BLOOM BOX: Heard of it?   . . . You Will

Not that this has anything to do with interior decorating, but it has more to do with sustainable living which may indirectly down the road(a long road at that) would certainly render more disposable income for other ventures at home.

Consuming less energy, means more energy for other things!

Beach Time ... anyone?

... easy as 1,2,3

I must remember this one, 'the key to building a warm environment (minus the fireplace) is to make sure you have a water view at every opportunity to place a mantle. Then just sit down, relax and take it all in.'

That is exactly what we have been doing for the past week and will for the next couple of weeks, since we are currently creating 3 very Distinct custom Lime Plaster Mantles.

You design it.  Spec it.  And we create it.

. . . do You Dwell?

Not on the Past or the Future . . .
More as in the magazine - Dwell. It is one of my fave's for sourcing creative ideas and inspiration for when you look at the box (house) and think what can I do with this one!? That is the question that I have been pondering for a while since we bought our own little Love Shack in 'The Beach Community'.
The home is 36 years old with no updates until we moved in. Slowly I have been chipping away with small reno projects, one at a time. In the past weeks I decided to take on the window facade since it was just so blahhh. Therefore, Dwell was the place of inspiration, since there are always dozens of updated homes with a contemporary 70's vibe. I personally enjoy the cottage/contemporary look and that is the direction for our home...if we ever finish ;)



Lime Plaster Planter Box
Often there is left over material from other projects, thus I decided to take Lime Plaster outside for the ultimate test. I designed the box to be built out of plywood and then took the same steps as you would with a shower walls, sealed with concrete and applied my Lime Plaster over the concrete.
The Challenge
We also needed to warm up the exterior, what better than adding more of what BC is good at cedar! Using the cedar in lengths of 2" x 8' strapping the box and to help create a linear vibe with 1/4" spacing between that is more common is design these days.
The rest was what I love to do! Play with Plaster...

Funny part in the end

I actually didn't like the 1st colour of the plaster, (HC 107) Gettysburg Gray once we mounted it. Since we used the French cleats, just pulled it off and applied another coat of Lime Plaster to change the colour (HC 166) Kendall Charcoal and set it back on the cleats - easy.

2 months off from Blogging

It's much like running, once you stop the routine, than it is twice as hard to start. It's already August 4th, oh where does the summer time go! Too much fun. The weather in Vancouver has been perfect, so let's keep it that way! Hope yours is the same.

Road Trip to Oregon: Last week we return from a week down in that fantastic tax free haven of Oregon. What good feeling state Oregon is. Plus to have 90F, sun, city and beach time... well let's just say it was  g o o d!

Looking for something Tasty: Perfect spot in Portland on a hot night, PokPok, if you have ever been to South East Asia, PokPok has got it down from the street side ambiance, to the very tasty authentic flavours the far East - WOW.

Lunch? How about a great sandwich in funky spot, then check out Bunk Sandwiches. If you have ever been to Ben's in Montreal, it's kind of like that with a Portland vibe - we really enjoyed it!

Art: If your a decorative artist you may have heard of IDAL (International Decorative Artists League). They held their annual trade show in Portland, exhibitors, classes and artisans are in hand to create some B2B and sharing of knowledge. It was good for me to attend since this was on the West coast and to get a closer look where the industry is and where it is going! There is something good coming... but that is still a few months away from sharing... but it will be very good :)

Colour! Love seeing other cities in the core, away from the predictable 'downtown'. Where sometimes it feels as your the only one in the urban jungle, fore there were moments as we walked the hot streets of Portland... all we could see were the colours of the city and not the sounds of the urban core.

Dounuts? Why... not a big fan personally, but we had a few people at different times mention we should see Voodoo Donuts (the Magic is in the Hole) you see! The kids enjoyed them of course. Look closer at the picure below, there is one with maple icing and bacon... I don't think they offer that type at Tim Horton's? :(

Lime Plaster is more than...

HOLA 1 Day to GO

Yesterday, we took a bus into town to do some shopping, along the way we came across some interesting exteriors with plenty of worn character from sea air, sun, wear and tear. I also included a picture of a new interior lobby, since the same process is still in place today, cement stucco + paint = decorate.

Buonas Tardes Day 6

HOLA!

As per any vacation, they go by way to  f a s t.
There is still some great sun to had - as AC & LP enjoy some, even my kids wanted to play with them.

Walking on beach today came across a great example of a traditional Mexican Plaster Wall. At the core of this facade is brick with mortars and re-bar. Then multiple coats of concrete stucco applied to the exterior of the wall and painted terracotta. Weathering perfectly by the pacific ocean... mother nature, the ultimate 'Old World' artist.

Not to Preach

Growing up in Montreal in the seventies was an excellent experience when it came to hockey lore. No matter where I have lived since, keeping an eye out for the Habs has never been far from the heart. Tonight another Game 7 and another win... Washington now Pittsburgh. There is nothing like CANADIAN pride and cheering on team so steeped in tradition. Makes you wonder if there are forces from history at play. Allez Les CANADIANS 

Feeling at Home in Mexico

Buonas Tardes, after a couple of days by the pool LI (Lime Plaster) and AC (American Clay) are enjoying the new surroundings. Since they have Mexican cousins here in this resort. The entire Hotel's exterior and interior is completely finished with stucco. A typical architectural finish down in this hot and humid climate. The tradition here in Mexico is to use cement based stucco's and paint the surface for completed 'look'.

Buonas Tardes

This week bloggers, we are in beautiful Mazatlan for much needed rest and fun in the sun. Even Plaster's need a break from the routine in Vancouver of creating stunning mantles and wall plaster masterpieces. Nothing like some good old vitamin D and vivid Mexican Food and Culture to bring the balance of work/play together in harmony.