Mixed Metallics Christmas Decorations

Can you believe it?  Christmas is only 5 days away!!!  It's such a hectic but exciting time; I especially love the rush of adrenaline this season brings.  I don't think we pay so much attention to decorating our house any other season besides Christmas.  Who doesn't love all the sparkly details that make your home shine like a star?

Well, I vowed (lightly) to not buy any more Christmas decorations this year, since we really do have enough.  Then again, I use "enough" loosely; after all, a house comes to life with all the Holiday sparkles, don't you think?  Not to mention, I just can't resist the gorgeous store displays of Christmas ornaments and decor collections!

When I saw this wall of metallics ornaments at Canadian Tire, I knew I was in trouble...

Before I headed into Canadian Tire, I had no idea I would change out our usual Christmas ornaments (that have been used for the past several years).  Honestly though, I was getting bored of the pastel groupings.  The colours seem to be washed out by the bright tree lights.  Here's our 2015 Christmas tree:

I figured I didn't need to buy a whole lot of ornaments to update the look.  A light bulb came on in my head...

Remember I shared this  gorgeous pastel display at the Homesense showroom?  I was totally smittened by it:

Aside from the hues of pinks and blues, there were actually also mixed metallics of copper, rose gold, gold, and silver.  All the shiny metals that you can think of.

And there, Homesense and Canadian Tire inspired my new Christmas decorations palette - mixed metallics.  Here, I displayed my new ornaments on a copper tiered tray:

I kept a neutral palette for the living room, but the warm metallics created a beautiful contrast against the greys and silver tones.

I absolutely adore the vintage brass reindeers I scored on Etsy!

Yes, I may have a thing for reindeers afterall!

In the dining room, I skipped decorating the table this year and only dressed up our console table.  A fireplace is what I miss most around Christmas time, and so our console gets the special treatment to be all decked out.  

I didn't want to fight with the console's French blue, so I used mainly a mix of green and gold.   I quite like the ambiance of the faux candles in the lanterns.

I also added a little touch of Christmas decoration in our dressing room.  I simply grouped a bunch of metallics ornaments under a cloche and our vanity looked instantly more festive:

You can never go wrong with a little black dress especially for the holidays!!

Last but not least is our Christmas tree.  For years now, I've created clusters of several ornament balls together for visual impact.  

With our change in colour scheme, I don't think I had enough clusters of pink/ gold/ silver to go around the tree.  I will try to get more during the post-season sale!

I just love this adorable bird feeder ornament, with acorn accent on top.  Better yet, it's in my fave copper finish!

I really love our new Christmas colour theme of mixed metallics.  You can never go wrong with so much shiny decorations!  There's always this concern of mixing metals, but I actually think the mix helps to compliment and contrast against each other beautifully.

So, are you done with Christmas decorating?  Are we ever really done?  

This post was in no way sponsored by Canadian Tire, I just love their current collection of metallics ornaments.

Fall Decor Around the House

Buh-bye, Summer!  We've had a beautiful and hot summer in Toronto, but as much as I love this sweater season, I'm not loving the gloomy and rainy days of Fall.  I know I may be a bit late in writing about Fall decor, but I still want to document this transition with it being our first decorated Fall at this house.

I got my hands on some Fall decor accessories early on, back in first week of September!  I was incredibly honoured that I was invited to participate in HomeSense's Fall campaign.  It was such a fun experience to work with industry pros, from hair and makeup, to professional photographer and videographer, and of course the whole HomeSense crew involved in this Fall campaign.  Not to mention, how fun it was to be invited to go shopping for my fave home decor items!!

Here's my haul in the cart on the day of the shoot!  I was looking for warm metallic decor, but don't we always add a little more to our cart at HomeSense?  ;-)

The one item I was really hoping to get was the gold lantern, and wow, I found it!  The throw was a nice add-on item...  well, so were the rest of the goodies!

One that caught me by surprise was the tiered tray!!  I've always been on the look out for one, but never really found THE ONE.  I loved the bamboo details on this one and it was love at first sight!!

Throughout the past 2 months, I've gradually added these items around the house.  As the weather gets cooler, the use of warm metallics complements the woodsy Fall decor, enhancing our home with a cozy ambience.

Here's how I used the goodies from my shopping spree to decorate for Fall around our house.

The pack of Fall decorative balls in vignettes:

Here's the copper tiered tray from my haul, together with the decorative balls.  It adds just the right contrast to our cool-toned kitchen.

This is the vignette at our entry way's console table.  I decided to make good use of this copper tray by moving it upstairs from its usual spot on our basement family room's ottoman.  I love the mix of warm metallics by adding the gold lantern from my shopping spree.

The wooden top of this console table helps break up all the gold tones in our entryway:

Just me showing some love for the gold lantern by moving it around the house =) ... Here it is on our living room's coffee table.  I've also added my beloved new throw on our couch:

I changed out the blue pillow cover to this darker neutral...

... so that the pillow covers are a neutral backdrop when I add Fall colours in the new silver earthware bowl:

Then I realized, I still prefer soft colours in the living room over the bold Fall colours:

When I finally put out all the Fall decor, which wasn't long ago, I finally packed up these summer decor accessories:

Yes, I know, my transition in seasonal decor is, umm, slow.  Thanks to HomeSense once again for the invite to this unforgettable experience!  I was able to get the early bird dip in shopping for Fall decor and have my hands on these goodies. 

Now that I have our Fall decor down to a T, I think I can start making way for Christmas decor. I'm not really into bold red and green Christmas decor.  This beautiful display of soft metallics and pastel winter wonderland at the HomeSense showroom is just my cup of tea.

Have you started decorating your home for Christmas?  Do you have a colour theme?

Restoration Hardware Chicago - The Gallery at Three Arts Club

I can't believe it's already been a week since we've returned from our Chicago visit.  Our friends there always make our stay with them lots of fun.  Knowing that we're food lovers, it's almost a sure thing that they would introduce us to yet another delicious venue.  This time around, on the first afternoon of our visit, they brought our family to enjoy a scrumptious snack...  and a feast for the eyes!

I'm talking about the Restoration Hardware's Chicago flagship store - The Gallery at Three Arts Club.  It's a historical building that has been renovated, and of course, outfitted by RH's furniture.

I couldn't contain myself when I saw the Café!  I don't think I was able to close my mouth from the oohs and ahs that were coming out.  I heard it's usually a never-ending lineup into the cafe, so we were very lucky to arrive at tea time and got seated at a table right away! 

This latte was nothing short of perfection! We also ordered a truffle grilled cheese sandwich, which was equally out of this world.

It was late afternoon and this gigantic chandelier lit up.  It brought a fairytale ambiance to the whole courtyard café.

Our visit didn't end there...  be prepared for an overload of images!

The Gallery has five floors, each floor houses a department as such:

Our friends suggested we start our tour of the gallery from the top floor of Outdoor and Garden, and continue down the floors.  It was such a good idea...  if we had gone from bottom to top, it would've been dark (and rainy) outside when we got to the Outdoor part!

Let me take you on a mini tour of the Gallery.  It has too many beautiful rooms and I can't possibly fit them all in one post, so I've picked my favourites to showcase.

Outdoor & Garden

RH read my mind...  rattan furniture, dining area under a curtained gazebo, gray patio stone slabs...  my backyard goals are screaming at me.

Then we went down this beautiful staircase from the outdoor area, lit by these gorgeous large chandeliers, with their light reflected by the gilded mirrors:

Modern Furniture Line

The 4th floor houses RH's relatively new modern line.  I'm not much of a modern gal, but when it's glammed up with tufting and gold accents...  I think I can live with that!

This Porthole bar curio with pipework base looks stunning.  It's a statement piece that can fit any style of space.

How glam is this modern powder room?  That gold chair with fur cushions takes an ordinary-looking vanity up a notch!

Child & Teen

I guess it's no surprise that I was inspired by all things RH when I was brainstorming the playroom for little man.  I love the industrial style and rugged feel of the boys' rooms:

This is such a cool work (and gathering) space for the boys!  Wonder if they'll get any work done just chit chatting away in those furry chairs :-)

And here are the rooms fit for princesses!  It's so much lighter in textures and brighter, a stark contrast to the boys' rooms.

I can see a slumber party going on here!

How dreamy is this bed?  Love the chandelier emerging through the canopy.

This is my favourite room of the girls space.  A daybed, a beautiful beaded chandelier, and even a space to host an Alice in Wonderland tea party!

Plus a mirror vanity table, and...

... a mirror dresser!  All the glamorous touches!!  Lucky girl!

Bed & Bath

I'm not sure how I whizzed through this floor without taking much photos!  But I love this bathroom vanity, with a luxury hotel feel. 

Notice how they showcase the different faucet styles at each sink:

Living & Dining

And here we are back on the first floor.  Every space featured is stunningly gorgeous!!  You get the sense of grandeur that's the essence of Restoration Hardware in each setting.

I love this dining room's intricate fireplace.  Makes me want to have a fireplace in ours too!

Such an intimate setting for a dining room.  My photo doesn't do justice to this beautiful stone top dining table.

Hallways

RH didn't leave any space unturned; even the hallways are beautifully decorated.  Need some inspirations for your long hallways?  Adorn them with mirrors/ artwork, chandeliers, and exquisite sconces.  Here are a couple of my favourites:

Pantry

The Café's pantry is off to the side but it's not just a regular butler pantry.  Those gray cabinets feature a marble countertop, supporting a brass and glass shelving unit.  This is exactly what I dream of for our basement family room's bar area.

It shouldn't be too hard for the Mr. to DIY, ya think? 😁

How many times have you dreamed of being in a room of an RH catalogue?  For a Restoration Hardware fan like the Mr. and I, this visit to the Gallery was a magical experience.  Each floor and each space within is like a live catalogue right in front of you.  And we're ever so grateful for our friends to know us so well, both food- and style-wise, that they brought us there!

Speaking of food...  I'm undergoing vacation detox from our stuff-athon (as in stuffing ourselves with the yummy good food in Chicago!).  Can't wait to go back again!!