Marketplace: St. Genève Bedding

January 21, 2016 | 1 Commentary

When I stayed at Langdon Hall last month, I absolutely fell in love with the feather topper on the bed. As soon as I lay down on that bed, I felt like I was on a cloud. It was an incredible sleeping experience that I had never had. Now I want it again.

I did a bit of searching (not that hard because Langdon Hall’s site is full of info), and I learned that the feather toppers are made by St. Genève – just for Langdon Hall, I might add! With a click and a web-hop away, I landed at St. Genève, and I read just about everything about the products.

As you may recall, I have declared 2016 The Year of My Bed (or The Bed…I keep switching). My bedroom needs a revamp, and I’d really like to invest in the top of whatever I possibly can (luxurious but affordable is what I’m going with).

As of now, I don’t have a new bed or a new mattress or new linens or even a decision about whether to invest in a queen or a king, but one thing I do know – and I’m making room in my budget for – is that I’m certain a feather topper is in my bedroom makeover future. Heavenly, I tell ya, heavenly!

Since I’ve had experience sleeping on St. Genève’s feather topper, I’m just about certain that I’ll be buying one of these.

Deckbette mattress topper

feather mattress top protector

St. Genève feather toppers have 100% cotton twill shells and are down in baffled ladder design with a box edge. Since the toppers cannot be washed or dry-cleaned, a cover should be used. This can be removed for laundering.

Beyond the toppers, I discovered, the company makes gorgeous white bed linens. This is luxury, dear readers! Fabric is woven in Italy, Germany, and elsewhere, and there is so much softness in the designs. In addition to the white-on-white versions below, the linen collection includes some colourful designs, too.

In addition to the feather top and the bed linens, St. Genève also manufactures high-end duvets and pillows.

Embassy duvet and pillows

I think that if you’re aiming for a luxurious bed, St. Genève is a place to visit. Their collections are in Canada, USA, and Asia (locations here). The company is a leader in high quality and guarantees its products. You can learn all about the different types of down here.

I’ll be sure to let you know what I think about my topper choice once I’ve made it….I have 11 more months to get my bedroom makeover sorted out!

Marketplace: Valentine’s Day Gift Guide

January 20, 2016 | Leave a Reply

This Valentine’s Day, I’m thinking hearts, hearts, and more hearts are the way to go. I’ve never been a major Valentine’s Day fan as I think love – and hearts – should be spread around generously throughout the year, so considering this, I think it’s as good a time as any to share some lovely items here (yes, even though we haven’t even yet entered February).

Jonathan Adler tic tac toe set, $98

Jonathan Adler neon heart lamp, $95

Sister Clara vase special edition golden heart, designed by Pepa Reverter, $410, 1st Dibs

faux suede slippers, $40

CucinaPro heart waffle maker, $58

bkr water bottle, $49.95

heart coffee table, $2300, 1st Dibs

family time line by Aubrey Bonneau, from $24, Minted

heart pillow cover, $43, Etsy

pjs, $185, Charmajesty (oh, how I love this set!)

fractured heart marble, $795, Kelly Wearstler

Okay, okay, for all you diamond lovers out there, here’s one exceptional piece to end this post:

10.14 carat heart shaped diamond pendant, $785,000, 1st Dibs

Uptown: How to Makeover a Fireplace

January 19, 2016 | 3 Commentaries

I was so happy to see a gas fireplace in my house when I first toured it with my real estate agent 2.5 years ago. After I bought it, moved in, and planned my various renovation projects, the fireplace was on the reno list, but it wasn’t a priority.

Over the last few months, however, I tackled this fireplace makeover*, and I’m so pleased with the results. Shall we walk down memory lane together?

Here’s the before photo of the fireplace. It was always in perfectly good working condition, but the tile was old, the 80s gold did nothing for me, and the step riser took up space in the smallish-size room. The plan?
1. Get rid of the tile and the step.
2. Paint the gold.
3. Install a beautiful mantle.
4. Install a tile surround.

Thankfully, things went according to plan with this project!

My dad carefully removed the step and tile and ensured that additional supports were installed before adding more plywood/drywall to the surround.

My mom’s incredible detective skills resulted in a gorgeous mantle frame that was just about the perfect size for my space. My resourceful and handy parents took care of the few adjustments (and adding more trim).

The painting and tile work was my responsibility. After taping around the fireplace screen, and covering my room’s floor with tarp, I painted the gold using high-heat Rustoleum spray paint. I completed a few light coats to ensure good coverage.

Once the mantle was installed, I was able to get on with the tiles. I sourced 2-inch matte black hex tiles from my KW go-to tile team at Twin City Tile. I had my heart set on black from the get-go, but I did contemplate white hex and marble for a bit, too (you saw a bit of marble in one of the photos above).

via Instagram

In the end, I’m definitely glad I went for a black hex tile surround as the fireplace blends in, and it’s all very sleek.

via Instagram

Before painting the mantle, I sanded the heck out of it (thankfully I have the Black & Decker matrix with sander attachment, so this process went fairly quickly). I did all the sanding before I installed the tiles, by the way. I then put on three coats of white door and trim paint to freshen and brighten up this old mantle.

via Instagram

And there you have it – a step-by-step recap of my fireplace makeover.

* Thanks again, Mom and Dad, for your help!
If you’d like to see more of my house, check out my house tour or read the articles in the Uptown category.

Design: Lost in Cube Land

January 18, 2016 | Leave a Reply

Make note, dear readers, we are going to be seeing more cubes in interiors this year. The cube fascination has already begun popping up in tile work, art work, wallpapers, and sculptures. The repeated pattern of 3D cubes in 2D work has a mesmerizing effect, and it has been created in just about every colour combination.

via My Domaine

via Flodeau

I painted a piece of cube art about a decade ago (in shades of green if you can believe it), and it still has a safe spot in my office. These days, however, I like the more muted and tone-on-tone versions using shades of grey, white, black, and gold. The pattern can be full of contrast or a gentle progression between shapes.

While flooring may be a complete investment of the cube trend (I don’t think it’s actually a trend. I think it’s a very classic design, but patterned floors, in general, are very on trend for 2016), an easier way to go would be via cushions and tea towels.

gray cube pillow cover, Wisteria

cube pillow cover (on sale), H&M

via Heirloom & Knot

via Hollie Cooper

cubist fabric, via Minted

rug via Anthropologie

Paris-New York restaurant via Dezeen

via Caro Somerset

cube removable wallpaper, via Livettes

What do you think? Can your eyes handle this pattern?

The Friday Five: Bird Feeders at Amara

January 15, 2016 | Leave a Reply

A few years ago, I wrote a post about modern bird feeders. This post has caught the attention of several readers, but most recently, Amara contacted me with info about their current bird feeder stock. I was surprised to see so many modern feeders in one place. Since I’m already itching for spring to arrive, it seems like a post about bird feeders is highly appropriate.

I’ll start with this bird feeder that Amara kindly sent me (see it on Instagram). Since I shared it on Instgram, I picked up bird seed (I can’t even remember what kind), and I hung it up on a tree in my backyard. The lady who helped me buy the bird seed said it would take a few days for birds to realize it’s there. While I haven’t seen so many birds flock to it quite yet, I’m hopeful they will. How could they not? Look how pretty it is!

Garden Trading Bird Feeder, $28

I absolutely love the design of this second feeder. Talk about modern! I’m not quite sure where birds perch to eat the seed, but I love the donut shape, and the hook and cord seem very strudy.

Eva Solo Bird Feeder, $59 (on sale)

This bird feeder is by the same brand as the previous one, but its design is quite different. It’s a mini feeder with a larger hole. I do like the simplicity of this design.

Eva Solo mini bird feeder, $63

The next two bird feeders are by the same manufacturer, but they’re different shapes. I like the mix of white and wood on these classic feeders. There’s not much room for more than one bird though, is there?

D&M Haven White Bird House, $92

D&M Have White Bird House, $87

As I learned, Amara’s curation is amazing. The company carries designers such as Alessi (my fave!), Fornasetti, Jonathan Adler, and Orla Kiely. It ships world wide, and you can choose your preferred currency option as you shop online. I’ve listed the above items with the Canadian prices, and delivery is free to Canada for orders above $200.

Thanks again to Amara for sending along the feeder! I hope it makes the birds happy! All opinions are my own.

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