A Work in Progress Down by the River

For this weeks blog I thought I would post some images from one of the projects I have been working on for the past couple of months. It's not done yet as the pictures will show. I'd say we'll be at it for another month and a bit more for the new furniture.

Before I start I want to thank the gals over at Desire to Inspire blog for mentioning Moving Designz in their blog entry today. I was so excited to see they had checked out both my site and blog and highlighted them both, Thank You, it was a great start to a great day. On the weekends I like spending a few hours reading blogs from Canada and around the world, they keep me inspired. If you like reading blogs and want some inspiration this is one of my favorites. Check it out ... http://www.desiretoinspire.blogspot.com/

On to my latest project... this house is located in Stanley Bridge. A very popular area full of very nice cottages, homes and vacation properties. The house is undergoing a major overhaul. I usually go out to the house to check on the week's progress on Fridays, sometimes during the week if I am needed to make any on site decisions. I wasn't able to get out yesterday so I drove out this morning.

The house has undergone an amazing transformation from the first time I was in it with the building team. We've done some major structural work, tearing down walls to open up the main floor, gutting 3 bathrooms and a new addition was added to the main floor living room creating a great room. Carpets have been pulled up, hardwood flooring is in the process of going in, tiling has been replaced, new windows and doors added, and new exterior siding. We also installed new potlights throughout the main floor and to complement these all new lights fixtures will be added. At a later date I will be posting the before and after pictures but for right now let's have a look at a project in progress.

This is the view of the river this morning. As you can see it's still pretty frozen over, no sail or speed boats to be seen. Spring is so so late this year. In the summer this is definitely the place to get away but right now it's looking a little bleak. Ahh but it is a beautiful sunny day today!

Entering the house from the side door this is the breakfast room. The blue film on the floor is protecting the newly laid engineered flooring. The cabinet door fronts and bar sink should be installed within the next few days. This space was totally reconfigured with the addition of the patio doors, a new closet, new larger windows and the new cabinets.

Looking to the left as you enter you can see all the way to the livingroom now. Originally there was a separate walled diningroom just beyond the kitchen island which totally closed off the space, now opened up you can see from one end of this floor to the other. We used BM Philadelphia Cream in these rooms to keep it light and airy.

Here I've just stepped into the kitchen area. In the kitchen we used the existing layout and since the cabinets were in pretty good shape we only needed to do a cosmetic makeover. (good for budget!). We painted the once dark oak cabinets in BM Cloud White CC40, added a crown molding detail at the top and changed the countertops to a pale green slate. New brushed metal hardware and lighting will totally update this kitchen. I want to add a glass backsplash but I still have some convincing to do. I've chosen oil brushed bronze lighting fixtures for the entire home.

Going a little further into the space is the newly revamped entry. The entry tiles have been changed (again hidden under protective film). We're changing out the stair treads to a dark stained oak to match the flooring. The staircase spindles and newel posts which were golden oak are being repainted to Cloud White and will be reinstalled once the treads have gone down.

This is the main living room, now the "great room" with a 12' by 18' addition . On this fireplace wall we removed dark pine paneling which was on an angle to either side of what was once a faux stone chimney with grey stones and black grout. We'll be retiling with a modern stone tile and adding a simple wood mantle next week. I gave this room a pale bluey green colour which I can't quite remember today. I'll post it after I check the file. The furnishings will be in tones of caramel, pale beiges, with accents of green, blues and yellows. Fresh, pretty!

This is the view of the extension in the great room. While it may not look it, this room is as my son would say gi-normous now. Plenty of space for relaxing and entertaining family and friends.


Let's have a peek upstairs.



The man's room/office. New built in shelving, extra large windows and though you can't see it, to the left is an entire wall of built in cabinetry. The colour is a bit off in this photograph so it's hard to tell but the walls are BM Hazy Skies and the cabinets are BM Fairview Taupe. That big log on the floor is the carpet which will be used in all the rooms on the entire upper floor...except the bathrooms which of course I would never put carpet in!



This is the main bathroom and as you can see it still needs some work. The old taupey coloured fixtures have been replaced with white, the bathtub/shower unit is brand new as is the vanity and floor tiles. Still to come we will be adding beadboard wainscotting to cover the dated wall tiles and new lighting. We also changed all the door hardware to iron black.




The next room on our tour is the master suite. New carpet, windows and wall colour. We used BM Hazy Skies in here which creates a nice flow and neutral background.

This room is the ensuite to the master bedroom. The entry door will be a French door with etched glass to keep it bright and airly. This was 2 separate spaces, one had a small vanity only and the other had the toilet and shower. We removed the wall to make it one larger open space. The floor has been retiled, a new larger vanity added. The new medicine cabinet and lighting still need to be installed. In this room and in all the bathrooms we'll be using chrome lighting and cabinet hardware. Shiny and clean.

This is the new shower. The old one had a major water problem with leakage through the tiles. Just to the left you can see some new built in shelves. I usually like doing tile showers but since this is a summer home we've gone for low maintenance. We stole a little space from the master bedroom closet on the other side of the wall to create this additional storage.

So, that is the progress to date on this house. It's coming along quite nicely. I didn't post any of the downstairs pictures since this is getting kind of long but I will when it is complete. Since I had my camera I took some pictures of other beautiful homes in the area. I could have taken more but I was rushed to get back to town.

I have to comment on this house. While the others are all very nice this has to be (is) one of my favorite houses on PEI. My... what if house :) My... if I win the lottery house :) My... if I work very very hard someday house :) Isn't it stunning?

I wish I would have had more time this morning to take a few more shots because there are plenty of eye candy houses on the river. I have another project, just starting in Stanley Bridge, this time a new build. I'll keep you posted...

Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend!

Susan

Must Love Design!

Moving Designz Home & Cottage is now accepting resumes for part time sales associates/team members.



As a sales professional at Moving Designz Home & Cottage your job will coordinate the customer experience from greeting, to product knowledge, to colour, furniture and accessory suggestions for our clients homes. This role requires an excellent understanding of design coupled with an exceptional level of customer service. We are looking for a well groomed professional, who is comfortable within a busy retail business and design enviroment. The ideal candidate will have high energy, be creative, flexible and up to date with home fashion.



Responsibilities include:



Customer management, from greeting to product knowledge to suggestive selling to answering telephone calls and inquiries.

An understanding of the budgeting process for each individual client.

Ability to actively listen to our customers, ascertain their needs whether they are shopping for a house full of furniture or looking for accent pieces and/or decorative accessories.

Ensuring the cleanliness of the store, instore products and displays.

Receiving shipments and unpacking, pricing as necessary. (some heavy lifting is required)

Cashier duties combined with sales orders, liaison with suppliers and client follow up.



Requirements include:



Must love design and beautiful things.

Stong visual and creative skills are an essential skill to this position.

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.

Good organization skills, time management skills and attention to detail required.

Minimum of three years sales experience, preferably in a design related field.

Must be able to work weekends and some evenings.

Ability to work a flexible schedule as required. Will be required to work full time hours during staff holidays.

Lifting, unpacking and arranging furniture within the store will be part of weekly duties.

Valid drivers license and vehicle.



Attitude:

Enthusiastic and passionate about all things design and sales.

A positive attitude and outgoing personality is a must.

Self motivated, reliable and goal oriented team player.

Willing to learn new ideas and approaches as provided by the company.

Ability to connect with customers and provide outstanding customer service.



Education:



High school diploma.

Background in Interior Design or Decorating is preferable, a degree or diploma in either field is considered an asset.

Must have excellent computer skills in Word Perfect, Microsoft Excel, and Outlook Express.

Preference will be given to candidates with AutoCAD, Microsoft Frontpage and Simply Accounting. Familiarity with blueprints and in particular 1/4" scale; familiarity with window treatments and fabric types; planning furniture layouts

Must be able to supply references.

_______________________________________

Come join our team. This position is ideal for someone who is looking to work in a pleasant, upbeat and inspiring environment. Currently we require someone who is able to work Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays but has the flexibility to work extra daily shifts if required.


If this job description fits you or anyone you know please forward resumes to:

info@movingdesignz.com

or by post to:
Susan Snow
Moving Designz Home & Cottage
4 Queen St
C1N 0A6

Please no phone calls or instore visits! Only those candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.

Thanks for reading.
Susan

Nesting Instinct

Happy Easter everyone! Chocolate, Bunnies and Little Fuzzy Chicks to all.

Today, I am inspired to write about birds after all it's the first official day of spring and the start of the Easter holiday weekend. I am seeing plenty of birds used in decorating and accessories this year. From romantic, to funky, to whimsical, to contemporary to pretty, birds are on the scene. I'm covering all things bird in todays blog post.


Not an uncommon sight for home owners. Spring starts with the nests found in our yards, trees and even in light fixtures.



This image is from Design Inc website. In fact, it's Sarah's Richardson's pretty nursery chair. I just love it, so fresh, so pretty, so very very Sarah.



A close of up the fabric on the chair. Notice the pretty humming birds.

I found these bird prints on Ballard Designs website the other day. They are prints by Katie McRostie.

These are the same prints framed slightly different, same artist on display at our store at half the price of Ballard Designs.




I know I featured this mirror in my last blog post but I didn't point out the little birds sitting on the branches. At the moment, I'm working on a summer home along the river in Stanley Bridge, PEI and I think this mirror will be hanging on their wall very soon.




Out of one of our suppliers catalogs I noted this interesting coat/hat rack.





Bird sculptures by Eileen Gatt. Little birds sitting gracefully on the backs of the polar bear. I love these sculptures. I saw them online while doing some browsing.

More bird sculptures, this time perched on stone. These are very contemporary little pieces.

This is one of our instore displays featuring pretty little ceramic birds. They come in a pretty pale blue and celedon green. We completed the display with a beautiful piece of artwork featuring cherry blossoms, a beautiful porcelain lamp and pretty vases.



A close up of the little tweeties.

Coming very soon to the store are these pastel little birdies.






Here's another one of our framed birds prints and right beside my big fat cute bird.



I saw this beautiful table arrangement on the Rachel Ray website. I love the branches spray painted red. Fantastic.


Pottery Barn is also into birds. This very pretty quilt is called the songbird set. Very nice, love the colour.



A display from our store with bird motif little cream and green felt bags, we also have them in robins egg blue. We've filled them with McBlooms foot soaks foot creams and call them the BFF spring perk me up bags. Only $23.00! With summer coming everyone could use a little pedi...




I found these 2 bags shown above and below on the Etsy site. Again it's all about the birds. If you haven't been to the Etsy, take a look, it's very cool and inspiring.




This cute little make-up bag is one we saw at the gift show, continuing on the bird theme.

I saw this little cartoon and seeing as it's Easter I couldn't resist the humor in turkey dinner.

I'm seeing chandeliers festooned with birds perched on branches. We didn't buy into this trend but it is pretty.

Also found on the internet this amazing chandelier is from a German designer Ingo Maurer entitled birds, birds, birds.
Note paper with birds silouttes. How pretty!

This is a very cool piece of artwork. Birds in the long grass. Love the colours, very modern.

Even bird vases for flowers. Now I've seen almost everything!

I like this piece of artwork. It's actually a very cheery poster. I like it!

Birds in wall decals. Kind of cool too!

And almost last but not least this is actually a bird costume :) Who knew?

How about this perfectly chic black and white umbrella. Yes, I do like this and we carry it in the store. It's called the Hitchcock Umbrella.

Well, that about covers my posting on some of the pretty things I've seen featuring our lovely feathered friends. Bye Bye Birdie! For those of you who read from afar our first day of Spring consisted of freezing rain, pouring rain and ice pellets, in no particular order, but generally all day long with no breaks. Not a good hair day.

Have a great weekend, thanks for reading.

Susan

Vitamin "C" Stands for Cheery

After complaining and whining and writing about this long winter I think (and overthink) it's time to spread a little cheer in the form of Vitamin "C" colours. I am sitting here dreaming of summer even though as I write this week's blogpost my world, as I know it, is still blanketed in a thick layer of snow. But yet I know spring followed by summer is coming... 6 more sleeps.

This week in the store we have proudly and loudly announced that spring is coming. Throughout the store and in our window displays we are showing the colours in our new spring line up. The finds from our buying trip in January are filling our store and our spirits with a fresh injection of colour and cheer.

This inspires me. Yummy fresh citrus fruits.

I took this picture today. This mirror is absolutely beautiful and it reflects the cheeriness of our new bedding line. Vibrant, fresh... COLOUR!

A close up of the bed where we layered all of the pretty citrus coloured bedding together. Lime, yellow, orange and red, who's ready for bed? :)

On the other side of the bed we added these pretty accessories. I love, love this lamp and the coral coloured tealight holder.

The hits of orange certainly brighten what would otherwise be a very boring neutral room.

Perfect colours for cottage living.

One of our new displays featuring brightly coloured kitchen and entertaining necessities. I love the ice buckets in fun summer colours. And the aprons are such a must have, gals protect your clothing!

In our display window we are showing our fun and fabulous new line of teapots, cups and vibrant accessories. It wouldn't be spring in the store without a nice fresh bouquet of tulips.

Let's have a patio party, decorated the Moving Designz way. El Fresco, yes, dreaming of sun, summer, get togethers and outdoor cocktail parties.

How about these little colourful glasses? I think they make the most ideal martini glasses. No long base, no spill... Oh I hope! Or could be perfect for margarita's? mojito's? or juice?

Pretty, pretty vases and colourful starfish. Pink, Aqua, Yellow, Coral and Lilac, loving them!

Bold and bright serving dishes with a beautiful bird inspired motif. Oh so Pretty. Birds are hot this year in all of our accessories. My next blogpost will feature our nature inspired accessories, beautiful wood accessories and more birds. A sure sign of spring.

Have a great weekend, thanks for reading.

Susan