Tartan, a timeless classic

Commonly associated with Celtic cultures, tartans (also known as plaid in North America and checks in England) are multi coloured patterns composed of crisscrossed, vertical and horizontal bands.

Being a Scot I love tartan and have always wanted to incorporate it into one of my rooms but have yet to find the right room to do it in. My husband brought me home a red tartan wool throw from a trip to Edinburgh which I take out at Holiday time to add a splash of red and keep me toasty warm.

The closest I got to decorating with a tartan theme was a tablescape I created in a store in which I worked. I used red tartan runners on a beautiful farmhouse table which had a rich wood top and black painted legs. Lots of greenery was used as a centerpiece mixed with natural elements of pinecones and red berries. Plain white basic china was used and it really popped on the red plaid. We sold out of the table and chairs so I must have done my job in merchandising with that particular display!

If I ever own a cottage and spend the holidays in it red plaid will be my decorating scheme with lots of evergreens, pinecones and some red and ivory pillows in rich velvets and textured cable knits and my wool throw of course and perhaps an antler chandelier!

In the November issue of House and Home magazine I noticed Canadian Tire has a line of tree decorations with a plaid theme called “A Canadian Christmas” by Debbie Travis – check out the ad it’s very creative done like a family portrait with everyone and everything clad in red tartan.

If you do decorate with a tartan scheme for Christmas I am jealous so send me a picture and I will pull out my red tartan throw and dream about my cottage!

For great tartan pieces check out The Plaid Place in Halifax or The Scottish Lion in Bedford.

Let’s get comfortable

What to look for when buying major pieces

When many of us were young the “Living Room” was only used for guests and on very special occasions, a strange name for a room rarely lived in. Nowadays we are much more relaxed about entertaining and the “Living Room” has many different functions and is thankfully one of the most used spaces in the home.

The furnishings in our homes nowadays have to be comfortable, functional and stylish and be able to withstand a lot more wear and tear than in the past.

When choosing a piece such as a sofa, here are some of the key points to look out for:

SIZE – Decide where the sofa will go, measure the space carefully. Sofas are measured from outside edge of arms for width, front edge to outside of back for depth and floor to tallest point of hard back not cushions which can be removed) for height. Three big comfort factors are seat depth, back height and back pitch. If you live in a condo or apartment take elevator measurements and door widths in stairwells. Many a sofa had been returned to a store because it would not fit in an elevator!

CUSHIONS – Decide how much you want to fuss and fluff these. Lowest maintenance is a foam cushion wrapped in polyfibre to round the edges. Polyfibre and foam can vary in quality so do your research and ask in the store how the cushions are constructed , a good salesperson should have this info available. Very high end sofas can have a combination of down and a foam core or all down, the height of comfort but can be hard to maintain with the constant plumping of pillows.

INSIDES – Because you can’t see “under the hood” ask for a spec sheet.

FRAMES – Whenever possible get hardwood or engineered hardwood, kiln dried to remove moisture and prevent warping. Corner blocks should be screwed into place and parts doweled, glued and high pressure nailed to give stability. Springs are another thing to look out for. Some hand tied springs may come undone and need repairing in years to come.

COVER – A lot depends on how you live, if you have children or pets and the look and style you are after. Look for durability, cleanability and softness and if you like to change your look with the seasons a custom slipcover may be the way to go.

Happy shopping!