the switch

I just discovered a new web series from one of my favorite HGTV and Style at Home designers….check it out!

The Switch by Sam Pynn is a decor series designed to help you get the most out of your home. In each short webisode, Sam takes a room or area of the home and switches it up to create two versatile looks, sharing her design tips and tricks along the way.

There are 6 webisodes on line now…they are about 20 minutes long each and a really great watch. Of course, I was hooked after the first one where she upcycles a vintage dresser….

www.hgtv.ca/BLOG/pages/the-switch-by-sam-pynn-web-series.aspx

Where else can you get inspired in a mere 20 minutes?

Aaaah, hgtv…you continue to capture my heart!



For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

deck the halls...with tissue paper

Did you make these in grade school? Perhaps out of Kleenex?

Well, guess what…these lovely tissue paper flowers are back….and as easy as ever!

I spied these in the latest issue of Style at Home magazine and I absolutely love ‘em. These very large, oversized flowers will add a big punch to your holiday décor on a tiny budget. And they are fun and easy to create.

Now, I plan to make these in silver and white instead of red and green to match my existing décor. And that’s part of the beauty of these….you can make them in any style, shape, size and color you’d like!

I think what makes this idea new (again) and chic is the large scale, so be aware of the scale in your own design. Be creative, too….use ornaments and ribbon and other fun, festive items to attach in the centers to keep these lovelies looking fresh and fabulous.

Tissue paper comes in large sizes and in many, many colors…and you could also try large 3-ply napkins to give your flowers more structure.

And…this idea doesn’t have to be just for the holidays either. There are a whole bunch of decorating uses that are equally lovely….on the wall in a nursery, at a baby shower or wedding, or why not on your table at Sunday brunch? Hang them on ribbon from the ceiling or archway, make them a bit smaller and put them on plates with name tags, mount them on the wall….so many great ideas!

Here’s a refresher on the steps…

1. Stack eight 20” x 30” sheets of tissue paper and make 1-1½ “ wide accordion folds. Firmly crease each fold.
2. Fold a 16-20” length of floral wire (or pipe cleaner or twist tie!) in half and slip the wire over the centre point of the folded tissue paper and twist to secure. This is where you can also attach whatever you choose for the centre of your flower.
3. Using scissors, cut ends of tissue paper into rounded or pointy petals
4. Separate layers of tissue paper, carefully pulling them away from the centre one by one.
5. Tie a length of fishing line (or string or ribbon) to hang, or to secure to banisters.


Be creative and have fun!




For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

before and afters

rouge completed a staging job on Thursday, so I thought I’d give you a sneak peak at the house that will be on the market early next week.

We did our home evaluation about a month ago…and since then the homeowners, handyman, and realtor have been busy ripping up some carpets, painting all walls, repainting and polishing the concrete floors, and a whole lot of landscaping.

We did our thing on Thursday and staged as much as the budget allowed….the main entrance, sunroom/laundry room, loft office space, dining room, living room, family room and three bedrooms. We didn’t even touch the kitchen, any of the three bathrooms, or the attached studio and workshop. But we left good instructions for the homeowners to tackle these areas on their own over the weekend.

It’s a beautiful home…full of large windows, loads of light, and a spectacular view of the ocean.

Here are some of the "before and after" shots…



living & dining room before










living & dining after

living & dining after

loft office before

loft office after

bedroom #1 before

bedroom #1 after

family room before

family room after

bedroom #2 before

bedroom #2 after

We wish the homeowners a speedy sale for the full asking price!

For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com

kids squared

There’s an exciting new Halifax-based company on the horizon.

“Kids Squared” will be a web-based company that sells affordable, original artwork for kids rooms. A variety of local artists and designers are currently working away on the collection of artwork that will soon be up for grabs.

So excited to report that rouge was approached to design a series! Seen above, the “three birdies” series, done with charcoal and pastels, will be three 12 x 12’s on canvas available for approx $25 -- only through Kids Squared when the company launches in spring 2011.

The site will offer many options…available in a series of three, or singles or mix and match. But it will all be original artwork and it will all be affordable. Paintings, paper art, graphic art, photography and more will be digitized, printed on canvas, stretched onto a frame and delivered right to your door after you place your on-line order.

Perfect for those design savvy parents who refuse to abandon their sense of style when kiddies are added to the family! They will also make for fabulous gifts too…

We are so humbled at being asked to contribute a designer series to Kids Squared. And we had so much fun designing these, we are already thinking about the next series! Who knew?!?

Stay tuned…we’ll let you know the website and details closer to the launch.





For more about rouge, visit www.littlered.ca or check out past blogs at www.justalittlerouge/blogspot.com