easy stairs

Thought you couldn't use that space in the attic? Or build a little loft?

Well, think again...

Eestairs’s 1m2 staircase can take you up a storey using less than one square metre of floor area. Made of steel and available in several colors, the contemporary design commands attention.

This modern interpretation of a spiral staircase is irresistible with its shiny, powder-coated finish and its sleek design.

Their head office is in The Netherlands and they have locations (and ship) all over the world -- but luckily their USA & Canada location is in Brandford, Ont.

Oh...and they make a TON of other really beautiful staircases...check them out! (eestairs.com)

Thanks to the November issue of Style at Home for this one! (www.styleathome.com)

See you again soon!

xx rouge.

Join us at www.facebook.com/rougesuzanne where you’ll find links to weekly blog posts and design ideas, tips, random thoughts and photos.

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

reno chronicles #1

The time has come.

When I bought my own home three years ago, I knew the little back addition that houses the laundry room was rotting from the bottom up. It was listed “as is” in the house documentation.

At the time, I thought….no problem. I’ll do something about that right away.

Now, here I am and it’s getting desperate (see “airing my dirty laundry” posting for more). Good thing I’ve been planning a renovation for about a year now. Well, mostly just dreaming about it, but I actually started to plan it about 4 months ago. Saving for it started much earlier than that...

It’s time to get the old one torn down (before it falls down). It’s time to build a small addition in it’s place.

A small addition that will be a new laundry room and mud room. It will probably be the entrance to the house I will use most often. It’s closer to where I park the car, and there will be usable space to unload my things, hang up my coat and kick off my shoes. Unlike now where the front door opens directly into the living room.

It also means that there will be a deck built on top of the new addition. Now “the door to nowhere” that exists off the second floor landing will be the door to the deck.

And the deck will be a private, safe and secure outdoor space that I will enjoy immensely. Better than my current “temporary” ghetto backyard that I build each summer and tear down each winter.

Don’t get me wrong…it was a really smart idea and it’s served me very well. But it will be nice to have permanent space that I don’t have to leash and lock down furniture or my bbq to make sure it’s still there the next day. Although, I have developed a strange fondness for the green astro-turf...

I’m hoping rouge readers may enjoy hearing about my little renovation – from start to finish, I’m going to chronicle it all here. I’m hoping there will be lots of learnings that might be helpful to you someday.

I’m excited about the process and I can’t wait. I’m hoping to see some action on this in September. But before I see tangible proof, there’s finding a contractor, making a plan, costing it all out and setting a budget, getting permits…and a whole bunch of other things that have to happen before picking the paint color and decorating it (which I’ve already done in my mind, of course!)

Tune in next week where I’ll bring you up to speed on my quest for the perfect contractor…then follow me the rest of the way over the summer and early fall.



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

big art in small spaces

I love big art in small spaces. It’s a fantastic way to make a huge impact in a room. And it’s an easy way to add personality into a small space that may otherwise go unnoticed. It gives that modern and contemporary feel I am always drawn to.

I discovered this painting at a friend’s place that was earmarked for the garbage (what? Are you kidding?). I rescued it and added it to the small wall in their entryway. What was once an unassuming (and necessary) spot by the door to dump your stuff, really draws your eye now. I think it welcomes you to the house with the pizzazz of those who live there.

Here’s a bedroom wall of a staging client of mine. It’s not the traditional focal point in the room. It’s an unexpected corner behind the door. As you enter the room, you see the bed and the beautiful vaulted ceiling and skylights. All key features important to highlight when selling a home. But once inside, with the door closed, you now see this small space and are drawn into the painting done by the client’s favorite artist. Moody and intimate, this is a small space that adds another layer to the tone and feel in the room.

Warning! Don’t go cramming lots of big things into lots of small spaces. Pick one small space and give it a try. Keep it simple. It doesn’t have to be your own work of art or that of an established artist to reflect your personality. It can be anything that speaks to you…a photograph, a wallpaper sample or beautiful paper, even your kid’s artwork.

Go on, use your imagination!