Affordable Style

I'm constantly on the hunt for beautiful and unusual items for the magazine and my own home. I love vintage, but it's nice to find stores that carry new items with the same appeal as found items from the flea market. Most big chain stores only carry what's going to sell to the masses, and unfortunately for us shoppers, it can get a little bland.

That is not the case with Urban Outfitters. Known as an emporium of hipster style, this fashion and lifestyle store has a huge variety of interesting items. Some are just plain wacky, and that’s why I wanted to blog about this store today. If you look carefully, you can find really great decorating items that are as sophisticated as they are quirky.

Check out what I’m loving at Urban Outfitters:

First, a mid-century staple, the Butterfly Chair. I love this one in weathered leather. Hey, that’s a tongue twister! This Ikat Dots Pillow is fashion-forward yet subtle in a grey-cream colourway. It would suit any sofa.

Okay, this Tufted Storage Bench is perfect! It has a simple, traditional shape that works with any style and it has plenty of storage — the top comes off to stow your stuff. It’s a nice, softer alternative to all those leather ones we’re seeing out there. Everyone here at House & Home loves French tufted upholstery, especially in toss cushions. Urban Outfitters has these really affordable Corduroy Floor Pillows in lots of colours. They're perfect to throw on the floor and lounge on, or line them up on a banquette.

Headboards are hard to come by, and most of the ones you see in magazines are custom. I love the graceful curve of this UO Velvet Tufted Headboard. It comes in other colours, too, but this gentle ivory is so grown up. If the ivory headboard feels a little safe for you, you can always wake it up with fun and fresh bedding. How about a pretty pink Dandelions Duvet Cover?

You cannot escape the industrial trend these days, and Urban Outfitters has you covered once again. This Rolling Side Table would be the perfect masculine counterpart to that feminine headboard and bedding. UO always has fun and crazy rugs, too. This Striped Cabbage Rose Rug is pretty and not too nuts! Actually, now that I think of it, it’s the perfect representation of my style at the moment — old-school patterns and Breton stripes!

You should definitely check out your nearest Urban Outfitters — they have locations in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. But the good news is they will ship to other provinces, and have lots to order online. Happy treasure hunting!

See more great budget finds in Stephanie White's picks from the Ikea 2011 catalogue!

Photo credits:
1-8. Urban Outfitters

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While poking around Maine this summer, I took some shots of some serious dream houses. They may not be everyone’s dream, but for someone who grew up imagining a life in a house like Martha Stewart’s famed Turkey Hill, these are drop dead gorgeous.

They’re Federal in style, which is a later evolution of the Georgian house so popular in colonial America. They often have five windows over four, a centre hall plan, and are simple, rational and drool-worthy in my opinion!

American architect Gil Schafer is known for restoring and designing houses in the style today. Wouldn’t you love a pretty white house set on a rolling hill?

And, if you’re like me, you imagine walking inside to be greeted by a centre hall like this…

Martha Stewart’s Turkey Hill house is where she started her empire and defined her style. She bought and renovated it in the ’70s and began experimenting with decorating, mixing high and low, formal and casual, to create that now-famous decorating formula.

Here it is more recently. (Before she sold it! Bah!). I like the putty colour as an alternative to white. Although I think I’d still do white.

And the drool-worthy gardens out back…

Okay, now for the juicy bit. I just recently stumbled upon this home near where I grew up! I’d never seen it before in all those years and I think it has lots of potential!  Okay okay, there wasn’t a For Sale sign, but maybe I could knock on their door? What do you think?

For more traditional style, see our Traditional Cottages photo gallery. Plus, watch a tour of a gloriously restored 1830s Federal-style house.

Photo credits:
1-4. Michael Penney
5. Greek Revival House, G. P. Schafer Architect
6. Horse Farm in Upstate New York, G. P. Schafer Architect
7-9. Turkey Hill: Martha’s First House, Martha Stewart
10. Michael Penney

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It’s that time of year — the Ikea 2011 catalogue has arrived! And it’s online. There are so many great things! Here are some cool finds that really stood out for me:

Still on trend — get the look of mudcloth with the Vilmie Figur cushion cover.

I love these handblown Närhet white and red wine glasses, and what a great price at $3 each!

Make a statement with the Trådig bowl — I love its fiery red colour!

The Lård cutlery set is beautifully simple and would really elevate a modern place setting.

The industrial lamp is definitely a trend for 2011. This Trål is a good-looking lamp that won’t break the bank at $30!

The Åryd block candle holders come in black and white in a variety of different sizes — these would look great as a large grouping on a mantle or tabletop. And there is so much more! Check out the online catalogue at Ikea.ca!

Plus, see more Ikea pieces in striking House & Home interiors.

Photo credits:
1-6. Ikea

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I’m back from vacation and fully inspired! My wife Sara and I decided last-minute to head back to Maine for a mini-stay at our favourite hotel, The Colony in Kennebunkport, Maine. Here are a few of my snapshots that capture its achingly beautiful, authentic style.

Here’s the old seaside charmer perched on the edge of the Atlantic. That rock wall supports the saltwater pool.

This is a view of the pool and perfect summer sky. The red and white striped umbrellas look so chic when they’re all opened up. The awning in the foreground is over the entrance to the Marine Room Lounge (below), the hotel’s authentic old-school watering hole. There’s even a guy tinkling on the piano!

Here’s a view of the dining room where we ate our anniversary dinner last time in that enclosed porch. There was a quick thunderstorm and the rain poured down all around us while we ate by candlelight. 

The rooms are wallpapered in old-fashioned floral prints and have views out over the ocean through perfect white curtains. The furniture is all original, too, and the beds are made with pure white coverlets.

I love all of the old, painted wicker furniture that lines the covered verandahs. This one is next to the front entrance. Crisp white and deep, rich green — ahhhh… love that lantern on the wall, too!

I also had a chance to do some antiquing! More on that to come. Antiques USA was a treasure trove!

Here’s a view of the back of our car loaded up with some of our finds. I had to laugh at this shot — the wing chair legs look like a turkey being stuffed! Oh, and I think that’s Sara’s beach hat making an appearance.

After hunting down our antique treasures we stopped for lunch at this charming bakery. The Port Bakery and Café in Kennebunk had great food and great style. They even had those famous whoopie pies I’m always hearing about from one of my fave bloggers, Katy Elliott. I had to try one, of course. 

Here’s the whoopie pie. It was just the ticket and gave me all the energy I needed to lounge by the pool.

Okay, I think another last-minute trip is in order…

Read about my first road trip to Maine in my blog post from last summer.

Photo credits:
1-10. Michael Penney

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Well, it’s official. I’ve come to that age when all my friends are having babies! In fact, I am the very proud uncle of a rambunctious 2-and-a-half year old. He and I were debating whether or not a fabric store was ‘yucky’ on the weekend. I assured him fabric stores are anything but yucky.

My dear friends, Kristin and Ryan, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl (Anna) on June 28^th and her insane cuteness has got me inspired to find stylish nursery options. This is new territory for me and a design style that I hope not to try out at home for a while yet! I’ll leave that to my friends.

Let’s start with the crib. The centre of any nursery, the crib is important but doesn’t have to be tricked out, in my opinion. I love the clean simplicity of this Gulliver crib from Ikea. I also love its $140 price!

How about hanging this adorable, vintage-inspired mobile from Restoration Hardware over your Ikea crib? So fun!

I have to be honest, I’m not loving most of what’s out there linen-wise for cribs. Let’s keep it classic, shall we? You can buy quilts like this online or make one yourself.

Another nursery classic is the mural. If you can’t draw or paint one yourself, you can find these charming decals at Pottery Barn Kids. Love these.

Or, if you want to go Michael-Penney-crazy, you could wallpaper! How sweet are these two options above from Thibaut?

Finally, even babies need accessories. How about a wool hooked rug that’s soft under little knees? This one’s from Dash & Albert.

Tea time anyone? Invite your teddy bear and pull out the good china — this set is from Ten Thousand Villages and costs just $30. Okay, maybe newborns don’t drink tea, but they will some day! And my nephew better not even think of calling it yucky.

Photo credits:
1. Gulliver crib, Ikea
2. Vintage Airplane Mobile, Restoration Hardware
3. Too Cool Quilts
4-6. Wall decals, Pottery Barn Kids
7. Lily of the Valley, Thibaut
8. Barnegat Bay, Thibaut
9. Red Roses Wool Hooked Rug, Dash & Albert
10. Ceramic Toy Tea Set, Ten Thousand Villages

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Well, guys, I'm on vacation. I’m filing this blog early because, when you read this, I will be deep in the throes of rest and relaxation. Summer is a busy time at House & Home (Christmas in July anyone?) so I’m going to relish my lack of schedule. Instead I will:

Take walks around the neighbourhood and get inspired by dream houses like this. This is actually my neighbour's place!

Dip my feet in a stream (also near my place)…

Take a stroll in my local park… and maybe bring a picnic lunch…

Savour the sweetness of some local produce. These are Ontario strawberries in a vintage dish. Love the fresh green and berry red together, don’t you? Click here for some delicious strawberry recipes.

Enjoy the fruits of my gardening labour. These annual salvias came from my garden. Also, I just painted this room Farrow & Ball’s Teresa’s Green (236), and I’m loving it!

Ahhhh summer vacation…

For more garden inspiration, check out our Gardens section.

Photo credits:
1-5. Michael Penney

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After what feels like a long drought, I had a very successful trip to Value Village last weekend. I’ve been a long-time devotee of “V.V.’s Boutique,” as my aunt calls it, and I’ve spent lots of time combing its aisles. Thrift shopping can be hit and miss, so you have to keep at it and have an open mind. I always warn against hunting for just one specific item, because you hardly ever find it and it sucks the fun out of the experience. Instead, I like to troll for whatever fun and funky item catches my eye and then decide if I’ve gotta have it!

Here’s what I found:

First I found this stylish mid-century club chair. No, that’s not real leather, but it felt much better than other imitators I’ve come across. The colour and shape are great and I love the fine, thin legs. Plus, the tufting really makes it. It was $60 and would make a great ‘statement’ chair in almost any room.

Next I found a pair of these white and gold lamps. As a lover of all things vintage, I think these lamps, in their current finish, would add some charm and soul to an otherwise new-new space. Just add simple, elegant shades and you’re off! They were $10 each, I think. P.S. I’m pretty sure my parents had that blue lamp lurking in the background when I was a kid. I’ll have to get my mom to confirm!

Okay, I have this weird obsession with transferware and this brown and white set made my heart skip a beat! I bought a few plates in different sizes to combine with the other ones I own. I plan to hang them in some sort of grouping on the wall. These were only $3 and $4 a piece.

If the transferware made my heart skip a beat, the copper pots and pans nearly caused a heart attack! I have been searching high and low for affordable copper items for the pot rack in my kitchen! Here it was, a nice little collection for next to nothing on my local Value Village shelf. At this point I went and grabbed a cart…

And here’s the final cart-load. That’s a bunch of copper pots, some charming transferware plates, a few picture frames, a knock-out chinoiserie vase ($8), a vintage basket ($2) for collecting garden clippings, and a hardcover edition of Martha Stewart’s Arranging Flowers (1999 Clarkson Potter). (Did I mention I’ve met her?)

So all in all, a nice haul. I’ve already used the vase in a side table tableaux, mapped out my wall design with the plates, and I’ve been reading the book on the train! What have you found at V.V.’s Boutique lately?

For more affordable decorating tips, check out our Budget Decorating Ideas photo gallery.

Photo credits:
Michael Penney

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With gardens brimming with fresh blooms, don’t you just want to scoop them up and bring them indoors? Garden roses, peonies, hollyhocks and more are practically begging to come inside and offer a little romantic, ladylike elegance to your rooms. Rooms like these, by Virginia-born decorator Charlotte Moss:

Charlotte’s rooms are lush and layered. They feature soft colours and dreamy pattern-on-pattern schemes. Books and decorative objects abound. Her client roster may read like the New Yorker’s society column, but you can steal some of her style and bring it home for less.

Try this decorative chest from Pier 1. It’s called the Pipet Cabinet and it has a classic Moss colour scheme of cream, butter-yellow and leafy green. The birds and branches motif is so Charlotte.

Or, why not freshen up a neutral sofa, chair, or bed with some pretty pillows? These pillow covers are on sale now at Pottery Barn, and if you buy them without the inserts, you can pop them over your existing pillows for a quick, seasonal uplift. I think these would look great on a more sober, antique settee, or piled high on a banquette in a breakfast nook.

Even though Charlotte Moss is known for light, feminine colours, she balances the softness with items that have some heft. Dark bronze trophy-shaped lamps are classic and add some visual weight to the colour scheme. You can find this one at Bowring for $80 — cheap enough to get a symmetrical pair!

Finally, head over to the Thewallpapercompany.com or The Home Depot for this stunning wallpaper (WC1283192). It combines the best of both worlds with fresh, delicate colour and a moody black background! I would construct a three-panel screen out of plywood or hollow-core doors and piano hinges and then wallpaper the screens with this dramatic paper. You can use it as a room divider or behind a sofa. Charlotte would be proud!

See more feminine-inspired rooms.

Photo credits:
1. Anne Lubner Designs
2. Photobucket.com
3. Pier 1
4. Vintage Floral Pillow Covers, Pottery Barn
5. Carly table lamp, Bowring
6. Pattern WC1283192, Thewallpapercompany.com

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I love strawberries. I love them fresh, I love the tiny wild ones, and I love, love, LOVE them in freezer jam! Picking fresh strawberries is one of my all-time favourite summer highlights, so I try to do it each year.

I also love old-fashioned strawberry pots, so that you can pick berries to your heart’s content at home. Recently, I tried my hand at planting a strawberry pot of my very own.

It all starts with the plants. These PC Gigantico strawberry plants are a little bigger than usual, so my potted garden is off to a great head start.

Next, you’ve got to get a pot! I love the look of terracotta, but you can get them glazed, too. This one is from Lowe’s and cost less than $15!

Next, you want to add a little extra drainage. You can use a broken pot, pieces of Styrofoam, or in this case a broken platter (sob) to create little air pockets at the bottom of your planter. This way, excess water has somewhere to go and doesn’t drown your plants. 

On to the soil. You must use potting soil. Garden soil right from the ground is too dense and usually has too much clay in it for pots. It gets hard and dries out when in a flower pot. Potting soil is intentionally light and airy, to keep plants happy and their roots growing easily. This bag cost $4.

To plant the pot, just add enough soil to get you to your first hole. Then pop in a strawberry plant and add more soil. Once you get to the next hole, add another plant and so on. Give the whole pot a good long drink of water and really get all the soil moist. Excess soil will probably leak out of the holes for a while until the roots get established and hold it all together better. 

And here it is! The perfect mini strawberry patch right on your own back step. Give the berries lots of light and you’ll have fruit to snack on throughout June and July. Why not give it a try?

Click here for some delicious recipes with strawberries.

For more potting tips, browse our Container Gardens section.

Photo credits:
Michael Penney

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