Join us for this year's Fraser Valley's Women's Expo in March. We will be on hand to answer any of your home decor questions, and doing Chalk Paint™ demonstrations both on stage and in our booth so you can see how you can create a beautiful life! Save the date, March 4, 5, 6, 2016. Take a peek to see all the presenters. Scroll down to find a handy poster you can download and print at the bottom of this post. See you there! FV Women's Expo 2016 Poster

We are thrilled to offer you Annie Sloan's Mini Project Pack! A perfect way to update your favourite piece of furniture, perhaps a bedside table or favourite chair. These packs are perfect for any small project; think stool, floating shelf, trunk. Each Mini Project Pack has 2 x 100ml of (your choice of colours!), and 100 ml covers approximately 1.3 square meters. Also included are 1 x 120ml of Clear Soft Wax, 1 x 120ml of Dark Soft Wax, and 1 x Small Pure Bristle Brush. Available in store only.

Celebrate love for Valentines Day! Did you know that Valentine’s Day was first associated with romantic love in the Middle Ages? English writer, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote extensively about courtly love, depicting chivalrous knights who performed daring tasks and services to Ladies to prove their undying love. But it wasn't until the 18th century before Valentine’s Day became an occasion for lovers to present gifts and greeting cards to express their love.

"Many are the starrs I see, but in my eye no starr like thee." - English saying

To help you choose the perfect gift to celebrate and express your love, here are our top picks at our shop for Valentines Day, we definitely have something for everyone, and to celebrate all kinds of love!

The Inspiration Photo: For the perfectly imperfect antiqued look that remains en vogue with furniture, finding just the right piece done the way you want can be a challenge of time, funds, and patience. However, creating your ideal piece is easier than you think and the best--and most fun--way of ensuring you end up with exactly what you want. Now combing antique markets or furniture sales isn’t limited to the finish; falling in love with a piece of furniture can be all about the bones of a piece. With the right supplies and a little bit of technique, you’ll be finishing it to perfect imperfection in no time. The Before Photo: We suggest starting with an inspiration image, and your choice of  Annie Sloan paint colour. We went with one coat of Louis Blue, using Annie’s brush, for a French-inspired
final product. Apply one coat of paint to the entire piece. Quality brushes truly make a difference and, if kept clean and taken care of, will accompany you through many painting projects. Don’t be afraid of the brush: use it with gusto and in differing strokes to encourage texture. As most of Annie’s colours are one-coat coverage, we covered the entire piece with one, fairly thick coat of the Louis Blue. Once dry, we followed up with  a second coat on the top and used a blow dryer to create a cracked appearance. Next, we highlighted the piece’s detail with Pure White to match our inspiration photo. Dragging your brush through the carved detail gives that extra hint of colour and depth. Don’t be too concerned with coverage in this step.

We then applied Annie Sloan Soft Clear Wax to the entire piece as it is the perfect partner to Chalk Paint, developed to work together and used for protection and to give a beautiful mellow finish. Next we added gold gilding wax here and there for a dash of sparkle and elegance. Using only a very little bit on your finger, smooth it in the grooves to create a patina. Again, we’re not overly concerned with being exact or coverage; it’s all about highlighting beauty. Next we add Annie Sloan Dark Wax to highlight all of the texture we’ve created and the carved details, and take down the gold gilding. It’s our preference to use a  Wax Brush here, and one for each colour: a dark wax is applied with a dark wax brush and another for the clear wax as you do not want to cross-contaminate your wax brush! :) Once we love our finish, leave it overnight to cure and buff with a clean, soft cloth in the morning, and then attach your hardware.The soft wax produces a shine that is lasting and lustrous. Beware: this process can get addicting, especially with the world of colour Annie Sloan paints opens up, it’s easy to change up the entire feel of your space with one piece of furniture. We’d love to see your “Before” and “After” shots! Feel free to leave them in the comments below. The entire piece can be a intense day project for the seasoned DIYer, or a comfortable weekend project. If you’re looking for further guidance, sign up to take one of our Basics + More workshop!

 

 

Meet Natalie on the left and M.J. on the right.[/caption] If you’ve been in the store recently, you may have noticed a couple new friendly faces among the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping. Now that the dust has settled, we’d like to take the time to introduce our two new creative and lovely team members, M.J. and Natalie! M.J. came to discover The Passionate Home after starting her creative journey towards fulfilling a Diploma in Interior Design at The Art Institute of Vancouver. “Becoming part of The Passionate Home team has been an amazing experience. I truly enjoy the excitement that you see in our customers eyes when they realize that the possibilities are endless when it comes to being creative with Chalk Paint™ Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan". She has a natural talent for design and style and we’re looking forward to seeing how she helps you become passionate about your home! Natalie was looking for a creative outlet to fill her new-found free time, now that her kids are back in school. With a love for people and decorating, joining The Passionate Home Team was the perfect answer for Natalie's endless creative energy.   "I love all the creative ideas customers share, and all I have discovered that is possible with Chalk Paint™ Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan. Work feels like grown up playtime!" Please feel free to introduce yourselves to M.j and Natalie next time you’re in the store!

“Life is beautiful! And even more so if you are living a life filled with happiness, peace and contribution.  A beautiful life is one that makes you feel fully alive, is full of inspiration and creates a deeper, more connected environment for us to live in.” ~Lifehack Expert, Paula Lawes

This year, at The Passionate Home, our focus is to help you create your beautiful life and become your go-to source for supplies for your DIY projects: from old doors and windows, to hardware and those hard-to-find character pieces we all love. We also want to inspire you by sharing Chalk Paint™ Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan through our workshop series and project ideas. Our workshops are a great way to learn new skills that will give you a sense of accomplishment and increase your love for your house and home. We already have a new workshop planned for January, building your own footstool crate, and you can get all the information here! We have some exciting opportunities coming up this year and you will not want to miss out on anything –especially if you are planning a kitchen make-over or renovation in the near future (hint, hint). Be sure to sign up to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Also, sign up to receive our newsletter straight to your inbox so you don't miss out on creating your beautiful life this 2016! We are excited for the year ahead –let’s get this party started! Carrie and The Passionate Home Team

Our specialty is to re-purpose the lost into the lovely, the unique into the must-have. Blessed with work like this, it’s tough to pick your favourite from the mountain of gems we stock. But after much deliberation, our staff curated a special selection of meaningful and eclectic gifts that will make your holiday sparkle and shine. Your Holiday 2016 Gift Guide awaits. MJ Classic, timeless, and oh-so-chic. This French glassware set with bee detail does double-duty, either enhancing the casual get-together or adding whimsy to formal dinner parties. Solid and drenched in tradition since 1475, it’s the perfect set for a holiday table or to gift the La Lochere collector on your list.

Natalie Sid Dickens’ amazing 3-D memory blocks are beautiful at first glance and packed with symbolism that invites people to add their own meaning. Affordable, movable, desirable with that timeless quality of enduring beauty that comes with personal history. Thus, they make the perfect gift, becoming part of the collector’s personal story. Plus, they look great together on the wall, no matter which combination you choose.

 

 

Carrie I can’t get enough of this amazing industrial chandelier because it may not be something someone would purchase for themselves but it is something someone would LOVE to receive. It is an artistic statement of style in addition to the pure function of lighting. This chandelier is something a little gourmet, rather than that traditional pair of slippers or jammies!

 Melanie Secret Jewels Candles are the ultimate indulgence for every woman on your list. Intoxicating scents for the home with a special keepsake piece of jewelry inside (ranging from $10-$200); pure genius. It’s two gifts in one sweet little package. Each Secret Jewels soy wax candle is hand-poured and lasts up to 100 hours.

 Elinor Fraser Fir 3-Wick Candles from Thymes are the quintessential Christmas candle. Nothing beats the fragrance of a just-cut real tree at Christmas to evoke holiday memories and provide the perfect scent for new holiday traditions. These elegant candles make a lovely hostess gift.

Mark Annie Sloan Chalk Paint™ is a life-changer for the DIYer on your list, especially one who can’t get enough of French Country chic. Its versatile properties allow it to change things to suit any space, is time-saving in that it doesn’t require a primer, and even works on fabric and upholstery. It’s the gift that gives all year long!

 

 

 Lori For the Fashionista on your list, or even the vintage-lover who has it all, one-of-a-kind Mona B Bags are the perfect accessory for every outfit. Up-cycled from durable truck tarps and military tents, these totes, market bags, and purses are as unique as the recipient.

 Let us know in the comments below if you have a favourite product you’d like to recommend! We look forward to seeing you at The Passionate Home to help you pick out something for everyone on your list!

2015...who knew! At the beginning of this year we shared a quote, "If you stumble, make it part of the dance." Well, we have being doing just that and I don't think our dancing feet have stopped to rest! We had some ideas and set goals for this year, some we met, some we did not and some new ones just rocked our world! I think that you can set out a plan but the real success is in being flexible enough to change it and remembering to celebrate the wins, learn from the losses and to keep the music flowing! In 2015 we introduced our new logo and refreshed our website. We added new workshops and still plan on adding more in 2016. We took part in many events and markets, more than any other year. We introduced you to Mark, our Home Decor Consultant, and this fall we welcomed two new ladies to our family - MJ and Natalie! April was our BIG announcement and that is when our feet really started to dance as we moved right across the courtyard where we increased our square footage by about two and a half times!! There has been no looking back and no regrets. Another quote from our January 2015 newsletter was, "I am fully prepared to fail but also fully prepared to work hard to succeed." I think 2015 was a success and I fully acknowledge that The Passionate Home's success is a community success. Thank you to our supportive customers, our incredible pickers, our hardworking and caring staff, my loving family and friends and Annie Sloan! One of the best things about success is to celebrate it and all those who made it possible. This December, before you start making resolutions for the New Year, I hope you take the time to look back on your year and find the successes, take time to celebrate them, to celebrate yourself and those around you. The Passionate Home team wishes you and your family a very Merry Christmas, health and happiness always! Enjoy the season, turn up the music and dance! xo

 

$4411

That's the amount you helped us raise for the Langley Christmas Bureau at our Chairs for Charity auction. It was a wonderful night and we are overwhelmed and humbled by the people that came together to support those less fortunate and help make a difference in our community. A huge thank you goes out to each one of you that attended the event and parted with your hard-earned dollars to support this important cause. As always we have many people to thank for their dedication and hard work:

• All of our chair and furniture donors as well as the businesses in Langley that donated gift baskets for our silent auction
• Teresa Penner: for the gorgeous spread of appetizers and treats
• Jim: for acting as our auctioneer
• Ron: for serenading us with some wonderful music
• Steve Hayek: for recording the event with his photographs

Last but most certainly not least, our staff for their tireless dedication to making this event happen. Thank you! Carrie Please enjoy this gallery of photos by Steve Hayek (Click on an image to enlarge & browse gallery)

We are so beyond excited for Thursday, November 5th - it's our Fifth Annual Chairs for Charity Auction benefiting the Langley Christmas Bureau. We mentioned previously that this year is bigger and better than ever and will be so much fun! Really, who doesn't want to spend and evening with friends while listening to live music, sipping wine and sampling some wonderful appetizers and all for a good cause? Is your mouth watering yet?

We are so full of gratitude for our wonderful donors; the local businesses in Downtown Langley have, once again, banded together and we're thrilled to have a variety of gift baskets available in our silent auction. So..if you don't want a chair there's still lots of great items to bid on. We have silent auction items from:

• 1 Fish 2 Fish Fresh Seafood Market
• Bojan High End Kitchens
• Forever Yours Lingerie
• Frosting Cupcakery
• Harvey Pet Food
• Living Langley Real Estate
• Rosemary Wallace
• Stimuli Magazine

Now, let's talk about chairs. We say this every year but the chairs and furniture this year are some of the best we've ever had and you're not going to want to miss out. All of our chairs and furniture will be on the LIVE auction block this year with donations from:

• Carrie, owner of The Passionate Home
• Duane from Out of Line Designs
• Elinor, our Chalk Paint™ Specialist
• Kristy from 4 the love of WOOD
• Mark, our Home Decor Consultant
• John from Second Chance Furnishings
• Reid, our in-house upholsterer
• Hannah - customer extraordinaire
• Tricia and Jaxon - a wonderful customer and her niece

And if all that isn't enough...we've got chair massage! Nancy from Light on Your Feet has generously donated her time and will be at the event offering chair massages by the minute with all funds going to the Langley Christmas Bureau. With only a few days left before the event tickets ($10) are selling quickly but there are still some available. They can be purchased for $10 either in-store prior to the event or online at here.