Vintage Murano Chandelier Update

I am sure it's a weekend full of excitement for most fellow Torontonians. First, there was the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game led by the almighty Drake (I was only there for Drew and Jonathan :)). Then there was the NBA All-Star Game. Both of them were hosted here in T Dot. And who could forget the Valentine's Day when all the social media was pretty much painted in red and flooded with valentine hashtags? We lucky Ontarians also got today off as the Family Day. 

The 3-day long weekend also availed me the opportunity to figure out where this vintage Murano glass chandelier should go in my house. It only took me 3 months but I finally found a happy place for this beauty - doesn't it look stunning in my master bedroom? I loved it so much that my heart was about to explode from happiness. 

I felt I could look at it all day long. It's now hands down my favourite lighting fixture in my house. 

I posted on my Instagram a few weeks ago about this lucky score from HomeSense, a Jonathan Adler Rider Tripod table-lookalike, for a fraction of the cost. 

This is the real McCoy. 

The legs are almost identical. 

The only obvious difference is that the marble tabletop of the one from HomeSense was set into a matching black frame. I actually quite like it that way. This Spring the table game at HomeSense is going really strong, so head out to a location near you soon. 

A Roundup of Brass and Glass Coffee Tables

Did you know Wayfair.ca has come to Canada and is now shipping? Exciting right? Long gone are those days when I ran a Google search, was directed to Wayfair.com, only to have to abandon my shopping cart at the end due to the hefty import duties and shipping fees. Wayfair.ca is now priced in Canadian Dollar, and will ship free for orders more than $49. 

The first thing I did on Wayfair.ca was to search brass (gold) and glass coffee tables. Remember it's on my 2016 project list? Yes, I am trying to get my head into the game and have a head start on this year's decor projects. Procrastination will no longer be my middle name. 

My living room is almost square-shaped, and I want the furnishing to be centred around the fireplace, so it makes sense to get a square or round coffee table. I also really love a two-tiered construction. As you could see from the picture below, the coffee table I made over last year still didn't quite work for the room - not only does it look lonely in a big space, it also doesn't seem to belong, style-wise. 

So here's a roundup of all the brass (gold) and glass coffee tables I like, most of which are available on Wayfair.ca. 

1. Harlan Square Coffee Table: this is a strong contender now due to its less than $300 price tag. It's a tad too small though (only 36" x 36") and I can't say I completely love the brushed gold finish.

2. Hayward Coffee Table by Interlude.

3. Vitya Coffee Table by Uttermost.

4. Laurence Coffee Table by Pangea Home: LOVE the base and that it's two-tiered, but it's rectangular in shape. 

5. Mieka Coffee Table by Safavieh: this is my #1 choice for the time being. It has everything I was looking for: square in shape, gold-leafed frame with two-tiered glass table tops. I just need to convince myself that if I end up spending $1200 on a coffee table, I will love it for a long time. 

6. Scalinatella Cocktail Table by Jonathan Adler.

7. Henzler Coffee Table by Uttermost: love it but again it's rectangular. 

8. Jasmine Coffee Table by Nuevo. 

9. Inga Coffee Table by Safavieh. 

So which one is your favourite? 

A while ago I saw this bench at HomeSense, and I had to fight the urge to buy it. Faux bamboo everything, to me, seemed to be a just phase on my decor journey that I already moved past. I knew I would end up returning it. 

Gorgeous I know. 

And then on this past Boxing Day I found this velvet tufted bench in Louis style, and it came home with me. I am not crazy about the distressed paint job on the legs though, so I will have to repaint them someday, maybe in black or charcoal grey? 

Project Fauxdenza and A Bust

I am so happy to report that project fauxdenza is a wrap! This past weekend we had our contractor Dmitriy back to cut down the extra 3/4 inch overhang. If you've been following me on my blog for a while, you would know this is probably my first mid-century modern corner in my house, and I am loving every bit of it. 

Those artworks and accessories are there temporarily until I collect enough pieces to create a gallery wall above the unit. 

This was the basement hallway before the fauxdenza. Those two Hollywood Regency Chippendale style faux bamboo chairs in the picture are on loan to a TV mini series called "Marilyn" (as in Marilyn Monroe). The show will be on ABC in the fall, and rest assured I will be vigorously looking for them in each and every scene. 

And this is the after. I will need to take better pictures when I have more time to play with the white balance. There is no window in my basement hallway so I always had to use the "Tungsten setting" to offset the warm (yellow) lighting. It would appear the setting has been overcompensating and consequently most of the pictures turned out to be too blue/cold. 

See how much difference 3/4 inch of the overhang made? This was the before with one inch overhang. 

This is now with less than 1/4 inch overhang. In hindsight, I wish I had pushed the envelope by making it completely flush in the front.

I opted for push-openers over pulls or knobs to complete the cleaner minimalist look. 

This past Friday after a meeting I wandered into a HomeSense nearby (Heartland). It was one of those random browsing trips as I had nothing in mind to buy, but guess what I found - the Apollo of Pantheon bust that's going for over $300 here and here. I've seen a smaller plaster version of it at HomeSense, but not this one. This handsome Greek fella stands 21" tall, and is as solid as a rock! 

Look how perfect he looks on my foyer chest? 

Go Big or Go Home

In case you haven't noticed, of late I have been writing less frequent but longer posts with a lot more pictures. Summer is beautiful but short here in Canada, and we don't get to take the entire season off. So between work, life, travel and cottage, I would rather spend the very limited amount of time I have on quality posts. The number of projects at home has certainly picked up during the warmer months. I also have a grand master plan to transform our cottage, so I will write more about that later. 

Remember this tired-looking pair of Louis XV chairs I picked up months ago? This was the before. 

This was the mockup done up in Photoshop. The leopard fabric choice was a very bold move for me (you know how much I like to play mainstream and safe), so I needed to make sure. 

And I was completely stunned by how gorgeous they turned out! Paint It Like New again did an awesome job painting these chairs in BM Cloud White. I am glad I went with the white frames because, coupled with the leopard fabric, they look softer and more feminine. Fabric via Discounted Designer Fabrics on Etsy. 

They are not in the living room to stay. 

What's better than one brass pineapple? Two of course! Just when I was about to give up on finding a perfect brass pineapple ice bucket at a reasonable price, I came across a Canadian (Ottawa) listing by TwoMoxie on Etsy. Price? Amazing. Condition? Mint. Service? Top notch! I couldn't be happier. Now I am one step closer to finish styling my bar cart. 

On our way back from cottage this Sunday, we made a stop at the HomeSense in Barrie, and picked up this huge gold dot wire bowl. Bungalow Classic was the first to carry it, and it was going for $365 before it was sold out. I must have spotted this very same bowl tens of times but never had the urge to buy it. And I am glad that I did this time. It was in a whitewashed shabby chic finish, so I took a little Rub N Buff action in gold leaf to glitz it up. 

It can be used as a candle holder or fruit bowl, but I think it looks impressive as is so I am not going to adorn it with anything else. 

I made General Tso's Chicken for the first time and I think it turned out great. Patience was the secret sauce. 

Lastly, a spot near our cottage at dusk. There was nothing to see according to Anthony. Exactly. 

Yam Pie and New Kitchen Jars

Yam is a superfood which I just so happen to be crazy about. It must be genetic because when my mom was pregnant with me, yam was the only thing she craved for! This past weekend mom and I came up with this super easy "yam pie" recipe. All in all, it only took about 45 minutes to make, simple and delicious! 

Homemade yam pie on Indigo's Virginia Woolf Food-for-Thought platter. 

This past weekend I also picked up three of the same cookie jars from HomeSense. I like how simple and clean they look. White is the best colour for kitchen, IMO! 

In case you are wondering what I keep in them - no, there is no cookie yet. I use them to hold the Tassimo T-discs! I can't stand the ugly t-disc carousel on my kitchen counter, and these cookie jars are just perfect for keeping them out of sight. A big bonus is that they seal in all the aroma!