Phew! What a long weekend at the Interior Design show… But what a lot of fun (and inspiration) as well! The show was packed with visitors all weekend long, and I showed up early Saturday morning to photograph our space with phenom photographer Donna Griffith. We arrived at 6 a.m. to an echoing space devoid of visitors. the Interior Design Show usually has packed aisleways so it was a great opportunity to check everything out while no one was there. However, Donna quickly got down to work, unpacking her two cartloads of photography equipment. Though there were tons of great booths at the show (retailer Hollace Cluny’s elegant but diminutive booth being one of my favourite) (p.s. the elegant wooden folding screen featured in our booth is available through Hollace Cluny), the one thing that absolutely differentiated
Our fab booth from the outside!
the Style at Home/Canadian Home and Country/Canadian Gardening booth was our use of vivid colour from Beautitone paints. Our selected colours were chosen to match the equally awesome photographic wallpaper from the innovative Montreal company Wallyouneedislove. The intense aqua used in Style at Home magazine’s area was Beautitone 3Q3-6 while the shamrock green colour that was used in the Canadian Home & Country/Canadian Gardening area was (the perfect kelly green - very Audrey Hepburn!) was Beautitone 3L3-8. 
We are very thankful to awesome stylist Malcolm Patterson who decorated our innovative space. In the darkness of February, it is great to work with someone who appreciates the beauty of colour! I don’t want to get into too much more detail about this space - Donna Griffith’s beautiful photos will be seen in an upcoming issue of Canadian Home & Country magazine!
Okay, okay. I know I just wrote this past weekend about how delightful it is in the cold of winter, but I lied! Today’s unbelievably low temperature has caused my toes to freeze and my blood pressure to rise! What I normally do when I’m chilled to the bone is to either hop into my clawfoot tub (it’s by Kohler and I LOVE it) or remind myself of some recent warm weather travels. I recently travelled to the Puerto Vallarta region of Mexico and stayed at some pretty exceptional hotels. My favourite (from both a location and a decor perspective) was called Cafe des Artistes hotel. The view overlooking the Pacific Ocean was spectacular, and the decor (and decor ideas) were even more inspiring. Forget about the balmy temperatures, the decor was enough (okay maybe with the infinity pool as well)
The look of the hotel is very French Country meets the Cote D’Azur meets Mexico… I have some great photos that I will post with some descriptions and some great decor ideas but will start with this one taken from the pool overlooking the ocean… An incredible view at sunset.
By the way, don’t forget to visit our booth (along with sister publications Style at Home and Canadian Gardening) at the Interior Design Show this weekend!
A lot of people ask where I disappear to on the weekends. Often I’ll be at work events (like the Interior Design Show next weekend!) or I’ll be squirreled up at home, trying to organize my incredibly messy kitchen. But my real escape on the weekends is to my friend’s farm, Irish Creek Stables, in Cambridge Ont. Liz Lewis and I first met a few years ago when we did a photo shoot at her house. Over the years, we’ve used her house and horse farm as a location multiple times. And for those of you who have read my editor’s letters, you ‘ll also know that I have a number of horses - and I am lucky enough to have Liz look after them for me. Winter at the farm is not easy, but Liz and her daughter Petra make it fun. And if you’re cold? All you need to do is to start mucking out stalls or sweeping, you’ll warm up pretty quickly! 
There is something incredibly special to me about horses. I have loved them since I was a little girl (I even uncovered a report card from nursery school that says my face “lit up every time I saw a picture of a horse.” As much as I love working at a magazine (and I do love it - it is the job of a lifetime for me!), a bit of my heart stays behind with the horses at Irish Creek Stables. When my boyfriend and I began dating a few years ago, he knew that the time I needed to spend with my horses was non-negotiable! Of course, when he comes out here and is able to see it through my eyes (which is why I have posted this photo - so you can see the magic of my horsey winter wonderland)
At Canadian Home & Country magazine, my mandate is to create a perfect balance between the sophistication of city living with the relaxed comfort of country living. I’m so happy to say that I have managed to accomplish it in my own life!
If you have thoughts about how to balance the city with the country, please let me know!
We are very thankful to awesome stylist Malcolm Patterson who decorated our innovative space. In the darkness of February, it is great to work with someone who appreciates the beauty of colour! I don’t want to get into too much more detail about this space - Donna Griffith’s beautiful photos will be seen in an upcoming issue of Canadian Home & Country magazine!
