen up my sideboard, I pulled my colour scheme from the pantry in this article...the muted, earthy tones...the creams, beiges, mochas, straw, winter white, light wood tones. These colour and tones are a great transitional colour scheme for this time of year. They're still warm and cozy, but have a lighter and more airy feel to them too.

The final product is very simple and has a natural, earthy feel to it. The grapevine wreath I made from vines in my backyard adds a bit of whimsy, the antique postal scale a dear friend gave me adds a sentimental and historical touch, the feathered wreath from Hive of Bayfield adds softness, the golden metallic tea light holders from The Garage add some *bling* and the oil cans from The Aberfoyle Antique Market add something unexpected and industrial.  They all come together in a muted, rustic chic way to slowly start to welcome in Spring.

I hope you can take some time today (it's a holiday here in Ontario) and read through some magazines and get inspired. Go down to your basement, open up some dusty boxes of home decor items and see what you can bring into your home to welcome Spring. Oh....and don't forget to treat yourself to some flowers!

I arrived home yesterday to a beautiful bunch of tulips from a great friend! Talk about a wonderful Galentine's Day! I can now spend the day relaxing, enjoying my space and continuing to get inspired!

Cheers to inspiration, great design, friendship, Spring and fresh flowers!

RR

Petit Spaces

Small Spaces are DA BOMB!! 

And for soooo many reasons!

Sure ....things like lower utility costs, less square footage to clean, lower mortgages (generally) etc....the list goes on and on. This is where my Save vs Splurge post ties in (yes, I can definitely be thrifty at times).

As most of you know, I have my cottage in the city....my almost 800 square foot place I call home............

I LOVE every single inch of it, because in a space that size, you LIVE in every single square inch and utilize it to it's full advantage! I will admit, I also have a basement that houses my laundry, workshop area and storage and I utilize literally every millimeter of space down there too.

It's just Charlie and I...how much room do I/we really need?

I'm sure you have seen on Pinterest or Instagram the saying, "LESS HOUSE - MORE HOME" and I know you have 'heard' me use it before in other posts....

In this society of absolute excess, of over-the-top everything, of people living well beyond their means, why do we feel we need 6000, 7000, 10 000 square foot homes for families of 4?? To each their own I suppose, but what I will say is, when you lose that home to something like a fire (heaven forbid), it's not how big that house was...the number of stair cases, fireplaces, bathrooms etc.....it's about what that house contained to make it your home. The memories of Christmas stockings on a mantle and decorating the tree, birthday candles being blown out at the kitchen table, movie nights curled up on the couch, family pictures hanging on the wall, Gramma's antique wash stand in the bedroom.......

If a  10 000 square foot home doesn't contain and hold memories, it's nothing but a shell people sleep and exist in. How do you make memories, spend time with eachother etc when each family member has their own 'wing' and you communicate over intercom??

To me...this photo above is home...

A Saturday morning cupcake and a latte, reading mail from a friend, enjoying being surrounded by fresh flowers at my dining room table. I'm much more inclined to remember and enjoy rituals like this than remembering how many stairs were in the back stair case or how many cars were in the 8 door garage....It's not about 'how many' or how much', it's simply about 'how'....

How do you spend your time in your home, how (in 100 words or less) would you explain your home to a complete stranger using only emotions and feelings vs material expressions or examples..... and most importantly..... how do you make your house a home?

Magazines like Style at Home and House and Home are fantastic resources, full of practical and clever ideas about where to start with decorating a small space and how to truly utilize every bit of area you have. Remember....take your space...whether it's 500 square feet or 2000....and make it yours! Only bring in items you feel are a reflection of you...because the less space you have, the more important it is that you truly, truly love what you bring into it!

Apartment Therapy  sure does get it right too, especially if you feel you may want to add on a wee bit more space to your already small space. I'll admit, I'm looking into the possibility of 'adding up' into my attic space, like the Apartment Therapy article speaks to. The thought of a master retreat sounds heavenly...and it would also then allow for a true guest room for my out of town friends/family to visit with their kids. Am I happy with my space right now... 100%! Would a master retreat add to the value of my home, for more than purely re-sale value, yes......Do I absolutely need one...no. Again, it's just something I'm investigating....and I'll let you know what my final decision is! ;)

RR