Memories of Hammocks

There is nothing that looks better than a beautiful hammock in a backyard, cottage or porch.  It is so appealing.  I remember heading out with my sleeping bag and spending the night  sleeping on a hammock at my grandmother's cottage in Vermont.  Waking up with the sun heating up your face.
Or sneaking away in the afternoon to relax and read a book in the hammock overlooking the water, until invariably someone comes up and gives a quick one handed flip and boom you are sitting on the ground with a few extra bruises.

Today, I would not even attempt to get in a hammock.  When my second son was a baby,  I got into a hammock with him and we turtled right over onto the ground.  Some mother!   There is no grace in getting in and out of a hammock.  So i will just look longingly at them and hold onto my memories......

Obsessed- Another Green Pool Post

The Romance of a Sleeping Porch

Ahhhhh,  I can imagine curling up in this bed with a book. The only problem is that it seems to be right on the street so I might wake up multiple times through the nite certain there is a face at my window. :)



This invokes memories of warm summer breezes.....



Of course the kids would be up at the crack of dawn grrh.....

Combining Architecture, Pools and Green Living

Contemporary Flower Pots/Privacy Shields

I would have a really difficult time watering these, but they are quite striking and add alot of visual interest to an outdoor area.



I love how it looks at night.  Very romantic!
Made of Aluminum by Bysteel.

Pools in Harmony with Nature and Lifestyle

I have always wanted a pool in my backyard.  But there has always been a reason against it.  When the kids were young we lived in High Park with a postage size backyard.  I bought a swim spa and we kept it running year round.  It was amazing to go out in the winter with the steam rising and the kids could actually swim in it.  I could do laps. But it was an eye sore. When we sold the house the new home owners did not want it so we had to find a way to get rid of it. 
I have been told time and time again that a pool has a negative impact on selling your property and there is a significant cost to putting one in.  As a result, if we were going to get a pool we would buy a house with one. That house has never come along.
Last year I looked at putting a pool in our backyard, with landscaping it was going to cost around $100,000 for nothing extravagent.  I couldn't justify it.  I am getting older and less thrilled about putting on a bathing suit, that will only get worse with time.  The kids are older.  Then I came across the concept of a Green Swimming Pool.  I loved the idea.  It really becomes a water feature in your backyard, vs a swimming pool.
These pictures are more swimming oriented but you could make it to look very much like a pond- so you could swim or just have a beautiful landscape



Apparently these are big in Europe but rarer in Canada.  There is a company in BC that does a fair number of these pools withwaterfalls, streams and bridges.

All insects and pond life find a balance so there is no need to fear infestations of mosquitoes or an invasion of frogs - any small creatures that do exist live in the plant zone while you relax in your own swimming zone.








The concept is

Can Furniture Bring a Family Closer Together?

A few years back I bought a double lounger for our cottage.  It was one of the best investments I ever made. In the afternoons I would stretch out with my magazines, some pillow and a cool drink and invariably I would have company on my lounger. One of my boys would join me their book, my husband or the dog.  The only problem was generally the dog was wet and smelly and was trying to get warm after a swim in the lake.  It is funny how a piece of furniture can bring a family closer together..

House built into the Stone

This house has the wow factor- cut into the stone.  I am a little suprised they were allowed to dynamite out the stone.  I know a few people have been able to get away with it in Georgian Bay in the past but I thought those days were long gone. Still it is beautiful and meshes with it's surroundings beautifully.

The house was designed by David Tyrell and is located in Kelowna

Phenonmenal water views as you work in the kitchen.  Interesting coffee table below, I can't quite figure it out.

Spruce Up Your Pool Deck- Even Above Ground

We all want beautiful stone surrounding our pools, making it feel like a northern outdoor landscape. Unfortunately we all can't afford it.  This photo gives inspiration for how to make a wood deck a little more upscale and fun.  It would even work for an above ground pool.  A bit of potted greenery, punch colours and voila....

Infinity Pool Dropping onto a Sand Beach

The architecture on this property is beautiful. It is symetrical but has layers. I love the combination of old and new: concrete, wood and old stone around the pool.  I haven't seen an infinity pool on a sand beach front but it works. I really appreciate modern architecture and I am drawn to photographs of it but I would definitely need an interior designer to give it the warm feeling that I crave on the interior.



see more at http://goo.gl/pGlyB

Before and After Edition 2

White Paint, an L-shaped couch and lots of accessories make all the difference in a previously dull and dark room.  The cut out in the bookcase also opens up the room. Suprisingly small things make a big difference

Scary!!  I like this transformation because very little money was spent. It looks like only one window was replaced to make it the same size as the others.  Other than that loads, and loads of white paint and a palette of white and warm brown with a dash of colour.  Very nicely done.

visit us at www.ourhomesmagazine.com/oakville

Seriously, A dog Bed????

Wow!!  A dog bed fit for a king.  All I can imagine is my golden doodle bolting in the house his fur caked with snowballs, or even worse drenched from an afternoon swim in the lake and then rolling around in this lovely piece of art to dry himself off......

www.ourhomesmagazine.com/oakville

Bedrooms with a View

I stayed at a hotel last year on the beach in Florida and the bedroom had views like this.  I was in heaven.  I love the tranquil colour scheme


Great idea on TV placement







No View on this one but it is stunning in it self.

Hmmm A pool in my bedroom?

www.ourhomesmagazine.com/oakville

The Barn On Lake Michigan

A beautiful structure, the light must be incredible.  I love how the building is built into the hill for a walk out