Design: How to Organize a Pantry in an Antique Armoire

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By now, many people know that I’m collecting antique armoires for our new home. I have a beautiful Italian armoire in my office that I use as my bookshelf. In the kitchen, we recently added a large French armoire (one of the ones that come apart…a knockdown armoire) to use as our pantry (which replaced an open bakers rack that came with the house). This very old piece of furniture has travelled from France to Switzerland to Guelph and now it has a new home with us in Waterloo.

It brings me joy.

You know what else brings me joy?

Organizing it!

After a bit of inventory analysis, I stocked up on supplies at Homesense (yes, this kind of organization system is an investment of time and money). I opted for white plastic baskets to house categories of items (e.g., pasta, crackers, tea & coffee) and OXO Pop containers for decanting items (e.g., flour, sugar, oatmeal). Then, of course, I labelled everything!

yes, I know, we have a lot of vinegar and oils

On top of all of this goodness, we have made friends with the previous owners of this armoire. What joy!

Real Estate: Historic Home in Waterloo, Ontario Gets a Major Makeover

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I’m sure you’ve come across many shocking before and after home renovations, but this one, I think, should be moved to the top of the list.

Up until one year ago, this house in Waterloo was a frat house. It was awful. Inside and out. The house was such a disaster that it made news beyond the city borders (e.g., on Narcity, Reddit). If you want to have a peak at how some 20-somethings like to live, check out this virtual tour. Warning: It’s awful.

But there’s really great news to share about this historic house. An ambitious and confident couple took on this project and have transformed it into a beautiful, three-story, single-family home. It’s absolutely lovely!

Images via Realtor.ca.

Events: Interior Design Show in Toronto This Week

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The Interior Design Show (IDS) Toronto begins on Thursday and runs through the weekend at the Metro Convention Centre. I hope to be inspired by all that is new, beautiful, and functional in the world of design after having missed any iteration of IDS for several years.

With my own house in mind, I’ll be on the lookout for what’s new in lighting, countertops, bath fixtures, rugs, and furniture…and pretty much everything else!

Here is a small sneak into some of the IDS 2022 exhibitors.

hollis + morris
Ryan Van Der Hout
Ying Zhong
Jacques & Anna – Studio North
Zeed
Weavers Art
Robinson Lighting & Bath

I’ll share updates on social media and post-show, too, as I’m sure there’s much more I’ll learn and observe in person.

All images courtesy of IDS Toronto.

Personal: Crochet Progress

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Just over a year ago, I started to crochet. I made quick work of pot holders, and then I was motivated to crochet a whole blanket. I predicted it would take me about 10 years. I got back into it in the last few weeks after a very long break. Here’s how it looks now.

I have 9 years to go.

Did you start any new hobbies during the pandemic that you’re still doing?

Personal: March Update of My 2022 Goals

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It’s the end of the month, which means I get to share an update of my 2022 goals.

  1. Write with my fountain pen. Yes. I still use it daily. It’s so pretty.
  2. Complete house projects. Sort of. Our powder room refresh is nearly complete; I’m waiting for the shipment of a delayed towel bar/toilet roll holder. Our kitchen refresh is also on hold while we wait for a delayed sink. Delays have been common since the early days of the pandemic, so I’m not surprised. We have been scheming a refresh of another bathroom, too, so that might happen in April.
  3. Practice yoga. No. I wonder if I should take this off the list. I think I’ll change this to “stay active.”
  4. Host people. Yes. We’ve continued with our nearly monthly music night, which brings together a great group of people and fun music. We also hosted dinner with new friends (met via Facebook marketplace if you can believe it…story for another day).
  5. Travel. No travel in March, but something is in the works for April. Oui, oui!
  6. Read more. Yes. I’m flying through audio books on account of my commute, which has been great. I listened to The Dutch House by Ann Patchett (read by Tom Hanks), The Vintage Caper, by Peter Mayle, and The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris. All three were good, but I really enjoyed my time with Tom Hanks! I’ve also been reading a lot for work.
  7. Tame garbage. Reduce waste. Sort of. I’m making slight improvements, I think. It’s hard!
  8. Floss regularly. Yes. Daily. How have I never added daily flossing into my routine before? It just makes sense. Let’s see what my dentist has to say!
  9. Walk regularly. Yes. I feel like I’m doing okay with my walking. There’s room for improvement, and I anticipate better weather will motivate me to get outside more.
  10. Stop procrastinating. Sort of. Some days I just need a break from my computer.
  11. Have fun! Yes! March was a good month overall. And I hope the positive flavour continues into April, too!

Previous updates: January, February

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