Avoiding work...

There’s something about travelling in a developing countries that is conducive to waking up early.  Perhaps it was the rooster crowing outside my window at 5:30 am.

I refuse to work this early on a Sunday morning, so I am avoiding doing so by looking at design blogs (sorry Rebecca!).  Dave and I have stalled on posting about the renovations on our home because we’re trying to figure out what to do with the structure.  The first thing that you see when you enter the house is a long, dark hallway that separates the stairs from the living room.  We were hoping to take that wall down to create more light at the entrance to the house, but now we are not sure how structurally or financially feasible that is.

So instead of thinking about the décor of the house, we’re still trying to figure out a layout that works for us and our budget.

That said, it's fun to dream sometimes, and Toronto homes are great for this.  New York design tends to focus on super fancy condos, coops, and mansions, because most people in NYC don’t buy houses.  So Toronto – where young people do buy houses and renovate them on a young person budget – offers some great inspiration for us.

Here are some pics from my one of my favorite homes on HGTV's blog. I really like the simple black and white background, the natural floors, and the colorful / quirky artwork. The full post can be found here.

If Dave's going to live in it, the house needs to have an exposed brick wall.