Interior Design Solution

Hello friends! It has been awhile. I took the summer off to really focus on getting settled into my apartment and enjoying the warm weather, as well as take a much needed rest after graduating from the Bachelor of Interior Design degree in only 33 months. Today, I'm giving a little sneak peak of my dining area which is going to double as a library with the help of a really lovely IKEA billy bookcase hack (more to come on that one I get the shelves secured to my old plaster walls).  For as long as I can remember, I've wanted a library. Before my Design Degree, I graduated with a degree in English Literature, so I guess you can say that books are my first love. But being in a small apartment in the city means having to get creative with space. I was inspired by this library designed by Nate Berkus: Image via Architectural Digest, November 2012 Combining the dining room with the library is such a natural choice, as the table easily doubles a surface for reading...

Hats of all shapes are so in style right now, and I'm loving it. Some of these hats are just too good to be hidden in a basket or drawer. Two of my favourite rooms ever have a hat displayed that doubles as a chic decor accessory: Ralph Lauren's Bathroom via Architectural Digest via Domino In my closet, I've simply put a few nails in the wall to hang some of my favourite hats, including an extra nail for guests (M. almost always shows up with a fedora on his head). I really adore the result! In case you missed it, you can see the full closet reveal here ! Where do you hang your hats? Update: I just noticed that my girl Lucy from Craftberry Bush posted about her hat wall today too. It is so glorious! Puts mine to shame! via Craftberry Bush  And to all my American followers, Happy Memorial Day! xox To read the rest of my tips for Making a Rental Feel like Home, check out my article with Click Here!

Did you guys catch Alaina Kaczmarski's tour on The Everygirl (which she co-founded!) last week? I love everything about her apartment, from the archways, to the neutral colour palette, to the really really tall stack of books: via The Everygirl via The Everygirl via The Everygirl This book stacking is a technique that Alaina used in her old apartment as well:  via Live Creating Yourself I love the look! At first I worried that I would knock them over daily, but then I noticed that if you look closely the books are actually supported by a rather cleverly hidden bookshelf. This also means you don't have to unpile a million books to get to the one at the bottom. While Alaina got hers at West Elm, The Everygirl sourced similar shelves from CB2 and Design Within Reach ! Perfect for book lovers like myself. See the full Everygirl apartment tour here. xox To read the rest of my tips for Making a Rental Feel like Home, check out my article with Click Here!

Ever since moving into my apartment in May, I have envisioned a pair of small dressers flanking my fireplace. This is one of my favourite looks and it also provides some much needed storage for my board games, dvds, cozy blankets for watching tv, etc. My dream was to find a matching vintage pair, but this proved to be a challenge. Vintage pairs of anything are hard to find, and because of their rarity are usually pretty expensive when you do finally find anything. I decided that for now, the best plan would be to try my hand at an ikea hack. I bought the KOPPANG 3 drawer chest . I liked the simple lines as a nice blank canvas and the price was right. I did the rest of the steps after assembling the dresser, but if I were to do it again I would add the trim and paint everything before putting it together to make the job easier. Next I bought some small decorative trim from the Home Depot and used a saw and mitre box to cut it. I glued the trim pieces onto the drawer fac...

This weekend I bought a $4 cantilever chair from Good Will. At that price, I just could not leave it behind. I'm visiting my parents in Waterloo for a few days, and when I pulled it out of the car I told my dad that "it just needs a little TLC". My dad's response?: "It needs a little more than that". I mean sure one of the button tufts has popped and the upholstery is dirty and gross, but Pops! Just see the potential. Just use a little imagination and it can go from this: to this: via Mimosa Lane  or this: My Best Friend Craig via Love on Sunday Original source unknown but too good not to include. Any ideas? I also think it would look pretty good done in leopard, something like this (although in the end I will probably choose a solid colour): via Little Green Notebook My old room at my parent's place is slowly become a chair storage facility until I have more room! How would you upholster this piece? xox To read the rest of my tips for Making a Rental Fe...

Every once in awhile, the blogging community presents you with an opportunity to get to know someone truly special. Anna (from Anna with Love Photography ) is one of those people who I have been lucky enough to connect with. She has such a kind heart and so much talent. Recently, Anna launched her Paris Collection , a set of fine art photography prints from her travels in Paris, France. I cannot begin to tell you how gorgeous each and every photo is. I picked out three for myself. You saw Oui Madame in my walk in closet , and I just finished framing and hanging my other two. I wanted to frame them in a way that would feel really special. I was inspired by the blue hue of the Parisian rooftops and decided to pair it with gold. There is something quintessentially French about blue and gold together, as evidenced by this door photograph , part of the Paris Collection! I spraypainted the frames gold and hand painted the mattes blue. I got a quote to get this same look via custom framing a...

via Space46 Boutique Thank you all so much for the positive feedback on my walk in closet ! And for those of you who don't have a big closet, don't worry, I've been thinking about you. Displaying clothes on a rack in a room is a great option if you've got a lot of pretty clothes and not a lot of hanging space. Reserve your less eye catching garments for the dresser and cramped closet, and let your statement pieces shine on display. The fashion becomes decor! Stephanie Sterjovski via the Every Girl via With Love From Kat Jenna Lyon's Home via Domino Magazine via transitoinicial This is also a great tip for children's rooms to hang costumes! via Bijou and Boheme What is your closet space situation? A little or a lot? xox To read the rest of my tips for Making a Rental Feel like Home, check out my article with Click Here!