Antique Settee Daybed Reproduction

Well my friend, this week has been a fantastic week. First of all, Anthony and I made a last-minute decision and jetted off to Czech Republic for a much needed break. Prague is now among one of our favourite European cities - I will write more about it later on when I get around to organizing the photos. 

Secondly, this much anticipated Swedish sette I had custom made by Anne Quinn Furniture has arrived! I am head over heels in love with it! 

Remember it started at an elaborate drawing like this. 

The finished product turned out to be exactly the same better than expected. Just look at all the intricate carvings along the fluted legs and the entire frame. 

So many motifs and patterns work harmoniously together to create a cohesive look. 

I am so happy that I insisted on a slimmer finial at the base of the leg which resulted in a much more slender and elegant look. 

The settee/daybed is super deep and comfortable, and the removable cushion is practically a mattress! The slender legs make the sette look so light and airy, but the piece is very solid and actually weighs a ton. 

How do I know? 

We ran into a snag with getting the settee into one of our guest bedrooms. Brian from Anne Quinn Furniture and Anthony hauled this thing up our curved staircase with this hernia-rupturing expression all over their faces, only to learn that the settee was too wide to fit through the door! Normally we could have squeezed it in by tilting it at an angle, but the three-legged construction made it impossible for them to find any wiggle room. Poor guys had to drag it back downstairs. Brian offered to take it to his repair guy to make the middle legs removable. I was heartbroken because I would really hate to have a pristine brand new piece of furniture cut apart and modified. A few days later after we came back from Prague, Brian came to pick up the settee, drove all the way to his repair guy only to be told to try to fit the piece through the door vertically! The standard door is around 80" high, and the settee is slightly shorter than that. By standing it on the side and lifting it up vertically, they basically turned the piece and fitted one side in at a 45-degree angle, then made another turn, and the entire piece was into the room! Had the new maneuver been a little more difficult, three of us wouldn't have felt as embarrassed :). What happened with thinking outside the box?! The good news is that no modification was needed, and the settee went into the room literally in one piece. 

Brian went back and forth three times trying to make this right for us. This just shows there's nothing Anne Quinn Furniture wouldn't do to make their customer happy. And that's why after so many years, they are still my go-to custom furniture store. Customer loyalty is not bought; it is hard earned. 

Another good news I would like to share is that my vintage bar cart styling was featured at Elle Decor and Harper's Bazaar. Links to the article here and here. 

I will be back next week to write about an exciting art collaboration project, and a small front porch landscaping facelift. 

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians! 

New D-Link Water Sensor Review

A few weeks ago I was approached by D-Link Canada to review their new DCH-S160 Wi-Fi water sensor. I have been using their security camera system for years, so D-Link is no stranger to me. I like the idea of being able to monitor and detect water leaks and alert me whether or not I am home. 

The D-Link Wi-Fi DCH-S160 water sensor comes in a compact package with three main components: the main unit, the RJ-11 cable and the 50cm sensor cable. You can use a longer RJ-11 or power extension cord if you don't have any power outlet near where you want to check for water. 

Setting up the unit was a breeze - it was truly as easy as 1-2-3. Anybody can install it by simply following the prompts. 

First you would want to download the mydlink Home apps. 

Plug in the device per instruction. 

Upon plugged in, the device will blink red light for a few seconds.

Wait for the LED to blink orange. 

My Wi-Fi router automatically detected the water sensor device so I didn't really need to do anything for this step.  

Press the WPS button on the sensor and when it turned solid green then you can hit Next to search the device. 

Give your water sensor a nickname and you are all set! 

I tested it by placing the sensor cable under tap water. 

Upon contact with water, the device sounded an alarm (loud enough that I could hear it anywhere in the house). The alarm however didn't stay on - perhaps it's because I only dabbed the tip of the sensor cable with water, and it was for a very short period of time. Had it been a larger amount of water or the cable been submerged, the alarm probably would stay on. You also have the option to have it send a notification straight to your phone when you are not home. 

I plan to leave it in our utility room next to the sewer drain. You can also place multiple ones throughout the house around water heaters, washing machines, sinks and sump pumps. 

In summary, I like this new D-Link Wi-Fi Water Sensor. It's practical, very easy to install, and gives you peace of mind. 

Check out this video for a step-by-step installation guide. For more information about this sensor, please go to this link. 

Disclosure: The unit was provided by D-Link, but all the opinions are my own. 

Life, Lately

Between work, travel and trying to catch the tail end of summer, life has been busy lately. Busy fun, fortunately. 

Home decor wise, I've spent a fair amount of time entertaining over the past few weeks, so I've been burning quite a few scented candles. My favourite is the handmade Lilac wood wick candle by Gabys Inspirations. 

Wood wick burns brighter and hotter. The occasional crackling sound makes it ideal for colder months ahead. The lilac scent is delicate and elegant - all my guests loved it. 

I recently found the best Modena balsamic vinegar by Giuseppe Giusti from a local fine food store. It's perfectly balanced with a sweet aftertaste. I used it on Caprese with fresh soft Buffalo mozzarella, and drizzled on fresh figs with goat cheese.  

Gladiolus is in season, and I am obsessed about them. Two bouquets per week is the rate I am going at these days, one for the kitchen, and the other for the living room. They come in so many colours, look fabulous and they are inexpensive. They don't last more than one week though as the tips tend to get droopy over time and dry out. White Glads are my favourite. 

Pink comes second. I think I am going to try blue this weekend if I can find them. 

Have you been seeing fall decor everywhere? Fall is not exactly my favourite season, so I've been trying to put off doing anything about it as much as I can. I don't know how to work all the earthy colours into my house. But I did pick up this set of acorn canisters from HomeSense. Aren't they cute? Just a touch of the harvest season is all I need. 

Our blue satin Rose of Sharon shrub is unstoppable this year. We are well into September, and it's still blooming like there's no tomorrow. We are adding a retaining wall to our flower bed as well as expanding the patio in our backyard next week. I can't wait to share some pictures with you afterwards. 

That's it for now. Have a great weekend everyone! 

Discover Ontario Summer 2015 - Part III

When Anthony showed me pictures of Elora he found on Internet, I was like "no way, this place is in Ontario?" It surely is. Elora is a short 90-minute drive from Toronto in the Town of Centre Wellington, 20 km northwest to Guelph. 

This is the Elora Mill Inn which is currently undergoing a massive revival project. 

I took this picture from the Metcalfe Street Bridge. It was sunny and the air was still, perfect for capturing this reflection shot. 

This shot was taken from a lookout point near the Drimmie Dam. So were the first two pictures at the beginning of this post. 

The following two pictures were taken from the south bank of the Drimmie Dam. 

Metcalfe is the main street in the historic Elora, which intersects with Mill Street. Most of the shops and restaurants are in the area. 

Try a slice of carrot cake with cream cheese icing and a gingerbread muffin at Ashanti Cafe. They were delicious! Their carrot cake is always the first to be sold out for the day so be sure to go there early. I liked the candied lemon zest (or was it orange peel) in it which added a nice crunchiness to the cake. 

Mermaid Antiques on Church & Metcalfe is a must visit. 

There are so many whimsical things and curiosities in there.

I remember seeing a pair of similar doorknockers in Barlenoa along Rambla de Catalunya. 

Here they are...found the picture to prove it. :)

I would be perfectly happy living in a house like this. Too bad the house was in the shade at the time, and my iPhone camera couldn't capture the vibrant shade of yellow it's in. 

I wish I had hiked up to capture an aerial picture of the stunning Elora Gorge swimming hole, but you get the idea. 

It's not creepy at all for me to use a telephoto lens for this picture below. I was trying to capture the different textures from the old quarry escarpment. Wouldn't be surprised if those girls gave me (my camera) a dirty look. :)

Have you been to Elora?