{that one great thing} Michelle's store clips

While I'm wrapping my head around a particularly difficult bit of writing today (oh, deadlines), I thought I'd hand things over to the talented Michelle Carangi of Montreal design firm, Holley & Gill, who, along with her husband Conrad Buck, creates gorgeous cushions and headboards with hand-printed patterns - love their Feathers design - in water-based inks on 100% cotton. Anyway, after meeting Michelle at the Interior Design Show I bugged her into contributing that one great thing, and she picked some very handy-dandy vintage clips.

Michelle Carangi: On becoming home owners almost seven years ago, Conrad and I have collected many special little items that have allowed us to inject some personality into our decor. 

Most of our finds have been vintage as of late simply because our taste tends to sway more towards the traditional and classic. Having been lucky enough to have traveled quite a bit over the last couple of years, we’ve collected so many different postcards, business cards and photos from places we’ve been and from people we’ve met. And so, when I found this set of vintage wall-mount store clips from Etsy shop AM Radio, I knew it would be the perfect solution to display them all. 

We need to be surrounded by what we love, and we’ve learned, sometimes the hard way, that buying things because they’re on trend will result in pieces that have no meaning and ultimately end up collecting dust. Whenever I walk by this display, I walk by all of our happy and unique memories and can add to it forevermore.

Sitting on Tartan

Sitting on a classic Blackwatch Tartan to be exact, which is what you'll be able to do with one of the new collections from Sung Outdoor, the outdoor line designed by Alfred Sung. The other night I actually got to meet Alfred (who is an incredibly dapper chap) as well as creative director for the line, Jordin Mimran, and hear how Blackwatch Tartan is Alfred's fave fabric and how the design team worked incredibly hard to get the colour and pattern on the handwoven faux wicker just right. Oh, and get this - The peppy (and kinda preppy) Blackwatch collection is available to order exclusively at the IDS, so head down this weekend to give it a test drive.

Lath and plaster and carpets

While this weekend is going to be bananas, it's also definitely gonna be fun. One thing that I'll for sure be doing on Saturday is checking out all the hot design openings for Do West Design that'll be happening along Dundas West between Bathurst and Grace. One must-see for me will be the collaboration between a couple o' friends of mine, Bev Hisey and Donna Griffith, that'll be happening at R.A.D. 899 Dundas West. Bev has been going through a major home reno and was so inspired by the lath and plaster discovererd during the demolition that not only did Donna capture it on film (take a look at some of the gorgeous pics here), Bev also created carpets with the same look and feel. Click here to get a Do West Design postcard and map.

There's tons more happening in the city for the IDS and the Toronto International Design Festival so I'd suggest a little pre-planning is in order. You can download a TIDF guide and discount passport here, and for more info on off-site design shenanigans (with parties, exhibits, lectures and maps) you can download a Toronto Design Offsite app for your iPhone here.

The gig is up

I got to meet Davide Tonizzo last year while I was hosting a Pecha Kucha Toronto design talk down at Harbourfront. Davide was super nice, especially since I totally mashed up his name while running through his bio. Now, with the Interior Design Show about to crash land in Toronto this weekend, Davide got in touch about his latest work, a multi-functional piece called Gig which'll be debuting at the show. It looks like a perfect solution for a small space, and is designed to easily flip from seating to lounging to sleeping. Oh, and his stop-go animation music video (that's DT playing) is extra fun as well.

And, in case you're planning on being at the IDS on Professional Trade Day this coming Friday, be sure to catch another Pecha Kucha Toronto talk happening at 5pm, with the likes of photographer George Whiteside, artist Bruno Billio and architect Brigitte Shim.

IDS Design Weekend with Arren Williams {giveaway}

Well this should be fun! The lovely folks at the Interior Design Show have organized a fantabulous prize for the much anticipated IDS11 happening Jan 27-30. Yep, you've got the chance to win an IDS Design Weekend with Arren Williams (errr, yes, that's me!). Along with 2 tix to the Opening Night shindig, you'll get 2 tix to my Arren Williams Up Close & Personal Talk (presented by Graham & Brown and Crown Wallpaper & Fabrics) which also include entry to the show, and 2 swanky nights at the InterContinental Toronto Centre hotel!

Here are all the deets:

To enter for a chance* to win an IDS Design Weekend with Arren Williams (2 IDS Opening Night Tickets, 2 tickets to the Arren Williams Up Close & Personal Talk, and 2 nights stay at the InterContinental Toronto Centre), follow these easy steps: 

1. Leave a comment below the contest blog post (please include your email where asked) explaining why you'd like to win, before Monday Jan 24th at 12pm EST. 

2. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator and will be announced by email and as an update to this post on the morning of Tuesday Jan 25th at 9am EST. Good Luck! 

NOTE: The prize does not include transportation.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  Void where prohibited.  Odds depend on number of applicants who participate.  Retail value of prize $518.00. Participants may enter the contest by following the steps mentioned above by Monday Jan 24th, 12pm Eastern time.  Applicants must be of the age of majority in his/her province or territory of residence or older at the time of entry to participate and win. Contest open to Canadian residents, excluding residents of Quebec. Contest winner will be announced on ArrenWilliams.com, contacted via blog post comments, and must correctly answer a skill-testing question to win a prize.  Contestants may send a self-addressed stamped envelope to 10 Alcorn Avenue, Suite 100 Toronto, ON  M4V 3A9 to enter for a chance to win.  Rules are available upon request. MMPI Privacy Policy.

IDS10: The storm before the storm

Nope, that title isn't a typo. While that single snap below doesn't give too much away (and makes it all look rather calm), things have been a little on the crazy side as the clock ticks down to the IDS10 Gala opening. Today all the Graham & Brown wallpaper made it up (after a slight meltdown on my part since we were trying to avoid mudding the seams between the plywood wall panels - and yes, of course we couldn't avoid it), all the Kohler fixtures were set in place and all the furniture and accessories were loaded in (thanks for the hand Meg!) and everything was covered in drop cloths to avoid a mammoth dust job early tomorrow. Ah yes, and talking of tomorrow there is still a ton of spit and polish before the space is done. Maybe cloning actually works? I'll have to look into it...

IDS 10: Big trucks and letterpress

Yesterday morning I was on a truck at 5am driving down to the Interior Design Show to offload and start setup. Okay, I'm taking a moment to whinge here: There is almost nothing I hate more than driving a truck, seriously, well perhaps raw celery, but that's another story. By 7am I was in and offloaded, along with my contractors two trucks and a van, and work started. The floor was screwed together pretty sharpish, then the walls went up, and by now, 24 hours later, the floor tiles will have been completed, along with the grout. Next up is this wallpaper from Graham & Brown!

In my bleary I-haven't-had-coffee brain of yesterday morning I forgot to bring my camera to document the progress. Sheesh. So instead, since I think this is really rather cool and I love a peek behind the scenes, here's a great video by Quarter Productions that shows Repeat Press making letterpress coasters for Highsnobiety and Selectism. Oh, and the bluesy soundtrack is brilliant.

IDS10: Butterflies and blurry dressers

Things are reaching boiling point in getting everything confirmed for the Ultimate space I'm working on for the IDS and, so far at least, things have been going in the right direction. Bev Hisey has come up with a brilliant prototype for something called a Butterfly Chair (there's a snap below of her playing around with the materials). All I can say right now is they're huge, cool and incredibly comfortable. Beyond that snap you'll see a couple of blurry cellphone shots of vintage furniture that is currently going from icky to spectacular at Beresford's, getting a lovely new coat of colour. McMaster by Para to be exact. Well, lol, that was the plan, until I went to actually buy them both and found that one had already sold. Blurgh. And it was that weirdly gorgeous vanity with the mirror. Double blurgh. These things are sent to try us, as someone so wisely said, so I found a pretty fair replacement. Honestly, that piece was so mine, and it was only $40 (I will now be kicking myself for the next while, and should really listen to my own rule of buy it when you see it).

IDS10: The work has begun

Well, the work started months ago really, first with the out-of-the-blue phone call inviting me to design one of the Ultimate spaces for the Interior Design Show. That led to meetings galore. Next, as soon as I'd decided on the inspiration for the 700 sq. ft. space - which I'm totally excited to say is Calvin Klein Euphoria - I set to wrangling every little detail and hashing out the concept and drawings with Boychuk + Fuller, ordering swanky fixtures from Kohler and absolutely fantabulous Italian tiles from Savoia. I guess you figured out it's a possibly a bathroom (lol) and, talking of tiles, they just arrived (phew) off of the boat from Italy.

Right now Cera Stone is pre-building the space in a warehouse, it'll then be disassembled and put back together - a bit like a jigsaw puzzle - on site at the MTCC, where we'll have 4 1/2 days to completely finish it. Okay... I'm trying not to hyperventilate. Take a look below and you'll see we're at the plywood-y bare bones stage, all I can say is thank heavens there's a Home Depot right around the corner!

Inedibly gorgeous

I was explaining this morning how the Holidays are making me feel - Christmas is the iceberg and I am the Titanic. I guess I'm feeling a bit of seasonal stress, lol. It's been a busy week taping a CityLine - you can catch the show this coming Monday - shooting book covers in studio and one outdoors on location (in a very balmy -10C), plus gearing up even more for the Interior Design Show. Oh, and not to mention I have a pile of cards that have to be written, addressed, stamped and posted. Oy.

In the meantime this e-card popped into my in-box this morning and was too delicious not to share. Cupcakes, yes, but look closer and you'll realise they're all made of fabric (though I think I still got a sugar high looking at the shot). Maybe Lelievre, the swish French fabric house behind the shot, should get into the buttercream icing and baking business?

Bake at 350 for 15 hours...

Here's a few snaps - and a bit of a sneak peek - of one of the 12 Trees of Christmas at the Gardiner Museum. This witty and minimal Brobdingnagian cookie cutter-meets-tree was designed by the talented duo of Boychuk+Fuller, and fashioned out of aluminum by a local metal firm. All 12 trees will be on exhibit until Dec 10th, though tonight, if you hit the Gardiner's swanky gala, you'll have a chance to bid at a silent auction to snag one for your own place (or donate it to your fave charity). And yep, it's for a good cause with all funds raised supporting programming and education at the museum. Oh, and I might be a wee bit biased, lol, since Alana and Tristan of Boychuk+Fuller are working with me on my Ultimate space for the Interior Design Show.

   

   

5 quick questions: Barbara Hulanicki

You possibly won't stumble across too many folks who have launched a capsule fashion collection for Brit fashion fave TopShop, as well as rustled up a stunner of a wallpaper line (all gorgeously flocked) for Graham & Brown and designed the interiors of a slew of hotels in Miami, let alone had someone write a musical based on your life, and have a documentary about you debut to rave reviews. I'm talking fashion and design icon Barbara Hulanicki, who first stepped into the spotlight in the mid-Sixties when she opened the doors on Biba - her incredibly influential boutique - in London, and who kindly said yes to answering 5 quick questions.

Below you'll see a couple of snaps from Flock, her swish collection for G&B which - yes - includes flocked skulls, as well as Marie Antoinette-ish portraits. You'll also spot a pic of the kind of inlaid bone furniture that's inspiring Barbara right now (found here), as well as a trailer for November Film's Beyond Biba documentary.

For more on Barbara Hulanicki click here, and to check out the rest of the 5 quick questions interviews click here. And! Be sure to check out the Interior Design Show in Jan '10, when I'll have the pleasure of talking design with Barbara on stage. 

Arren Williams: What's inspiring you right now?

Barbara Hulanicki: The tropical weather and Indian bone inlayed furniture.

AW: Is there anything you hate to see when you walk into a room?

BH: A white sofa.

AW: What's the next thing you have your eye on for your own house?

BH: A Colombian sisal rug which has a silver metallic weave.

AW: How would you describe your style, and has it changed over the years?

BH: I am very eclectic. I become a chameleon with each client or project.

AW: What's next for you?

BH: I would love to start coordinated Biba Home shops!

    

Shoot me now

I wore a suit three times last week, a change for me since I'm usually in jeans as well as being fairly grubby from lugging and schlepping. The snaps below, where you can see me on one of those rare occasions, are a behind the scenes peek at a shoot for the upcoming Interior Design Show. And that crew that I'm pictured with, other than being devilishly handsome, are all the folks that have been invited to create the design spaces at the IDS 10. Our theme is The Ultimate, so you can expect to see fabulously interesting/sexy/cool spaces created by myself, architect Drew Mandel, Jason MacIsaac of Ministry of the Interior, and Alessandro Munge and Sai Leung of the design firm Munge Leung who are working with nightclub and restaurant impresario Charles Khabouth of Ink Entertainment. It was a huge honour to be invited to take part and I'm still sketching, researching and refining the concept for my project, but as soon as I know more you'll be the first to hear! [Images: James Kachan]