We have a cottage on Doe Lake in the Amalquin Highlands. This is a three season cottage on piers.(no basement)
In winter the cottage is closed and water turned off.
We always seems to experience some movement of the building and we find that the drywall seams crack. Is there any compound that you would recommend on the seams which would be more plyable and resist cracking.
Thanks
Jane Bender
I read your Winter edition and saw a wonderful chandelier displayed on page 23. The article was highlighting a home in Ancaster. Could you share with me the name of the supplier and if it can be purchased in the Hamilton area?
I found this picture on pinterest and love the color on the walls. Could you please tell me the name of the color?
I love your cover story and wanted to know where I could purchase the tray
on the leather ottoman .
Enjoy your magazine.
Kay Whitelaw
I have watched many of Mikes shows and when he installs a dryer he fits a square in line lint filter for easy clean out. i have tried to find one but have had bad luck,where can i buy one i live in Elmira Ontario and there is a home hardware but they have no idea what i am talking about. I have also seen it on a Scotty Mc Gillvery show?
thank you in advance
Bill.
sorry for the goof up my spelling was out to lunch it should have been HOLMES MAGAZINE not HOMES. but the question still works if any body has the answer please let me know.
Bill.
In the feature article of the summer 2011 issue on page 40 and 46 there is a stacked stone fireplace. Could you please identify the company which manufactures this stone and its name and product number and where it can be viewed and purchased locally.
In your Spring/2010 issue on page 26...your feature home "Regal Residence on Saxony Court". What is the name of the colour you usde to paint the great room & the dining room? It seems that you used the same colour throught the house?
Thank you
Antonella
Hi Alan,
Thanks for your suggestion.
Currently, it's not our style to give the phone numbers at the bottom of the people piece, but you can usually find the business number by looking up the business in the directory near the back of the magazine.
Thanks,
Shelby
I recently read your magazine which is very impressive but the one fault that I found was that on your personal interviews of different business -their phone numbers and addresss were no where to be found.An example was for TK Kitchen and Catering and also The Kitchen- Christine Collins Catering.
Why not just put their phone numbers and addresss on the bottom of the same page-easy.
Thank you for your time.
Alan Firth
Recently came across the Spring 2010 issue with the beautiful Hamptons inspired home of Kevin Bubel. Can you tell me what style of interior door was used in that home and also what style of
interior door and door knob would be appropriate for a coastal style home/cottage. I have been mulling this over for some time and would like to get away from the six panel colonial to try something different. Thanks for any info.
Val toole
Oakville Fine Hardware Inc. - Oakville & Burlington
Hi Val,
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
Coastal homes need hardware with substance. Not delicate and refined, but things intended to withstand the elements and mature beautifully over time, in the environment they are in.
Bronze is the preferred choice and Rocky Mountain is our premium supplier. The workmanship is of highest quality from the castings to the stainless steel interiors.
Simple Arched and Rectangular Escutcheon plates and Classic Levers are right elements for a Coastal Home.
http://www.rockymountainhardware.com/
Chip McLellan
OAKVILLE FINE HARDWARE INC.
2-312 Lakeshore Rd. E.
Oakville
905.845.3993
www.oakvillefinehardware.com
In your spring edition of your magazine you feature a home in Thornbury that was once the Thornbury Creamery. You indicate in the article the colour of the paint in the dining room is Barnboard by BM. Can you tell me what the paint colour is in the living room?
thanks
Hi, I have a wooden deck with patio furniture and would like to complete the look by adding in an outdoor area rug under the table and chairs but I am hesitant because I would like to make things more maintenance free and the rug would be exposed to the elements. Is there such a thing as easy to care for or maintenance free outdoor area rugs, if so, what would you suggest.
CPI Interiors - Ottawa
Hi Annamaria,
Yes there are carpets made for outdoor use that can be exposed to the elements. They come in a variety of colours and patterns and are made from 100% olefin fibres. They still require some care of course, as you would any indoor carpet of keeping them cleaned. An outdoor vacuum, or a good strong breeze, would help with keeping the surface clear of outdoor debris, such as leaves, grass bits and sand. If they are completely exposed and not under a canopy or gazebo, wetness may play a factor similar to the outdoor furniture cushions.
Hope this helps.
Catherine Pulcine
CPI Interiors
Urbanhome Windsor - Windsor
Hi Annamaria,
There is a creative and fun option that you may want to consider trying in place of an actual area rug for your deck. Using a Solid Hide Stain you can actually "paint" your own area rug right onto your deck. The beauty is that you can choose whatever size, shape, colour or pattern you like. You can be as fun and creative as you like and work it right into the rest of your outdoor area decor without being limited to what the stores are offering for rugs. I recommend a Solid Hide Stain rather than a "floor paint" as it will provide better longevity and durability. It is applied with a brush in a "stencil" type manner. You may consult Manz Decor for further instruction and product information. Good luck and some fun with it.
Jodi Mason, Interior Stylist
Urbanhome Windsor
4409 Seminole St.
Windsor, Ontario N8Y 1Z8
519-974-4663
www.urbanhomewindsor.com
jodi@urbanhomewindsor.com
Interior Transformations - Windsor
Hi Annamaria,
Yes there are a few companies that sell area rugs specifically for outdoors.
There is no such thing as maintenance-free but, buy a carpet made of PET polyester. It is a fade and stain resistant fiber.
Pamela Wellings
Interior Transformations
www.myinteriortransformations.com
Tecumseh, ON
519 981 5539
Hi,
After removing broadloom from my stairs, I was somewhat dismayed to find only very rough builder boards underneath.
My entrance way which faces the stairs has white ceramic floor tile and the adjoining living room to the left of the front entry has beautiful new wide board 'merlot' hardwood flooring that I love. The top of the stairs, hallway and 2nd storey bedrooms are all older thin stip carmel coloured oak hardwood, (that really should be resanded as there were a million staples holes left after I removed all of the broadloom).
There are two steps facing you in the entrance and a small landing then the 12 stairs to the right lead upstairs.
Should I have the stairs refinished with new 'merlot' coloured hardwood to match the beautiful living room floor, or have new wood installed and painted white and add a stair runner that ties in the carmel coloured hardwood at the top?
The railing is an old style metal railing painted an off white that I do not want to incur the expense of replacing at this point, but not sure what to do with it.
Also, do you agree that either solution requires some type of runner to prevent slipping on the stairs and falling?
Any suggestions you can offer would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Katherine
Urban Home Windsor - Windsor
I like the idea of bringing the new merlot coloured hardwood onto the tops of the stairs to tie an element of the living room into the entrance area. You can have the tops of the stairs sanded and stained to the living room hardwood colour or replace it with the same hardwood, whichever is more cost effective. The smaller thin plank flooring is a great look and a way of keeping some of the original character of the home, but updating it with the new stain colour. Keep the riser painted in a creamy white similar to the railing colour. I would not concern myself too much with the slip factor unless you have a pool close by supporting little slippery feet or elderly residents.
If you choose to paint the stairs white and add a runner, the runner should be more the colour of the merlot hardwood in the living room rather than the caramel original wood colour at the top of the stairs.
Jodi
WWW.URBANHOMEWINDSOR.COM
jodi@urbanhomewindsor.com
4409 Seminole St., Windsor, Ontario
519-974-4663
Interior Transformations - Windsor
Katherine,
Thank you for your question.
I would get the stair re finished in the "merlot" colour, you can always have the upstairs refinished and stained to match as well. As far as a runner yes a runner is always a nice soft surface, and protects your wood stairs from scratches and scuffs, you can get a patterned runner that ties in all the colours in your home - patterns are also very inviting, especially if it is your first impression. Keep your railing off white to tie in the tiles and consider maybe getting a wood hand rail on the railing.
Pamela Wellings
Interior Transformations
Commercial & residential Interior design
www.myinteriortransformations.com
Tecumseh, ON
519.981.5539
Southam Design Inc. - Ottawa
Dear Katherine,
I would suggest replacing the treads with stain grade wood and staining them to match the merlot that you love so much. I would replace the risers with a paint grade wood and paint them white or the same colour as your trim and stringers. The people replacing your stairs will need to remove your railing in order to do this. If you are not ready to replace it yet, they will re-install afterwards. I would still add a nice runner down the stairs, leaving approximately 3 inches on either side. Finally, I would suggest that when you refinish the hardwood on the second floor, you stain the oak to match or work well with the stairs and main floor hardwood. Now, I have suggested painted risers as this is a more cost effective solution. Wood treads and risers are also very beautiful. You can always get an estimate for both and make an informed decision once you have reviewed the cost attached to both options.
Regards,
Penny Southam, ARIDO, IDC
Go with the wood stairs painted white, add a runner with a pattern to tie into carmel coloured hardwood at top. This way, you can paint hand rail to tie into the runner on stairs. This way, you are using different colours but they all tie in together. Each area has its own look and appeal.
Hi,
I'm re-decorating our living room. We have one large couch, and one smaller love seat - both the same colour and material (a moss green). Are there any rules for the pillows? Should they be the same pillows on both couches? Same colour combination, etc? The couches are moss green, and I'm decorating with greys and a splash of chartreuse.
Thanks so much!
Laura
Urban Home Windsor - Windsor
No rules for pillows, except from your significant other! Too many pillows make men uncomfortable I find. So depending on whose using your space, kids included, the more the merrier. Pillows are a great way to tie your elements together in a space if need be. I would recommend not doing the matchy, matchy thing. Vary the colours and textures and number of pillows as much as you like, keeping with a consistent colour scheme. Be careful with throwing in too much of the chartreuse. One perfectly placed chartreuse pillow is all you need for that splash. If it looks right, it is right. On the other side of the coin, keep in mind, depending on what else is going on in your space and the number of little hands looking for pillow fights, less in more!
URBAN HOME WINDSOR, JODI MASON
WWW.URBANHOMEWINDSOR.COM
jodi@urbanhomewindsor.com
4409 Seminole St., Windsor, Ontario
519-974-4663
Interior Transformations - Windsor
Laura,
Thank you for your question.
There is no rule for pillows really, however, the way I find that works best to coordinate the two pieces are to use 2 square (18x18 or 20x20) pillows on the love paired with a irregular shaped pillow (round or rectangular) on one side or in middle, all pillows don't have to match, colour coordinated only (maybe irregular is your accent colour). On the Sofa, use two (18 x 18 or 20 x 20) and two 15x15 squares, one of the larger squares should match the one on the love. So, buy 3 (matching) 20x 20's and put one on love and two on sofa, 2 - 15 x15's matching (but not the same as larger ones) and 1- irregular (round or rectangular) have fun with textures and prints. Think of it like getting dressed and adding a purse, shoes and a belt or jewelry.
Thanks,
Pamela Wellings
Interior Transformations
Commercial & residential Interior design
www.myinteriortransformations.com
Tecumseh, ON
519.981.5539
Southam Design Inc. - Ottawa
Dear Laura,
There are no rules regarding the number of pillows on furniture, it's what looks and feels right to you. Throw pillows are an excellent opportunity to introduce color as an accent. If your furniture is a solid moss green and you are planning to accent with greys and chartreuse then I would suggest that you find a fabric that has at least two of the three colors in them. If you find two fabrics that work well with your furniture and they work well together, don not be afraid to use them both! It is important to look at the fabrics on your furniture at different times of the day as the surrounding light will have an effect on how you perceive the color as color is a reflection of light. Lastly, depending on the furniture style, do not be afraid to try different shaped pillows. Have fun with it!
Regards,
Penny Southam, ARIDO, IDC
Hi,
We have recently renovated our basement and painted the wall a nice cheery yellow with white trim. I was wondering what colours of furniture and decor look best in a yellow room? I was thinking gray and teal furniture. Any advice?
many thanks!
Rebecca
Urban Home Windsor - Windsor
I looove yellow. Yellow is a new great colour for spring and fun to work with. Teal furniture may be a bit limiting if you end up tiring of the yellow. I would consider a more neutral colour such as winter white, not cream (if lifestyle permits) with accents of teal and charcoal. If winter white screams nightmare, consider a rich neutral such as chocolate brown with teal, winter white and yellow accents. Artwork is key to tie all the colours together. You can also consider finding some great art pieces supporting the similar yellow wall colour and draw from the accent colours used by the artist. If an artist combined certain colours in a piece of artwork, it is bound to work for your space too :)
URBAN HOME WINDSOR, JODI MASON
WWW.URBANHOMEWINDSOR.COM
jodi@urbanhomewindsor.com
4409 Seminole St., Windsor, Ontario
519-974-4663
Interior Transformations - Windsor
Rebecca,
Thank you for your question,
If you want to use Grey try a charcoal grey for furniture, that would look best. With yellow, be aware, some greys have blue tints that will not be visible until you have it in the room. Be sure to bring fabric swatches home. Teal would be a great accent colour for pillows, glass and art etc. Teal furniture will date itself faster than the charcoal. Other colours you might consider for furniture are chocolate brown, slate grey(greyish blue/steel ) accent with citrus colours, lime greens, deep oranges, and reds or purples.
Pamela Wellings
Interior Transformations
Commercial & residential Interior design
www.myinteriortransformations.com
Tecumseh ON
519.981.5539
Southam Design Inc. - Ottawa
Dear Rebecca,
To continue with your cheery, bright theme, I would suggest that you work with white furniture (bookcases, entertainment units, storage etc.) The seating would be very nice in grey and is a nice complement to yellow. Be sure that the grey and yellow are similar intensities. There are many shades of grey! I suggest that you look at any fabric choices in the newly renovated space prior to proceeding with the order. You want to be sure that the grey you have selected works well with the yellow.
Penny Southam
Not sure if this is your area of expertise.
We recently renovated our bathroom and installed marble tiles in the shower. The marble
and grout were sealed after installation. Now what can you safely use to keep the tiles clean without
marking or discolouring the marble?
Interior Transformations - Windsor
Walter,
To clean and maintain Marble you must use a Neutral cleaner. Call some of your local flooring stores. HG is a brand of cleaners that you might consider and are sold locally.
Pamela Wellings
Interior Transformations
Commercial & residential Interior design
www.myinteriortransformations.com
Tecumseh, ON
519.981.5539
Hi! I would like to create a Muskoka or cottage look in our typical city home, however I don't want to go over the top. What would you suggest to help achieve this look considering where we live? I would love colour suggestions and fabric options for drapes to go with our traditional cognac leather sofa, dark floors and shag cream area carpet. Thanks in advance! JR
Urban Home Windsor - Windsor
The key to creating that Muskoka look with your existing pieces is through your accessorizing. Be on the hunt for interesting Muskoka looking pieces. Bleached, rustic pine is a big look right now and lends itself well to that look. Add a few new accent pieces such as end or coffee table, sideboard or even dining table in that new finish (similar to the restoration hardware look). Throw in a couple of driftwood-looking pieces here and there. Perhaps an accent chair finished in that raw cotton look. I would like to see your drapery fabric in a raw linen, natural, organic looking fabric - casual and comfortable looking. Large birch poles in just the right spot is a must for that look!
URBAN HOME WINDSOR, JODI MASON
WWW.URBANHOMEWINDSOR.COM
jodi@urbanhomewindsor.com
4409 Seminole St., Windsor, Ontario
519-974-4663
Interior Transformations - Windsor
Janet,
Thanks for your question.
For a Muskoka feel, you can add wainscoting to the walls, you can use bead board and paint in a antique white, with applied chair rail mouldings. Wood beams on the ceiling or a complete wood ceiling - colours used for this look would be warm caramels and golds, plastered textured walls, earthly colours with splashes of bright coloured accents are also decor ideas to consider. Art work and decor is also a great way to convey the theme using nature paintings, images of places in Canada, loons/ducks, moose, paddles, fishing gear, etc.
For fabrics use plaids or stripes in bold blues, reds, deep yellows, and oranges. Toile fabrics and also quilted fabrics, and heavy textured fabrics, animal skins (leathers and faux furs pillows and throws).
Antique looking furniture pieces(end tables, coffee table, etc.) for the overall look.
Good luck,
Pamela Wellings
Interior Transformations
Commercial & residential Interior design
www.myinteriortransformations.com
Tecumseh, ON
519.981.5539
Hi! We have 8 foot ceilings in our open concept home and they are popcorn style throughout. I am not prepared to scrape it all off, but would really love a change, at least in our family room. What suggestions do you have to change the look? We've considered painting and possibly adding wooden beams, or bead board to switch things up. We know how to paint, but aren't confident in adding anything to the ceiling our selves. Should this be done by a pro? Thanks so much for your thoughts.
We have a breakfast area that is 11'4" x 16'6" and a living room that is 14'1" x 17'4" with the living room leading to the breakfast area so it's more like one continuous room. The ceilings are 9ft. How do I make the space seem bigger in terms of wall colors and color of hardwood. I plan to hang floor to ceiling drapery as well.
Urban Home Windsor - Windsor
Floor to ceiling drapery is a good idea. You should consider painting one of the walls a darker richer colour. On the adjacent wall, add decorative large mirror or mirrors. This will create the illusion of a wider room. Lay your flooring on a diagonal, not vertical, to avoid the bowling alley feel.
URBAN HOME WINDSOR, JODI MASON
WWW.URBANHOMEWINDSOR.COM
jodi@urbanhomewindsor.com
4409 Seminole St., Windsor, Ontario
519-974-4663
A Sense of Style - Wellington Dufferin - Guelph
Dear Long and Narrow,
In order to make your room feel larger, your flooring option should be continuous throughout the two rooms. A mid to darker toned hardwood will ground the room and add some visual weight.In terms of wall colour you could use two paint colours from the same colour family that are not too different from each other.To visually fool the eye and make the room seem less narrow you would use the slightly darker colour on the two end walls and the lighter colour on the two side walls. The reason for this is that lighter colours tend to receed from view while darker colours will appear closer.In this way your room will seem wider and less long. We are not suggesting that you use two contrasting colours but instead some warm neutrals like Benjamin Moores Barely Beige CC-140 on the side walls and Putnam Ivory HC-39 on the end wallls. Hope this helps, Good Luck!
A Sense of Style
Lynn Boorsma and Johanne Blansche, Interior Decorators
1398 Gordon St. Unit 4
Guelph
Tel: 519-829-2332
Interior Transformations - Windsor
Narrow spaces are always tricky. The best way to coordinate flooring (hardwood) with the wall colours is select wood and paint similar in tones, so the walls blend with flooring/ Iâ??m not sure where your windows are located, however, I would normally recommend the two end walls to be a bit darker shade to push the two farthest walls in, to give the illusion of width. With contrasting darker/ lighter furniture and accents your room will appear larger.
Pam Wellings
Interior Transformations
Commercial & residential Interior design
www.myinteriortransformations.com
Tecumseh, ON
519.981.5539
We just installed new hardwood flooring throughout the main floor of our home. I would like to purchase some area rugs for the living room/dining room but I have no idea how to determine what size I need. Is there a set standard? Should I buy two rugs for the same room or one big one? I also don't want to spend a fortune.
The biggest mistake that people make with area rugs is going too small. A guideline to follow is that your furniture should sit comfortably on your area rug. You can inset the rug under the back of the sofa, but leave at least eight inches so that it doesn't look like an error. If you have ample space, allow chairs to sit comfortably on the area rug. Don't skimp. As far as one or two rugs go - if your space is very large or walls indent to decipher one room from another, then use two carpets in the same style. This gives the illusion of a larger space. If your space is quite small, use one large one to lengthen the room. Area rugs are not inexpensive and they are long-term purchases. Make sure you inform your carpet dealer of what your needs are, whether you have children or pets, and your budget. Ask about stain resistance and edging details.
HINT: Use green painter's tape to tape out the size of the rug you think is right and then measure it!
- Stephanie Redmond
Chandelier on page 26 of fall magazine
Mary asked:Feb 4, 2013 at 1:13 PM
First of all I would like to say that I love your magazine.
I love the chandelier featured in your fall magazine on page 26. Can you please tell me where I can purchase it?
Thank you and hope to hear from you..
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