NARROW CONSOLE TABLE

Often people have small areas, like an entry, where they need a narrow piece of furniture. I find a narrow console table can work well in an entry, by a back door, or in unusual spaces where you can't fit an overly large table. I've had this white console table in my own home/s for about 8 years and I've used it in an entry, bedroom and now by the back door. Originally I painted it white, and it works well in many different areas because of the size – it's a very versatile piece of furniture. From time to time I think about selling it but then I realize how often I use it. Here it is now:

And here it is years ago in my house in Toronto:

A painted white console has a very specific look. I also really like the look of these two wooden consoles, both with a mid century modern vibe!

DURABLE, WHITE COUNTER: QUARTZITE, WHITE MACAUBAS

In recent years there has been a definite trend towards white counters in kitchens. When I was looking for something in my own house I went on a mission to carefully look all my options. Initially I was thinking I would go with marble. I preferred the look of natural stone (to any other materials), but I was very worried about marble due to the possibility of staining.  I loved the look but was concerned about the function. I found a natural stone called Quartzite, and a colour called White Macaubas, it also comes in a colour called Super White. After looking at numerous options I decided to go with White Macaubas, as I was told it had the look of marble but the durability of granite. Here it is in my kitchen – I went with a 2 cm thick slab with a square edge profile. I prefer a thinner counter and have to say I love how this turned out. The stone is durable, attractive and has the look of marble without the worry. Many people assume this counter is marble and they're surprised when I tell them it isn't. The price of the quartzite was more expensive than carrara marble but I think it was well worth it, if you want that look without the worry.

I've noticed some companies will call quartzite a granite, but it isn't – quartzite is a different type of natural stone. And not to be confused with quartz, which is the name of an engineered counter top. It can get confusing with all the options out there, but I couldn't say enough good things about quartzite!

Here is another shot in my kitchen:

A slab of carrara marble I was considering:

 The super white option:

The slab of white macaubas that I choose for my own kitchen:

BEFORE & AFTER: GARAGE MAKEOVER

I love looking back at this Garage makeover! I worked on this a few years ago and it was such a functional, well used space. When I bought the property I was excited to have a very large 'garage' on the property. Of course I had big plans for the space and thought I could do the work myself. It hadn't been touched in years and the space was actually divided in two: the front was the garage and the back was a room called a 'summer bedroom'. The summer bedroom had potential but needed a lot of work. The fabric on the windows would disintegrate when I touched it. Here is how it looked:

And here is a picture of the front garage area:

I decided to remove the wall between the front and back spaces to create one large room. The roof also needed to be replaced and my very handy cousin Mike came to help me do the job (he did the entire roof!) and I worked on getting the inside ripped up.

Mike up on the roof:

And this was happening inside:

The wall is down!! It made the space so much larger, brighter and open, I loved it.

Mike still on the roof:

And the next phase was the floor; we did a new inexpensive spruce floor which I painted.

And then I spent one entire summer painting this space. The old barn boards on the walls and ceilings just soaked up the paint. It took many coats of primer and white paint. But in the end it was all worth it and I couldn't have done this without Mike! Here it is getting a mention on House & Home magazine.

http://houseandhome.com/design/cottage-garage-renovation

NATURAL ACCESSORIES: SHELLS

I like to use a lot of natural accessories around my house, things like rocks, driftwood and lots of shells. When you live close to the ocean, shells seem like a natural fit to use in decor. I definitely use many types, sizes and displays of shells throughout the house. My favourite is the large shell in the image above, I got it many years ago at an antique shop. It's one of my favourite things. It's heavy and so beautiful, here is a close up of it:

And a few on my mantel too, I have individual shells and smaller shells in glass vessels too. There are so many places you can use shells, and if you live close to the beach it can be fun to add to the collection.

Bedroom makeover: before & after

This bedroom went through a basic cosmetic makeover- mostly involving paint. I removed the old carpet and found there were original floors underneath that had been painted. I updated those with a new coat of black oil paint and finished the walls, ceiling and trim in white. I added linen roman shades at the windows, but for some reason they aren't up in this shot. Here it is before:

And the after shot with a spool bed:

The image above the bed is currently for sale in Great Village, Nova Scotia. It's an old charcoal sketch signed and dated 1874.