MARBLE COUNTERS

Marble counters in a kitchen is a personal favourite. Many people have concerns about durability, but I love the look of marble. I'm working on a kitchen now where we'll use some marble counters and I've been looking at slabs. Ideally I'm looking for something like the kitchen above with lots of bright white and dark grey veining. There are many types of marble that have very different looks, and even within each type of marble every slab can look very different. Here are a couple I've seen, but of course I'm after the Statuario look! Carrara:

Calacatta:

Statuario:

Photo of kitchen above: Pinterest (original source unknown)

CLASSIC DINING ROOM

I'm working on a home where we have limited space. This attractive dining room table from Crate & Barrel is expandable, which is extremely functional in a small, open concept space. We're considering this table, chairs and this beautiful light fixture. It's solid wood, comes in a couple of nice colour options and has a classic look!

Furniture: Crate & Barrel

Light fixture: Circa Lighting

VERSATILE DECOR ACCESSORY: TRAYS

I often use a tray when decorating. A tray can be great in a kitchen – because it's quite functional! I also always have one on my coffee table. It's a simple accessory to incorporate into any decor to create a layered look. The image above is the tray I currently have on my coffee table. It adds some texture and defines the area, instead of just having those items on the table.

This year – I'm seeing all kinds of lacquered trays in bright colours – what a great way to add a pop of colour for spring! I also love the white with a rattan inlay and the square walnut tray below.

Trays:

1. West Elm 2. Serena & Lily 3. CB2

WATERWORKS KITCHEN & BATH

When I was recently in NYC I spent some time at the Waterworks showroom. Their products are beautiful and have a classic, timeless look. They do an un-lacquered brass finish that starts off as quite a regular looking brass but quickly ages into a gorgeous patina. Here is an un-lacquered brass faucet "new" and "after" one had been in the showroom for awhile. The Waterworks line is expensive, but they have an online shop that offers some great looking pieces at more affordable prices.

Before

After

DEB NELSON DESIGN ON DESIGN SPONGE

In case you missed the third floor makeover of my Chester, Nova Scotia home, it was featured on DesignSponge this week! So excited to see it! The whole house was renovated and it was a huge project, but this continues to be my favourite place in the house. I can sit here and look at the view all day long, and I still have to pinch myself. You can see the full transformation here: http://www.designsponge.com/2015/01/before-after-deb-nelsons-nova-scotia-getaway.html

Thank you Grace for including me!