Back to School

Its that time again! Time to re-organized the house and get that study area ready for the kids. You do not need a huge budget to make a great impact in a room. It is about knowing where to find the best deals as well as modifying already made items to best fit your space.  

We are in love with the cabinet options Ikea has to offer. By buying pre-fabricated pieces from Ikea and customizing them to suit your room saves time and money. Adding gorgeous Quarts countertop creates an expensive crisp, clean look. Looking for a more affordable option? Go with butcher block. It adds warmth to a room and better yet, can be sanded down after lots of use from the kiddos and their crafts and homework.

Designing a study space is easier than you think! Check out some of the great items we found that will keep your space organized and looking great throughout the school year. 

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 Here is my kid's office.  It is right off the kitchen so I can watch the kids on the computer.  Plus easy access for looking up recipes online.  I used Ikea drawer units and butcher block countertops.  The butcher block is now full of glue, glitter and felt pens.  The beauty is that I can flip over the countertops and have a new surface, or sand them down.  I don't feel like I need to be stressed about the kids wrecking the surface.  I just let their creative juices flow!  The window sill provides a place to display the endless supply of art projects that trickle home.

Ive had the itch lately to clean out some cupboards so I feel organized as we jump into a new school year.  So I did a little organization in my closet.  Baskets for storage... love the texture!  A couple of old jewelry boxes holding pieces I can't part with.  Some fancy shoe boxes for colour and storage.  A clock and a cute picture of my son.  Now this space makes me smile.  I love it.

A little bit of pretty art on a bare wall.  Print is by Designs by Maria

My pantry too was needing a little spruce up.  I started by organizing and cleaning it up!  Then I put all the ingredients that I don't normally have on hand in large quantities, into mason jars.  I mean really, my pantry will never be in a magazine... we live here!  But it just feels good to be a bit more organized in a pretty way.

I got the cute chalk board labels at Staples.

 Hopefully your transition from fun in the sun to routine goes smoothly.


Have a great week, 

The Grapevine Design Team 

cabin fever

Nautical decor is hot right now!  A little late since I decorated our cottage on the ocean 2 years ago!  Here is a little sample of what we did!

Before:

After:

Check out more of the reno here

Since our cottage has been around since the mid 60's there are all sort of treasures here!

Now we've gone all out with the nautical theme.  Its just a summer home and we are immersed in the cottage lifestyle while we are here.  But why not bring a bit of nautical to the city?  I think every room could have a reminder of the sea.  It could be just a subtle detail; like a rope detail? or a touch of nautical stripes?

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Nautical style has also shown up in the latest fashion trends.

Bracelet, Bikini, Anchor Top, iPhone case, striped top, striped short, heel

Adding a bit of nautical to your life just helps you feel like you are on vacation!  Wherever you spend your vacation time this summer, I hope you thoroughly have enjoyed it.  In Vancouver, BC we have had a record breaking summer for some of the most beautiful weather ever!  I am so grateful.

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Just type in "grapevinefurnitureanddesign"

Gold!

Gold has truly made a comeback. Who would have guessed those out dated gold light fixtures you saw in older homes would be back on the scene in 2013. As Lisa mentioned in this blog post, eyebrows were raised when she put gold light fixtures in her home a few years ago. Check out the photo below of her gorgeous dining room!

Love her dining room? Furniture and light fixtures are from some of the manufacturers we work with. 

Light Fixture: Robert Abbey Lighting

Chairs: Stylus

Dining Table: Stanley Furniture

Mirrored Buffet: Elte

At Grapevine, we get to work with some amazing fixture and furniture manufacturers, Redford House is just one of them and they have some gorgeous gold pieces. Check out these pieces as well as some gold fixtures and accessories we are loving right now. Make a statement with a bold light fixture or piece of furniture, such as a side table. Or there are subtler options, a gold picture frame or gold dipped bowl. 

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Need more inspiration? Here are some pictures I have recently pinned that have hints of gold.

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We love keeping up to date on our favorite blogs with the help of Bloglovin.  Now you can find our little blog there too!  Click here to follow us!

Enjoy the rest of your week,

The Grapevine Team

Lisa's Favorite Things for Accessorizing your Home - GIVEAWAY!

Nicole and I have been working on this for awhile, and the time is finally here!  I love many aspects of my job.....  Bookkeeping and invoicing not so much!  But that is why we have Debbie and a CA for a hubby ;)  Back to what I love!  Decorating!  I love the designing of spaces, the flow, the sight lines, the finishes, and fixtures... especially light fixtures!  How I love light fixtures!  Getting carried away again...  But I really love the decorating.  The finishing touches.  The fabrics! Bedding!  Art!  And of course... ACCESSORIES!  So I decided to offer a giveaway of a few of my favorite things for accessorizing your home.  This prize is valued at approximately $300.

1.  Box http://www.target.ca/en/
2.  Owl  http://www.westelm.com/
3.  Throw  http://www.homeoutfitters.com/en
4.  Frame  http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/
     Print   http://www.ssprintshop.com/
5.  Box   http://www.target.ca/en/
6.  Box  http://www.homesense.ca/en/index.asp
7.  Voluspa candle http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/
8.  Tray  http://www.westelm.com/
9.  Dazzling Design by Amanda Nisbet  Amazon
10.  Wooden bowl  http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/
11.  Cloche:  http://www.homeoutfitters.com/en
        Succulent  http://www.artsnursery.com/

I love this print from SS Print Shop.  Such lovely inspirational and fun prints.  There are also great ones to be found at:  Designs by Maria, Kardz Kouture
I put the print in a simple frame from IKEA and paired it with a lovely Voluspa candle and fresh picked flowers from my garden;)

The book is "Dazzling Design" by my favorite designer Amanda Nisbet.  The book is a treasure trove of colourful interiors. Quite an inspiration.  But its nice to just have it on a shelf complimented with a quaint box or vase.

 This vignette is my favorite!  The gold lantern from Target on a marble side table in my home.   I love gold more and more every year.  There were a few eyebrows raised when I put gold light fixtures in my new home a couple years ago.  Now I wish I had gold faucets too!
 A little bowl could be part of any of these arrangements.  Its such a versatile piece.

I love love love a cloche.  You can put anything underneath from a single hydrangea flower (fake) or a little bird statue.  Here I've put a potted succulent.  Another little box with a gold chevron detail and an owl.  I still love owls, but in my home you'll find many little bird statues.

If you know anything about fashion, you'll know that ombre is all the rage.  Ombre is the transition of a colour from light to dark or vice versus.  From Ombre hair (i dream), to ombre shirts, napkins etc.  Here is an ombre throw from Pantone.

Now what you need to win all these goodies is the following:  You'll get an entry for each step you complete, but you must comment on this blog with what you did.

1.  Like Grapevine Furniture & Design on Facebook
2.  Share this blog post and/or the facebook post on your wall
3.  Follow me on instgram
4.  Regram my post on instagram

Winner will be chosen at random with the help of randomgenerator.com and announced August 19th

*Unfortunately this prize package is only available to those in the Greater Vancouver area.

Good Luck!

It's That Time Again...

Summer is just around the corner and that means we have to start thinking about getting our outdoor living space ready for entertaining on those long, hot summer nights.
Outdoor furniture and accessories have taken a turn for the better in the last few seasons! Gone are the uncomfortable hard, plastic chairs and plain colours.  This year, there are amazing textures, bold colours and gorgeous patterns. There are so many options out there that will allow you to show off your style in your outdoor space. We offer a great selection of outdoor furniture from some of our amazing suppliers.  Villa Cabana collection from J. Ennis is offering more unique pieces to jazz up your space.   American Home & Patio offers outdoor foam that is "quick drying reticulated foam".  This plus the fact that Sunbrella fabric is used makes this a perfect outdoor option for patios that are not covered. The Sunbrella fabric is fade, mold and mildew resistant, and since the foam dries super quick you'll be able to avoid wet bums!  

Check out some of the amazing patio sets we've discovered and some accessories we've fallen in love with.

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Needing a little more inspiration?

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Heres to hoping the rain goes away!

Enjoy the rest of your week,
The Grapevine Design Team

Looking for Inspiration...

First off, I want to say how excited I am for this opportunity. To be able to work in the same industry that I am studying and have such a huge passion for has been such a blessing, not to mention that I get to work for an designer who's style is gorgeous and knowledge of the industry priceless. And now to have the opportunity to share my passion by writing about it is such a fun opportunity. 

Now, to get down to business… we are excited to be offering consultation services to help pull together inspiration and design ideas. Sometimes it is hard to know where to start. An inspiration board is a great starting point to help steer the design process in the right direction. Whether you are tackling the renovation yourself or you have hired a contractor or interior designer, refer back to your inspiration board to make sure you are on the right track and your vision is coming to life. Check out some of the inspiration boards we have done for past clients.

Enjoy the rest of your week,

Nicole

Introducing...

I know, I know, its been awhile.  I am back at my cabin and taking the time to dive back into my blog.  But clearly, blogging is not my forte.  I love designing and my family and I throw myself into both whole-heartedly.  Unfortunately, I need my sleep too :(  Blogging has taken a back seat.  So.... introducing Nicole Kanters!  Nicole is an interior design student who just married the son of the farther-son contractor team that I have been working with for years:  Westland Developments.  Nicole has a small obsession with design blogs, so she has agreed to help me stay more up to date with the blog.  Nicole is also working as my design assistant.

With Nicole's permission I stole this wedding picture off Facebook!

Its been an exciting year.  I look forward to sharing more in upcoming posts.  Here are a few sneak peaks of what Ive been working on.  You can follow me on Instagram by clicking here

Ive been finishing off a few details of phase one in the renovation of Fluid Day Spa.  

I helped a client furnish their new beautiful home in Abbotsford.  More pictures to come!

But mostly Ive been helping a lovely, very tall, very sporty, very fun family rebuild their home that was ravaged by fire.

I am also working on a master bedroom makeover.  I'm in love with the scheme that we have come up with!

I am also regularly adding new furniture distributors to my list of suppliers.  I have had my biggest year in furniture sales yet as more people discover the great products and great prices that I can offer.

If you follow me on instagram, you are getting a bit of a repeat, so I apologize.  But stay tuned, and we'll give you some fresh material soon!

Thanks for taking the time to read.  Feel free to comment.  Also, let me know if there is anything particular you'd like to see on my blog in the coming weeks!

Lisa