Covet Magazine Fall 2012

modern living with a prairie twist

journey to the with your taste buds

Decorate for the

fall into autumn with 20 of the Year’s hottest colours covet visits ikea in sweden

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6 Contributors The great friends and talents we have met along the way, who have given of themselves to make Covet possible.

7 Editor's Page

Out and About - Local businesses we would love you to know about.

10 Noble Savage Interiors A Stafford Street treasure trove.

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" Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." ~Albert Camus

photo PAULINE BOLDT, 26mertonroad.com

Scattered Seeds Winnipeg’s ultimate market for hand-made crafts and art.

Style defined - A design lesson. A period, style, or piece explained.

Abode

A peek inside Manitoba homes and cottages, completed by local design talent or design-savvy homeowners.

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From My Home to Yours Some tried and true Halloween decor tips from Editor in Chief, Bahia Taylor.

Design Trifecta A trio of independent designers come together to collaborate on a living room project for one of the talented three.

40 Industrial Revolution Tamara Eckstein, of Eckstein Design Group, helps a Winnipeg couple swap their home for a stylish condo in The Exchange.

46 Not the Last Straw Interior Designer Tracy Dyck, of S3 Design Inc., takes us into her very own straw bale beauty.

58 The Amazing Underground An in-depth look at a project from subterranean specialists, Rockwell Basement Finishing.

11 Marimekko The creation of the famous Finnish design house’s most iconic print.

14 We Love Items we have spotted here or there, that we think you will love too.

Get Crafty - We can get into good craft projects, and love the satisfaction that creating something brings.

16 Make It Yours A dash of this and a stroke of that, plus a spooky creature or two – three ways to create some art and decor just right for you.

Collections – Admittedly, we like stuff. Here we showcase people and their stuff, and their knowledge of their stuff.

13 Take a walk all over these...we encourage you.

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Holiday Open House Please join us for a coffee, cider, and dessert.

Shop all our beautiful Christmas wares – wonderful ornaments and fabulous giftware! $500 of Benjamin Moore paint prizes to be given away.

Saturday, November 10th from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.

ta b l e o f co n t e n ts

AUTUMN 2012 Bahia Taylor Editor in Chief Co-founder Leigh McKenzie Creative Director Co-founder Darren Grunerud Managing Editor Graphic Design Hinge Design www.hingedesign.ca Styling Envy Paint and Design www.benjaminmoore-mb.ca Owned and Published by: Covet Magazine For inquiries, please contact us at info@covetmagazine.ca 1811 Assiniboine Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 0A5 www.covetmagazine.ca info@covetmagazine.ca Cover Photography Covet Magazine covetmagazine.ca While every effort has been made to ensure that advertisements and articles appear correctly, Covet Magazine cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damaged caused directly or indirectly by the contents of this publication. All material is intended for informational purposes only.

The views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of its publisher or editor.

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part prohibited without written permission from the publisher.

Typeset in Chronicle Roman and Whitney Printed in Canada

PROfile - Allow us to introduce you to the great, local design talent available in Winnipeg for you to tap into.

18 Tiffany Johnson-Sheldon of Tiffany Sheldon Design

Tips O' the Trades - Expert advice. You didn't solicit it but we're giving it to you anyway.

20 Resurrecting an age-old method of social introductions.

22 Tools Great gadgets, tools, and task-busting items we thought you should know about.

24 DIY The team from Covet spent ten days in Sweden with Ikea. Learn about the company, our trip, and how to convert an Ikea bookshelf into a great dollhouse.

28 26 Merton Road and…

Travel with photographer Pauline Boldt throughout the city and province, and take in the glorious sites through her camera lens. This issue, A Maze in Corn.

Chow - Food, glorious food and everything to go with it.

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Prairie Palette - A glimpse into the Winnipeg art community, or profile of a great local artist.

74 Ravi Shukla Living Well - Reviews, ideas, a little form and a little function.

76 Changing Seasons Learn how to add some seasonal flair with au courant colour selections.

80 2 x 4 Life Follow radio personality Dez Daniels and her family, as she blogs her way through the start-to-finish journey of a new home build.

Dig - Get outside and get gardening.

82 Take your summer planters into fall and get a leg up on next spring.

88 Where to find

89 Hot Blogs Be sure to check these out - we do!

90 Design Dilemma - Your chance to have an expert solve your design dilemmas.

Magic of the Middle East Taste-test some recipes from a few Middle Eastern countries – Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and more.

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co n t ri b utors petals west www.peatalswest.com COURTNEY DHALIWAL www.kalbarteski.com pauline boldt 26mertonroad.com Samantha braun ecotones@mts.net darren grunerud Man-about-town TOM BIMA ticoswinehouse.com Rachael King Johnson brian johnson luckygirl.ca john deWolf john@dewolf.com

F U E L E D

Toad Hall toys toadhalltoys.com stephanie middagh artfulowl.ca IKEA ikea.ca SUSAN KUZ spacialexpressions.com ROB EVERITT everittdesign.com DAYNA KINSMAN and JENNIFER STEPHESON plushhomeanddesign.com jim taylor Go-to Guy DEZ WENGROWICH twobyfourlife.com KASSIA WOLOSHYN benjaminmoore-mb.ca

B Y

F A S H I O N

110 B LOWSON CRES. | R3P 2H8 | 204 487 3767 | FLATLANDERSFLOORING.COM

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e d i to r ' s pag e

AUTUMN SPLENDOR The sites, the sounds, and the splendour of fall in Manitoba are a party for the senses: amazing foliage, geese overhead, and the bounty of the harvest. Retrieve your heavier fall recipes for the first time in a long time. Put on a big batch of soup, chilli, or stew. Fall in love with the sweaters and jackets you tucked away. Reintroduce your tootsies to your favourite boots or, better yet, treat yourself to a new pair. Fall in love with wool and mohair blankets, the heavy drapes and the dramatic accessories that you can rotate back out of your cupboard. Fall in love with a deep-coloured vase, and fill it with fall-coloured blooms. Fall in love with nature and take a hike. The kids can collect leaves or just crunch about. Fall in love with the glorious artwork of Jack Frost on the window and the new feeling you get from a warm cup of coffee as the temperatures fall. Fall in love with shorter days by telling yourself you will be better rested from the longer nights! Embrace the season...fall in love with fall!

Covet is free, and if you'd like to receive a copy visit covetmagazine.ca to subscribe. You can view a digital version of this issue there, too. See you soon! modern living with a pr airie t wist

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out and about

noble savage interiors text DARREN GRUNERUD | photography COVET MAGAZINE

quality furnishings from around the world Find It: 364 Stafford Street, (204)415.3838; Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm lynn@noblesavageinteriors.com

History: Lynn Savage had been decorating, colour consulting, and trend forecasting independently for years. Asked what motivated her to open a store and do it all full-time, Lynn laughs: “because people had been asking me to do this for 25 years!”

Noble Savage Interiors – in case you missed it, the name is taken from Lynn’s surname – opened on November 1, 2010, and has been “helping bring out the style of our clients” since then.

The Space: Located between Grant and Corydon on Stafford Street, Noble Savage Interiors benefits from the traffic on Stafford: Lynn says that a lot of her customers noticed it on their daily commutes, and eventually decided that they had to check it out. Beautiful and interesting pieces, large and small, fill the space; many customers have commented that the store

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has a very European feel. The store is a great testament to Lynn’s taste in furnishings: that is, quality, global, and unique.

Advocating a “whole home” concept, from linens to wall art, Lynn takes pride in providing goods that simply aren’t available anywhere else in Winnipeg.

Menu: As amazing as the in-store selection is, the great majority of Noble Savage’s business comes from “putting looks together for people.” These looks aren’t in any way limited by what is currently ‘in stock.’ As Lynn is fond of saying, “we like to bring out the style of our clients!” What this means, in practical terms, is that while the selection in-store might be a reflection of Lynn’s ever-evolving taste, Lynn and her staff strive to make decorating accessible by sourcing whatever it is you might need, within any budget.

Winnipeg: In “sourcing the best,” Lynn makes every effort to support women worldwide, and to stay as “green” as possible. As it is for any small business, word-of-mouth has been instrumental in growing Noble Savage’s business. Less expected, however, is the amount of walk-in traffic that the ideal Stafford Street location has generated; it is safe to say that no one leaves the store unimpressed, and that, of course, only feeds more of that word-of-mouth business! http://www.noblesavage.ca/

st y l e d e f i n e d

The Unikko pattern is Marimekko’s most iconic design; it's probably one of the most recognised fabric designs in the world. You know it: giant, florid poppies, in a variety of colours, adorning everything from umbrellas to bedding. Yet Unikko, from the Finnish design company Marimekko, only came about when a designer was brazen enough to go against the instructions of her boss.

Armi Ratia, with her husband Viljo, owned a textile company, and in 1951 they turned that company into Marimekko. The name comes from the Finnish word for dress – mekko, and a rearrangement of Armi’s name – mari. At that time, post-war Finland was in need of all things fresh and beautiful. Armi insisted on bold colours, but decreed that there would be no floral designs.

Behind her back, designer Maija Isola created Unikko in protest at being told what to draw...and the rest is history.

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1. Loop print: Kaivo 2. Poppy print : Unikko 3. Striped print: Tasaraita 4. Blossom print: Lumimarja

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out and about

scattered seeds text DARREN GRUNERUD | photography SCATTERED SEEDS

JURIED FINE ART AND TRADE SHOWS SINCE 1995.

Find It: 3977 Portage Avenue; Red River Exhibition Hall Friday-Sunday, October 19-21; 10:00am-9:00pm (Fri-Sat), 12:00-5:00pm (Sun) Admission: $6 for the weekend; parking is $3.

History: Almost 25 years ago, there were four stay-at-home moms who loved crafts, and they all made different things.

When Shelley, Debbie, Lynda, and Eileen decided to start inviting their family and friends to one of their homes for a craft sale, it soon took off; within a few years, they had 500 customers. Inspired by a huge craft show they visited in Minnesota, they decided to try to recruit local talent, and take their show out of Debbie’s lovely but overwhelmed home to a larger venue, and a larger customer base. They found and juried 80 artists, artisans, and craftspeople from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Ontario – all of whom were willing to take a chance with them – and put on a show at the Transcona CC. The show brought 1800 people, and was a huge success… except that nearly every one of their customers got a parking ticket. The next year, they moved the show to Assiniboia Downs, adopted the “Scattered Seeds” name, and kept growing. Now, seventeen years later, the show routinely attracts 10,000 customers.

The Show: Scattered Seeds is a craft show that gives local and national artisans a chance to sell their wares; on the other side of the coin, it gives Manitoba shoppers an opportunity to buy unique and beautiful, handcrafted things. The annual show

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takes place before Christmas; shoppers looking for unique gifts (or those looking for inspiration for their own crafts!) have made the weekend-long show an annual tradition, and plan their autumn activities around it. There are a staggering 171 different booths at this year’s show. menu:The booths at Scattered Seeds are incredibly diverse.

Entries range from food to fibre goods, from candles to children’s toys, pottery to photography, jewellery, woodworks, Christmas decorations, leather… the list is just too long (but you can view all 171 entries on the website, thescatteredseeds.com). Potential entries into the show are “juried” by a committee before they can rent a table – this serves two purposes: to ensure a high standard of quality throughout the show, and to avoid duplication. The goal is to make sure there is something for every taste! More than just shopping, Scattered Seeds provides live music, food and craft demonstrations, and more; again, check the website for a full schedule of events. No one gets bored here!

Winnipeg: Scattered Seeds loves Winnipeg and Canada as much as we do; really, it is an event where local and Canadian small businesses can reach a lot more customers than they ever could alone. Support for charities has been a big part of Scattered Seeds’ vision almost from the beginning. Habitat for Humanity is building and raffling off a gingerbread playhouse, and Cancer Care Manitoba and African Market are among the other worthy causes represented – the Scattered Seeds team is so happy to be able to help. Come to the show: see friends, get inspired, find beautiful unique gifts, meet lovely people, and have fun. At this show, says Shelley, "everything is made with love." http://www.thescatteredseeds.com

co l l ect i o n s

For centuries, European explorers brought back rugs from their exotic travels; these rugs came to symbolize a material worldliness. From as early as the 14th Century, rugs from the Near and Far East were adorning the floors of European households.

Historically and presently, rugs, like all fabrics in our homes, tend to suffer a great deal of wear; buying high quality rugs to withstand high-traffic areas is important. If you are lover of textiles, organic fibres should win over synthetics.

There are hundreds of regions in the Near and Far East that are still dedicated

to rug production, yet for some reason, we seem to label them all “Persian.” This generic term is used to describe just about any rug, whether handmade or machine-made, that displays allover patterning. Although common, this usage is actually incorrect; Persian rugs are only those actually made in Iran. With great variety based on regional aesthetic, rugs are a lovely way incorporate colour and texture into our homes.

The most practical rugs to collect and incorporate into a home are kilims (also known as kelims, gelims and jajims).

These rugs are hand-woven in Turkey, just as they have been since the 12 Century.

Kilims are made of coarse wool in a durable “flat weave,” and are available in a wide colour range. They are highly versatile, and can be distinguished by

their characteristic flat weave, and by the small slits between colours. These slits are called a “discontinuous weft,” and are a result of the fibres not being joined together during the weaving process.

There is evidence that some of these rugs have been woven by two weavers, and then sewn together; there is often a seam running down the middle of the rug. This gives the rug an imperfect, but fantastically hand-made quality.

Although there are still contemporary producers of these rugs, older rugs also seem to be widely available at antique stores and even charity shops. Rugs made prior to 1880 have much more subtle colours, as a result of the organic dye process.

They are certainly beautiful, but the lack of colourfast dyes can shorten the life span of your investment.

It is also important to provide an underlay for these rugs in high traffic areas; this will prolong the life of the rug. The most amazing thing about kilims is that, in my experience, smaller contemporary rugs can be cleaned very easily in a frontloading washer on a delicate cycle, and then laid flat to dry.

When dry, I throw it in the dryer just to fluff it up on a low-heat cycle.

These rugs are beautiful, versatile and dynamic. In their geometric patterning they often convey traditional stories, or personal histories of the weaver. The meaning of this visual language may be lost on modern western audiences, but the sense of connection to history and culture is shared through the weave.

Our collections specialist, Stephanie Middagh has spent the past 12 years being inspired by museum collections while working as a curator for various museums and galleries. Concurrent to her curatorial work, she took this inspiration to her sessional positions at the University of Manitoba where she continues to teach Introduction to Art and the History of Textiles.

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The candy business rakes in over $20 billion each year, with approximately $2 billion of that figure coming from Halloween candy.

For something a little different, and easy on the pearly whites, try these non-candy alternatives. Hit the dollar store or party supply outlet for multi-pack items that are equal in price to many, less healthy, candy choices on the market.

1. Bouncy Eyeballs $1.25 per pack of 7 2. Glitter Glue $1.00 per pack of 6 3 Glow Skeletons $1.00 per pack of 10 4. Lenticular Stickers $1.00 per pack of 18 5. Bouncy Balls

$1.00 per pack of 5 6. Pencils

$1.00 per pack of 10 7. Glow Stick Necklaces $1.00 per pack of 10 *especially pragmatic for the evening 8. Playdoh

$1.00 per pack of 4 9. Stretch Spiders $1.00 per pack of 5 10. Stretch Caterpillars $1.00 per pack of 8

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get crafty

Gearing Up for the Ghosts and Ghouls Covet stepped up its Halloween crafty creations to showcase something a little classy, creative and creepy!

Golden Gourds aplenty!

This crafty display is an annual tradition for Covet editor Bahia; she is an admitted Halloween-a-holic. This craft requires two stops; go to the market, grocery store or pumpkin patch and load up your basket with gourds and pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. Next, hit up the hardware or craft shop for a selection of metallic – or whatever colour your heart desires – spray paint, then head on home and have at it! Make sure you use spray paint in a wellventilated area, or even better, outside. We've chosen to display this bunch in urns and atop candlesticks, but use your creativity to make your own gourd display.

Creepy Caricatures Likeness is at the discretion of the artist, so have some fun drawing a ghostly bust of a friend of family member. Grab your sharpie and some art paper, and draw some devilish mugs. We framed our masterpieces in dollar-store frames, then mounted them down the hallway as a gallery of ghouls.

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Doom and Gloom Door-hangers Craft up three skulls or scary creatures to rise and fall as you greet your trick-ortreaters. Fasten three screw eyes to the top of your doorframe, a few inches apart.

Twist a fourth screw eye into the ceiling above the doorframe, approximately one metre from the door and aligned with the hinges. Cut three 15-foot lengths of fishing line, and attach one end to each of your ghastly ghouls. Thread the opposite end through one of the screw eyes in the doorframe, and then all three lines through the screw eye in the ceiling. With the door nearly closed adjust your fishing line so your skulls rest at varying heights above your trick-or-treaters’ heads. Tie the fishing line to the doorknob.

Open and close your door if you dare! PS, when getting up in the middle of the night, remember you've hung ghastly critters on your door, or they will scare the pants off of you; we speak from experience! We've added a handy diagram in case our instructions need a bit of a visual aid.

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p ro f i l e

tiffany sheldon design

PROfiles is a chance to meet and get to know a local Winnipeg talent.

Covet has partnered with CDECA (Canadian Decorator’s Association) to bring you the inside scoop on one of their members from the Central Prairie Chapter. To learn more about CDECA or for a list of CDECA decorators in your area, visit them at www.cdeca.com.

Tiffany Johnson-Sheldon is a graduate of the Red River College Residential Decorating program, and an accredited member of CDECA, where she currently sits on the board. She established her company, Tiffany Sheldon Design (formerly called "Rooms"), in 2006 while working as a sales rep for Floform countertops. In 2008, she decided to leave Floform and focus solely on her business.

Tiffany has had the opportunity to work on a variety of residential design projects over the years, ranging from basic colour consultations to kitchen, bathroom and basement renovations and complete condo re-design. Prior to interior decorating, Tiffany worked for various non-profit and government organizations (she also has a degree in Human Ecology from University of Manitoba) in roles which required program and event planning, marketing and communications, and volunteer management. All of these skills have transferred with her into her design career; some of the most important skills of a decorator, besides design knowledge and a good eye, are to be very organized, to pay attention to detail, to know which suppliers to contact, and most importantly, to be able to listen and communicate effectively with clients, contractors and suppliers.

Tiffany enjoys transforming clients’ spaces into ones they love. Her goal is to guide them through the design process, and develop a space that not only looks great, but also reflects their lifestyles and personalities. A decorator is often asked whether they have a certain design style; in Tiffany's opinion, a good decorator is able to work in any style. Of course, everyone has their personal tastes, and hers currently lean toward the clean lines of Scandinavian design, with hints of rustic or natural elements. Who are Tiffany's design icons? Canadian Wendy Williams Watt, the founder of Liberty Living in Vancouver, and American Designer Brad Ford are two of her favourites.

What has been your best design moment? My best design moment is

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when my client tells me they now love to be in their home. There is no greater job satisfaction than that!

Fall is a great season for fashion.

Who is your greatest fashion icon?

My greatest fashion icon is Diane von Furstenberg – her designs are timeless, powerful yet feminine. My Hollywood fashion icon is Gwyneth Paltrow. I love her style and her website, www.goop.com WHAT best describes your design philosophy? My design philosophy is to work with my clients to develop a space that follows design principles, while keeping functionality and comfort in mind.

What colour means comfort to you? My comfort colour is blue, such as Benjamin Moore Subway Tile CSP-585.

What colour means courage to you? My courage colour is, of course, red, such as Benjamin Moore Flamenco CSP-1195.

What are three things you can’t live without right now? I can't live without my iPad, my Magic Bullet blender for making smoothies, and my Danier leather bag that holds all my work items – a gift from my brother and his wife.

What are three things you couldn’t live without when you were a teenager? Three things I couldn't live without as a teenager: my hair crimper, my figure skates and teen fashion magazines If you were not working as a designer, you would be… If I wasn't working as a designer, I would like to be an architect; I love drafting!

What is the pattern you are most fascinated with right now? The pattern that I am most fascinated with right now is Ikat. It can be presented in so many different ways, and so many different colours.

www.tiffanysheldon.com info@tiffanysheldon.com

BLIND AMBITIONS 895 Century St Winnipeg MB 204-982-4880 blindambitions.ca

GLENWOOD DRAPERIES LTD 509 St. Mary's Rd Winnipeg MB 204-233-8956 www.glenwooddraperies.ca

WINNIPEG DRAPERY 1336 Main St Winnipeg MB 204-582-3239 martin@winnipegdrapery.com www.hunterdouglas.ca/winnipegdrapery

tips o' the trades

Reviving Tradition: the Personal Calling Card text JOHN deWolf A visit to a home once necessitated the use of a calling card.

In fact, there was much ceremony concerned with making house calls, including everything from the design of reception rooms, to the use of cards to announce one’s arrival, to the decorum surrounding the collection of cards. While rituals associated with the calling card were established in the Victorian era, the calling card’s history can be traced further back: to the seventeenth century French tradition of the visite biletes, or visiting cards. Both are precursors to the modern business card.

Historically, calling cards consisted of little more than a name, and served the various purposes of announcing, congratulating, and expressing sympathy, among others.

While the ritualized art of ‘calling’ has changed, the need to visit has not, and our modes of communication are far more complex.

It is a social world, and we are in constant contact with acquaintances, both new and familiar. People will mention their blog, website, or twitter handle, yet we have few means to hand out information in social settings; in one hand someone may have a business card, and in the other a mobile device. With the exception of the technically savvy, we have no convenient way to share personal information but with business cards, which should be reserved for just that: business.

A calling card is the ideal contrivance for sharing your personal modes of communication.

The design of the card is immensely important. In an era of self-broadcasting, the design of the card should also be thought of as a means of self-expression. Without going into a Patrick Bateman-esque rant, consider ink colour, font, production technique, and paper choice. Remember, making new acquaintances can leave a lasting impression.

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In our contemporary world of enhanced communication, one should consider what to include on a card. We all have different preferences for our modes of communication, so give your acquaintances the opportunity communicate in a way whereby they feel most comfortable. Consider including your public email address, website, blog, twitter handle, Pinterest page, Facebook name, and MSN and Skype identifications. Consider carefully what NOT to include. I, for instance, prefer not to give out my mobile number, as I move or change service providers often, and it is NOT my preferred means of communication.

Business etiquette suggests never writing on a card, but I believe calling cards should be designed for personalization.

Consider how and when you will use a calling card. You may perhaps wish to tailor each card to the individual, and fill in only the information you wish to share, or the card may include a dedicated space for notes. The card could be divided into sections: what I can do for you, and what you can do for me.

Ask yourself how many times you wished for something other than a business card or the back of a napkin to share personal information? On one hand, there will be times, like meeting a potential employer, when sharing personal information is critical. On the other, when making a new acquaintance, or at social occasions – on a date, communicating game or practice schedules to a circle of friends, or as a gift for a child off to school for the first time – when having a calling card would be desirable In a world of complex personal communication, consider the use of a calling card.

John deWolf is a graphic designer and interior decorator. He currently resides in Winnipeg, but has worked in New York, Washington, and Budapest.

to o l s

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to o l s

Pumpkin Carving tools of choice...

You probably have many of the tools you need for 'advanced' pumpkin carving in your home: large kitchen knife for cutting off the tops; drill bit or hand boring tool to turn small holes for accents or all-over patterns; wood gouges make strips or lines in the top layer of pumpkin flesh, which will glow when the pumpkin is illuminated; a grease pencil will make visible, but temporary, pattern markings; model or 'exacto' knife for precision cuts and irregular shapes; spade drill bits will make larger holes, and are useful for making holes on an angle; coping saw for taking the tops off mini pumpkins; nail sets for tiny holes, or for transferring paper patterns by poking holes through paper; cookie cutters can make unique designs (tap through the pumpkin with a mallet); a drywall saw's flexible blade makes curved cuts a breeze; hole saws for perfectly round, large holes.

Happy Halloween! Send us your jack-o-lantern pictures to info@covetmagazine.ca

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204.255.4204

GallagherGroup.ca 942 St. Mary’s Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba

F R E E CO

NSULTA TIONS COMMFLI EXIBLE SSION R ATES FREE HO ME STA GING QUALIF IED BUY ERS

Helping You Every Step Of The Way Gallagher group for Remax Performance Realty

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A set of shelves can grow with a child Â

Let your imagination, or your child's run wild. We thought this book case would be the perfect dollhouse as it already came with windows roughed in. It could easily be a multitude of other play havens: a high rise with a roof top garden, a shopping complex, a parkade complete with service centre, to cite a few.

We papered the wall behind the bookshelf to delineate the roofline, and to also act as wall treatments for the interior

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rooms. The possibilities to decorate your house are endless. Sew curtains for the windows, knit rugs for the floor, or tile it with mosaics. Add lighting if you are so inclined. We're sure it will provide hours of fun, and when it no longer does‌make it a home for something else.

IKEA PS 2012 shelf, designer Jon Karlsson Dollhouse furniture provided by Toad Hall Toys 54 Arthur Street, www.toadhalltoys.com

A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves.

-Marcel Proust

habitat in harmony with design | samantha braun 204.223.6157 | ecotones@mts.net

26 m e rto n roa d a n d … a m a z e i n co r n

text DARREN GRUNERUD photography PAULINE BOLDT

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Located just south of the Perimeter Highway off of St. Mary’s Road, A Maze In Corn is not a long drive away… but let us go on the record as saying that it would be well worth the drive, even if it were. Make no mistake, the 10-acre corn maze is really cool, but when combined with all the other attractions, A Maze In Corn becomes a can’t-miss day of fun for all ages: there is a towering pyramid of straw bales absolutely begging to be climbed and jumped on, a petting zoo, hayrides, group picnic sites, and pony rides. In October, more attractions appear: a huge pumpkin barn where you’re guaranteed to find the one(s) you need; the corn maze becomes the Haunted Forest – spooky fun, day or night. If you, like some of our Covet staff, crave a bit more… um, adventure… why, you’re in luck, too! There are (wait for it…) zip lines!

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When couple Clint and Angie Masse bought the property in 1998, they knew what they wanted to do: make a corn maze, and with that as the foundation, build and grow into a multi-faceted family fun destination. In fact, after trying (and being wowed by) them during trips to Mexico and Costa Rica, even zip lines were part of the couple’s original vision.

A Maze In Corn is very much a family business. In fact, both Clint and Angie’s families are involved with various aspects of the venture, and, now that they’re old enough, so are the couple’s two boys. Angie is the hostess; she helps plan your event, and organizes the groups on-site.

Clint is the behind-the-scenes man, doing the growing, building, and financial planning. Clint’s dad, who has taught Clint what he knows of farming, owns and operates the Clydesdale horses that pull the hayride. Clint’s mother does much of the decorating. Angie’s mom is the Snack Shack coordinator; she keeps everyone well fed, and loves to plant flowers too. Angie and Clint’s two sons are also very involved; they have been a part of the corn maze since birth, either sitting in a stroller or having their naps in the barn. Now, they are old enough to start taking on roles of their own: mowing the grass, growing sweet corn, feeding the animals, and filling in wherever needed. Many other family members and friends work or have worked at the maze, and the Masses

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are fond of saying that all of their 100-plus employees are like family, too. Every year, at the Corn Maze wind up, Angie and Clint always comment about how they have had the best staff ever, and each year seems to meet or exceed the previous one‌ thus, they continue to grow their extended family!

A Maze in Corn September & October Monday to Friday: 11:00 pm to 10:00 pm Day time bookings available for groups (Must be booked in advance) Saturday, Sunday, and Holidays: 11:00 am to 10:00 pm 9:00 pm is always the latest that you can enter the venue.

Hay Rides and Pony Rides Saturday and Sunday 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Group bookings available at other times (Must be booked in advance) Haunted Forest October Only Thursday and Friday 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm Saturday and Sunday 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm Pumpkin Barn Open during regular maze hours Zip Line 7 days a week 10:00 am to 8:00 pm Weather Permitting Check the daily announcements on the website 1351 Provincial Road #100, St Adolphe MB 204.883.2048 www.cornmaze.ca

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Even if you don’t have a coffee table that’s this perfect for Halloween, you can employ the same principles on it. Spray some artificial apples black; place deep, fall-coloured blooms in a heavy vessel; add some scary novels and a couple of skulls for good measure. Flowers by Petals West.

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design by ENVY PAINT AND DESIGN photography COVET MAGAZINE

Some tips and tricks for tasteful Halloween decorating.

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" Natural gourds and cucurbits are my weakness.

I garner many stares as I wield my cart full of them around the grocery store." ~designer Bahia Taylor.

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I admit it. I’m a Halloween junkie. It helps that the occasion falls in my favourite season, but I maintain that even if Halloween was in midsummer, I’d love it just as much. We take pride in our costumes at the Taylor house, and have stuck with a strict ‘homemade only’ costume policy for almost all of our 14 years of dress-up. We all (minus an adult whom I shall not name) grow giddy when the boxes of neatly wrappedaway goodies come in from the garage. Everyone (again, except the nameless box carrier) lends a hand in unwrapping and placing the decorations throughout the house, after which I go around and adjust things to my satisfaction, because that’s the way I roll. I also have to admit that in years past I have been guilty of some very tacky, and not in a good way, Halloween decorating. But that was long ago. I have pared down and evolved as the kids have grown older, and have arrived at an autumn ornamentation scheme that is sophisticated, but still fun.

Natural gourds and cucurbits are my weakness.

I garner many stares as I wield my cart full of them around the grocery store. I use them everywhere, and I don’t think I will ever tire of ripping off Martha Stewart’s idea of spray-painting them. I employ silver, gold, and bronze for a gorgeous, shimmery display.

For some new and unusual varieties, I recommend hitting the farmers’ market or a pumpkin grower.

If you have the space to grow your own, it can be a great feeling to prominently display something that you nurtured from seed to showstopper. A few weeks back, during our visit to A Maze in Corn, I think my heart swelled eight hundred sizes when my son asked for a dollar to buy a mini gourd at the pumpkin barn.

It swelled another eight hundred sizes when he came walking out of the barn and toward me with a goose necked beauty he could hardly carry, and a grin from ear to ear. That apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

Sticky tack is my Halloween time best friend. I use it to pop my spooky caricatures (see our Get Crafty section for a how to) onto wallpaper matting, to adhere plastic bats to a mirror above my mantle, and to glue crawling spiders and ants up my wall. I have a small, but growing, collection of very authentic looking witches we set out, and for the month of October we all use our Halloween mugs as often as we can. Ominous ravens perch on my curtain rods, and giant hairy spiders hang from my light switch Left – Piles of gourds sprayed out with metallic spray paint look glorious in beautiful bowls and atop scary, silver candlesticks.

Right – A mischief of rats lurk beside the kitchen island. In this busy household, they won’t be waiting long for crumbs to fall their way. Arachnids climb the wall in the hallway.

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abode dimmers. Black poison apples replace the fresh green ones that rested in my fruit bowl earlier in the year, and there’s a skull or two here and there. We are avid readers and love a good mystery, so I swap my coffee table books out for stacks of spooky tomes. Dracula, Sherlock Holmes and lots of Stephen King – all with black covers and dust jackets removed. Fresh flowers take deeper tones, and some vessels are switched up to hold wheat and acorns and other bounties of the harvest. We stretch some cobwebs about, and always try a new idea or two. This year it’s some sea-roving pirate skulls, which rise and fall with the opening and closing of our front door (Check out our Get Crafty section for the how-to). A natural hide rug is a new addition this year as well, and I am loving the warmth and cosiness it brings, in a modern way. The drapes get heavier in colour, but not in weight (not yet), and fresh summery pillows are exchanged for heavier fabrications and richer colours.

My brown antique jug collection goes on the mantle, and some are filled with dried sticks and blooms. Heavier throw blankets come out of the closet.

It’s decidedly Halloween at the Taylor house, but it’s not tacky or void of good taste. There are no giant inflatable monsters or cartoon characters dressed in costumes, no window clings and no plastic pumpkins. He who remains nameless gets involved on Halloween night. He sets up the dead body and caution tape under our truck in the driveway; shines work lights on it to light it up and sets up outdoor speakers to play a track of spooky sounds.

He won’t admit it, but we know he thinks it’s pretty cool.

Illuminated willow branches fill out an oldfashioned crock-pot filled with wheat. Spider webs are strewn cross picture frames.

Left – One of several witches. This sorceress hangs from a hook on the ceiling.

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T h e A r t f u l O w l u s e s a r t h i s t o r y a s i t s s t a r t i n g p o i n t f o r t h e e x p l o r a t i o n o f v a r i o u s m e t h o d s a n d m e d i u m s i n a r t m a k i n g .

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T h e g o a l o f t h e w o r k s h o p s i s t o i n s t i l l v i s u a l l i t e r a c y i n t h e p a r t i c i p a n t s t h r o u g h e x p e r i e n t i a l l e a r n i n g i n a r t h i s t o r y .

C a l l 4 8 7 . 2 0 1 2

f o r i n f o o r t o r e g i s t e r W I N T E R T E R M : J a n u a r y 8 t h - M a r c h 2 3 t h Preschool Themes

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(Ages 2-6)

• Colour and Medium School Age Themes (Ages 6-16)

• Canadian Art and Ancient Civilization • Dadaism, Surrealism and Modern Art S t u d e n t s w i l l l e a r n t h e c o n t e x t o f t h e s e p e r i o d s i n a r t w h i l e c o n n e c t i n g w i t h t h e m a t e r i a l s a n d m e t h o d s . V i s u a l l i t e r a c y , h i s t o r y a n d c r e a t i v i t y a r e t h e g o a l s o f o u r s e s s i o n s .

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$ 2 2 5 6 - 8 y e a r o l d s ; w e e k l y c l a s s i s 1 h o u r $ 2 9 0 9 - 1 2 y e a r o l d s a n d T e e n A r t ; w e e k l y c l a s s i s 1 . 5 h o u r s $ 3 5 0 A d v a n c e d A r t ; w e e k l y c l a s s i s 2 h o u r s P r i c e s i n c l u d e a l l m a t e r i a l s

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pARTies 5.

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1. Osage Orange wood veneer Envy Paint and Design 2. Avant Garde Alakazoo 069 3. Avant Garde Ornella 069 4. Avant Garde Deuce 001 5. Joanne Fabrics Pasha 54J5281 6. OC-15 Benjamin Moore Baby Fawn

A v a i l a b l e f o r a l l o c c a s i o n s a n d a l l a g e s , t h e m e s o f p a r t i e s w i l l b e a d d e d e v e r y t e r m . C h e c k o u t t h e o w l w e b s i t e f o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n .

P a r t i e s a r e $ 2 5 0 f o r 1 0 p a r t i c i p a n t s a n d a r e a v a i l a b l e a n y t i m e i n t h e s t u d i o o u t s i d e o f c l a s s t i m e s t c r e a t e @ a r t f u l o w l . c a

hoot hoot, love art.

w w w . a r t f u l o w l . c a 1 6 - 1 7 0 0 C o r y d o n

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Industrial revolution Downsizing from a family home in River Heights, one Winnipeg couple makes a fresh start in an historic Exchange District Condo design by Tamara Eckstein in her former capacity as Interior Designer of Gateway Kitchen and Bath Centre photography Studio 448 Once the centre of the Canadian grain industry, Winnipeg’s Exchange District flourished between 1881-1918. Today, the Exchange District is Winnipeg’s cultural hub. It is truly a unique community, complete with a wide array of retailers, restaurants, nightclubs, art galleries and theatres.

The Exchange District is also home to the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, the Winnipeg Jazz Festival, as well as the Centennial Concert Hall, which is host to the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

For the owners of this condo on Bannatyne, the Exchange District was a no-brainer when they were considering downsizing from their family home in River Heights.

The cultural amenities suited the couple’s lifestyle to a tee, and the actual location also couldn’t have been any better; one half of the couple, a partner at a large accounting firm, was already making the long commute downtown every day, and the other half ran his consulting business from his home-based office.

They didn’t see any problem with relocating downtown, where they spent most of their social time anyways; the move made complete sense for both of them.

Once the final decision had been made by the couple to downsize, they jumped on the opportunity to purchase a condo at 181 Bannatyne. Although they loved the bones of the condo, the existing finishes were not consistent with the couple’s tastes, and represented an opportunity to expand their interior creativity. The couple enlisted the help of Gateway Kitchen and Bath Centre, for which interior designer Tamara Eckstein was designing and project-managing at the time. Tamara and the couple began hammering out a new identity for the condo; one that would be comfortable for the owners’ day-to-day life, yet provide a show-stopping atmosphere perfect for all the entertaining that the couple enjoys.

Tamara’s design vision was to “create a space for the couple that reflected the sophistication and culture of their busy lives.”

The interior design of the condo seamlessly combines sleek modern finishes with the old historic character of the building.

The result: a modern vision, warmed with history.

The most striking materials that compose the condo’s design are natural walnut, stainless steel, glass, and leather. Serious and muted colours were chosen for the space, ranging from grey-blue whites to the stark ebony stain of the 8” plank hardwood floors.

In the living space, the television is hidden within a beautiful piece of stainless and walnut architecture; the middle walnut panel slides open effortlessly for TV viewing, and easily conceals the television when company has arrived.

The height of the ceiling in the condo provided a bit of a challenge, when considering a light fixture over the dining room table; Tamara did not want to see a length of stringy cables running up to the ceiling; she felt that all the excess space above the lights would actually detract from their beauty. The problem was solved by Tamara’s design of a natural walnut bulkhead, matching the dining table below, suspended from the ceiling. Tamara felt that “the bulkhead immediately anchored the dining space, creating a more intimate dining experience; a room within a room.”

The delicate hand-punched Egyptian pendants hang gracefully and with purpose from the bulkhead, casting a warm glow through their patinated shells.

The condo’s second bedroom was converted into a modern den, complete with a workspace for the home office, custom stainless steel and natural walnut bookshelves, and a day bed perfect for an afternoon read or an unexpected overnight guest.

The ensuite, though nestled deep within the confines of the master bedroom, still maintains the sleek modern industrial

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Left top: The kitchen exudes a sleek aesthetic, through the use of stainless and glass cabinet doors, and modern stainless steel appliances.

Left middle: Intricate hand-made Egyptian copper pendants hang over the dining a table from custom walnut bulkhead.

Left bottom: The character of the exposed brick wall creates a dramatic and textural backdrop to the vibrant artwork, and creates a gorgeous contrast to the smooth modern furniture. A neutral paint colour was used on the opposite wall so as not to create a visual conflict between the two.

Since completing the design and renovation of this condo while at Gateway Kitchen and Bath Centre, Tamara has opened her own interior design Company here in Winnipeg, called Eckstein Design Group.

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Tamara’s design vision was to “create a space for the couple that reflected the sophistication and culture of their busy lives.” modern living with a pr airie t wist

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abode Left top: The custom stainless and walnut shelves in the home office offer a stylish alternative for displaying sculpture and books. The reflective glass desktop is light, airy, and incredibly easy to maintain.

Left bottom: Floor-to-ceiling glass completely encloses the steam shower in the ensuite. The charcoal Caesarstone bench within the shower, which affords a relaxing perch while enjoying a steam, runs through the glass wall to create a seat outside of the shower as well.

Below: The continuity of form in the en suite is created through the repetition of rectilinear shapes, from the Reve toilet by Kohler, to the stone wall-hung sink by Blu Bathworks, and the custom Echo Wood veneer makeup vanity and tower designed by Tamara.

feel of the condo’s main living area. The varying degrees of charcoal of the wall and floor tiles contrast expertly with the cool, sleek porcelain and chrome finishes of the plumbing fittings. The tone of the custom makeup vanity and storage tower, at the end of the ensuite, echoes the natural tone of the exposed ceiling beams seen elsewhere in the condo.

The transformative lifestyle created by downsizing was also expressed in the furniture chosen for the new digs. The space is punctuated with iconic furniture chosen by Tamara and the couple, as well as the vast collection of eye-catching artwork the couple has been acquiring for years.

In every way, the condo is a spirited reflection of the couple and their new downtown life.

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1. Wood Floor: Vintage Flooring/ Hand Scraped/ White Oak Baroque 7�

2. Tile: Julian/Basaltina/LGVBSL4 3. Millwork: Natural Walnut 4. Sofa: Jaymar/Dakota-Artic 25 5. Tile: Julian/Silicio Piombo Argento/MWMIXA 6. Benjamin Moore Sweatshirt Gray 2126-40 7. Benjamin Moore Coventry Gray HC-169 8. Benjamin Moore Iceberg 2122-50 9. Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace OC-65

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not the last straw design by TRACY DYCK photography Rachael King Johnson

An energy-efficient, sustainable, beautiful family home made from local Manitoba straw.

Exterior: The corrugated metal above the entry door catches your eye, and makes you look twice at the home...and then you notice how thick the walls are.

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Left: Repurposed from a commercial client of S3 Design, the industrial chairs are perfect in the space.

Right: The double-sided fireplace is visible from every vantage point on the main floor.

Below: Inteior construction view of straw insulation.

The bright lime green of Benjamin Moore’s Jalapeno Pepper and the poppy turquoise rug from Flatlanders Flooring bring life to the high contrast light and dark palette of the home.

A straw building conjures up images of a children’s story.

Three little pigs, houses made from straw, stick, and brick and a big bad wolf. Interior designer Tracy Dyck built her own home of just that variety in La Salle, Manitoba - minus the Grimm fairy tale factor. Tracy and her husband, Kevin, and their two daughters, Camille and Peyton, along with the family dog, Jezebel, built their home out of straw.

Straw-bale construction utilizes bales of straw as structural elements, insulation, or both. It may sound innovative and new, but straw, grass and reeds have been used as building materials for centuries. The renewable nature of straw, its easy availability and its high insulation value made it a perfect choice when Tracy and Kevin began to think about building their home. As the founder of the Winnipeg-based design firm S3 Interior Design Inc., Tracy and her team aim to practice sustainable design as often as possible. While they aren’t extremists, the S3 team has a mission to contribute an eco-sensibility to their work. Tracy says of the mission “You don’t have to go out and build a straw bale house to be environmentally friendly. S3 can help in baby or giant steps to be sustainable.”

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The project began in 2004, with the pour of a concrete foundation. Concrete grade beams were poured, in-filled with straw bales and then covered over with more concrete and made smooth as can be. The result is an incredibly stable foundation. The straw in this home in strictly for insulation rather than having a role in the structural integrity of the home.

The eighteen-inch bales are laid into a post-and-beam frame, and then two inches of concrete-lined plaster are spread over both sides – making for twenty-two-inch thick walls, which contribute to the home’s great energy efficiency. Once complete, in 2005, the overall price tag for the build was comparable to conventional building methods; the labour rang in higher, as it is more intensive overall, but materials tallied less than those of a “regular” new build. The energy efficiency in the long run is where the true savings are realized. The home has radiant floor heat, and no ductwork. Despite no air conditioning, and no heat to the second level, the home stays very comfortable all year long. Its positioning on the lot, which Tracy made a condition of purchase, utilizes the natural exposure to the maximum. Sunlight and cross breezes are what it’s all about. In fact, two years ago in

The kitchen cabinets are comprised of three different materials: espresso-stained maple, natural-stained alder and a white-painted finish.

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Dropping the ceiling height lower than the 9 feet of the rest of the home lends a cosy and intimate feel to the dining area.

Below left: The industrial ceiling was planned, down to the position of every last screw, by Tracy and her contractor. Well worth their efforts, it brings interest and detail to the entire area.

Below Right: Bold art at the front door sets the tone for the colour scheme ahead.

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mid-February, the boiler elements went out; the house went ten full days before finally dropping to sixteen degrees!

The three-bedroom, two-bathroom 2400 square foot home has a definite modern aesthetic, which is slightly unexpected. The concrete floors are stained to black, which is repeated on the ceiling and the espresso maple cabinetry. The dark choices are tempered by lighter paint selections.

Clear Alder cabinetry, and white cabinetry combined with the espresso.

The scheme is punctuated with lime green and deep turquoise. All the mechanical for the home runs through the main-floor ceiling; it is important to have easy access when needed. Tracy was certain about not wanting a drop ceiling with acoustic tile, as is commonly used in basement recreation rooms or offices, throughout the main living areas of her home.

She came up with the design for the industrial-looking ceiling based on something she had seen years before, that remained in her mental design files. The MDF panels were cut to mirror the saw cuts of the concrete floor below, and the placement of each screw was planned perfectly. To break it up, simple slats were used over some areas, and the dining area was outfitted with a lower bulkhead for intimacy and to delineate the space. In a nod to her environmental consciousness, the kitchen table was a purchase from the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store. The solid kitchen chairs were repurposed from a commercial project. The clear kitchen chairs are from extreme ecopowerhouse Ikea. The choices emphasize Tracy’s belief that the little touches will add up to make a big impact.

From the exterior of the home, one is hard pressed to tell that it’s any different from the neighbouring houses; it blends into the homes around it so well. Only upon closer inspection would you know it’s something special. Perhaps that’s why the big, bad wolf hasn’t come ‘round to huff and puff and blow the house down. On second thought, maybe he has been around...and just knows he’s out of business.

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1. Kitchen Craft, Natural Alder Cabinetry 2. Kitchen Craft, Maple Espresso Cabinetry 3. Nevamar Charcoal Essence ES6002T Countertop 4. Benjamin Moore Asphalt CC-548 5. Benjamin Moore Decorator’sWhite CC-20 6. Benjamin Moore Jalepeno Pepper2147-30 7. Benjamin Moore Collingwood OC-28

ENHANCING LIFE AND SPIRIT THROUGH DESIGN

Concept development Space planning Kitchen design Custom furniture Lighting plans and fixtures Colour consultation Materials and finishes selections Trades consultations and coordination

TAMARA ECKSTEIN, B.ENV.D Interior Designer

204.894.5636 | ecksteindesigngroup.com

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In What do you get when you add a designer and her two designer pals to one living room makeover?

Three times the ideas, colour, pattern and texture, for a finished room that’s every bit a triple threat!

With what colour would you use to describe this room? Close your eyes and recall the space...we bet you said blue? However, only a handful of key pieces in the room are actually blue. The jewel-toned painting brings the whole scheme together.

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Design Trifecta design by UrBAN Colour, Tiffany Sheldon Design & Simply Chic interiors photography Rachael King Johnson

Gal pals Anne, Tiffany, and Lisa met in 2003, when they were classmates in Red River College’s Residential Decorating course. They collaborated on a project shortly after graduating, and then went their separate ways, in their own practices. Anne created Urban Colour. Tiffany started Tiffany Sheldon Design. Lisa began Simply Chic Interiors. The girls kept in touch off and on, and years later were brought together again by the Canadian Decorator’s Association.

Each had found that, while growing her business had been a fantastic and successful journey, working on her own could be lonely. They found new energy by bouncing ideas off each other and forcing each other to push the creative envelope. Lisa says they can always count on each other for different elements of a project.

Says Lisa, “Tiffany brings the texture, Anne brings the pattern, and I bring the colour.” On this collaboration, it’s plain that each brought her respective portion in perfect harmony with the others.

Anne was feeling stuck when trying to create a plan for her new living room. It’s a plight that affects many designers; what comes easily when working for a client is often so challenging when it comes to their own spaces. Each of the trio says she would never have come to the final result on her own. In this case, three heads were better than one.

The room feels fresh and happy thanks to its bright and saturated palette. One leaves the space feeling as though Anne has a blue living room, when in fact only a few key elements are blue. To be exact, there are seven items: the rug, the footstool, the pillow, the painting, the

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Layer upon layer of white makes for a bright and sunny kitchen, and lets the few intensely coloured items pop.

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“ Even designers get stuck. I booked an hour of Anne’s time a few years back to help me with my place. It’s great to push ideas around (with colleagues) every once in a while.”

~Tiffany Johnson-Sheldon

throw, the candy dish, and some plates in the antique china cabinet passed down from Anne’s mother. Really, count them.

Everything else is neutral, save for a pink pillow and some yellow accents.

Another trick employed by the team was to employ a fantastic ‘save and splurge’ strategy. Luxurious wallpaper is certainly an easier investment to make, when you’ve picked up a pair of gorgeous Scandinavian chairs for five dollars at the thrift store. Plain drab footstools, picked up for a song, were recovered in a fun cow print and the console table that used to be gold, has new life with a fresh lick of paint and a carrara laminate A black and white striped kitchen carpet adds some design punch to the kitchen area. The likeness of “Eddie” the family dog is a fun and colourful piece of art.

Above from left to right; Lisa Kasdorf, Tiffany Johnson-Sheldon, and Anne Johnson

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top. The painting that takes pride of place over the sofa was a massproduced piece that Anne made her own, with a load of determination and a stick of pink lip liner. In the kitchen, Anne saved by using Ikea cabinetry and splurged on solid surface counter tops and a stunning tile backsplash.

Anne and her husband, Terry, love their home, as does Eddie, the family dog. The open layout of the award-winning design suits them perfectly, and despite shopping around extensively, they choose to remain in their cosy bungalow.

The neighbourhood is charming and quiet, and Anne’s gardens, both front and back, are absolutely beautiful. Now, with a living room and kitchen that have evolved to their current tastes, there is absolutely no reason to look any further. It’s safe to say that at Anne’s place, whether it’s family life or work life, three is not a crowd.

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Clockwise from top left: A pair of stools were given new coats, with some black and white cow print upholstery; the china cabinet, a sentimental reminder of Anne’s mother, is tucked neatly in the corner and houses some great collectibles; Anne couldn’t believe her good luck when she snatched up the pair of wood chairs at a thrift store, for just five dollars; there is no fear of mixing pattern in this room. It’s clear the girls have this tricky design task mastered.

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1. Cabinets: IKEA/Adel/White 2. Chair fabric: Windsor Smith for Kravet /Archipelagos Lime /Pelagos.3 3. Counter: Ceasarstone/Pure White 4. Pillow fabric: Thom Filicia for Kravet/Prospect Adobe/Prospect.512 5. Backsplash Tile: Saltillo Magic Mosaic 6. Wallpaper: Joanne/Fusion/Focus/ Chalk – 190/076 7. Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White CC-20 8. Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron 2146-30 9. Benjamin Moore Split Pea 2124-10 10. Benjamin Moore Fog Mist OC-31

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design by ROCKWELL BASEMENT FINISHING photography Rachael King Johnson

Casual poufs are a great perch for kids to hang out on, or to pull up for some video games.

Scary pop culture posters and a glowing fire set the stage for a Halloween get-together.

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Today’s basements aren’t just about concrete floors, teleposts, and a place to house the furnace. Doubling your usable living space has never been better!

The paint scheme is reflected in beautiful throw pillows – beckoning the family to cosy up for a fall flick or scary screamer. Cold drinks chill at the fully equipped wet bar.

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“ We are very flexible when working with different client needs; some customers want a complete project; others want to do some of the work themselves because they are handy or to keep their costs down ... we can accommodate each unique situation.� ~Michelle Van Den Bussche

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Manitoba is cold. The ground is frozen a good part of the year. When constructing a house in cold climates, the foundation must be below the frost line, to prevent a building from shifting during the freeze-thaw cycle.

Many moons ago, some wise soul concluded that if you must build foundation walls extending that deep, you might as well make a room: thus the basement.

When the Barta family decided to embark on the path to doubling their square footage by finishing their underground space, they called on basement expert Michelle Van Den Bussche. As the owner of Rockwell Basement Finishing, Michelle knows basements; it’s the sole focus of her business. From start to finish, the Rockwell team helped the Bartas realize their subterranean dreams.

Darren and Kim Barta, and kids Drayson, 13, and Kaeden, 9, (and dog Chloe) love their finished underground family retreat.

It’s complete with a home gym, recreation area, wet bar, and a bedroom with ensuite. However, the finished gem in their Linden Woods home is more than meets the eye. It is all dressed up for Halloween, but behind the walls is an intricate system of electronics. Darren, who works for Rogers Wireless, is a real techie, and made the most of the opportunity to have his whole home outfitted (and, importantly, connected) with state-of-the-art technology. In fact, most everything in the home can be controlled wirelessly, through an iPad app! The satellite TV signal can be split to both upstairs and downstairs televisions, and the audio for either can be heard and controlled from anywhere in the house. A complex system, using more than one Pioneer amplifier, Apple TV, and a Western Digital media hub, among other

things, can stream content from a computer (or the Internet) to either television, or both. Infrared remote controls work from anywhere in the house, no matter where they’re pointed. In the basement, the remotecontrolled LED lighting system has two zones, which can be controlled together or independently and can glow in almost any colour (or, our favourite, continually fading from one colour to another). Darren was thrilled to discover Rockwell’s willingness to let him build his system during their process. From framing to finishing, Michelle managed it all for the Bartas, while working in the details of Darren’s system.

Plush wall-to-wall warm carameltoned carpet compliments the tan walls accented with a deep roasted khaki. A stunning fireplace makes for lovely ambience and adds to the ‘snuggle up, hunker down’ cosiness of the basement. The granite on the bar top shares the same autumnal colour palette. The roomy recreation area can accommodate large family gatherings, many neighbourhood kids, and loads of fun. Movie nights are a whole new ball game in the depths of the Barta residence; the picture quality of the television is beyond compare. Michelle and the Rockwell team built in all the wiring so there are no visible cords and designed a niche to house all the components off to the side of the feature wall. The workings of it all are easily accessible from a closet in an adjacent room. Kim told us she’s heard of so many people who have terrible experiences renovating.

This experience was nothing like that. She noted, with a wave of her hand, that Michelle and the gang took care of it all: “It was so easy.”

And that’s as it should be – when you hire a professional.

Top left: Michelle laid the family area of the basement out so that the size doesn’t feel too large for family nights, but can also accommodate larger gatherings.

Left:Spooky treats set the mood while bevvies chill in a hollowed-out pumpkin filled with ice.

Top: Apothecary bar accessories add to the spook factor.

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g e t t h i s lo o k

4.

1. Pillows available at Envy Paint and Design 2. Countertop: Cambria/ Victoria/ 1700 3. Carpet: Mohawk Horizon 4. Paint: Benjamin Moore HC-144 Lenox Tan 5. Benjamin Moore HC-20 Woodstock Tan 6. Benjamin Moore CC-40 Cloud White attached

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2.

3.

LICENSED, QUALIFIED ELECTRICIANS Hiring a qualified, licensed electrician to inspect your home, make repairs, and conduct installations is a smart way to protect your home’s value and safety.

• Electical Wiring • House Rewiring • Troubleshooting • Service Upgrades • Renovations • Outdoor Lighting

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hardwired@live.ca

6.

Call us for your free estimate

204.999.5351 interior or exterior renovations, over and above your expectations

Over & Above Custom Homes can help with your next renovation project.

overandaboveconstruction.com

c h ow

Magic of the

Middle East photography BRIAN JOHNSON

Embark on a culinary adventure; travel by magic carpet across swirling deserts, rugged mountains, too few fertile plains, rivers and seas with your taste buds in tow.

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Menu

Baba Gannoujh Fattoush Ftayir Khoubiz Araby Waraq Inab Laban Qahwi Ma’amoul

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c h ow

Fattoush is a lovely Lebanese

bread salad. It makes a fabulous lunch.

A stack of warm and toasty Arabic bread won’t last long. Rip it, dip it and enjoy. The same dough recipe is used for the delicious meat pies, Ftiyar, which get dipped in homemade yogurt.

Roasted eggplant, Baba Gannoujh, makes a wonderful and nutritious dip for Arabic bread, crackers, and veggies.

The translation of Baba Gannoujh is “spoiled old daddy”.

It is believed this Lebanese salad was so named because its creator mashed the eggplant into pulp, to cater to his elderly and toothless father.

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r ec i p e s

Stuffed

grapevine leaves

Found across many regions, they are part of traditional fare for many nationalities.

The variety in fillings is what makes them unique to a particular area.

Lay your leaf flat, and lay filling close to the bottom; roll the bottom up, and fold each side in; roll closed and place in your pot, seam side down.

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The word "coleslaw" comes from the Dutch word "Koolsla" which means cabbage salad. The team from Covet Magazine is headed to Denmark and Sweden to visit Ikea headquarters... follow us on Twitter @Covet_Magazine for the inside scoop on our trip July 7-16!!

We may not make it to the Netherlands to report on the Koolsla but we will keep you posted on a bunch of other cool stuff!

<<A julienne peeler makes perfect, uniform sticks of carrot, radish and kohlrabi.

A beer for each course... we had loads of fun trying new things.

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Turkish Coffee

Coffee is a symbol of Arabian hospitality. Each household has its rakwi, a long handled brass or tin pot with a spout (stainless steel versions are readily available at many local kitchen supply stores). All guests must be served coffee, whether the visit is a social call or business, and at just the right time. If it is served too soon, a guest may think that their departure is suggested. Should a guest cut a visit short the good host must protest and press the requisite cup of warmth upon him. Refusal of coffee would be taken as a rejection; one should accept even if they would rather not drink. Luckily the coffee is served in tiny china cups, smaller even than demitasse.

Turkish coffee may be specified: mura, which is sugarless; mazboota, which is medium; or hilwe, which is sweet. It may also be flavoured with a cardamon pod while it is boiling, or with a drop of rose water in oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cup. << Flowers by Academy Florist modern living with a pr airie t wist

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pa i r i n g s Date or nut-filled cookies, shaped in a wooden mould called a tabi, are saved for guests. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not sure how the middle eastern family manages that...we couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make them last the afternoon!

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Hadji Bekir’s recipe for Turkish Delight, or Lokum, was a longguarded secret. In modern Istanbul, his descendants still monopolize the trade.

Delicious but less traditional versions can be purchased at your local bulk foods store, while the ethnic foods aisle of your local supermarket may have a more traditional option.

Baba Gannoujh – Eggplant Dip 1 large eggplant 1 clove garlic pressed 1 teaspoon salt ¼ cup lemon juice 3 tablespoons tahini 1 tablespoon water garnish as desired Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cool. Scrape the flesh from the skin and squeeze the juice from the flesh. Puree the pulp in a blender at low speed with the garlic clove and salt. Mix the tahini with the water and add the mixture to the puree. Drizzle some olive oil over top and garnish with parsley, olives, tomatoes, or pomegranate seeds. Serve with pieces of Arabic bread (see following recipe).

Fattoush –Lebanese Bread Salad Arabic bread (see following recipe) 1 clove garlic pressed salt and pepper to taste ½ cup lemon juice

½ cup parsley 3 green onions 5 leaves Romaine lettuce or ¼ head of lettuce 1 cucumber 3 medium tomatoes 1 small hot pepper or red or green bell pepper as desired ½ cup mint ½ cup olive oil Toast bread to a golden brown and break into bite size pieces. In a salad bowl mix garlic with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and blend well. Chop the parsley, green onions and mint. Tear lettuce and chop the cucumber, tomatoes and pepper.

Add all chopped vegetables and toasted bread to the lemon mixture and toss thoroughly. Add olive oil and toss lightly.

Ftayir –Meat Pies Arabic bread dough (see following recipe) 2 pounds ground round and/or lamb 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 cups diced onions salt and pepper to taste ¼ cup oil

Prepare Arabic bread dough recipe.

Heat oil in a skillet and cook onions until transparent. Add meat and cook until beginning to brown. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper and lemon juice. Cool before using. Turn out dough onto a floured board and divide into 24 portions of even size. Flour hands and toss each portion back and forth between hands five or six times to form a ball. Let rest a few minutes.

With thoroughly floured hands pick up a dough portion and place in the palm of your hand. Press out with fingers in a circular motion to create a 4” diameter circle that is ¼” thick. Make sure the centre of the circle is not pressed too thin. Fill the circle generously with the meat mixture and pinch edges together into oval or triangle shapes. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 12 minutes. When you remove from oven, turn each ftayir over immediately, so as to let the juices run through evenly.

Serve with Laban (see following recipe).

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pa i r i n g s Ftayir –Meat Pies Pair with Cycles Gladiator Syrah, USA. The Cycles gladiator is a meaty Shiraz with a full body feel, soft tannins and a lingering peppery finish.

Waraq Inab – Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves) Pair with Easton Zinfandel, Amador County, USA – Sometimes, when pairing wine with food, the golden rule is this: “Eat what you like, drink what you like” Well, you’ll LOVE the Easton Zinfandel.

A medium body wine that smells like it might drink sweet, but is actually quite dry. Mineral and sweet spices shine through the initial fruit flavours.

A subtle hint of vanilla smoke on the finish.

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Baba Gannoujh – Eggplant Dip Pair Serego Alighieri Possessioni Bianco - This dish has a little of everything, so you will want a white wine that does not overpower in any characteristic. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Garganega (The main grape that you find in Soave wines) This wine will provide balance with the dip, and anything you choose to dip in it. Crisp and clean, but soft.

Ma’amoul - Turkish delight Pair with Broadbent Rainwater Medium Dry Madeira, Portugal. Scents of dried dates, figs, and mixed nuts will burst from the glass. While the nose is concentrated, the taste is subtle and soft.

This dessert wine will taste a little sweet on the palate, but finishes with hint of lemon acidity for balance.

Our pairings this month are brought to you by the Wine House in Kenaston Common. www.ticoswinehouse.com

Khoubiz Araby – Arabic Bread 2 packages dry yeast 1 teaspoon salt 6 cups flour 3 cups lukewarm water 3 tablespoon oil Dissolve yeast according to instructions.

In a large bowl sift together flour and salt.

Make a well in centre and add prepared yeast. Slowly add water, mixing evenly until dough is dry and satiny. Place on a floured board and knead, using quarter turns for about 3 minutes. Place or mix with a dough attachment on an electric mixer back into bowl and drizzle with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place for one hour. Punch down, mixing oil in and cover to rise again for another hour or until ready to use. Turn out dough onto a floured board and divide into 24 portions of even size. Flour hands and toss each portion back and forth between hands five or six times to form a ball. Let rest a few minutes. With thoroughly floured hands pick up a dough portion and place in the palm of your hand. Press out with fingers in a circular motion to create a 4” diameter circle that is ¼” thick. Place onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for 8 – 10 minutes. Brush lightly with water upon removing from oven. *For larger pieces of bread cut dough into fewer portions and form into larger rounds or ovals.

Quick Method Waraq Inab – Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves) 50 – 60 grape leaves fresh or canned 1 poundGround lamb and/or beef 1 cup uncooked rice 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon allspice salt and pepper to taste 2 cups beef broth

dull side up on your work surface. Place a generous amount of filling on the leaf and fold bottom up and over the filling, fold edges in, and roll closed. Stack tightly in a pot folded side down, add beef to pot. Place a lid on the pot and simmer until heated through – about 25 minutes. Drain and serve with Laban (see following recipe).

Rinse rice in cold water and drain. Cook per package instructions. Lightly brown meat with spices and salt and pepper. Mix rice into Laban – meat mixture. Blanch fresh leaves for 2 to 3 Lebanese Yog0urt minutes in boiling water, drain, and cool. Skip 1 litre of whole milk blanching if using canned leaves. Place a leaf 2 ablespoon. rawbi (plain commercial

yogourt or a yogourt starter like Yogourmet) If using a commercial starter follow the instructions on the package. If using plain commercial yogourt as your rawbi then place milk in a heavy pan and heat on medium low until it just comes to a boil.

Remove from heat and pour into a glass bowl. Cool to 115 degrees or until you can immerse your little finger for ten seconds.

Stir starter until smooth. Remove skin from milk. Add a tablespoon of the warm milk to the starter and blend well.

(continued on page 86)

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prairie pa l e t t e

Untitled from Series Pen on Paper | smaller than 9"x12" wehaveawebsite.com

Manitoba has a plethora of both emerging and established artists.

In each issue, Prairie Palette will introduce you to some of the talented locals who share Manitoba with us, and demystify some of the intricacies of art and the art scene in Manitoba. This issue we are excited to introduce Ravi Shukla to you.

Winnipeg Artist Ravi Shukla has also used the names Bill Clarke and Bill Beso to sign his drawings, combining the names of his late Grandfather and the Spanish translation of “kiss.” He graduated from the School of Art with a photography degree in 1999, and then travelled extensively for ten years, capturing images and collaborating with creative minds. He disassociated his art from photography around 2006, to concentrate more on drawing. He has

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exhibited nationally and internationally and continues to draw every day. His work has been collected and featured in a variety of media, from magazines to music album covers.

Like many of us, Ravi has always been shy and awkward when expressing emotions. Unlike most of us, however, he has managed to channel his deeper emotions into his work. He hopes to illuminate emotions that “can’t be touched upon when someone asks such

a thing like, ‘how you doing’ or ‘what’s going on?’” Ravi’s childlike drawings can have a darker underpinning, which makes them fascinating. In his words, they are "abstract at first glance but open up to familiar characters and faces when looking more closely; they convey a painful humour within the lines. When I put pen to paper there is a confidence that comes out and I feel safe to make mistakes and explore what is rendered from my consciousness.”

living well

CHANGING SEASONS text by SUSAN KUZ After a refreshing walk outdoors, or an afternoon of raking the leaves and cleaning up the garden, you’ll find yourself coming indoors to warm up and feel cosy. As the temperature drops outside, it’s a great time to turn up the heat inside with fresh colour choices for your fall decor.

An easy way to create the feeling of cosy spaces is by using the warm side of the colour wheel: think red-oranges, golden yellows, and warm browns. Colours on this side of the wheel can even fool the mind and body, making your room feel up to 3 or 4o C warmer – a sure way to instantly turn up the heat in your home.

Reds: Hot and fiery reds will warm up and enliven your space. As with other fall colours, choose muted shades that resemble the look of the season. Reds are a high energy colour so they are great for active spaces such as a family room or games room.

They are also excellent for eating areas such as a dining room or kitchen as they tend to stimulate the appetite – perfect for those wonderful fall suppers or Thanksgiving celebrations with family and friends.

Oranges: Natural-looking when closer to the colour of autumn foliage and sunsets, orange is a colour that is associated with happiness. As with red, orange is great for dining spaces, and will add a level of energy to an active space. To soften the energy of orange, tone it down by moving into deeper shades toward brown.

Browns: Closely related to oranges, we associate browns with motherearth, comfort and security - a perfect colour to pair with the brighter hues of the season. Brown is a soothing hue, making us feel contented and reassured. Food-wise, it brings to mind hot coffee and chocolate – two of my favourite fall indulgences.

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Yellows: The positive associations of yellow help to liven up the darker hues of the season with a touch of activity, cheerfulness, and hope. Stay closer to the softer, or more muted yellows, as stronger ones can be too glaring. Also, be careful when combining yellows or golds with blacks, as these combinations can make you feel more alarmed than comforted.

GreenS: Relax indoors with a peaceful green. With all these lovely warm colours, green gives the eye a rest and provides variety in your visual environment. Green is associated with tranquillity, nature, quiet, and the expectation of harvest. It’s a great colour to add to areas of your home where you want to curl up with a good book or listen to some relaxing music.

Greys: With greys being more popular lately, there are some wonderful options to choose from. They serve as a great backdrop to the other more vibrant colours, and look good in almost any space.

To keep them on the warmer side, choose versions with a mix of grey-brown or grey-green.

The colours you choose for your décor impact your wellbeing on every level, and make a difference to how you feel.

Whichever colours you choose to bring the season into your home, remember to enjoy the process, and to have fun. And when you’re finished rejuvenating your favourite spaces, be sure to invite a few friends over to help you celebrate.

Susan Kuz, a specialist in colour and healthy living spaces, is an associate member of the International Association of Color Consultants/Designers – North America (IACC-NA). She can be contacted at www.SpacialExpressions.com

ask a designer:

Fall has us thinking about indoor spaces and cooler weather, when creating warm, cosy spaces. What are your favourite colour combinations to celebrate this time of year? benjamin mooredollops;

benjamin mooredollops;

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top to bottom

HC-168 Chelsea Gray 2140-50 Grey Horse 0C-48 Hazy Skies CC-690 Piedmont Grey 2137-50Sea Haze

OC-48 Hazy Skies 2147-30 Jalapeno Pepper CC-754 Polar Jade CSP-900 Jungle Canopy CSP-1080 Mexican Hot Chocolate

p lu s h h o m e + d e s i g n

everitt design

Our philosophy at Plush, when wanting to transform a space to reflect the cooler season, is to add, not change. We like to work with the existing palette and create warmth through the use of textiles: wool melton toss cushions, cable knit throws, velvet panel on the windows. Bring autumn to a room with patterns like tartan, houndstooth or herringbone. Wood accessories + a high pile area rug are a simple + exciting way to add cozy to any room. www.plushhomeanddesign.com

Our ideal fall colour palette, tweaked from nature and the gorgeous scenes just outside our window, combines a flexible warm neutral with striking accent colours to create interior spaces that are warm, inviting and comfortable to live in. In a climate that can be cold and white for a large part of the year, we must bring warmth into our interior spaces, using warm colours and rich textures, even if it is only on accent walls or furniture pieces. www.everittdesign.com

benjamin mooredollops;

benjamin mooredollops;

top to bottom

top to bottom

CC-96 Flower Pot 2167-030 Harvest Moon CSP-820 Plantation CSP-190 Rocky Beach 2110-30 Saddle Soap

HC-154 Hale Navy HC-160 Knoxville Gray 2083-20 Cranberry Cocktail CC-390 Rusty Nail 2154-20 Spicy Mustard

s pac i a l e x p r e ss i o n s Colour is a quick and inexpensive way to transform your spaces. I love using neutral colours for larger or more permanent items, and keeping the look fresh and interesting with punches of colours in accessories appropriate for the season. Colours I’ve been using for impact are reds and oranges, balanced with a bit of green. www.spacialexpressions.com

e n v y pa i n t a n d d e s i g n For Autumn I gravitate toward deeper, saturated colours. This year I’m especially loving the resurgence of jewel tones. I have selected some that have a very muted quality that will make them easy to incorporate into many homes in a variety of ways. Try adding a coloured chalkboard wall or panel in your home for a fun fall addition. www.benjaminmoore-mb.ca

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living well

Wallpaper-a-gogo!

These wallpapers are perfect for decorating a space that is not your own. If you're an apartment dweller and want to add some pizazz to your boring walls, this is the perfect product for you. These fantastic papers are temporary and affordable. They come in over thirty different styles with several colour options, and you can even have your own custom creation whipped up. Self-adhesive, "peel-and-stick" temporary wallpaper eliminates the need for paste or water; simply remove its backing and adhere to a primed and painted surface.

Removal is as easy: just peel it off. It is fun and high-impact decorating for those who don't want to make a long-term commitment to a permanent design, or for renters who can't!

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living well

Two-by-Four Life text DEZ DANIELS

Listen…do you hear that? It’s the sound of thousands of Manitobans shaking their heads in unison, muttering in disbelief: “How could summer be over already?”

For our family, the fun that summer usually brings has been tempered by the complications of contracting our new home build. The intense business of deciding, digging and designing has occasionally created a breakdown in the time-space continuum.

Which is to say: sometimes, it feels like the process is taking forever.

But summer IS finished. And as our family, and yours, prepares for the frantic pace of back to school, it’s a great time to reflect on what’s been accomplished (and more importantly, what’s been learned): Good tradespeople beget good tradespeople: If the design details are the most complicated part of building a new house (which for us, they have been), the most important part of a home build is anything involving trades. However, many people don’t spend as much time obsessing thinking about this because…it’s kind of boring. Who wants to think about ductwork when you could be picking out countertops? But plumbers, roofers, and electricians are going to make your house dry, safe and solid. And in our experience, the only time we haven’t been disappointed is when we got a recommendation from a tradesperson we already trusted. For example, we know a conscientious mechanic, who found us our basement guy, and our framers. We were blown away by their professionalism and the finished job. Conversely, a manufacturer recommended our roofer, and so far, it’s been a bit of a queasy nightmare.

From 2D to 3D – I have finally chosen cabinetry for the kitchen. Not since being pregnant with my two children have I been so excited for the arrival of something. So, when I found out recently that our designer hadn’t even ordered the cabinets yet, I was, ahem… disappointed. But she insisted on having a look at the wiring and plumbing before making that call. At the job site, we noticed the master bath sink was plumbed into a

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corner and that the kitchen plumbing didn’t totally jive with our cabinet plans. Both are fairly fixable problems…before the cabinets are ordered. Taking a project from the 2D to 3D stage usually comes with changes. To prevent what’s left of your hair from falling out, it’s important to understand the ramifications of those changes…and try to keep them as minimal as possible.

It goes along with the “measure twice, cut once” mentality.

Ask for help – After having renovated a number of houses top to bottom, I thought I had learned enough about what I like to go this one alone. But sometimes, when you’re standing with the electrician, drenched with sweat and about to make that final call about where to put the pot lights, the advice of a professional can save you from yourself. In our case, Jen from Wabi Sabi Design has caught a million little problems, given tons of practical advice and brings a general sense of calm to the proceedings.

Remember Why You’re Doing This – Home building and renovating have launched a million jokes about how it can drive a stake right through the heart of a relationship. You’re making lots of decisions, and often (at least in my relationship) there are totally opposite opinions about what the right answer is. Even with a timeline staring you in the face, sometimes the only right answer is to get a babysitter, buy tickets to the worst movie of the summer (may I suggest “Total Recall”) and share the biggest bag of popcorn you can find. Don’t skimp on the butter. Hold hands, if you dare.

All in all, it’s been a pretty great summer. At the end of June, there was a just big hole in our backyard. Two months later, the walls are up. Much of the plumbing and electrical has been done. Tons of decisions have been made. And since time is marching on, I have my revised Christmas wish ready to go: drywall up, paint on, and flooring in. I’ve (painfully) accepted that we likely won’t be celebrating the holidays in the new house this year. And that’s ok. Sometimes, you’ve got to trade the star on the top of the tree for the light at the end of the tunnel.

Here’s to a great autumn!

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Out with the Petunias, In with the Pumpkins text SAMANTHA BRAUN No seriously, it’s that time of year already. Just when you thought summer would never end, you are slapped in the face with skulls and synthetic spider webs. Ugh. Don’t get me wrong, I love dolling up the house for Halloween, but the transition can be a bit harsh! Here are some ideas to keep the garden going (and beautiful) for a little bit longer – with or without the skulls and spider webs.

Switch up your planters and embrace the glory of fall. Garden mums are easy to find, and if you go big, can be directly ‘switched out’ for one, two, or all of your containers – they’ll be stunning from now ‘till turkey time, right through to hard frost. You can’t get easier than that!

I also love to do a little bit of ‘smoke and mirrors’ fun with plants like

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ornamental kale, annual sunflowers, hot peppers, and my inevitable overabundance of veggie patch gourds.

Just replace any truly tired annuals with more fall-inspired varieties to give planters and beds one last bit of ‘wow’ before the snow flies.

Now if you really need to re-direct some negative attention (or just create a showstopping fall display), you can go all-out by adding some strategically-placed bales to the mix – and feel ‘one with the harvest’ every time you pull up the drive.

The post-summer “F” word…

Yes, fall… Fall may be the beginning of the end for many fellow gardeners out there, but it’s not time to throw in the trowel yet. On the bright side, the bugs are not

as “buggy,” and you can drop back down to a SPF in the double digits when you go outside… maybe even don that chunky new sweater you just bought, and grab your favourite travel mug to get into the spirit of the “F” season. There are lots of great projects you can (or should) tackle in the fall to make your gardening life easier next year—and make the best of it before the “S” word shows up!

• Sort out your garden design. Early fall is actually a great time to add to, move, and divide your perennials. Ideally you want to work about 4-6 weeks before a hard frost, but mulching and leaf cover can buy you a little more warm-soil time too (or you can always throw those bales on top!). Not only are some nurseries clearing stock they

Left: before being dressed up for fall; this photo: after being dressed up!

don’t want to winter, but the selection of late-season show-offs, like grasses, coneflowers, goldenrods, and asters, is in full swing. Many gardeners are only tempted to buy a variety when it’s blooming, and end up with a springsummer dominated garden – especially those who have a habit of shopping heavy by the May-long weekend.

Revamping now can really round out the garden for longer display; it’s also easier to fill in trouble spots as you see them now, rather than rely on memory in the spring. Fall is a great time to split and move some of your existing perennials, especially those that bloom or have showy foliage in spring and early summer; splitting now means no sad, lop-sided, chopped-by-a-shovellooking plants next year! Trees also plant well this time of year – they’re going dormant, and suffer less heat and drought stress when they are planted in early fall. They, too, are probably on sale; garden centres have better things to do than dig in and ‘winter’ trees… and who doesn’t love a good fall clearance sale?

• Get rid of the dead, dying, and diseased. We’ve had a couple of rough, dry, summers that have taken their toll on the garden. Much like us, plants are more susceptible to disease and bugs when they’re under stress, and water stress has been huge (seen any blueberries at the cabin lately?). I normally suggest leaving your lovely dried stems standing (for beauty, seed and habitat value), but if you have diseased plants (not just “going dormant” plants) then show no mercy! Cut down stems with mildew or blackspot and toss them straight into a garbage bag, so you don’t compost and re-infect anything… add any seed heads from plants you don’t want to proliferate – some varieties may produce more “babies” than you want to deal with. Prune any broken or diseased woody plants (shrubs and trees), and remember to dip your shears in a 10% bleach solution so you don’t contaminate with successive cuts. My not-very-technical rule of thumb for general fall cleanup

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text SAMANTHA BRAUN

depends on whether it’s going to be slimy or not. If it’s going to be slimy (which in a garden – or most places – is not a good thing), then get it in the compost in the fall. Most annuals and veggies fall into the “slimy” category.

If it’s just going to dry, and went dormant happily, then it can hang out until spring and give the ladybugs somewhere to hide.

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• Lawn love (revisited). If you didn’t get your lawn lovely this spring, you can have another shot at it. Cool temperatures are far more forgiving for laying new sod than those of summer (especially with the very little rain we’ve had), and again, fall sod is settling into a dormant state, so you’re working with mother nature this time of year… you’ll still need to

water it in, but it will at least stand a fighting chance. Over-seeding in late fall is also taking advantage of the natural grass cycle; it puts the seed in place for germination after the thaw and times new growth with spring rain. Keeping your lawn a nice moderate length in the fall (one or two spots shy of the longest setting on the mower) will give it protection

boundaries. re-defined.

MPD glass & Vinyl Graphics allows you to design, visualize and create the perfect custom glass element for your home.

Decorative Films | Mirrors | Dividers Sandblasting | Railings | Showers

visit www.mpdglass.com for more info 204.237.7011 | 853 Marion Street

in the absence of snow cover. You will also need to keep the leaves off the grass – blow them onto your flowerbeds instead.

• Tuck away the tropics. If you’d like to stretch your budget (or just want really huge plants next year), it’s time to go digging up your tubers, corms, rhizomes and bulbs! For your usual suspects, (glads, cannas, callas,

dahlias etc.) wait for a light frost to top-kill the plant, then dig them out.

Cut off the slimy (or just floppy!) top growth, gently wash or remove the dirt from the root, and let them cure in a dry, frost free spot for a day or so.

Pack the cured stock in peat moss, or vermiculite (layers work well), and store in a cool (40 to 50°C), dark place until spring. If you are one of the lucky

few with a bona fide root cellar, you hit the tuber-storing jackpot, so stick them in next to your other “roots” for winter.

For the rest of us, find the coolest corner of your basement and cross your fingers that it’ll be cool enough.

Check on your roots periodically through the winter, to make sure they’re not drying out or rotting, and remove any troublemakers.

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dig

SPRING AHEAD Enough doom and gloom about the impending snow… let’s just skip it for now, and think about spring instead!

You’ve probably gone for a walk in May, and marvelled at a neighbour’s display of daffodils, only to find out that they can’t be planted in the spring. They are indeed planted the fall before, and planning that far ahead can be so daunting! So take a deep breath and remind yourself that yes, you are actually justified to do some spring planning right now. You

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can choose from a myriad of bulbs at the grocery store, or in the entrance of your favourite box store – most will serve nicely for buying huge quantities at a low cost – to naturalize through your gardens.

Not all of the varieties you’ll see are cut out for our climate though; no shock there, for most local gardeners! Some packaging will specify the appropriate zone, others you can “Google” on the spot and do a quick bit of checking: zone 3 will do the trick, for the most part. If

the package doesn’t specify the zone, a temperature rating of about -35 C should be ok too – as long as they’re under a bit of insulating snow cover, or a decent layer of mulch, for the coldest stretches of winter. Basic big ‘ol daffodils, tulips and muscari (the cute and teeny little bluebell things), are easy-to-grow, typically hardy bets for adding some springtime ‘cheery’ to the garden.

If you want some serious, ‘where on earth did you get those’-type spring

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120 McPhillips Street | Winnipeg, MB Canada (204) 779-2900 | wickerworld.ca bulbs, head to the local nursery. Nursery staff are typically very knowledgeable about what will survive, and how to tweak your site a bit to make it work. My favourites of the ‘what the heck is that thing?’ category are the various alliums basically giant ornamental onions. We’ve all seen how pretty a clump of chives is when you let them bloom... now imagine how awesome a cluster of sputnik-sized allium “gigantium” (with a 6” bloom on a 4ft stem) would be, mysteriously poking out above your perennial bed in late spring!

Now before you run out and turn the three-foot strip along your walkway into a scene from the Sound of Music,

I have something for you to consider; it’s more of a suggestion, really. Spring bulbs are absolutely lovely in the spring, but not so lovely after they’ve finished blooming. So, unless you have an army of gardeners to dig them up, replant them in a field somewhere, and put in the next wave of plants, you’re going to need another strategy for avoiding that ‘peaked in the spring’ saggy brown tulip border. The solution is a two-part combination of timing and placement: 1) Plant your spring bulbs mid-border, rather than along the front edge, where you’re stuck looking at their sad remains, and 2) pair your bulb plantings under or near some later arrivals. Try

some big space-hogging hostas if you lean toward the shadier side of things, or simply over-plant with easy-pairing plants like catmint (Nepetia ‘walker’s low’), or yellow coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’) if you’ve got sun to spare. Just remember to let the leaves of your tulips (and other spring friends) die down, and add stores back to the bulbs for next year’s “Sound of Music”inspired display.

Samantha Braun is a landscape ecologist and designer with over 15 years experience in the horticultural industry. Her company, Ecotones, specializes in creating Habitat in Harmony with Design.

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w h e r e to f i n d If you liked what you saw, check out our digital version at www.covetmagazine.ca for links to the product and talent featured in this issue. In addition, we are happy to help you source one of your “gotta haves” from within our pages. Simply visit us on Facebook at Covet Mag where you can post your query, and one of our team will reach out with the information... while you’re there, be sure to “like” us too!

Designers in this issue: From my Home to Yours Envy Paint and Design Ltd. Designer: Bahia Taylor 204.487.3666 130-1600 Kenaston Boulevard Winnipeg, MB R3P 0Y4 www.benjaminmoore-mb.ca Industrial Revolution Eckstein Design Group Designer: Tamara Eckstein 204.894.5636 www.ecksteindesigngroup.com Not the Last Straw S3 Interior Design Inc. Designer Tracy Dyck 204 415.7600 208-900 St. James Street Winnipeg, MB R3G 3J7 www.s3interiordesign.com Design Trifecta Urban Colour Anne Johnson 477-6970 urbancolour@shaw.ca Tiffany Sheldon Design Tiffany Sheldon 997-2637 tiffsheldon@shaw.ca Simply Chic Interiors Lisa Kasdorf 793-9641 lisa@simplychicinteriors.ca The Amazing Underground Rockwell Basement Finishing Designer: Michelle Van Den Bussche 204.899.9002 68 Blvd des Hivernants Winnipeg, MB R3X 0C5 www.rockwellbasementfinishing.com

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(from page 71) Add the starter mixture to the warm milk and stir. Cover bowl with a plate. Place a heavy towel or two around bowl to keep warmth in and let stand in a warm place for 6 – 8 hours; do not disturb during this time. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before using. Always save 2 tablespoons of the fresh yogourt, before using, and place in a covered jar as a rawbi for the next recipe. If your yogourt does not congeal, warm the covered bowl over hot water (not boiling) for 45-60 minutes.

Qahwi -Turkish Coffee 6 tablespoons finely ground coffee 2 tablespoons sugar (optional) 1 ½ cups sugar Pour 1 ½ cups of water in a saucepan or Turkish coffee pot. Stir in sugar, if desired, and heat until it is completely dissolved.

Stir in the coffee and bring to a full rolling boil. Remove from heat and quickly immerse a spoon at the same time to stop the foaming. Return to heat until water comes to a boil again and a lot of foam has formed, then remove as before. Repeat process to boil coffee for a third time. Pour into demitasse cups and serve while still frothy. Do not stir.

Ma’amoul – Syrian Nut-Filled Cookie 2 cups drawn butter, congealed ½ cup sugar 6 cups flour 1 cup lukewarm milk 3 cups ground walnuts (almonds or pistachios) 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon rose water 1 teaspoon orange blossom **substitute ½ teaspoon cinnamon for the rose and orange blossom water if desired Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour, working with hands or mixer until dough is well blended. Combine nuts, sugar and flavours. Gradually add milk, kneading to a soft dough.

Take a walnut size chunk of dough into palm of your hand and, using forefinger, press and expand a filling hole in the center.

Rotate and press dough against palm of hand until shell is ¼” thick. Place a teaspoon of filling into shell. Carefully close, forming a sphere. If using a tabi, press sphere into mold and gently tap mold to remove cookie. If you do not have a tabi place on cookie sheet and press lightly with palm to flatten. You can make patterns with fork tines if you wish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes. Sift powdered sugar over cookies while still warm.

hot blogs text by COURTNEY DHALIWAL My husband, our canine child Lumi, and I recently moved back to Winnipeg, after a stint in Boston. We came home with only two tables and a bed in tow, so we have a great opportunity to start fresh! Given the fact that neither of us are professional designers, we rely heavily on my daily blog ritual for inspiration and guidance.

A Cup of Jo http://joannagoddard.blogspot.ca/ Joanna Goddard is one of those gals you just want to hang with. I suppose you could file this one under lifestyle blogs, but unlike many others, it has a great depth to it and does each aspect due justice. Whether she’s writing about being a Mom, a wife, a writer or a friend, Joanna just hits it dead-on every time. The site is filled with fabulous design inspiration, fashion, food, more food, drinks, more drinks, travel and humour. I love that she is careful to showcase products that are easily found, and translate well into real life.

Design Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/ Grace Bonney is the proprietress of this one and has found a unique way of bringing formal design concepts to those of us who don’t have a clue. The New York Times declared Design Sponge a “Martha Stewart Living for the Millenials”. I love this blog’s DIY features, which are always impressive and typically very feasible. Another fun favorite is the “Living In” series, which takes you into a classic movie and shows you ways to recreate the feeling of the film through design; in case you desperately wanted to be a Royal Tenenbaum, but never quite knew how to pull it off.

Miss Moss http://www.missmoss.co.za/ Diana Moss is a designer from Cape Town, South Africa. From the moment I read her site’s tag line, Compendium of Radness, I was hooked. Her taste is whimsical, en vogue and never pretentious. She’s the 30-something’s answer to the hipster. The blog has far less text than some and is filled with eye candy and muse. Diana Moss is also a great Instagram follow!

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design dilemma Hi Covet Magazine!

I have a design dilemma in our master bedroom. Our room is large but quite long and narrow. There are two electrical outlets on the wall, one specifically is used to plug in the lamp that turns on the light from the main light switch (no overhead light). There is also a cable junction box in the middle of the wall (the past owners mounted a TV on the wall). I am not sure how to style the wall due to its length and have functionality as well (needing the light source). I have attached 2 photos of the wall in our bedroom.

We have been thinking of repainting and re-designing the bedroom as it is quite "blah" right now. This wall seems to be a stumbling block for us to move forward in the design process. If you require other photos of the space or have other questions please let me know! ~Thank you!

Jeannie

Paper: Joanne/Just Stripes/5060/72W6201 Paint: Benjamin Moore/ Spanish Olive CC-606 Bedding: Gluckstein Home/ Isabella duvet cover and coordinates Lamps: Uttermost/ Molvena and Romano Decal: Roommates/ Silver Dollar Branch Window Treatments: Hunter Douglas/ Silhouette Art: Uttermost/ Sterling Trio Photo Frames: Umbra Vases: Torre & Tagus and Global Views

t h e s o lu t i o n Dear Jeannie, Indeed, a long wall can be awkward if there is nothing of interest on it. We suggest you add staggered shelving, in the same type of wood as the rest of the furniture. The shelves will add interest, and also eat up the empty space on the wall. Use varying lengths of shelving, and stagger them with the existing console table to make the entire installation ‘read’ as one unit.

Dress the shelves with whatever you like: photo frames, accessories, and art. The placement of a decal on the wall takes the notion one step further, and helps to break up the vast expanse.

Change your lighting to something with more personality and colour. Boost the warmth in the room with a soft and

muted green like Benjamin Moore’s Spanish Olive CC-606, and add modern, striped wallpaper on the headboard wall like Joanne Fabrics. The paper will bring in colour and anchor the presence of the bed, now that the opposite wall has more visual ‘weight’ to it. The leafy design on the bedspread is a nod to the design of the decal on the long wall, as is the new artwork selected for behind the bed. Even though it appears you have no need for window treatments, add blinds that will still allow the light to filter in to the two small windows flanking the bed; they will make the room feel finished. Once you have tackled all of this, you might consider the purchase of a few larger pieces, like a chair for the right of the bed, or an upholstered bench or two small stools for the left of the console table.

Design by Bahia Taylor and Kassia Woloshyn of Envy Paint and Design Ltd.

Do you have a design dilemma? Send us your questions and some photographs to info@covetmagazine.ca for your opportunity to receive free design advice from the talented design team at Covet!

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