Canadian Design Blogs

I'll be honest: In the past, Canadian House & Home was a tad snobby. If a home wasn't located in Canada, designed by a Canadian, or owned by a Canadian, we didn't touch it. We're starting to loosen up the border patrol as the appetite for global style increases, but a huge majority of our content will always be proudly stamped with a maple leaf.

So today I'm sharing H&H's little black book of Canadian design blogs. If you're hopelessly devoted, as we are, to the big U.S. blogs such as Apartment Therapy and design*sponge, you'll notice this batch is a little different. Instead of a cast of dozens, most employ a staff of one. A few boast interviews with the design glitterati, but others are more concerned with unearthing the perfect chandelier. Of course they all share the same passion for design and decorating, and some weave in threads of travel, fashion and family life. So here's a snapshot of some great home-grown talent.

Loved this happy bedspread in the baby's room at Rambling Renovators. Plus I'm a sucker for a good window seat. Readers with bumps, check out the rest of the nursery: the decal of a bird perched on the light switch is adorable!

Two designers in Ottawa and New Westminster, BC, make up DesignTies. Check out their cheeky round-up of pink decorating in honour of this month's breast cancer awareness campaign.

Vancouverite Patricia Gray is one of the country's big-name designers, with awards and celeb clients including chef Rob Feenie and actor John Travolta. Too bad she didn't have more time to blog about finding products like this Orbit recliner — her last post is from the summer. Though you'll like the sections on top paint colours and other design elements along the right-hand column of her page.

"Real Canadians Decorating" is the tagline at Style North, where founder Christopher Jones corrals a small staff of contributors to share home tours, high/low comparisons and new and vintage finds. Saw these great lighting options from West Elm in his quest for affordable tripod lamps.

Ever wonder what ever happened to H&H's former editor Cobi Ladner? I knew she'd land in the design world and it turns out she's joined the blogosphere too. A stylish and passionate collector if ever there was one, I loved these pics of her of vintage airline dishes used as jewelry trays and catchalls.

An engineer by day, blogger by night, Terri Price shares the evolution of her Calgary home and more at Windlost. If you're a blog hound, you'll want to see her pictures from a Washington blogger party she attended with Eddie Ross, Michele from My Notting Hill and others from the blog-orati.

From New Glasgow, N.S., come the design musings and finds of stylist Linda MacDonald at Restyled Home. If you never met a pale blue you didn't like, check out her post on blue kitchens, including her own (shown).

Kitka Design Toronto is a gem for ogling creative spaces like this one, but especially for spotting vintage finds and great design stores in Toronto. I expect I'll get flak for this one because of all the anti-Toronto sentiment out there, but the fact is this is where a HUGE majority of our readers live. If you know of a similar site for your neighbourhood, please hook me up.

For inspiring rooms, finds and snapshots of his own freshly renovated house, stop in at Arren Williams Design Lab, home of the H&H and CityLine contributor and trends reporter. Arren spotted this gorgeous bathroom bling from Bonomi on a recent press trip to Bologna, Italy.

Does it count if half of the blogging duo at Desire To Inspire is Canadian? I think so, but I'm biased since this is one of my go-to blogs for the inspiring interiors and wonderful photography. Speaking of, loved Kim's post on rooms and vignettes shot by photographer David Prince.

Of course there are too many great blogs to feature in just one post. So your homework this week is to support your fellow Canuck design aficionados and to come back next week to discover another great batch!

Photo credits:
1. Rambling Renovators
2. DesignTies
3. Darlings of Chelsea via Patricia Gray
4. West Elm via Style North
5. Cobi Ladner via CobiStyle.com
6. Windlost
7. Restyled Home
8. Juliana Neufeld via Kitka Design Toronto
9. Bonomi via Arren Williams Design Lab
10. David Prince via Desire To Inspire