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.

 

  

Paper cuts

Click on a link, and you'll never know where it might take you - That's how I ended up visiting Royal Buffet's shop on Etsy, where I was totally enchanted. Mollie Green is the delicate hand behind the charmingly ethereal handmade paper cutouts, garlands and mobiles made of vintage French magazines and record albums. The Lady and Gentleman mobile is one of her latest pieces and a total favourite (love the scatter of butterflies over each figure), you'll see it below, along with a couple of playfully crafted paper garlands too. Just darling. 

 

   

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...

Daytripper

Over the long weekend we jumped in the car and headed east, after getting a bit cabin crazy in the teensy apartment. Port Hope was the final destination, since we were on the hunt for Fall colours as well as cute town to wander round in. Well, check and check.

Of course we ended up shopping, how could we not; there are scads of antique and vintage stores along Walton Street and on a couple of the side streets too. The best store by far, and well worth the drive, is Michael Thomas Antiques where Michael, the owner, presents a well edited selection of furniture and accessories. The store is only 2 months old yet already has a very sophisticated vibe and yes, we bought something - A giant round brass tray cocktail table that'll look simply smashing in our new place. Take a look below to get a feel of the place (I think I might be going back for that set of chairs).

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'.


Clearly chic

How small is your kitchen? If you're in a condo or even a standard Victorian row house then you've gotta think smart when it comes to everything that you pick up, so anything that stacks or nests is a major bonus. I picked out these glasses for their sheer style as well as for their smart stackability, take a look -

High: The Alpha set of 5 stacking tumblers, and a bowl with lid, in mouth-blown crystal by Lobmeyr from the NYC temple of design - Moss.

Medium: Joe Colombo's sculptural 5 in Uno set of glasses from the nice folks at Design Within Reach.

Low: The Rigi is a stacking double-walled thermo glass that'll keep a latte hot and won't singe your digits, from Bodum.


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.

Pillow talk

What can I do to make my sofa look better? Well, the first thing you can do grab the pillows the sofa came with, y'know, those matching ones, unzip and keep the fills (you never know when you might need them) and then drop the old pillow covers off at a charity shop. Honestly, it's for the best.

Just like the current penchant for vintage one-of-a-kind lamps the world of pillows has shifted from matchy-matchy to something altogether more unexpected. Pillows, please and thanks, do not have to match your sofa, so step up the sophistication and get shopping! Now, if you're a 'Paris apartment' type the pillows below might not be for you, but they are ever so mid-century cool, and have the history to back it up. This is the Art Collection, a line of vintage prints re-issued by Swedish textile firm Ljunbergs that Design House Stockholm has run up into a swanky line of pillows. Luckily they're available online here, and just think how they'll gussy up your beige sofa!


Watch the birdie

Cute, yes, but covetable design objects too. These birds were first designed back in 1959 by Kristian Vedel and have now made it back into production through Architectmade, a v. cool Danish firm that's carefully bringing design classics back to life. Each bird is handmade in oak by a wood turner in a small village in Denmark, there are 3 sizes (representing 3 generations), and the body can be flipped and the head moved to give these little sweeties as many different personalities as you might like.

If you fancy picking up your own little flock check out Ella + Elliot for more info.

 



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...


An apple a day

Just got my sticky mitts on the October issue of Canadian Family and thought I'd share. I was the prop stylist on the food feature 'How do you like them apples?' and, I have to say, I'm inordinately proud of the results. The shots are dark, rich and perfectly Fall, with tons of texture and a wonderful vintagey feel. It's always rewarding to dig out a worn printed napkin that I've had for years and then see it fit perfectly into a shot. I got to work with such a fab team on this one - Photographer, Yvonne Duivenvoorden (make sure to check out her gorgeous portfolio), food stylist Claire Stubbs and Canadian Family's art director Jeff Hannaford.

Take a look below, then pick up the magazine for all the delish recipes.

The lamp house

As David reminded me, we already have 6 table lamps and one floor lamp in our space-challenged apartment, so why had another one appeared? Well, I explained, we'll soon be in the new house and then we'll really need them, and besides, the one I just dragged home from Goodwill was too, well, good to pass up.

Take a look at the snap below, how could I say no; love that patterned white ceramic base, and all for only only $9.99. And the fabric sitting under the lamp is a recent vintage find too (Value Village) - It's a faux bois design that feels a bit like a Vera print, and will probably end up as pillows or a chair seat. The thing is (and David knows) that I can hardly pass a vintage store, charity shop, junk market, garage sale, church sale, street sale or jumble sale without being magnetically drawn in. It must be genetic, my sister Lucy is the same (you should've seen what she snagged at Porte de Vanves), and my Mum is on par with us except her 'fix' is with auctions. Honestly, it's a problem. LOL. Luckily it isn't all one way - David is always looking to add a gem or two to his vintage LP collection...

Paris address book

For whenever you might get there, here are my picks for favourite (and affordable) places to hit in Paris -

La Touristique:

The Palais Royale is well worth finding to take a stroll through it's formal garden and art installations, all wrapped by an arcade filled with vintage stores, galleries and fashionable spots. And, for a respite from all that shopping in the Marais district, make sure to stop in at the Musée Carnavalet. The museum covers the history of Paris, but it's the manicured gardens that are well worth seeing.

Le Shopping:

BHV

A hilariously odd department store, and Parisian institution, with a huge hardware filled basement and lots of cheap and chic decor on the 4th floor (I found some fab wallpaper here). Call me strange, but I love to check this place out! 14 rue de Temple


Marche au Puces, Porte de Vanves

My fave Saturday morning antique/junk market, especially since it’s less pricey on the whole than Les Puce de Saint-Ouen at Porte de Clignancourt; it’s totally do-able by the time it’s done (1pm), and has the best selection come rain or shine. Avenue Georges Lafenestre & Avenue Marc Sangnier (Metro Porte de Vanves - line 13)


Habitat and Zara Home

Habitat is a fab UK home store with cool design-y product that’s priced a bit higher than Ikea (they’re owned by them); I could fill a couple of suitcases from this place. Despite the address change Zara's decor store - Zara Home - is right next door and has a fashionable, well travelled vibe and again - inexpensive gear. 30, Boulevard Capucines and 2, Boulevard de la Madeleine


Fauchon

Quite the most glam grocery store you might ever come across, their packaging is extra swanky (love all the hot pink) and their decorated eclairs are magnifique! Place de la Madeleine


Maison Berthillon

An iconic French ice cream maker on Île Saint-Louis, and a great place for a tasty treat after visiting the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral. 31, Rue St Louis en l'ile

Below are snaps of the Palais Royale, the garden at Carnavalet, the Vanves flea market and a window display of those marvellous eclairs at Fauchon.



The getaway

An oppurtunity came up to escape the daily grind in Toronto and head to Palm Springs, California, (thanks T,D and J!) and we jumped at it. We're back at a fave place The Horizon Hotel for a couple of days, and well, we're loving it. The hotel was designed back in 1952 by architect William F Cody and was quite the spot for Hollywood starlets in it's day - it's all low-slung black and white buildings surrounding an anguler pool - V. cool indeed, and if you're ever out this way we highly recommend it.

Looking around I'm very inspired, so I'm trying to find ways to make our very dumpy back yard (look here) have the same feel. Hmmm, we probably can't do palm trees and cacti, a pool would blow the budget, and our view is of the back of a victorian semi, not the mountains...

Rich and woodsy

I know, the rich and woodsy shots below aren't exactly seasonal, but there's a good chance that you haven't seen them before so I thought it would be fun to share. I totally enjoy doing tabletop styling for food shoots, it's such a welcome change from working on big unwieldy room sets. I love shopping for props too, and have quite the collection of vintage and new bits and pieces, picked up whenever we're travelling and snagged at spots like Value Village. Keep an eye out for shoots I did with Canadian Family, coming up later this year.

Art Director and friend, Jason Kang, kindly sent these shots through. I've asked Jason to check since we all worked on this quite a while back, but I'm remembering these were all shot by the same crew - Top photographer, George Whiteside, and lucious food styling by Lasha Andrushko. And, have you guessed who these were shot for? Well, I suppose I'll let the cat out of the bag - Kraft.


Hot towels

I've collected a few things over the years - clocks, Art Deco bits and pieces, scientific glassware, white pottery, souvenir silk scarves and tea-towels to name a few. They've all kind of ebbed and flowed depending on storage space and usefuleness, but the tea-towels, well, we have lots and I keep on finding more. Maybe it's a British thing, or maybe it's a pattern thing - Most are vintage and I do really hunt for good Irish linen too (just the best for glassware), but then there are often new patterns that catch my eye.

I love this article on Chow called Upgrade Your Rags that shows a smashing selection. I already have a few they show (Kaiku by Marimekko is a favourite), but it's a newer company called Simrin. with a modern sensibility that references gorgeous botanical patterns, that made me look further. Love their colourways, love the prints and I can't wait to get my hands on their gear! Take a look -