Enliven Your Interior with New Unique Windows

Vinyl windows are very important element in any home, being in charge not only for lighting, but also for comfortable living conditions and heating in your house.

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Windows, which the manufacturers offer us today can be made virtually to any taste and of different color and type.  In this article we will talk about the different types of vinyl window systems, including their forms and sizes, and recommend which of them will be suitable for each room and part of the house.

The first step when shopping for replacement windows in Toronto and other cities is a selection of their type, as well as planning their location, size and convenience in lighting (if there will be the working area around), forms of window frames.

It is necessary to have a competent approach to the choice of the size of the windows. They should be neither large nor small, since in both cases the room will not give a proper sense of comfort and coziness. 

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Here we will have a look on the most popular types of window frames. When it comes to the form of the window, meaning it is the form of the window frame, installed in the wall opening. So,  the window frame can be quite standard (we are used to rectangular form), as well as in any other not standard version like:

• Round headed window is a beautiful element of architecture, which will have a refined look in every room. This type of windows is used in old buildings with cathedral ceilings.  
• Trapezoidal window has also very interesting form and is widely used in the attic and usually makes your house look more elegant.
• Triangular window is a very exclusive element, which also can be used in the attic in conjunction with the trapezoidal window on both sides of it. Also it can be widely used as dormer window.
• Round window is a very interesting element that can be used in the bathroom or in any other room and will make the atmosphere in your house sophisticated. Also in the kid's room is will look absolutely to the point. There is a famous type of round window that is called a rose and was used in churches and cathedrals of Gothic style in Northern France.
• Bay window is a very useful option if you want to create more space in your room and your window will be big and elegant. Bay windows are often uses in Baroque and Gothic architecture.

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If we are talking about of window opening, then there are several types depending on the type of accessories: 

• Fixed window. It is understandable that it costs much cheaper than any other, but it is less convenient. And you can not ventilate the room and washing it is the whole problem.
• Window with turning opening. The traditional method to open the flaps inside or outside the room.
• Fanlight window. It opens in a folding way. More often of course doors are opening downward, but in some cases for example in office buildings the opposite construction is used.
• Tilt and turn windows. This is the most popular option that buyers are selecting when purchasing the vinyl windows. The window can be opened both vertically and horizontally. Everything you need to do is properly turn the handle.
• Center-hung swivel window allows to open the flap at 180 degrees about the axis in the middle of the window, both horizontally and vertically. It is really popular to install round center-hung swivel windows in the attic, that will make the house look mysterious.

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 This detailed overview for the popular types of windows will help you to be sure which one to select to your own house and make it look exceptional and in good taste.

Vintage Teacup Collection Part III

It's been awhile but I am back to grow my vintage teacup collection again. I came across this stunning Queen's Fine Bone China teacup & saucer this past weekend when we were downtown treasure hunting. My heart skipped a beat when I first laid my eyes on it, and I think this might be my favourite set to-date. Black with vibrant and intricate yellow roses and gold detailing, this is as dreamy as an antique teacup set goes. It's going for $150 online but of course I didn't pay that much.

You are never going to guess where I scored this cobalt blue bird set by Grace's Teaware from. They are from HomeSense! It's however a vintage replica and not made of fine bone china. I saw the same pattern in yellow the other day. I didn't want to carry it with me while I quickly scanned through the store, so I decided I would came back for it. But it was gone by the time I made my way back to the same shelf! I am still kicking myself to this moment. 

So this is my ever-growing vintage teacup set. 

I also came across this antique oil painting by Serge Montaudon depicting a Solgone riverside scene. It's a good size in 21x26". I am convinced that one can never have too many pieces in their antique/vintage art collection, so without knowing where exactly in my house I would hang it, I bought it anyway. 

I am sure I will find a permanent place for it some day. I love a good moody and romantic antique landscape painting. 

We stopped by the Queen West Graffiti Alley while we were downtown. I only wish the wind wasn't blowing so hard in the alley (like a wind tunnel) that we could spend more time there to appreciate each and every piece. It was way too chilly for the first day of spring. 

Coffee Table Makeover

Hope you are enjoying the sunny and warm spring-like weather here in T Dot. Yours truly didn't have such a great week so far - I came down with this stomach flu that took a downward spiral. To make it even worse, the constant vomiting led to dehydration which led to electrolyte imbalance which progressed to a head splitting migraine. This came as such a heavy sucker punch that it completely threw me off my game. I couldn't recall when I was last this sick. I felt slightly better later this afternoon, I think, so hopefully the gastroenteritis will slowly go away. 

Onto some positive news. After merely two days on the market, we leased out this Queen West condo on a multi-year term. We received three offers, and to my great surprise, there was even a bidding war, so we ended up getting more than what we asked for with an immediate start date. We were so fortunate that we got to pick and choose our prospective tenants. 

Now onto the coffee table makeover. I've been thinking of replacing this box frame coffee table in my living room, the once popular Urban Barn Lumex coffee table. Then I finally realized that it was the rustic tabletop with prominent wood grains that I didn't like. Well not that I didn't like it, it just didn't work as well for a more refined style I am going for in my living room. The tabletop is also a major distraction from all the pretty stuff on it. I do still like the clean-lined box frame very much. 

Instead of forking out a few thou to buy a brand new one like one of these, I thought I would give it a facelift and see how it turned out. So I replaced the wood tabletop with a white lacquered tabletop. 

It acts as a blank canvas for me to adorn it with all the pretty coffee table books and accessories. 

I am not feeling the shade of white from the tabletop - I find it too cold and stark for the space. Maybe I should gild the box frame? What do you think?

Lastly, after almost half a year's search online and in consignment stores, I finally found the male companion of this modernist bronze sculpture - they are reunited as a pair at last! Do you love this vignette? I don't know which I love more, the pair of brass lucite candlesticks or the sculpture? 

Orchids Are The Best

Welcome to March! I hope this means spring is not too far away, although the snow on the ground says otherwise. 

Orchids are my best friends these days and they are now my favourite houseplants. They are long-blooming - each bloom spike can look fresh and fabulous for four months or more. The blooms of Phalaenopsis alone appear in tens of different shades. They are relatively easy to grow, IMO: expose them to ample but indirect sunlight, water once every 7-10 days, fertilize, and spray this mist on leaves and growing medium (e.g. moss or bark) once a week, and they will reward you with the most mesmerizing flowers, for a long time. Remember I wanted to add this plant to every single room of my house, well, I am now onto my third Phalaenopsis plant, and I want more! 

This one is in the living room, a very classic and elegant Phalaenopsis with white petals and fuchsia core. 

This one is in the kitchen dining room, pretty similar to the one above except for the subtle pink veins throughout the petals. 

This one with double spikes is in the foyer.

I also started some flower seeds inside the house: Snow-in-Summer, Blue Catmint, and Yellow Loosestrife are my picks this year. 

Do you grow orchids indoors? What is your favourite houseplant?