Spring and summer mean more road trips, and road trips mean more spying of country properties. It is a slippery slope, next thing you know I am trolling real estate websites and arranging viewings. But one of my cohorts got me thinking about buying property and eventually building something small, simple and perfect. So here is my dream country cottage … this week that is.

Dark on the outside so subtle from the road and nicely hidden in the woods.

But lots of white on the inside so it always feels bright and cheery.

I don’t know how I got the reputation amongst friends as a DIY gal. I look at my skill set rather as hands on…. say something needs a paint, so be it- 2 hours later it’s done. Crafts enter the picture in my home because I have children who love to draw and glue and sculpt just about anything they can get their little hands on.

I was shooting at a great family home for work last week and could not help but notice the amazing art and colour throughout the house. The homeowners had 3 kids and crafts were displayed everywhere. One thing that caught my eye was a stack of hand painted rocks. I know the idea is anything but new, but thought it was timely- with summer coming and doors open (the perfect doorstop).

Such a fun project- with or without kids.

Image: New York Times- a collection of painted rocks by Eve Ashcraft an architectural colour consultant who lives in NYC.

I love shutters, both working and just decorating, both inside the house and on its exterior, crisp and modern or old and covered in paint. They are one of the first things I gravitate to in a place like Habitat for Humanity’s REstore, mostly because they are one of the things I love most about country houses. Here are a couple of my favourites.

Steven Gambrel porch decor. I love how the shutters frame more than just the window. In fact they act as a frame for the whole vignette. And isn’t that black hardware gorgeous.

Look here, the warm wood against the white walls. This is the crisp and modern look I mentioned but still another great option for a country house.

More charm from the country house bed and bath. Shutters suit this look perfectly.

It seems as if every other person I know is headed to Paris right now.  Sadly, I am not one of these people.  But every spring, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that if given the chance, I’d grab my passport, pack a quick bag and jump on a plane. The last time we were in Paris was the spring and so now I’m convinced it is the time to go.  And, once there, a trip to Paris would not be complete without an early morning wake-up call, a blurry-eyed ride on the Metro until you’ve almost reached the end of the line as you make your way to the marches aux puces (Paris Flea Markets).

My favourite is not the most popular nor the biggest but it’s definitely the hit amongst those in “the know”.  Porte de Vanves is the place and trust me, you won’t be disappointed.  There are some amazing finds to be had at great prices.  In fact, I’m hesitant to even share this little insider tip for fear the word will get out and we’ll soon see prices creep up and up and up!?  Let’s hope not.  Try and keep it under wraps, will you?  Here is where you will experience the true thrill of the find, Parisian style.

So on your next trip, be sure to set aside half a day (go early) and see what lies waiting for you to find…and don’t forget to grab your cafe au lait & pain au chocolat from the pastry truck while there.   You can thank me later.  Oh and p.s., prepare to be tortured as you try to figure out how exactly you plan on getting that Louis XVI chest of drawers back across the pond in your carry-on!  Been there…le sigh.

Spring and summer months are the perfect excuse to pare back, and lighten the decorating load. In the bedroom all you need is a good coverlet or blanket to keep your bed looking tidy. Whether tucked neatly at the beds foot, or simply draped over sheeting, a good-looking blanket is key to a quick and easy made bed (Mum would be proud).

Blanket, (pair available) on foundstyle.net

Room design with built in bed: Steven Gambrel

Interior design by Albert Hadley

Cottage bedroom: Photography Stacey Brandford

Old time tennis racquets are de rigueur these days with the stylish set. Used in fashion shoots and photography creatives, there is something about the weathered wood against the crisp and classic white, blue and red logos that is beautifully captured in photos. But fashion folks aren’t the only ones loving vintage racquets. A recent blog post by blogger Heather Clawson at HABITUALLY CHIC sums it up nicely for folks like me. We want the racquet for our front hall decorating, it is the new answer to the ubiquitous rubber Wellington boot. Casually placed at our front doors, the wooden raquets imply a kind of life so few have time to enjoy. Just think how nice it would be to put on your tennis whites, collect your racquet and balls and head out for a quick game at the club. For some reason I can’t get the image of Ali MacGraw playing tennis in Goodbye, Columbus out of my head. Youthful, healthful, sporty and elegant at the same time.

And luckily we have been scoring some racquets for FOUND that are perfect for your front hall. That is if I can part with them long enough to sell them.

And check this out, racquets as art, another great idea.

Image 1 from HONEY

Image 2 from Brown Dress with White Dots

Image 3 source unknown

Images 4, 5 and 6 by David Burton for Elle Italia, via HABITUALLY CHIC

Images 7, and and 9 by FOUND

Image 10 via raenovate

Phew, we finally did it. We got Michael Penney’s terrific flea market pics up on our online store. I can’t believe in the time that has passed since we went shopping with him, Michael has opened his own real bricks + mortar store, Penney & Company. All the while we were sitting with images and product blurbs but no time to get them up. He put us to shame. But we are thrilled to have him picking for FOUND.  And I am proud to say, we took him to one of my haunts he didn’t know about, and he has now become a regular.

Take a look at some of the Michael Penney finds we have in store for you.

This last one is a great way to start a collection, one that I know inspired Michael.

So check out his guest stint as our Found Picker or read about Micahel’s own adventures in decorating at Michael Penney Style.

 Images 1 through 4 from Found

Image 5 source unknown

 Sunday…

Country drive + good friend + blue sky + amazing barn full of goodies + spring kittens = perfect day

 Up on a rise on old Hwy 14 lives this sad yellow brick farmhouse. It doesn’t take much to imagine the charm it must have had in its day, the red corner coins and eyebrow brickwork detail tell you this house was built with style in mind. But now the fallen-in porch and overgrown bushes and trees tell you it hasn’t been loved in a very long time. I find this especially disheartening since yellow brick houses are rather rare in many parts of Ontario. In fact, most are found in the same area as this sad lovely — since the colour of brick is determined by the amount of iron in clay, and few areas have the right kind of clay to produce yellow bricks. And take a look at the sky — talk about pathetic fallacy. The ominous dark clouds seem to match the mood this discovery threw me into. Sigh.

Because I work in the editorial world, I have a serious soft spot for behind the scenes videos. I love the idea of creating a set, and watching it evolve. The Salon del Mobile in Milan just ended Sunday (A benchmark for the global home furnishings market) and a fun video of the assembly of Ikea’s booth at the show is on the link just below (Livet Hemma- the official blog of Ikea- cool to check out now and then).

 http://livethemma.ikea.se/