We added a new rug to the living room over the weekend, purchased from this ebay store. I was pretty thrilled to find a rug with all the major colours in our living room (usually you pick the rug and then the colours, right?). Plus, it helps break up the large jute rug with some colour and pattern. Originally, I had envisioned something bolder, but I think the muted colours really suit the room.

On the other side of the room - where the living room meets the dining room - I added this small print from Value Village (Hannah and I stopped in while Adam was at the dentist last week). I'm pretty sure it's a small reproduction print of a Peter Markgraf silkscreen of BC's Sunshine Coast (which I've never visited, but am now determined to). Regardless, it's quite beautiful and I love all the blues.

And last, I switched up our bedding for summer. Yay for finally being able to pack away the heavy duvet! Now I need to dig out my ikat pillows for a pop of colour on the bed (though, honestly, it's been kind of nice not to worry about throw pillows when making and unmaking the bed!).

Area rugs are an essential part of a room's overall look, but finding the 'perfect' rug can be a real challenge. That's why I was so excited when Mark from The Perfect Rug contacted me. The really special thing about The Perfect Rug is that you create your own rug: you choose the material, border and size, and they ship it to you. For free. That's right, fellow Canadians, the shipping is FREE (Americans too, but you guys are used to that kind of thing!).

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There are tons of materials to choose from, but I'm really loving their natural fibre rugs. We recently added a large jute rug to our living room and I love the texture that it brings to the room. Other naturals like sisal rugs and seagrass rugs are also incredibly durable, so these rugs work anywhere and they're great if you have kids, pets or both (we're in the 'both' category).

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Some people may have concerns about the feel of natural fibre rugs. I personally don't mind the feel (and our rug has softened with use), but The Perfect Rug provides free samples, so you'll know exactly what you're getting and whether it's right for you. Great peace of mind for anyone who's nervous about ordering a rug online.

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As an added bonus, natural fibre rugs are generally a more sustainable, eco-friendly choice and they're 100 percent biodegradable.

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I also love that they work with any style or decor - which means they'll stand the test of time. You can also change the look by layering them under patterned or brightly coloured rugs (this is what I'm planning to do in our living room).

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I haven't ordered from The Perfect Rug yet, but I'll definitely check them out for my next rug purchase. If you place an order, be sure to let me know - I'd love to hear your review!


This post was sponsored by The Perfect Rug. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

We started sleep training and Adam got hit with a flu-like cold this weekend, so we're all a little worse for wear today. The good news is that we seem to be turning the corner: the sleep training is working (!!) and Adam's on his third cup of coffee, so he must be feeling better (for some, that much coffee might be a bad sign; he just really likes his coffee).

In between all that, I checked a few projects off my list:

Top left: I hung a small picture to help fill out my side of the bed and finally got around to touching up the wall paint in our bedroom. It feels so good to walk into the room and not see spackle.
Top right: I found a rug for Hannah's room on one of those quick HomeSense trips. I love the bold orange stripes and it was only $12.99!
Bottom left: I painted and hung the doors in our entryway closet. I used baking soda and hot water to clean layers of brown paint off the hardware (is there anything that stuff can't do?).
Bottom right: Another entryway update: I replaced the mishmash of baskets in the closet with these cute chevron bins from Superstore.

I'll share more details (and better pictures) of the entryway updates this week. Just waiting for the sun to come out!

1.2.3.4.5.

Now that the DIY book box is complete, the only thing missing from Hannah's room is a rug. I've rounded up a few different options, but I'm still undecided. Help!

1. Part of me really wants to add more orange to the room (and I love the herringbone pattern), but I'm hesitant to buy something that may not transition with Hannah as she gets older (will she like orange?) or work in another room.
2. If this rug came in a slightly smaller size, I would buy it in a heartbeat. I love the colours and it looks like it would be soft to play on (there are better photos on the website).
3. This rug may be a little too small, but I love the colours and the pattern, and it would work in a few different rooms if we decide to switch things up later on.
4. This is a nice, budget-friendly option and I like the colour blocking. I don't think it would be the softest spot to play, but that may not matter so much as Hannah gets older.
5. This is definitely the safest option. I know it will work in the room and it looks comfy too, but is it too safe?

Which one is your favourite? Any tips for choosing an area rug for a kid's room?

I had a great time celebrating my 30th birthday this weekend. There was champagne, homemade cake,  thoughtful gifts from my family and plenty of sweet birthday wishes (gotta love FB on your birthday). And to add to my post-birthday high, my new rug arrived today! I ordered it from Rugs USA during their Black Friday sale at the end of November. Unfortunately it was on backorder, but the ridiculous sale price made it worth the wait.

I brought the small rug upstairs from Adam's studio. I love the colour it adds to the room, but I can't decide if the coffee table needs something a wee bit bigger. What do you think?

The rug is pretty much exactly how it looked on Rugs USA's website (insert huge sigh of relief). It adds texture and warmth to the room, and although it's not exactly soft underfoot (it's a natural fibre rug, so I didn't expect it to be), it's nice and thick. Even Adam says he likes it and he usually doesn't notice these things!

I especially love how it covers up the laminate flooring we can't wait to replace :)

The room is really starting to come together, decorating-wise (we still have plans to replace the flooring, add a chimney insert and install some beefier baseboards - like we did upstairs). I don't even hate the green sofa (which my husband refuses to get rid of) as much as I used to. I'd like to add a few more pops of yellow - to tie in with the chevron print on my gold chair - and figure out the mantle situation, but I try to remind myself  that it started out like this:

Why with the brown trim, why? I'm working on a post to let you know how I did on my 30 Before Thirty list, so check back soon!

Psst! I wasn't paid or perked to write this post - I just like sharing good stuff!

I've ticked a bunch of things off my to-do list lately, although none are particularly blog-worthy. Since this blog is essentially my online diary of all things house-related, I thought I'd post a few snapshots of what I've been up to lately.

I finally got around to touching up the paint job on our dining room table. The sealer I used on the tabletop the first time around yellowed over time, not to mention the inevitable marks, scuffs and scratches that come with a well-loved table. I lightly sanded the top and applied a couple fresh coats of paint, but I still need to seal it. If you know of a sealer that won't yellow, please share in the comments!

In the guest room. I finished painting the window and door trim (we still need to install new baseboards and quarter round), spraypainted the window latch ORB and added pulls (the same ones I used on the nursery window). I also finished painting the closet. It's still not much to look at (not that closets usually are), but I have plans to organize and store all my fabric, craft and gift wrapping supplies here. I bought fabric to sew a "door" for the closet and a curtain for the window, which I'll hopefully get around to this week or next.

Speaking of closets, mine is officially de-cluttered! I was able to donate two garbage bags stuffed full of clothing and I still have plenty to wear (not that any of it fits me right now). Forcing myself to let go of clothing that I didn't actually wear, but kept because it was "nice", was key. I also packed away most of my summer and maternity clothes. I bought some linen baskets to hold my jeans, skirts, shirts and sweaters - basically anything that doesn't need to be hung. The basket at the bottom is my new laundry hamper. I still need to paint or wallpaper the closet and I have some fun plans to add jewlery and bag storage, but this was a HUGE first step.

Last but not least, I've been working on getting Adam's studio ready for a new year of teaching. We decided to go for the layered rugs and I've been slowly collecting Kijiji finds. The trick is finding something we both like without spending lots of money. The room's a teaching studio and rehearsal space for Adam's band, so I can't worry about people tracking in dirt, dragging heavy equipment around, or spilling food and drink. It's all going to happen. I love how the rugs we've found so far (3) instantly cozy up the space.

I also finally got around to painting the window and a few other touch-ups. I painted a black "frame" around the mirror (re-used from our bathroom) and we added some greenery. I also fixed up and hung a white board I found at Value Village (not pictured) and ordered a little something so we can display all of Adam's show posters. Can't wait for it to arrive!

Happy Friday! There's been a lot of nursery talk around here lately, so I thought I'd switch gears and share something else that's been on my mind: rugs. We've been hemming and hawing about getting a large area rug for Adam's basement studio for months, but something keeps stopping us from pulling the trigger. First we planned to have a large custom area rug made from a carpet roll, then we talked about buying two or more smaller area rugs to use in the space.

More recently, I've fallen in love with the idea of layering multiple persian and oriental rugs in different sizes. They add so much colour, texture and interest to a room - and the possibilities are endless. Of course, we don't want to invest a ton of money into something that will be used and abused in a drum studio, so who knows if this dream will become a reality.

Here are a few of the looks I'm loving:

source: Flickr via Domino Magazine

source: House Beautiful

source: Velvet & Linen via Gilt Home

source: Design Sponge

source: via pinterest, source unknown

source: desire to inspire

source: Apartment Therapy via Lost Art Salon

What do you think of layered rugs? Yay or nay?

It's kind of funny that I blogged about my rug fantasies on Friday, since I stumbled across the perfect area rug for our living room the very next day:

That's our dog, Maddie, already enjoying the new addition. The future husband and I went to Home Depot on Saturday to pick up a new bathroom faucet (more on that later), when I saw this large, indoor/outdoor rug by Martha Stewart Living for $119. It was the right size, the right price, and it came with the right care and cleaning instructions (i.e. spray it with a garden hose). SOLD. I love how it suits our space, and the simple geometric pattern is a lot more fun than plain ol' seagrass.

But the rug wasn't my only great find of the weekend. My future mother-in-law and I checked out The Bay's store closing sale on Saturday and scored some awesome deals. Like these super cute throw pillows - for just $7.20 and $3.20 each - and this comfy grey-and-white throw for less than $12!

Here they are in their new homes (I tried the throw on the couch first, but I like it better on our antique chair). I'm planning to darken the wood frame around the bottom of the couch, so that it blends in with the black of the new rug (I'm thinking of Minwax's Bombay Mahogany), but right now I'm just enjoying my weekend finds!

The living room is quickly coming along, but it's still missing an area rug. In our old apartment, we had a beautiful white, shag rug - at least it was beautiful, until our dog decided to "decorate" it with you-know-what. More than once. So the new rug needs to be durable, stain resistant and easy-to-clean (and I want it to look good, too).

I've been daydreaming about an 8' x 10' seagrass or jute rug, and here are a few of the rugs I've stumbled across.

This Classic Home - Natural Seagrass Rug from CSN Stores is exactly what I'm looking for - plus it's 20% off the $456 price tag.

I really like the diamond pattern of this Stanton Carpet outdoor seagrass rug - also from CSN Stores - but the $638 price tag is a little steep (even if it is 20% off).

I also like the subtle pattern of this sisal rug from Sears (for $400), but the 5'3" x 7'7" size is a bit too small for our living room.

Then there's Ikea's Tarnby rug. It's a great buy at just $149, but the nearest Ikea is in Montreal, which means it's not really an option.










So, no clear winners yet. The future husband and I are driving down to MA at the end of the month to spend Easter with my extended family, so I'm thinking about trying to convince him to go rug shopping then. He'll likely consider it a form of torture, so keep your fingers crossed for me!

With all the excitement of buying our first house, I decided to buy myself a housewarming gift. Nothing major, just a small token of congratulations from myself to myself. And that's when I found this 2' x 3' Dash & Albert rug on CSN Stores for $30. It was love at first sight.

It arrived on Monday and I've already found a home for it in our bathroom. I can't wait to see it against the pale gray paint colour I've chosen for our vanity, but more on that later.