Yesterday was a difficult day - Plumbing issues on a reno I'm working on (we only need 2 handles in the shower, not 3!) and then hours and hours spent walking the halls at the Toronto Gift Show, aka the CGTA. As usual I found some great, beautifully designed authentic gear, more of which you'll see later, but, also as usual, there was tons of terrible stuff. It's almost as if a great idea gets photocopied again and again until you're just seeing a sad ghostly image of the original. So, when I saw a bad rip of Eva Zeisel's fab Century Dinnerware (the real thing is available from Crate & Barrel) I knew it was time to call it a day.

I've heard the word 'authentic' alot recently and it's been really resonating with me - Whether it's things or experiences I think we're all looking for the real deal. Ilse Crawford is someone who I admire greatly, a designer and creative director who I think has that concept down in spades. She started Elle Decoration UK back in the day, and I've been avidly following her work ever since. Her company, StudioIlse, works on some amazing projects, including a recent store design for Aesop, restaurant and hotel design, and also show flats for Notting Hill London. Take a look at one of the flats below.