Stepping out in Tokyo #1

A few weeks back I found myself in Tokyo, meeting up with my world travelling other half (you can check out his kid-friendly travel blog here) and my little sister (aka Blink London). Well, it was BRILLIANT, and what an absolute culture shock too. We hit all the sights, shopped ours socks off, and generally wandered around checking out as much as possible. One of the neighbourhoods that we thoroughly enjoyed was Nakameguro, a jumble of streets and alleys filled with a boho mix of fashion and interiors shops, much of them vintage.

Oooh vintage, such a magic word... Anyway, of course we spent the whole day just in this one 'hood and found a slew of cool stuff. Those first three shots are from Hiige which was all about vintage Scandi gear (we scored some great fabric which'll be sewn into cushions soon). Pics 4 and 5 show Hatago International, next door to Hiige, an ultra cool mini shop jammed to the gills with vintage airline paraphenalia. Jantique is next in the pics, and was like hitting a French or Belgian flea market, and then finally Acme Furniture, which was a great mix of vintage industrial gear (lots of it from the US) as well as new pieces. For more, read my sister's fashion-y take on Nakameguro here.

Market daze

If you ever do find yourself in London then there are a wealth of fab markets worth hitting. Portobello Road is a for sure (my sister says Fridays are best), and Columbia Road and Brick Lane are always must-sees (and are a short walk apart). We trundled off to Columbia Road the other Sunday and had a great wander about. It's ostensibly a flower market, crammed with beautiful blooms and plants, but there's great shopping for vintage gear and some lovely shops too.

Ezra Street, just north of Columbia Road is where you'll find most of the vintage bits and bobs. There are market stalls, shops, bakeries and coffee shops cheek to cheek on cobblestone streets. Take a boo below for a few snaps. I loved the junk - ahem - vintage finds on the stalls and was wowed by the French-ish store with battered furniture set against grey painted walls. Check out that ceiling too, smothered in ceiling medallions, what a brill way to display lighting! Be sure to check out Ben Southgate for a well edited selection of furniture and accessories, and artist Rob Ryan's Ryantown for all his pretty artwork, prints and cards.

There's oodles more to tell (Brick Lane, my London address book, etc.), but since I'm rocketing north on a train to Blackburn you'll have to wait!

   

Two floors of fabulous

Okay, it's gush time. This morning I took a wander around the yet-to-open new 9,000 sq ft Teatro Verde store in Toronto and jeez louise, is it ever jammed to the gills with the most gorgeous gear. Teatro's owners, Shawn Gibson and Michael Pellegrino, and their stellar staff (hello John!) have been working night and day and have definitely outdone themselves. The 2-floor store features everything for the home (there is some absolutely standout lighting) as well as mini boutiques that showcase gear for kids and pets, not to mention a whole section dedicated to yummy Assouline books and - as always - Teatro's lovely fresh flowers. Take a look at the snaps below to get a feel of the place, I'll definitely be popping in again soon, since I spied a mini white ceramic cactus that I could definitely find a good home for (lol). The store opens this Friday at 100 Yorkville Avenue and, if you need any more reason to go, Donna Hay will be on hand to sign her new book No Time To Cook between noon and 1pm.

  

5 quick questions: Alex Bates

I was lucky enough to have a fascinating chat with Alex Bates, West Elm's creative director, back when West Elm opened up in Liberty Village in October of last year. She was just back from a whistle-stop tour of incredibly inspiring places and was starting to plan the next collections for the affordably on-trend brand (which also happens to be one of my fave places to shop). To continue that conversation I recently asked Alex if she wouldn't mind answering a couple of questions on her personal style and she happily obliged. And, from the sound of it, she's also racking up more Air Miles as we speak.

Below you'll find a couple of snaps of recent West Elm intros - The Beanstalk bed linens, Beach Glass vases and Twist melamine dishware. Click here to check out more 5 Quick Questions interviews.

Arren Williams: What's inspiring you now?

Alex Bates: All things Calder. His recent show at the Whitney blew me away. The installation of his wire face sculptures was a stroke of genius. I also loved the Met’s exhibition of his jewelry – crazy and elegant. I’m loving simple wire and pencil sketches in general; especially Martin Ramirez’s black and white sketches at the American Folk Art Museum.

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

AB: I am fixated with all shades of grey, still. You can see it manifested in our summer collection at West Elm. I’m dying to paint my front hall. I think it would be very cozy and create a great background for my art. There is also a pair of vintage Cherner Chairs I want. I know they would look like pieces of sculpture against the gray.

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

AB: My house is more about collecting that decoration. It’s very laid back and comfortable with worn family antiques mixed with modern – and of course a lot of West Elm. It’s a hodge podge of things I absolutely couldn’t live without from years of traveling. Every wall is covered in paintings and tons of books. I am officially out of wall space and have stacks of paintings and books growing in the corners. I’m trying to pare back and I fantasize about a certain Piet Boon house – spare but cozy. I know my little bits would start to slowly creep back in.

AW: Is there anything that can drive you crazy when you walk into a room?

AB: Bad art. Fake flowers. “I Married Adventure” by Osa Johnson.

AW: What's next?

AB: Spring is a busy time for us. We just opened out our new West Elm store at Broadway and 62nd in New York with an amazing opening party and a fun collaboration with David Stark. We’re finishing up our spring 2010 collection and trying to continue to be as green as we can in our processes, materials, and finished products. Next we're off to Italy for the Milan furniture show and then India. We have started some great new partnerships, working with Craftmark and Aid to Artisans in India, and I’m excited to explore new ideas with them.

   

Sneak peek - Anthropologie

Last night was the press preview for the new Anthropologie store at the swanky Shops at Don Mills. Okay, I hafta say it's totally worth cadging a ride with a friend and heading up there. The store is bee-utiful, and crammed with the kind of pretty gear that Anthropologie does so well. My focus was the home goods - there's lots, and they're as colourful, eccentric and playfully chic as always - but the clothes and accessories are obviously boffo too, judging at the number of editors taking notes and tripping along with a hanger or two. I could have bought tons of stuff, but my faves, other than their classic latte bowls (which were only $5, btw), is the stunningly eclectic selection of hardware (click here to take a look) and all the odd and unusual vintage finds scattered about the store. And talking of vintage, just check out that wildly cool giant office lamp below. Anthropologie flings opens its doors for the first time today, and I've a feeling it's going to be busy...

   

Ummm, is it art?

David said the magic words this weekend, "Lets go vintage shopping." So we headed off with an empty car and, in a couple of hours, managed to hit three Goodwills, two Value Villages, two pretty dodgy fleamarkets and a Talize. Alack and alas, the vintage gods weren't with us. I have a specific shopping list in mind for the house - a long dresser, ceiling fixtures and dining chairs - and managed to come up empty handed except, ummm, for the clown pictured below.

Yep, it's a Paint by Numbers, and at $4.99 I totally couldn't pass it up. Does it creep you out? People either love or hate clowns (and Paint by Numbers, lol, though they're becoming increasingly collectible). The clown is pictured with a framed needlepoint, another cheapy-yet-cool recent find from my fave local Goodwill. Both will eventually find themselves hanging on a gallery wall that we're planning, but really, I have to get back on track with the gear we actually need!

Bananas and doozies

Just a quick note this morning, since I have a bananas kind of day - This dropped into my e-mail last night and, since I love the store and all the drool-worthy stuff they carry, I thought it was worth passing along. So, Klaus by Nienkamper is having a doozie of a sale, with clearance items discounted a minimum of 50% including sofas, accessories, lighting and desk chairs. And with Klaus promising "Major deals!" and edgy and interesting gear from both Moooi and Tom Dixon on the list, well, it's definitely worth checking out!

Kid colour

Wednesday is brought to you by the colour yellow, and the letters 'C' and 'F'. The CF stands for Canadian Family, I'm on set with them today, working on a shoot with lots of lovely sunny yellows for Spring. And, I wanted to share a snap from a super juicy colour feature I did with them that just popped up in the current issue. Jeff, the mag's Art Director, did a stellar job on the layout, and I had a laugh tracking down all the cool colour saturated gear. To get more info on all the products, and to see the rest of the colourful finds, click here.

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!

  

Will they or won't they

I spied these second-hand chairs last night at one of my fav charity shops (Goodwill) and had a bit of an aha moment. They could be perfect for the living room - kind of my version of a Bergere chair - but I didn't snap them up right away. I need to re-think what they'll be upholstered in, since I had a crazy African Wax Print fabric (like this) in mind for the chairs that will sit opposite the sofa, but now, with these chairs at least, I'm iffy on that decision.

I know, will they still be there today? I've obviously left it to fate to decide (I'll be there as the doors open this morning). In any case, the aluminum frames will clean up nicely with a bit of steel wool, and they're worth waaaay more than their $14.99 pricetag. I just hope no-one else swiped them...

Update on 2009-02-19 12:42 by Arren

Wooo-hooo - I got the chairs!!! In fact, I managed to snag three of them and jam them into the car. I've already dropped them off at my upholsterers Mieda Design; two will be for us and one which will be re-upholstered and probably sold on consignment. I'm heading out of the city today to check out a fabric supplier (I'm thinking teal or turquoise, but I'm waiting to get inspired).

You wash, I'll...

To quote Liz Lemon from 30 Rock - Blurgh! Just when I thought I'd gotten the teatowel collecting monkey off my back (I have, ummm, lots) I find a whole website dedicated to selling the darned things with oodles of fab ones to choose from, not to mention, my sister-in-law has just arrived back from the UK with a cute towel for me that celebrates the beauty of Tunbridge Wells. Maybe I can find a Teatowels Anonymous chapter to join. Oy, read more about my 'problem' and see more teatowels here...

Anyhoo, below are a few of my favs from ToDryFor. I've always have a thing for the firm People Will Always Need Plates, and now I know they do teatowels too, well, we're solid (they're the top 2, Kensal Green and Trellick Tower). And a new line totally worth checking is Mr PS (the bottom 2, Big Breakfast and Cafe Culture) who are way into vintage British caff signage (looove the towel that extoles the joys of a fried breakfast!). ToDryFor happily ships worldwide, just in case you need a teatowel fix as much as I do (lol).

  

    

Happy Monday

It's a holiday today in our neck of the woods - Family Day - so that means much lounging about and not returning any phonecalls and e-mails (yay). This weekend we started the hunt for a sofa for the basement media room (we already have the vintage sofa picked for the living room, take a boo here). So we're thinking cushy and comfortable, we're thinking slate grey and we're thinking sectional, and so far we've been entirely underwhelmed by what's on offer.

Below you'll see the totally Crayola-cool Eclat Sofas by Philippe Bouix for Roche Bobois. The primary colours of the leather and the matching laquer frames, the simple tuxedo style and - ahem - the beyond stunning space where they're placed really caught my eye. Unfortunately Roche Bobois, while totally fabulous, is waaaay beyond our snack bracket, lol. More sofa hunting to come...

Have a heart

Happy Val's day one and all! Below you'll see a shot of the ultra swish Alexander Girard design Love Heart's by Columbia Forest Products. The Plyprints line is printed on formaldehyde-free maple-faced plywood and includes 6 classic Girard designs. For more info, click here.

In more Valentine's news, Holly at Decor8 turned me on to the great line of free Kate Spade Valentine's e-cards (I've already sent a few out!). Check them out here. And, Holly kindly just added my blog to Decor8 as her 'weekly blog' pick. Thanks Holly!

Quick pick

I was out and about this afternoon scouting for an upcoming Trendwatch for Canadian House & Home that'll appear in the November issue. As usual, it's a bit like finding a needle in a haystack, but I do enjoy the hunt. While zipping around town I ended up Teatro Verde where this cute-as-a-button watering can caught my eye. The print is Cray, a lovely Arts & Crafts pattern by Williams Morris, and is part of the V&A Museum collection (one of my fave museums to check out whenever I'm in London). Sweet!

Hot plate

Apologies for not posting yesterday - We had to spend time at the lawerys signing multiple bits of paper for the new house and then I headed off to the airport for a press trip to NY. After an eventful flight (delays, bumps and then a slight near miss) we finally landed and headed in to the city, checked in and immediately went, ummm, shopping. lol

I dragged a few of the gals along with me, and, with an hour to spare before a scheduled meeting, we got a fair bit done. Uniqlo for a bit of affordable fashion, Japanese style, CB2 for a cool slice of modern housewares and furniture, and then one swift aperitif at Balthazar.

CB2 is right up there for me for well-priced gear for the home (and yes, they can ship internationally) - It's always stylish, on-trend and directional. I thought the plates below were hilarious, and at $2.95 would make for a witty and affordable touch mixed with all-white dinnerware. Good thing I'm here with a small overnight bag, otherwise there'd be a ceiling fixture coming home with me too...

   

Style commitment

I shop all the time for work, and then I shop for fun too, yet the theme is constant - always looking for great new things. For me it's retail therapy, but on a grand scale. So last night found me in Pottery Barn (we were out buying essentials for the semi-1 bedroom) having a look at their Fall release, and I must say I was very impressed. PB seems to have really stepped up their game with lashings of high gloss finishes, intense colour, and pattern. There seemed a real commitment to decorating, and to do it well, with high contrast pairings of black and white (an enduring trend), orange and a fresh green. The patterns were Moorish and Swedish in influence, and natural elements (raw wood, lots of texture) help to keep everything grounded. Loved, loved, loved it. So of course I had to buy something - a super black glossy lampshade that had just arrived.

Below is a shot from their new catalogue, intense and very cool.

Quick Pick

Am I allowed to start shopping for a house that's months away from being finished? Of course! I was tooling though Ikea today, shopping for an event I'm working on, when this glossy beauty stopped me in my tracks. It's the Norrsten dining table (a minimalist combo of black glass and aluminum), and it might be just the ticket to switch it with the vintage Saarinen-lookalike table we currently have. Oh, but that means I'll have to start looking for new chairs too...