With spring upon us and summer (hopefully!) just around the corner, we’re finally able to start spending some more time outside here in Toronto. When the weather gets warmer, we always find ourselves wanting to invest more time into gardening and making our outdoor spaces more beautiful. But let’s be honest – between the freezing winters and humid summers, we end up spending more time indoors year-round than we’d like to admit. One of our favourite ways to bring an element of the outdoors into a home is by decorating with indoor plants inside a beautiful planter.

Plants bring vibrancy, life, and a punch of colour into a space. They’re key pieces in so many of the rooms we’ve designed and can be the perfect way to freshen up a forgotten corner. We especially love adding plants to more urban homes, like apartments and condos, because they can really help to make those spaces feel less cold. Trust us – adding the right plants to your home can really help you feel more connected to nature (minus the allergies!).

Given our love of designing with plants, it probably goes without saying that we’re always on the hunt for the perfect planters and plant stands. There are tons on the market at all different price points, but we’re huge fans of finding unique pieces by local artisans and on Etsy. If you’re going to spend more on your planter, prioritize versatility – sadly, plants don’t live forever and you may want to move the planter to different rooms in your home. If you’re looking for a classic piece with longevity, consider wooden, mid-century styles (like 10 below) or sleek and neutral pieces in black and white (3 and 4). Wicker and rattan pieces (5) feel perfect for summer and are trendy right now.

Between sourcing for clients and shopping for our own homes, we’re constantly on the lookout for special finds! Here’s what we’re loving this month:

It goes without saying that everything mothers do for their kids – from the sleepless nights to the birthday parties to the diaper changes – is done out of love. That being said, it definitely doesn’t hurt to get spoiled once in a while (especially when you’re running on zero sleep and your kid is having their fifth tantrum of the day). So, this one’s for all the mama’s out there!

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect excuse to show some extra appreciation for the moms in your life. While homemade breakfast in bed will always be a winner in our books, we thought we’d share our top Mother’s Day gift picks (wink, wink).

When possible, we love to give experiential gifts. Our #1 pick for Mother’s Day would be a gift card for professional family photos – there’s nothing cuter than photos of your kids and you’ll get to enjoy them for years to come. If you live in Toronto, we highly recommend The Robins Nest – the studio is adorable and Kayla is so talented! On the other hand, we’re also big fans of wine subscriptions – which we think most moms would agree is self explanatory. We’ve heard great things about Wine Collective and Wine Club.

For more inspiration, check out our Mother’s Day Gift Guide below.
These gifts are sure to make your mom (or wife, sister, grandma, friend, or yourself!) feel extra pampered and loved well beyond May 12 – because really, shouldn’t every day feel like Mother’s Day!?

When we shared before and after photos of the Project Melrose Master Bath on Instagram, we got more than a few comments from followers who couldn’t believe that it was the same room in both shots. We take that as the ultimate compliment, since the “before” master bath looked and felt outdated and disorganized. It screamed 1990’s – complete with a corner tub, block glass windows, and shiny gold hardware.