Stay home

You'll have to wait until 2012, but there'll be quite a swanky new hotel/spa/condo project popping up at Richmond and John - the Gansevoort Toronto. And none too soon; currently any attempt at counting off great places to stay in Toronto invariably only takes one hand (and you probably won't need your pinkie).

This project, from looks alone, is on my radar - I love the fact that it's trying to stand out and not disappear into the blah that marks most Toronto towers. This is the third Gansevoort in the works; NYC was the first in the uber-fashionable Meatpacking District, followed up by Miami, and now Toronto. Like the others, the rooftop will feature a heated pool and bar. Hmmm, Prince played a secret rooftop concert at the NYC location recently, I wonder what they have in mind for here?

Shopping and dancing

Not sure whether you've made it to LIV by Au Lit yet to check out all the fashion and home deliciousness they have on offer, but on Nov 8th and 9th you really must. Joanna Goodman and her team are hosting a Holiday Shopping Event that will satisfy you deal hunters with a 20% discount on, well, just about everything in store. Throw in hot chocolate, loot bags for the first 50 shoppers, a DJ spinning while you shop and the chance to win a luxe swag bag and you've just about reached shopping nirvana.

Joanna's well edited collections are always on-point for style, and this season is no exception. This is what she's loving right now -

Tartan: Great trad pattern for the home, and when given a bit of a contemporary edge it becomes very current and fashionable.

Grey: Hottest colour this season. We've seen this colour trend in pretty much all products and textures this season from wool couches to silk party dresses, tweeds, knits and even dishes and accessories.

Cashmere: Always a classic choice for both home & fashion! 

 

Nail or coat hanger?

Affordable artwork, and people actually slapping art up on their walls, is one of the coolest major trends in design. With the advent of Etsy, and great local galleries like Art Interiors, buying art that you like doesn't have to be intimidating or fusty in any way; a huge break from the old days when walking into a gallery would have involved a staring contest as the person behind the desk sized up your net worth with x-ray vision (nasty).

But, would you buy the art and wear the matching t-shirt? Ummm, I would, lol. Online music retailer Insound got together with designer Jason Munn to create the Insound 20; a run of 20 different limited edition posters, matching t-shirts and hoodies inspired by a bunch of Insound's favourite bands. Cool? I think so. And yes, they ship to Canada.

 

 

 

Swing that poodle

Scouting for Canadian House & Home's Trendwatch page is my version of a snap-happy wild goose chase. It's fun, never the less, and I always enjoy hitting a bunch of stores across the city to see what's going on.

Yesterday, while I was hunting for a bit of ____ (I can't give it away, honestly I'd be hung, drawn and quartered), I popped into AT Design's newly opened space on Huron Street, a few steps north of Dupont. It's a change for sure - the original AT on MacPherson is chic-ly stuffed to the gills with hardly enough space to swing a poodle, while this spot is a way larger.

Have a look below for a feel of the place. This season Arminé and Therese are mixing up hi-gloss lacquer, lots of white, gold and silver, organic influences, Mondrian, Fornasseti and Michael Aram. Lovely! 

It's a print thing

I have a total thing for Marimekko. It's the intense colours and graphic punch of their designs that just manages to make me hot under the collar, no matter whether it's one of their latest designs (like the beyond gorgeous leopard print below) or one of their classic 60's patterns. It's all good.

So, I'm extra peeved that Canada's first Marimekko Concept Store hit land in Vancouver which, unfortunately, is way off track for me (I'm in Toronto). How mean?!? Well, at least it's a little better on my bank balance this way, lol. For those of you that don't live out on the beautiful West Coast (though luckily they'll ship across the country), some of Marimekko's gear can be found in stores like Ministry of the Interior as well as Crate & Barrel.

Take a peek below at a few of their current offerings that grabbed me. Both of the fabrics, Kumiseva and Kaiku, would make brilliant wall art. Sininen Gepardi is that leopard print, available as fabric as well as the quite affordable dishware, and both the Tuuli bed linen and Fokus apron hit the nail on the head with their on-trend black and white combo.

   

Feeling modern

One of my favourite resources for lighting is Rejuvenation, they're a total go-to for fixtures that have a vintage charm, no matter what the period. And they're completely customizable too, so if you're in the mood for copper rather than nickel then they've got you covered. The newest release for their Satellite line is a collection of authentically styled mid-century modern hardware. Unfortunately this means more vintage furniture will be following me home from charity shops, garage sales and consignment stores since, up until now, ugly hardware was a total deal breaker.

Check out the hardware below - the knobs, handles and backplates are all available in Polished Chrome, Brushed Chrome and Oil-Rubbed Bronze - as well as a couple of their standout light fixtures that are on the cards for the new place.

On the tiles

While we've been waiting for that steel beam to arrive for the main floor work has been happening on the master bathroom. Yay! A step or two closer to actually getting finished and moving in; I can't tell you how exciting that actually is!!! Yep, definitely a 3 exclamation mark moment.

I'd worked on the design and picked out the finishes and fixtures a while back (they're all special order from Home Depot) - 

The tiles are all Daltile; the large rectangular ones are for the main bathroom floor, while the mosaic is for the shower area. Mantova, that's the name of the swanky hi-gloss Carrera marble look tiles, will go from floor to ceiling.

Ummm, is it weird to get excited about a toilet? Oh, the joys of home ownership, lol. Kohler's Purist Hatbox toilet is the bee's knees, add in their Oblo wall-mount faucet and the WaterTile ceiling-mount shower fixture for the walk-in shower (there'll also be a Purist hand shower in there) and, well, I may never leave...  

Blanc space

What's the right white? Well, everyone has their favourites. From Benjamin Moore the obvious pick is Cloud White; it's the go-to choice for most designers. I'm v. partial to Ralph Lauren Paint's Mother of Pearl which has a touch of grey warmth to it, and then there's the always lovely Farrow & Ball. I love their well edited collection of hues and will happily plunk for All White if I'm in need of a modern gallery white, or Pointing, if something warmer is just the ticket.

The darling house below is in Benjamin Moore's Decorator's White. The place was shot in all it's pale glory by Janet Bailey and first appeared in Flare magazine in March of this year. Its the touches of black and bright hits of colour that make this place work against all that white, that and some very dramatic choices. Take a look at the space below, and make sure to check out Janet Bailey's portfolio here.

 

 

Boxing day

Storage is on my mind - I've been noodling around different ideas to keep everything organized in the office at the new place as well as the media room, let alone what I'm going to do with all the collectibles that, ahem, keep on appearing. This popped up on my screen the other day and struck me as smart, simple and - since it's customizable - just about the coolest option I've seen in a while.

Stacked, designed by Julien de Smedt Architects for Muuto, is a series of white open cubes that simply clip together to form any number of storage solutions. I can totally see it looking chic filled with books and white pottery against a snazzy wallpapered wall. In Toronto look for the Muuto line at Bergo.

Dark and light

Chiaroscuro - The interplay of dark and light. There's a $10 word; drilled into me at a tender age by my Art History teacher who's Scottish brogue sauced every word she carefully pronounced (I've never heard 'r's rolled better). It popped into my head as I was scrolling through the beautiful work of photographer Annie Schlechter who, I discovered, has shot for both Jonathan Adler and Kelly Wearstler as well as quite the laundry list of top design and decor mags.

Take a look below at a brief selection of images that hit me as fabulous - interesting interiors shot with an eye to style, colour and texture - and be sure to click here to check out the rest of Annie's portfolio. Oh, and don't be stealing that ochre and concrete colour combo from the first shot; I have my eye on it for our new place.

 

  

Paper plain

I'm messy. Right now, and as per usual, I'm sitting at the dining table with a slew of press kits, piles of paper and assorted business cards scattered hither and yon. Everything is important, everything is right now and yes, it's a mess. Other than hiring a personal assistant (lol) I daydream about getting more organized, and how it'll all be different once we have a real live office space in the new house. In the meantime, I'm jonesing for Susyjack's thoroughly modern and beautifully patterned collection of office supplies and 100% post-consumer recycled paper goods.

Irresistible colour and pattern aside, how cool is the Day of The Week Clip Set? And those jumbo Cork Backed Desk Clips, Notes and Notebook are simply marvy and, as Susyjack says - 'Pretty Useful'. Click here to shop, and make sure to take a sec and check out designer Susan Connor's blog Heysusy for her take on inspiration, fashion and design.

 

  

Good scents

"Good taste in design by no means depends on money." So said the late David Hicks, the ultra influential interior designer who's wit and style is still echoed and emulated by many a designer at work today. Apples, as they say, don't fall far from the tree, which is why it's no surprise that his daughter, India Hicks is a triple threat - author/model/designer - in her own right. Her latest endeavour is a collaboration with Crabtree & Evelyn on India Hicks Island Living, inspired by her own sense of style (think a kicked back and relaxed version of Colonial) and shown to gorgeous effect in her book Island Life, available here.

I love the look of the packaging on the Island Night candle; the sculpted silver coral is a sophsiticated touch. Ms Hicks worked on the design as well as the scent - and yes, it smells mah-vellous.

Prints charming

Never say never, but I shudder to think that faux-finishing might make a comeback. I can just about deal with faux woodgraining (even Martha gave that a go) but I'll dig in my heels if ever anyone suggests bagging, dragging, ragging or marbling. Stencils, on the other hand, feel quite right with all this print and pattern that's been going on and British firm The Stencil Library have oodles to choose from. Their range covers off Chinoiserie, Regency, Deco and Mod with just about every pattern imaginable (from peacocks and trellis to tractors and camouflage). One of their latest endeavours is a re-dux of an 18th Century idea, when grand houses dedicated a room to prints and pictures that were pasted directly on the wall - kind of like large scale scrapbooking for the Pride and Prejudice set.

Take a boo below at a few of the different styles, I think they're rather fun; and yes, they ship to Canada.

  

                         

In the light

Smile. Chin up. Left shoulder back. Lean forward. This week I was in the odd position of being in front of a camera, being shot by the always charming Virginia Macdonald for a story in an upcoming Canadian House & Home. I asked Virginia if I could share some of her work on the blog and here's the result, even though it's a bit of a Sophie's Choice question - asking a photographer to pick a few shots that he or she loves invariably results in a look of worry and concern.

The shots below are gorgeous and show quite the range of interiors, but do look at how wonderfully natural light is used in each (image #4 is from the Nov issue of House & Home, so flip open the mag to see the rest of the story) and, of course, make sure to take a peek at the rest of Virginia's portfolio here.

   

Tea with Joe

Wednesday was all about deadlines. I was literally glued to my laptop, banging away to get a gift guide done for the National Post (look for it mid-Nov) so, by the time I was done, I was desperately in need of a cuppa. I was in luck; Dammann Freres, a storied French tea company that's been around since 1692 - honestly - is making it's debut at Pusateri's glam Flower & Gift store up on Avenue Road in Toronto. The store is well worth a visit (I don't wanna hear from any whiners about needing passports to head north of Eglinton), and the tea? Delish. My fave was L'Oriental, a flavoured black tea with citrus-y notes, but there's quite the range to choose from, and at $18 for a pretty tin they'd make an easy-peasy hostess gift. Oh, and the rest of the store is jam-packed with beautiful flowers and scads of vases and accessories, many of which were exclusively hunted down for the store.

Next stop was the Joe Fresh Style fashion show for Spring/Summer '09 down at the tents for L'Oreal Fashion Week. I sat with the Flare crew and thoroughly enjoyed the looks tripping down the runway, but for me it was so all about the colours. Navy, grey, white, grey/blue, a buttery ecru, acid yellow and hits of sorbet brights. All I could think about is what a fresh and modern colour palette that could be for a space!

Take a look at the snaps below for a feel of Pusateri's store, the tea, and the Dammann Freres swish patterned teacups and teapots, as well as one sneak peek from the runway.

    

    

  

5 quick questions - Kelly Wearstler

With a polished yet edgy take on uptown chic, and a very fashion-forward view on style, Kelly Wearstler rocks the glossy world of interior design. Her signature look is a high-tone mix of vintage and new, the odd and unusual, and often features elements that take a keen sense and educated eye to actually pull off - Almost like a design version of a circus high-wire act. She's been featured in Vogue, on the cover of Domino and, I've raved about her on the blog before (take a look here). Kelly has lots on the go, no surprise there, so I can't tell you how happy I am that she found time to answer 5 quick questions!

Below you'll see quite the glam Bauble Box from KW's collection for Bergdorf Goodman, as well as a couple of shots of the Tides South Beach (photography, Annie Schlechter). Kelly was shot by Mark Edward Harris.

Arren Williams: What's inspiring you right now? 

Kelly Wearstler: I derive inspiration from everywhere - travel, nature, fashion, art, architecture, modern technology... everywhere. 

AW: Is there anything you'd like to see banished from interiors? 

KW: A drab, visually uninspiring space is never in style. 

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

KW: I'm still in the process of designing my current home, so I'm looking for so much at the moment, especially amazing art for my house. 

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

KW: My style is always evolving so it's impossible to pinpoint it exactly. I'm a Modernist at heart, and, of course, I love all colours. Since I began my career as an interior designer I've learnt to educate and train my eye, leading me to become more confident, and sassy in my work.

AW: What's next for you?

KW: So much! This past year I opened my boutique at Bergdorf Goodman, where I have a line of decorative accessories and introduce about 20 new pieces every season. I also created my first collection with The Rug Company. Most recently, this Fall, I created a 150-piece collection of fabrics and trimmings with Groundworks at Lee Jofa. Up next is a line of bedding, table linens, decorative pillows and throws. I'm also working on several hotels - including Vicerory Miami and Anguilla, set to open in the first half of 2009 - as well as residential projects. 

  

   

Paper cuts

Click on a link, and you'll never know where it might take you - That's how I ended up visiting Royal Buffet's shop on Etsy, where I was totally enchanted. Mollie Green is the delicate hand behind the charmingly ethereal handmade paper cutouts, garlands and mobiles made of vintage French magazines and record albums. The Lady and Gentleman mobile is one of her latest pieces and a total favourite (love the scatter of butterflies over each figure), you'll see it below, along with a couple of playfully crafted paper garlands too. Just darling. 

 

   

Vintage potential

In my books there's nothing more fun than shopping vintage, and Toronto definitely has quite the brill selection of stores to check out. On a recent Saturday we'd biked down to Queen Street East and, ummm, ended up buying vintage sofas in two of our favourite stores. This is a twofold problem - #1, we weren't planning on this at all, and #2, we really won't be in the new house until January 1st. So, I had to chat up the upholsterer we always use - Mieda Design - to store them for us for a while (thanks Dan!). The reason they made the cut for the new place is because of their lines - they're both unusual and have an anti run-of-the-mill feel - and vintage is certainly a thriftier option when it comes to buying furniture, even if it does have to be re-done.

The first one we snagged was at Zig Zag; it's is on the small side for sure and will probably end up in the office. Despite the vile fabric we saw past the ugly granny vibe and will probably end up spraying the brown wood frame out in a glossy white and then re-upholstering in a graphic print. I think it'll look super sweet.

The second, found just up the road at Ethel, is so much a 70's redux of a Chesterfield that it totally felt right for the direction we want to go. This one will make quite the statement in the living room, and it'll feel a whole lot fresher in a rich velvet rather than the stained harvest gold corduroy. In fact we weren't the only ones that saw the potential - It was just rented for a movie set on a flick that's currently filming in the city. Too funny, our sofa is a celebrity...

In bed with Style

I snuck into the Style at Home Show on Friday morning for a quick runaround before my crazy day started. The Dream Master Bedroom Suite was quite the stunner, created by senior design editor Margot Austin and her talented crew, so I took a few snaps in between setups while the suite being shot for CityLine (congrats on CityLine's new host being announced btw - Tracy Moore!). I'm totally digging the wallpaper and all the touches of gold, and I do believe that's the Lulu DK Matouk bedding from Elte that I posted about here - Enjoy!

Sneak peek - West Elm

Phew, the time has whizzed by in a total whirlwind, so mucho apologies for going awol and not posting quite as regularly as I might like. The last two days have seen me zipping around town in a truck for a setup at a chef's competition and then having a proptastic time dressing a set for tv. Ummm, where is my glass of wine???

Okay, lets hit rewind to Wednesday night and the simply wonderful opening of West Elm in Liberty Village. I was in 7th heaven wandering round since the store is so much my vibe right now - Modern-ish with a warmer edge and a touch of wit; in other words design that doesn't take itself too seriously. The store is huuuge, way larger than their Chelsea store in NYC, and the loft space really works for all the room sets, wall of chairs and wall of occasional tables as well as (sorry, it's so soon) quite the bombastic selection of Christmas decorations. Who knew I needed a jumbo glass ball covered in crocheted lace? Well, let me tell you, I really, really do...

Here are a few fave picks from the night as well as some shots to give you a taste of what the store is all about.

#1 Copper Table Lamp - This made me go weak at the knees. Hammered Copper with a metallic lined black shade. Mmm, irresistible. $229

#2 Ice Crystal Pillow Cover - A swish silk cover (one of tons) that I fell for. Love the faceted pattern and the colour combo. $29

#3 Narrative Squirrel - How cute, and there's a rabbit and turtle to round out the menagerie and sit pretty on your mantle. $18