guest bedroom

Can't you just feel the summer sun coming in from the window in this gorgeous guest bedroom? A guest room doesn't have to be expensive to put together, but it should be super comfortable and clean. Take cue from this one - but instead of wallpaper which can be expensive, try blue paint which would be just as tranquil. I love Benjamin Moore Polar Sky - CC-790

punches of colour

Don't you just love the way the colours pop in this living room? Even the books on the coffee table go. I love that!

Patricia Lazar - artist

When I was 17 years old and living in Montreal I started working for Patricia Lazar. She was making beautiful dolls at the time and I helped sew on faces and stuff bodies. I loved it and it was a great part-time job for me. And what a talented woman to work with and learn from too! Years later we both find ourselves in Toronto, having re-connected through my sister and cousin who worked with Patricia here. What a wonderfully small world! :)

Patricia is the kind of artist that finds humour in everything she does, and I love that about her art. It is fun, energetic, creative, unique and good. It is 'good' art. Her works of art are keepers!

Yesterday I was at her house and bought myself a fabulous piece of art. It is the one shown here. It hangs in my hall and I can see it from my desk so I get to enjoy all the lovely ladies of this painting every time I look up. Love it!!

Have a look through her site and visit her this weekend at her open house art sale! And by sale, I mean sale! She has some things up to 75% off the original prices - there are some beautiful unique pieces if not for yourself then perhaps for gifts.

Patricia Lazar's Website

Open House Details:

SAT. SUN. & MON. MAY 22, 23, 24
1 - 4 pm
51 GREEN BUSH RD., TORONTO
BETWEEN YONGE & BATHURST OFF HILDA - ONE BLOCK SOUTH OF STEELES
416-224-2294

bath reno - when will it end...

Sorry for the delay, but the bathroom is still not done. It was done on day 16, but not enough to take the photos. My contractor made it perfectly functional before he left on a 3-week holiday but the cabinet door fronts are not on and the brick wall is still not finished. So I wait. I take baths, lovely showers, enjoy everything else about the space and even learn to love my new laundry chute, but without the finishing touches I will wait for the big reveal.

Thanks for your patience - trust me, it's harder on me. ;)

bath reno - end of day 15

We are really really almost there. There are a few things missing so I can't really do my final 'grand' photos until that is in place. Still to do:
Doors on the cabinet
Hang the artwork
Re-paint the 'orange' bricks and have it sealed
Install the towel bar, hooks and toilet paper roll holder...
And I still need to find the perfect bench for next to the sink!

But for now, check out the shower faucets - separate temperature control in the middle and then an on and off for the shower or the tub. I hope I can get used to that... I know I'll get used to the even temperature when someone flushes! ;)

bath reno - end of day 14

Forgot to blog yesterday so yes, there is day 13 missing. But it was really just more tiling. Today the floors went in and the laundry chute was widened and opened to the basement laundry room - hopefully the cats won't fall through! ha ha

Tomorrow they will do the finer details of the laundry chute and the cabinet will be installed over it. We are almost there and it is now starting to get very exciting. I think I am as excited about dusting out the house and getting my life back to normal as much as I am to have a shiny new bathroom! :)

bath reno - end of day 12

I'm exhausted but exhilarated. My contractor, of course, redeemed himself by working until after 10:00 this evening, doing what his no-show contractor was supposed to do early in the day. But the best part was the brick wall installation. Love it!

I kind of want the bricks to really look real, so does telling everyone defeat the purpose?

The brighter orange bricks will be re-coloured as I think they stand out a bit too much, and then it will be sealed - the best focal point a bathroom could have! Thanks Michael from Century Architexture!!

And thanks Grant for picking up after your slackers - always the good guy.

The day ended well... the flooded wood floors in the basement, well, let's give them another day to dry out and see before I stress about that again.

century architexture

I have the people from Century Achitexture here right now as I write and they are the best! They are installing my brick wall, which will be a fantastic feature in my bathroom.

After waking up to a flood in the basement because the contractor forgot to plug in the furnace pump, it was a welcome visit by the guys at Century Architexture, with their quiet, soft spoken demeanor. Not to mention how great my wall is going to look!! You'll see. In the meantime, check out their site to see all the work they do. Gorgeous! Love it!!

The new wood floors in the basement - will let you know what happens with that... too angry to think about that - concentrating on the good stuff today. My brick wall - sigh!

bath reno - end of day 11

I came home today so frustrated. There was a large jar of peanut butter and loaf of bread on the counter from the contractors. Apparently they normally eat in the space they are working, but no, they are too comfortable here so feel they can take over the whole house. Not a bad thing really - I'm glad they are comfortable - but sometimes.... well, you know. House guests after 3 days... it is day 11 after all. Ahem.

As for progress, not much to report except more tiling was done, and yet it's still not all done! Tomorrow the feature wall goes in so that will be exciting. This weekend should promise us good things... I hope! I just want to take a long soak in the tub! Can't wait!

bath reno - end of day 10

Well, the tiling is still not all done, but I can see some really nice progress. I love my two shampoo container cut-outs, with Carerra marble slab base - gorgeous and so practical!

bath reno - end of day 9

End of day 9 - seems so long! When you think about a bathroom taking 2-weeks, that is essentially like 10 working days, right? My bathroom still seems like nothing. My contractor assures me he is on track and that the most time consuming part of the tiling is done and that tomorrow I will see huge progress! I certainly hope so... really really sick of the mess, not to mention the tiny shower in the basement we have been using.

But alas, my contractor, the sweetheart that he is, is not so bad to have around. And he seems a little nervous - you see, I see things with my naked eye that most don't (I can always call a crooked anything before the level does - and trust me, it's a curse). So he walks on eggshells with making things perfect, and I guess that means I just have to have patience. And as you can see, the tiling is started and I think he re-did the first row a hundred times to make it perfectly level... oh he knows his client all too well!

It's a good thing.

a white bathroom

As I wait for my own bathroom to come to fruition, I still like to browse what others have done.  This bathroom is inspiring to me - I like the vintage pieces in this clean space that make it feel so warm and cozy.  Notice the bench in the foreground - sweet!  I won't have space for something like that.  But I always love to get new ideas anyway... occupational hazard! 

bath reno - end of day 8

I am starting to get bored... seems like all I see for days is dust now. Can't wait for the decorative stuff...

Dilemma - my mill worker promised me the cabinet for today or tomorrow and the actual cabinet maker came to my house today to re-check the measurements and he now says earliest Friday! That means the tiling can't be completed until that is in, so that is a delay! Was frustrated about that - we'll see what they come up with for me, but they say the spraying of the wood on the cabinet is what takes so long. So I ask - why didn't they start when I asked them to then?!

In this photo is the start of the laundry chute - this is very exciting! The laundry room right under the bathroom is being fixed up too to accommodate this feature - Yay! - no more hampers!!

bath reno - end of day 7

I was out all day but came home to finished drywall and a sub-floor. I cannot lie, it was nice to get out before the contractors came in and back after they left. And they're back tomorrow, but I'm happy there isn't any lag time. I do want the convenience of my main bathroom back! Can't wait... getting anxious!

bath reno - end of day 6

Drywall and pipes - woo hoo!!

Tomorrow, Sunday, they are working again. Sweet!