Affordable Style

The fate of these puppies is in your hands.

A while back, I scooped up these chairs in one of my favourite antique shops in Belleville, Ontario. They’re solid mahogany and came from a Montreal estate. They cost — brace yourselves — $50 each.

I would have missed them altogether had I not heard my wife Sara say, “Those are weird dining chairs!”  Well, they might not be dining chairs, but they are the perfect occasional chairs for our living room. SOLD!

Now comes the tricky part: What to do with my little finds? You’ve probably seen this style of chair in the marketplace today. Lots of companies have reintroduced their classic shape in many fabric, stain, and paint combinations. I’ve got lots of inspiration to choose from, but what do I want to do with mine?

Do I keep it simple and maintain the mahogany wood, adding a rich solid velvet?

Or, do I go with velvet and a painted finish?

What about a light and bright painted finish and a striped fabric?

I’m leaning towards this last option, but I need your help! Please, cast your vote in the comments section below and make any new suggestions. Maybe I can get a little help from my fellow bloggers? Andrea Mills, I know you want to put your two cents in…

For more on vintage finds and DIY projects, read our 15 Budget Decorating Tips. Plus, see my online TV episode in which I transform some other vintage chairs with a trendy Ikat-style fabric and black paint!

Photo credits:
1-2. Michael Penney
3-4. Regan Chair, Hickory Chair
5-6. Le Clerc Chair, Hickory Chair
7. Hickory Chair

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Hey everybody, Pier 1 has just released some fantastic products for the upcoming season! I’m especially loving a few of the items in the 2010 line up, so check ‘em out! 

First a fresh and modern take on the wing chair. I’m digging the simple, nature-inspired print and soothing colourway. Annie Wing Back Chair, $350.

Perfect for sectioning off a large space (think modern, open-concept homes), I would recommend buying this handsome screen in pairs. You could use them to flank each side of a room, or use them side by side for a well-proportioned room divider. I could see Vicente Wolf or Thomas O’Brien being into this. Parque Screen, $350.

Another very pretty chair. Soft greens and blues and an old-fashioned charming print beckon me to curl up. Try a pair of these chairs opposite a sofa or on an angle in your bay window. They would look smashing on a jute carpet. Larkspur Armchair, $650.

If you’re not ready to commit to patterned upholstery, add a splash of fresh colour via this expensive-looking cushion! This global print is right on trend and would wake up any traditional interior with its zingy burst of green. Tossed on a neutral sofa, it would do the same trick as a bowl of fresh green apples. Trust me, you can’t do much better for under fifty bucks! Green Chenille Damask Pillow, $45.

Next are a pair of luscious lacquered lanterns. These puppies are classic with their Chinese lacquer finish and would be so wonderful marching up a set of porch stairs. Bring them inside and use a pair on a mantle or buffet. Red Square Metal Lanterns, $15 (small), $40 (large).

Finally a fun beach chair! I know, it was snowing this weekend, but you’ve gotta buy garden furniture in the dead of winter! The sooner we accept this, the less frustrated we will be as shoppers come spring. Of course, this chair would be perfect sunk into some sand, and collapses for easy transport, but I think it could be a fun addition to a kids room, don’t you think? Sling Armchair in Red, $120.

Head down to Pier 1, people, for a fresh and cheerful 2010!

Photo credits:
1-6. Pier 1 Imports

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The family house is a concept near and dear to my heart. A place where families can live their lives in comfort and style and where a little chaotic mess just adds to the…ahem…layers. Seriously though, there’s no point in decorating a space with such a strict colour scheme or look that no ‘real life’ stuff looks good in the room. For me, a good family house is one with spaces for entertaining, nooks to read bedtime stories together, a yard to garden and play ball in and a kitchen with enough counter space to crowd together and fight over cookie-batter-beaters. 

This kind of house appears too seldom in magazines (although I think H&H shows lots!), so when I come across one I take note. Here’s one I loved from a staffer over at Martha Stewart Living. It’s a perfect mix of chic loft and real life. It’s loose and fun, don’t you think?

If you’re as inspired as me by this family home, why not add some of its signature style to your own place from some of our favourite affordable sources?

Doesn’t this child-friendly slip-covered sofa from Ikea fit the bill? $600! Love it!!

Pair the sofa with some caramel-coloured leather chairs from West Elm to shake up the look. The Martha Stewart home marries pretty blue and white patterns with natural elements and you can too! Chair, $700 USD.

If you don’t want to do a patterned sofa, you could always go for this reasonably priced blue and white wallpaper from Thibaut Wallpaper & Fabrics instead. Or try it in your bathroom and get the look of our inspiration room’s punchy shower curtain.

This storage cube from West Elm is adorable and can hide all those toys and craft supplies while acting as a coffee table (in a pair) or extra seating. Cube, $99 USD.

Crate & Barrel is my new best friend for bringing back the bentwood café chair in black at an affordable price. No, these weren’t in the inspiration home, but they could easily live there. Plus I just love them! And if you checked out the price tag on the bentwood chairs in our Trends issue, you’d love these cheapies too! Chair, $119 USD.

Okay I know it’s terribly out of style to like white stoves, but I do! Hate me if you want to, but stainless steel is not the only way to go. Look how cute the inspiration kitchen is with all that white. And the retro gas cooker is the star! Why not reconsider white like this guy from Sears? Maybe you’ll be the one laughing when people get tired of stainless…Gas Range, $700.

Finally, brighten things up with this cheerful red casserole. When we're shooting, we always use this type of thing to prop with when shooting a kitchen, and trust me, this one is waaaaaay cheaper than most! Casserole, $83, Sears.

For more family-friendly design, see our Kids Rooms gallery.

Photo credits:
1-5. Marthastewart.com
6. Ektorp sofa, Ikea
7. Tulip leather chair, West Elm
8. Julian wallpaper, Thibaut Wallpaper & Fabrics
9. Storage Cube, West Elm
10. Vienna Side Chair, Crate & Barrel
11. Frigidaire Gas Range, Sears
12. Oval Casserole, Sears

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It may be cold outside, but if you’re a gardener worth your salt, you are already dreaming of the season to come. Now I’m no expert gardener, but I have been known to plant a seed or two in my time and I’m hoping this year will be the year I can really get my hands dirty while polishing up that green thumb.

Who wouldn’t love to stroll down this garden lane? But a spectacular garden like this takes planning — and it’s never too early! Ordering plant stock and seeds begins in the dead of winter, so let’s start daydreaming, shall we?

Let’s start simple with landscaping. So many houses lack the softening that a few plants can bring. And I’m not talking about a tiny strip of love-starved annuals bordering a house’s pathway and foundations! Note how this house has sweeping curved beds filled with soft mounds of vegetation. The plants and trees help to frame the house and create a natural, welcoming presentation.

Even if you start with a few containers, your house could likely do with a dose of green. I will forever love terra cotta pots, for their nostalgic and earthy charm. Now please, do as these people did and get plenty of pots! One or two just won’t do! Threes, fives and sevens are best with lots of different shapes and textures. Use them to march up your front (or back) steps, clustered on a verandah, or to create high and low levels within the garden itself.

Remember to colour block people! This means planting drifts of one kind of plant instead of polka-dotting them all around. Above you’ll see several such drifts, so that each ‘colour block’ makes an impact. Here there are lots of pinks and violets in the peonies, foxgloves and salvia so the whole area blends, but you don’t have to do it this way. If you’re going to mix colours, just remember to keep them complementary and use this drift method.

More drifting here…

If you have a shady garden, drool over this. This is basically a forest, but the same principles apply to a residential garden with shade. Learn to live with the moisture-sucking trees and add lots of compost and mulch to moisten the soil. Plant mounds of shade-loving hostas and astilbe and even mosses or ground covers to soften a meandering pathway. Secretly, I dream of having my own little forest just outside my door where I can plant native shade-lovers and perennials in lush swaths like this one. Sigh…

Here are just some of the plants we’ve seen above that you might want to consider when planning for your 2010 garden. In order of appearance, they are:

Poppies {Gorgeous tissue paper-like petals emerging from fuzzy green eyeballs.}

Lady’s Mantle {This chartreuse-bloomed perennial will zing up any garden, is great with roses, softening pathways, and I love the way dew is collected like diamonds on its leaves.}

Violas/Pansies {Dainty, quintessentially English, great in cold weather like early spring and fall, perfect for pots. Violas, often sewn by seed, used to be called Jonny Jump Ups and will come back year after year.}

Foxgloves {One of my all-time favourites, these aren’t used enough and have a majestic, mysterious quality. So Beatrix Potter!}

Salvia {A large family of plants, I like the annual version which is cheap and cheerful, adding deep blue/violet to the garden for little money or commitment. A nice way to balance off lots of hot colours like red, pink or orange.}

Anemones {Planted from small blub-like ‘corms’, the anemone is unusual and show-stopping.}

Hostas {A lovely shade perennial, they are lush and the perfect foil for other colours in the landscape. Grown and prized for their leaves.}

Astilbe {Another personal fave, these perennials work well in woodland-type settings and have pretty, feathery blooms which make for beautiful cut flowers.}

For more garden planning tips, watch our Ask A Landscape Designer video.

Photo credits:
1. Marthastewart.com
2. Marthastewart.com
3. Marthastewart.com
4. Marthastewart.com
5. Marthastewart.com
6. Marthastewart.com
7. Seedman.com
8. Gardens by Grace
9. BlueWorldGardener
10. MoPlants
11. Meredith.com
12. Estabrook’s
13. Bali-Hai Nursery
14. The Garden Helper

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As promised, I’m starting off the New Year with a project. Okay, I’ll admit it, I completed it this past summer. You can’t very well spray paint in your yard in January!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been seeing Windsor chairs all over the place these days. They’re popping up in kitchens of course, but also in unexpectedly modern rooms too and as stand-alone occasional chairs.

Originally created in 16^th-century England on the banks of the Thames, the Windsor chair came to North America in the 1720s. It’s often thought of as an American classic, but lots of companies have been modifying and updating this classic lately. With exaggerated spindles and high gloss finishes, the 21^st century Windsor is hip and current. 

I love the way these Windsor chairs are coated in pretty pale blue.

Ethan Allen, champion of American classics, has these fine examples of the genre for sale. The first one is called a Comb Back Armchair ($519 each), and the second is their Windsor Bowback Side Chair ($259 each).

Well for my project I started with a set of four forgotten Windsor chairs from my aunt. They had been purchased as unfinished pieces in the mid ’90s and had seen better days. I decided a coat of shiny black paint would bring them up-to-date. Here they are in my parents’ backyard this past summer.

They were coated with linseed oil (I think), so painting right over the wood wasn’t an option. Trust me, I tried. Instead I used a tinted primer from the Ralph Lauren paint line at Home Depot. It’s made to go under their black paint, so it was tinted a dark slate grey. I just brushed it on with a regular brush and was then ready for my paint. I used Tremclad spray paint in black high gloss. Et voila! (The one on the left is primed, the other has been primed and painted.)

Spray paint was the best choice for this project because it allowed me to get in and around all those spindles with ease. Plus it was so glossy and dried really quickly! Remember to use light gradual coats instead of heavy, drippy ones. When you’re ready to spray the seat, tip the whole chair forward so you can spray the seat at a right angle. Spray paint tends to glob when you try to aim downwards. I used about one and a quarter cans per chair, so for four chairs it took five cans. 

Sorry I don’t have a better after shot! The room they live in now isn’t quite finished. But I can tell you I paired them with Ikea’s tulip table for a mod-meets-trad combo and hung a hurricane lantern above. 

Now these chairs have been rescued from the basement and given a new purpose. Plus in the kitchen’s makeover we saved a ton of dough by re-using these old chairs. All it cost was a can of primer ($18) and 5 cans of spray paint ($20). That’s pretty good if you ask me!

Even Tom Scheerer’s into my favourite Windsors!

For instructions on reupholstering and repainting an occasional chair without using spray paint, check out this other DIY Chair Makeover I worked on. Or for another easy DIY project, check out the Lamp Makeover from our Online TV show.

Photo credits:
1. Marthastewart.com
2. Comb Back Armchair from Ethan Allen
3. Windsor Bowback Side Chair from Ethan Allen
4-5. Michael Penney
6. Tom Scheerer, Nantucket Residence

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Well folks, it’s here. 2010 has arrived and the first decade of the millennium is over. We’ve certainly undergone a great many changes in the past 10 years, culturally, politically — stylistically!! In design, we’ve seen the classic sober taste of the late ’90s overshadowed by an unabashed glitzy cacophony called ‘Glam’ and the more-is-more-is-more look that smacked of the ’80s. Then our bubble was burst and the party came to a screeching halt leaving us pinching our pennies and looking for deals again. It’s time to turn a new page.

90’s restraint:

The past five years:

It’s a combination of these trends, as well as changes in my own life and perspective that have left me scratching my head and wanting to start afresh. It’s time to reevaluate, examine and edit what we have. I think it’s time to start remembering why we decorate in the first place. We all want to create a home that is warm and inviting and for many, our homes are a distillation of who we are and who we’d like to be. For lots of us, home is a place of family and friends, of nurturing relationships, where life happens.

With this in mind I think it’s time we start remembering that we’re decorating our homes to create that backdrop for life, to reflect who we are, and to find comfort in nesting rather than keeping up with the Joneses. To that end, here are some of the fresh starts I’ll be making in 2010.

1. Restore rather than replace.

This year I want to get out my tools, bust out a can of elbow grease and roll up my sleeves. When I need more storage, I want to comb thrift shops and Craigslist.org for other peoples’ castaways. I want to breathe new life into them with a coat of paint, new hardware, and a repair here and there. I will be informed by trends in design when choosing my makeover candidates, but I will not slavishly chase after the new hottest thing.

2. Reduce, edit, pare down.

This one is hard for me to live out, but I have GOT to get rid of some of my junk! It comes with being a style editor and stylist, but stuff just seems to follow me home. I always think I will need that particular vase for a story someday, but alas it just leaves my place feeling cluttered. I want to work on editing down my collections so that I can appreciate the good things I do have and leave some breathing room around them.

3. Create.

Aren’t you tired of relying on retailers and shopping for everything in your home? I think it’s time to brush up on those DIY skills and carefully and sensibly delve into making things again. This is a skill our grandparents mastered and it helped them to create lovely and charming homes on a shoestring. Necessity is the mother of invention and I’d say a little invention is necessary in 2010. For me, it will be finally learning to sew and getting back to my childhood love of gardening. Besides, Michelle Obama has already made gardening popular again! Like her, I want to produce something myself and connect with the soil (and a needle and thread!).

Maybe these are lofty goals and I’m sure there will be snags along the way. But I plan to let these changes happen organically with equal measures of determination and lightheartedness. As Dorothy Draper said, “Decorating is fun!” I hope 2010 will be filled with restored castaways, a lot less clutter, and fresh dirt under my fingernails.

Photo credits:
1. Marthastewart.com
2. Jonathan Adler, Barbie Malibu Dream House
3. Tom Scheerer, Nantucket Residence
4-5. Eddie Ross, Before & After January 4, 2009
6. Flickr.com
7. Isiria blog, March 24, 2009
8. Telegraph.co.uk, April 10, 2009
9. The Purl Bee, December 28, 2008

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Great lighting can be hard to find, especially at a price point most people can afford. Here’s an idea for some truly original lighting you can bet you won’t spy at your neighbour’s pad:

Why not pick up one of West Elm’s Medina Glass Jars (or any large vintage-looking jar will do) and turn it into a lamp brimming with island style? Their green organic loveliness has me dreaming of an effortlessly glamorous Bahamian getaway just like Tom Scheerer's (above).

You can create a lamp using a kit from any Home Depot or hardware store, or visit www.woodparts.ca to find one online. Don’t worry about the cord showing — that’s part of the look! Think India Hicks, bleached drift wood, and a beachy laid-back vibe. The perfect time of year to escape!

Photo credits:
1. Tom Scheerer, photography by William Waldron
2. West Elm

Happy Holidays from H&H! We hope you enjoy this post from our blog archives. We'll be back with new daily blogs starting January 4th.

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I can barely believe it but the holidays are nearly upon us! Well I guess if you’re a retailer (or House & Home magazine, for that matter) it’s been ‘the holidays’ since Halloween, but for most of us things are really starting to gear up now. 

As a style-conscious person, I always feel a certain expectation to have impeccably wrapped Christmas presents and stylish, unexpected stationery for my holiday cards. I’m sure you feel similar angst over some aspect of this holiday season and the need to impress. Well, this year I’m going to relax! Let’s take a minute here people, count to ten, breathe — whatever — and keep it simple. Less is more, as they say.

For me, this means skipping the fancy stationer’s shop this season and heading over to Walmart. This store may be a grocery store/clothing depot/electronics emporium/mechanic’s garage — but it is ALSO a great source for holiday craft supplies! On a recent trip to Walmart, I found all I’ll need to make my holiday gifts beautiful, unique and simple.

The idea started with brown craft paper — the kind I imagine packages arrive in from the North Pole. This year I’ll be wrapping exclusively in this humble, understated paper. Next, as a ribbon alternative, why not try out yarn? It’s so cosy and homespun-feeling and you can get a LOT for your money! I bought three bundles: icy blue, fuzzy moss green, and candy striped red and white. Each bundle was only $1! Walmart also has some great vintage-inspired labels to stick on your presents, or add old-fashioned tags like the ones above. For an easy DIY option, print out our Gift Wrapping Tag Template. The whole look is understated and so pretty. Yes, that is my crazy “Candy Land” tree next to the gifts I shot at my place last night.

Walmart also has these lovely printed boxes that let you skip the wrapping paper altogether! These charming graphic printed boxes come in a set of 10 for $5! Simply place your gift inside, add some yarn and you’re done. Or you can make a little fuzzy yarn pom-pom like I did to embellish the top. Notice how I went crazy with the yarn to bind these two boxes together. I like the haphazard look of yarn wound around the boxes a bunch of times and topped with a pom-pom.

This next one’s a two-for-one. I love to bake holiday cookies to give as gifts. But I find the tins meant for this purpose are huge! I’d be baking forever if I had to fill those tins! Instead, I prefer smaller, more gourmet-sized tins of scrumptious delicacies. Fortunately, Walmart helped me out again. These small tins are the perfect size and colour and cost only $3. I filled this one up with Grandma Austin’s famous shortbread cookies (baked recently at 10:00 at night after a photo shoot!). They’re so delectable; I’m including the recipe below. To make them extra special, the Austins always add a tiny piped star of butter cream icing tinted minty green. And lining your Walmart tin with a sliver of parchment paper doesn’t hurt either.

Finally for those holiday cards, Walmart and I have got you covered. You can pick up a package of these blank ecru cards and matching envelopes for a song ($7), then grab a $1 cookie cutter and a couple colours of craft paint. Squirt some paint into a pie plate, dip the fatter side of the cookie cutter in the paint, then stamp a darling tree silhouette onto your card. Next, squirt a different colour of paint into a pie plate and use the eraser end of a pencil to dab and make snow flurries on your card. The effect is so simple and graphic and I love it! You could also use a felt-tip pen to handwrite a message across the bottom of the card — like, “Happy Holidays” or “Oh Christmas Tree” or whatever.

This was my Christmas haul from Walmart and it represents everything you’ll need to complete the projects above. Everything is super affordable, and super easy, so why not relax this year and make a pit stop at Walmart?

The creativity doesn’t stop at gift wrapping — learn how to make your own ornaments in our Online TV show on DIY Holiday Sconces & Ornaments.

Oh, and make these cookies!

Grandma Austin’s Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup icing sugar

Beat butter until light. Sift flour, cornstarch and icing sugar into butter and mix well. Flour hands and roll into small balls. Place balls on ungreased baking sheet and flatten with fork. Bake 20-25 minutes at 300°F.

Photo credits:
Michael Penney

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Talk to most decorators and they’ll tell you that lighting is key to a successful room. In my opinion, flattering lighting is right up there with wall colour and furniture placement as a basic building block for making a space beautiful. 

Take a look at this Jeffrey Bilhuber-designed room. There’s a lot going on, but Bilhuber made sure that the people who live here had their lighting needs met. If there’s a chair for reading, he’s added a floor lamp. Since most people read in bed, there’s lighting for that too. Notice how he used sconces mounted to the bookshelves. This way the nightstands have surface area freed up for that glass of water, vase of flowers or bag of Cheetos.

Another great example is this Bilhuber dining room with its pretty wallpaper and grand furnishings. With such heavy elements, this room needed some lifting — and lighting does just that. The chandelier is light and sparkly and has enough heft to balance off the table. Plus, there is a pair of shaded sconces to illuminate the sideboard. I can just imagine a dinner party here with the lights dimmed for a perfect romantic glow. 

But let’s face it folks — good lighting can be expensive. Heck, BAD lighting can be expensive! This week my Mom was looking for an affordable chandelier to hang for an upcoming holiday party. To help her out (and prevent a less-than-stellar purchase) I did a little online shopping for her over at The Home Depot, or The Depot as we call it around H&H. Guess what? I found tons! Hold on to your hats!

The first is this perfect bell jar hurricane. It’s $149! I used to work in a shop that sold these for triple this price! I’ve used this guy for two homeowners already!

Everyone loves the retro vibe of these schoolhouse-style pendants. Loving the weathered bronze finish here and it costs a mere $50.

You know you’ve seen this one before! Designers love to use these star pendants in small entryways, lined up down a hallway or in a dressing room or powder room. And I know of a certain fancy boutique in town that sells them for a small fortune. This baby’s $139!

This swing arm wall light would be comfortably at home in one of Jeffrey Bilhuber’s designs, don’t you think? Love it and its dressy pleated shade for $48.

Here’s the mini version for you to mount on your own bookcase wall! $50!

I love this sconce for a modern bathroom. How great would this look mounted right onto a wall of mirror? So sleek and clean! Did I mention it’s under $30? I can’t even buy dinner for that these days!!

Decorators have gone crazy for these nautical/industrial outdoor lanterns used inside. We’ve got a house coming up in the January 2010 issue with lights a lot like these. High-end lighting manufacturers carry these for big bucks, but The Home Depot’s version is under $100. Not bad!

And it may be my love of Julia Child’s copper pot-laden kitchen in the recent movie or those timeless examples over at Martha Stewart’s, but this copper wall lantern has my name all over it! $127! Picture these mounted as sconces on either side of a handsome fireplace mantel.

For the bathroom, here’s a two-light sconce for over the mirror in a nice dark and moody finish. Delish and $50.

These modern desk lamps have graced our pages a lot lately, but this one is a SHOCKING $30!

For an even more shocking $18, there’s this perfect retro stunner with period-perfect pinholes. I mean seriously — where have you been all my life?!

Finally, for some chandeliers, I offer this drum shade/chandelier combo. Feels like classic Restoration Hardware, but costs a fraction of the price at $139. I’ve used this one twice, too! Looooove it!

For something more old world and dramatic, try this black chandelier with just enough curly flourish (but not too much!) for $130. Would love this over a round wooden table with rustic dishes and tumblers. Centerpiece? Wildflowers.

Finally this elegant number. It would also look fantastic spray-painted in glossy white or a fun fashion colour. Scoop this baby up for $169! I kid you not!

Now if someone can just find me this dazzling ship-light at a hardware store…Anyone?

For Morgan Michener’s lighting picks, read her Timeless Lighting Options blog post.

Photo credits:
1. Jeffrey Bilhuber, Urban Charm
2. Jeffrey Bilhuber, Defining Details
3-16. The Home Depot
17. Jeffrey Bilhuber, Confident Color

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