Kitchen Confidential

Can I say how much I love, love, love the way this kitchen for Canadian Family turned out? I had the pleasure of working on the project with Jen Reynolds, CF's editor-in-chief, and the results were shot by the always sassy Michael Alberstat (make sure to check out his portfolio).

Jen's drab old kitchen didn't reflect her century home's feel or her eclectic sense of style (it was as dull as dishwater) so we spent time layering charm back into the space; making sure it worked for her family and had all the bells and whistles Jen had always wanted (like those smashing fridge drawers from GE Monogram). Here's a quick rundown - The kitchen was planned and installed by Home Depot, the antiqued painted cabinetry is by Kraftmaid, those new windows are from Jeld-Wen, the sink and faucets (including the pot filler above the cooktop) are Kohler. As well as the fridges, the oven and cooktop are from GE Monogram (the SmartDispense dishwasher is GE Profile). And finally, that gorgeous Persian rug was lugged back years ago from Iran by Jen's husband Neil!

You'll have to grab the Winter '09 issue for the inside scoop on the whole project, but I wanted to share a few of the shots below.

 

I'll go for One

Work at the house continues apace and we're making decisions left, right and centre to keep things moving in the right direction. The basement had major issues - it looked like a serial killer's hangout and had been horribly re-wired at some point by a maniac with a death wish, so anything we do is an improvement, lol.

First up is the basement bathroom, it's all sorted and ordered (yay!), so hopefully the chic and terribly water efficient American Standard Champion 4 toilet, with 6L water consumption, is winging it's way here as I type this. Along for the ride, and again from American Standard, is the mod Ravenna pedestal sink and clean-lined Serin tub. The jam on this part of the project is the sleek and handsome One series of faucets that we're going with for the tub and sink; all swish and sparkly in a polsihed chrome finish. Lovely, and the whole shebang can be ordered at Home Depot.

The space will be finished off with satin white subway tiles that will be laid stacked from floor to ceiling (take a look at the inspiration shot below) and a Marine light for above the sink (a thrifty fave of mine). Hmmm, what to do for a mirror?

Take a look here to catch up on the rest of the fun and games with the reno. 

 

 

 

 

Vintage bananas

You might have guessed from reading the blog, and if you've seen me working the aisles at charity shops hither and yon, that I am seriously bananas about vintage furniture and accessories. It's an innate thing for me, having been dragged happily along to antique markets and church rummage sales from a v. young age (I started collecting Art Deco at the age of 12). So you probably won't be surprised to hear that I used to live above a vintage store - Zig Zag - in Toronto's Leslieville. The apartment was ridiculously cheap; freezing cold in the winter, boiling in the summer, with only a dribble of water pressure and a crack house for neighbours. Needlesss to say I spent lots of time downstairs in Zig Zag, hanging out with Joe, the owner.

Joe recently closed his last store and moved Zig-Zag a block or so west where he re-opened this past weekend at 985 Queen Street East. He has such a great eye, which is why I was drooling over a pair of swanky mirrored end tables that would look fab in my new place. Joe, can you put them on hold for me? lol. Take a boo below at some of the gear on offer.

A coat conundrum

'Tis the time of year for puffy coats and woolen scarves, at least in our neck of the woods. And, if you're like us, you've got a petite hall closet that's already crammed to the gills. So heaven forbid anyone pops over for a cup of hot cocoa - Where on earth are we gonna put all their bleedin' coats?

I've spotted a few solutions around town and thought I'd share: Urban Outfitters offers a bit of a retro classic with their Coming and Going coat rack that's available in a veritable rainbow of 7 colours. West Elm gives it with a natural, branchy feel for their sculptural Tree coat rack. DWR goes modern classic and wall-mount with the slightly Sputnik looking Eames Hang-It-All. And finally, for a trad touch check out Home Depot's Pewter Wall Hooks by Nystrom, all for the princely sum of $17.97 for the set of 4.

Now you've no excuse for hanging coats on the floor...

 

Honey, my key won't work

I've featured some pretty amazing interiors in Flare Magazine, but the one below is a total favourite. In fact, when I first scouted it, I accidentally let slip that I might move in and change the locks, lol. This gem of a house, hidden away in a Toronto suburb, is owned by photographer John Cullen and his talented wife, Martine Blackhurst, who's a stylist and vintage shopper extraordinaire.

Of course John shot the place, capturing beautifully all the light and colour that fills each room. Martine is responsible for the wit and style of the interiors; she snagged much of the furniture and accessories from thrift stores, eBay and antique markets, lugging stuff home from as far afield as Mexico. The house has great architectural bones, and luckily most of the bells and whistles hadn't been ripped out or mucked up over the years - like that skylight-topped teak coffered ceiling in the living room, and the old-school glam mirror tiled wall in the dining room (there's another skylight in there too, sigh...).

Click here to take a look at the rest of John's portfolio - his shots of India are mah-vellous. And y'know what? I still might move in...

5 quick questions - India Hicks

Heads up people. Get ready to set your VCRs - Top Design debuts on HGTV Canada on January 3rd at 8pm. This season the show is hosted by India Hicks, who I've waxed lyrical about in the past (see here - she's the talented and stylish daughter of designer David Hicks). An oppurtunity came up to interview her, which I jumped at, so here's the result.

Take a boo below to get a taste of India's personal style; a relaxed and inspiring slipcovered-and-sandy take on Colonial as seen in her book Island Life (photography by David Loftus). I love all the tones of white, the worn bleached finishes and dark antiqued wood and, that unexpected sorbet-y colour in the outdoor dining room... sigh... is just smashing. The continuing collection she's worked on with Crabtree & Evelyn - India Hicks Island Living- was recently updated with Island Night; scented from memories of a moonlit tropical garden (the eau de toilette and fragrance diffuser are shown below). Click here to check out more 5 Quick Questions interviews.

Arren Williams: What's inspiring you right now?

India Hicks: Everything I learnt from Top Design - How important it is to keep your manners despite appalling stresses and strains. How you can create something from nothing. How a sense of colour and pattern can enrich the world around us, influencing even in a small way everyone's environment.

AW: Is there anything that can make you shudder when you walk into a room?

IH: Bad lighting.

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

IH: Irish linen tablecloths for Christmas entertaining.

AW: How do you define your personal style?

IH: Modern classic, in all aspects of my life: childrearing, interiors, fashion, and beauty. You can see real aspects of this in the two collections I have with Crabtree & Evelyn, Island Living and Island Night. Both are on trend but not at all trendy and offer women naturally based body care and classic fragrances with a modern twist.

AW: What's next?

IH: I just returned from fashion week in Brazil and now am off to London to launch my newest collection with Crabtree & Evelyn, India Hicks Island Night, to European press. After that, I'll be happy to have my entire family together for the holidays.

 

 

 

Just too luvverly

Designer show houses in New York are a legendary affair. The spaces are always mah-vellous, and so inspiring to tour, and the groups involved always raise bucketloads of cash for deserving charities. One must see for me is the annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House, which luckily happens while I'm usually in NYC for work, hunting for fresh and cool gear at the ICFF for Flare Magazine.

This past weekend there was a glam show house event called Designer Visions at The Laurel that benefited the Worldwide Orphans Foundation. The spaces were each designed for a magazine (and will be featured on their glossy pages shortly) and were just too luvverly not to share. From the top - The first was for House Beautiful, and was designed by Susan ferrier McAlpine for McAlpine, Booth & Ferrier Interiors (I'm jonesing for that coffee table). The second was for O at Home, and was designed by Darryl Carter. The third was by Stephen Miller Siegel for Town&Country. And the fourth and final space was designed by Charlotte Moss for Veranda. (If anyone knows the photographer(s) for the spaces, please do let me know so that they can be credited).

Via Luxist

Present-ly

Finding gear that's cool enough to be instantly giftable takes up a fair bit of my grey matter this time of year. Myself, and many of the folks I know, have been exhaustively hunting for the unusual and new, the special and the intriguing. In other words, gifts for the person who has everything.

Roseland Gallery is definitely worth a visit if you've hit that proverbial present wall. The place is always quite the cabinet of curiosities and this season is no exception - Françoise and Dante have tracked down scads of artful goods that include quirky snowglobes from artist Jeff Koons (whose gigant-o sculptures have recently graced the roof of the Met in NYC), standout vases by Mendini and Gatti and a flock of sweet pewter birds. You can put me down for a snowglobe, or maybe a pewter parrot...

  

Green is good

While we're dealing with some scheduling issues on our reno (the windows are arriving after the kitchen = ugh) a couple of cool projects dropped into my inbox and I thought they were worth sharing. Moss Sund Architects did a brill job on both these Toronto homes.

Neither are new builds, they're both modern and thoughtful renos of modest family homes that maximize green solutions - Each has geothermal heating, is designed for passive solar heating and is kitted out with a green roof and rain harvesting system. And, everything used on the homes was locally sourced, recycled material.

The first is an update on trad High Park brick home with a 2-storey addition. The second took a Beach bungalow and gave it a modern second level (love those cedar shakes). Click here for more info and to take a boo at the interiors.

Walls need style

Am I out to wallpaper the world, one wall at a time? Maybe, lol. I'm always happy when more of the good stuff is available so news that Graham & Brown is debuting a collection of papers at Lowes made me perk up my ears. Fashion for Walls is a collection of highlights from G&B's Superfresco Easy, Umbra and Monsoon. Patterns are fashion forward, styles are in-stock and application is a snap (all are Paste The Wall products).

Check out one of my faves below, Colada from Canadian design firm Umbra - love the black and white modern mash up of that historical motif. Get shopping!

Merry, merry

Christmas comes early in my business, way before snow is on the ground and usually when most people still are in flipflops and shorts. Yup, the Holidays, for me at least, start at the end of Summer. The tree below, my first for the season in fact, just popped up in the latest issue of Canadian Living magazine - it was shot right at the beginning of September by Luis Albuquerque - along with four other dazzlers (you'll have to pick up the mag to see the rest). The tree and decorations are both a sneaky look at what you'll see from PC Home this season, and that tree top scarf and those sparkly mary janes are from Joe Fresh Style. I feel an eggnog coming on...

 

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! 

 

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! 

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.

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.

 

 

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.

 

  

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.

   

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.