Open House: Toronto's Downton Abbey

Well if you're a fan of the British period drama series, Downton Abbey, the Spadina Museum in Toronto has a tour especially for you. The Spadina House is a historic mansion that was owned by the Austin family who were a part of the Consumer Gas Company and were also involved in the early years of the Dominion Bank (later TD Bank). The house has has been restored to exactly what it looked like in the 1920's and is considered to be Toronto's own Downton Abbey.

This past Mother's Day I got to visit the museum and went on the special Downton Abbey tour. The tour is designed so you can imagine yourself in a world very similar to that of the aristocratic Crawley family.  As you walk through the 55 room mansion (I know.. not as colossal as Downton but still impressive), the tour guide makes reference to similar rooms and settings as seen in the show, reflecting how the lives of these two families, having gone through the same events in history, would have been similarly affected.  The only difference would be that it is a piece of history that was actually endured by the Austin family.

These are pictures I took to give you a little peek of this magnificent house...

Staircase

Great Hall

Drawing Room

Dining Room

Bedroom

Servants' Quarters (Bedroom)

Kitchen

There are many other rooms in the house to enjoy..  but it's much better to see the all the details of the fixtures, furnishings and decor in person.  Oh, and I must not forget to mention the lovely gardens outside!  Why not take the tour this weekend? It would be a perfect time to go in honour of Victoria Day!

You can find the museum on facebook.  For tour information, click here.

Current Trends in Color

Talk about a long winter!  Thank goodness the May flowers are blooming despite the snow we had in April!  Spring has fully arrived!  And for the real estate industry, this is the time where we make hay while the sun shines (no pun intended)! :-)  As seasons change, so do trends and in between all the activity that is happening, I am able to keep current in the design world through lots of seminars, workshops, and events that are available to our trade. Most recently I had an opportunity to hear from the president of the Color Marketing Group (CMG) and trend analyst at Global Color Research, Mark Woodman.  This event was organized by BeBetter@ and held at Coast Appliances in Vaughan.

Mark gave a great talk how we can source information on color trends through nature and travel. We can see the connection of these colors expressed through fashion and interiors.  He also shared some insight on the psychology of color, its cultural references, and the language of color.  So you ask, what are we seeing in color now that's hot and what will we continue to see for 2014???  Here is what the expert had to share....

1)  WHITE

White evokes a sense of cleansing, escape, and renewal.

White with bright colors gives a clean, fresh and modern look.

2)  TONED

Tone hues are soften browns, charcoals, tans, beiges, and varied grey colors.

Cerused wood furniture is loved for its tone hues.

3)  WHIMSY

Mixing "old" with the "new" and adding a hit of the "unexpected" (pops of color).

An eclectic mix of color using curated pieces are the most interesting design.

4)  BLOCKED

Mondrian influenced design

Monochromatic color blocking

Which of these trends that we're seeing in color do you like?  I personally like white and toned (ha!... says the stager... that should be no surprise).

Photos:  Better Homes and Gardens; Tobi Fairley Interior Design; Sarah Richardson Design; The Aestate; Cococozy; Apartment Therapy; Housetohome