Marketplace: Vintage Fine Objects

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Vintage Fine Objects opened its doors just about a year ago in Toronto and it has been on the radar of many magazine editors and bloggers ever since. Owner Kevin J. Austin has – and continues to – carefully curate a collection of vintage objects to please a variety of vintage enthusiasts – the decorator, the collector, the countryman, the traditionalist (and of course, you aren’t expected to stay within any one category).

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While I do love some of the traditional wood pieces (like this drop front desk), my interest mostly lies in light, airy, versatile pieces in white.

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faux bamboo cabinet, $2495

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faux bamboo tub chair, $495

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patterned glass vase, $39

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lucite & leopard lamps

Images courtesy of Vintage Fine Objects.

Uptown: The Countertop Decision

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I still haven’t quite decided about the kitchen countertop. Annoying. I think I’m close though. Here are the issues.

1. I thought that I was going to just go for quartz but then I started hearing things about marks, chips, and stains.

2. So then I went back to thinking of laminate as I thought it could be a great affordable temporary option. But then, by the time you pay for installation, sink, etc., it’s not really cheap-cheap. It’s just the cheapest option but not actually really dirt cheap, you know?

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Formica

3. So then I went back to thinking that if I was going to spend money on the countertop, I might as well go for Carrara marble as I know what my sister/brother-in-law and my parents paid for theirs (both have larger kitchens than mine) and, in fact, the price seemed to be comparable to quartz. But when I got the quote from my Kitchener-Waterloo kitchen people, it was way higher than quartz…aka…not really in my budget.

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Carrara marble

4. So here we are now, I’m rethinking quartz. Friends on Twitter were kind enough to pass along some positive views of quartz to help me out. Maybe quartz really is the wisest move for the moment. I’d go for the plainest of the plain – no sparkles, flecks, or any of that jazz. I’ve picked one out but I can’t remember its manufacturer. I should know this, right? If I go for quartz and my espresso maker leaves a mark on it, I’m going to be very annoyed. Just sayin’.

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Uptown: Door Knobs

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Way back in July when I took possession of my new home, I had thought that one of the quickest changes I was going to make was to change the door knobs. I could have taken an easy way out and just replaced the actual key lock part of the knob but the existing knobs were old and so I thought it would be wise (and straightforward) to replace them completely.

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old knobs

The task started off quite well. I used the measuring guide on the Direct Door Hardware website and the kind people over at Direct Door Hardware sent over some simple, stainless Schlage knobs and matching locks.door-knob-1

 determining the backset

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the new Schlage knob & deadbolt

I thought the job was going to take half an hour (tops!). My dad and I took out the old knobs in one of the doors and that’s when we realized that the new Schlage sets would not fit because the bore hole in my door was too small for the lock sets (didn’t think to measure that before I ordered the locks). This was the case for all the doors. I was pretty disappointed. After a bit of research I learned that it would be unlikely to find high quality locks to fit the small bore holes. Plus, I really wanted to use the new stainless sets.

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oops…too small!

I went back to the Direct Door Hardware people for advice (thanks Jake E.!) and thought about my options. I was reluctant to let the knobs go to waste so I decided to hire a locksmith to cut new bore holes in all my doors. I didn’t tackle this task on my own as, in addition to having metal doors, I didn’t have the appropriate tools, and I was too impatient to try measuring anything out by myself. It’s good to admit when you need help, right? Something like that.

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the locksmith’s high-tech tool

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new knobs (pre-paint)doorknob2new knobs & locks

Anyway. I’m happy to report that the door knobs and locks are in throughout my house and they are working out perfectly. I’m happy with the strength and simplicity of the set I ordered, and the service at Direct Door Hardware was quick and informative. I’m also happy that I decided to hire the locksmith to get the bore holes to a standard size. This will give me more flexibility later on if I decide to install another new set.

Event: Octaspring + Pinterest Contest

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You may remember that last week I announced Octaspring’s current contest. Use Pinterest to create an #OctaspringDream bedroom board and post the link on Facebook…that’s all it takes to enter! The prize is a great one…a set of Octaspring pillows plus a $250 gift card to the Home Depot. Can I mention again that I am one of the judges of the contest? Am I excited? Of course I am. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what your must-haves are in your dream bedroom!

While I cannot enter the contest, I did want to create a dream board. It’s been a handy board, actually, considering the fact that I’m currently rearranging a lot in my home and the master bedroom still needs some attention. Here’s a sneak peek at my #OctaspringDream bedroom Pinterest board:

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Have a full look at it here.

As you’ll notice, some of my bedroom must-haves are: art, windows, sunlight, excellent linens, texture, cool lighting, beautiful closet, pretty pyjama sets, flowers, an assortment of pillows (I’m currently sleeping on the Octaspring Evolution – I’ll post a review soon!), and a bed that is made (I cannot leave the house with a messy bed. How about you?).

The #OctaspringDream bedroom contest ends November 18th Friday December 13th so get a-pinning!

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