Do-It-Yourself Barn Board Wall - A Beautiful Basement Feature

For the past year or so I've dreamed of having a barn board wall in my basement. I'd chosen the wall and knew exactly what I wanted, but I knew getting what I wanted might be a different story. Sourcing out and finding actual reclaimed barn board can be tricky and costly. Asking and searching around gave me different options (and expensive ones at that!) but I wasn't sold on any of them.

Then my husband and I were at Home Depot and low and behold there was some unfinished pine barn board in 8 foot lengths for $4.11 each! Woo hoo! After a bit of searching the web and finding some inspirational photos I decided to go with the oil-based Minwax Dark Walnut stain.

I had purchased a wood primer, at the advice of the Home Depot paint department, but decided to forgo applying it since I wanted the look of actual barn board. I didn't want a perfectly applied and absorbed stain. I wanted imperfections and colour variations. So, one stain coat later with a brush and wiped off with a lint-free cloth and the boards were ready for installation (courtesy of my lovely husband)!!! The result was exactly what I wanted. I LIKED my feature wall in Benjamin Moore's Penny but I absolutely LOVE my new barn board feature wall!  It's exactly what I envisioned for the space. Dee:)

POSTCARD REVEAL — Save the Date! The Olde Farmhouse Vintage Market May 30, 2015

Save the date! I recently designed a new postcard and market map with a vintage vibe for Leah from The Olde Farmhouse Vintage Market — so, mark Saturday, May 30 2015 from 9:00am to 4:00pm on your calendars!!! If it's anything like Leah's previous markets, the 2 barns are going to be packed full with wonderful treasures!

The Deesign Project - Create a 5x7 postcard and greyscale map that ties into the vintage, shabby chic feel of The Old Farmhouse identity. Suggesting an old/vintage postcard design was right up Leah's alley! So, I chose to make the card look slightly yellowed, tinged with brown for age and utilized a layout and imagery that would enhance this vintage feel. Well, Leah loved it and so do I!

See you at the market!

Dee:)

Bree's Master Bedroom Makeover - A Work in Progress

Having spent a good chunk of change on outfitting her walk-in closet with custom cabinetry and with finishing touches like a chandelier and a beautiful bold turquoise colour on the wall, Bree knew that her Master Bedroom needed to step it up a notch! That's where I come in. Bree gave me a call to come over to do a colour/design consult for her. Basically, we were starting the room from scratch!

So, utilizing her lovely walk-in closet as inspiration, I chose a gorgeous colour to tie the two spaces together while maintaining her requests for a calming, restful room that would be pretty, but also appeal to her husband! Benjamin Moore's CC-700 Smoky Green was the perfect solution! The colour works well with browns, taupes, turquoise, creamy whites and metallics (gold/silver/bronze).

A few finishing touches are still to be added, such as the drapery rod and panels and some artwork, but overall, the room has been transformed into a soothing, restful retreat that is absolutely beautiful!

Dee:)

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AFTER

Head's up! The Kanaka Creek Elementary Business & Craft Fair is May 9

Have a home-based business? Ready to showcase your crafting talent? The Kanaka Creek Elementary Business and Craft Fair that will be held on Saturday, May 9, is your opportunity to share your goods! Registration deadline for students is the end of January. Make sure you get your table before then if your child has a business / craft (s)he would like to share with the community.

Please contact Deborah Raymond at KanakaBusinessFair@gmail.com for more information.

Dee:)

Casino Royale Fundraiser - Kanaka Creek Elementary presents Casino Royale February 21, 2015

Kanaka Creek Elementary PAC presents a fun-filled fundraiser - Casino Royale. I've had the pleasure once again in designing the marketing pieces for this event including an 11x17 poster, a program cover and tickets.

Tickets are only $55 and include a catered buffet dinner, funny money casino games, a DJ dance and a photo booth. There will be a cash bar, silent and live auction items (last year we went on a houseboat from this auction!!!) and raffles, including a wall of wine! Email Kanakacasinonight@gmail.com or visit the Kanaka Creek Elementary office to order your tickets.

Dee:)

Sophia's Bedroom Makeover - Pink and Turquoise Transform a Girl's Bedroom

Working with a beautiful turquoise headboard and a cute pink owl comforter, I was asked to transform this once boring "older brother bedroom" into a bedroom suitable for an artistic 8 year-old. Adding a focal wall of Benjamin Moore's Raspberry Mousse 2076-40 and wrapping the remaining walls in Forget Me Not 2049-60, I was able to highlight the gorgeous headboard and allow the room to be be a fun, energetic space for Sophia. As you'll see from the before and after shots, the end-result turned out even better than I could have imagined! Sophia's bedroom is absolutely stunning!

Dee:)

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AFTER

Colour refresh - Chapdelaine Residence

Happy to once again work with my client Raquel, I was asked to freshen up her kitchen, dining area, living room and hallway with some happy and fresh colours. A native of Brazil, with beautiful artwork adorning her home and splashes of colour everywhere, Raquel is not afraid of colour. Since we live on the westcoast, which means a lot of rain in the fall and winter months, I was requested to find colours that would brighten their family home while maintaining an aura of warmth. Utilizing Benjamin Moore colours, I encouraged Raquel to paint her kitchen and dining area in Woodlawn Blue HC-147 and the great room and hallway in Desert Tan 2153-50. Well, as you'll see from the following photos, the results are beautiful! Happy client and happy design consultant! 

So, next time you're not sure how to freshen up your space consider a new colour palette; it could be all your space needs to feel rejuvenated!

Dee :)