i’m on the move

Hi everyone,
Thanks for visiting and for following along with me as I’ve blogged about my favourite things for house and home. Today I wanted to let you know that my blog has moved. If you’d still like to follow along, you can visit me here: Style at Home blog: These are a few of my favourite things.

See you soon!
Natalie

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lucyina moodie

Lucyina Moodie is a UK-based stylist and interior designer whose eye for style is (IMHO) nothing short of pure perfection! I just love the antique chic look of the spaces she designs and her use of pretty pastels that soothe and calm. Since she hails from across the pond, it’s unlikely that us Canucks will really be able to call on her services but the photos are certainly a source of inspiration. There’s a simple charm in these designs, a look that heralds an era long gone. Her style makes me think of a simpler time and reminds me to celebrate the important things in life.
For more information, visit: lucyina.com

For more design inspiration, check out these articles:
15 secret decor tips
15 tricks that will make your home look like it jumped off the pages of Style at Home.

Design lesson: Living well
Improve your quality of life at home.

Organizing 101: Making your home a haven
Create a space that’s beautiful and reflects who you are so that you feel at home with these home organizing tips.

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seeing stripes

There’s something about stripes that says spring and summer. Stripes add an instant nautical feel to your home, especially like the casual striped rug pictured here. Striped accessories like cushions and dishware are easy to add around the house and have a way of bringing a light and airy feeling along with them. The picture below makes me think of Nantucket in the summer; I can just smell that sea air  — I love the effortless look of beach-inspired decor.  Add some vibrant colour to your home with these fab finds:

1 Pieced Awning Stripe Mat
Available at: Pottery Barn

2 Melamine Lidded Bowl Set
Available at: Crate & Barrel

3 Brie Stripe, Granite
Available at: Tonic Living

4 Cottage Stripe Cotton Rug Collection
Available at: Garnet Hill

5 Iittala Mug
Available at: Iittala

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magnique: magnifique!

Spring is in the air and with the arrival of this much-anticipated season comes, for many, a renewed commitment to getting organized at home. In some ways, it’s like the new year; a fresh start, a new beginning. And these days, getting organized has never been easier or more stylish. There are all kinds of tools on the market to help making home organization easier than ever before. But getting organized doesn’t have to mean huge at-home overhauls involving new built-in closets or large-scale pieces of furniture. Sometimes the key is to start with the little things, like bills, paperwork, odds and ends. I recently discovered these magnetic boards from Magnique, a fabulous Canadian company. All of the Magnique boards and gorgeous glass magnets are handmade in Toronto. These customizable boards come in a variety of colours of leather and suede and can be used all over the house to organize paper, create vision boards, keep track of grocery lists and to-dos or even display photos. I love the colourful magnets, handmade in Canada with glass imported from Italy. You may want to buy some extras for your fridge.
Visit magnique.com for more information.

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update your bathroom with a new shower curtain

One of the quickest, most inexpensive ways to update your bathroom is to change the shower curtain. With so many designs out there to choose from, you can give your bathroom a whole new look in mere minutes. Here are a few I like:

1 Caribbean fish
garnethill.com
$48

2 Garden blossom
dwellshop.com
$73

3 Monterey shower curtain
cb2.com
$34.95

4 Dots fabric
cozyhomewares.com
$29.99

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dvira ink

I’m still scouring the web for designers whose work I love and for fab pictures to share with you. Up today: Dvira Ink. You may know the Toronto-based designer Dvira Ovadia from the Global television show From the Ground Up with Debbie Travis. Dvira won the show in 2007, earning her the title of chief designer for Debbie Travis. In this role, Dvira worked with Debbie Travis to design 10 model homes for Tribute Communities. Here are a few pictures that illustrate her elegant contemporary style. For more information, visit: Dvira Ink.

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enviable designs

I’m one of those lucky people whose job it is to look at and write about pretty things all day long. Along my cyber travels, I find fab new products, beautiful photos and today, I’ve discovered a handful of interior designers, whose work is lovely and inspirational. Case in point: Enviable Designs is Victoria McKenney’s Vancouver-based interior design firm. With a tagline of “comfortable sophistication”, her work seems to accomplish this effortlessly. I love these photos of some of her projects; there’s a richness and elegance to these spaces yet the rooms still look easy to live in. Victoria’s bio says that her “personal style is an effortless blend of European classic with hints of modern and twists of traditional.” Love it!

For more information, visit Enviable Designs.
For more inspiration, check out our Decorating & Design section!

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eileen fisher bedding

One of my biggest pet peeves has to be finding something I love online and then discovering that the U.S. retailer doesn’t ship to Canada. I just don’t understand how cross-border shipping can still be such a problem. Regardless, I love cyber-shopping and getting inspiration from photos, even if I can’t purchase the product. This bedding from Eileen Fisher is just stunning. I adore the muted colour palette and the hand-tufted pure silk comforter.

More about bedding:
10 beautiful bedding picks
Buying guide: Pillows, sheets and duvets
How to: Make a bed

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bestow boutique

Did you ever read Jane magazine? I went through a period in the late ‘90s when I was positively obsessed with both the magazine and the forums on their website. Anyway, I loved the brand and their very real approach to love, life and everything in between. Sadly, the magazine and website are no more but I’ve just learned that the former founding art director of the magazine has just launched bestowboutique.com, a fab new online shop where you’ll find chic stuff for the house along with unique gift ideas. My fave item? This Jan Constantine wool felt pillow. You don’t need to wait for Valentine’s Day to give or get one of these. Decorating your home with amour is stylish any time of year!

Available at: bestowboutique.com
Price: $120

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williams-sonoma: the great cupcake pan

One of the great things about Facebook, besides reconnecting with long lost friends (and maybe a few you’d rather have remained estranged from), is being able to check out your friends’ latest and greatest pictures. Thanks to Facebook, I’m able to stay in touch with friends in a way that we just didn’t seem to have time for before the rise of social networking. I can get instant updates on their travel plans, see every angle of their newborn’s smile and check out what they were up to on the weekend. It’s great fun and while nothing replaces the necessity of face-to-face contact over drinks, it’s a pretty decent alternative when you’re busy. Anyhow … all of this is by way of explanation for how I stumbled upon this fab new find! Whilst snooping, I mean … casually perusing a friend’s photos of a baby shower she’d recently attended, I spied the loveliest, cupcake-shaped cake adorning the buffet table. Love at first sight! Where, oh where did she get the pan to make this, I wondered? But I wondered only momentarily because, in perfect Facebook fashion, everything I needed to know was right there in the comments section with a list of retailers for curious gals like myself. So I hunted it down at Williams-Sonoma and now I’m sharing it with you. Drum roll, please! I give you … The Great Cupcake Pan!

Available at: Williams-Sonoma
Price: $36

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diptyque’s limited edition candle, pink roses

Fill your home with the fragrant aroma of roses. This limited edition Pink Roses candle from Diptyque is the perfect way to help you wish away winter. Yes, I’m still on that kick. I love winter around Christmastime but come January 1, I have no use for it. (It’s minus 21 degrees Celsius today … ) So I’m constantly sniffing out ways to make this tough season more tolerable. I don’t know about you but I like to nest in the winter months and making my home comfy and cozy is one way to survive when the weather outside is frightful. Luxurious bedding, fresh flowers, oversized mugs filled with steaming drinks, good books; these are the simple things that make me smile at home. Top it all off with a lovely fragrance filling the air and there’s a recipe for pure calm. So try a scented candle, one that evokes happy memories and dreams of spring. It’s just around the corner. We’re going to make it after all!

diptyque’s limited edition candle, Pink Roses, $68
Available at the Diptyque store in San Francisco and other stores such as Aedes, Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman & Saks in the  United-States, Noor in Toronto and Ogilvy in Montreal.

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park hyatt, shanghai

When it opened in September 2008, the Park Hyatt Shanghai officially became the highest hotel in the world. The elevator ride up to the lobby is long and full of anticipation. But as the elevator doors finally ease open to reveal the stunning 87th-floor lobby, the view does not disappoint. The dark mahogany wood of the reception area against pale coffee-coloured walls is rich and luxurious. The exceptionally high ceilings (unexpected in a high-rise building) give instant grandeur to the space and create an immediate sense of extravagant style.

Designed by New York–based Chinese-American interior designer Tony Chi, the rooms at the Park Hyatt Shanghai are nothing short of sophisticated. With high-tech features (remote controlled shades that, at the click of button, reveal a sweeping view of Shanghai, a television screen hidden in the bathroom mirror and a toilet that does everything but your laundry) and an otherwise minimalist decor, the rooms are a perfect mixture of modern American design and traditional Chinese Zen.

We checked in with Caitlin Hickey, a public relations representative for the hotel, to find out more about the inspiration behind the hotel’s beautiful design. Click here to read the interview.

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grand hyatt mumbai

It’s been a few days but … back to my Indian adventure! After leaving the jungle, I was off to Mumbai, where I stayed at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai. This five-star luxury hotel was imposing and impressive, from the moment I stepped foot inside. I was pretty hungry on arrival and was thrilled to see the dining options, of which there were plenty. Dinner at the Italian restaurant Celini was delicious – I had a mouthwatering ossu bucco (I’d had my fill of curry and needed a change!). China House serves a menu of typically Chinese cuisine and M is a grill and martini bar. Of course, there’s an Indian restaurant, too; Soma dishes up authentic regional and tandoor-grilled cuisine.

The rooms are bright and tranquil and feel strangely out-of-place amidst the chaos of Mumbai that resides right outside the hotel grounds. But it’s a welcome respite and a wonderful place to rest and relax after wandering the streets of one of the world’s most intriguing cities. Pictured here is the Grand King room, with floor-to-ceiling windows (you can have a courtyard or city view) and the minimalist, modern decor is totally Zen. Crisp, white linens, golden Jaisalmer stone (an Indian sandstone) and light sycamore wood paneling give the 40-square-meter interior a spacious and airy feeling and ensure a good night’s sleep. Sweet dreams!

Click here for more information on the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai.

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10 things to do in January

The craziness of the holidays is behind us now. I don’t know about you but my December was frenzied. So I’m happy to welcome the slower, more civilized pace that January brings. But I don’t need to come to a complete halt either. If you’re looking for easy, practical things to do around the house this month, you should check out our story, 10 things to do in January, written by styleathome.com contributor Carmen Taylor. I’ll give you a sneak preview, but to read the rest, click here.

1 Review presents and hostess gifts
Of course your friends and family love you and were grateful for your hospitality, but no doubt you don’t really need all the tokens of affection you received. Surely someone else could make better use of that collection of tea, those pot holders or that picture frame? Hold on to what you love, by all means, but get rid of the rest by dropping it off at Goodwill, Value Village or your favourite charity.

2 Tapers, tea lights, scented …
Candles make the season and since you’ve probably gone through a whack of them, replace your stock now. They don’t have a shelf life so it’ll be one less thing to shop for next year.

3 Move the furniture
You may be surprised what you find there. Take the cushions off sofas and chairs, vacuum along the wall behind the furniture and then turn your attention to the inside of the furniture itself. After the hosting you’ve done, no doubt it needs it.

Image courtesy of Crate and Barrel

Read more …

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kate spade christmas ornaments

Kate Spade sells gorgeous Christmas ornaments, too! Shocking! My sister is pining over a gorgeous Kate Spade bag (she likes the white; I like the black) and while I was checking out its specs online, I came across these pretty ornaments. The candy-coloured ceramic ornaments come packaged in a beautiful hatbox and will look stunning on your tree. Or, if you’re hosting a dinner party, put one on each guest’s plate with their name and let them keep it. (This means, of course, that you’ll have to buy extra for yourself!)

Price: $75 for a set of 5
For more information: visit katespade.com

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