So I'm heading to the Big T.O. this weekend to visit a friend (and pick up marble, yay!) - here's the thing, I really REALLY really want to go shopping for home stuff as well and was wondering...are the ReStores in T.O. good? Has anyone been? Is there someplace that is a wild/wet dream of Art Deco lighting? Do you even know??
Please let me know!!!! Thanks :)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
More inspiration photos...
I love the floor in this one, I wonder if I can reproduce it with marmoleum click??
And in this one, I love the clean white with black mouldings...
And this one? The marble, of course - and the floor!!
All images via Newman and Wolen, found via COCOCOZY.
And in this one, I love the clean white with black mouldings...
And this one? The marble, of course - and the floor!!
All images via Newman and Wolen, found via COCOCOZY.
Friday, January 15, 2010
ReStore, how do I love thee?
I only recently discover the two Ottawa ReStore locations - if you don't know what ReStore is, here is a blurb from their website:
The ReStores are owned and operated by Habitat for Humanity. The money raised from the sale of items at the ReStores pays for the overhead costs of operating the National Capital Region's Habitat for Humanity affiliate. Thanks to the ReStores, every dollar donated to Habitat for Humanity NCR will go directly towards building homes for families in need.
The ReStores' shelves are stocked with new and gently used renovation supplies donated by homeowners and businesses. Everything is available to the public at deeply discounted prices.
This week I went in and discovered the PERFECT bathroom light fixture.
I guess I shouldn't say light but lights! Can you believe I found five of these babies?!?!
Not only that but at $15 a piece, they were a total steal. And the best part? Right now, ReStore is having a 25% off sale!
The ReStores are owned and operated by Habitat for Humanity. The money raised from the sale of items at the ReStores pays for the overhead costs of operating the National Capital Region's Habitat for Humanity affiliate. Thanks to the ReStores, every dollar donated to Habitat for Humanity NCR will go directly towards building homes for families in need.
The ReStores' shelves are stocked with new and gently used renovation supplies donated by homeowners and businesses. Everything is available to the public at deeply discounted prices.
This week I went in and discovered the PERFECT bathroom light fixture.
I guess I shouldn't say light but lights! Can you believe I found five of these babies?!?!
Not only that but at $15 a piece, they were a total steal. And the best part? Right now, ReStore is having a 25% off sale!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
20th Street Residence by William Hefner Architecture
I have a thing for marble and really want to include a touch of it in every room. While seeking inspiration for my bathroom remodel, I came across 20th Street Residence by William Hefner found via COCOCOZY.
Monday, January 11, 2010
The Tree Program in Ottawa
Okay so recently I was reading one of my favorite blogs - And Now, Anacostia - I wish that Brantwood Park (is that what my neighborhood is called? I seriously don't know) had a resource like that. DG-Rad is seriously in the know! Maybe I'll get there someday but right now, I'm in reno-love.
Anyway - he has posted repeatedly about how the DC Department of Transportation plants new street trees in neighborhoods. It made me wonder - does Ottawa have a similar program? And let me tell you!
IT DOES! It's called Trees for Tomorrow and here's the write-up:
Take part in planting 100,000 trees in the City of Ottawa by 2010 through the Trees, Reforestation and Environmental Enhancement (TREE) Program. Ottawa residents are eligible to register for a tree to plant on their property and have it delivered it right to their door at no charge.
The city is now accepting registrations for the spring 2010 TREE delivery.
BUT GET THIS - it is the LAST YEAR of the program!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To celebrate the final year of the TREE program, residents who have previously received a tree through the Trees for Tomorrow initiative will now be eligible to receive a second tree! One potted tree per year will be delivered to Ottawa residents on a first-come, first serve basis while quantities last.
Registration
Trees will be available for delivery in the Spring (May/June) and Fall (September/October); the number of trees provided each season will be based on availability. Once each season’s available trees are reserved, registrations will be held for the next available month. The online registration form indicates when your tree will be delivered. There is no fee for delivery. Please note that pick up option is no longer available.
Following registration, you will be sent a delivery notification letter in the mail in the month prior to your delivery. This letter will indicate the approximate delivery week.
A potted tree requires care following delivery. If you will not be home during the delivery period, a neighbour or friend will be required to water the tree until your return.
Trees will not be left at a vacant lot, on the sidewalk or in locations that may impede circulation or pose a hazard to the public. It is at the discretion of the delivery person to leave the tree; if for any reason, the tree cannot be delivered, a delivery notification will be left or you may be contacted to make alternate arrangements.
Go here for all the details or here to register online!
Anyway - he has posted repeatedly about how the DC Department of Transportation plants new street trees in neighborhoods. It made me wonder - does Ottawa have a similar program? And let me tell you!
IT DOES! It's called Trees for Tomorrow and here's the write-up:
Take part in planting 100,000 trees in the City of Ottawa by 2010 through the Trees, Reforestation and Environmental Enhancement (TREE) Program. Ottawa residents are eligible to register for a tree to plant on their property and have it delivered it right to their door at no charge.
The city is now accepting registrations for the spring 2010 TREE delivery.
BUT GET THIS - it is the LAST YEAR of the program!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To celebrate the final year of the TREE program, residents who have previously received a tree through the Trees for Tomorrow initiative will now be eligible to receive a second tree! One potted tree per year will be delivered to Ottawa residents on a first-come, first serve basis while quantities last.
Registration
Trees will be available for delivery in the Spring (May/June) and Fall (September/October); the number of trees provided each season will be based on availability. Once each season’s available trees are reserved, registrations will be held for the next available month. The online registration form indicates when your tree will be delivered. There is no fee for delivery. Please note that pick up option is no longer available.
Following registration, you will be sent a delivery notification letter in the mail in the month prior to your delivery. This letter will indicate the approximate delivery week.
A potted tree requires care following delivery. If you will not be home during the delivery period, a neighbour or friend will be required to water the tree until your return.
Trees will not be left at a vacant lot, on the sidewalk or in locations that may impede circulation or pose a hazard to the public. It is at the discretion of the delivery person to leave the tree; if for any reason, the tree cannot be delivered, a delivery notification will be left or you may be contacted to make alternate arrangements.
Go here for all the details or here to register online!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
More on our never-ending kitchen reno
Well, from my previous post here - you can really see that we've ripped walls down and rebuilt part of the space. My favorite change in the kitchen has to be this one - this ugly, built-in, DIY job was just awful. I won't go into details - lets just say that it was a waste of space and really eliminated light. Not only that but it was a pain to rip out and caused endless problems but now we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I love this shot from during the demo:
And finally - this is what it currently looks like:
I have to admit, we have lost some reno-love steam. I found a fantastic deal on marble for our backsplash and am hoping that we can get a vent guy in soon to deal with our lack of a range. Any suggestions on that?! We bought the wood to do up our uppers, I'm hoping that once that is allll done we can finally get an electrician in and be DONE! In two months!
That sounds so far away.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
For my friend Christine, who is renovating
How is this old post for prophetic? My friend Christine has gotten her hands on some of those beautiful chairs and is on the hot hunt for a knock-off of a tulip table (suggestions anyone?) - I recently saw her on the reno path and wanted to suggest a couple of lights.
The Nimbus via Rejuvenation would be perfect in the kitchen -
And the brand new Asterix from Rejuvenation would be perfect over that tulip table!!!
(you can pick your finishes, I like the silver the most!!!)
The Nimbus via Rejuvenation would be perfect in the kitchen -
And the brand new Asterix from Rejuvenation would be perfect over that tulip table!!!
(you can pick your finishes, I like the silver the most!!!)
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The Green Bin Program
Okay so we bought our house and within a couple of weeks of getting the keys, our new Green Bin arrived. It was completely unexpected and to be honest we have never opened it. Now I have to admit, I heard that it was going to show up on my door step about a week before it did - but other than that, I had never ever heard about the introduction of this program (or the gift of a tax increase that would come with it). I guess properly introducing it was never really in the plan, it was just assumed that the whole Go Green! trend would stretch across from grocery bags and household cleaners to how I divide up my garbage. There's been all of these mixed messages on what it accepts (diapers? meat? cat litter?) - to be honest, I had assumed that it was just veggie crap and that was that.
The day it arrived I saw it, dragged it out of my way and continued on with my day. I should also note that I received it at both my old townhouse and my new house, I promptly moved and ignored them both as I didn't feel like running out and buying a new container for my kitchen to deal with the odour (but lets be honest, I'm in the middle of renovating my kitchen). Imagine my shock when I heard (via the radio) that there was actually stuff in it - A KIT! Apparently said kit "explains everything". There was no note on the bin, no pamphlet in my mailbox - how was I supposed to know that there was something sitting inside of it? Seriously, is the city really that incompetent? They couldn't leave a note - one explaining both the tax increase and how the program worked?
All that said, I really just thought that it was my own fault for not knowing. I mean, I'm pretty apathetic about city politics - maybe they did tell people and I just ignored it. Or something.
So I thought it all sounded good until a neighbor warned me not to open the bin. Why? Because his had frozen shut and when he tried to open it, it broke. He also mentioned that another neighbor had gotten it open but then broke the hinge. I found that this was actually pretty common. My guess is that icy rain we had over the holidays wasn't really compatible with the green bins. That said, if icy rain screws with the bins that's not so great as we get icy rain every year. So anyway, now I'm waiting for a warm day (maybe today?!) to open it up, get my kit and figure all this shit out.
After all of that, I found this wonderful tidbit via City Holler:
Moreover, we're concerned that in winter the compostable matter will be rock-solid and stuck to the insides of each green bin. In summer, we expect a sticky, sludgy, maggot-ridden rot to have manifested inside the hundreds of thousands of bins across the city. If you've received yours, you'll notice that it's tough to even reach the bottom of your bin unless you have unnaturally long arms. We picture people hosing out their bins on their driveways - allowing the rotting sludge, and meat, and bones, and potato peels, to slither down the pavement to the closest storm sewer. This is what will attract rodents, insects and other pests - one of the prime concerns related to the program.
Um, gross. That storm sewer you're talking about is right in front of my house.
But wait, a commenter came up with some suggestions - for your viewing pleasure:
Freezing: Organic waste is often high in water content so it could potentially freeze. The bins tapered design allows for the waste to slip out, but you can help prevent sticking by:
• Lining the bottom with crumpled newsprint or using a paper bag designed for leaf and yard waste.
• Spray your bin with cooking oil
• Collection vehicles are also able to “shake” the bins, to help loosen any stubborn stuff.
Summer conditions: I think City Holler presents a worst-case scenario here. With weekly summer collection, a properly closed bin is really the best defence against both odour and pests.
• The green bin features a double-rim closure and latch for optimum security against pests, spilling, and odours.
• Mixing yard waste, grass clippings in layers over compost will help air-flow in the bin and reduce odour.
• Wrapping meat in newspaper or putting it in the freezer until collection day works to
All that into consideration, I finally just googled it up and found out the following:
About your green bin
The City of Ottawa will provide residents with two containers to help them participate in the Green Bin program:
Your green bin is a compact and hardy outdoor container. Specially designed with a pest-resistant latch, this bin stands up to Ottawa’s weather;
The locally-made, smaller kitchen container is a handy way to collect and store the organic waste from your kitchen. With tiny holes for airflow, it helps keep odour and fruit flies away.
Why green bins?
Almost half of the residential waste Ottawa produces is made up of organics—things like food scraps, soiled paper or leaf and yard waste. But organic waste isn’t garbage—it’s a valuable resource. The City of Ottawa is asking residents to RETHINK garbage by participating in the Green Bin program.
The day it arrived I saw it, dragged it out of my way and continued on with my day. I should also note that I received it at both my old townhouse and my new house, I promptly moved and ignored them both as I didn't feel like running out and buying a new container for my kitchen to deal with the odour (but lets be honest, I'm in the middle of renovating my kitchen). Imagine my shock when I heard (via the radio) that there was actually stuff in it - A KIT! Apparently said kit "explains everything". There was no note on the bin, no pamphlet in my mailbox - how was I supposed to know that there was something sitting inside of it? Seriously, is the city really that incompetent? They couldn't leave a note - one explaining both the tax increase and how the program worked?
All that said, I really just thought that it was my own fault for not knowing. I mean, I'm pretty apathetic about city politics - maybe they did tell people and I just ignored it. Or something.
So I thought it all sounded good until a neighbor warned me not to open the bin. Why? Because his had frozen shut and when he tried to open it, it broke. He also mentioned that another neighbor had gotten it open but then broke the hinge. I found that this was actually pretty common. My guess is that icy rain we had over the holidays wasn't really compatible with the green bins. That said, if icy rain screws with the bins that's not so great as we get icy rain every year. So anyway, now I'm waiting for a warm day (maybe today?!) to open it up, get my kit and figure all this shit out.
After all of that, I found this wonderful tidbit via City Holler:
Moreover, we're concerned that in winter the compostable matter will be rock-solid and stuck to the insides of each green bin. In summer, we expect a sticky, sludgy, maggot-ridden rot to have manifested inside the hundreds of thousands of bins across the city. If you've received yours, you'll notice that it's tough to even reach the bottom of your bin unless you have unnaturally long arms. We picture people hosing out their bins on their driveways - allowing the rotting sludge, and meat, and bones, and potato peels, to slither down the pavement to the closest storm sewer. This is what will attract rodents, insects and other pests - one of the prime concerns related to the program.
Um, gross. That storm sewer you're talking about is right in front of my house.
But wait, a commenter came up with some suggestions - for your viewing pleasure:
Freezing: Organic waste is often high in water content so it could potentially freeze. The bins tapered design allows for the waste to slip out, but you can help prevent sticking by:
• Lining the bottom with crumpled newsprint or using a paper bag designed for leaf and yard waste.
• Spray your bin with cooking oil
• Collection vehicles are also able to “shake” the bins, to help loosen any stubborn stuff.
Summer conditions: I think City Holler presents a worst-case scenario here. With weekly summer collection, a properly closed bin is really the best defence against both odour and pests.
• The green bin features a double-rim closure and latch for optimum security against pests, spilling, and odours.
• Mixing yard waste, grass clippings in layers over compost will help air-flow in the bin and reduce odour.
• Wrapping meat in newspaper or putting it in the freezer until collection day works to
All that into consideration, I finally just googled it up and found out the following:
About your green bin
The City of Ottawa will provide residents with two containers to help them participate in the Green Bin program:
Your green bin is a compact and hardy outdoor container. Specially designed with a pest-resistant latch, this bin stands up to Ottawa’s weather;
The locally-made, smaller kitchen container is a handy way to collect and store the organic waste from your kitchen. With tiny holes for airflow, it helps keep odour and fruit flies away.
Why green bins?
Almost half of the residential waste Ottawa produces is made up of organics—things like food scraps, soiled paper or leaf and yard waste. But organic waste isn’t garbage—it’s a valuable resource. The City of Ottawa is asking residents to RETHINK garbage by participating in the Green Bin program.
Time to vote?
Now that I own a house and pay more city taxes then I ever ever wanted, I have to admit that I am slightly more invested in city politics now. Anyway - great news is that with the coming election, I'll learn ALL about em!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
I wish I was still a renter...
This beautiful loft-style apartment in the Sandy Hill area can be yours for $1500 CDN per month. It caught my eye with the high ceilings, beautiful folding doors, original hardwoods - and not one but TWO marble fireplaces!!! Note the description, apparently the bathroom is also all done in marble?? I wish I could see more pictures of other apartments in this building!
Found via Kijiji Ottawa.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Ah, who needs stores when I have usedottawa?
When we got the house, we both agreed that the fireplace in the living room was ugly, ugly, ugly. The sheer size of it didn't help either. When we started showing off pictures, reactions were mixed. Some people were all, "OH MY GOD, SO GORGEOUS" and other people said, "Please, tell me that is going." This actually attracted more attention than the ugly kitchen.
Anyway.
What other people thought failed to sway the fact that it offended me. I mean - is my house a cottage? Seriously, could there have been any more wood panelling, crappy repair jobs and "rustic touches"? Were the previous owners completely blind to the 1940s provenance of the house?? We talked and talked about what to do - wondering if those vents were some how critical (we discovered that they are, in fact, completely useless). We realized we had bigger fish to fry and started talking about ways to "deal with it" until we could afford to fix her up. I mentioned to the hub that it may be less offensive if it was painted out white - and one day he surprised me with just that:
Honestly, it was a nice way to come home. That said, I was obliged to spend part of my Christmas holidays with someone that was a fan of the Original. Over and over again, I got to hear about how this person just "couldn't understand why someone would ever paint out beautiful, natural stone". WELL, let me tell you! I would without hesitation! I've stripped ugly off of antiques, destroyed "hand painted finishes" on built-ins. If it's ugly, I truly believe a coat of paint can do wonders. I wonder if said company even realized that we had also painted over hardwood cabinets. I know! We is so bad!
Yes, yes. I got off-track. So that leads us to usedottawa - always with an eye for architectural finds, I saw an art deco fire place mantle and knew it had to move in to my house. Definitely a project for this spring, I can't wait to rip out the stone and replace it with this beautiful maple mantle:
The best part? The person that sold it to me had planned on using it in his own home reno - he stripped it, repaired it AND primed it! It is literally ready to install, it's a shame it has to sit in my garage.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Cracked wall repairs - staircase edition!
After having our house releveled, we were stuck with well over a dozen large cracks in the walls. The worst one of all was directly above the staircase:
It actually stretched all along the wall leading up the stairs as well...
To repair it, I used a whole lot of drywall compound and tape - and some large drywall patches as well. Since the overhead was quite low before, we were able to take advantage of the situation and shave back a couple of inches. Here is a shot during the repair process:
And an idea of how much dust was generated, gross!
After (with a fresh coat of paint!):
It actually stretched all along the wall leading up the stairs as well...
To repair it, I used a whole lot of drywall compound and tape - and some large drywall patches as well. Since the overhead was quite low before, we were able to take advantage of the situation and shave back a couple of inches. Here is a shot during the repair process:
And an idea of how much dust was generated, gross!
After (with a fresh coat of paint!):
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