It is not too often that I get to meet someone with such great sense of personal style in my own backyard! I entered Maryse‘s house last week and was immediately taken aback by the great display of vintage finds and quirky collections.

What a treat that was! Of course, I did not have handy my camera so you will pardon my Instagram pics (which I find adorable nonetheless when we consider the fact that they have a vintage tint themselves). I guess Maryse must have thought me to be very rude, as I asked her if I could visit the whole house before I had even taken my coat off. A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do I say…

Her home is a 1930 something Montreal brownstone construction, in the lovely neighbourhood of Rosemont. She infused victorian charm throughout the home with simple tricks and a great choice of soothing colours. In the kitchen, the baby blue counter (which would be the first item on the “to change list” for many) is the focal point of the decor. Paired with butter yellow walls and a large wicker suspension, the room feels like a summer kitchen on a Georgia Plantation house.

Same lovely scenario in the bedroom where feminine curved and accessories are used in a very contemporary way. Everything here has a purpose and is carefully curated! As the owner of Pigeon Atelier, Maryse comes across vintage finds daily and therefore would have a slew of occasions to make her home appear cluttered. “It is a constant work of editing and changing items in my home, so I get to enjoy my finds without feeling overwhelmed” she told me.

I mean how crafty is she? She ripped the fabric off two lampshades to create this funky bedside lamp. The skeletal structure is modern and current, with the whim of centuries past. I absolutely have to try this DIY myself sometime soon!!

Now let’s not forget the man of the house. Maryse’s boyfriend get to also have some space and a say in toe home’s decor. In the double size  living room, one area is dedicated to his passion for music, with a comfortable club chair in which to lounge while tuning his instruments. These two really are well matched… I mean look at the vintage Epiphone Amps he has!

After years of living on “builder’s white” apartments, the first thing I wished to do when I bought my first home was to paint! I wanted color on every wall, in every room.

Fast forward a few years and here I am with five different shades of white in our current home. Is it my subconscious way of fighting the passage of time by channeling my rental apartments or simply the realization that white is the sum of all colors of the spectrum? You tell me…

For all of you whom find white let’s say… vanilla, think again! White has a decorative capacity like few other hues do. It is very versatile, adapting to any style. It also has the capacity to instantly brighten a room while making it appear larger. Finally, it brings forth all and ties together all the other colors present.

To make white work in your home there are a few little tips I discovered over time.

Put on the gloss: Dare to try a glossy shade of white on the room’s moldings, chair or plate rails, and doors. The sheen will give the room a jewel aspect and differentiate the baseboards from the rest of the wall.

Pile it on: Whites are all the richer if mixed together (that almost sounds like a famous quote does it not?) Creams, whites, silvery grey, and barely noticeable beiges all go together seamlessly and give any room a very relaxed and yet sophisticated look. And you have plenty of wiggle room in that area… Benjamin Moore alone offers more than 200 shades of whites!

Yay to wine and kids: People are often scared to even think of white anything if they have children or if they entertain often. Well you know what? White is the only color you can bleach repetitively!

A blank canvas: White lends itself as the perfect canvas. Start instead with a graphic and bold wallpaper and it seems to already dictate the room’s décor.

Conceal it: white acts as a great concealer of architectural irks and quirks. A ventilation shaft or pipe will magically disappear on a unified background. Use a mat finish to help further in the camouflage exercise.

A white home can be warm and inviting as well as a great playground for experimenting with wild patterns and vibrant colors, in accents, changing with the passing of the seasons.

Sources: 1. & 2. Coco + Kelley, 3. French Larkspur, 4. The Design Files, 5. Annette Tatum, 6. ‘Tis Classy, 7. Guehne-Made, 8. Design*Sponge

If you’ve followed my blog for any amount of time, you undoubtedly know that bookcases are my favorite thing in a home. Strangely enough, my contemporary side has a tendency to resurge whenever a bookcase is involved. Go figure.

To me, a bookcase is the heart of a home just as much as a kitchen is. Maybe it’s because my parents had walls of books when I was growing up (and still do), but there’s just something about a bookcase that to me feels secure, complete and civilized.

I’ve come to the conclusion that more than any other place, a bookcase is a place to showcase who you are as a person: books you’ve read (or want to read but never got around to!), artwork you cherish, family pictures you hold close to your heart, artifacts from travels, etc.

I was never much of a minimalist and maybe a bookcase is just part of that love for maximalism. My favorite kind of bookcase is a built-in one, especially when it involves a doorway! There’s nothing chicer than to walk through a wall of books. That being said, even an Ikea bookcase more than fulfills the role.

As a side note, a built-in bookcase is one of the best ways to camouflage a flat-screen TV. That being said, I’ve seen my fair share of messy bookcases and so, I thought useful to share my 5 tips to enhance your bookcase.

1. With the risk of sounding like a broken record here, lighting is key! For bookcases, I prefer art lighting or sconces above the top shelf, and above every column. This will ensure that your bookcase is well lit and shines in all its glory at any time, day or night.

2. You must know by now that art is another staple of mine. You hang art on the walls, so why not in your bookcase? The effect is truly stunning, layered and original. Just make sure you don’t hide the frequently used books behind the art!

3. Be mindful of the back of the bookcase. It’s too easy to simply settle on white paint, or whatever other color the bookcase is painted in. But complementary colors, wallpaper or even mirror could give the back of the bookcase a whole new degree of pretty!

4. Bookcases are the perfect place to display any collection you may have, but this is also dangerous! Overdoing it will just result in your living room looking like the one of your great-aunt’s who collected glass menagerie knick-knacks. Space the items out, carefully select them and only display the best!

5. Ladders may be something out of Beauty and the Beast, but you really don’t need a library the size of Texas to get a ladder. Bookcases always look their best when they go up to the ceiling. As soon as you are unable to reach the top shelf, a built-in ladder is justifiable.

How else are you going to reach that one book you’re dying to show you friends at a dinner party: go fetch the ugly weekend ladder out of the basement or shed; try to catch your balance on a wonky chair or stool in your six-inch heels? I think not.

So folks, what’s your opinion on bookcases? Anything you’d like to try or just completely avoid?

Gabrielle | Savvy Home Blog

Sources: 1. Celerie Kemble via Lonny 2. Mi Casa 3. Ellie Somerville via Lonny 4. Christiane Lemieux’s Loft via The Glow 5. Pereira Associates via Lonny 6. Peter Estersohn Photography 7. Michele Bonan via Lonny 8. Miles Redd 9. Diane Von Furstenberg’s House