A FRIDGE AND STOVE MARRIAGE

Hey everyone... just a very quick posting today.  If any of you out there are looking to renovate but don't really have any sense of what one should or should not do.... let me point out this one little piece of info for you all.
When renovating a kitchen it so important that you think of how you actually use the space.  You should think about your work triangle.  I am sure that this concept is NOT new to most of you..however to some of you out there, when you work in your kitchen.... if you were to draw an imaginary line between your stove, fridge and sink it SHOULD create a triangle.  I do understand that in some instances that this may not be possible.  However, if you do have that triangle or something close to it, the magic number you should be reaching for is less than 26 feet.  Meaning that if you were to draw that magical line between all those stations, those lines would be less than 26 feet.  Why is this important.  Well let me tell you.... It all has to do with ones intelligent use of space.  If you go over this magic number you end up doing a whole lot of walking and that isn't good for anyone.  Case in point:

Source unknown-sorry!

This is a perfect example of a great kitchen triangle- tight and over simplified but you get the idea.


What I wanted to speak about most of all in this posting is safety and function.  When I saw the next pic I almost lost my nut!

Realtor.ca

Realtor.ca

Now as I have stated in the past I am NOT here to be mean or nasty.  However, when I see something that is so wrong in so many ways I want to bring it up so that others out there that may face problems in a space or are about to tackle a space.... well... I want to give a little food for thought.
NEVER, EVER have a stove without landing space. EVER!!  Have I made myself clear?? Landing space is just that.  When you take something out of the oven or off the stove you need somewhere to put it and you may need to put it fast.  This above kitchen  is an example of what not to do, to the nth degree..... For so many reasons, one being NO LANDING SPACE, the other being.....never, ever put a stove next to a fridge like this.  It is so wrong on so many levels I can't believe I am seeing this.  This space has SO much potential and I mean so much.... but this is NOT the way to do it.  I am in no way saying that this kitchen does not have potential.  However in the long run this is not how you would want to renovate.  I understand that we all have challenges when renovating but being smart about it is just the first step.  To the average person this may not seem all that bad- a fridge next to a stove.  And really in the scheme of things it may not be, however, since there is NO landing space I just had to bring it up.  It is Kitchen 101 my friends.  So if you are in the market to reno your kitchen- be smart about it- ask advice- take lots of questions to the experts or ask someone like ME.  If I don't know the answer I can certainly point you in the right direction.  KNOWLEDGE PEOPLE!!

Here is a better option for the space like the one above.

Yes... I know.. I know....it has an island-but get rid of the island and this is a way better lay out.
In the original kitchen I am ranting about...take away the "bar sink", place the fridge and a pantry there.  Put cabinets on either side of the stove and now you have storage on either side of the stove and now you have a pantry my friends-VOILA!!!  Just think about your space.  DO NOT Compromise.  Function is EVERYTHING!!


Enough of my rant for the day......
Have a great day everyone.
Megan

NATURALLY HAVEN-YUMMY YARN

Hey Everyone.... I was in a new yarn store we have here in Burlington... Knit n' Stitch.  It is a little yarn store that is just starting out.  It has a couple of my favourites in there:

Vintage Berrocco

Vintage Berrocco

and


Cascade 220

Cascade 220

These two are really amazing all around yarns.  They are made with a fabulous quality wool.  LOVE these yarns.

Whenever I go into a yarn store- I was in 3 of them between Paris (On), Ancaster and Burlington on Wed, what I am always looking for is a great yarn around the 26-28sts/4" mark.  I really love to make scarves that have detail in them.  However, trying to find a yarn in this gauge that isn't sock yarn can be a challenge.  Oh, I know, I could probably go onto yarn.com and find something but I have to be able to feel it if it is a yarn that I have not come into contact with before.  Since the patterns that I love to create are generally accessories I try to make them in a soft feeling yarn.  However, the difficulty can be trying to find a yarn in that given gauge with a soft  hand yet have great stitch definition.  I'm not asking for much am I??  I truly love creating scarf patterns in this gauge as is evidenced by my
Easy as Pie Scarf:

And the Winding Way Scarf:

Both of these scarves were created using Paton's Lace.  I love that this yarn has a fuzziness to it yet has great stitch definition.  The only issue and it isn't one for me is that it does have wool in it so it may be slightly itchy to some.
So I have wanted to find a new yarn to create with and I may just have.  While in Knit n' Stitch I got talking to the owner and she suggested that I order some yarn from her books.  So I had a look through and I did indeed find something.  Although I could only touch little samples in the book, I think that it may be just what I was looking for- keep fingers crossed.  I ordered 3 balls of this loveliness:

Naturally Haven

It is a 4 ply yarn from New Zealand.  It is 100% New Zealand Merino Wool. I ordered a soft gray.  I AM SO EXCITED!!!  It is being ordered and hopefully it will be in soon.  Keep fingers crossed that it has just the right amount of softness yet has great stitch definition.

There is just something so satisfying about designing these little scarves that I LOVE.  There is something sort of Vintagey about them.  Yes they take a little time to make.  No they are not Super easy to make, however, they aren't complicated either.... but they are so worth it.  I can't tell you how many compliments I have gotten on my Easy as Pie Scarf.  I can't wait to create more!!
Will keep you all posted.

Have a great day everyone.
Megan

EASY LACEY SCARF PATTERN

Hey Everyone.... Just a quick posting today.  The pattern for my new scarf is available on Ravelry.  You can get it here.

Here is a quick peak at it:

Like I stated in a previous post...... usually I wouldn't have bought a sequin yarn, however, I couldn't resist this yarn.
What I really liked about this pattern is that it is easy, easy.  But unlike a lot of other mesh lace patterns this one lies flat without skewing.  By using both SSK and K2Tog, this keeps the scarf from twisting.  If I had just used one of those stitches throughout it would tend to either skew to the left or the right depending on which stitch was used.  By using both they kind of balance each other out and keep the scarf straight.
And as always if you have any questions about this pattern or any of my other ones- please don't hesitate to drop me a line.

Have a great day everyone.

Megan

MASTER ENSUITE-YOU CAN'T HAVE IT ALL

Hey Everyone... Hope all is well?  I came across this renovated house that is for sale here in Burlington.  At first glance it does indeed look to be well renovated.  I do like how they have updated the exterior:

Venture Homes

In the late 60's into the early 70's Burlington grew.  And when it grew, the style of homes that were built were like the one above- a lot of Side Splits, Raised Ranches and Back Splits.  Burlington is full of them.  It can be quite a challenge to update them and make them interesting from a design point of view.  I really like what the Contractor did to update this Side Split.  I myself have not been a fan of Side Splits in the past, however, with updating like this, one can change their mind.  Hopefully you will go on over and have a peak at the other photos of this reno.  They certainly updated this 70's yawner.

However, what I wanted to talk about with you all today is when one is going to renovate ones Master Bath, when do you put the brakes on the wants vs. what will fit and look/function well?

When I saw this reno'ed Master Bath it made me think about this issue.  I know that some of us are not lucky enough to have a large enough Master Bath to have all the bells and whistles- two sinks, a tub, a separate shower and a toilet.  But, where do you draw the line when you could possibly squeeze all that in yet maybe you really shouldn't?  The Master Bath in this house, I feel, is a case in point.
I will give the Contractor kudos for trying to tic all the boxes to provide the new home owners whoever they may be all the bells and whistles.  There are those out there that will tell you that you have to have it all in order to upsell a house.  But to me it all looks a little too much in too little a space.  The reason I bring it up here is so that others who may be looking to renovate their bathroom may think a little bit before proceeding to cram a whole lot into a space that really may not hold it.
I and my husband are in the process of thinking of renovating our Master Bath.  Currently it has a sink, toilet and a shower stall.  Not very pretty, but functional.  And really that is what we should be talking about and that is function.  Here is that Master Bath from the house above:

Now to me it looks like you couldn't swing a cat in there- I can't say for sure but everything looks like it is in there pretty tight.  Now it looks like they took an existing bedroom and split it between a walk in closet and a now Master Bath.  All well and good.  However, being the crazy design person I am the placement of the tub and the placement of the toilet would make me noodles- here's why.  If you look in the first pic you will see how crammed in the toilet is with regards to it's placement next to the casing of the window- they must have heaved a sigh of relief when that fit!  And if you look at the placement of the tub it is off center with the window- not a deal breaker for some- however, it would make me noodles every time I saw it.  But that's just me.  And that's the point really.  You have to be honest with YOURSELF in terms of what YOU are willing to forgo or to deal with when you have a limited space and a whole lot of wants.  I am sure that the people that buy this lovely house will not be bothered one bit by these little details.  However, I am a detail kinda gal.
So once again I am not coming down on someone's very hard work.  I am just pointing out certain design issues so that if someone out there reading this is looking to renovate their bathroom, they may just think a little harder on what their wants vs. needs are.
In the world of renovating to sell, it is a tough market.  People are very jaded and have a lot of wants.  If the Master Bath does not have both a tub and a shower stall they may walk away from the deal- so I get it.  The Contractor made a decision to provide both so that it would appeal to a wide range of people.  But where do you draw the line between pandering to the public and making wise design decisions??  A question that is asked every day by many and one that is hard to answer.

Have a great day everyone.
Megan

SEQUIN SCARF

Hey everyone!  Just a quick posting today..... I have finished a scarf and will be posting the pattern to Ravelry soon.  It is the yarn that I bought at Mary Maxim when I was at Aidan's bonspiel near Paris, On.  I really couldn't resist the yarn.  And a good thing too..... I was back in Paris this week and the colourway that I adore wasn't there.  That doesn't mean that you can't get it online-it just wasn't in the bin.  The yarn is on for such a good price.  The name of the yarn was Shimmer.  I spoke of it a little while ago.  Anyways..... I have completed the scarf and here it is:

I am thrilled with how the finished scarf turned out.  It has just enough sequins without being too garish.  It really was a delight to knit with.  I have never knit with a yarn that had sequins and it was quite the little surprise.  Not difficult to knit with at all. And the pattern that I did was super easy.

Anyways... I will post the pattern to Ravelry soon.....Have a great weekend everyone!
Megan

KITCHEN LOVE X 2

Hey Everyone- Hope all is well in your Universe!  I wanted to share with you 2 kitchens today designed by the same firm- Fiddlehead Design LLC.  I wanted to share them with you not only because they are really great, but also because they give a couple of great lessons....
Here is the first kitchen:

Houzz

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Houzz

Houzz

Lesson 1:  Historical Integrity: For those of you out there that live in an older home and wish to keep the design integrity in your kitchen reno- this is such a great example of this.  As you all know I am a white kitchen girl all the way, however, this is such a great reno with lovely cabinetry.  Even though the home owners have chosen dark cabinetry they have chosen other elements to keep it light.  Not only is the subway tile, marble counters and farm sink a great nod to times past-all these elements keep the tone light.  Although they have chosen to use Stainless Steel Appliances I really think that they go beautifully in this space.  In addition to all this, the designers have obviously tried to tie in the much orangier tone of the floor with other elements in the room.  I am not sure if the floors were already there- I suspect they were, they have tried to tie them in with other the elements.  By staining the doors and window frames similar to the hardwood,  it really adds to an overall cohesiveness in the space.  Such a great way to tie elements together-it is as if they were there all along- perhaps they were.  The designers did a great job in choosing an  undertone in the cabinets to go with the hardwood.  It can be such a balancing act when the hardwood in a room has a very definite strong undertone.
 I really applaud people when they are able to uphold the integrity of a space yet make it livable, functional, and beautiful all at the same time.  I also love how they added a playfulness to the space with the chalkboard below the chair rail- so great for kids!  Now let me say that I in no way say that this reno is completely historically accurate for the time period of this house- not at all.  However it is quite evident that all involved tried to pay repect to the space they found themselves in.  AWESOME RENO!!  And those Cows- I love the Cow pictures!!

The Second Kitchen:

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Second Lesson:  Don't follow the pack when it comes to your kitchen.  The main thing that I wanted to point out with this kitchen is the flooring.  I LOVE IT!  It is  Manning VCT Flooring.  VCT- Vinyl Composite Tile.  To me this is one of the true workhorses of the flooring world that has been around for years.  Hey- if they can put it in a lab/classroom-it will stand up to anything you and your family can give it.  I love how versatile of a product this flooring is.  You can let your imagination run wild with it. It is warm under foot, soft underfoot, comes in loads of colours, does not cost and arm and a leg... I could go on and on.  You do NOT have to have hardwood or stone in a kitchen for it to look fabulous and this reno is an amazing example of that.  It really speaks to the designers desire to play off the vintage vibe of this space.  So what I am trying to say here is.... have an open mind when it comes to your finishes.  Be unique, be you, and you don't have to break the bank to do it!!

Not only did I want to share a couple of quick lessons here but I wanted to share with you all two really great kitchens.

Have a great day everyone.
Megan

MODERN AND CLEAN LINES

Happy Easter everyone!  Hopefully you had your fill of Ham this past weekend or were able to do whatever you wanted to do, to give you some inner piece and happiness.  I spent a great weekend filled with family, food and wine!
I came across this amazing interior and had to share it with you all.  I know that I have been on a bit of a Modern kick lately, however, I really think that for those of us that love Traditional design we can still incorporate little modern ideas as well.
The following is a Victorian Duplex and both sides have been renovated: I will show one side today
 Enjoy:

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For the most part I love it when a Victorian is painted with many colours, however, in this instance I truly love how using 1 colour really lends an air of Modernity to this Victorian.

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Gotta love those Bertoia bar Stools.  One place they can be purchased is at DWR.  Not only would they look right at home in a Modernized nautical setting but those Pendants and floating shelves would as well.

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Choose any of the above and they too would look awesome in a Nautical Setting.  Have my eye on that coffee table myself!!

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A similar floor lamp would be the AJ at DWR

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A similar Pendant can be found at Union Lighting.

I hope that this has given a little bit of inspiration for the day.
Have a great day everyone.

Megan

P.S... I almost forgot to add that this amazing reno was by San Francisco architect Todd Davis Architecture.