not too pink...

When Bryn was consulted on her new bedroom colour her choice was clear, pink! Conflicted with the desire to please her enthusiastic little girl and the hope to create a room that wasn't too pretentious, Bryn's mom consulted us... The result is a pink room with pops of aqua, red, and plenty of white to keep the space fresh, light, and just "girly" enough!
Bryn's grandmother graciously hauled out her sewing machine for the tasks of sewing up new curtains from a vintage chenille throw, custom pillowcases, and transforming a crib sized pink quilt into a full size toddler bed coverlet with the clever addition of a bed skirt around the edge.
HEM design provided a touch of aqua by spraying frames, decorative letters, and a mirror. The highlight of the room is the collection of embroidery hoops in the cutest little prints with co-ordinating colours. We hear these provide the starting point for many a bed time story for our little miss Bryn.

wee artists

A wee artist creating a watercolour chick at our Easter workshop.

There is no coincidence that my little business specializes in my favorite type of people - little ones! Not only do I have three wee ones of my own, but I was working as an art teacher prior to having my twins. Using my experience both teaching and mothering I have put together art workshops for children ages 2-5 years old and their caregivers hosted by Nest Family Centre. The classes have been really fun, and the added bonus for me has been I get to use craft time with my kids as a trial run!

Winnipeg (hearts) IKEA

What is bigger than Christmas for Winnipeggers this year? The opening of our long awaited IKEA!

There are so many wonderful things about this store, it is easy to see what the fuss it about. Simple, classic designs, reasonable prices, and swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce, oh my! 

Though it can be alluring walking through the showroom seeing rooms completely decked out in IKEA "finery", my one piece of advice for those of you looking to re-make a room in your home is to try NOT to use solely IKEA pieces. As a wise designer once said "a good room looks like it has evolved". 

Take, for example, this very popular dresser from IKEA, the HEMNES 3 drawer chest. A perfect size and scale for a little girl's room. In Sloane's room we added some colour and interest to this piece by hanging a vintage mirror refurbished in yellow above it. The custom yellow chevron curtains also add a touch of style.

So by all means, go crazy Winnipeg! IKEA has a wealth of fantastic buys that are sure to up the style factor in your home... just be sure to add a good dose of personal, unique pieces to the mix so people don't come into your home and expect swedish meatballs for dinner!

Not sure how to achieve the right balance in your space? Be sure to contact us at HEM design for all your design questions. We are happy to help with projects big and small. Think of it as your own personal "design coach" willing to work with your ideas and your budget. Even your IKEA budget!

Just in time for Christmas...

Simplicity can be a beautiful thing. I couldn't be happier with how the combination of burlap, red chevron print, and one perfect silver bell come together in this wreath.

This Christmas season I am delving into the world of holiday decor for the home, mostly so I have an excuse to make some of these lovely items for myself...

Find it at this weekend's Winnipeg Centre Vineyard Craft Sale at the booth for HEM design and have a holly jolly Christmas!

belly & baby fair 2012

HEMdesign is very excited about attending Winnipeg's Belly & Baby Fair presented by Fit4Two!

We have plenty of exciting things to share, including:

-decor items for sale such as bunting, vintage frames and graphic art

-custom decor samples from past clients

(we will be taking custom orders as well)

-free "ask a designer" service

-information about our upcoming Nursery Design Workshop hosted by Nest Family Centre

We will also be doing a free demonstration in the Activity Corner on how to make your own button monogram art.


If you are expecting, recently had a baby, or know someone who is please spread the word!

displaying family photos

Celebrating family with a display of photographs in the master bedroom.

When my husband and I were first planning what would go where in our home we had a difference of opinion on the placement of family photos. "I don't want to constantly be looking at photos of myself," he would say. I would retort with, "But shouldn't we show off these amazing photos we have?" So, as is the case in all good marriages, we compromised. The family photos were allowed to be displayed, but in only in our bedrooms. The living spaces are the home of our fine art collection. 

So are the details so you can replicate the look in your home.
Frames:  Black and silver in various sizes. Sourced from Home Outfitters (wedding gifts) and a big box store. Various $
Ledges: Discontinued(?) item from Ikea, each is 31" l by 3" w and we used 4 total. Subsitute Ikea's RIBBA picture ledge, it comes in 3 colours and 2 lengths. RIBBA 21" is $10 each, 45" is $17 each
Wall colour: Cumberland Fog by Behr
Drawer units: STOLMEN by Ikea *Note these come with legs typically, but my husband reinforced the wall and mounted them to achieve a "floating" look. $120 per 2 drawer unit, we used 3.
Photographs: Colour photos courtesy ArtsyFartsy Photography by Lana. Black & white photos courtesy Dallas Ludwick.

the power of three

One of the smiles to greet me each morning.

I have always understood the power of language. I speak, write, read, sing using those fantastic 26 little letters. It was the ABC song I first introduced to my own little ones. I remember Madden particularly liked to accentuate the letter "X" when he sang it at only 2 years old. 

However, I am starting to appreciate the importance of numbers. I wake up each morning and immediately the numbers I read on the clock dictate how my day will begin. 7:30 = leisurely and calm 8:15 = frantic and furious. Another day in the life of a mommy of a 4 year old and two 2 year olds: change 2 diapers, pour 3 bowls of cereal, help put on 6 shoes and buckle 15 clasps on 3 car seats. These weren't the numbers I was thinking of when I found out we were having twins. My math equation was 2 babies = 2x the cuteness! What didn't occur to me until later was 2 babies waking every 3 hours through the night = very little sleep for the person expected to feed them, or that the width of 3 car seats > the width of the back bench of our vehicle, or that 3 x daycare costs - the salary of a teacher ≠ a particularly large number.

On rough days I feel completely overwhelmed by 3 people constantly needing my attention. Strangers even seem to refer to the imbalance when they say to me "you have your hands full", as if one should limit the number of children they have to the number of hands they have.  

But no matter how much the numbers might work against me, I do have 3 little smiling faces to wake up to in the morning, 6 little arms always ready for a hug, and 30 little toes to count and play "this little piggie" with. Every night I check on three perfect little bits of my heart sleeping soundly in their beds and can't help but think I am the luckiest person on the planet. 

Irving Berlin had it right, "I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads, and one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds. So if you are worried and you can't sleep just count your blessings instead of sheep and you will fall asleep counting your blessings."