Cute, and still snappy at 50

Oh, I do love that touch of vintage, so I hafta say that the new Olympus Pen E-P1 camera in white has 'my cup of tea' written all over it. The Pen line of cameras debuted back in 1959, making the latest digital version - available in silver and black, as well as the yum white tint - the grand old age of fifty. Apart from the fact that there's no more fumbling with film, the Pen now comes jammed with all the latest technological bells and whistles and includes a slew of Art Filters. Oh, and if you're going for it, you might as well go all the way and spring for the white leather neck strap (don't forget the matching body jacket) shown in the shot below. Click here for more info, and click here to watch a series of short films on the Pen anniversary.

As for the original Pens well, just take a boo at the first image, they were quite the hit in the late 50's through into the 60's and are now a prized collectible. Oh, and when I stumbled across that second shot I knew I had to include it, it's a scan from one of the original Pen manuals teaching you 'how to hold a camera' (found here).

 

Inky and pretty

In my line of work I get to see gorgeous stuff, well, almost on a daily basis, but every now and then I get completely gobsmacked by something that's just so jarringly lovely that I'm rendered speechless. Hello, did you take a look at the shots below? Are they not completely fantabulous? All that colour against that inky black wall is just so inspiring - let alone the vintage pottery and all the other collectibles - it just makes me want to grab a paintbrush and a gallon of Farrow & Ball's darkly glam Railing and paint over all our white walls. Let's give a big gold star to both the brilliant photographer Janne Peters and stylist Maria Grossman, who collaborated on this project, and thanks too to both of them for letting me share the images with you!

Colour correction

Okay, I'm all for good taste, but every now and then I think I might just barf if I have to look at another classic white linen drum shade. Jeez Louise people, let's break out of the beige box and have some fun! Anyhoo, along the lines of that mini rant I want to share the work of Rie Elise Larsen. This Danish stylist stepped out in the Spring of '08 to create her own line of completely gorgeous housewares, paper goods and fashion accessories, all with a light, bright and intensely colourful sensibility. Me likey, especially the be-ribboned paper lampshades and colourful lamp cords shown below. Click here to check out the rest of her beautifully photographed and v. charming collection.

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.

   

   

Julia Black: Wet, cool and green

Hey one and all, I've asked the v. talented Julia Black (you might know here from HGTV's Pure Design!) to start up as a weekly contributor on my blog. Here's her first post - Over to you Jules!

Whenever I discover anything Canadian I feel a lovely patriotic glow, so when I recently came across an outstanding Canadian company making a positively stylish difference I wanted to share the pride. Tap Water Bottle has created a reusable - made of 100% glass - chic and sleek water bottle that is more than a water bottle, it's a fabulous everyday accessory. I just love the crisp design and practical flip cap, and of course, the sassy message written in a refreshing white font reminds us why you're smarter for choosing an environmentally friendly material for storing your drinking water. Considering how much hideous litter plastic bottles create, and how much money it costs to stay hydrated with H2O these days, investing in reusability is the smart thing to do, so cheers to Tap Water Bottle founder Racquel Youtzy, who has a strong mandate to make the world a cleaner place to live! To grab a few Tap Water Bottles (they're a snappy Holiday gift as well as perfect water decanters for your next swanky 'do'!) click here. [Image 1: Peter Ovesny. Image 2: Michelle Quance]

For even more Julia check out her cool blog here.

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]  

 

   

Jealous of the kidlings

I am a bit of a kid at heart, so, when you match that up with some great design, I'm completely sold. Our Children's Gorilla is a Stockholm based design firm that's hits both of those fronts absolutely perfectly, so much so that I'd love to get my sticky mitts on most (or all) of their gear. The three ceramic money boxes below, designed by Pernilla Jansson, manage to be both edgy, fun and cool at the same time. Il Buono and Il Cattivo have a bit of a 60's craft vibe about them and hark back to iconic Spaghetti Western characters The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Il Brutto - The Ugly - didn't make it into this shot, but check out the OCG website for a look at him. I fancy all three of them, though maybe they're a bit too cool to smash open once they're full of pennies, buttons and bits of string.

For more stuff that may make you slightly jealous of the kidlings check out their fun (and award winning) Facestape, as well as the totally fab Skullcave.

Paint and paper magic

Stencils are soooo worth a look again, what with pattern being such a continuingly big trend in interiors. Anyways, I stumbled across the stencil project below that I thought would be cool to share. The designs are from stylist (and talented stencil-er) Tracy Lynch, shot by Justin Patrick, and showed up on the glossy pages of Elle Decoration South Africa. The glass pattern was used to fancy-up paper tablecloths (there's a knife and fork stencil too), but I could see them working wonders as a repeated wall pattern, used singly as brill bit of artwork, or scattered across a few yards of plain cotton fabric. If you fancy a go at this yourself you can download the patterns and instructions right here. Oh, and for a bit more fun, you can see Tracy and her artist husband's home featured here on Apartment Therapy.

Every day is a holiday

Wouldn't that be nice? Yes, we're rushing headlong into that busy time of year. So, rather then letting things look like Christmas has exploded in your house why not take a more pared back approach to the whole shebang? Talking of pared back, you should definitely pop in to Ikea to rifle through their Holiday collection. The line this year is simple, fresh and graphic, like the cool Kallt light fixtures below that - I think - are fab enough to leave up all year round. Thankfully they haven't forgotten the nuttier side of things, just take a gander at these hilariously quirky gift bags printed with what looks like a veritable army of elves. I think they'd be just the ticket filled with chocolate covered almonds and tied up with a scrap of red ribbon. There, I just sorted out all the folks on your impossible-to-buy-for list.

The forecast is grey and cool

Well looky-loo, my mate Bev Hisey has finally got with the technological times and opened the doors on her online store. It's filled with a special selection of best sellers of her handmade wool and wool blend pillows, blankets and carpets, as well as a few super snazzy web exclusives too. I'm such a fan of Bev's gear and think she has such a singular way with colour and pattern. I also know how hard she works both physically and creatively on everything she turns her hand too, and yep, of course I've posted about her before (you can see more of her stuff right here). Oh, and while you're noodling around her site be sure to check out In The Woods At Night. It's Bev's latest hand-knotted wool carpet inspired by one of her grandmother's paintings and tagged - of course - with the socially conscious RugMark label, though it's Pippin, the beyond beautiful owl, that (almost) steals the shot by photographer Donna Griffith.

Below you'll spot a few of my all-in-grey current design crushes from Bev's online store. The River Rock carpet and throw, and the slightly punky and random Flocked Letter pillow.

 

Friday night lights

Rejuvenation is a total go-to company for me when it comes to lighting. I used a fab Deco number - the Atlantic fixture - on a glam little bathroom reno, and recently plunked for their Glide in a living room I'm working on. Oh, and not forgetting the rather Goth Sunset fixture that'll be showing up in one of my Style Scout features in this weekend's National Post (perfect for Halloween).

Astron is one of their more recent fixtures, and the snap below shows a pretty little line of them over a perfectly set dining table. Love Astron's mid-century look, and the mixed up vintage teak dining chairs peppered around the table are just magic. Look for this shot, as well as much more great gear, in the latest Rejuvenation catalogue, plus you can hook up with them on Facebook here.

We'll be right back after these messages...

I'm having a bananas week that has already included a couple of amazing days in Chicago working with Graham & Brown and meeting up with Cindy Dampier of the Chicago Tribune, Janelle Laban of Apartment Therapy, as well as doing a piece on wallpaper for ABC7 News. Hi to Gita, Dana and Kavi for making it all happen! All fun, fast and furious (Chicago is one hot/cool/interesting city) and thanks to Porter for making flying in-and-out such a treat.

Back in 'real life' and I've been contending with deadlines and meetings galore, and tonight I'm MC-ing a launch for Jenn-Air for a yummy new collection of appliances. Double phew. In the meantime my mate Rowley from Rolo sent the latest through that he'll be selling in his store. A Canadian crew called Cube Works that pulls together artwork of people, places and things created using Rubik Cubes. Pretty cool, no? And check back tomorrow, when there'll be at least two fresh posts waiting to inspire you...

The final countdown

Nope, not this, ahem, classic track - and guilty pleasure - by those rather bedraggled hair rockers, Europe. Instead it's the final countdown to our place getting shot for a 2010 issue of Canadian House & Home. Tomorrow. Gulp. So today is a last minute bomb around town, getting the last bits and pieces to make sure every nook and cranny is looking lovely. One thing we're in need of is a flatscreen for the media room. Yep, we're upgrading from watching tv on a laptop to something a little larger. I'll be off to Future Shop to check things out, but I think, after a fair bit of research, that we'll be plunking for a 52" Sony Bravia W Series (basically so we can watch Glee in HD, lol).

In the meantime there are interesting things afoot that I wanted to share. Like, for example, what the very cool folks at Established & Sons have been up to with parquet flooring. Yes, you heard me right. Take a boo below at Wall to Wall, designed for Established & Sons by Shay Alkalay and Yael Mer. This inspiring setup (the oak herringbone brick flooring was stained and finished in 15 different colours) has such an interestingly crafty look, almost like a large scale knit or a close-up of a trad Persian rug. I think it's spectacular.

If you'd like to check it out in person, and happen to be in London anytime soon, Wall to Wall is on display as part of the Frieze Art Fair until Nov. 24th. [Photography: Ed Reeve]

   

Feeling that 70's craft

My other half is pretty good with a ball of wool and knitting needles. Me, not so much. So, as the days get shorter and there's more time to sit by the fire I've decided to take on a classic bit of craftery. I discovered it in the 1978 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Complete Book of Knitting, Crochet & Embroidery. It's a hefty vintage book with quite the slew of ideas, many of which would get you arrested if you even stepped out the front door wearing one (see-through butterfly crochet tank top anyone?). But hey, I'm up for the challenge and have decided to go for an embroidered pillow project that could look very cool. Take a look below at the cover of the book - love that canary yellow! - and beneath that there's pattern for the project, called the Flower Bed Pillow. I think it could be a lovely addition to our fucshia sofa in, maybe, a combo of plums, pinks and greys. What do you think? If you fancy your own copy of the book, check out eBay here.

Of mugs, memories and spotty stoves

Ahhh, a loooong weekend. We were out and about walking Spot in the Beach, and sharing a cupcake from Life Is Sweet when I was stopped in my tracks by a mug in a shop window. Yes, a mug. It's from Emma Bridgewater and just feels so perfect for this time of year, no? Plus, I want to remind folks to treat themselves and buy a lovely mag at a news-stand. They cost as much as a primo coffee, but with way less guilt attached, and a much nicer kind of inspiring buzz too. Did you know that a magazine's cover price in no way reflects the real cost of what you're holding in your hands? Hmmm, well, that's another story entirely.

I have a total crush on Emma Bridgewater's gear. Her 'I had a really nice dream last night about Daniel Craig' tea towel is a fave prezzie of mine to give (but as we know I have a bit of a tea towel problem, lol). Emma has hooked up with Aga to produce a stove covered in her trademark spots, in celebration of the firm's 300th anniversary. Isn't it a stunner? My only Aga stove memory is from when I was a kid. I was invited over to a friend's house where we sat at the kitchen table and had hot buttered toast made on their Aga, served, very chic-ly I thought, on little wooden boards instead of plates.

 

  

It's all about that ottoman

That darned Samantha Pynn is at it again, lol. The second season of Pure Design has launched on HGTV in Canada and in the US and, well, as ususal she's making the world way prettier, one interior at a time. Sam's a mate of mine, so I know all about the incredible amount of work she, and her design team (hello Malcolm and Julia!), put into every space. The loft space that was revealed this week has caused quite a stir, and it appears that everyone - me included - is drooling over that delicious striped ottoman. And of course the whole thing is beautifully styled, with a lovely mix of furniture, accessories and art. Yum!

Take a boo below at the before and after snapshots of the space and, for even more Pure Design love, you can become a fan of the show on Facebook here, as well as follow Sam on Twitter here.

 

Where I would rather be...

Well, today has been rather busy, and I still feel pretty darned awful from the cold I caught on my way to Italy last week. This morning I taped a CityLine, which will air next Monday (be sure to keep a eye out for it!), and tonight I'm off to Ottawa for a spot of work. Really, I'd rather be in bed - see inspiration shot below - dozing off between daytime tv, reading a good book or flicking through a mag.

Those lovely LOVE pillow cases are available from Lush Designs, though if you're a die-hard French- speaking cycling fan you could always switch them to spell VELO. I could have sworn that Urban Outfitters had something similar, but those guys seem to be doing a brisk business in Tiger, Elephant and Owl pillows instead.

A bit more from Viv

My mate Stacey over at H&H blogged about Cole & Son's new collection created by fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, and I thought it was too good not to check out further. Dame Vivienne is one prolific so-an-so and a total favourite of mine, though I've only ever owned one Westwood piece, a denim jacket I scored for cheap at Century 21 and wore for years 'till it fell apart. So, I went to town digging for more shots of the just-released collection, and this is what I came up with. Check the snaps of the wooden mannequins below to get a taste of the line and you'll see why Stacey, and I, both love it. It's nutty and interesting and has some great historical and fashion-y references going on. That Squiggle pattern first appeared in Westwood's Autumn/Winter '81 Pirate collection, Cut Out Lace showed up on the runway in '07 and Insects is apparently based on fabrics from Queen Elizabeth I's wardrobe.

For more Westwood you can also order a CD here of all her fave runway tracks, and the books below - quite the spurge I must say - are the Vivienne Westwood Opus. A limited edition tome available with 9 different covers that features large scale Polaroids of her fashion over the decades worn by friends and family. And of course there's her work with The Rug Company. I totally covet the pillows she designed and her rugs, well, how could you not love this one? Finally, that last snap is of a vibrant Dame Vivienne at the end of the runway of her Spring/Summer 2010 collection, and yes, that is a stuffed toad peeking out from under her jacket. [Images: 1-3. Cole & Son. 4. Opus. 5. Via Daylife]

    

It's pronounced chair-sigh

Yesterday morning we hit Bologna, as part of our mini tour of the world of tiles with Savoia. The destination was Cersaie (pronounced chair-sigh), possibly the world's most ginormous bath and tile trade show. Apart from feeling kinda under dressed in my usual comfy trade show garb of jeans and sneakers (everyone there was rocking sharply tailored suits) I just didn't know where to begin.

Highlights were checking out all the tile trends (colour, texture and lotsa gold), as well as working my way through some seriously stunning bathroom fixtures and cabinetry. My two new fave firms on that front are Moab 80 (industrial and edgy with unexpected colour) and Falper (white, witty and sophisticated). On the smarty-pants side of things Fiandre, who own Savoia, launched Active, a major breakthrough in tile technology that is both anti-bacterial and able to purify the air. V. cool... On the, ahem, so-bad-it's-bad front Versace Home presented a line that managed to be gaudy, dull and old fashioned all at the same time. Moving swiftly along, check out Marcel Wander's latest, Aqua Jewels faucets for Bonomi, which appears to be going for a Flava Flav kinda vibe.

  

Monday in Milan

It's a funny old world. On Friday I was doing the very un-glam side of my job; returning props from a shoot, which basically involves me schlepping all over hither and yon with bags and bags (and bags) of stuff and a fistfull of receipts. Blech! And today I climbed to the top of Il Duomo in Milan. Seriously, how are those two things connected??? Well, I'm in Milan on a press trip with Savoia Canada learning all about tiles. And I hafta tell you, what these guys don't know about tiles just 'aint worth printing!

In the meantime, have you seen the latest water bottle design from Evian? '08 saw Christian Lacroix launch the series, then in '09 Jean Paul Gaultier had a go, and for '10 - available on shelves in November - you'll be able to find Paul Smith's trademark happy stripes wrapping the bottle. It's a fun look, and I'm glad to report the ink used is organic. Nice for a glug when you're thirsty, and even nicer used as a sweet vase afterwards too!