A sad day

The sad news just broke - Domino Magazine is ceasing publication. March /09 will be their last issue, and the word is they'll be shutting their online presence too. Like it or not (it was one of my faves), Domino had become incredibly influential; they've definitely put their well decorated stamp firmly on the world of decor.

In an effort to stay cheery I'm posting this fab limited edition wallpaper that I spotted over on Rachel Best's blog (Rachel's post on Twitter alerted me to the news about Domino). Topo Azul is the name of the paper - from the v. quirkily titled design firm Alan, The Gallant from Barcelona. I'm totally digging the pattern's hand drawn vibe...

 

Once more with feeling

Sometimes seeing a classic re-interpreted just makes you go hmmm, and that's what happened when I saw this shot of Bergere chairs; upholstered in a fantastic tropical leaf print and finished with a black frame and nailhead trim. Will we ever get tired of Bergeres? I think they've transcended the trend and have become part of our current design vernacular so, if you want my two cents, 'no' is the answer to that. 

I have chairs on the brain right now - along with lots of other stuff - since I'm on the hunt for occasional chairs for our new place. On my travels I've spied a pair of 40's-ish side chairs in a local mechanic's waiting room (of all places), that I'd love to get a hold of and re-upholster in African batik. Errr, I just re-read that last sentence and think that I might sound potentially certifiable, lol...

Via Swank Lighting's blog

A pitcher is worth...

I'm thinking calm thoughts - We are having painting issues. One bedroom is totally sorted, thanks to Zinsser Bulls-Eye 1-2-3 from Home Depot. We'd suspected we were dealing with oil-paint and wanted to play it safe (it's a transforming primer). For the second bedroom, in a wildly bad idea, we switched to a regular latex primer. Yeh, no. As soon as we started slapping it up the walls started to bubble and flake - somewhere underneath that old latex is a layer of oil paint that's causing nasty problems... We're going back to the house tonight to sand the walls and seal everything up with the Zinsser. Lesson learnt, lol.

So, in an effort to get to my 'happy place' here's a quick look at an instant collection that I'd love to make room for - Pitchers. The first is modern with a trad blue stripe, from the Chophouse line by Terence Conran for Royal Doulton. The second is an Ikea classic, Dryckjom, that has the look of a hand-thrown piece at a smidge of the price. The third has muscular minimalist lines; Cove from Crate & Barrel. The fourth, called Kooky Feathers, is all hand-painted and witty from Anthropologie (where else?). The fifth is a major splurge - the pretty Still Life Water Pitcher by Job Smeets from that temple of design; Moss.

     

Under glass

I love a good window display, they can be just so inspiring. In fact it was one of my first jobs, working in the display department at Selfridges in London, errrrr, a very long time ago...

I happened upon the three windows below, designed for the Big Window Challenge; a competition that's happening right this minute in NYC, dreampt up by the savvy folks at Bloomingdales & Apartment Therapy New York. The first, called Bridget's Bridge and designed by Curtis Robertson, is inspired by a paint-by-numbers painting. The second, The Downtown Chalet designed by Jane Mount, is meant to make you feel a little Swiss. The third, The Bachelor Party designed by Patrick J. Hamilton, is styled to evoke New York at night.

Take a minute and click here to vote for your fave, take a look at more shots of the spaces, and to guess which I voted for (it's currently in the lead...).

via laidbackchick on Twitter

Absolutely bananas

This totally made me laugh this morning - I needed it since a wee bit of stress is kicking in about us packing and moving into a semi-ready house, plus we still need a ceiling fixture for the new living room, and this one is just about the coolest/funniest one I've seen.

The Chiquita Chandelier, yep, made of Chiquita Banana boxes, was designed back in '03 by Netherlands based designer, Anneke Jakobs, who was obviously way ahead of the curve with the trend of 'upcycling'. And, if you fancy your very own chandelier chez vous, Anneke gives you two choices; either order one directly from her, or get thrifty and crafty by downloading the PDF instructions (here) to make one yourself. If there's a run on banana boxes at your local grocery store, don't blame me...

Via Elle Decoration South Africa

Top style from down under

Ummm, hello? Why aren't we all living in Australia? Amazing weather, amazing style, and the food - mmmm. And, while it's hovering around minus I-don't-know-what here, down there they're wandering around in flipflops enjoying sizzling temperatures. How fair is that?

Back to Australian style - I recently stumbled across the Deborah Bibby's blog (take a look here), editor of Real Living magazine, and was totally wowed by the pages she's been posting from her mag. Ultra stylish, bright, fresh and fearlessly colourful they totally spoke to me (and hopefully they'll do the same to you!). Take a boo at some of my fave shots below from their Jan/Feb /09 and Nov /08 issues - I want every single one of the lamps...

And major kudos to Poppytalk and Desire to Inspire for getting picked as part of Real Living's '14 websites that will change the way you live'!

   

Saved by Saralisa and Sagan

I've been driving myself bananas looking at options for shower curtains, hooks, towel rails and toilet roll holders for the basement bathroom (have a look here). I'd hit every fancy bath supply store I could think of (ummm, no, I won't spend $80+ on a toilet roll holder) and stopped in at every big box imaginable and, seriously, there was bupkis worth lugging home. So luckily yesterday, on a run through Ikea scouting for a makeover I'm working on for CityLine, inspiration struck.

I turned a corner and there was Saralisa; a new line of fabric that just landed the shelves that has the chops to make an absolutely boffo shower curtain. Not sure whether I'll be plunking for the white or the black, but y'know, at a chintzy $6.99 a yard maybe I'll make 2! The other big save was Sagan for all the hook, rail and toilet roll holder business. Hefty and modern in a bright chrome finish - Just what I'd been searching for, and that swish little roll holder is a very budget friendly $14.99...

   

Cut a rug

I've always been a fan of the laser-cut woodgrain vinyl floor mats by Arzu Firuz, especially after I had the chance to see them in person at last Fall's Maison&Objet design trade show in Paris. I love her work, since it picks up on influences from trad Turkish crafts and wittily re-interprets them in fresh and modern ways. But sadly, according to Arzu's retailer list (see here), no-one in Canada had picked up her de-lovely line - A shame since they're quite the showstopping pieces and, from what I can tell, they won't completely break the bank.

Now there's a bit of a glimmer of hope, since Ligne Roset recently released designs by Arzu named Azra; there's a rectangular rug, a floor runner, and a circular rug, all available in black vinyl. Take a look below to get the gist and pop in to the retailers in Edmonton, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto (click here for the list) for more info. And, for a taste or Arzu's current line - love that hand-cut plastic canvas panel - take a look at the last shot below.

  

And in this corner...

It's been a big week for the house project and I have to say, after popping in there today, that it really does look like we'll get in there by Feb 1st.

On the kitchen front, Home Depot's Installation Services have done a bang-up job on the initial install on the Venicia cabinetry in prep for the appliances that arrive next Tuesday (yay Jenn-Air!). Once the appliances are in, the countertop will be templated (we're going with a Corian surface and an integral sink). And then, when the counter arrives (in around a week to 10 days), we'll be able to finish by tiling the backsplash.

One thing we had our fingers crossed for was a fireplace for the main floor and yep, we managed to squeeze it into the budget. It's a swish letterbox style direct vent gas unit by Montigo (the flue goes straight out the exterior wall) that we sourced through Odyssey Fireplaces, who installed it nice and swiftly a couple of days back. Cera Stone, our great contractors, will be framing and finishing the surround this week. Take a boo at how it looks right now, and how it might look once finished, though we're currently kind of taken with the fireplace surround in that Marimekko shot in the post below...

And finally, under all that protective paper, is our delish new bamboo floor that we scored at Home Depot - Quality Craft carbonized bamboo in a Gunstock stain (it's the middle tone in the sample board below). While I was researching flooring choices the whole sustainable side of bamboo made so much sense - Bamboo can be harvested in 3 years, while oak needs 125 years to reach maturity.

To check up on the reno, and to see what's happened so far, click here.

     

Fresh and Finnish

I'd given you a sneaky look at Marimekko's Spring /09 releases here, but since there's so much smashing gear from them this season I wanted to post more. The patterns range from playful to edgy in colourways that span warm and bright to high contrast black, white and grey. In fact, after looking through their new line and continuing collections, I think we might be picking one of their fabrics as a drapery choice for our new living space (it's a toss-up between Frekvenssi by Harri Koskinen and Marhaba by Ikka Suppanen).

Another hot announcement is the launch of a new line of Marimekko wallpapers, produced by Italian firm Sirpi S.p.a. The papers are expected to hit shelves sometime after April and will be debuting shortly at all the best design trade shows (take a boo at the first shot below to see one of the papers, the following three shots are a taste of Spring). And, talking of wallpaper, if you'd like a Marimekko background wallpaper for your computer click here.

In Canada, touch base with the wonderful Marimekko Vancouver for info on the collections (they can get their hands on the whole shebang) and, of course, to have anything shipped chez vous. [Images: Copyright 2009 Marimekko Corporation. All rights reserved]

   

Urban goes garden

I know, it's all bare branches and frostbitten ground out there (at least in this neck of the woods) but soon enough it'll be time to think green and garden, and guess what? Last year Urban Outfitters rather slyly opened up a new home and garden concept called Terrain that would be totally worth the drive to, errr, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania (outside of Philly). Terrain at Styer's is the full name, since they've set up shop in the old Styer's nursery and the goal, says Urban Outfitters, is 'to transform the local garden center into an experience that celebrates the beauty and abundance of nature, while offering an eclectic mix of garden-inspired products tailored for the contemporary customer.' This is all especially exciting since the plan is to eventually open up to 50 locations across the country, though sadly, who know's now whether that'll go ahead...

Take a boo below to get a taste of the place - It's eclectic, rustic and thoughtful and yes, it all looks gorgeously lush and inspiring. On site there's a hothouse, a seasonal exterior plant area, landscape services, and a cafe (what a pretty place to tie the knot!) as well as a beautifully merchandised store. [Images 2, 4, 5 by mytoenailcameoff on Flickr]

      

Ticking over

I've always been intrigued by clocks and must've caught the fascination quite young; my Dad had a dozen antique clocks in the living room, a few of which chimed on the quarter hour, though never quite in synch, which I'm sure got in the way of me watching Blue Peter and Doctor Who. The black and white clocks I picked below are, imo, all a bit on the cool side and, in a lucky twist, none cost a gazillion dollars.

The first is from Seiko and, strangely, I stumbled across it at a watch repair booth at Sears and not on the shelves of a posh design store. This 8" diameter clock has a modern feel, a hefty chrome frame and can either sit on a surface (it has a stand) or wall mount. If you fancy hunting it down the code is QXG124K, and expect to shell out $55. The second was first manufactured back in the 1930's - the Kit-Cat Clock, who's comical expression, swinging tail and hilariously googly eyes that roll back and forth have made it quite the iconic timepiece. Touch base with Ergo Industries for a Canadian retailer (this little black and white kitty sells for around $73), or check out Kit-Cat in the US for all the other available colours. Finally, in another odd discovery, I found the classic wind-up Big Ben alarm clock - designed by Ellworth Danz for Westclox in the mid-sixties - on the shelves at Wal-Mart for a smidge under $20.

   

It's all going O.K.

It's official, Orla Kiely has ruined my weekend - We're heading off for a bit of cross-border fun and of course will be hitting Target, who have just released the fact that they'll be launching an Orla Kiely line of housewares that'll hit shelves Feb 1st. Ummm, I'll be there this weekend, not February!

The line of tableware, storage and even swanky aprons is all happily patterned with her trademark look (yes, the de-lovely pear print makes an appearance) and will most probably sell out within minutes. C'est la vie is all I can say...

Not content with cornering the housewares side of things, Ms. Kiely's line of mid-Century inspired furniture, for Heal's in the UK, has also set hearts a flutter. The rich walnut collection is peppered with Orla's patterns and warm colours, and has a classic style that echoes vintage Brit and Swedish furniture. The Lusk Sofa, as well as the Rowan dining table and chairs (all below) are some of my fave's. And, just to confirm that she obviously plans to take over the world, Bewley's Tea in Ireland recently released a Kiely designed tea caddy for their Gold Blend, which has already been spotted on eBay.

   

Orla Kiely for Target via sfgirlbybay 

3x modern kitchens, 1x sexy chair

I'm apparently well and truly kitchen obsessed. Now any glimpse of a swish new cabinet or sleek countertop has me all googly-eyed, so of course, when I caught sight of DWR's latest - a capsule collection of cabinetry (pardon the alliteration) - I was, well, drooling.

Designed exclusively by Nilus de Matran for Design Within Reach, DWR: Kitchen is set to order in three finishes; black oak, white and walnut. The line is entirely free of exterior hardware, which is thankfully one less excruciating decision if you ask me and, since the cabinetry is designed as a modular system, it's built to be portable, so when you move it can come along with you!

Of course I can't leave it there. Another DWR exclusive for /09 is a petite group of chairs designed for Emeco by iconic French designer Andree Putman for the recently redesigned Morgans Hotel in NYC. The Morgans chair, handmade of 80% recycled aluminum, is available in a trio of sexy finishes - brushed anodized aluminum, satin black and gloss white. Mmmmm, is all I can say to that.

Iffy on the table, but the chairs are a go

While the kitchen at our new house is well on it's way to getting completed (yay!) my mind has been wandering to the dining area and how it might get sorted. We'll have a skinny slice of a long table (that at least has been decided, and there isn't room for anything else) but, while I've been saying that wood might be nice, I've been rolling around the idea of something slick and white instead. For dining chairs we'll be doing an eclectic mash-up of painted charity shop specials, that's for sure (I can't abide the red leather dining chair I'm sitting on right now...) but still, I'm in need of inspiration.

Here are a few shots that caught my attention; bits and pieces of which are floating in jig-saw puzzle pieces around my brain, trying to fit together. The first shot is the latest from Marimekko for Spring /09 (more to come on that delicious front), and I'm loving all the colour and pattern. The second feels eclectic with Bruno chairs paired with a white farmhouse table. The third is the freshest gear from e15, who're on their way to show at IMM Cologne, and I'm all about those old Thonet chairs with their blocky white table (and don't even get me started on that great herringbone floor...). In the fourth that rustic table totally works, paired with lots of white and very barmy lighting. And finally, an 'in my dreams' white painted industrial space that rocks out with a Tulip table and chairs. [ Image 2, 4 Mai Linh, 5, Bertrand Limbour. Via Marie Claire Maison]

    

Almost, but not quite

The neighbours must be loving us - All this snow and ice has meant the filled-to-the-brim skip out front of the house can't be picked up yet (fingers crossed for a slight melt soon), and now it's a wee bit more full with packaging from the kitchen install. Yup, the kitchen is going in (can I hear a woot-woot?); the Home Depot installers arrived yesterday and the work has begun on fitting all the de-lovely Venicia by Kraftmaid cabinets.

We went for the Mirra Collection Carina doors in Bianco Gloss (take a boo below at a Venicia kitchen in the Chianti Gloss, and squint to see it in white and not red, lol). They're chic and simple flat panel doors with a swish integral aluminum pull for a seamless and ultra-modern look. The planning process at the store was great; we worked with Georgina (she's a treasure!) who knows the Venicia matrix upside-down, totally maxing out on all our storage needs. Make sure to click here and read up about all the Venicia cabinet's bells and whistles.

Picking out appliances was, as usual, eye-wateringly difficult since there is so much fab gear to choose from. I firmly believe that once you pick the range/cooktop everything else will fall into place and, since our range will sit smack dab in a peninsula, we decided to go with one that had a downdraft extractor so we didn't have to worry about a ceiling-mount rangehood. Tada! Jenn-Air had the perfect solution, we went with their Dual Fuel Slide-In Downdraft Range, which led us to pick their Cabinet Depth Side-by-Side Refrigerator and the Energy Star rated Built-in Dishwasher - All in stainless steel with a great modern industrial vibe.

For the countertop and integral sink we're set on Corian (though I'm flip-flopping on the colour), the faucet is the fantabulous new Karbon articulated kitchen faucet from Kohler, and the backsplash a ribbed white glass subway tile from Daltile called Taffeta - All available to order through Home Depot.

Click here to see the story so far on what's been happening on our mondo reno - We're finally in the home stretch, with a move-in date of Feb 1st!

    

What's new? Lots!

Getting a sneak peek at what some of my favourite retailers will be intro-ing for '09 is always super exciting and always gets the decorating part of my brain all happy. Take a boo at what's coming -

West Elm plunks for low-slung sofas and hits of lemon yellow, olive green, burnt orange and turquoise, and has totally upped their well-travelled vibe with Moroccan-ish tray tables, poufs in suede and cotton dhurrie, and ceramic camels and elephants - very Modern Souk.

CB2 (yes, they do ship to Canada) takes a more urban approach with a mix of modern and ethnic touches, orange, yellow and lime and on-trend touches of tie-dye (really!). I loved the rustic South American feel of this set of vases.

Zara Home slaps pattern on pattern in turquoise, sandy gold, cream and amethyst (all v. Moroccan again but with more of a layered flea-market twist) to make quite the chic impression - that striped gold glassware is just fab.

   

Deconstructing Ilse

The Crown in Old Amersham, the second inn by design guru Ilse Crawford for Dhillon Hotels, recently opened up and has already received raves from the likes of British Vogue. The 16th century half-timbered building now rocks a quiet and thoughtful modern rustic vibe, miles away from its past incarnation which undoubtedly included red velour, flocked wallpaper and polished brass odds and ends. I really dig Ms. Crawford's work (I've waffled on about her before here) and wanted to share her point of view, and deconstruct the look, since it's so on trend.

The interiors of The Crown are pared back with an eclectic mix of furnishings, all tied together in a simple neutral palette. The Durant Stretcher wing chair from Martha Stewart Furniture with Bernhardt (available through DeBoer's) would feel handsome and modern upholstered in grey wool. This Windsor Chair, handmade by John Fowler in Nova Scotia, has a classic silhouette in a dark finish - layer in a sheepskin and you're done. Vintage Ercol chairs are a hot Brit collectible, but the company just launched Originals to re-visit the company's mid-Century heyday. The restaurant at The Crown is all about locally sourced ingredients, with a menu designed by Rosie Sykes, served on hefty earthenware and aged pewter; try this charger from Williams Sonoma. Original wide-plank barnboard (check Revival Flooring) feels fresh with a round braided jute rug from West Elm. Finish it all off with walls in Dauphin Estate Emulsion and trim in Mahogany Oil Eggshell by Farrow & Ball.

    

   

     

   

Dry off with a Schnabel

A real artwork by Julian Schnabel is probably out of your snack bracket (mine too, lol) but in an odd pairing, dreampt up by Works on Whatever to help fund major civic artwork, you can splurge on a Schnabel beach towel for the princely sum of $50. The line for '09, launched at the most recent Art Basel Miami,  and made up of works by 4 top-line artists - Julian Schnabel, Raymond Pettibon, Ed Ruscha and Karen Kilimnik - is available through Works on Whatever as well as online through everyone's favourite; Target (though if you don't have any beach time planned, they'd also be quite the chic and swanky way to doll up an all-white bathroom).

Click here to order from Target (they definitely don't ship out of the US - ugh), and click here to see the full line from Works on Whatever (chuck them an e-mail to convince them to ship further afield). WOW is still showing last years collection as available too, which means I might be able to trade-up my kitschy WalMart hula girl for a Jeff Koons smiley monkey! From the top: Schnabel, Pettibon, Ruscha, Kilimnik.

   

Is it warm and sunny in the Hamptons?

Normally at this time of year we'd be in the UK, somewhere between London and Glasgow, hanging out with family and friends and generally having a boisterous time. Not this year, nope, the reno has kept us firmly stuck in Toronto. So anything that's 'elsewhere' looks exceedingly glam right about now.

I came across the work of Mabley Handler Interior Design while noodling through shots of the Hampton Designer Showhouse, and the guest suite they designed - the first snap below - totally fit the glam 'elsewhere' vibe with its aqua and silver palette. The Showhouse was in Sagaponack (who knows quite where that is, but I'm imagining summertime beaches and surf none the less). The second room is a well appointed guest bedroom from a home in East Hampton; their commitment to that over-the-top wallpaper is brill, the space totally works. Enjoy, and make sure to check out more of their portfolio here.