Transform your space with a gallery wall

 Imagine walking into a room and being immediately captivated by a gallery wall that tells a story—your story. Gallery walls have become a transformative element in home decor, offering a unique way to personalize and elevate your living spaces. In Ottawa, where homes often blend historical charm with modern aesthetics,

The top design features to add to your home

 Have you bought a pre-built home that you would like to renovate to match your personal style? Or, would you like to breathe some new life into an older house? Well, it doesn’t matter which situation you are faced with, you have plenty of features to select from. However, some

What role place of origin plays when it come to home décor choice

 Coming up with the right décor for your home is one hectic job everyone has to go through, especially when you are unsure of the theme you want. You may make several mistakes that will leave you frustrated every time you enter your home. This should not always be the

Spring Has Sprung

 How you do you prepare your home for spring? There is just something about the sun streaming in through my home, windows open and a gentle fresh breeze  blowing in! The days are longer, and this marks the beginning of months of carefree days in the sunshine. Kind of like

Hop To It — Ideas for Easter!

 Every part of Easter should be touched with laughter and fun if you plan a little ahead of time. Thinking about the celebratory meal, family together and festivities. My highlight is having family together and gathering around the Dining Table for endless hours of conversation and celebration. As the table is

Glam Up Your Closet for Spring!

 Spring has not only Sprung, with home refreshening in the mix, but what about reorganizing your closet? It’s time to switch out the winter clothes and bring in your new season’s wardrobe. As climate can be extreme in Canada, we look forward to the next months of warmth. For me,

Doing the White Thing!

 An all white colour scheme looks so inviting. Clean, effortless and so Euro Chic. White is simple and strong. Whether it’s maximizing a limited source of light or creating a comfortable interior, these rooms show white in a big way! White is never boring, in fact it can be very

Cloudy with a Chance of Design

 It is a bit overcast in Miami today, perfect day to mooch about in the Design District. I popped by for a cappuccino with my friend and designer extraordinaire at Tui Lifestyle. I absolutely love Tui’s take on furnishings… Miami modern chic meets warm inviting home. I could spend endless

John’s Reno Tips | Adding the Finishing Touches

 By the end of any home renovation process, you may be sick of the hassles it has entailed. However, make sure you’re not walking away from an unfinished project with these practical tips from John Gordon, owner of Your Reno Guys contracting business in Ottawa. Here are a few tips to ensure any space looks polished and welcoming. Tip

Taxidermy Trend

 The resurgence of taxidermy as a desirable element of home décor is something to be embraced. Over the past several years, we have witnessed the design trend incorporated into commercial spaces and it finally is making a dramatic appearance in homes. With animal pelts, skulls and heads plastered on the

Let It All Hang Out

 Exposed wooden beams are growing in popularity with the massive prevalence of using reclaimed wood in modern décor. Within this dated mid-century space, the design stage boasts minimalism and functionality, yet the homeowner desired elements of traditional adornment, so our beams are the perfect complement to the dramatic fireplace. Our

Drab to Fab–Six Easy Steps

 1. Select a Monochromatic Colour Scheme  Select a light, monochromatic colour scheme of cool hues. It will make the space appear more expansive while incorporating an element of serenity. Painting everything a unifying colour will make the space visually expand. This reduces the number of transitions, creating a more expansive feel

Ottawa Antique Market: For Serious Antique-Lovers

 The Ottawa Antique Market is one of the city’s retail gems. Located on Bank St. in Ottawa South and tucked in the side of the building, stepping through its doors transports you to the best flea market you’ve ever laid eyes on. You can shop all the usual suspects commonly

An Impromptu Q&A with OLM’s DesignerDIY

 This past weekend I was invited to be a speaker at the Ottawa Home and Design Show at the EY Centre. Despite a few technical glitches, we managed our way through with creative enthusiasm. Since challenges are merely opportunities in disguise, I decided to scrap the presentation and join the crowd to

Pfister Pfaucet Pfabulous

 Kamato Single Handle Lavatory Faucet (Drain Included) Pforever Seal™- features advanced ceramic disc valve technology with a never leak guarantee WaterSense Certified- 30 per cent less water consumption without compromising your water experience 1 or 3-hole mount with optional deck plate Decorative Waterfall Spout Features Push & Seal™ tool-less drain

Bidding the Bathroom Blahs Bye-Bye

 As with every large purchase decision in life, there are many factors that should be considered. Take for instance the purchase of a new home build, with so many available options and upgrades, the decisions can be overwhelming. We all want the model home look without the model home price.

A Kitchen Catastrophe – Greasy Granite

 So…who knew that a butter blob could wreak such havoc on my new granite counter tops? Yes, I know I should have sealed them, but figured…meh…what’s the worst that could happen? Well, let me tell you what I came home to today….an ENORMOUS greasy butter blob stain smack dab in the

Designing The Perfect Work-Life Balance

 So what prompted the 'designing the perfect work-life balance' series? In one of my previous posts, 'Designing the Perfect Work-Life Balance', I discuss a forthcoming project and this is why... It started with a nonchalant conversation with an entrepreneur friend of mine as we casually discussed the number of hours we worked in any

Eclectic Beach House — A Retro Revival

 All images courtesy of: Natalie Mireault Photography In most cases, the inspiration and vision for a renovation can come almost immediately after seeing the space. However, in the case of this particular home things were a bit more complicated. There are several neighbourhoods in Ottawa that boast a certain element of

Victorian Vogue — Ceiling Drama

 The ornate features of the Victoria Era included decorative elements of design such as intricate mouldings and plasterwork that would fabulously adorn the ceilings of interior spaces. However, in the late 1800s, tin ceilings were introduced as an affordable alternative. During this period, thin rolls of tin were being individually

Vintage Mod

 Looking for decorative flare without all of the flash?  If so, then the second featured style in our series is sure to please.  Mid-century modern decor continues to dominate and here are some of the great finds that you can incorporate into your home for less. Classic features of this

Designer DIY – Chantsy’s Creative Conundrum

 Chantsy from Ottawa tells us about her latest reclaimed treasure and asks our opinion on her creative conundrum:   Here’s what our readers suggest: ‘I vote change the shade keep the enamel’ - Melissa ‘I say paint it white only because it's already been ruined with paint. You could sand

Timeless Elegance

 Home decor and trending styles, like all good things, regardless of their initial appeal, eventually come to an end. Fads such as colours, shapes, fabrics and textures have a very finite existence.  Luckily, home decor has a much longer shelf life than your average seasonal runway collection; however, this does

Brandelyn Cameron of Haute Decor Interiors is thrilled about the partnership with OLM as their newest online columnist bringing you the DesignerDIY Column

 Join us online as our DesignerDIY accredited Interior Decorator, Brandelyn Cameron of Haute Decor Interiors, takes the city by storm with her do-it-yourself debacles. Brandelyn will feature several ‘how-to’ stories on DIY property styling, remodelling, home staging, furniture restoration, green design, soy candles, lip gloss and…well, you name it, we’ll

Designs Worthy of Realizing

 Furniture creation may not be what he thought he’d be doing for his day job, but Ottawa-based furniture maker Chris Solar stumbled onto it and he has never looked back. Solar went to the University of Waterloo for Computer Engineering and moved to Ottawa to pursue a career with Nortel