Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams at Elte

If you are in the Toronto area on June 12th, stop by Elte to meet Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams. I wish I could attend but unfortunately I have plans already on that day.

I love their furniture lines and have coveted this 98” ultra comfy sofa since I saw it in the Elte showroom last year. Would love to get a copy of their new book too. If it’s anything like their previous book, Let’s Get Comfortable, it will be filled with beautiful rooms as well as loads of decorating advice.

The 411 on spray paint

I hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! I made a little bit of progress on the kitchen, but otherwise we just enjoyed having hubby home for four days straight! School’s out for summer!!  ;) Whoohoo! If you’ve read this blog for 2.1 seconds, you know how much I luuurve spray paint. In my humble opinion, there is no cheaper way to transform accessories and furniture. And floor vents.

Peep into Apt. 408

Featuring Apartment 408 ….. Pree’s apartment!!! as my home tour for the month of June.


Home tour to follow in the next few posts.... this is just a sneak peak... *wink*

Eye candy?? Isn’t it?? Don’t you just love them all??

So what do these pics tell you about Pree? Is she an artist at heart?? a photographer?? an entertainer?? a colourful personality??

Don’t you simply love the lights in these photographs??

Don’t you love the art work everywhere??

The Indian feel to this home is simply admirable…

So tell me…. What do you like about her home???

Bet... you cant wait to see more pics of her home??? just like me!!

Tête-à-tête with Meera Sethi

Introducing our new series ‘Tete-a-tete with …………..’ … featuring someone we admire and would love to know more about!! You can be an artist, photographer, home maker, blogger, or just yourself…

Have you heard about Meera Sethi?? She was featured as my co-blogger find in Jan. Did you check her blog??

Meera Sethi is a visual artist who loves to work all mediums - acrylic paints, pencils, fineliners, graphic design & even photography. She lives & works in Toronto & New Delhi…. Her love for bright colours was what attracted me towards her work…

Rose decided we should feature her in our new series of posts ‘Tête-à-tête with Meera Sethi’… Hope you enjoy this!!





1) Your Firangi Rang Birangi series is a bold creative proclamation of the style and mindset of immigrants abroad. What made you decide to create this series and raise an awareness on the creative personality of this group of people?

Firangi Rang Barangi came about spontaneously. It was literally a moment of looking at a large blank sheet of paper and wondering what to draw. For a while now, I have been interested in documenting the unique second generation South Asian style I see around me. I think it is an interesting moment in time, where what was once (and to some extent still is) a distinct clash of cultures, come together to form a new identity. One powerful way in which this identity is expressed is through clothing, fashion and style. Firangi Rang Barangis are people who are unapologetically claim the privileged position of “colourful foreigner”.

I had first planned to do this through photography, but then as this work began, I switched gears and found the creative possibilities of painting endlessly exciting. With painting, I can embellish and create any fabric and accessory I want.

2) Similar to your paintings, your photography style is very switched on and vibrant with color. The Madam Fly series is a collaboration between you and 2 more artists. How do artists like these find themselves and embark on these creative collaborations?

“Madam, Fly.” was a collaboration between model Nira Kehar, Stylist Rashmi Varma, Make-up artist and hair stylist Ashima Kapoor, and myself as photographer. Rashmi, Nira and I, all from Canada, all in Delhi at the time, knew each other prior to the shoot. We were each more excited than the other to express our visions and collectively came to what became “Madam, Fly.” I think with all of us having an insider/outsider perspective, our visions were quite aligned. In general though, I do believe like minds intuitively find each other to make their dreams reality.

3) The concept behind the Madam Fly series is the leisure woes of an upper middle class Indian housewife, coupled with Indian items of beauty. How did the concept behind the Madam Fly series originate?

“Madam, Fly.” was in some ways a very familiar project for me. As a frequent visitor to and partial product of India, I have interacted with have been fascinated by Indian items of beauty, Indian products and basic objects of Indian design and craft. As an adult, while some of these objects remain functional, many have slipped towards nostalgia. The project was interesting because it played in this area between function and nostalgia, and with items that we were all familiar with such as the parandhi, the bidi, the chapal and the mosquito net and combined it with a level of contemporary fashion only accessible to upper middle class women.

4) Your independent company, MISC, is a smart and savvy endeavor. How did you start it and what were the initial hurdles you faced?

MISC or “Meera Sethi Creative” officially began two and a half years ago when I registered the company name. Unofficially, you could say it began as far as ten years back to as recent as this year! Sometime early this year, I realized that the process of starting an independent company in which to make and promote my art and design was in fact very organic. Although I knew long ago (when I was 5 actually, and drew my first self-portrait, with so much emphasis on what I was wearing) that I wanted to make art and was interested in fashion, it was only two and a half years ago that I really took that leap and decided that if I was really going to share my vision during my lifetime and see it grow, I had better start immediately! So I quit my full-time job, came to Delhi for 3 months, and returned to Toronto to “set-up shop.”

My initial hurdles have been both external and internal. Externally, the hurdles have been financial and practical: paying bills, making time to create, finding adequate space, handling all aspects of a business, finding work/life balance, etc.

Internally, the hurdles are more vague. Even though, I have always had the support of my family which has been a blessing, I found my own belief in my art to waiver. The internal inquiry and self-reflection that is required to believe in yourself is challenging. Some days are of course better then others, but each day, I must remind myself that what I am doing has a purpose and a future. This is where trusting in the process of your own development is key. Without trust, you can not let go and dive into the work. In this way it is scary, but also exciting.

5) With such a vast clientele, it would be wrong to ask if you have any favorite clients, but what have been the projects close to your heart since you began MISC?

MISC is an amalgam of all types of projects and clients from one-on-one work with helping someone develop their own vision for their own company to enabling large organizations creatively express their vision. Each project has had its place and which each project I have developed my creative skills or learned a new aspect of running a business. The projects closest to my heart though have been the ones where I can be my own boss, namely my art! I find now that I design so that I can create art. Having the freedom, skills, resources and vision to make images is really what is closest to my heart.

6) What kind of projects are you looking at during 2010? Will you be doing any travelling outside of Canada?

Funny thing about travel is that I actual begin tomorrow! I am heading to New York to meet with some galleries and gain new insight and inspiration into my art. I have always been fortunate to have the privilege to travel. Of course travel broadens my perspective but it also gives me that much needed space to let ideas grow, morph and meld in my subconscious, always allowing me to have greater vision, clarity and excitement when I return.

In 2010 I am continuing to develop my “Firangi Rang Barangi” series and have begun work on a new series of work that interprets the idea of the Bodhisattva. I am also hoping to adapt some of my earlier drawings from “Textlace” and “Sacred Geometriks” to tshirts and other garments.

7) All your work, be it photography, painting or graphics; is a proud shout out to your heritage and your current life. Many artists in Canada and around the world must take great comfort in your success and feel more encouraged to showcase their own talents. Many more artists will be reading this now by means of this blog. What is the message you would like to impart to budding artists, the world over?

Just keep at it. If you really want to do something, just keep at it in whatever small or big way you can. The more steps you take forward, the more the path will open up to you. Trust in that. Most importantly however, practice loving yourself, all parts: the good, the bad and the ugly. The more you break down those internal walls, the more the external ones will break open for you.

Meera would be delighted to answer any questions you have on misc [at] meerasethi [dot] com or visit her at MISC

Also have a quick tour of Meera’s house featured on The Key Bunch.

Please do let us know what you think of our new series… and if you’d really like to see more of this feature?? … If you'd like to be here... please feel free to contact me at torresp27@hotmail.com

A (new!) kitchen sink

OK, if you are a connoisseur of kitchen sinks, you will LOVE this post. If not, well…ummmmm…you won’t need your sleeping pill tonight. Just read ahead. :) I have to say…the installation of the kitchen sink has convinced me that this will be the last sink we ever own – at least in this house. It was a doozy. Remember when I asked your advice on the double or single sink on this post? I had

Happy Weekend + Reminders

Christina Murphy Interiors

Just a reminder that the Christie Antiques Show is on tomorrow – Saturday, May 29th.  It’s a great show with more than 300 dealers on 10 acres at Christie Conservation Area.  I plan on being there bright and early tomorrow morning.  I recently posted about Sarah Richardson’s finds at the last Spring show.

Have you heard that an episode of Nate Berkus’ new daytime talk show premiering in the Fall, will have an audience of design bloggers?  Check it out on the moggitgirls blog.   If you are interested, email blogaud@thenateshow.com with your name and blog link.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway and stay tuned for an interview with a talented magazine editor…

Have a great weekend!  We have a busy one with dance recitals, the Christie show and a surprise birthday party for my Dad (good thing Dad doesn’t read this blog!)

New from Farrow and Ball

Yesterday, I (and a few other design bloggers) was invited to meet Nikki Chee (above), Communications Manager for Farrow and Ball from the head office in the UK. She talked about the company's exquisite paint and wallpapers as well as previewed a new collection of papers launching in September. We weren’t allowed to share any images, but I can tell you they are beautiful! Nikki was a treat too. Arren did a post on her awhile back.

Farrow and Ball was started up by two gentlemen (yes, Mr. Farrow and Mr. Ball) in the 1930’s and still uses traditional methods of manufacturing their paint and wallpaper.

What sets Farrow and Ball apart from other paint manufacturers is the quality of their ingredients. There is no plastic content in their paint which is made of natural ingredients like china clay, lime putty and linseed oil. All their paints are zero VOC (except the Interior Wood Primer and Undercoat which is low VOC.)

There are 132 colours in 13 finishes in the paint collection (interior and exterior) and although they retire some periodically, you can always get a discontinued colour. They have small test pots of all of their colours.

I know that some people try to colour match Farrow and Ball with another paint manufacturer to save money.  Nikki showed us Rectory Red matched by two paint companies and they weren’t even close to the original Farrow and Ball colour. The Farrow and Ball colour was richer and had more clarity and purity. So, spend the extra few dollars and get the real deal.

Nikki describes the paint this way: “it’s like you could push your hand through the wall,” describing the paint’s depth. A high level of titanium oxide in their paint creates depth when light hits it.

Their wallpapers are so beautiful and unique because paint is applied to paper rather than ink. They are either block printed or trough printed. Wallpaper is made to order but only takes a week to get from the UK to North America.

They also have a new book coming out in September called Living with Colour and features a number of UK homes. “Divided into chapters according to style, including Classical, City, Modern Country, Cottage and Country House, the first part of the book shows Farrow & Ball paints and wallpapers in a wide range of unusual and beautiful interiors. Part Two of the book is devoted to colour. From the themes of All White and In Neutral to Softly, Softly and Bright and Beautiful, each chapter explores a particular palette and shows how colour can be used to create atmosphere, character and charm.”

A Flower Place

We really enjoyed building a few projects for my client's porches.
One project was a plant stand. We built a simple box out of MDF,
added some decorative molding to the front, and attached stair balusters for legs. To make it easy and inexpensive to change faux flowers seasonally,

I designed it with an interior board that rests inside the box. Holes were drilled into the board and it was covered with moss.

Flower picks are placed securely into the holes. If the homeowner wants real potted flowers,
she can simply remove the interior board and place them inside.But for now the faux flowers are
pretty and maintenance free.I think it looks perfect
sitting beneath the welcome sign I made.

Address This

My client shares a long driveway with her neighbors. She wanted a way to let people know which home was theirs. I thought about making something like this to show off her address, but she also asked for items that were low maintenance.I walked the aisles of the home improvement store until I discovered the electrical section. I purchased a long conduit pipe, two bent sections, and a bag of joiners. I also picked up address numbers and a small piece of galvanized sheet metal.
Mr. JofH cut the pipe and assembled the frame. He backed the sheet metal with cedar boards so the numbers could be screwed in, then hung the address from the frame with a few links of chain.I was thrilled with the no maintenance, simple industrial look and so was my client.

Finding Nemo

I’ve been looking for ideas for the kids room…. Project only scheduled for August!! I came across this beautiful ‘Finding Nemo’ room at a furniture shop… and was amazed at how the display designer not only displayed the beautiful furniture, but the accessories to go with this room.



The paintings on the wall were just beautiful... I did double check that it was not wall paper!

Isn’t it a lovely theme for kids… I'm impressed... are you??

1st Giveaway!

Contest closed – winner announced here.

If you are mad about decorating sustainably and on a budget, then you will love my 1st giveaway!

The publishers of RESTORE.RECYCLE.REPURPOSE – Create a Beautiful Home have kindly sent me a copy to give away to one of my lucky readers. Written by Randy Florke, Country Living Contributing Editor, with Nancy J. Becker, the book shows how you can achieve a look that’s beautiful, good for the environment and inexpensive all at the same time.

The book is filled with images of comfortable and simple rooms exuding country charm. I’m sure you will be inspired!

How to enter – 4 ways to win:

1) leave a comment on this post telling how you decorate using restored, recycled or repurposed items.

2) become a Google follower (see sidebar) and let me know or if you are already a follower, leave a comment and let me know .

3) post about the giveaway on your blog.

4) link to this post on facebook.

Please note your email address in your comment if you don’t have a blog, so that I can get in touch with you. Only enter if you live in the US or Canada. I will choose a winner on June 4th. Good luck!

Garage sale (and beadboard) love

 Well hello! I am SO excited about the kitchen progress – whoohoo! I’ll share more on that in a bit, but first I wanted to tell you about a fantastic Web site for you garage sale freaks-who-get-up-at-7a.m. lovahs out there. I first told you about Garage Sale Tracker about a year ago when they were just starting up (here). Their little site has gone and grown up – I’m so impressed! If you are

This Old Window

Our client had this old window that she had carefully carried home from her home state. They had added a piece of wood to the bottom so it could serve as a display shelf. Knowing of her love for the window I wanted to give it a bit more importance in her patio design.
We added simple 1x3 legs and trimmed it out with molding to make it into an outdoor end table. I gave it all a couple of coats of exterior white paint.Because our clients raise chickens I thought it was only fitting to mod podge a piece of chicken covered fabric onto luan and attach it to the underside of the window to give it more depth and interest.The window table is now the perfect spot to rest a tray and have a sip of refreshing lemonade.