In our brand new home decor column, trendsNOW, we will bring you advice and inspiration from local people with a unique take on home style.
This month we’re featuring fall decor trends from Style Your Nest, a Buckhorn shop with an emphasis on local producers. We’re getting an inside look at a wedding held at the Historic Red Dog Tavern with Swanky Events, also of Buckhorn. And we’re getting design inspiration from the beautiful new showroom of Peterborough’s Lakeshore Designs.
Fall Decor Trends to Style Your Nest
Wood and Metal pieces create harmony between traditional and modern elements in a home. According to Jamie "This is an updated version of rustic." These pieces can match almost any decor style, adding a touch of modern elegance or the beauty of wood grain to a room. Jamie also notes "the colours and textures are great for the fall season." (Photo: Eva Fisher)
Supporting your community never goes out of style, and Style Your Nest features work from a variety of locals. "The artisans in this area make such amazing products." The wall hangings pictured above are painted from traditional quilt patterns by Loren Morrison, a local artist and quilter. They are a beautiful way to add colour to a room. (Photo: Eva Fisher)
A blend of antiques and modern replicas make a striking and classic design statement. Modern replicas can add practicality, as in the case of the hooks above. They are made of light wood, making them easier to hang than an older piece would be. Cloches are another favourite, and make a stylish refuge for items that you're sick of dusting. (Photo: Eva Fisher)
For eco-friendly and unique home decor, reclaimed furniture is a great option. Details like the doorknob on this bench provide a reminder of the item's past. Windows in particular are a trend right now, offering many design possibilities. Cobourg company Parkadilly uses reclaimed windows and picture frames as a canvas for hand tied wire art. (Photo: Eva Fisher)
Jamie Stephenson of Style Your Nest has created a home decor haven in a beautifully renovated 1910 church in the heart of Buckhorn. In addition to a stunning range of new, vintage and reclaimed items, Jamie offers classes to help you create your own unique accents. Here are some of Jamie’s picks to make your home feel fresh this fall.
Wood and Metal
Pairing wood and metal pieces creates harmony between traditional and modern elements in a home. According to Jamie, “This is an updated version of rustic.” These pieces can match almost any decor style, adding a touch of modern elegance or the beauty of wood grain to a room. Jamie also notes that “the colours and textures are great for the fall season.” The harvest table at the centre of her shop embodies this trend beautifully. Made by Lindsay O’Keefe from Carpenter Aunt, the table is studded with vintage roofing nails, which look surprisingly luxe with the walnut stained tabletop.
Unique Local Accents
Supporting your community never goes out of style, and Style Your Nest features work from a variety of locals. “The artisans in this area make such amazing products.” The wall hangings pictured above are painted from traditional quilt patterns by Loren Morrison, a local artist and quilter. They are a beautiful way to add colour to a room. Each piece is treated to withstand the elements so it can be hung outside if you choose.
Modern Antique
A blend of antiques and modern replicas make a striking and classic design statement. Modern replicas can add practicality, such as in the case of the hooks pictured above. They are made of light wood, making them easier to hang than an older piece would be. Cloches are another favourite, and make a stylish refuge for items that you’re sick of dusting.
Antique elements are a great way to add a sense of place to a room. The shelf in the picture above has been papered with what Jamie believes is an older replica of the July 1st 1867 edition of the Daily Globe, classic Canadiana. The crate is authentic from Dominion Stores in Toronto. Jamie says that crates are useful around the home. “You can hang them on the wall as shelves or use them to store blankets or toys. There’s just so much you can do with them.”
Reclaimed and Repurposed
For eco-friendly and unique home decor, reclaimed furniture is a great option. Jamie says that windows in particular have become a design trend. “You can make them into picture hangings or coat racks, I’ve seen people hooking them from the ceiling and having them come down on chains as a focal piece behind a sofa. They’re so versatile.” Cobourg company Parkadilly uses reclaimed windows and picture frames as a canvas for hand-tied wire art. Using old bedposts, doors, barn wood and more, Jan Wood of Deja vu Decor makes a variety of furniture pieces, including the benches pictured above. Jamie can arrange for custom pieces from the artisans she represents.
Style Your Nest offers regular workshops including upcoming classes on furniture painting and bench painting. Visit their website to see what’s coming up this fall.
Style Your Nest is located in Buckhorn at 6 Main Street. You can visit them online at www.styleyournest.org or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Inside Sam Weber’s Red Dog Wedding with Swanky Events
Bouquets of baby's breath and roses, black lace runners, string lights and white tulle set the stage for Sam and Mandi Weber's beautiful wedding reception at the Red Dog. (Photo: Sue Swankie)
Gone are the barn board and beer signs. Swanky Events created a more elegant backdrop for the wedding cake with soft white tulle and twinkle lights. (Photo: Sue Swankie)
A simple black-and-white colour scheme created elegant cohesion in this unconventional but wonderful wedding venue. White lanterns act as centrepieces. (Photo: Sue Swankie)
John Lennon said it best: love is all you need. But you still might want an event planner like Swanky Events to help you out with squirrel patrol. (Photo: Sue Swankie)
For all of the great times I’ve had at the Historic Red Dog Tavern in Peterborough, it’s not the first place that comes to mind when I think of elegant local wedding venues. Sue Swankie of Swanky Events was recently tasked with decorating the Red Dog for a 200-person wedding reception for Sam and Mandi Weber.
Setting the stage for a beautiful reception
The groom, Sam Weber, is a successful musician who has played many shows on the Historic Red Dog Tavern’s storied stage with his band The Weber Brothers. Sue was happy to help Sam and Mandi plan their wedding reception at a location with so much personal significance.
“The Red Dog was where they got started in their career, so it was special to them,” Sue says.
A fixture in Peterborough’s downtown since 1883, The Red Dog is known as a great place to see live music. In addition to The Weber Brothers, Neil Young, Ronnie Hawkins, Jeff Healey, and the Tragically Hip have all performed there.
Sue met with the bride at the Red Dog to plan the reception and scout out the location. “It’s a great venue for a band and a party, but it doesn’t look like your standard wedding venue. I ordered a glass of wine and they brought me my glass of wine in a juice glass. That’s when I knew I would need to get wine glasses for the wedding.”
They opted for a black-and-white colour palette with hints of gold. Bouquets of white baby’s breath and roses and black lace runners adorned the tables. String lights and white tulle created soft lighting.
Avoiding wedding crashers
Sue was on squirrel patrol for the event. While she was preparing for the reception, she found a grey squirrel in the basement. “During the wedding he stayed clear. He wasn’t invited.”
It’s situations like these when an event planner really comes in handy: there’s someone to step in and solve the last-minute unexpected problems. Every bride and groom deserve not to be on squirrel patrol for their big day.
The perfect venue
The Red Dog has always been a place where a cross section of the community can gather for generations: students and old timers can share a pint and feel comfortable and at home. It may not be the first place you’d think of to host a wedding reception, but with the right help it’s the perfect place.
In addition to weddings, Swanky Events is available for fundraisers, corporate events, private parties, celebrations of life, and even romantic dinners for two.
You can call Swanky Events at 705-657-1916, email swankie@sympatico.ca, or find them online at www.swankyevents.ca.
Design Inspiration: Coastal, Lodge, Loft and Home with Lakeshore Designs
The Coastal look evokes a light and airy lakefront feeling. (Photo: Eva Fisher)
The Lodge is a traditional but refined outdoor-inspired space. (Photo: Eva Fisher)
Loft is a more modern look, with a smattering of vintage elements. (Photo: Eva Fisher)
Home provides a personalized, comfortable living space. (Photo: Eva Fisher)
Angela Jones of Lakeshore Designs in Peterborough is never afraid of a project. Her new showroom is no exception.
“I walked into the building and I had a great vision of it. It was very dark, gloomy, a warehouse feel. So when I walked in I just immediately felt it needed to be all white, serene, soft, coastal. I brought some more light in, put some new windows in, changed some doors, put in the new bathrooms. I wanted it to feel like you could walk in and just stay and hang out.”
Lakeshore Designs offers interior design services, home staging, custom furniture and home accents. They can oversee renovations from concept to completion, and even offer design workshops in studio for a fun girls night out or couples evening.
The new showroom is a beautiful showcase of Lakeshore Designs’ signature style, with sections of the store dedicated to different decor themes. You will find Coastal, Lodge, Generations, Loft and Home, and within each section the decor can be mixed and matched for a foolproof designer look. Which would you choose?
Coastal
The coastal theme evokes, in Angela’s words, “light and airy lakefront living.” The colour palette is a mix of soft whites, sands and watery blues and greens. Texture is a key element: rough natural textured fabrics paired with smooth ceramics and driftwood.
Lodge
The lodge look feels like a traditional cottage escape, but with more refinement. Furniture made in rich woods and leathers is paired with accents evoking the outdoors.
Loft
The loft look has a more urban feel: metallic accents and modern art come together in a comfortable and sometimes playful space. Globe and clock themed decor reference vintage but feel modern.
Home
The Lakeshore home is comfortable but refined, with unique accents that reflect the personality and taste of the homeowner.
Generations
Technically this section is geared towards kids and teens, but I found my eyes wandering toward the Roald Dahl prints. The emphasis is on convertible pieces: a crib that ultimately becomes a dresser, remaining useful for years to come.
Lakeshore Designs is located at 2968 Lakefield Road in Peterborough (705-748-3875). You can visit them online at www.lakeshorehd.ca or connect with them on Facebook and Twitter.
