Written by : Helen McIntyre

I wanted to feature some of the really special SALE items today! I have included the reg price, sale price, a photo and some points as to why these pieces are so great!! Items are sure selling fast..at these amazing prices! Hurry in

Media Cabinet – Reg $1600- (50% OFF) NOW $800-

What you will love about this cabinet:

• large area for computer screen
• roll out writing desk and keyboard tray
• 2 CD storage towers located on each side of cabinet
• adjustable shelves below keyboard
• 4 rear wire management openings
• poplar solid wood and cherry veneer construction
• rich, multi step hand rubbed finish

Eureka Lounge Chair & Ottoman – Reg $2808- (50% OFF) NOW $1404-

What you will love about this chair and ottoman:

• rich dark brown banana leaf construction
• durable, long lasting weave
• large scale chair for maximum comfort
• matching ottoman for resting those tired feet!
• timeless style……..could coordinate with many other pieces

Sicamous Table – Reg $1925- (50% OFF) NOW $962-

What you will love about this table

• can be used as a small dining table
• can also be used as a great hall table!
• 48″ round fits into any space easily!
• hand planed surface
• solid maple construction
• dark, modern chocolate, ebony  stain

Kimberley Seldon #50 Sofa – Reg $2100- (30% OFF) NOW $1470-

What you will love about this sofa:

• sophisticated, elegant, curvy design
• tailored style with dark brown wood base
• creamy, soft cotton fabric will work with any decor
  
• manufactured in Canada
• wonderfully unique and incredibly comfortable

Hara Sofa/Console Table – Reg $918- (50% OFF) NOW $544.50

What you will love about this console table:

• modern straight lined, stylish design
• 3 drawers for ample storage
• dark chocolate wood stain
• can be used as a sofa table
• can also be used as a console table in a hallway or entrance
• slender profile to fit in those narrow places

Feel free to pop in or call if you require more information regarding any of our products. Don’t forget..our SALE is on until the end of Jan.

Have a great Week! The sun we are having sure feels great!

Written by : Julie Cove

January always makes me want to refresh my home especially when it’s raining and it’s hard to get outside to play!  Do you get this way?  Moving things around or considering changes? Well….. with our annual January Furniture Sale beginning this Wednesday it’s a perfect time for you to take a peek and consider a new furniture piece or two for 2010.  Take a peek.

We have some absolutely gorgeous pieces that we would like to rotate out of inventory to make room for the new stuff.  So this means offering them to You at the best prices possible so that you end up with a great deal.  Sound good to you?  These are some of the best prices we have ever offered on these Canadian made case goods.  They are all beautifully handcrafted by fine woodworkers.  The cool part is that some of the items are “one of a kinds” because these craftsmen like variety when they build so they change up their lines often, thus we cannot get these pieces again, meaning you are investing in pieces that not everyone on your block has!

And guess what?  Since we are clearing our children’s department we have some great deals and this kitchen below is one of them.  I have this same one for my Amelia who is 4 years old and she loves it!  Our regular price is 321.99 and now it is a great deal at $160.99. My plan is to put ours in a (water tight) play house for Amelia this summer so she can enjoy the world of pretend even more with her little friends! Do you have a little one in your life that might enjoy this fantastic kitchen?

Our January Sale also includes an opportunity for you to select your favourite slipcover or upholstered style from our Rowe Furniture collection and select your choice of fabric and save 20%!  This is a great deal as we rarely have a sale with 20% off on this collection.  We have hundreds of fabrics available for your selection and if you are overwhelmed (like me some days)  you might want a visit from Helen our on staff designer to assist in the selection or the House Dressing team are very good in-store at assisting in narrowing down the choices.

At any rate this time of year it just feels right to freshen up the house and I hope you take advantage of this “Sale like never before” and save yourself some hard earned cash. Stop in to see what we couldn’t picture here as there is too much to show on-line and it’s just not the same as seeing it in real life!

Here are a few of the Rowe furniture pieces that are available and you can also visit RoweFurniture.com to see more!  Helen also did a post that showcased some fantastic slipcovers by Rowe in case you missed it. click here

Hope to see you in the store- and don’t let the rain get you down!  It’s friggin’ freezing for those prairie folks!

Written by : Julie Cove

Well the day that you have all been waiting for is here!  I can’t wait to share the winners with you.  Are you ready??  Great, but first I have to thank all the dedicated decorators, writers and crafters who took the time to photograph their talents and submit along with a generous donation to the food banks.  We raised $1882.00 for the food banks to be shared between the Sidney Lions Food Bank and the Mustard Seed Food Bank in Victoria.  Yeh!  That was the reason for this fun contest–to give back to the community while inspiring you to share your talents.  Mission accomplished!   Our panel of judges had a tricky time trying to narrow down the selections but we did it, so here we go!

•Best Christmas Decorated Room with Tree = Top Prize-$1000 ($500 cash, $250 Design Services, $250 HD Gift Card)  – Gerta Bartels

Gerta’s room reflects the simple European elegance with fresh white and an accent of red.  The variety of displays and holiday decor collections over many, many years of decorating are incorporated with clean easy living style and simple sophistication- understated yet detailed.  Congratulations Gerta for a decorating scheme well done!

Honourable Mention = $50 HD Gift Card – Anne Pettinger

We couldn’t not recognize Anne for her before and after efforts.  Here is the cozy transition from a simple room to a holiday room. Fresh amarylis, paper whites, orchids and poinsettias with fresh greens and branches are nice natural elements that make this room inviting along with hand sewn cushions to match.  Congrats Anne!

Special Recognition = $50 HD Gift Card – Rebecca Trapp

This home is decorated with a serious passion for Christmas.  We loved the extent that Rebecca went to for the holidays and wanted to recognize her efforts.  It may be over the top for many decorators but the spirit of Christmas is certainly present.  Congrats Rebecca!

•Most Unique Decorated Christmas Tree = $250 ($125 cash & $125 HD gift card) – Donna Rae Coward

This is Donna Rae’s tree (one of many she decorates in her home) with a collection of years and years of 100’s of intricate ornaments including Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz with the sugar plum fairy on top.  Amazing collection Donna Rae! Congrats!

•Best decorated Mantle = Candle Gift Basket – Anne Tetley

The wispy pine and modern silver sparkle made this mantle stand out from the crowd- great job Anne. Congratulations!

•Best hand made Christmas card = $50 HD Gift Card – Marilyn Norman

Marilyn’s card is a photograph of a Christmas painting that she created.  We couldn’t resist the effect of her talented work turned into a card with the gold trim picking up the ornament details.  Wonderful job Marilyn!

•Most gorgeous or uniquely wrapped present = Thymes Frasier Fir Gift Basket – Anne Tetley

Lovely shimmer paper with pretty adornments and a key tag make this a gift you wouldn’t want to tear apart!  Very nice Anne!

•Most nostalgic Christmas Tradition = Tea Forte Gift Basket – Jan Staebell

Jan’s inflatable snowman from the 70’s made for a unique tradition in their family.  Thanx for sharing Jan, well done!

•Most Memorable Christmas gift received = Thymes Fragrance Gift Basket – Deborah Whitmore

Deb wrote a wonderful story that warmed our hearts.  Great job Deborah, thanx for your creative writing efforts!

•Most Creative Christmas Family Photo = Picture Frame (8 x 10) – Jessica Lam

Awe, this is precious Jessica.  Congratulations on your pregnancy and on this creative photo!

•Best Decorated Christmas baked goodies = Wildly Delicious Gift Basket- Jennifer Witvliet

Wow Jennifer, these are lovely and what talent you have with a brush!  I wouldn’t want to eat these.  Congratulations Jennifer!

•Best Decorated Ginger Bread House = Whimsy Kitchen Gadget Basket – Bernie Grimes

Just look at this village!  So great!  Congratulations Bernie!

•Largest Food Bank Donation = $100 Gift Basket From Fresh Cup Roastery – Marilyn Norman

There were no submissions for the following categories;

•Best handmade Christmas Ornament

•Best Homemade digital card•Best Kids Christmas Illustration

•Most Creatively Decorated Workspace or Place of Business

•Best Christmas Dining Table

I hope you enjoyed this contest as much as we did- this is only a fraction of the entries we received so we had a lot of fun going thru all the photos.  What we loved the most in every single photo was the pride that each of our entrants take in making their home merry and festive or crafting in a way that celebrates the spirit of season.  This is what really warmed our hearts and we thank you all once again for sharing!  I hope you all have an enjoyable holiday and all the best for 2010- the new decade!

ps. If you are the winner in a category please leave us a comment on this blog that you have recognized your placing and we will then know whom we must contact personally.  You may collect your prize at the store by showing ID to the girls in the shop.  Congratulations once again.

Written by : Helen McIntyre

Well here we are – the presents have been opened, the turkey and trimmings have been eaten, and the decorations will soon be lovingly packed away for another year.  We hope you were all well remembered by friends and family, and are now looking forward to a new year full of creativity and inspiration!  We’d love to be a part of that, and will continue to bring to you our design tips and ideas as well as keeping you up to date on what is happening at the store.

Right now, we have all our Christmas stock at 50% off and it is flying out the door!  It’s a great time to pick up items that you may have seen at full price before Christmas.   We still have quite a lot in stock and some examples are seen below.  The little silver crowns are so sweet in a tree or to set on a table or shelf.  You could give one to the prince or princess in your life – tie it to their gift next year!  The metal snowflakes are lovely either hung against the windows or put into a tree or hung from a chandelier.  The ceramic pine cone ornaments are my favourite – very crisp and fresh looking either in a tree or in a bowl on the coffee table.

Our coir mats are all 50% off as well, and we have some beauties!  Some of them are extra long – perfect for double doors.

Wreaths and greenery are always a big part of Christmas decorating, and whilst it’s great having  fresh, real greens, they do dry out and become messy – sometimes leaving sticky residue behind on your walls, floor or furniture.  We have some gorgeous pre-lit or unlit wreaths in cedar or pine.  They are so real looking, we sometimes see customers actually sniffing them!  The berry wreaths are also beautiful and you can add fake (or real) greenery to them to add a bit of interest.

We hope you’ll take some time to pop in to see us at the House Dressing and pick up some goodies for next year’s Christmas season.  It’ll be here again before we know it!!!

We’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy New Year, and we look forward to helping you in 2010.

Written by : Julie Cove

Well here we are.  In a few more hours we will be celebrating that special day that we all get excited about and hustle and bustle  around for.  I am amazed at how quickly it seemed to arrive. Today I want to share some sneak previews of a couple of the contest entries and also inspire you with an outdoor holiday lighting tour we did!

This season my plan was to do as much fun holiday stuff as we could fit in– so we filled our December days with many, many wonderful activities with hopes of building memories and traditions for our family.  Last night we had a lovely family dinner with the cousins and nieces and nephews and then took in some of the wonderful holiday lit homes on the Times Colonist Christmas Light map. Take a peek at what glowed before our eyes!

These are from the incredible house at 4091 Tuxedo Drive, just off Quadra St.

And below are from Alan Road just off Wilkinson Rd.

I couldn’t believe how many lights were placed on this bush!!  There must be thousands!

Below is the incredible display of Gip and Donna Forester on 4252 Ponderosa Cres.  We spoke with Gip and picked up one of his Christmas CD’s with wonderful Christmas stories, and he shared that this is the 13th year he has set out his display! We love playing I Spy in his garage.  You could visit 10x’s and not see every item in there.   We love his passion for sharing with all of us.

This last one is our very favourite Christmas story display that is on Wallace road just before it meets West Saanich Rd near the Red Barn.  We have been driving by this house for 13 years since we moved to Brentwood and it is tradition to pay attention to this story with Santa trying to get off on his way for Christmas eve and the mishaps that happen with trying to get him on the roof to depart!  The home owner is the owner of Russell Books and his blog for this wonderful passion of his is right here

We had such a great time enjoying the efforts of all these home owners.  In past years we have filled a thermos with hot chocolate and the kids are dressed in their PJ’s and off we go!  Hope you are inspired to take in some of the wonderful sights between Christmas day and New Years just for the fun of it!

And now…. for a sneak peek at a couple of the entries from the Contest.

This one is a modern room with traditional red berries and baubles to celebrate the season.  The clean fresh approach is nice and simple yet very elegant.

This second entry is a more traditional setting with lots of white and a touch of red and has a European flavour.  I’ve only included one snap shot of each of these two entries but when we announce the top winners from the many, many  entries, I will be able to share more.

The contest has been such a fun way to raise funds for the food bank and at the same time peeking inside your homes admiring your creative talents.  Our entries include a wide variety of styles and we will have a very tricky time trying to choose the winner.  Our judges range in age and we have male and female! So a diverse opinion will assist in the big decisions we have as this contest comes to a close.  Thank you to all who submitted and we will announce the winners on December 29th!

I hope you have a wonderful, memorable and healthy holiday season.  Cheers for a fantastic 2010!

Julie

ps. I may be able to post the holiday decorating Shaw TV segment later on if I can over come the technological difficulties that sometime arise when you least need them too!