I think i've finally discovered my own personal style.

I have this old crusty Pier 1 lamp that I bought about 4 year's ago. It's rod-iron, with a red-shade, not to mention about an inch of dust on it. It's quite hideous bought out of desperation trying to style a house for sale. I have finally found some new lamps to replace the allergy ridden red one, and along with it, I think I've finally found what my own personal style is along the way.

When I was looking for pieces this weekend, the majority of the lamps that I was drawn to were fairly modern, either glass or chrome, and quite modern. Sure, I liked them, but not enough to buy them for myself. They were just too.......formal. Yes, that's it. Formal. They would have been perfect for a modern bachelor pad, or a hotel room, but for those of you that know me, I'm not formal at all. I'm very casual, laid back, and want my place to feel the same. The colours I am drawn too are all natural tones from nature such as stone and wood, textures, rather than pattern's. Yes, I live in a modern condo, but all my "things" have a very natural tone to them. Maybe it's the Virgo coming out in me? After all, it is an earth sign.

I continued looking, and by the fourth store I walked in to, I knew I was looking for something ceramic, simple, not to big, but not too small, different, but not tacky that will become outdated in a year. I hit the jackpot at the old B.B. Bargoon's, now inVu Drapery on Dundas Street in Mississauga. I hadn't visited the store in about a year, but I was in the area, and thought, what the heck, let's give it a shot. I had spent many hour's at BB's during my 2 year's in design school going over every single fabric looking for sample's, and I had grown into a huge fan of the store's concept. However since it had changed over to inVu, I was under the impression that it was strictly for drapery supplies, and custom pieces. Well, I was totally wrong. What a HUGE improvement. Yes, their fabric selection has been scaled down to mainly include drapery fabrics, and they still offer custom drapery services as the centre of the store, however they still have a section for custom furniture and accessories which is where I found my new favorite lamps. They are perfect!!! Earthy, simple, textured, the right size, I could go on for hour's really. The price was right as well, only $79.99 each, a total steal considering at the place next door, there were similar lamps for triple that price. No thanks!!! I had a spending limit and I stuck to it. You must ensure you do this too, or else you'll walk away hating yourself for spending $300 on something you aren't absolutely in love with. Just make sure your budget is reasonable. My budget was $100 per lamp, as I knew that anything under that would just get me a plastic Tiffany knock-off from Walmart. :-)

I've also shown below my other finds for the day, a beautiful wooden carving of a couple in love (i'm still honeymooning, what can I say!!), and a new area rug for our living room.

I must chat about the area rug; my husband and I have a bad habit of eating on the couch in front of the TV...forever spilling stuff on the carpet below, thus balsamic vinegar stains are something we are all to familiar with. Solution? An OUTDOOR carpet. Yes, I know, it's pure genius. The carpet we chose is actually a vinyl fibre that looks like sisal, and it has a rubber backing as well. Cleanup is super easy as you can just wipe it clean with a damp cloth. NO stains. Genius, pure genius. And you would never know it was vinyl by sight or touch. Only $100 at Homesense (various sizes are available right now).








(photos, Trina Brandon, decoraddict)