Month: July 2022

10 pool landscaping ideas to splash-proof your outdoor space

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
GARDEN

When it comes to the best pool landscaping ideas, there are a few things to consider. As well as wanting your splash zone to look good, you need to give some serious consideration to the plants you choose to add to your space, the materials you use to landscape the surrounding area and any patio furniture you invest in. 

After all, in-ground and above-ground pools are wet places. And therefore only the toughest of materials, plants and furnishings will survive. But here’s the good news: landscaping your poolside can be as bright and bold or as calm and composed as you want it to be. 

As interior designers, Hillary Kaplan and Miriam Silver Verga of Mimi & Hill (opens in new tab) say, ‘Landscaping can be bright and elaborate. Or tamed to uniform shades of greens and manicured to create an architectural background for your pool.’ And when it comes to creativity, ‘Plantings and material selections are crucial to how creative you wish to be,’ the duo say. 

To help give you some inspiration when it comes to pool landscaping and seamlessly incorporating this into your backyard landscape design, we put the all-important questions to the experts to find out what’s best for your space. Keep scrolling to discover key furniture looks plus, what hardware to use around your dip zone and what plants to include if you’re considering

… Read the rest

Toronto’s ‘beauty and simplicity’ inspired designer and her art

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
HOME DECOR

It was the summer of 2011 when budding artist Nadia Lloyd painted her first large-scale abstract of Toronto’s skyline.

“I’d brought home this big four-by-four-foot canvas. My son, who was six months old, was in his Jolly Jumper, and I had an urge to paint.”

She deftly shaped an outline of the city using vertical brush strokes of burnt orange, forest green, black and amber, with drips representing the reflection in the water.

“I painted it in two minutes,” she recalls of the finished canvas called “Utopia”.

“I love the magic of one minute it wasn’t there and the next minute it was.”

It was a meaningful moment in the career of the now well-established artist, designer and event planner. The city’s iconic skyline anchored by the CN Tower became her signature theme in a collection of home decor products and fashion accessories, printed with her art.

In 2013, she founded Toronto Art Crawl to promote the work of other local artists and artisans. The next event, an outdoor market called The Urban Exhibit, is planned for Sept. 10 at The Bentway (underneath the Gardiner Expressway), where 80 creative types will sell their wares.

But it wasn’t until 2020 that Lloyd got the first of two “big breaks” in her artistic pursuits. While sewing pandemic face masks from repurposed cushion covers, she designed a special one to celebrate Pride in June, catching the eye of Toronto Mayor John Tory.

“He told me he loved my work and obsession with the skyline, and promoted it for a year and a half,” Lloyd relates.

She got her second break in July 2020 when she designed a Black Lives Matter mask with her young son. After posting on social media that she wanted to donate masks to the Toronto Raptors, she

… Read the rest

A Comprehensive Guide to Staircase Remodeling and Design

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
HOME IMPROVEMENT

When it comes to elements of design that are the perfect marriage of form and function, nothing comes to mind quicker than a staircase. Over the centuries, residential staircases have transformed beyond their functional appeal into a true design powerhouse, providing pros and homeowners alike a chance to bring architectural interest, personality, and fun to spaces big and small.

Whether you’re tackling a home build from the ground up or are undertaking a remodel and looking to inject some visual interest into your staircase, there are endless ways to do so—and a few important pieces of lingo to understand before you start dreaming up ideas. Below, we’re recapping the basic anatomy of a staircase, plus all the ways in which you can show your personality through the design. Because building codes can vary greatly depending on the project and location, we haven’t really covered that here—but that doesn’t mean you can turn a blind eye. It’s always a good idea to touch base with a pro in your area (be that a contractor, inspector, or architect) ahead of starting a project to make sure whatever staircase changes you’re envisioning will be both stylish and safe.

Staircase Anatomy 101

staircase design traditional staircase

In this California home, designed by homeowner Carolyn Espley-Miller, a traditional stairwell commands the entryway.

David Tsay

Perhaps one of the most intricate designs and architectural details in a home, staircases have a surprising number of components. Learn the lingo below to talk the talk with contractors and design pros alike.

More From House Beautiful
 

preview for Buying My First Home

Stringer

A stringer is the support board that runs along each side of a staircase. It provides necessary structural support to the entire staircase and acts as a point of attachment for other elements, like the treads and risers. In most cases, one side (the inner stringer)

… Read the rest

Yard art ideas: 12 ways to enhance your space with artworks

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
GARDEN

By adding backyard art ideas to your outdoor space you can create beautiful focal points that draw the eye to certain areas of your space. As backyards increasingly become extensions of our living spaces, look on the design of yours as you would an interior room, accessorizing it with sculptures or artworks as part of your backyard ideas.

There are many different options for styles, sizes or varieties of sculpture or artwork that you can use for garden decorating ideas and that can work with any type of backyard. Here, we show you some inspiring ideas, and how to style them.

Yard art ideas 

figurative metal sculpture in naturalistic garden

(Image credit: Garden Design Company / Photo Mark Lord)

Before you commission a bespoke piece of sculpture or artwork or rush out to buy a piece, there are a number of factors to consider. Whether you are looking for a sleek contemporary design for an urban yard, a more traditional stone sculpture to complement a traditional English garden, or a rustic wooden piece for a cottage garden idea, choose one that suits your taste and the overall design of your backyard.

‘Choosing sculpture and artworks  is a deeply personal matter, but we advise clients to buy to create a memory, one that evokes a smile,’ advises Rob Jones of The Garden Design Company (opens in new tab).

‘The positioning of your sculpture pieces will very much depend on the shape and size of your backyard. The amount of outdoor furniture, sculpture and hard landscaping elements will all determine where best to site your sculptural designs,’ adds Nicola Clements of Haddonstone (opens in new tab).

1.  Add impact with yard art ideas

metal reflective garden sculpture

(Image credit: David Harber)

Consider the impact backyard art ideas may have on the overall design. 

‘Sculptures or artworks can either harmonize with

… Read the rest

Rogers Centre is getting a $300M reno. Here’s what the Blue Jays ballpark will look like

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
HOME IMPROVEMENT

Toronto Blue Jays President and CEO Mark Shapiro announced plans for $300 million worth of renovations to Rogers Centre that will take place over the next two to three off-seasons.

Fans can expect to see considerable changes to the 33-year-old stadium come next April, Shapiro said during a news conference Thursday. This will include a new outfield fence line that aims to provide new angles to the game. 

“[I]t will not be a symmetrical outfield fence — there will be some uniqueness to both the height of the outfield fence throughout the outfield and the dimensions,” he said, adding that the details will not be revealed just yet, but the coming alterations will keep pitcher-hitter fairness in mind.

WATCH | Blue Jays aim to turn a ‘stadium into a ballpark’: CEO:

Blue Jays aim to turn a ‘stadium into a ballpark’: CEO

From inside Rogers Centre, Toronto Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro outlines what the baseball club’s $300-million plan to renovate to the 33-year-old stadium will look like.

Major changes to the bullpen are also expected during the first phase of renovations this off-season. Shapiro said the bullpens will be raised to fan level, which, he said in jest, could “potentially discourage” opposing relief pitchers.

“I think they’ll enjoy some of the hometown flavour, as our fans will be right on top of the visiting bullpen and the home bullpen,” he said.

The renovations will create raised bullpens and new bleacher seats. The 100-level seats will be brought forward to the new outfield walls to increase fan and player interaction. (Blue Jays)

‘Most undesirable seats’ being changed

Changes are also coming to the right-field corner, currently considered “some of the most undesirable seats.” Shapiro said there are plans to remove them and put in decks around the foul

… Read the rest

Ontario company tasked with designing chairs for Pope visit

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
FURNITURE

Canadian Press

Brittany Hobson

Senior designer Rafael Studart, left, and Quality and Company president Frank Caruso pose with a chair made for Pope Francis to sit in while he makes stops in Canada at their studio in Vaughan, Ont., on Friday, July 15, 2022.
Senior designer Rafael Studart, left, and Quality and Company president Frank Caruso pose with a chair made for Pope Francis to sit in while he makes stops in Canada at their studio in Vaughan, Ont., on Friday, July 15, 2022. Photo by Tijana Martin /The Canadian Press

In a warehouse just outside Toronto, furniture makers put final touches on historic pieces that are to be part of Pope Francis’ journey to Canada.

Beginning with wood from maple and oak trees, the designers bring to life sketches that were put to paper a month ago.

The final products are eight chairs standing roughly 55 centimetres high — about eight centimetres higher than a regular dining room chair — adorned with white padding and a carved wooden crown depicting a swirling image of soaring eagles, salmon and a caribou herd.

The chairs are for the pontiff to use at each of eight public programs he is to take part in during his Canadian tour, which begins Sunday and ends July 29 with stops in Alberta, Quebec and Nunavut.

Quality and Company, a custom furniture manufacturer based in Maple, Ont., was commissioned to make the one-of-a-kind pieces.

“We pulled all our resources here to get this to happen –all hands were on deck,” says company president Frank Caruso.

Close to 30 people, from designers to carvers to upholsterers, worked hundreds of hours so the chairs would make it to their final destinations.

In the end, the team constructed two different designs for the chairs using specs provided

… Read the rest

Call for Ideas: The Garden of Plants

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
GARDEN

Call for Ideas: The Garden of Plants

Much has been said about the contemporary garden, which has explored various forms of architecture and design in recent years. At the same time, ecological issues have been brought to everyone’s attention, so much so that the garden, as an artistic and cultural manifestation of nature, cannot ignore the principles of energy saving, the conservation of water resources, and unconditional respect for all forms of biodiversity.

Science has made great strides in allowing us to understand the strength of our interdependence with our planet, both as human beings and as part of a complex system, ecosystems of inter-species relationships between organisms that, directly or indirectly, hold up the delicate balance that our planet requires in the way we know, admire and wish to preserve. Furthermore, technology continues to advance, so that we can no longer imagine a future without innovation. One element is however being lost: the gardens in which every day, we develop a close relationship with plants

Therefore, with this call for ideas – conceived by Antonio Perazzi, artistic director of the Radicepura Garden Festival – our purpose is to invite designers to engage with the theme of gardens in which plants are not an ancillary or simple decoration, but the starting point and the inspiration for the design. The designers and planners, regardless of their training, will be required to try their hand at “botany for landscape designers”, remaining light and joyful like the flowering of a wild flower, or sophisticated as the most precious rare plant, which needs care and culture, artistic sense and poetry. While remaining committed to environmental principles, which we support as the highest priority, we expect to receive elegant, well-designed projects that

… Read the rest

Looking to renovate your kitchen? Try these quick, easy design tips

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
HOME IMPROVEMENT

Thinking of remodeling your kitchen — and thinking the better of it when you hear the horror stories about how hard a project like that is these days? Between supply chain issues, wild cost increases, and the near impossibility of finding skilled tradesmen available to perform the work, it’s enough to make anyone leave well enough alone. I’m in the final weeks of a nearly two-year-long whole-house renovation project so I can tell you firsthand, that it’s tough out there.

But what’s a person to do if their kitchen is feeling tired and in need of a pick-me-up?

Well, a lot, actually! 

To get some ideas for a more minor kitchen refresh that doesn’t call for a single hammer or power tool, I chatted with local designer T.K. Wismer of Department of the Interiors. From $5 and five minutes up to a few hundred dollars (OK maybe more for appliances) and a few hours, her kitchen refresh suggestions are totally doable ― and several would work just as well for renters as for homeowners.

So here are her tips for how to upgrade your kitchen on a budget.

How to add peel-and-stick wallpaper to your kitchen

Peel and stick wallpaper, like this Tempaper zebra pattern in a <a href=studio kitchen Courier columnist Dana McMahan recently designed, are an inexpensive DIY project that can pack a big punch.”/

If you think wallpaper is making a comeback, Wismer wants you to know it never left. What’s new though, is an abundance of temporary wall coverings. 

“We’re seeing expressive designs coming into the kitchen space,” Wismer says, and “people are getting more comfortable with using color and then kind of personalizing those spaces.”

What is natural wine?4 things to know about the wine trend, including why it’s so popular

In the world of peel and stick wallpaper, there are “just so many

… Read the rest

Why one major furniture supplier is adding new bedroom mixing in Malaysia

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
FURNITURE

Lifestyle will add a new bedroom mixing warehouse in Malaysia.

HIGH POINT – Furniture supplier Lifestyle Enterprises will open a new warehouse facility in Malaysia as part of a new bedroom mixing program.

Located in Muar, which is considered to be the furniture capital of Malaysia, the 100,000-square-foot space has a 200-container capacity and will begin shipping in the fall of this year.

“As one of the major bedroom suppliers to the U.S. market, we feel it is time to expand our container programs to different customers that we have never been able to reach before,” said Derrick Ng, Lifestyle president. “Additionally, we see the opportunity with freight rates decreasing because of the decline in market demand, allowing us to provide a new platform to help our customers recover from post-pandemic damages.”

Ng told Furniture Today that new program will make shipping single-bedroom containers easier.

“The new bedroom mixing program will reduce the complications of single-bedroom containers, allowing customers to mix up to 13 different bedroom styles within a single container with no restrictions,” he said. “Hopefully, this program will help alleviate the overstock problem of our customers’ warehouses.”

Related stories:

… Read the rest

Fall flowers for pots: 10 ideas to add color and interest

Posted on By Maria J. Glover
GARDEN

The best fall flowers for pots are bursting with color and interest, and offer a long blooming season.

If your container gardening ideas are usually limited to the best spring bulbs and summer show-stoppers, then you need to consider the possibilities offered by fall-flowering plants.

‘As summer fades into fall, the garden takes on a mellow loveliness, with the light softer and flowers more muted. Yet there is still much to look forward to in the container garden,’ says Isabel Palmer, founder of The Balcony Gardener (opens in new tab).

As well as choosing the best fall flowers, don’t overlook the importance of investing the right containers. There are many beautiful fall planter ideas that will help you to create a backyard sanctuary.

‘Use the largest planters you can afford, in terms of both cost and space,’ says Palmer. ‘A few large containers can create a small garden oasis and, kept close by the back door, are easy to access as the weather turns colder.’

10 best fall flowers for pots

From stunning annuals to reliable perennials, there is a wonderful variety of different fall flowers for pots that will add color in the cooler months.

Bear in mind your USDA hardiness zone, as this will influence what you can grow, and may limit the lifespan of less winter-hardy plants.

1. Pansies

Purple, white and yellow pansies spilling over the sides of a pot

(Image credit: Getty Images / Westend61)

Pansies are some of the best-loved fall flowers for pots. They are perfect for adding to your cottage garden ideas, and are also prolific self-seeders, so you can enjoy them for years to come. 

‘With their heart-shaped, overlapping petals, pansies offer the widest variety of bright, pretty colors and patterns,’ says Jen Stark, founder of Happy DIY Home (opens in new tab). 

‘They don’t ask for much care, and in

… Read the rest