Entertaining tips inspired by design icon Dorothy Draper
Design
Tips for Styling Your Home Office
Create a warm, welcoming space that promotes productivity By: Janette Ewan The office space is one of the hardest-working rooms in your home. Whether you work from home or manage your family from your home office, you’ll want a warm, welcoming space that reflects your style and promotes productivity. The question is: How do you […]
6 Home Styling Tips
Find your passion and style home spaces you’ll love to live in A little change in our decor can really liven a space up and help inspire our lives. Since our homes are the backdrop to our lives, it only makes sense that we would want to mix it up now and again, or risk […]
Ideal Shared Bedroom for Young Girls
I love working on bedrooms. They come in all shapes and sizes so a cookie cutter approach doesn’t work, especially when the space is small and/or awkward. That sums up my spare room, which I was challenged with turning into a home away from home for three little girls under the age of six. With […]
Bring A Piece of Mykonos, Greece Home With You
By Kellee Merrell The Inspiration: Absolut Mykonos In the heart of the Cyclades along the Aegean Sea, you’ll find an 85.5 square-kilometre slab of sun-drenched rock. Named after Apollo’s son Mykons, the island of Mykonos has quickly become one of Europe’s most sought-after summer destinations. The whitewashed island with its charming sugar cube homes, curling […]
Tiny Home With a Huge Transformation
This year I jumped on the Tiny Home trend and worked with my parents to remodel an old 5th Wheel Trailer. After lots of bumps in the road, we created a space worthy of full-time occupancy. First things first! Being 15 years old and stored in damp locations for years, we wanted to ensure the […]
Interior Trend: Get the Parisian Look
Art Deco Revival Inspiration from Paris, France, by Kelle Merrell. In the heart of Paris, mere steps from the Opera House and the Louvre, sits Hôtel Saint-Marc; an ultra-chic hideaway where luxury, design and exclusivity are one. Built in 1791 on the private residence of the Duc de Choiseul, the property was once the most […]
Interior Inspiration is Everywhere: A conversation with L.A. designer Patrick Delanty
A conversation with L.A. designer Patrick Delanty, by Janette Ewen. We recently sat down with highly sought-after L.A.-based interior designer Patrick Delanty. Delanty is known for his well-trained eye and design work for celebrities, including Halle Berry and Ty Pennington. His work has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Rachael Ray Show, Good Morning […]
How to Decorate a Rental Property
Did you know that 1 in 5 Canadians have rented their property in the past or are considering doing so in the future? With the trend moving toward creating short term rentals to earn a little extra income, designer Jo Alcorn shares tips on how to stage and protect your home. My Home is Your […]
Transform a Boring Apartment into a Relaxing Home
By Nicole Sweetman-Rice Moving into an apartment can be daunting. There are so many restrictions and guidelines when renting, it can be difficult to make the space your own. Having recently moved into my first apartment, I discovered some basic concepts that made the pro-cess go smoothly. Here are the three key things to keep […]
Feng Shui Tips and Techniques
Improve your well-being at home with tips and techniques from this ancient art. Feng Shui is the practice of arranging your environment so that energy or ‘Chi’ flows gently Through your home. Feng Shui helps make your space feel good and can support what you want out of life, whether it is a better career, […]
My Fall Porch for 2018 – 5 TIPS FOR AN INSTANT FRONT PORCH MAKEOVER
By: Jaclyn Harper Well friends, fall is officially here! Have you started your fall decorating yet? Personally, I think the best way to kick off the season is with an updated front porch or entry. With that said, today I’m giving you 5 tips to INSTANTLY transform your front porch. Paint– This may seem daunting […]
How to Create a Basement With a Playroom
By Lisa Canning In our new home, we had a lot to do to create a modern playroom, and functional home office. The result is amazing – and I hope it can inspire you too! 1. KEEP THE PALETTE BLACK AND WHITE I love colour, but I wanted to try something different and edgy […]
How to Create a Luxe Bedroom Without Breaking the Bank
By Lisa Canning In our new house, I was determined to give my husband and I, a luxurious master retreat, which I think all couples should have. Here are tips on how you too can create a luxe – without breaking the bank. 1. GO LUXE ON THE BED The bed is a great place […]
Jo Alcorn’s Perfect Living Room
As many of you know, I recently renovated my kitchen and turned it into the kitchen of my dreams. (Click here if you want to read all about the end result, or here to read about the in-process blog.) Well, after doing my kitchen, I had to update my living room. There wasn’t anything really wrong with it; […]
How to Achieve Kitchen Bliss
I recently completed a tough kitchen make-over. Maybe the toughest yet as it was my own personal space! Follow my tips below on how to create a space you will truly love. I chose my appliances first. I knew I wanted something completely different and when I saw the new Fingerprint Resistant Sunset Bronze collection from Whirlpool I made […]
10 Tips to Help You Host the Sunniest Outdoor Party This Summer
When planning an outdoor event, choose a theme and let it guide your decor, activity, food and beverage choices (and maybe even your attire!). Hot themes for summer 2018 include “Palm Springs in the 1960s” (croquet, Pucci-inspired colour palette, retro cocktails) and a “Great Gatsby” garden party! Welcome your guests with a signature cocktail. Fill […]
At Home in California with Grease actor Lorenzo Lamas
Janette Ewen interviews Grease actor Lorenzo Lamas For more than 30 years, actor Lorenzo Lamas appeared on our TV screens as a leading man on popular shows like Falcon Crest and Renegade. Lamas got his break early, by playing the role of “Tom” in the worldwide phenomenon known as Grease; set to celebrate its 40th […]
How to Incorporate a Home Office in a Master Bedroom
I recently created a gorgeous bedroom space that incorporated a home office. Here are my top tops when creating multi-use spaces. 1. START WITH A BEAUTIFUL BED All hard working mamas and papas DESERVE a beautiful bed. After a hard day of raising kids, working outside and inside the home, MOMS (AND DADS) ARE TIRED! […]
How to Keep Children Entertained at Your Wedding
You’ve heard so much about these beautiful invitations that you can hardly wait to see them for yourself. It’s arrived. You excitedly remove it from its envelope, unfold its delicate lace paper and you begin to read…. Mr. John Smith and Ms. Jane Doe request your presence as they celebrate the next steps of their […]
Organizing Your Makeup: A How-to for Makeup Hoarders
Fine, I’ll admit it… I’m obsessed! Whether it’s a new foundation, or an eyeshadow palette, I’ve probably bought it. In fact, I at one point had so much makeup, that certain things often got neglected. All of those beautiful new goodies I owned were lost in a sea of clutter – and my money had […]
A living room to last a lifetime
There is nothing worse than a living room that is poorly laid out and/or lacking function. I recently re-formulated a family room so it is comfy, cozy and a room the family wants to gather in. I did something that some might think is radical; I converted this family’s gas fireplace to an electric fireplace. Electric fireplaces have […]
Janette Ewen on Colour, Design and the Rise of Microtrends
Janette Ewen lives partly in Toronto, partly in LA, and partly on Instagram. The ubiquitous interior designer and lifestyle expert needs to keep tabs on so many people, places and trends, it’s only natural that she lives part of her life in the virtual sphere. “I’m in a different city every few days; it’s a […]
How to Create the Ultimate Craft Room
I wouldn’t exactly call me a crafter (my lifestyle of 6 children and a business means I am more of a DIFM than a DIY-er), but I might change my ways after creating this space for my most recent makeover! We created a craft room that I think is pretty ultimate- here are some essential things to […]
How to Transition Your Bedroom from Winter to Spring
It might be hard to recognize with all the snow still on the ground, but spring is just around the corner, and with it, comes a new opportunity to refresh our homes! My favourite place to change with the seasons is the bedroom, as you can create a pretty significant impact with a few minor […]
A Small Space Laundry Room Makeover
In my newest makeover, I created a customized space that presented quite the design dilemma as it has to serve a lot of purposes. This home has no garage, no basement, and no outdoor shed. So this room has to fit off-season clothing, sports equipment, paint cans, and random odds and ends. Plus, it has […]
Tips and Decor Ideas for Holiday Entertaining
By Janette Ewen Where do you start if you’re planning to entertain over the holiday season? I always start with a theme. For example, I held a vintage 1930s Christmas party last year. A theme will shape the decor, cocktail menu, food, invites, gifts, music—even the scent of your home. For 2017, the top holiday […]