Your bathroom is more than just a functional space; it’s a sanctuary where you can unwind and rejuvenate. If you’re looking to elevate your bathroom’s aesthetic, we’ve gathered our best tips to get you started. From creating a spa-like space on a budget to designer-approved home decor ideas, read on to learn how you can turn your bathroom into your dream oasis.

Looking for more design advice? Learn how to enhance your entryway and front porch, and discover 4 easy ways to create a healthy home environment.

Have you always harboured a desire to live by the water? Now, you can manifest that dream by crafting a home aesthetic infused with nautical touches, turning your living space into a serene coastal haven. Uncertain about where to begin? Draw inspiration from the Camrose model home at our Empire Canals community in Welland, ON. From a classic blue and white colour palette to water-inspired murals, shiplap wall details, light-toned wooden decor, and accent wallpaper with prints of leaves, here are five ways to transform your home into a coastal retreat.

Here are a few pieces to get your coastal retreat started.

Interested in replicating this coastal aesthetic? A new release of homes is coming to Canals in February 2024, providing you with the perfect opportunity to bring this design style to life.

Feeling inspired? Check out these tips to maximize every space in your home and learn how to style your fireplace and mantel like a designer.

Images courtesy of: Amazon (HB Velvet Pillow Covers — Blue); Structube (Rodney Lamp); Etsy (Humpback Whale Print); Wayfair (Louella Coffee Table, Hancock Upholstered Pouf); Houzz (Tropical Blue Palm Leaf Wallpaper Roll); Hovia (Whale Tale Mural Wallpaper); Anthropologie (Selena Rattan Shelving Unit).

From greenery and furnishings to lighting and colour palettes, we’ve compiled some of our most popular blog posts on entryways and front porches to create a one-stop shop of design tips. Put your design hat on and get ready to curate a home entrance that’ll leave a lasting impression.

Looking for more design advice? Learn how to light every room in your home and discover how to give your ordinary household items a refresh.

Ever toured one of our model homes and fallen in love with the beautifully curated furniture and decor? Now, imagine bringing that same style and charm into your own space. Through our partnership with MINE, Empire makes it easier than ever to transform your home into a reflection of your style. From designer-selected pieces to complete home looks, you can create a space that feels just as inspired as the ones you’ve dreamed of.

A Tip for New Homebuyers

While it’s tempting to start shopping for furniture and décor before closing day, waiting until after your home purchase is finalized ensures your financing remains on track. Once you’ve officially closed, you can bring your dream home to life with confidence — and all the beautiful details that make it yours.

For more design inspiration, discover our Designer-Approved Tips to Maximize Every Space in Your Home and our Guide to Curating a Capsule Home Decor Collection, offering expert advice to enhance your space with thoughtful design.

Greenery is a great way to enhance your outdoor living area, whether you have a large backyard or a small patio. But what if you have limited outdoor space?

Fear not, because with a little creativity and some guidance, you can create the outdoor area of your dreams, even if you don’t have the square footage. We’ve rounded up our top gardening tips and tricks for small spaces so you can spruce up your outdoor area and patio of any size into an oasis.

• Garden Art: Consider adding art to your balcony, such as a sculpture or wind chimes; this adds instant personality and style to your outdoor space.
• Potted plants/herbs: A few small pots of herbs or flowers can make a big difference in livening up a balcony. Plus, you can use the herbs or veggies in your cooking.

• Impatiens: These colourful annuals are easy to grow and come in a wide range of shades, from soft pastels to vibrant hues.
• Ferns: Ferns come in many different varieties, from delicate fronds to bold and bushy plants. They add a lush, tropical feel to shaded spaces.

• Dwarf fruit trees: If you have enough sun and space in your home’s outdoor area, you can grow dwarf fruit trees in large pots. Some go-to options include citrus trees and dwarf apple trees.
• Succulents: Great for small spaces, succulents don’t require a lot of water or maintenance, making them perfect plants for those who don’t have a ton of time to water their greens on a daily basis.

Looking for some additional inspiration to create a beautiful outdoor space in a small area? Here are a few of the stunning homes in our communities that prove a little creativity, and some well-chosen plants and accessories can go a long way.

Next, discover the top five essentials for your backyard and learn how you can build a beautiful backyard.

Images courtesy of: GardenWorks (Hanging Baskets); Beyond Behnke’s (Begonias).

Which design style resonates most with you? Take a look at the top four design styles we used to decorate our professionally-staged units at Empire Maven — our boutique and luxury residence on Avenue Road — to gather inspiration for your own home-decorating journey. Once you’ve purchased your dream home, you’ll have a catalog of beautiful design styles to draw upon.

1. Timeless and Contemporary

This Timeless and Contemporary look makes a space feel luxurious yet comfortable at the same time. With this design, the majority of furniture is kept neutral, while simple accessories add texture and contrast to each room. This way, the home is left bright and airy, bringing attention to the design elements or decor pieces that owners want to showcase most like architectural details or artwork. It’s best suited to someone who has a more neutral design aesthetic and avoids cluttered spaces.

2. Mid-Century Modern

Clean lines, muted tones and natural materials are the foundation of any Mid-Century Modern home. In this particular Maven suite, retro-tinged decor and bold pops of colour create an alluring interior design, while a mix of metallics add depth to its neutral palette. In addition to abstract artwork featured throughout, a combination of wood tones gives the space its distinguished and eclectic look while warming up each room. This Mid-Century Modern look is the right design style for those who tend to favour cooler tones, and are looking to create some drama in their home.

3. Classic and Sophisticated

Classic, sophisticated and bold all at once, this particular design style has withstood the test of time, making it the perfect choice for your future home. In this Maven suite, warm ivories, brass metals and navy blue accents were used to create a uniform and cohesive space as residents move from room to room. Velvet furniture is used in combination with patterned pillows and rugs to produce a curated look, with a high-end feel. If you want an interior design that feels elevated but prioritizes comfort at the same time, our Classic and Sophisticated design style is right for you.

4. Clean and Modern

This clean and modern home came to life using a simple colour palette with contrasting accents and nostalgic decor pieces. With modern design as the main inspiration, the home features stone finishes, light hardwood and grey millwork. A mix of light neutrals — including beige, cream and white — were used in various textures to brighten the space and welcome warmth into each room. To create contrast and balance within the space, bold pops of black were incorporated through smaller furniture pieces. This design style aligns with those who want their home to make a statement, but are looking for a more modern look overall.

Interested in living at Maven? Learn more about our move-in ready suites and limited release of townhomes, starting from the low $2 millions. Don’t forget to tour our available inventory at our open house each weekend from 12pm – 3pm. Please note: The new sales office is located at 414 Brookdale Avenue. Street parking is available on Brookdale Avenue and along Avenue Road.

Buying a home is no small feat, and from start to finish it can feel like an absolute whirlwind. When you decide to purchase a home with Empire, you’ll experience what it’s like working alongside our industry-leading team of experts, making the homebuying process as seamless as possible. 

But as many homeowners know, it isn’t over once you’ve signed on the dotted line — designing your home’s interiors is the next big undertaking. Luckily, when it comes to the design of your home, we’ve taken out the guesswork by creating six curated design packages tailored to suit your unique taste and style. When it comes to the names of our design packages, each is a subtle nod to the lifestyle and design brand we’ve created through our blog and magazine. Read on to learn more about each design package, and what our team of design experts have to say about each collection. 

For another dose of interior design inspiration, discover 10 designer-approved tips and tricks for decorating your home, and nine accent walls that are trending right now.

When it comes time to design your home, there’s a lot to decide between — enough decisions to rack anyone’s brain. Which look are you trying to achieve? How about colour schemes? And what’s the best way to lay out your furniture pieces? Some people may turn to the expert opinions of interior designers, but if you’d rather spearhead the design process on your own, there are tools that can assist you with a variety of needs. Design apps are especially handy because you can access them on your mobile or desktop devices, and you can virtually design each room before making any physical changes in your home. Read on to discover our top picks for the best design apps to help furnish your home.

Next, check out these 20 designer-approved ideas to refresh your home’s decor and 8 of the best neutral paint colours for every room.

Photos courtesy of: YouTube (magicplan); IKEA (IKEA Place); Of Mountains and Earth (Havenly); Twitter (Planner 5D).

Having the right kind of lighting can transform the look and feel of any room, but getting it just right can take a little bit of trial and error. Worry no more — with the help of Courtney Collins, Britteny Gallagher, Julia Semon, Liz Combs and Lindsey Wooten from our Atlanta Design Team, we’re exploring how you can easily select the lighting fixtures that will best compliment each room in your home. 

Shop Our Favourites

Shop Our Favourites

Shop Our Favourites

Shop Our Favourites

Shop Our Favourites

For another dose of interior design inspiration, discover 20 designer-approved ideas to refresh your home, and 10 decorating tips for design enthusiasts.

It’s not everyday you have a design expert at your disposal to help you along with designing your home. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Julia Semon, an Associate Designer from our Atlanta Design Team, to bring you the best tips to keep in mind before you embark on this important journey. 

For another dose of interior design inspiration, discover 20 designer-approved ideas to refresh your home.

Images courtesy of: Pottery Barn (Dress Up Your Frames); HGTV (Always Order Samples).