ONLINE SOURCE’ERY
LOOKING FOR ADVICE ON HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT HOME? HIT UP YOUR ONLINE FAMILY FOR ASSISTANCE. NOT ONLY WILL YOU DISCOVER WHAT WORKS, YOU’LL ALSO SEE WHAT DOESN’T
The internet is a wild, often wonderful thing: from kitten videos and viral recipes to home hacks and knitting classes, there’s something to be gleaned, for everyone.
Spread liberally across Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, there also exists an army of talented creatives whose primary interest — aside from showboating — would appear to be a drive to guide others through a million and one lifestyle choices.
This observed, while sifting page after page of beach house inspo and European hotel style is an undeniably great way to pass an hour or two, it can be difficult to pin down what you like, and similarly tricky to apply these exotic styles to your home. That which sits comfortably in St. Tropez, after all, mightn’t jive quite as well in Whitby, Vancouver or downtown Ottawa. Context and balance, therefore, remain king. Or indeed queen ...
For advice on a grassroots level, visit Home Design and decor and Our Old House, Facebook portals where style aspirants are encouraged to share pictures of problem rooms, or assign opinions about others. Some followers, a valid mix of pro and amateur subscribers, use photo altering tech to demonstrate solutions. It’s a smart corner of the web where a problem shared becomes a problem halved.
Online forums can also help source inventory for your dream space. Homesense, Canada’s favourite treasure trove retail experience, merchants its wares via the traditional bricks and mortar approach so the onus is on you (as the customer) to hit it in search of bounty.
We love this approach: it encourages shoppers to feel and touch before they purchase. But wait: what happens if you procrastinate, only to return and find your dream item gone? Well, the Homesense service allows items to be put aside to allow a little thinking time, so that’s convenient. And their return policy is generous: within 28 days with a receipt.
But what if, say, your local branch only has four dining chairs when you actually need six?
That’s where the interweb can help. A smart contingent of Homesense aficionados have joined forces to create Facebook portals where fans can share bargain buys, or indeed ask other Homesense devotees to help track down missing items. Check out Winners, Homesense & Marshall’s Finds or Homesense Addicts to find your treasureloving tribe.
We used this forum recently, having spotted a couple of armchairs in Toronto that we thought perfect for our Cape Breton hotel. Thanks to the customer forum, we were able to locate another two at the sparkling new Homesense store in Sydney, Cape Breton — just a half-hour from our hotel. We got straight on to a local pal who swooped in to grab the bounty. Hey presto: job done, chairs secured, hotel corner filled! Find your local store at homesense.ca
Your smartphone is another ally to find inspiration online, or photos of items you’ve captured for your mood board. Google Lens on the search mechanism’s app boasts a smart function that allows you to capture images, which it attempts to match, so you can “shop” online for the requisite items. We recently spotted an expensive dining table in store, and Google Lens found several cheaper online alternatives. We didn’t even need the name of the table — or the original source — simply an image, and Google did the rest. Try it, it’s a lot of fun.
Whatever way you source components, plot a road map of what you hope to achieve, and heed this tried and tested C+J adage: “‘To fail to plan is to plan to fail.” Curated style, after all, is like a recipe: you might have access to flour, butter and eggs, but do you know how to combine everything to bake a beautiful cake?
So, without further ado, pin down that perfect room recipe, call upon your online BFFS — as required — for guidance, and, before you know it, you’ll be ensconced in a deliciously stylish home. Watch for Colin and Justin on Cityline (Citytv.com and City). Find the Colin and Justincollection in stores across Canada. Visit colinandjustin.tv