Archives for 2014

11 Pretty Sweet Decorating Ideas Using Pastels

December 2, 2014 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Go ahead, be a softie. When you use powdery shades right, they go beyond child’s play into the realm of chic

Pastels often get a bad rap for being too sugary sweet, frivolous or girly. But don’t be too quick to fall into this mind-set and immediately pass over pastel shades when choosing which hues to incorporate into your home. The secret to making soft, chalky colors work is to balance them with cool whites, moody black, gray and other neutral tones. Introducing clean, contemporary lines and modern design elements as well as raw, sleek or edgy materials will also cut through the cuteness and ensure that your design looks fresh, grown-up and chic, rather than childish or overly feminine.

Whether you’re a longtime lover of pastels or a newfound fan of the versatile pale palette, the spaces below will provide plenty of design inspiration and show how soft, muted shades can be woven into your home’s decorating scheme with great success.

11 Pretty Sweet Decorating Ideas Using Pastels

Filed Under: Architecture, Blog, Home Remodel

NHL ugly sweaters are so bad they’re good

December 1, 2014 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

NHL.com is featuring a new line of ugly Christmas sweaters — think candy canes, argyle, snowflakes and leaping reindeer — to their team gear, just in time for ugly sweater party season.

Take a look at what the Canadien’s are bringing to the party. (Sorry, my beloved Habs, I wouldn’t dream of wearing this.)

It gets cold enough in Edmonton to wear this little number.

Filed Under: Blog, Hockey, Random Thoughts

8 Great Kitchen Cabinet Color Palettes

November 30, 2014 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Make your kitchen uniquely yours with painted cabinetry. Here’s how (and what) to paint them

If you like the layout of your existing kitchen and your cabinets are in good shape, painting them can be a smart way to go. Another budget-friendly route is to purchase and install new cabinet boxes (or “carcasses,” as I’ve heard them called fondly) from a retailer such as Ikea, and then hire a finish carpenter to make door and drawer fronts you can paint yourself or have painted professionally. With custom-painted fronts, nobody will know your cabinets came from a big-box retailer.

It is a rather time-consuming process, but the money you save by painting cabinets yourself can be put toward that pricey quartz countertop you’ve been eyeing. We’ve broken down the steps below and included images of Houzz kitchens with gorgeous painted cabinets to inspire you — plus 8 examples of color and material palettes.

8 Great Kitchen Cabinet Color Palettes

Filed Under: Blog, Home Remodel

10 Tricks to Help Your Bathroom Sell Your House

November 29, 2014 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

As with the kitchen, the bathroom is always a high priority for home buyers. Here’s how to showcase your bathroom so it looks its best

Buyers love the allure of a fresh, beautiful bathroom that reminds them of luxury hotels or soothing spas they have enjoyed. And, most important, buyers want to envision themselves enjoying this luxury every day in their new home.

However, the reality is that most of us do not have the perfect bathroom. And we know that, in most instances, it is not a wise investment to do a full, costly renovation just for a home sale. It simply doesn’t translate into profit.

A better strategy is to maximize what you already have, on a budget. You want to transform your real-life, everyday bathroom into a five-star hotel experience that prospective buyers will love, without overcapitalizing. Here are simple ways to create havens with a wow factor.

10 Tricks to Help Your Bathroom Sell Your House

Filed Under: Blog, marketing, Real Estate

The 10 most expensive homes [infographic]

November 28, 2014 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Right now, you could be sitting out there contemplating mundane housing concerns like that ugly tile on the kitchen floor, how a playroom would make your life so much more peaceful or doing an expensive furnace fix before another polar vortex hits, so we’d like to offer you a virtual escape from it all with this infographic from CompareCamp featuring people who care more about how many indoor swimming pools are necessary to entertain 1000 people and how hard it is to find good help in the modern age.

Filed Under: Architecture, Blog

The Top 10 Best Selling Musical Artists Of All Time

November 27, 2014 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Famous musicians are those who time and time again offer us melody excellence, lyrical genius and full star personalities. They shock and delight us, and in return we salute them by purchasing their unstoppable hits. Here are the top 10 bestselling musical artists of all time.

Filed Under: Blog, Music

12 Inspiring Ways to Decorate a Mantelpiece

November 26, 2014 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Rustic, minimalist, gloriously cluttered … there’s a mantelpiece style to suit every room and fireplace

The mantelpiece is an integral part of all but the most contemporary fireplaces, and for centuries we have been using this built-in shelf as a place to show off treasured items. In the past a clock in the middle flanked by porcelain dogs or matching candlesticks might have been the extent of the styling, but today we are free to follow our mantelpiece muse and get creative. These 12 stylish approaches show just how much fun can be had by pepping up your fireplace and making over your mantel.

12 Inspiring Ways to Decorate a Mantelpiece

Filed Under: Blog, Home Care

Luxury Mountain Chalet Offers Striking Panoramic Views in Whistler, Canada

November 25, 2014 By EmmanuelFonte Leave a Comment

Lakecrest Residence is an imposing mountain chalet in Whistler, Canada perched atop a rocky cliff in a lakeside neighborhood of Whistler, Canada. As you probably guessed, this is one of those homes that takes in its vibrant natural landscape. The creative team at a|k|a Architecture + Design left nothing to chance: large glass windows, Brazilian cherry wide plank hardwood floors, maple millwork and native sandstone are brought together in a captivating palette of materials and finishes. All these properly “reflect” the majestic environment.