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



5 quick questions - Jonathan Adler

Okay, this is just marvy - Jonathan Adler kindly said yes to being interviewed for the blog, so here we go!

Just to recap; he's one of my top design heroes who initially started as a potter and then, when his look caught the eye of stylish types, sauntered with an impressive amount of verve and wit into almost every aspect of the home (y'know, I can't think of anyone else who'd think of launching a scented candle with the name of Hashish!). When he's not overseeing his mini empire you'll catch him on Bravo TV, in his role as head judge on Top Design, and recently Jonathan tied the knot with his other half Simon Doonan, writer and sassy creative director of Barneys New York - So major congrats!

Below you'll see snaps of Ojai, his fab new line of dinnerware, as well as a peek at a glam interior project in NY (photography, Annie Shlechter). And click here for more on Adler's 'Happy Chic' style.

Arren Williams: What's inspiring you right now?

Jonathan Adler: I'm kinda' feeling rustic these days. My bloke and I are building a new country house and we're feeling very earthy and natural. After all, I am first and foremost a potter.

AW: What will drive you bananas when you walk into a room?

JA: Excessive technology on display. I hate those newfangled lighting systems that never work and require teams of engineers and repairmen and all those weird-ass television remote situations that are incomprehensible. I like my technology simple and intuitive.

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

JA: I'm waiting for our new OJAI dinnerware to arrive chez nous. I love it. It's bold and poppy but rustic and crafty--everything that I love.

AW: Is style inherent?

JA: I grapple with this issue all the time and go back and forth. I think anyone can have passable style, but great style is innate.

AW: What's next on your agenda?

JA: I'm opening a couple of new stores, one on the Upper West Side and one in Santa Monica. And, I'm always doing squillions of decorating gigs and making new furniture and trying to find time to work in my pottery studio. I'm very, very lucky. When I first started my career as a potter, my dream was to never have a proper job again and to find an audience for my work. At the time, my idea of success would have been a life of hawking my wares at rain-soaked craft fairs if it meant I could earn a living making pots. The creative opportunities and experiences I have now are totally unexpected and thoroughly appreciated and I never take any of it for granted. So, next on my agenda is more design and more fun!


More, please

You can never have too much art! The wonderfully quirky artwork below is the latest from Angela Adams, but you might know Angela better as a rug designer (her modern, arty rugs are available through Design Within Reach as well as Home Depot). When this appeared in my in-box yesterday I have to say I was immediately drawn to the colours and almost folky vibe, and then when I checked out the website I was even more surprised - The archival prints, taken from her rug designs, start at an eminently affordable $65 US. Not too shabby, and a delightfully personal way to dress up your walls! Click here to look at the full listing of prints (put me down for Rain in 12"x16").

Oh, and if you're tweaking about the wallpaper - I got word that it's a sneak peek from Ms. Adam's new collection of sustainable contract wallcoverings, available early next year from MDC.

J'adorable

Jonathan Adler is a complete and utter design hero for me. Okay, I'll gush a little more - How could you not love someone that's on a one man mission to bring his 'Happy Chic' vision to the world? His work runs from pottery to lighting, furniture and rugs and is witty, irreverent and always interesting and, on the couple of occasions I've met him, he couldn't have been more charming (I've even received the occasional thank-you note when I've featured his gear in a mag; how nice!). Click here to check out the interior he did for The Parker Palm Springs Hotel - I could so move in.

I was taking a boo at a great website the other day -- PointClickHome -- when I discovered that he'd judged a Happy Chic Home contest. Take a look below at some of the winning results and, of course, read the reason's why they made the cut (click here for more). Happy, chic, and in Jonathan's words - j'adorable.



Keeping calm

For me at least, this is the design equivalent of a one-two punch - Keep Calm Gallery are a Brit firm and one of my total faves for affordable, graphically inspired art (they ship worldwide too). It all started with their 'Keep Calm and Carry On' print, inspired by a vintage WWII poster, that caught on with design types across the globe and has popped up in quite a few house shoots since. I've included their latest edition below, printed in metallic gold (v. on trend), because it's still so fab.

Well, now they branched into the world of tea-towels! Can I hear a woop-woop? Laugh as you might, this has got me extremely excited (click here to read more about my mania). The towels are printed on heavy-duty cotton and have the same smart graphic vibe as Keep Calm's posters - I love!

The towels can be ordered online from their new store The Manicule, and if you're in Toronto, head straight to Up To You to buy them in person. Look below to see 'Stand The Heat' and 'Tea Revives You'.


Totally floored

Jennifer had posted a question asking whether Flor modular carpet tiles shipped to Canada, and yes, thankfully they do. The question gave me a chance to re-visit their site and to take a look at all their new gear (there's lots!). I love their stuff but y'know, I'm not the only one - If you click here to check out the 'Pretty in...' post you'll see Flor tiles in cream looking very ladylike in Samantha Pynn's living room.

Below are my three top picks from Flor's latest selection of patterend tiles, though do make sure to check out all their textures and solids, and don't forget to take a peek at the v. swanky Martha Stewart collection too. From top to bottom - Stitch In Time hits that whole handmade needlepoint trend with a very sweet patchwork twist. Skully is edgy, darker and punky (yes, it's skulls, lol). And finally, Hello Down There stays cool and urban with a satellite view of a cityscape.

Pretty in...

I was searching for a shot from Style at Home of Samantha Pynn's home to include with my interview with her (click here to read it), and of course I came up empty handed, so you can imagine my surprise when one popped into my inbox this morning! Lucky indeed, since it's just the prettiest space, with her trademark shots of pink and a polished feel that's modern with a touch of 40's glam about it. If anything, it puts me in mind of the interiors in one of my current fave films, 'Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day', a frothy flick set in pre-war London that's well worth renting. 

This leads me onto something that'll definitely be worth booking into your calendar this month - The first ever Style at Home Show that'll be debuting down at Exhibition Place in Toronto on Oct 17th. They have quite the laundry list of fab presenters that includes Samantha, Margot Austin, Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan, Sarah Richardson, Lynn Spence and Tommy Smythe. You can book your tickets here, and it looks like you'll definitely be getting your design money's worth.

Here's that shot I mentioned, snapped by one of Sam's favourite photographers; Virginia Macdonald (make sure to check out her stunning portfolio).

Season-less

I thought it would be fun to share one of my favourite shots from work this Summer - It was a Weekend Decorating story for Canadian House & Home that was all about re-working and re-thinking wicker for the home. Morgan Michener and I pulled this story together and it was shot for the July '08 issue by Angus Fergusson (make sure to check out his mah-vellous work). As we move into Fall I wanted to pop the shot onto the blog mainly because wicker, rattan and cane are now on everyone's radar and have moved beyond the 'hot weather only idea' that most of us had. Love the black painted dresser and the silvery metallic cane wallpaper that is super subtle yet super chic.

5 quick questions - Samantha Pynn

Apart from being quite the style savvy gal (after all, it's not for nothing that she's Style at Home's Design Editor and a guest expert on Citytv's CityLine) Samantha Pynn is one of my closest friends. And I have to tell you, anyone that can survive a marathon New York shopping trip with me is a real keeper (as long as we managed to hit Jaques Torres Chocolate a couple of times she was happy). As you might know Sam has been snapped up by HGTV to host her own show - Pure Design - which debuts Tuesday night at 8pm. The concept for the show is 'pretty but with a twist of green', so it's definitely on-par with Sam's real life and her own personal design philosophy (yes, she really does wash her floors with hot water and lavender oil). I thought it might be fun to put Sam on the spot and ask her a couple of questions -

AW: What drives you nuts when you walk into a space?

SP: Floor plans that revolve around the television - let's get back to conversation!

AW: And what's your current favourite colour combo?

SP: These days it's all about lavender and pale grey, but I'll always love all manner of blues and pinks - they'll always work for me. And, recently, touches of orange have been creeping into my work too; it's energetic and full of life.

AW: What's the next thing that you'd love for your your place?

SP: I've had my mind on a custom made octagonal ottoman, upholstered in hemp with a bronze nailhead detail. Textured and polished!

AW: Vintage or new in a space?

SP: It's all about a mix. Vintage is the best way to add personality and to do something unpredictable. Like finding an old wingback chair and covering it in a modern fabric, then painting out the legs in a bold colour. Add that chair to a room and you'll get a beautiful kind of tension with your new pieces, things get layered and sophisticated.

AW: What's next?

SP: I'm on my way to my favourite yoga class - It's one step at a time!

Sneak peek - Crate & Barrel

Today started off with the best of intentions and then slipped into something akin to a Keystone Cops movie, except my car chase involved multiple stops across the city picking up props for a photo shoot while fielding phonecalls and e-mails. Fun? Let's just say I'm glad to be home.

Okay, back to the beginning - The Crate & Barrel press preview this morning! All I can say is that I was like a kid in a candy store, wide eyed at all the beautifully stocked shelves and making mental notes as to what was a 'right now' purchase and what could be grabbed 'later'. I was impressed with the bang-on colour choices and how they really seemd to speak to everyone from contemporary, to trad, to eclectic; and all done with a particular C&B sensibility.

Here are my 3 top picks -

#1 Decorative Globes - Practically every design editor had stashed a bunch of these in their shopping basket. They'd sit v. pretty nested in a bookcase or would look marvy stacked in a bowl (definitely this season's alabaster egg...). From $6.95.

#2 Mistral Pillow - Flame stitch is having a major moment (I'm seeing it everywhere) and this pillow is a smashing example. The colours have a warm Fall vibe, jewel-y but not too much, so grab a couple for your sofa. $46.95

#3 Alpha Table - A kind blogger sent me a link to this (thanks Kareena!) so I was jonesing to see it in person. It has a hot 70's feel (in a good way), but to make it totally mine I would have it sprayed out in white. $995


I heart Kelly

Kelly Wearstler is taking over the world, and believe me, the world will look all the better for it. The fashionable Ms. Wearstler, who's portfolio hits all the top notes, is one of my favourite interior designers; swanky hotel design (The Viceroy, The Tides and Avalon to name a few, click here to take a look), a collection of carpets for hot Brit firm The Rug Company, a chic design boutique in Bergdorf Goodman, and, not forgetting her sassy judging duties on Bravo's Top Design - Honestly, how does she find the time? I'm always slipping her work into Flare, and if you check the Oct issue of Canadian House & Home you'll find an interview with KW on pg 58 (love the shoes and that wonderfuly wacky chair).

And there's more... A new fabric collection for Groundworks at Lee Jofa. I had the chance to check it all out yesterday at the new Kravet/Lee Jofa showroom and was totally wowed. The look is modern with strong Asian influences that put me in mind of wood block prints, lacquerware and vintage kimonos, all nicely rounded out with flame stitch and Ikat patterns. You'll definitely see some of this fabric at work in my new place...


Spanish Eccentric

Maybe it's a Brit thing -  I'm always inspired by eccentricity, and in the design world who better expresses it than one of my current faves - Jaime Hayon. Wacky, surreal and downright fabulous are trademarks of his style; this guy creates his own rules and follows his own very odd heart (can you imagine any other designer having a shot taken wearing a pink fuzzy bunny suit?).

Hayon and Camper Shoes are a smart fit - both are edgy yet iconic Spanish brands - so it was only natural that a sneaker collection from the witty designer ended up hitting stores;  "a sporty shoe with a touch of elegance" is how he descibes them. And, since I'm such a sneakerhead, I'd love one in every colour....

Take a look below at the shoes and check the quilted detail on the sole and how it picks up throughout his work. Following on is a store he designed for Camper in Paris and a v. glam restaurant, La Terazza del Casino, in Madrid.