Birch + Bird Vintage Home Interiors

Poolside Views

Birch + Bird — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:13:00 +0000

Well, this week certainly didn’t start off like I had planned. After dropping the girls off at school on Monday, I decided to quickly stop by the house to put some laundry in the dryer before heading out to leave one last load at the second hand store. As I rounded the corner, I could see the bright orange moving truck parked in front of our home that I was told was scheduled for the next day. Ack! I was ready but not THAT ready. After frantically recruiting the help of my mom, we quickly finished up all of my original to-do list, moved onto some cleaning and then spent the rest of the afternoon standing around watching the crew pack up our house. In just eight hours, they packed and took inventory of our entire house. Yesterday, they loaded up the truck and tomorrow they will start the big trek down South. A huge weight is off my shoulders one day earlier than I expected. I’ve been fairly distracted with all that’s going on and I haven’t let myself or even had time to think a lot about what we are leaving behind. I just have to keep my eye on the prize. Being together again as a family as well as a life changing experience filled with memories, lessons, and I’m really hoping for a swimming pool.

VDMMA

CplusC via Contemporist

House Seven by Pierre Minnasian

Butler Armsden via freshome

The early arrival of the moving truck freed today up completely. A blessing in disguise. So, now Lily and I get to make some checks on our Birch + Bird check list and maybe even squeeze in one last “work” lunch. I’m looking forward to it a lot.

Craving Spring + Saying Goodbye

Birch + Bird — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:01:40 +0000

I must admit that I’m feeling a little blue this week. It could be from anticipating the 55mm of rain that is expected to fall steadily today but it’s more likely due to the reality of the moving trucks that were in Rachel’s driveway yesterday. I’ll soon be seeing a whole lot less of her and her family, a fact that I’ve been trying hard not to think about it for a very long time, and it’s suddenly becoming very real. It’s not often in adulthood to make such a strong bond with an entire family. We already miss her husband Aaron very much and my girls’ have been writing endless friendship/love letters to her twin daughters, ready to pop in the mail. I think it’s going to be heartbreaking all around! Now, I know that we’ll see them soon, at the end of May in fact, but the thought of not having Rachel just around the corner to meet for sushi, an impromptu junk hunt or our sleepover/work nights with the kids, is making me very sad. Our friendship and business partnership has just been so easy and I’ll miss her even more than I think I can imagine. They’ve become that special breed of friends, you know, the ones who feel like close family…but without the drama! I’ll lighten the mood now with some Spring-inspired colour…

Photo by Robert Caruso for Chatelaine via Poppytalk

Angela Hardison

Weekday Carnival

Photo by Jemma Keech. Flowers by Amy Osaba.

Petra Bindel. Home of Helle Hogsbro Krag.

Dahlhaus

Thankfully, our work is based almost entirely online and there is great technology like Skype and FaceTime available to help make the distance feel less broad. And it will just make our future times together all the more special, especially with somewhere as hot and sun-filled as Florida to visit! I am so happy for Rachel and her family, despite my mingled sadness, and am so proud of them for embarking on such an amazing adventure together. Bon Voyage dear friends!

The Final Countdown

Birch + Bird — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:00:16 +0000

Another Monday! We are on the home stretch now with only 4 more days as Canadian residents. We will miss our family and friends dearly but I have to admit that I’m looking forward to going “home”. Florida has been a long time coming and it will feel good to be together as a family. We will have been apart for about 6 weeks and it’s been tough, that’s for sure. I’ve found myself dreaming of lofts a lot lately now that I’m über organized and our belongings have been whittled down, I’m wondering if we could make the adjustment from house to loft living. Who am I kidding? Of course, I could. I can’t get enough of these sun soaked spaces with soaring ceilings. I especially adore this one, it has a great mix of industrial finishing and vintage finds. Modern, relaxed and it feels like home.

micasa via Desire to Inspire

Today I need to do some last minute sorting. Clothes, toiletries, important papers, school work and a few toys for the plane. Absolute necessities, kitchen items and the girls’ belongings to be taken off the truck before the rest goes into storage until we find a home. The movers are scheduled for tomorrow to box up all our belongings and they will pack the truck on Wednesday to start the big trek across the continent. Now more time to waste. Enjoy your week!

Bright + Bold for the Weekend

Birch + Bird — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:01:01 +0000

I almost missed writing this post…I thought yesterday was Friday! That’s the kind of week it’s been, nothing but go go go. Our market planning got off to a great start when applications opened on Wednesday and we have been overwhelmed with the influx of emails. So many, in fact, that our email decided to spontaneously combust yesterday and we went from 81 new emails in our inbox to 2. Ack!!! Yes, we were in a bit of a panic (understatement of the year!) but, thankfully, our server got things sorted out within a few hours and we safely transferred all of our applications and messages over to our trusty gmail account (where they should have stayed in the first place). Tech issues are such a headache, aren’t they?

Amy OsabaEvents. Floral. Design. Photo by Heidi Geldhauser, Our Labor of Love.

The House That Lars Built

Dripbook. Styled by Chelsea Fuss. Photo by John Granen.

The Macs

Corbin Gurkin Photography via Decor8

Art by Matt Hunsberger via Say Something Posters

Creature Comforts

Cornflower Blue Studio

Anyway, the weekend is nearly here and I could use a splash of colour…couldn’t you? We’re off to our favourite junk barn this morning and have our fingers crossed to dig up some great vintage finds. We’ve also got plenty of lists to make and tasks to catch off of them as we dive in to all things Scout...wish us luck!

Lofty Spaces

Birch + Bird — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:58:31 +0000

We opened up the application for Scout Handmade + Vintage Market yesterday and we are beyond thrilled with the excitement that is already brewing. Thank goodness for modern technology because I’m feeling more than a little anxious about not being as hands on for this market since I’ll be thousands of miles away as of next Friday. I’m already dreaming of market day and can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. The space where we will be hosting the market has a real industrial feel to it with floor to ceiling windows, polished concrete floors, and high, open ceilings. A blank canvas to showcase the vendors’ fantastic handmade and vintage wares. Wasn’t the loft Lily featured yesterday fabulous? It had me dreaming of my own lofty space to call home. The simple backdrop of wide open industrial spaces give endless design possibilities.

Jenna Lyons via Habitually Chic

Design*Sponge

vtwonen

Interior Design Ideas

Apartment Therapy

via Miss Design

Carouschka Streijffert

Marie Claire Maison

1 Kind Design

Desire to Inspire

Does loft living suit your lifestyle? Or would you rather a cozy little house?