Eco-Luxury Safari Near Tofino

The Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge caught my attention quite some time ago. It's been around 10 years now, and you may have heard about it on the news recently as the place where Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds got "hitched".

I love hospitality design, and my natural design aesthetic tuned right into this...it was the absurdity of the idea that put me into a tizzy when I came across it the first time.

They sell it as luxury eco safari, and I think that about sums it up. Executive Chef Timothy May's food is modern natural cuisine that lets the ingredients speak for themselves. I can only imagine the food compliments the environment...and look at the outdoor market and ocean available to you! One of my clients has been invited to his table, and they didn't stop smiling for days.

The rustic furniture is availble through Live Edge Designs.

From The Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge website-

"...promises discriminating travellers an ultra-luxurious eco-destination, four-star accommodations, otherworldly coastal cuisine, super natural adventure, and some of the most breathtakingly beautiful wilderness frontier left on the planet..."

I have often pondered the idea of living outside with a few luxuries...haven't you? One catch...3 days will set you back almost 7000 dollars per person. This includes your float plane ride from Vancouver, enrolment in the environmental stewardship program, meals, alcohol, a massage tent treatment of choice, and either horseback riding or fishing. Visit CWL's website here. Happy camping!

(off topic...does anyone know how to insert a paragraph line break...I don't know HTML, and am having a bugger of a time arranging entries- the entry appears to have a break, until I publish it, then one does not appear)

...visions of sugarplums...

Well, it's arrived...holiday decorating week. It's a crazy month around our house; my husband's birthday is Christmas Day, and the kid's birthdays are in December, and the first week of January.

I'm also hosting the family dinner here on Boxing Day, since the boys are with their dad's family on the island for Christmas this year. Here is a peek of what I've been doing... more to come yet...

The Holidays at my house are all about the bar and the kitchen...my favorite is champagne and Chambord...with salmon skewers and goats cheese appy's. It's a bit about over-indulgence around here at Christmas.

My husband made this wood log candle holder when he was 8 years old, and it sat on his grandfather's mantle in Anacortes for all of their lives. When he passed away, we brought it home, and it sits on our mantle every Christmas. The candles are from Restoration Hardware, and the little raindeer are from Canadian Tire...yes, love these little guys, and I can change my look next year for the price.

My mom brought me back this nativity scene from Mexico over 10 years ago, and I love it. They remind me of Finnish and Dutch patterns, and are cheerful.

The twig tree from Canadian Tire is perfect for displaying the cut chandelier pieces from the Paris flea market. I thought I would put them on the main tree, but need to get some more on my next trip to make any impact. I love the way the light bounces around them, especially the faceted ones.

I have collected Santas for a few years...

















Some of my tree decorations...my tree stays pretty much the same every year...no garland, no tinsel, just a growing collection of sentimental ornaments. This year I didn't get a fresh tree. I have a new car, so I didn't want to clean up the needles for months to come, and I have a heat vent in the only spot I have for a tree, so I went artificial, slim and tapered.

I like the look, but you really have to spend upwards of 500 dollars for a good artificial tree. I like the fact that it is pre-lit though! I always dreaded that part. Since I have boys, I have been the sole decorator in my house. They would put a couple of ornaments on the tree, and then wanted to play in boxes, so it's nice to get the part done quickly, and get on to the decorating. Nowadays they come in the room, give their critique, and eat the candy, and be on their way.

I just love these two in multicoloured glass...they remind me of the sixties, and my mom's tree decorations...the indented ones are the the best.

Others that are very special are the snowman frame with a picture of my sister and my first baby within an hour of his birth...he's now 21. Gheesshh.
Crocheted skates with paperclips as the blades...these are from my Nana Tyne in Cape Breton; she also made me mittens, boots, icicles...all crocheted.
The little paper stars are Danish and from the mother of my first husband, Sigrid. I found others at IKEA, but they were much larger. I cherish these little ones. She has great taste.

We made little pipe cleaner ornaments a long time ago, when the kids were little; I'll never get rid of these things...and love the memories they provoke.











The fun continues today...Happy Holidays to you!

MBR makeover

My new MBR plan- Rendering by Michelle Morelan

My bedroom now
The pillow covers as inspiration

I love these pillow covers I purchased at an Amsterdam Flea Market. They are my inspiration for a new bedroom makeover.

It will include some architectural prints I bought in Paris, a paint patterned roller from Amsterdam's DOM shop, and a pop of blue in the nightstands; something in high gloss.

The new look includes tone on tone walls in white and cream, like the cushions. I'm keeping my mirrored lamps and auction nightstands, and my PAX wardrobe that I just could never live without!

A 6' linen headboard (or maybe to the ceiling) with equal vertical seams will bring your eye up, and direct interest to the framed prints on or above the nightstands. I'll find the blue throw first, then match the table paint to it. I may get a box style cushion made for the bed like the one on the chair.

This Merlena chair from Mitchell Gold would be great with a low end table like this one from Oly. The Robert Allen Linen is a good price point, and is a heavier weight to use as upholstery for the headboard.

I can't wait for a new look. As a mother, my bedroom has been my sanctuary for a long time, but this is the first time the objects have meaning. Out with Home Sense, and in with pieces that mean the world to me :)

Rainy Day in Vancouver

Another rainy day in Vancouver! Thinking about all of you bloggers in warm exotic places....Jordan, Australia, Texas....

I always wonder how others post and work at home.

This is the view from my home studio window and a warm cup of coffee...my comfort zone :)

Would have posted a picture of my desk, but it's too messy; especially after seeing how beautiful Patricia's work space is :)

She inspires me daily to edit and bring only things of beauty into my life.

Iittala's Taika Collection

While in Amsterdam, I visited the Iittala store at De Bijenkorf, and bought these amazing dishes from the Taika collection.

We received Arabia mugs for our wedding from a friend of my husband's over ten years ago with crazy characters on them...they always made me laugh. I have come to find out they actually depict the characters of Moomin Valley by author Tove Jansson... and are just darn cute.

I purchased the Ivory Taika dishes, although I loved the black and white as well. It would have been easier in hindsight to have bought them here, but I have this thing about making things more difficult.

With Christmas around the corner, I can only imagine how beautiful the red dishes would look on the table :)

"Taika means ‘magic’ in Finnish, and Designer Klaus Haapaniemi wanted his illustrations to inspire your own imagination and storytelling."

I'm having my morning coffee out of it now...I like the shape and the creamy colour of ivory with splashes of red. It says allot about me...Bohemian, rustic and bold to the point of just enough ;)

the seaside room

The seaside room at a client's is ready...almost...we still need a white wicker chair, and a woven large rug, but it is stunning, and feels airy, like a summer day.


This is a guest room in a large home, with a view of the sea. The client loves the small village of Hale'eva in Kauai (sorry about the spelling), and wanted the room to reference that favorite place.

There is a fine line between "theme" and "concept". The best way to explain this is to picture the Rainforest Cafe at Disneyworld vs. the building of room elements based on a common element like the Blue Fin in Times Square which references the sea, only realizing this, after you experience the space. I find many decorate in a thematic way, rather than consider the gestalt and space as a whole. A concept is less tangible, but is something to base your decisions on space planning, finishes, etc...

The prints over the Asian chair are the only other colour in the room; they depict local scenes of the Hawaiian village.

The coral is framed in old fence boards, and is actually local! White bedding contrasts nicely against the black bed, and Carrington Beige by BM is used on the walls.

This is what you see when you walk in the room. The black bamboo bed is Ralph Lauren, and was a bitch to put together requiring wooden pegs and a rubber mallet.

The transoms let in light, and when lit from behind are a work of art. Andre Sperling of Barclay Glass created over a dozen for the home.

My Son's Photos

My son is in the Film program at Capilano and borrows my camera periodically...when I went hunting for pics for my recent blog entry, I was struck as the strangeness and the good-ness of his photos.

What do you think?

Halloween Left-overs

I thought this photo of our scary pumpkins was worth noting...LOL

This guy didn't fare much better...not his day :(

penthouse update, storm watching, christmas decorating

I am spending this weekend in Ucluelet, looking after a client's house while they are in Vegas. This has given me a chance to check on the Penthouse progress at the Moorage. These are private clients separate from the Moorage contract. It's coming along beautifully.

Sometimes it's the collaboration with the client that gets the best results. They have a very European aesthetic, and I had to get my head around what they wanted, and keep resale value in mind. The result is a very trim and moulding heavy look, with dark marbles and a 48"medallion in the entry. You can see the dwgs I did a few months ago here.

You've seen the home where I am staying many times on my blog, and know the client and I have become close friends. While they are away, I am decorating the house for Christmas; here are some pics of my progress. It's a great house to decorate, and with fir, cedar, spruce and pine readily available, it has been lots of fun.

Last night the storm watching (and listening) was amazing...you can never get the full feeling from pictures, but you can imagine the sound of the ocean. There was such a storm, that the outdoor microphone was crackling and moss and pine cones were hitting the windows :0

Today, I sit, on the edge of a continent, facing the sea, listening to Carla Bruni, typing a blog entry and drinking a diet coke.

Life is good

Kimberly Seldon Seminar

Well...this has been a whirlwind weekend...2 days of Kimberly Seldon's Business of Design seminars here in Vancouver.

I met some wonderful women there; all exceptional Designers, Stagers, Architects, Organizers, Stylists and Decorators. I also met Interior Designer Patricia Gray and fellow blogger and Home Stager Albarosa for the first time. What a delight! Even a couple of college friends showed up that I didn't know were attending!

I'll be collecting my thoughts, following up with my to-do lists and posting more about this seminar this coming week. For now I will just say...ppphhhewww.

I wish now I could have chatted with every woman there... I hope a networking group comes out of this.

I dislike this picture of me so much, but had to post it...of course Kimberly looks awsome! Thanks to Nancy@ Urban Aesthetics for the pic, since my battery was mysteriosly missing from my camera....teenagers!