Design a Holiday Guest Room

We all know the importance of welcoming guests into a private oasis of their own when they come to visit, but over the holidays small touches can add that holiday flair with out a lot of fuss.  Here's a list of our favourite ideas for a welcoming holiday guest room.

Scented Candles beside the bed are a small luxury with big impact - make sure they're well contained in case your guests fall asleep! And amp up the luxe with this year's hottest scents from favourite designers.

We love this candlelit display found at Minna Tannerfalk

The Latest Bestseller - cool nights lend themselves well to diving into a new novel.  You can search the local bookstores for this season's favourites and gift one or two to your guests or share one of your own well-read classics.  Magazines to flip through can also be a welcome diversion.  A single novel or a small stack mixed with home decor or special interests books work equally well.

This well styled bedside table from Style At Home offers a pretty way to display your books

Seasonal Flower Display - think outside the vase and go for the not so typical arrangement.  How about gorgeous shades of greenery or bare branch tree cuttings for something a little different?  Of course traditional flowers in a pretty vase are always welcome!

We love the impact these simple branch arrangements make - Fairharbor Marina

Luxurious Throw - from faux fur to soft, plush velvet and all cozy textiles in between, no guest bed is complete without a beautiful throw at the end of the bed.

How gorgeous is this luxurious throw from Frette.com 

Plush Robe & Slippers - traveling light is important and usually doesn't allow your guests to pack big, bulky robes so why not supply one for them for the ultimate in holiday comfort.

Yes please to the plush robe & foot duvets from Restoration Hardware

Peppermint Chocolate - everyone appreciates a little chocolate on the pillow so why not surprise with a holiday indulgence.

Irresistible Peppermint Bark from Marin Homestead

Hot Water Bottle - for extra cold nights a hot water bottle can make certain Jack Frost doesn't nip at those toes. Find one with a cozy faux fur cover for a luxurious touch.

We're definitely in love with this faux fur water bottle from Pottery Barn - yes please! 

A Special Holiday Mug - chilly mornings call for hot bevvies so why not provide your guests with a special holiday mug of their own.  Give monogrammed mugs or make each guest's slightly different, so they're easy to identify each morning.  Filled with special treats they also make a lovely welcoming gift.

Found on Pinterest this holiday mug is brimming over!

What have we missed?  What are special ways you welcome guests to your home over the holidays?

Bring Autumn Leaves Indoors

Science tells us the leaves we see on trees engage in a process called Photosynthesis - this is when the leaves take the carbon dioxide in the air, combine it with water from the ground and use sunlight to produce oxygen to put back into the air we breathe.  Quite a miraculous process actually!

In autumn the days begin to shorten and the reduced amount of sunshine and water means photosynthesis cannot occur.  Chlorophyll, which uses the sun's energy to produce food for the tree, is stored in the leaves giving them their green colour but it begins to fade away leaving in its place a beautiful array of reds and yellows, bronzes and ambers and purples to dot the autumn landscape and give us the beauty of the season.

And we love bringing those colours indoors!  Here are some of our favourite tree branches to use in autumn displays ~ we hope you're inspired!

This beautiful display at BHG.com uses Oak Tree branches for an easy display for the family room.

Martha Stewart shows us how to rescue winter berry, beauty berry and 

burning bush to add colour and texture to a fall floral arrangement

From birch to Maple to Dogwood, this simply arrangement 

from http://www.diy-enthusiasts.com/  marries a bounty of branches together.

And sometimes the stark look of branches in a display adds just the right look to a dining room or entry.

This one is found at http://blog.vastudc.com/ 

If you're wondering what fall leaves are falling around you use this leaf guide published at http://www.greenlivingonline.com/ to identify tree types in your neighbourhood.

What are your favourite leaves or branches to display?  Share what inspires you!!

Happy Fall,

Terri

Patience Brewster Collectibles

Patience Brewster is an artist, and yes, that is her real name! We are so thankful for her perseverance as an artist pushing through the challenges of getting recognized and published, it's a tough job! Her card line and Christmas ornaments are a favourite at The Willows. We want to share just a bit of her collection here - pop in to the shop for a dazzling selection (one of the best out there) and to purchase your collectibles before they're gone!

 Christmas Ornaments

Patience Brewster Cards & Prints

House Hunting Help

House-Hunting Help: If You Could Pick Your Home Style ...

General contractors, home builders, and more ∨

Ideas for your living spaces, lights and landscape design.
Collect and share photos of bath tile, bathroom cabinetry, shower curtain and bath mirrors to create your perfect home decorating style.

Spring Colour Inspiration

With the arrival of Spring comes a fresh perspective and the annual need to update our spaces. As blossoms bloom and grass appears light and airy colour schemes dot our interior landscapes once again. Here are some beautiful and colourful design inspirations to start your week.

From La Dolce Vita Blog - Coral Inspiration

A soft green entrance via Country Living

The perfect warm weather dress in with blue via Prepaganda

Soft lavender Alliums 

A pretty amber bottle collection found on Pinterest 

What colours are inspiring you this spring?

Arranging Spring Blooms

10 Beautifully Blossoming Spring Centerpieces

Houzz- Kitchen, Bathroom and More »

Interiors and Decorating ideas- For Example:

Staircase Ideas · Basement Ideas · Entry Ideas · Gym Ideas · Hall Ideas · Patio Ideas · Storage & Closets Ideas ·

Time Travel

Vintage style clocks are a great way to add charm to any decor. From the bathroom to the bedroom to the mudroom, make sure you're always on time in style! We've collected some of the best images of clocks to inspire you.

Gorgeous reproduction clock in our collection perfect for a kitchen or dining room

Miniature Vintage replicas at The Willows for a bedside table

St. Stephen's Tower in London - probably a tad too big for your space, but fabulous none the less!

Our new favourite time piece is this pocket watch designed by Thomas Sabo!

Clocks can be a focal point. This gorgeous clock was seen at http://dittledattle.blogspot.ca/  

You can also check out our TIME TRAVEL board on pinterest!

Emerald Green Inspiration

The Pantone colour for 2013 is Emerald Green. These are some beautiful & inspiring settings featuring Emerald Green - enjoy!

Which one is your favourite?

click on the caption to view the original source

Emerald green accents for your living room

Pretty emerald accents for your dinner celebration

Gorgeous emerald curtains & a stunning bar cart

Emerald on green

Emerald in the dining room

Gorgeous emerald green sofa