A chair story, part two

So you might remember a while back I was challenged to makeover a pretty ugly vintage chair by Chatelaine's decor editor Virginie Martocq, well it's time to share all the pics (thanks VM!) with you lot so you can see the results. Firstly I hafta say it wasn't just me involved, since Virginie also dragged in Tommy Smythe, Jeffrey and Deborah Fisher and Candice Olson to re-do chairs too - And looking at the bunch of them together they couldn't be more different.

That first snap shows the chair in all its - ahem - original glory. Next up there's mine, which looks fantastic thanks to inVU Drapery for the delovely DwellStudio Vintage Plumes fabric, as well as tackling the upholstery (you can see all my prep work here). Then Tommy's chair is ultra chic whith a white glossy frame and wide black and white stripe for upholstery. Jeffrey and Deborah slipcovered and skirted theirs, which did a nice job hiding the rather ugly legs. Finally Candice gave hers a preppy tween feel, dressing her chair in white, kelly green and fuchsia. Got a fave? Then you can vote here. [Images: Roberto Caruso]

Back in the bathroom

Hey, I'm finally able to share all the shots by Angus Fergusson (including the spooky before snaps) from that bathroom project I did with Canadian Family mag. It's a pretty sweet makeover and, I hafta say, quite the dramatic change from a bathroom that looked liked something out of the Bates Motel into a bright, glossy and very practical space.

Here are the deets: We re-used the perfectly sized vintage sink (after a very good clean that involved Polident tablets), then changed out all the other fixtures and fittings to pieces from Kohler, including a v. smart WaterSense Escale toilet. We subway tiled from floor to ceiling, and then finished the sloped ceiling in tongue-and-groove, both scored at Home Depot. The floor was penny tiled in marble from Saltillo which, apart from being gorgeous, is nice and safe to walk on with wet feet (and yes, the floor was heated too, with a True Comfort kit from Home Depot). Shelving was added in above the loo, and two marble-lined nooks were added in in the bath area (the surfaces were angled slightly so they drain properly). Finally, the pretty shower curtain was custom made by Tonic Living, and the towels and bath mat were a mix-and-match between Anthropologie and HomeSense. What do you think?

Emergency hot fudge sundae

It has been one of those weeks where I've had occasion to have at least one emergency hot fudge sundae. I guess it's part of the fun of working from home, but in just a few minutes I can cobble together hot fudge sauce with a shot of espresso, chocolate chips, and a spoon of peanut butter, all nuked in the microwave. Toss in a healthy scoop of vanilla frozen yogourt and the world is kept at bay until I get to the bottom of the bowl.

One of the things that got me worked up enough for an emergency HFS was the terrible news that Metropolitan Home mag is closing its doors. December will be the last issue. Sheesh. So to take my mind off things I had a poke around PointClickHome, which MH mag shares with Elle Decor, and discovered this cool little makeover. It's Carrie Fisher's dressing room at Studio 54, the nightclub-turned-performance space where she's performing her fantabulous one-woman show Wishful Drinking. Anyways, check out the beastly before, and then see what wonder was wrought by designer John Gidding in what must have been a dizzying 2 weeks. For more, click here for the full story. [Images: Joshua Thomas]  

 

   

A nice little before and after

Taking some mucky old thing and giving it a new life it quite the most fun side of my job. I'd mentioned a while back here that I was working on a nursery for CityLine and we'd scored a great vintage teak rocking chair through Kijiji (that involved a late night drive to someone's garage in the 'burbs, and it was a steal...). Well, the project is almost finished - the baby is due in 3 weeks! - so I'd popped in to pick up the chair at the upholsterer's, Mieda Design, and I hafta say; I do love how it turned out! The fabric we picked is definitely on the fun side, but remember people; it's for a nursery.

I heard from a few folks that the rocker might be by Georg Jensen, though we didn't find any labels when it was pulled apart. Dan from Mieda was super impressed with the construction; only four screws hold it together and the seat is counter-weighted with poured concrete (!). So who knows... But if you'd like one for yourself there's one on 1stbids currently up for sale here (if anyone has an account, could they let me know what they're asking?). Anyhoo, here are the shots!