apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Holy wow! Canadian boards. :)

Now maybe someone can start translating some of those posts into locations for similar Canadian products. Nice wallpaper anyone?

I'm in Ottawa... stuck in between the Montreal board and the Toronto board! I'm glad to see there will be some posts from north of the border this time around :)

Well, I'm way out on the East coast in PEI but I'm adopting Toronto as my "local" board.

Hmmm...I'll join this one as another east coaster!

I might join this board as well ... seeing as I'm from Calgary, but no one has joined the Vancouver board yet!

Edmonton here. There's only one post on the Vancouver board...surely there must be more westerners with disorganised apartments? :)

Toronto representin! Can't wait to finally see what I've been missing on the streets here - hard to find all the good stuff AT always has on the site (I agree with you there prairie girl).

Yay! I'm so excited. Are you guys doing the "Deep Treatment" or the "One Room Remedy"???

(BTW the book is available at Chapters if you don't already have it.)

Hi guys' joining the cure for the first time, well technically the second. Last year I fell off the wagon on day two, so I will not count that. I'm doing the one room, and have chosen the bedroom. My bedroom is so white and boring so I'm looking forward to having some life in there. Nice to see we have folks from East to West.

I'm in for the full deep treatment! Can't wait to see what others are up to...

Another one from Toronto :)

Is everyone a part of our main flickr group? Is anyone blogging their cure? Post links!

i'm mostly focusing on the deep treatment due to financial reasons. But I do have a few projects that I have in the works that I am going to focus on finishing up during the cure.

1. Shelves in my desk corner
2. Refinishing the bedroom dresser

I got a 0 on the survey. No to 14 questions... basically my home is deathly ill.

Prairiegirl - just think of the amazing feeling you will have at the end of the cure and the vast improvement in score you will see!!!!

bobbin I've got the same issue - cold feeling bedroom. I got as far as a nice Dwell duvet cover and some lovely Merrimeko sheets then I walked away.

Kimberley you are off to a good start having made some decisions. I'm having problems already, I need some 'git er done' already, I don't have a large budget and last night I had a bit of a wobble. What if I spend my $$ and hate it, what colours to choose. I love all colours, and I mean all. I haven't found one yet I don't like. What if I can't afford to put my bedroom right after. Anyone else going through the same thing.? What to do, what to do.

Hi Toronto!

Good luck on the Spring Cure and keep one another going.

It's great to finally have a place for local voices. Please let us know how it works for you.

Thanks Maxwell! Having a forum of our own is wonderful. Yay Canada!

Bobbin, do you live in a rental? What are the rules that your landlord has set out?

I've limited my painting to the small bathroom and left the rest of the place off-white. I just hung some beautiful blue curtains on one wall in the main room and so I only need to paint one tiny space back when I move. I've been surprised at what I can get done in the terms of my agreement! I also am replacing all the hardware on my kitchen cabinets which is easy and exciting.

I'm not sure if I'm crazy for adding this on as a task for this spring cure, but I'm really going to try to make one thing for each room that I'm working on.

for the kitchen: A chef's apron
for the living room: an ottoman (google: amy butler gumdrop pillow patterns to find what i'm making. it's the first link that comes up)
for the bedroom: a new duvet cover, a project I've started but neglected for far too long)
for the entry way: a subversive cross stitch
for the office: a pin cushion. a small thing I know but symbolic as this room is going to be fixed up in to a studio work room for me and it's where I'll be making all of the other things!

I haven't figured out what to make for the bathroom yet... any suggestions?

anyone else out there making things for their homes?

Hi prairie girl and curee's. I am in a rental but have decided to ignore that small detail. I can always change the paint. I have put aside a small amount of $$$ to pay for repainting if and when it's needed. I asked the landlord yesterday if I could put in flooring, he told me to put it in writing, loves the written word does my landlord. The good news is he didn't just shoot it down, we'll see. I have got over my little wobble and am narrowing down my colours. My living room is painted Orange Copper so I think I may take that into the bedroom, good idea, bad idea, anyone. Feel free to offer suggestions. I looking for the 'warm cocoon, lock the nasties outside' look.

ShereeDesign, What is the worst that can happen if you don't get all the projects done. I think you have a nice idea to make something for every room, good luck. Let us know how it goes.

ps. shereeDesign, how about making a personalized shower curtain for the bathroom. Just a thought

Bobbin,

Totally jealous about the paint. I mean, I am allowed to paint but I would rather spend my time with art and fabric and such. Yellows and oranges are great for the warm, and if you mix them with some white-colours (off white and other neutrals work too) then I think that everything would seem bright and beautiful!

shereeDesign,

In the book they recommend ranking your projects in order of ease and importance. Maybe if you put your favourites first you would feel more productive and more likely to be happy with what you will accomplish.

Prairie girl,
yes - I hear you. I'm actually switching up the order that I work on the rooms so that I do the 2nd bedroom office first. That way I have space to organize, work on various projects and stash my 'outbox'. coincidentally the easiest and fastest project by far would be the pin cushion that I'm making for that room. I'll send pics!

bobbin, our bathroom is very small and only has a glass enclosed shower - no shower curtain. I thought about trying to make some more art for the walls, but am actually quite happy with what we already have up. I may do some kind of hooks for hanging necklaces... not sure yet!

YAY a Toronto board! Now if we can only get a Toronto AT!

Narrowed down the paint choices to three, all different, all strong. I hope I don't live to regret this. We have up for consideration (1) Moody blues/grey, (2) Woodland olive/moss, (3) Earthy reds/gold, you know Fall colours. I can see it in my mind, now to get that pic. out into the bedroom. Anything is better than it is now. Good luck everyone

my vote is for woodland olive/moss. that vote is of course to be taken with a huge grain of salt - never having seen pics of you space or anything. :-)

I made a great wallpaper discovery yesterday I have to share with you all. Ministry of the Interior on Ossington at Queen St W here in TO carries Cole & Son, Timorous Beasties and Tres Tintas wallpaper. Which, by the way, is also where you can find some of the great Dwell linens. Such a great find!!

bobbin - I have the same theory about rentals, if I know I'm going to be there a while I would rather have it the way I like it and worry about reversing when I leave!!

So, I spent my Sunday at the St. Lawrence Antique market and got some wonderful things for my (clean) kitchen.

I wanted to ask if you guys had any favourite vintage/used/antique stores in the area and compile a Canadian list!

Kimberley - AMAZING find. I must visit!

And prarie girl - I love to do my antique shopping down at Queen and Roncesvalle. I always manage to find some really great and reasonably priced things in those shops (especially those on the north side of the street!) and the owners are all very friendly. I'd love to hear more about flea markets around the city if anyone has any input though - i've never been!

http://www.upsidedive.com/

they have an online store and a really interesting selection in their showroom including lots of cool vintage ceramics, clothing etc...

I bought a great chair from them - very reasonably priced. My only complaint is there showroom is a little out of the way.

I really like the clothes there too!

Is anyone still around?

I'm here and happy to say this morning just purchased Tres Tintas wallpaper for the bedroom focal wall. Which begs the question... they told us it would be best that we have it professionally installed. Anyone have referrals in Toronto they'd like to give me?

I've never hung wallpaper...

*waits patiently*

Does anyone have any good sources for fabrics (both upholstery and otherwise)?

Here in Toronto Designer Fabrics on Queen near Dufferin is a great place to start. It's huge and very very affordable. The fashion schools tell their students to go there and Project Runway Canada used them in their first season. Otherwise, the stretch of Queen between Spadina & Bathurst also has tonnes of great stores.

ps: wallpaper is being hung Monday am by the 'professional'. I'll post pics!

Had to share the news I heard today - Anthropology is opening their first Canadian store right here in TO this weekend. A new outdoor mall called the Shops at Don Mills. Finally, I've been wanting some of their hardware for ages... door and drawer handles.

Hello everyone,

this is my first time doing the Spring Cure. I'm looking for ideas on how to display vases and other wooden carvings and artifacts on the wall in my entertainment rooom. Other than floating shelves, do you have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

I WORK AT DON MILLS. :)

anthropology? very cool - word of caution on their hardware though. We picked up a bunch of door handles two years ago in new york and some of the brass detailing has fallen off 2 out of 5 of them. So be very chosey when selecting the hardware!

I have fallen off the cure bandwagon in a big way... BUT this weekend we are turning our den into a dining room. so that's something! :-)

This board sure went quiet. Did anyone complete what they set out to do? I didn't but only because I haven't found certain things I'm looking for... lambswool rugs, the right chair, credenza, and overhead lighting. But the cure certainly helped me focus. I put together a small website to grow as the house does. Keeps me motivated and positive.