Interweb Updates

Things are busier than ever in Jessica Claire’s World as the cottage wraps up, house plans amp up and high season at the magazine shifts into gear.

One exciting thing to share is that Garnet Hill, a fab source for beautiful linens, home accessories and more, is now shipping to Canada, so it was perfect timing for me to curate a list of my fave items from them on their FB page. I have featured their product in the magazine before so it’s great to know it’s more accessible than ever.

Their weekend knit throw is totally calling my name! Nap buddy? Yes please!

Also, online is a 20 questions feature on the Style At Home page in conjunction with the our designer secrets issue. Check it out for some juicy nuggets including the store where I could spends hours browsing and the purchase I’d make if money were no object.

I’m off to Brimfield tomorrow with some awesome Style At Home editors and will be tweeting and instagramming up a storm so make sure you’re following me and the style at home page for the latest! We’ll also be uploading shots to our special Brimfield pinterest board of our fave finds that I will be carting around in my sexy old lady meets homeless bottle collecting mobile shopping cart. Wish me luck!

Sister Act

I’m so excited that my sister Marlie’s apartment is included in the newest issue of Style At Home. It was such a fun project to work on, as writer Laura de Carufel brilliantly captured in her story, and I’m so pleased with how the spread turned out.

You may recall some posts about it last year, but for some behind-the-scenes pics from the shoot and before and after shots, make sure to visit the Style At Home blog.

100+ Best Designer Secrets

Have you picked up your copy of Style At Home’s 100+ Best Designer Secrets yet? The special issue is on newsstands now chock-full of just under 100 amazing paint colours, dozens of practical design tips and more.

Also included is a great style showdown between senior style editor Ann Marie Favot and myself, with her serene minimal white interior duking it out against my vintage glam apartment. I love it that even though they are so different, a lot of our design lessons hold true for both spaces. For example, we both have large mirrors in our dining rooms to visually expand the spaces and love a calming white bedroom.

Happy reading!

The Design Process: Admin

We’re in the final throes of the renovation on the cottage which means I am in the midst of my final round of POs (purchase orders in design admin lingo) and yes they are as time-consuming as they sound. Admin is a huuuuuge percentage of the work involved in any given design project, especially when your client is taking advantage of all the lovely customizable options available at their stylish fingertips. For a big order I can spend hours on a single PO making sure it covers all the pertinent design details, including correct fabric information, dimensions, construction notes and more.

For instance, one PO for a toss cushion to give to your sewing workroom could be as complicated as this:

And that’s just one part – then you need to order each fabric and ribbon component separately (if the fabrics are from different fabric houses) – so one toss cushion can take over an hour to order by the time you factor the math, formatting, triple-checking it for accuracy and then submitting. It’s a good thing to keep in mind when hiring a professional designer or decorator that you’ll be paying not just for their creativity but their project management skills and administration time as well.

HELPFUL TIP: Whether you’re a pro or just starting to tackle your own home, having a binder with dividers that separate the space by room, with plastic sheet protectors holding your fabric memos and tear sheets of the furniture, lighting, accessories etc. for reference is a big help when wrapping your mind around a big design project. More importantly though, is keeping your paperwork organized with all of your quotes, order confirmations, purchase orders, receipts, invoices and the like sorted. Heaven forbid something goes screwy along the way, you have your admin binder which documented every step of the design to support you. The binder is also a fab reference tool for the future when you need to pull out paint colours or reorder and reupholster anything.

Put A Chicken On It

From glammy glam versions to rustic, I must admit there is something refreshingly simple about this easter egg placecard idea – perfect for your brunch or any farm-to-table meal for that matter.

Photo by Gemma Comas