Fabric Sourcing.

If there's one thing I've learned from years of "studying" Sarah Richardson and Tommy Smythe, it's that a well-designed room begins with a jumping-off point, and that point is usually a great fabric.  If you don't have access to designer-only resources and a budget for $200-a-yard selections, finding amazing and unique choices can be tricky.  There are a couple great places in Halifax, but that isn't always enough.  Lately, I've bought great yardage of unique fabric online from Fabric.com.  Local is better, and it's always nice to be able to feel the fabric before you buy, but if you're looking to pick up a yard or two here and there, it's a great choice.  Their prices can't be beat and they provide helpful details about the fabric (repeat, weight, available yardage, etc.).

They have a great feature called the "design wall" where you can save thumbnails of fabrics you're considering.  I've been using this feature to sort through ideas for our living room scheme (my current favourites are above).  I think Sarah and Tommy would be proud!