Allie makes her mark

Well, maybe I should let Allie's Mom, who sent these shots through, speak for herself...

"Sweet 4 year old Allie was trapped in the house with a terrible bug. After five days of boredom, she decided to express her creativity. Proud of the fact that she had finally mastered the ability to write her name, Allie decided to find a marker and try a new technique. Forget the paper, it was time to move to the furniture. What better then than the new cream/yellow formal living room that her mother had painstakingly designed (WAS SHE CRAZY WITH FOUR YOUNG KIDS... well that's besides the point.) Being one of 4 kids, under the age of 6, she needed to show the world her abilities. Quick to the drawer where Mom kept the black Sharpie permanent marker for labelling... PERFECT! Allie started with a small set of lines on the cream sofa and then thought it was time to move to the brand new Barbara Barry Slipper Chair. In big bold black letters, she wrote her name across the chair and then started a pattern down the side. Mom enters the scene and the fun, unfortunately, ends."

I slipped in a shot of the style of chair to help set the scene, then you can see the befores of Allie's handiwork and the afters of the magic wrought by a very talented upholstery cleaning company.

         

 

No butcher or candlestick maker

I really do dig a good eclectic vibe, so this morning's aha moment (at exactly 7.18am, before my first espresso) was having the luck to hit upon Baker Studio's swish online catalogue. This high quality line debuted in '07 and was refreshed with new intros in '08 that fit with a particular decorative approach; one that's more about wit and style than anything else. There's touches of Ming, a hint of Egypt, Danish pokes it's nose in, and even the British get a hello.

I'd take them all if I could, but here's a taste of the line below. I'm very much into the lacquer, antique brass and cerused oak finishes (still all on the up-and-up in my book). Enjoy. Oh, and you'll find Baker Studio at Studio B.

     

Feeling the blues

Blue and white has been stuck in my head recently, but not in an old fashioned granny kind of way. There are elements of that (check that Delft plate - it's actually a rug) but the palette speaks to me more of a Danish / Moroccan combo more than anything else. It feels fresh, light and modern, and even a touch wintry, especially with that hit of berry red in the Marimekko print.

The inspiration shot is an interior styled by Moooi (available at Klaus by Nienkamper, who btw, are having a special discounted shopping night on Dec 16th, from 5-9pm). Next up is that laughably cool and surreal Moooi rug, Carpet 1. Then we move on to Marcel Wanders splashy take on trad blue and white for an exhibition called Fragiles. We couldn't have not included Madeline Weinrib, with a vinatge chair covered in Ikat and a Suzani pillow (the MW line is available through Y&Co). Ikea's collection for the Holiday's, Kallt, has note cards that are chic enough to make it way beyond the end of the year. And here's that sweet Marrimekko print - Pakkanen.

     

    

We'll be there in 8 hours

The weather is getting to me... already. This grey/cold/rain/snow/slush business is just not my cup of tea. Enough of that, how about some inspiration?

We have a dream of one day buying a place in Portugal, so when I saw this place, owned by designer Marina Saldanha and located in Portugal's Alentejo region, I knew I had to share. Love her vibe - all those collected things thrown together in a rustic whitewashed space just works so well. Okay, lets cut the waffling; ignore the weather outside and look at the gorgeous shots below. [photography: Mai-Linh / Box Management]

Via Marie Claire Maison

Say hello to Helen

I've kind of secretly been a fan of Helen Acraman's work, and now everyone and their magazine reading best friend knows, since I blabbed about it in the Jan '09 issue of Canadian House & Home. So much for keeping secrets, lol.

Helen's artwork is storybook cool, bright, happy and quirky; it's just the thing to give a blah wall a decorative slap in the chops, and is waaaay affordable too. A fresh green 20 is all you'll need to score one of her limited edition prints, and that's pretty unbeatable if you ask me - I bet one of her works would make the perfect prezzie either for someone on your list over the hols, or for a housewarming bringalong. Check out Helen's Etsy shop here (her seller name is zukzuk) and click here to take a boo at her sweet blog.

     

With thanks from a Cephalopod

In such times as this (nope, I'm not going to mention the 'e' word...) it's good to remember your p's and q's; in other words, it's nice to say please and thank-you. I know, your Mum probably drummed this into you as a kid and you, like me, probably just heard blah-de-blah as she mentioned, for the zillionth time, "Say thank-you"!

Sending out a card to say thanks is, I think, one of the simplest and nicest things to do; especially this time of year. And, since we mentioned zillions, Etsy has just about that many sellers who offer mutiple letterpressed and handmade ways to say thank-you. Check out my picks below: #1 Armato Design & Press gets witty with a funny faux French thank-you. #2 Faye + Co feels posh and pretty (and comes in different colours). #3 Cracked Designs uses a cool retro phone to say it with mod style. #4 Serimony has a happy-go-lucky octopus do the work for you.

    

No milk, just cool gear

I've had a soft spot for the Drake Hotel in Toronto ever since we held my 40th birthday there a couple of years back (it was a raucous, well-attended affair with a hot playlist from DJ D Parie, all jammed in the Underground bar). Now, apart from all the regular goings on at the Drake too numerous to mention, they've taken it upon themselves to open the Drake Hotel General Store in a vacant storefront next door.

The space is so fresh they haven't even had an opening party yet - that happens tonight - but fear not, they're already packed to the gills and the paint has dried. It's kind of a corner store / art installation / quirky design gallery all mashed into one with vintage shop fixtures that look they were grabbed from Goodwill and given a quick wipedown before being pressed into service.

Theirs is quite the kooky selection of goods, from ultra saucy x-rated colouring books to lollipops, clothing and accessories. My quick faves are below - The rhino, grizzly bear and moose shot glasses in goth black glass, the gnome dishware (yes, there's more than the pitcher) and mini wind-up music boxes that play 'Singing in the Rain' and 'Stairway to Heaven'. In other words, while you won't be popping in for a carton of milk, the shelves are stocked with the kind of cool finds that you didn't know you needed, but really, really do. [Images 2 and 3 by Justin Adam]

   

  

 

 

First, the good news

Not content with launching shockingly affordable collections from the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Comme des Garcons (which always sell out in munutes) H&M is set to debut it's own home collection in Feb '09. But, before you get too excited, the bad news is there are currently no plans to bring it to North America; H&M Home will only be available online in select European countries. So, check your family tree and shoot off an e-mail to that long lost cousin of yours in the Netherlands if you're hell bent of scoring some of this ultra fresh gear.

Of course the looks are totally on trend- #1 is edgy and urban in black and white. #2 shows the slide towards a natural eco feel. #3 is all about youthful colour and pattern (love that Lisolette Watkins designed pillow!). #4 is a classic combo of navy and white realized in a fresh un-stodgy way. 

 

 

 

Via Husmusen 

Oh (aluminum) Tannenbaum!

For some people Christmas is a time to let go and bring out the shrunken apple head dolls, reams of multicoloured lights, odd tchotchkes and battered nativity scenes. For others it's still an oppurtunity to make a style statement.

The tree below, snagged from Hammacher Schlemmer, is a redux of a classic 1950's aluminum tree in all it's sparkly artificial glory. And, while the homeowner didn't go to town and plunk for the Color Wheel projector from HS (now it's green, oh, now it's blue!) he did head to The Bay to grab those swank turquoise glass ornaments. Chic and simple!

Call me?

Almost everyone I know has a close relationship with their cell phone, or moby as the Brits call it. Perhaps a bit of a love/hate one to be sure, but if you are going to carry around something all day every day (some people even sleep with theirs), then it might as well be beautifully designed and a pleasure to hold.

Below is the latest from LG, the second phone in their collaboration with trend-forward Italian fashion house Prada. It looks super swish to be sure (love the slide-out keyboard) but here's the kicker - There's a Bluetooth watch, the Prada Link, that pulls text messages and incoming call info from the phone and runs it right on the watch screen. And, rather than rifling through your jacket or bag trying to find your ringing phone, pressing a button on the watch allows you to swiftly cancel an unwanted call. Swanky, chic and hi-tech indeed. No word yet on when (and if) it might hop the pond and end up on the Canadian market.

Via Gizmodo 

A crafty institution

Toronto's bi-annual One of a Kind Show is quite the handmade, craft and artwork institution, so much so that the folks behind the show have now brought One of a Kind's to Vancouver, New York and Chicago. I can't remember the last show I missed and walking it, other than the excercise (lol), is always so inspirational since there's just such a feast for the eyes.

As always, I've ended up picking out a few best-in-show that I thought would be worth sharing -

Wendy Walgate's world is dreamy, odd and Alice in Wonderland-ish. My friend Morgan turned me onto her work, and I must say I became an instant fan - I love how her artwork plays with memories, collections and colour. 

Flakes stationary has a collaged feel that I totally get (love those Holiday cards). Ashley Stapleton's work is witty and pretty and her new calendars, debuting at the show, are smashing.

Kyla Francis caught me with her hand-printed enamel sneaker design as well as that hilarious mug inspired by haircuts spotted at the One of a Kind. She has such an irreverent, modern and young take on decorative work.

The show runs until Dec 7th, so make sure you get down there and hit the aisles!

 

 

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.

 

Good cause, good vintage auction

Modern design junkies take note: ModernLove, that fab Winnipeg-based online retailer of hot vintage finds, is at it again with their 5th annual charity auction of 20th Century design and decorative arts to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society. From Nov 28th until Dec 8th Roan Barrion, the dude behind ModernLove, will be listing quite the eclectic slew of items on eBay; some by big names, some just plain so-cool-I-gotta-have-it. And yes, they're happy to ship around the world.

Take a peek below at some of the items that'll be showing up, there's some well swish gear, as well as a limited edition t-shirt emblazoned with the iconic Eames rocker. Check in for more info here, and get ready to bid!

   

 

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. 

 

 

 

 

Gallery (s)hopping

Last night was the official opening 'do' for the AGO's Shop, so I headed down for a peek at what's on the shelves. I know, I should really have arrived early and toured the whole AGO, and I will - promise - I'm not quite as crass as infamous PR flack Edina Monsoon (of Ab Fab fame), who firmly believed that museums would be so much better if everything was on sale...

The store has quite the selection of fab stuff - I loved all the Frank Gehry pieces on show as well as the witty/cool references to all the Douglas Fir used in his design of the gallery, like the curly-whirly trivet below, and let's not forget the slew of artist designed limited edition t-shirts either (put me down for one of those) as well as tons of pre-framed art and a whole section with creative gear for the kiddies too. (Exterior image courtesy of the AGO)

 

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...

 

Local sparkle

Yesterday afternoon I arrived waaay too early for an appointment at Farrow & Ball on Yonge Street so had to tool around a bit and, after stopping in at Putti (jammed with glam and sparkly gear) and Constantine (gorgeous and eclectic as per usual) I ended up in French Country, where I fell in love with a moose. Glitter covered deer and reindeer yes (I even own 3 or 4), but moose, um, huh? It was such an oddly endearing find, and so Canadian, that I had to share.

Oh, and the swanky new wallpaper I got a sneak peek of at F&B will be debuting in March /09, so you'll have to hold your horses on that!

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.