The Joy of Giving Back During the Holidays…and Beyond!

December 20, 2017 by Stoney Creek Furniture

With Christmas just days away, I wonder if you’re like me and still rushing around – decorating, last minute gift shopping and getting your home ready for holiday get-togethers. My partner belongs to an organization that is helping serve Christmas dinner to the less fortunate on December 23rd. He asked me to join him and my first thought was – I just don’t have time. But you know, I think I will make the time. At the end of the day, isn’t love and goodwill what Christmas is all about?

Give a Little of Yourself

Twice in the last week, strangers offered to help me in small but meaningful ways. Once when I had to add windshield washer fluid to my car on a bone chilling night and again when I was carrying a large package into the post office. Little things yes, but they made me smile – and they’ve inspired me to pay it forward this holiday season. Do you feel the same way? Here are some things you can do:

  • Volunteer at a hospital, hospice or nursing home
  • Get involved with a food bank
  • Foster a cat or dog needing a temporary home
  • Shovel snow for a neighbour
  • Run errands for an elderly neighbour
  • Bring soup or a casserole to a sick friend
  • Surprise a work colleague by cleaning snow off their car

It’s easy to think of other ideas when you start feeling the genuine joy it brings to help others!

Giving Back at Stoney Creek Furniture

I’m proud to say that community involvement and caring is a way of life at Stoney Creek Furniture. Here are a couple of highlights:

Have you been to the ‘Giving Back Corner’?

At the Stoney Creek store location, select pieces of furniture are offered at great savings. Full proceeds from all items sold go to one of three local charities: Food4Kids, Hamilton Food Share or Hamilton/Burlington SPCA. Drop by and have a look! The area is restocked often with fantastic new deals!

Wrap It Up Event

Wrap it Up

L-R: Celeste Taylor, Hamilton Food Share; Jim Fee, Stoney Creek Furniture; Joanne Santucci, Hamilton Food Share; Aileen Hynes, Stoney Creek Furniture

Stoney Creek Furniture’s 3rd annual ‘Wrap It Up’ event in November was a great success! About 300 people attended, raising $18,600 for Hamilton Food Share through ticket sales, silent auction and raffle tickets. With Hamilton Food Share’s buying power of every $1 generating $5 worth of food, this equates to $93,000 of food for the Hamilton community!

Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy festive season!

No Comments / Tags: , , / Posted in Community, Holidays

5 Tips to Decorate Your Space with Ultra Violet, the 2018 Pantone Colour of the Year

December 14, 2017 by Stoney Creek Furniture

Some are saying that Prince and David Bowie inspired Ultra Violet as Pantone’s 2018 Colour of the Year. Certainly, purple is associated with both of these legendary performers as it is with imagination, originality and artistry. Violet is even considered mystical, bringing to mind night skies, visionary thinking and spirituality.antone colour of the year 2018

The experts at Pantone say that Ultra Violet ‘lights the way to what is yet to come’ and is ‘a reflection of what’s needed in our world today’. Dramatic? Perhaps. But Ultra Violet is not your run of the mill colour. It’s a complex shade and even a bit of a décor challenge – but when used just right – Ultra Violet is truly magical.

Here are 5 tips to expertly illuminate your home with Ultra Violet:

  1. Blend with neutrals or pastels. The intensity of Ultra Violet is part of its allure, but it can be overwhelming in large doses. Use it with quiet neutrals like ivory, light taupe or dove grey to keep your space grounded and aesthetically calming. Pastels are also a beautiful complement to Ultra Violet – choose pale mauve/lilac, blush or very light blue. The effect is serene.
  2. Embrace the drama. If you love strong colours, instead of softening Ultra Violet, maximize its impact by pairing it with dark colours like charcoal or navy, bring in jewel tones and metallics and create a space that’s sophisticated and opulent. Violet is regal and rich – glam it up even more in velvets and silks to create a one-of-a-kind old world escape.

    The Graduate lounge chair in gorgeous violet.

  3. Use it as an accent. Accessories are the easiest way to bring the Ultra Violet trend into your home. What’s more, you need very few violet accessories to make a stunning statement. Try some throw pillows, a duvet, an ottoman, a vase, a side chair, glassware, linens, artwork, or even a kettle.
  4. Choose it for a focal point. You’ll see many pieces of furniture in violet this year. Pick something gorgeous and shape a room around it – a headboard, a tufted sofa or a hall chest. Even a single rug or abstract painting in Ultra Violet can set the tone for a space. The vibrancy of violet brings it forward to dominate a space. Keep the items around it more subtle.

    pantone colour of the year

    Only looking to add a hint of ultra violet to your home? Try some throw pillows.

  5. Add natural violet florals. There are many stunning house plants in shades of purple – Purple Passion, Coleus, Lavender, Wandering Jew and everybody’s favourite, African Violet. Fresh cut irises, hydrangea or springtime lilacs are also purple – and bring the shade to life beautifully in any home. Floral prints in violet for wallpaper and upholstery will be on trend in 2018 too. It’s fresh and fun!

No Comments / Tags: , , / Posted in colour, Design tips, News, Trends

Is Your Home Holiday-Ready? 10 Easy Ways to Get Prepared for the Festive Season!

December 6, 2017 by Stoney Creek Furniture

As the holiday season approaches, we’re getting our homes ready with festive decor. But is your home truly guest ready? Now is a great time to make small changes with a big impact.

Here are a few ideas to make your home wonderfully welcoming for the season ahead:

Getting ready for the holidays!

  1. Do you have enough dining room seating? While you can buy a new dining room suite or a full complement of new chairs, how about simply adding a bench seat or two new featured chairs at either end of the table?
  2. Do you have enough living room seating? How about adding a few poufs? Not only are they fun and trendy, they’re portable too! Also consider a beautifully upholstered bench or a one-of-a-kind accent chair in a gorgeous colour or an ottoman that does double duty as a cocktail table. Be creative!
  3. Does your guest room need an update? If you’re having house guests during the holidays, be sure your guest room is freshened up for the season. How about a new upholstered headboard, a new throw, an accent chair in a bright hue or some new accessories? Let comfort and coziness be your guide!
  4. How about a freshly painted accent wall? It’s so easy to simply repaint one wall – and what a difference it makes! Charcoal grey adds contemporary drama. Red is rich (and festive!). Emerald green is organic and luxurious. Long after the holidays are over, you’ll love how a single accent wall transforms a room.
  5. Add texture with fabrics. Rugs. Draperies. Throws (even sheepskin!). Cushions. Table linens. The holidays are a perfect time to add new fabric accessories to your space. Choose something that will look great into the New Year and beyond. Stripes. Geometrics. Polka dots, Metallic accents. Faux fur. Almost-black neutrals. Saturated jewel tones. There’s so much to choose from!

    Getting ready for the Holidays!

    Getting ready for the Holidays! Shop the latest in accents and accessories at our Stoney Creek and Vaughan locations.

  6. Mirrors reflect light and open a space. I love how a mirror can reinvent a space. How about a large vertical mirror in your hallway? Or a horizontal mirror in your dining room? Or a round mirror over the dresser in the guest room? HINT: Mirrors are especially enchanting when reflecting holiday lights and candles.
  7. How about new dishware or flatware? Looking for a dramatic change without spending a lot? New dishes (even just serving dishes) can update a holiday table and create a whole new vibe. How about classic white or metallic-edged or something funky in a dark neutral? Try gold or gold-edged flatware to be ultra on trend.
  8. New lighting changes everything! Consider new lamps for the guest room, a chandelier for the foyer and sconces for the dining room. Lighting really modifies the mood of a room.
  9. Accent tables add personality and practicality. Accent tables are an ideal way to display bric-a-brac and festive treasures, but more importantly, they provide holiday guests with a place to rest a drink, hold a book or store their personal items. Choose an accent table in metallic gold, distressed grey wood or glass topped to be totally on trend.
  10. Don’t forget accessories! Of course your home is decorated for the holidays, but everyday accessories add charm and personality. Showcase a new piece of wall art, a new collection of family black & white photos or a terrarium with beautiful plant specimens. What makes your home unique makes it beautiful.

Christmas is just around the corner. With these easy changes, you’ll be guest ready in no time!

1 Comment / Tags: , , / Posted in Accents, Accessories, Design tips, Holidays, Tips

Grey Finished Furnishings: Going from Trendy to Timeless

November 27, 2017 by Stoney Creek Furniture

We’re seeing more and more grey finished furnishings this season – in bedroom, dining room and accent pieces too. It’s an exciting trend. And while brown and blonde woods are timeless, grey finishes appear to be taking their own place as classics.

Here’s why we love grey finishes:

Grey suits many décor styles. Sleek and smooth or weathered and distressed, what’s your favourite finish for grey furniture? Whether your style is modern, country chic, or something in between, grey works. Consider the bedroom featured below. It’s contemporary, yet has a rustic touch. The weathered gray showcases the grains of the oak veneers, for a distinctive ‘old means new feeling’ that’s works perfectly for a transitional space.

grey finished furnishings

Belize Bedroom Collection Coming Soon

Grey adds texture and dimension to furniture. Grey brings the nuances of furniture forward, highlighting the details of the wood. The neutrality of grey makes the colour recede and the character of the wood emerge. It’s subtle, yet spectacular.

Grey looks amazing with black, today’s hippest neutral. Whether on walls, appliances or accessories, black is definitely this season’s ‘it’ neutral. But grey continues to dominate. A gentler neutral, grey furniture is less extreme than black – and will stand the test of time in your home.

grey finished furnishings

Proximity Heights Collection Coming Soon

Grey awakens metallics. Grey complements metallics, whether silver and pewter or brass and copper. The quiet neutrality of grey showcases the shimmer of metallics, whereas more dramatic colours would compete for attention.

Grey is diverse. Don’t limit your thinking about grey! It’s a surprisingly diverse colour, going from very warm to cool, from very light to dramatically dark. The mood and experience you want to create will determine your ideal shade of grey for furnishings and beyond. For example, look at the gorgeous bedroom featured with the lush smoky finish. It’s Asian influenced, clean, tailored and sleek. It creates a modern, glamourous feeling.

grey finished furnishings

Proximity Heights Collection Coming Soon

Grey is versatile. Grey furnishings blend well with almost any décor palette, softening brights, complementing other neutrals, grounding jewel tones and enriching pastels. Some may even say that grey furnishings are more versatile than traditional woods! Grey adds instant sophistication to any shade.

Grey links other colours. Think of grey like a palate cleanse for your home! It creates a bridge between brighter colours, a welcome sigh for your senses. Grey brings disparate shades together with its sophisticated neutrality. It creates a pedestal of sorts to display other colours and more vibrant pieces, allowing them to take centre stage while it anchors the space beautifully.

If you’re considering new furniture for your bedroom, dining room – or just an accent console or cocktail table – consider grey finished furnishings. It’s a fresh alternative that will look great year after year.

1 Comment / Tags: , , , , , / Posted in Accents, Bedroom, Decor, Design tips, Furniture, Trends

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