BABY IT IS COLD OUTSIDE - BUT WARM BESIDE THE HEARTH

Once the Season's decorations are up and I start to look forward to the events on my calendar it always, I mean, always, uplifts my spirit and takes me back to all the memories of past Christmases. The times I was determined, as a little girl, to not fall asleep until I heard Santa's sleigh on the roof and him climbing the ladder that was there waiting for him to access the chimney pipe. Of course, I always fell asleep with sugar plumbs dancing in my head! It took a few years but I knew the ladder that was always on the roof was there for Grandpa to access the chimney! I just never admitted it.

I now have my very used and loved "The Night Before Christmas" story book tucked away to be brought out to read Christmas eve to my Grand children. I somehow want them to imagine that ladder on the roof and also anticipate the sounds of Santa's sleigh and reindeer as they land on the roof. A child's capacity for imagination comes only once and I am determined to help them use it. Love Nana!

I remember those years when the family gathered at my grandparents. The family was small enough to still all "come home" (my grandparents farm) for Christmas but large enough to fill the farm house with excitement. Everyone wore their Sunday best; Grandpa with his tie and Grandma with her Christmas dress with the holly on the collar and a starched apron. I had to sit quietly while mommy perfected my ringlets. It was exciting to hear another car pulling in to the driveway.

Now, I have my grandchildren whose Mommy and Daddy, (my daughter and son-in-law), who are giving their children the gift of Christmas. Dotted with stories, imagination and anticipation. I love that they are creating for them, a feeling that can last and build for the few weeks coming into Christmas day. This, I believe, will be, the thing that grows with them into adulthood and what they will do with their children.

I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a season of splendid memories!

BEV

If you need help with arranging, rearranging or changing your spaces please do not hesitate to 

give Room For Change Decor Inc. a call. 

780 469-2718 

I CAN''T HELP MYSELF - UNEXPECTED DECOR FINDS AND SUMMER SNOOPING

"Estate Sale"................. brake, slow down, go around the block, follow the arrow............

This is part of the freedom of summer in the city.................

Being my own boss and having a business that meshes wonderfully with the whimsical, creative side allows me the luxury of detouring midday when I spot an "estate sale" sign.

It has been a busy summer for this decorator, however, I also take time to indulge in one of my favorite pass times...........sleuthing for "finds".................

I have one major rule for myself. I cannot take it home unless I can repurpose it. However, there are occasions when I just take home a "smile" at what I spotted. At other times simply a memory of a serendipity moment with a vendor hearing the story behind an object or tasting their produce. I cannot forget the people who make it possible for me to find whimsy in sometimes an otherwise complicated world.

Here are a few "summer in the city" finds that I repurposed and also some I had to leave behind but gave me a smile to carry on...my way.

I hope you are enjoying your summer and finding the unexpected in your day. Even if it is simply a good laugh.

Follow me:

My first piece of fine furniture was a coffee table I purchased in 1974 from Baltzan Fine Furniture Store in Edmonton. I followed an Estate Sale sign and discovered it was the leftovers of a life well lived and the home of the family who owned  this fine store!  I took it as a sign that I was meant to find a new home for a print by Ernest Walbourn http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Walbourn called, "Where Bluebells Grow", at their happiest when growing in the dappled shade of deciduous trees, also a silver urn and a glorious mirror. I found a lovely poem about "Bluebells" I have included here.

Spring Morning

Where am I going? I don't quite know.
Down to the stream where the king-cups grow-
Up on the hill where the pine-trees blow-
Anywhere, anywhere. I don't know.

Where am I going? The clouds sail by,
Little ones, baby ones, over the sky.
Where am I going? The shadows pass,
Little ones, baby ones, over the grass.

If you were a cloud, and sailed up there,
You'd sail on water as blue as air,
And you'd see me here in the fields and say:
"Doesn't the sky look green today?"

Where am I going? The high rooks call:
"It's awful fun to be born at all."
Where am I going? The ring-doves coo:
"We do have beautiful things to do."

If you were a bird, and lived on high,
You'd lean on the wind when the wind came by,
You'd say to the wind when it took you away:
"That's where I wanted to go today!"

Where am I going? I don't quite know.
What does it matter where people go?
Down to the wood where the blue-bells grow-
Anywhere, anywhere. I don't know.

A country flea market and some very interesting objects.....Footstools that I felt might have escaped the Smithsonian......you have to appreciate the creative spirit behind the creation! Alas, I did not repurpose this one.

Stopped by a vendor whose freshly picked strawberries were the sweetest part of the day! OOH LA LA

A hand crafted turn of the century wooden spoon - perfectly fit with the hand carved wooden bread bowl  - the onion is from my father's garden!

Guess what the next picture is of - give up? - it is linoleum from early 1900's. Like bark cloth these designs are showing up in floor coverings once again today...urban modern, mid century modern...terms that describe a resurgence of pre and post war designs.

I am crazy over Blue plates.........or the Staffordshire country scene designs. I also don't mind mixing blue plate designs so it does not limit me to one particular design. When repeated on a table they make a delightful statement. I recently bid at an auction on a box of Blue Willow china. It reminded me of the plates I ate on in the Chinese restaurants as a kid. There was a mix of reproductions - Japan, England, China. The story behind the Blue Willow pattern is fascinating. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_pattern

Do any of you remember The Corona Hotel from the 1960's and 1970's? or The King Edward (The King Eddie) Hotel back in the 1970's.

Time to head home....................Aw....a wonderful prairie sunset........

SINCERELY

BEV

Need help with your decorating projects, feel free to contact me:

www.roomforchangedecor.com

780 469-2718

SKIPPING INTO SUMMER - and Interior Decorating projects ARE ON YOUR MIND...

The warmth of the Sun's rays have put an extra skip in my step. I think it means that I am ready for warmer weather and summer to arrive!  Ideas that helps when cold weather keeps dragging on. What is the purpose of meeting for lunch with friends? How do you feel afterwards, when driving home or going on your way to continue the tasks that are always constant in your daily life? - Do you feel light-hearted, full of love, and have a sense of belonging? Great – make a date and go somewhere new for lunch. There are a couple recently opened restaurants in my "hood", Canteen and Pure Kitchen,  They are even open for breakfast. What is the purpose of taking a break and getting out of the city and taking a break from the everyday routines? - Sometimes letting go of daily problems or challenges for a short while helps recharge our mental and physical selves. Changing scenery helps us refocus and recharge. I have committed to three weeks in Europe next fall. Do I have reason to work hard? You Bet! Or take in a show at the Imax Theatre Space Odyssey or visit a few of the antique shops in town. Do you have young children or grandchildren? Did you know it is half price at the Royal Alberta Museum on Saturday and Sunday mornings between 9:00am and 11:00 am? What is the purpose of signing up for a course and learning something new? - Well, let me tell you when I signed up for lectures through “ELLA” (Edmonton Life Long Learning) every day for three weeks on subjects ranging from The French Revolution to The Mysteries of the Food Chain to Art History, I was inspired and mentally open for ever! This year I learned at little about Civic Politics with Michael Phair, a retired city councillor and some more heady thought provoking questions in a Religious Studies class with Dr. Maryam Razavy. What is the purpose of taking a walk, with your dog, with a friend or by yourself? You never know what you might discover........... - Physical exercise is not a mystery to what it does for our mental and physical health. It also is an immediate solution to clearing the cobwebs. I have not met anyone who, after straining in an exercise or good long walk does not have a positive outlook or a smile on their face! My friend, Barb, keeps busy during the summer biking around Edmonton with a biking group. She said she got to choose the level of fitness group. She has a ball! I decided to walk to the LRT station to get to the University for my spring classes...not a bad way to start a morning. I wish you all a healthy and forward thinking kind of summer. If you can’t change it, rearrange it. If you can’t rearrange it, recycle it. If you need help with it, call an Interior Decorator/ ReDesigner and then exhale! Or if you have a dock by the bay, sitting and watching the tide go in and out may not be a bad idea either! Inspired and Refired? Cheers! SINCERELY, BEV If you need help with your home's interior decor! call  Room For Change Decor Inc. 780 469-2718

A MOMENT IN A GROCERY STORE

 "Portret Poli Negri" by the artist Tadeusz Styka

"Once something is framed it takes on a purpose and a place"

This quote is from the famous and timelessly beautiful actress, Catherine Deneuve.

Do you have treasures of your past locked away and waiting to be framed?

A friend and I were recently sharing an adventure down a grocery isle in one of our favorite Italian Grocery Marts. We always take our time, pick up the items we cannot get in other grocery stores and seem to always discover something new and interesting to try. 

All of a sudden on this day, my friend exclaims, "there is the chocolate box I saw in Italy and had to buy it just for the cover!"

The chocolates were amazing – but it was the box cover that had caught her eye and enticed her to discover what lay beneath!

The chocolates were exotic, beautifully created and delicately presented. Just like the box cover!

On the cover was a painting of a woman called "Portret Poli Negri" by the artist Tadeusz Styka - and it is a copy from the original painting within the Muzeum Narodowe in Warsaw.

This woman is beautiful! She has a delightful smile on her face, chocolate brown hair in a bob from the '20s, shoulders thrown back, wearing a fur coat and pearls......you just KNOW she has stories to share.

My friend and I, at the same time, exclaimed..."She has to be saved - it has to be framed"! I did just that, I framed the box cover for her birthday!

Once framed, the box cover is now forever a reminder of a special moment enjoyed with my friend. 

Who would guess that at chocolate box cover would create as much joy as the tasty morsels inside!!

 Sincerely,

BEV

www.roomforchangedecor.com

780 469-2718

WINDOW DRESSING PART TWO

CUSTOM WINDOW TREATMENTS OR READY MADE OPTIONS - YOUR WINDOWS DO NOT HAVE TO REMAIN "UNDRESSED"..... there is something for all budgets!

Whether it is custom made or pre-made drapes, this is the ultimate finishing touch to a room. There are many combinations to choose from. There are many considerations to consider. Is it simply to finish and soften your window or is it to provide privacy, protect from suns ultraviolet rays, add extra heat/cold insulation, or, to frame a beautiful view! 

BEFORE

AFTER

This Living Room was transformed with new paint colour, carpet, reupholstered heirloom seating and New Window coverings. Sheers curtains were chosen for light diffusion and for privacy but could be drawn when desired. Drapery panels were chosen to soften the window and frame the view when the sheers were drawn.

BEFORE

AFTER - NEW CUSTOM WINDOW TREATMENTS

BEFORE

AFTER - CUSTOM WINDOW TREATMENT AND NEW ACCESSORIES

BEFORE

AFTER - RECONFIGURED, ADDED PRE-MADE DRAPERY PANELS AND ACCESSORIES

TO DRESS YOUR WINDOW OR NOT TO DRESS YOUR WINDOW?

WHEN SHOULD YOU CONSIDER ADDING A WINDOW TREATMENT: 

1. To create a privacy screen
2.To protect fabrics and flooring from Ultraviolet Rays
3.To hide ugly trim
4.To hide a view
5.To add a layer of insulation
6.To soften a room's overall look

Think of it as adding the simple white pearls to that little black dress!

WHEN TO CONSIDER LEAVING YOUR WINDOWS BARE.

Think of a mountain lodge with huge floor to ceiling windows exposing the most gorgeous view overlooking a valley of evergreens and a sky full of mountain peaks. This might be a time to let the window itself be the only barrier between you and the view. 

Window treatments can be simple and non intrusive to becoming the focal point of the space.  There are solutions to fit all budgets.

Here are a few before and after photos of rooms I have transformed. Notice what a difference the new window coverings make in the spaces.

HAPPY DECORATING!

BEV

click on photo to enlarge

www.roomforchangedecor.com

780-469-2718

BEFORE

AFTER - ADDED CUSTOM WINDOW TREATMENTS, BEDDING AND CARPET

BEFORE

AFTER - NEW CUSTOM WINDOW TREATMENTS, FLOORING, PAINT, FURNITURE, ACCESSORIES

BEFORE

AFTER - ADDING READY MADE WINDOW PANELS, BEDDING LAMPS AND CHAIR AND ACCENTS

BEFORE

AFTER ADDING CUSTOM WINDOW VALANCES

BEFORE

AFTER - ADDING READY MADE WINDOW PANELS AND NEW ACCENTS