Finding art in unexpected places

Over the holidays we went to visit my Dad and stepmom in Prince Edward County - a beautiful part of the province on Lake Ontario which is becoming increasingly famous for its wineries and artistic community. I went out with him one afternoon to get maple syrup from one of the local farms and we stopped into a variety store in town. The owner of the store had found a bunch of paintings in her basement from the previous owners of the house, and she had them for sale in the shop. I saw this beauty hidden behind a box of chocolate bars.

I love all the colours that the artist used. The whole thing feels very Canadian to me. Maybe it's the snow! Ha!

Goes to show you that you never know when you're going to spot a gem. This painting makes me so happy every time I see it. I wish I knew where this was done. I've tried searching the artist but no luck so far.

Tell me, what's the strangest place you've ever found a special piece of art or trinket that you absolutely love?

Bold wallpaper from Ellie Cashman Designs

I have been so fortunate this fall having been able to work with some fantastic clients and designing some pretty great spaces (if I do say so myself), but sadly blogging has had to take a back seat. I can't wait to share pics of what I've been working on when they're finished.

I have one client that wanted help with her main floor - living room, dining room, and family room/great room areas. She lives with her husband and three young daughters in a lovely newer home in mid-town Toronto. The house has an open-concept living room and dining room immediately upon entry to the house, and in the back there is a large, gorgeous kitchen, a family room and eating area.

I think many families are moving further and further away from the traditional living room/dining rooms of the past and instead are choosing open spaces that allow all the living to happen in one area. I like the casualness to this mentality, and admit that it's how I live in my own home, but for those clients that do have the formal areas in their homes it's a great place to have some fun and do something a little 'out-of-the-box'. These rooms don't get used as much so when there are young kids in the house, it's a good spot to put your more precious furniture and accessories.

This particular client of mine was all for going bold in her living room and dining room and I was so excited when she wanted to go ahead with a gorgeous (but not subtle) wallpaper from Ellie Cashman. Have you heard of her? She's an American living in the Netherlands and she designs spectacular wallpapers and cushions. The image below is the print we used in the dining room on a small wall that you see immediately upon entering the house. Gorgeous! Even the paper installer was smitten!

If you're interested in making a bold statement somewhere in your house, I highly recommend her designs. It's printed to order so installation is incredibly simple and you get exactly the amount you need without having to worry about pattern repeats, etc. All the work is done for you. I was so impressed by how quickly we received it and how easy it was to install. But mostly I'm just so in love with how it looks and the impact it has.

I will post pictures of the house as soon as I get organized and have them taken, but in the meantime I wanted to share this! Here are a few of the other patterns. Tell me, would you go this bold in your house? What room would you put it in?