Taking it off

Taking it off... half off!  Join us on Monday, December 26th for some fantastic deals in store:
Up to 50% off on select in-store furniture
50% off Christmas ornaments, wreaths, stockings, cards and decor
50% off select tapered and pillar candles
50% off select toss cushions

We are open 10-6pm on boxing day. Hope to see you all there! 

Christmas cards for your loved ones

Did you know House Warmings Designs has a wonderful collection of holiday cards?  Here's a quick peak at some of the beautiful and a bit quirky designs we have in store. 

Juliska Dip Set

What to get for that person who has everything?  You must then see our Country Estate Dip Set from Juliska.  It even comes package for you in a beautiful box with their signature stoneware label and grosgrain ribbon.  So pretty! 

A little bit more about this wonderful dip set -

Make every afternoon party a splendid affair when you use our festive hors d'oeuvre set and stainless steel Villandry spreader. Bedecked with banners and resplendent with whimsy, the spirit of our Tea Party Tent magically transforms the ordinary gathering into a special occasion that will leave your guests thoroughly smitten. Featuring: Kite Fliers, Main House, Boathouse, and Tea Party Tent.

See the full collection of Country Estates from Juliska here

Holiday Shopping Hours

In order to serve you better during this joyous holiday season we will be open later than usual.  Starting Monday December 5th our new holiday hours will be as follows:

Monday to Saturday - 10am to 9pm

Sundays - 10am to 6pm

Christmas Eve - 10am to 5pm

Christmas Day - closed

Boxing Day - 10am to 6pm

Tuesday to Friday - 10am to 6pm

New Years Eve - 10am to 5pm

New Years Day - closed

And then back to regular hours starting January 2nd.  So bundle up and head on over after dinner for some holiday shopping! 

12 Gifts of Christmas

Once again House Warmings Design is doing the 12 Gifts of Christmas and we invite you to come be a part of it!  Starting today, December 1st, and for the next 11 days, shop in store and with your purchase receive a special gift from us. 

Each day we will be surprising our customers with a new gifted item, so feel free to visit often and shop more than once to collect all the wonderful goodies! 

Shop 20% off this weekend only

Enjoy 20% all products in store this weekend only, including special order furniture.  Stock up on your holiday decor or great gifts for the family. 

Promotion excludes Simplicity, Juliska and Orignal Art

Holiday Shopping

Among all our fabulous holiday decorations we also have a beautiful collection of some wonderful gift items for the loved ones, co-workers, secret Santas & dog walkers on your list.  Here's a little peek of what we currently have in store:

Shopping Outside of the Box

If you missed our recent feature in the Vancouver Sun's Holiday Gift Guide here's a little peek for you...

Thank you to Michele at the Vancouver Sun for so graciously adding us to the Guide!  We are thrilled to be included in this fabulous list. 

Our new home!

With much last minute consideration and excitement HouseWarmings is happy to announce our move to a new location. 

As of Monday November 7th we will be open for business at 11am with our big Christmas reveal in our new home at Grandview Corners, 24th Avenue and 160th Street in South Surrey.  We will be 2 doors down from our friends, Kitchen Therapy. 

Join us for some holiday cheer in our new location and let us help you get into the festive mood with all our holiday decor and accessories. 

We will also be digging into our warehouse and be bringing in new stock daily that was not able to fit in the previous location.  Visit us to view the new upholstered furniture additions, lighting, accent tables and beautiful new accessories. 

Apothecary Jars - simple easy modern decor

The apothecary of the ancient world was a purveyor of spices, wine and other luxury items. It was not until the 16th century that the apothecary began to resemble a modern pharmacist. The opaque or translucent glass jars that lined these 16th century apothecaries had already been in use by people.  There could be as many as three main types of storage that the vintage apothecary jar was used for in a single shop: to store medication in the form of pills, creams or elixirs: to store herbs and other basic ingredients needed for making medication; or for botany. Shapes and sizes varied, but most authentic antique apothecary jars are made of glass and still retain the original label.

 

Available in all different shapes and sizes and perfect for any room in the house, the purpose of these beautiful glass jars remain basically unchanged.  Here our list of fresh inspiring items that would work great in your collection of delicate apothecary jars:

• bath salts
• shells
• sand
• river rock
• twigs
• moss
• acorns
• coarse salt and pepper
• herbs and spices
• nuts and seeds
• dried fruit
• candies
• after dinner mints

Have fun with it and change the content with every season... use your imagination! 

Natural sterling silver cleaner

Easy fool proof how-to:  Using baking soda and aluminum foil to clean silver. 

 

Tarnished silver can be easily restored with common household items such as aluminum foil and baking soda. Tarnish on silver is due to silver sulfide on the surface of the metal, which makes the metal appear dark and black. The combination of aluminum foil and baking soda works to reverse the chemical reaction that created the silver sulfide. This method retains the silver, whereas polishing removes tarnish and the silver as well.

 

Instructions:

1. Boil enough water to fill the glass pan.

2. Line the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil with the shiny side facing up.

3. Place the tarnished silver onto the foil, ensuring that the silver is touching the foil.

4. Sprinkle baking soda over the silver. Use approximately 1 cup of baking soda for every gallon of boiling water.

5. Slowly pour the boiling water into the pan. The water might make the baking soda bubble.

6. Allow the silver to soak for 30 minutes.

7. Remove the silver from the pan, rinse it and towel it dry.

8. Repeat the process for extremely tarnished silver.

The Goose Story - virtue of unity

Next autumn, when you see geese heading south for the winter, flying in their familiar “V” formation, you might be interested in knowing why they fly that way.

Science has learned that, as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately behind it. By flying in a “V” formation, the flock together gains over 70% more flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

Like the geese, people who share a common direction and a sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier, because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Whenever one goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone. It will quickly try to get back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the birds in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are going.

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing, and another goose takes over the point position. It pays to take turns doing hard jobs!

The geese from behind honk constantly, as you’ve no doubt heard whenever a flock passes overhead. They do this to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. An encouraging word goes a long way!

Finally, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshots, and falls out of the formation, two geese follow it down to stay with it and protect it. They stay until the goose is either able to fly again, or dies. They then launch out on their own or with another formation to catch up with the group. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other.

~ Author Unknown

Saving is the new Spending

Want to look like you shop at all those expensive boutiques?  We would like to share a little inside information with you....

Summer's here

So, They're saying it's summer now that it's June 21st.  That being said, Let's start acting like it's summer.  Bring out the color!!  Add splashes of fun summer colors throughout your home and make a statement.  A simple colorful vase in the entrance way or fun toss cushions in the living room will be just enough color to make a different look for the summer season.  Add a bouquet of colorful seasonal flowers to the kitchen island or powder room.  Bright green, fushia and orange are a great starting point, then maybe add a vibrant purple to mix it up a bit. 

If you're more adventurous, try painting one wall in your living space a colorful hue from this seasons hottest color palette from pantone.  For some great ideas visit www.pantone.com

No matter what you do to brighten things up in your home, you can't really go wrong and the finished look will be fabulous.

So I was browsing through one of my many design magazines lately and came across Pantone's Top 10 Fashion Colors for Fall and Winter 2011. For those of you who don't know who Pantone is, here is a little history.

Pantone is the world renowned authority on color. For more than 45 years, Pantone has been inspiring design professionals with products, services and leading technology for the colorful exploration and expression of creativity.  For more info go to www.pantone.com.  The Pantone Fashion Color Report Fall 2011 is available for download at www.pantone.com/fall2011

The following colors are Pantone's top picks for 2011:

1) Bamboo-Likened to a "filtered sunset on the waning days of fall. Bamboo is a yellow with a subtle green undertone.

2) Emberglow- This "traditional autumnal tone, emanates the warmth of a glowing fire"   

3) Honeysuckle- Pantone's color of the year, this reddish pink works with every other color in the fall pallette.

4)Phlox- A "magical, deep purple," Phlox adds drama to the season's neutrals

5)Cedar- Drawing from nature, this tone is a "versatile, mid-tone neutral green"

6)Deep Teal- This blue-toned green "suggests ocean depths and the color of the sky as daylight descends into darkness"

7)Coffee Liqueur- Rich and elegant, this is a great alternative to basic black.

8)Nougat- This warm camel tan is a classic neutral

9)Orchid Hush- This gray tone with "undercurrents of orchid" blends well with the pallette's other colors

10)Quarry- This medium gray is a solid staple, as its name implies

You'll be seeing these colors now during spring and through to fall and winter 2011. These fabulous colors are sure to brighten any room in your home as well as in fashion. Enjoy!! 

Shop Your Home

Vicki Payne from the television show For Your Home, has some great tips for living "smaller". One of the tips is to shop in your own home. Instead of going out and buying something new in the way of home decor, how about repurposing something that you already own? Her example was using a nice wooden salad bowl and filling it with lemons and placing it on the coffee table. Another tip was to redecorate with what you are already using. She says it is a great idea to take all of your lamps and put them all together in the dining room. Once there, replace each lamp to a different room. You won't believe what a big difference this will make and it won't cost you a thing. Lastly Vicki suggests to seasonally change up the decor. She says to choose a colour for the season and pull all of the items that you have in that colour then make a little vignette in your entryway or on your front mantel where it will have the biggest impact. These are three great ways to satisfy your urges to decorate while being very economically conscious!

You've got to try them!

We have the most amazing bamboo towels - you've got to try them. They are 60% bamboo and 40% cotton and they feel like cashmere. The great thing about these towels is that they are very absorbent and they dry quickly after use. The towels have natural anti-microbial properties as well so they inhibit bacterial growth and stay smelling fresh. The only things you have to remember is to wash on cold and not use fabric softener. The towels come in a fabulous array of colours; the ones you see here and they also come in black, fuschia, and purple.   

Celebrate Mother Earth!

It's Earth Day and to celebrate we are offering a special price on all of our environmentally  friendly merchandise. The sale starts tomorrow and runs through until Easter Monday.We will be offering 15% off of our Simplicity Soy candles , Bamboo towels and bedding , Le Bain body and bath products and our bulk botanicals and lavender. We hope the next time you  come to see us that you will check out the new store that has opened beside us. It's called Antony and Sons Inspiring Foods. They offer a wide variety of eco friendly products, gluten free and vegan snacks, wonderful fresh produce , spices and even organic and all natural pet food. There is alot going on at Elgin Corners with the show home almost directly across the street the new shop next door and our weekend special! Hope you come and visit us!   

Be our friend

Finally!  We have set up a new facebook page and invite you to "like" us.  We will be doing regular postings during the week focusing on lots of beautiful product photos of our exciting new arrivals.  Joining us on facebook will give you the most up to date information about us, our services and our products.  Facebook is also a great place for you to leave your comments and questions, we are always happy to hear what our customers or thinking.

Please click the link to find us and join our page. 

Visit our Facebook page here

A little hint of what's to come

Here is just a little hint of what's to come at HouseWarmings.

The new Cobistyle furniture and accessories line is fabulous!! Custom made furniture from Decorest, which is made in Canada, that can be ordered in gorgeous brights or beautiful neutrals. Here are a few pictures of what will be arriving at HouseWarmings very soon.

Stay tuned for spring... It's going to be colorful

What is triple milled soap?

The process of milling soap entails shredding the soap apart with rollers and then putting it back together again in a high pressure press. In a triple milled soap the soap has gone through this milling process three times. This process makes the soap much stronger and distributes any added fragrance more thoroughly.If you have never tried this soap you will be amazed at how long it lasts especially in the shower.Here at HouseWarmings we are having a special on our 100 gram size of triple milled soaps. They are 3 for $15 and come in a great variety of fragrances  as well. 

Yes We Can!

Are you having a difficult time finding a piece of furniture that looks right in your space? You might not know this but we can have custom wooden furniture made for you. If you go to the Suppliers heading on our Webpage you can look up Florio Woodworking and see some of the pieces that can be made. For some of us space in our homes is at a premium. Having properly scaled furniture can make a huge difference not only to the feel of your space but also to its functionality. For example you might have a tight diningroom where a regular sideboard won't fit. If you have a custom table built at half depth you will now have a place to rest your extra dishes. You might even have enough room for a couple of small lamps giving you some extra lighting!Custom furniture is not as expensive as you might think and in this case improving the functionality of your diningroom so markedly is worth every penny.

After much thought and inspiration at design shows Briar, the owner of HouseWarmings, has decided that the look she wants for the store will be "Urban Romance". What is Urban Romance? Well it certainly isn't frou frou.

To create the Urban Romance look you must keep your bigger pieces like the sofa in neutral colours with classic lines. It is with the accessories that you add the romance and a pop of colour. In store for example we have gorgeous cuddly Tibetan Lambswool toss cushions that are the perfect Urban Romance accessory. They come in fun bright colours like hot pink, teal blue, bright purple, and also in neutrals like black cream and grey. If you add to a traditional neutral sofa any toss cushions or throw with a romantic pattern, a fun print or an interesting texture you will have arrived at Urban Romance. 

Besides the new accessories that add that Urban Romance look we have a new line of nesting and coffee tables made by Style in Form. To Briar they are the epitomy of our look - soft yet sophisticated.

Cobi Style Accessories Have Arrived!!

Well, I have to say that all the new accessories from Cobi Style have arrived and are even more fantastic than anticipated!

Last week Cobi Ladner and her fantastic line of furniture and accessories was featured on Cityline.  This entire line has wonderful hues of blues, vibrant oranges and greens and powerful pinks and fushias.  If you are adventurous and mix all the colors together for a vibrant cornucopia of design or mix and match 2 colors for a vivid pop of color.  Either way, this fabulous addition of color will make you and your gorgeous home the envy of the neighbourhood.

All about Candles

I used to think candles were something I could cheap out on because a candle is a candle right? My thought was why spend more when I can get the look for less. Well in the case of candles paying less is definately not "more" when you consider the toxins that are being brought into your home. Most candles are made from a petroleum based wax which is a by product of fuel refining and the smoke from these candles contains up to eleven carcinogenic compounds! Thank goodness there are healthier options out there. Simplicity makes a vegesoy candle that is very clean burning. These candles are 100% biodegradable. The Simplicity candles are not available in colours. They are limited to white. This is because they do not use dyes making them 100% natural. Simplicity candles might be a little pricier than dollar store candles but you can feel good knowing that you have made a natural and environmentally friendly choice. Beeswax candles are another healthy option.Beeswax candles are non-toxic, non-allergenic and non-carcinogenic. Burning a beeswax candle produces negative ions which clean the air of dust ,odours,toxins,pollen, mould, dustmite feces and viruses.The use of beeswax candles have been found to help people with allergies, asthma and environmental sensitivities. Now that I know what I know about candles I don't just think about candles as decoration. I think about them more as something either harmful or beneficial to me and my family and I am willing to pay a little more for peace of mind.

Furnishing an awkward layout

So as I have mentioned before I am a design student. And being a student, I am currently working on furniture arrangments for awkwardly laid out rooms. This can be quite a challenge for some as not everyone has the "eye" to visualize. The trick to a harmonious layout is balance. If you divided your room into quadrants, then each section should be equally balanced, meaning NOT to pile all your fabulous furniture into one quarter of the room. 

Almost all homes have a least one room or area in their home that is has either an odd angled wall or too many doorways. The solution.... Try drawing out different plans. Once you have decided on an acceptable floorplan, one that allows for traffic flow and function, try placing your furniture into the floorplan. If new furniture is in your future plan then now would be a great time to start shopping around.  

If all else fails, ask a friend or neighbour to take a look. Sometimes all you need is a second opinion. They may see something you dont. Good luck:) 

Valentine's Day

The day of love is soon approaching and I can't think of anything better to celebrate! Whether you are planning an intimate romantic evening with your special somebody or whether it will be a family affair, the little extra touches we add make a big difference.This year a Valentine's dinner for four will be made by me and I want to make sure that everyone husband and kids feels really special. My plan is to have a pink red and white theme for the table and a traditional roastbeef dinner with a nice red wine and a decadent rich chocolatey dessert. Hopefully my husband will provide the flowers! Extra touches I plan on adding this year will be to have a Valentine with a chocolate on everyone's plate and to  play a game at the table where we all have to come up with three reasons why we love each person at the table. I've got a teenager and an almost teenager I'll let you know how that game goes over. Wish me luck!

Honeysuckle Pink voted the colour of 2011

Pantone is an influential colour services company that is the authority on what's hot and what's not in colour. This year they say Honeysuckle Pink is the "it" colour. It was chosen for its energizing and invigorating qualities. Honeysuckle is classified as a reddish pink with a blue undertone. The colour is a great accent with charcoal gray, taupe, white, cream and and butter yellow. Designers suggest using this pink as an accent to inject fun and energy into any room. The psychology behind the colours appeal is that we make a connection between the sweet fragrance of the flower for which it is named and also with the images and memories of sweet summer days. With all the gray and damp and rain we've been experiencing here I think we could all use a little Honeysuckle Pink in our lives.  

Color is back, Baby!

It's true, Color is HUGE for spring. Pinks, Greens, Orange, Blues, they're all there. Splashes of color in your home not only add life and pizazz, they also bring us out of hibernation from boring beige. I'm not saying throw out your grey sofa and replace it with a hot pink one, although that WOULD be quite fabulous. All you have to do is add some fun toss cushions in vibrant colors and patterns or paint a wall in the latest spring colors. How about finding a colorful print and re upholstering a vintage chair. This is inexpensive and a fun project to work on. Paint is the most inexpensive way to change a rooms mood and can be done easily on a rainy afternoon.

If you keep your main pieces of furniture, i.e sofa, neutral then its easy to change the look up for each season. Try having a spring/summer option for your area rug and then change it up for fall and winter with something that has more texture. And don't be afraid to have more than one patterned fabric in your room color scheme. I like to work with 5 or 6 great patterns that all compliment each other. That way you can incorporate color and texture in an interesting way.

Now to our new favorite thing this month.  Ready??

PINK!! Anything pink. Don't let this color scare you. If it's used correctly then it is very wonderful. "Wherever you see this color, you instantly equate it with passion for life." Quote from House Beautiful, March 2011 issue. Benjamin Moore has some AMAZING pinks in their color collections.

Change is good!

I don't know about you but we are so inspired by the home decor looks that we are seeing lately. It kind of makes you want to change things up in your own home n'est pas? A lot of times we don't know where to begin or we think that we can't incorporate the latest styles with our existing decor. But you can! The most economical way to update your space  is to add new toss cushions area rugs and art work. This will make a huge difference to the way your space feels without breaking the bank. If you are lucky enough to be able to do a little bit more of a revamp how about bringing in a new accent chair or recovering an existing chair with a bold fun fabric. Stepping outside your box with the fabric choice will ensure that you won't tire of it quickly. We can help you with all your design and decor needs at HouseWarmings. You'll have to come visit us. We've got our new line of Van Gogh furniture and fabrics and by the end of the month we will have the very latest in Spring accessories  from 18 Karat as well!  

Out with the old and in with the new!

Well the holiday season is officially over. We had a great Christmas here at HouseWarmings and we trust you had a wonderful holiday too. A new year is upon us and I don't know about you but but we had the urge to clean house! Being committed to a new look and a new direction for our store meant doing a little purging. We chose World Serve Thrift on 152nd and Thrift Ave. as our place to donate. It felt good to do our bit not only for our community but for the global community aswell. There was also the added benefit of freeing up a little much needed space for our new line of furniture. We are really looking forward to showing off our new look. Hope to see you soon!

Fabulous has arrived

IT'S FINALLY ARRIVED!!

Our new furniture from Van Gogh has finally arrived and we want everyone to know how fabulous it really is.

Making an appearance daily is the always fabulous Jacob Sectional with storage ottoman. This 3 piece Sectional has clean and tailored lines that is trendy yet still very comfortable. The ottoman has great storage space for blankets, childrens toys or the latest design magazines.

Next up is the Preston sofa. Van Gogh decribes this sofa as modern style with generous cushions and clean lines. The entire sofa has a foam core which is great for support but it is feather wrapped, so at the end of a long day you can relax into this comfy sofa.

If snuggling up with a good book on a rainy day is your plan, then the cuddle chair is perfect.  This chair is round and it swivels! Need I say more? Great for any room in the house.

We invite everyone in to see what is new and what is still to come. The New Year at HouseWarmings means new accessories, lighting and fabulous design.

See you soon:)