Kristen S's Profile

Anna, you hit it on the head with your paint idea. The colours are perfect for Toronto, and I know many a house in my west end neighbourhood with that exact (hideous) stone. The stone is not worth removing or worrying about, a good masonry paint will work perfectly. Your young professional renters will appreciate the updated aesthetic.

My house has 4 different types of hardwood, and I have a (high energy) Vizsla. I can say bar none the hardest wearing flooring in my house id my handscraped hardwood floors. Even if they get scratched, they don't show. We have a naturally finished Ash, but I am sure an oak would be even more hard wearing. The handscraping really is the key!

The curves of your bed frame lend itself to collection of round items on the wall. Convex mirrors, decorative frames or even a collection of plates. I would search for a nice cohesive collection of round items and make a nice vignette.

Someone needs to work on their photoshop...

A Kreg Jig!

I love dark dramatic exteriors! I painted the front of my converted storefront a dark charcoal gray and it looks so much better than the light beige that was there before. Much more impact. I am now contemplating painting the back stucco exterior of my home in the same dramatic gray.

My husband is really good and keeping me grounded and on task. I am oft to get carried away on a new project (last weekend I was working on the guest room when I decided to customize a new mailbox!) My better half steps in and puts me back on the right path. I also try to leave the fun stuff for last, the pretty final touches. That makes the last bit fun.

Your German Shorthaired Pointer's are gorgeous! People who have never owned the breed will never understand, so I hope you don't take their comments personally.

The suggestions of using heavy items are great, and also attaching things to the wall when possible. I also got rid of my coffee table entirely, and don't miss it in the least. It was just a place for the dog to knock things over. If you have problems with them stealing throw pillows, try adding some cedar chips into the stuffing. Sounds strange, but my Vizsla has a cedar chip dog bed, and he treats it like gold. Wont chew on it or anything. There's something about the cedar that he just leaves alone. I also took all the books/stuff off the bottom shelf of my bookcase and replaced it with closed front storage crates, and now he leaves the bookcase alone.
Good luck! And again, beautiful GSP's!

Interesting post! I discussed our house paint colors with our semi detached neighbor, but did not speak to the rest of the neighborhood. We did do a bit of a dramatic change, going from beige to a dark dark grey. If any of the neighbors have had a problem with it, none of them have said anything to us, so I will take that as a win.

What about some gas line pipe as a curtain rod? It comes in 10 foot lengths that can be custom cut to length and threaded at the hardware store. These are strong enough to not require a center support. Get some matching wall flanges, and use appropriate mounting hardware. If you are unable to locate studs, use E-Z Ancors. You can get ones that can hold up to 75 lbs per anchor. I would also suggested some nice grommet drapes, in a light color to keep the bright and airy look of your place. Good Luck!