#Q2PerfectPanels by Q. Design Centre

Thursday, July 30, 2015





Well you guys, it's an exciting day here!  After three years of living in our house, we finally have drapes hanging in the kitchen and it's all thanks to the brilliant team at Q. Design Centre!  And that's not all, today, Q. Design Centre launched their fabulously new online store!  Yay!

The Toronto-based, family owned company (you will love the story on how they started their company!) is well known in the industry and prides itself in creating drapery and pillows that will make you gush!  Their brand new online store makes ordering and designing your very own custom drapes (which were previously only available through their Etsy Shop) easier than ever.  Yup that's right!  Even though the drapes are considered ready made, they are indeed made-to-order, hence the fab hashtag #Q2PerfectPanels!  You select your width, length, pleat and lining, but even still there is room to make any other adjustments you want!

I've been wanting to tackle the patio door in the kitchen for some time now, but was stuck on which fabric to choose and whether or not I wanted to go with a print or solid.  I ordered several swatches to help finalize my decision.  As far as I'm concerned, this is a must!  You need to not only be able to see how the fabric looks against your wall colour, but you also want to see it in person.  Q. Design Centre offers you the ability to order swatches at $1 each through their online store.  Each swatch is clearly labelled and a generous size.  I taped the swatches on the wall and left them there for a couple of days before making a final decision.


What did I go with?  The House Linen in Cotton:


At first, I thought for sure that I would want a white or very close to white fabric, but it just didn't go well with the wall colour.  "Cotton" was the perfect choice.  As for the fabric choice, I love natural linen, but I know myself all too well and what I wouldn't love is how easily natural linen can wrinkle.  The House Linen looks and feels like linen, but doesn't wrinkle.  Just lovely I tell ya!


The ordering process was wonderful.  From start to finish the team guided me along.  They answered every question I had with all of the patience in the world (truly!  you should see the email chain!), allowing me to make a decision that I was 100% happy with in the end.  If you have any questions at all during any step of the ordering process, the Q. Design Centre team is there for you, just ask away!  Questions from hardware options, to sizing, to lining facts, to how to measure, get quick and informed responses by clicking their "Ask a Question" button.

Point in case, our peninsula threw us a bit of a curve ball.  It sits closely to the patio door, which is where the drapes are hanging and doesn't leave much room for when the drapes are open.  I have been coveting top-tack pleated drapes for as long as I can remember and desperately wanted to make them a reality, but wasn't sure if there would be enough space for that style.  Lindsay was great to work with!  She was knowledgeable and laid out all of my options, ranging from various hardware options that would allow me to push the curtains all to one side, to the potential results of going with two mounting brackets vs three, to creating two or one single panel and more!

In the end, I chose to go with the top-tack pleated drapes with the thought that I would try getting away with two mounting brackets, that way, I could push both curtains to the right.  Well, it turns out, we have just enough space to push the curtains to either side, which is a good thing because due to the weight of the drapery, we will indeed need the middle mounting bracket, otherwise the rod will bow.  Of course, there is always the option of pushing the panel on the left to the center, which I'm also happy with.

The result is a stunning set of drapes framing our patio door in the kitchen.  I love how well the drapes look against the wall colour and next to the kitchen counter and cabinets.  They all work together so nicely!  What.dreams.are.made.of.  



The quick turnaround time from the moment that your order is placed is phenomenal!  It typically takes 2-3 weeks for your custom made drapes to be made and the fact that they are guaranteed to be within 1/8" in accuracy is simply fabulous!



Can we just talk about the details?!  Details are everything!  To be completely honest, I didn't think that there was anything wrong with our drapes in the family room, then the stunning drapes from Q. Design Centre arrived and well, I was impressed to say the least!

I love the way that they just sweep the floor, how beautifully they hang, the gorgeousness of the pleats when the drapes are both open and closed and that they ever so perfectly filter the light thanks to the cotton lining.





We chose to make drapes for the family room as well, since you can see both the kitchen drapes and the ones in the family room at the same time.  A decision that was suggested by the team and simply brilliant for a cohesive look & feel.




 



One thing I can admit is that I'm picky about hardware.  I love the round mounting brackets that are flush with the wall and simple finials.  Q. Design Centre is excited to be able to offer hardware options in the near future!  A one stop shopping experience!



The drapes arrived beautifully and carefully packaged.  The seams are lovely and I'm such a fan of the fact that the drapes come with hooks already in place, so that all you have to do once they arrive is hang them!  Weights in the bottom corners help to keep the drapes from flaring out.






I'm giddy excited about these drapes you guys, and I just love how finished the rooms feel now.  I knew that great drapes would make an impact on a room, but I didn't realize just how much truth there was to that!

It's so apparent that the team loves what they do.  They are there to help you every step of the way and take great pride in their manufacturing and their Perfect Guarantee.  Q. Design Centre offers a huge selection of fabrics for every style and taste!

You can find their absolutely beautiful online store here and of course, I want to know, which style and fabric do you think you would go with?

Cheers,

*** Q. Design Centre kindly provided me with the drapes, this however did not influence my opinions at all.  I'm just thrilled with the results.

Flawless Five-Pocket Collection

Monday, July 27, 2015






Happy Monday, friends!

I'm doing the happy dance today as I'm pretty darn excited to help Talbots celebrate the launch of their brand new Flawless Five-Pocket Collection!

Talbots is so very thrilled about this new collection which features 7 washes and 6 leg shapes, for you guessed it, a flawless fit for every shape and size!  You'll find nearly every style available, from bootcut to slim ankle (with flare arriving in September!) in a wide variety of sizing!

Jeans are definitely my first choice when it comes to pants, I'm a jeans girl through and through!  These Jegging jeans are a legging-meets-jeans that stretches to your shape and their comfort is undeniable!  With a high waist fit and slim leg, they are definitely on trend and would pair perfectly with sandals, flats, heels or your favourite pair of boots!






From day to night, from work to home.  These jeggings.just.work.  And can we talk about this cozy mixed-stripes sweater?!  It is perfect for those evenings that we find ourselves at the baseball field.  Light enough, but warm enough for summer evenings when there's a bit of a chill in the air.



Of course, we want to see how you feel flawless!  Share your flawless photos by using the hashtag #Flawless5Pocket and tag @talbotsofficial for a chance to be featured on Talbots.com!  Exciting stuff, right?!


Cheers,

***Talbots kindly provided the jeans and striped top, but this in no way influenced my opinion about the items.  All opinions are my own.

Sparkling Popsicle Summer Beverage

Friday, July 24, 2015


Hey friends!  Happy almost weekend!

I've gotta say that there's nothing better than enjoying a delicious summer beverage on the deck to kick off the weekend!  I'm over at Domino sharing a super simple and oh-so delicious summer drink recipe!  You can find it here.


Enjoy and have a lovely weekend!

Cheers,

White Dress.

Monday, July 20, 2015









I am all about wearing white this summer!  There is something so classic about a white outfit that I am completely drawn to.  I adore this dress that I recently picked up from Gap.  It could easily be dressed up or down and the fact that it has gorgeous pleats and handy pockets is an absolute plus!

It's the perfect neutral that you can easily pair with your favourite colour (pink for me!).  I have no doubt that this dress will be worn a lot this summer!

dress - Gap//sandals - Old Navy (white sold out, linked to black pair)//necklace - Talbots//
purse - Coach (old)//bracelet - Banana Republic (sold out)

Cheers,
 

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