Showhomes are great sources of inspiration. Often a collaboration of many different designers, showhomes are great for showing the latest design trends and can give you ideas about new materials and furnishings, paint colours, and how to layout and decorate rooms. Some of my favourite showhomes are the Hampton Designer Showcase, the annual HGTV Dream Home giveaway, and the Kips Bay Showhouse.

So when House & Home magazine (my fave design mag) recently designed a showhome, you knew the results wouldn't disappoint. They've designed the Princess Margaret Hospital Sweepstakes Showhome in a "modern farmhouse" style. You can check out the videos on the House & Home site (they're revealing a new video tour of a different room every week) and see how lovely this home is. It has a real quiet elegance about it... I love the white oak floors, the serene palette of bone white, natural wood, and gunmetal gray. Its not over the top and I think really fits in with the trends toward more natural Belgian design that Restoration Hardware and others are putting out. There's some great design tips in the videos too - like using a carpet runner at the foot of your bed for a pop of colour (I would never have thought of that!). The best part is that funds from the sale of tickets for the Sweepstakes go towards cancer care and research. As that's a cause dear to me, thought I'd let you know about this opportunity to win something beautiful and do some good at the same time.