apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Today is Bastille Day in France and we wanted to share with you a very unique French antique that we discovered last summer in Paris: "les caves a liqueur," or French liquor cabinets. These pieces started appearing in the 18th century as a way to transport liquor when traveling by horse-drawn carriage. Considered old-fashioned and phased out by the 1900's, the boxes were initially simple in design and made from mahogany wood with some inlaid work. They became more varied and ornate in the 19th century when materials included copper, mother of pearl, tortoise shell, and ivory.

Perhaps because of the long, cold winters, summer cottages have special meaning in Canada. HGTV Canada created the show "Sarah's Cottage," which features designer Sarah Richardson's cottage renovations. Once her husband's off-the-grid bachelor shack, the island cottage gets turned into a family vacation home with room for guests. Click through for more info and a mini-tour of Sarah Richardson's cottage...