Laundry Room Makeover and #YesItsPineSol

I've always wanted a subway tiled wall all the way to the ceiling, and I found just the perfect room in our house to do so. We have a sunken laundry room/mudroom. The ceiling must be 15 feet high. There is no better way to introduce some drama than to have a full wall of subway tiles with dark grout. This is the first thing I see when I enter the house. We will see a few missing tiles behind the hanging rod in the picture below - I changed my mind mid-project to extend the tiled area to the wall on the right, so I ran out of tiles and had to wait until January when they were back in stock. 

To refresh your memory, this was my laundry pre-makeover. 

The vintage brass hook rack was from the London Portobello antique market. I love love how it looks next to the tiled wall. I am still yet to pick a wall colour. Still debating between dark or white; or maybe white walls with a black door. I chose Mapei unsanded grout in Pewter for contrast with the white subway tiles. 

For the life of me I just couldn't seem to get a decent picture out of my laundry room. There's very little natural light during the winter months. 

Speaking of winter, how did you like the balmy 17 degree Celsius on Thursday? I was out all day and it made me crave for Spring. I was again invited by Pine-Sol to review their new Spring Blossom scent, which is comprised of a delightful combination of Jasmine, Magnolia and Orange Blossom. The Magnolia scent was very present which I love. This comes so timely for the spring cleaning. You can read about my other Pine-Sol review here. It's a great versatile product that makes cleaning chores so much more pleasant.  

I will leave you with this new Roll & Hill Agnes style pendant light recently installed in my kitchen. Since I don't have the time or energy for a kitchen overhaul (and I do need an overhaul because I am changing up everything), I thought I would splurge on an island light like this for now. The pendant light is available through Black Rooster Decor here. 

Powder Room Makeover

2017 was off to a pretty good start. Barely over a month in, I was able to check off a few things on my to-do list this year. 

Picture below: my powder room makeover design board

I had Katie install the Galerie English Florals wallpaper (in Charcoal Grey) for me in our powder room. Katie is a wallpaper expert who also did installs for shows such as Property Brothers. I was seriously jealous when she showed me pictures taken from when she worked alongside Jonathan and Drew. Her attention to detail was amazing, and the outcome was immaculate. This was my first wallpaper installation in our house, and I must say I am hooked! 

So here you have it, the vintage oval-shaped Venetian mirror and the soft grey floral wallpaper found their happily ever after in my powder room. The wallpaper choice was inspired by Anthropologie's ever-popular Smoky Roses. Although the wallpaper also depicts hummingbirds and butterflies, it still feels elegant enough and doesn't ooze country vibe. 

This vintage etched Venetian mirror was a last-minute lucky score from a local classified. It wasn't cheap, but it didn't cost me thousands of dollars which is what a mirror like this would typically go for. 

The last piece of the puzzle to this Parisian style powder room is to replace the ceiling chandelier. 

With something like this, the Crystorama Broche ceiling light. I like the antiqued gold finish which adds just the right amount of glam to the room. 

You may have noticed a "Best of Houzz 2017" badge was placed in my home page. I am so thrilled to have won in the Design category again this year. 

I will leave you with this shot of our stunning (but freezing) sky from this past weekend. I am the type of person who always finds a silver lining. Anthony and I always joked that he is like Mr. Bates, and I am like Anna: he sees problems; while I see possibilities. I guess we are meant to be together, sans all the drama of course :))

Tips for Felling and Replacing Trees

~ This is a featured post. ~

If you remember back in the summer I had a blue spruce tree replaced in my front yard.It took me a while to realize when a tree had outstayed their welcome, and when to enlist a professional to get the job done. Therefore, I thought it would be interesting for my readers to hear from The Tree Center on tips for cutting down and replacing a tree. 

Sometimes, a tree just has to go. It may have grown too large for your garden and the surrounding neighbourhood, or it may have a disease that means it’s dying and poses a risk to other trees, or it may already be dead and pose a falling risk to neighbors and yourself. 

It's not a decision to be taken lightly, and if the tree is particularly large, you shouldn’t fell it yourself – call in a professional; The Tree Center will be able to recommend an experienced tree surgeon. If the tree has a trunk diameter smaller than 10 inches and is under 20 feet tall, however, you could fell it yourself with a handsaw. Let everyone in your neighborhood know about your plans first, as some may feel the tree is partly on their property.

Safe felling

Look at the area around the tree for anything in the way – a car, wires, furniture – and move it to safety. Then look at the way the tree naturally angles – this is the safest direction it should fall in.

You should make sure that there are no big jutting branches that could trap you or break anything as the tree comes down; if you suspect that there are rotten areas in the trunk, stop immediately and call in the professionals!

Work out two escape routes – one either side of the expected line of fall – and make sure these pathways are clear. This is an all-day job, usually, so take your time. Rushing causes injuries!

The first cut

This first cut is the undercut and it’s a v-shaped notch – 90 degrees, ideally – into the trunk. The notch should be facing the direction you want the tree to fall in and it should cut into the trunk’s diameter by about a quarter. If the tree’s diameter is less than six inches, you may be able to cut all the way through, but make sure you have lots of people around to help.

The backcut

The backcut should be made about two inches above the hinge part (the point of the V) of the undercut. Never make the backcut lower than the undercut as you could cause the tree to fall in the opposite direction and this is dangerous! These two cuts help you to control the direction of the fall.

Once you see the tree beginning to bend and fall, move right out of the way. Falling trees can bounce, so don’t risk it!

Limbing

This is where you remove branches coming off the main trunk, starting at the bottom of the trunk and working upwards. Stand on the opposite side of the trunk as the branch you’re working on so it doesn’t fall on you and don’t attempt to remove any branches that are propping up the main trunk.

Now you have your bare log! You may decide to use it for firewood, or you may just want your local authority to come collect it – it’s up to you!

Replacing the tree

If you’ve decided to have the stump ground out, be aware that the intricate root system will still be in place. This system could interfere with and block the progress of a new root system, so you may not be able to plant a new tree directly on the site of the old one for some years. Your best bet is to choose another location five or more feet away and then make sure you take extra care of the new tree until it’s completely established.