Fireplace facades and more

From time to time, I'll be highlighting a product or supplier that I've worked with on some of my clients' projects, that I think would be of interest to you.  Today, I'd like to tell you about ErthCOVERINGS, a North American leader in the distribution of high quality, natural stone veneers.

Stone veneers

I've specified ErthCOVERINGS stone veneer for fireplace facades.  Their lightweight stone covering product comes in a multitude of beautiful stone combinations and is easy to apply to smooth surfaces.  Here's a photo of my client's fireplace.

 Latest offerings

ErthCOVERINGS has recently introduced a combination of raised and inset forms to create 3-dimensional surfaces that install seamlessly and can be painted over in any colour.  A great alternative to stone, backsplash tile or wallpaper.  Absolutely stunning!! 

Let me know what you think.  Could you imagine these in your home?


Please visit my website Tobi Brockway Interiors Inc. to see my portfolio and for more information on how we can help you with your own residential interior design project.

Window treatments aren't just pretty to look at

We all know that adding window treatments to a room can completely change its look.  Window treatments can create a focal point but I typically select colours and patterns that create a beautiful backdrop to the other elements in your room. 

However, there are a variety of other reasons to add window treatments for your home:

The most obvious use for window treatments is privacy.  Whether it's a shade or drapery panels, most homes require window treatments for privacy at night and often, depending where the windows are facing, privacy during the day also.

Energy efficiency is of huge interest to today`s homeowner given the rising costs of electricity and gas.  Window treatments are a great way to keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter.  Depending on which treatment you choose, they can help block out the sun or insulate your home. 

Ever walked into a room and heard an echo when you talk?  Any soft fabric window treatment will help to dampen noise in your home. And of course, the fuller the treatment the more sound it will dampen.  Consider adding this type of window treatments in apartments, townhouses or large rooms to prevent sounds from traveling. 

Whether you install treatments in your bedroom, living room or TV room, you can opt for blackout options to control the level of lighting coming into the room.  For those people who need complete darkness to sleep, keep in mind that most black out blinds will still let light in on the sides.  Drapery panels with blackout lining are 100% effective in keeping out light.


Please visit my website Tobi Brockway Interiors Inc. to see my portfolio and for more information on how we can help you with your own residential interior design project.

Rugs as Art

Imagine my surprise when I recently opened a new catalogue from Modern Weave, one of my favourite suppliers of high-quality exquisite rugs for my clients.  These rugs take the art of rug-making to a whole new level.  Absolutely breathtaking in colour and design.  Check them out for yourself:

Eden 09

Eden 12

Grand Theatre

Mallow

Protection for your dining room chairs

One of my clients with young children has found a great solution for protecting her brand new parsons dining room chairs.  She was concerned with the safety and environmental impact of fabric protectors such as ScotchGuard but desperately needed to prevent greasy little hands from soiling her new chairs.  She found Sure Fit Dining Chair Covers available at Bed Bath & Beyond.  These inexpensive covers make sense for non-parents too, for whenever you are entertaining young guests. 

These covers are machine washable, and while they don’t keep liquids from getting through to your chairs, they grant you a few extra seconds to catch the spill before it penetrates too deeply.  Have company coming? No problem, they slip off in seconds!  

Thanks for the tip, Christine!



Please visit Tobi Brockway Interiors Inc. to see our portfolio and for more information on how we can help you with your own project.

Etsy and SwapSity

Two interesting websites have recently come to my attention.  The first one is www.etsy.com, a web-based search engine where you can browse by category (anything from art, home & living to jewellery, weddings and kids) and search by location or by recently added products.  If you are looking for something unique, handmade and vintage, this is the place to look.

SwapSity.ca is a website where users can provide information on items they wish to get rid of in exchange for something else.  When you browse this website you can search by category, location or keyword.  Once you have found an item you are interested in, and also have something they are interested in swapping for, you can contact the user and make arrangements to exchange. This is a modern-day barter system, created in efforts to reuse and recycle goods.  Interesting concept.

Please visit my website Tobi Brockway Interiors Inc. to see my portfolio and for more information on how we can help you with your own project.

Cambria Quartz Event

Some of you may have seen or heard the advertisement for Cambria Quartz's Ask-a-Designer event held on Saturday.  I was invited along with fellow CDECA member, Jeannette Wisby, to participate in Cambria's flagship showroom located at 39 Parliament Street.  

Here is the meeting room where we met with customers to help select quartz, kitchen cabinetry and paint colours.

I have been recommending quartz for kitchens and bathrooms for almost 10 years and the choices in colours and patterns have grown exponentially as its popularity has grown.  I've written articles and on-line columns on the advantages of quartz versus granite or marble - 100% non-porous which makes it totally maintenance free with anti-micro-bacterial properties. 

The showroom is absolutely fantastic and I encourage you to check it out the next time you're at St. Lawrence Market (only a 15 minute walk away).  Here's a photo of me demonstrating the various edge profiles in one of the many rooms showcasing quartz, including a wine cellar.  

Please visit my website Tobi Brockway Interiors Inc. to see my portfolio and for more information on how we can help you with your own project.

Jewel tones

Further to my post last week on fall colours, I came across this print ad from Kravet Fabrics.  (All  my clients have at least one fabric from Kravet.  They have such beautiful designs and materials.)  The jewel tones I mentioned - violet, lime, lemon - look fabulous with grey, as you can see.  Consider using these colours as accent cushions in an otherwise neutral colour scheme.

What a great way to brighten up those dreary, rainy days!