Happy Friday!

As Valentine approaches we look to brighten up your world with bright bold injections of colour.  Soft hues of pink, hot pink, bold reds and stunning fuschias are where we are headed the next couple of days.  

Ideas for bedrooms, living areas, offices, bathrooms and more.  Let this fabulous colour inspire you to make some soft changes in your home!

Enjoy and have a fabulous weekend. 

 

Recipe of the Week!  We thought we should start getting you in the mood for creating a spectacular Valentine dinner.  This year we have decided to focus our menu on a brunch where friends, family and children are the central focus. Create a fabulous not so fussy table setting.  Set out white plates, and add hints of soft and bright pinks to add life to your Sunday brunch.  We have included a fabulous play list and some great cd recommendations for the event!  

I frequently cook from the recipes provided from one of my favourite food blogs called Sunday Suppers.  I came across this decadent chocolate lovers cake that had me at Lavender! Two of my favourite ingredients together in one beautiful easy to make pie. I couldn't resist sharing it with all of you.  Please be sure to visit the blog for more inspiring recipes.

xoxo

daniela & paulina

p.s. the greatest part about this lovely pie are the adorable french pie boxes used as take home gifts for guests!  As a girl who loves the idea of a take home gift, I fell in love with how simple and elegant this can be.

all images and recipes courtesy of Sunday Suppers.

The colour Grey! A lesson.

An Ode to Grey

Grey is a cool colour, a warm colour, an inspiring colour.

There when we need texture, depth and character

It has vitality, energy and strength.

With grey there is expression, beauty, emotion

Found in concrete, urbanity and structure.

Grey challenges, works and strives

To create, harness and enhance.

A colour that shines and helps others to shine

Grey is unfailingly versatile, forever contemporary, always classic.

Source: Walnut Grey Design

I came upon this wonderful blog post about grey and decided I should share some of her tips here with you. Please visit this wonderful blog for more information and styling tips on how to use grey.

10 Rooms: the difference between gray, grey, warm grey, beige, greige, and taupe

Let's look at some of the colour combinations grey can invite into your space and how if used correctly and with some softer tones it can truly add life to your decor.

See here a table that shows different shades of grey. If you scroll further down you will see how the different shades combine with some stronger colours adding depth and beauty into your home.

All images courtesy of 10rooms.blogspot.com

To understand grey is understand that it is a mixture of black and white, meaning that black, white and grey are the only true neutrals.

By adding different pigments to the combination of black and white then actual colours begin to form. Adding stronger pigmentation will slightly alter the shade of that new colour.

This beautiful colour wheel allows you to visually see how grey can be combined and in what shades to combine them in. My personal favourites are combing grey with yellow or pink. I often use these two colours in my table decor. I find it adds adds sophistication and casual elegance. (More on that later)

The following images were chosen to show how to work these combinations into your actual living spaces. bedrooms, bathrooms, foyers, offices, children's rooms the possibilities and options are endless. We hope you have enjoyed this very special series on one of our favourite colours. there is still more to come so please stick around for more!

xoxo daniela & paulina

PFR Act of Kindness...

I'm not really sure what to call it, right place at the right time, luck, good timing...but whatever it was it was great!

As you all know I am a table setting addict. Anything and everything from placemats, napkin holders, stemware etc. I had recently given up decorating with flowers, even though it killed me, to test myself and see if I could come up with more creative ways of setting a table with longer lasting accessories that you didn't have to pay a fortune for, only to see them die in the next two days!

Today, that idea of no longer buying flowers might have changed!

I am having 7 friends over for dinner tonight for our monthly cooking group and I needed some missing ingredients at the local food/flower market.

As I pulled up in my car I noticed the nice owner emptying her store of old flowers. Now what you must know is that one's man old is another man's treasure! These flowers were almost perfect, huge 10$ packages of the finest and best. The occasional stem may have been wilted, or there may have been a broken stem somewhere amongst the 6-10 flower bouquets she was throwing out!

I spoke to the owner and asked why she was throwing away the flowers. She continued to tell me that her clients don't buy anything that is less than perfect! I understood her choice however I couldn't get passed the waste.

I told her that I would like to start making flower arrangements for those who could really use it. Children's hospitals, old people's homes, etc.

She agreed to let me take the flowers and she gave me her contact information so that I could collect the old flowers on a weekly basis.

If for nothing else it may brighten up someone else's day!

I ended up with an entire place setting plus a bouquet I put together for the Children's Hospital.

The arrangement is not perfect, but I figured it would certainly make some children's day at the Toronto Sick Kids Hospital. I will use the arrangement tonight and tomorrow my two daughters and I will be heading down to Sick Kids to deliver the flowers!

All of this to say that it reminded me how much I love to use flowers to decorate. I won't always be so lucky as to end up with this kind of arrangement, but seeing my table with the perfect hint of soft color I needed makes table decorating all the more fun!!

Love Daniela!

Here are some pictures of how the table ended up...

PFR Design Antique Butterfly Napkin Holder

PFR Design linen Napkin in stone gray.

PFR Design Coral Dishware

PFR Design Stemware

PFR Design Place mats in white and gray

To shop this table please visit www.pfrdesign.com or email

daniela@pfrdesign.com-Toronto

paulina@pfrdesign.com-Montreal

Have a great day.

bisous.