Checking in, checking it out

Ah, Istanbul. That's where I've spent the last week, walking, exploring and - mmm-mmm - eating! We stayed at The House Hotel Galatasaray, designed by one of my fave design teams, the Turkish firm Autoban (read a great Dwell interview with them here). And oh, let's just say it was pretty fantastic, both the hotel and the city!

Built in the 1890's as a 4-storey mansion - in a neighbourhood that's now quite the hotbed of scrumptious vintage and antique stores (more on that later) - the hotel is owned by Alex Varlik, who's also the smartypants behind a chain of chic restos called The House Cafe that are dotted across the city. Each of the hotel's 20 suites are a lovely modern mix between the historical vibe of the building itself, Autoban's custom furnishings, and quirky/cool touches like the street address marble tiles in the bathroom, the standout gold and white chandeliers (oh, I wish I could've crammed one into my suitcase) and the super fun free-standing showers.

I'll be posting more inspirational stuff on Istanbul soon!

Gone fishin'

Well, I haven't exactly picked up rod and reel. Nope, I'm chilling out and taking a couple o' days blog break. Hey, it happens to the best of us! In the meantime, I thought I'd share this inspiringly colourful shot of vintage bits and bobs from Hawk Eyes, a lovely vintage shop on Roncesvalles in Toronto (and, if you have a wander along the street while you're there, you could definitely grab a warm plum filled Polish doughnut while you're at it!). Now that's happiness, a sweet treat AND great vintage. See you guys next week sometime!

Wash and brush up, Italian style

Phew. This has been quite the barmy few weeks, wrangling everything from styling gigs for romance novel covers, to working on super cool celeb filled projects for the Toronto International Film Festival. So, let's make it a quick one the, shall we?

I first saw Falper at the Cersaie bathroom-a-palooza trade show last year in Bologna, Italy, and totally fell for their whole look. So, once I got my hot little hands on their catalogue I thought I should definitely share a few fave shots. These just happen to be all black and white interiors - though as you know I have nothing against colour - and everything, right down to that last styling detail, is mah-vellous!

guest blog / Julia Black: Ceci, you're invited!

Julia Black: Ceci Johnson’s luxury invitations are absolutely irresistible. The chic designer is the founder of Ceci New York, an award-winning luxury invitation and corporate design company. Ceci knows style and knows perfection, so when it comes to fashioning an everyday occasion into something special she's definitely your go-to girl! Starting with a mood/inspiration board (which to me is art in itself), she and her team have created luxe invites (and even custom postage stamps) for clients like Sean “Diddy” Combs and Sarah Jessica Parker. If that isn't enough Ceci New York just launched an exciting partnership with LUXE Destination Weddings, a Toronto-based luxury destination wedding planner, where Ceci will provide exclusive ready-to-go and couture designs for their clients - LOVE the Vintage Postcard designs! For more info on Ceci NY for LUXE, and for all things related to weddings, be sure to click here.  

To read more posts from Julia click here, to check out her cool blog click here, and click here to see her new Get Fresh online videos for CTV!

Frocks and rugs

While I'm knee deep in projects for the Toronto International Film Festival I thought I'd take sec and share these snaps with you. Gorgeous, no? They're shot by Vivianne Sassen and styled by Yasmine Eslami and were snagged from the current Liberty magazine (have a look here). The story, to me at least, shows how seamlessly fashion and interiors seem to creatively bounce off one another, with incredibly lush and inspiring results. Oh, and of course it isn't just about the clothes. Each of the rugs, and even that rather barmy chaise lounge, is for sale.

Have nothing in your house...

Before you freak, I'm not suggesting you chuck everything out and live a minimalist (and rather dull) life. No, it's the first part of my fave William Morris quote - more on that here - and the subject of illustrator James Brown's latest work, a poster printed for the V&A museum in the UK. My sister managed to catch up with James recently to interview him for her blog Blink London, so if you'd like to learn more click here. He's quite the interesting chap, having designed prints for both Levis and Louis Vuitton. Oh, and I've also included another of my faves, his Hats print, which I would love to have hanging on my wall sometime. To get your hands on one of James' prints, check out his General Pattern Print Shop.

Cool, calm and Nordic

As my grandmother used to remind me, "Horses sweat, men perspire and women glow." Well, right about now I'm possibly a bit more on the horse side of things, since I'm in-studio with the fantastic Canadian Family crew shooting a Holiday feature in 33C (or 91F). Believe me, this late-summer heat and humidity just slightly takes the shine of getting into the Holiday spirit.

Muuto's collection of furniture, lighting and accessories is, thankfully, the epitome of cool, calm and collected Scandi style. That cluster of E27 socket lamps is super cool, and their The Dots wall-mount hooks look lovely and random in the second shot. In Toronto, check out Muuto at Hollace Cluny.

Is it #1, or #2?

I'm having a table lamp dilemma. Last week, while sourcing vintage suitcases for a book cover shoot (not an easy task, I might add) I came across a crazy cheap - and fantastically lovely - table lamp at Goodwill. Then, about an hour later, I scored a brand spanking new never used vintage drum shade at the Sally Ann. Talk about kismet! I have a home for it, but it means I'll have to say buh-bye to a great lamp I already have.

Okay, so first up is the one that's been sitting pretty on that side table for quite a while. The base and silk shade are from Restoration Hardware. Next is the vintage lamp and shade I just couldn't say no to. The base was $10 and the shade $4, while the Resto lamp probably came in at a slightly pricier $300, or so. Which should stay and which should go?

Feeling jammy

Jam and bread, now that's comfort food. Who even needs butter or, dare I say, marge, when you can score a fresh bakery loaf, rip it apart and dollop a lovely spoon of jam on top? Heaven. Today I'm all over Jamie Oliver's new line of Jme Jams. The packaging, designed by Pearlfisher, is brilliantly simple (loving the scratchy scrawly writing) and you get the feeling - intentional I'm sure - that these are just about the closest thing to home made that you can get your hands on. The Raspberry and Apple Plum are available now from Williams Sonoma, while the Strawberry and Apricot (there's also a Lemon Curd) will have to be shoved in a suitcase and flown home from a trip to the UK.

 

   

Not all white

While running around like a crazy person this week - hunting down just about every lemonade pitcher in the city for a shoot - I had a slow-motion oh, what's that moment while shopping at The Bay. This is Arabesque, a porcelain dinnerware service designed by Niels Refsgaard for Dansk and inspired by a mix of Japanese and Greek hand-painted pottery. I don't know about you, but I'm just loving the fact that it's not plain old white (and that I could throw it in with my all-white dishes and it would look FANTASTIC). Oh, and for more on the classic colour combo of blue and white click here.

OMG, it's Wednesday?

I have entirely lost track of time, mainly because it's been wall-to-wall crazy busy for me with work on projects that run the gamut from breakfast cereal to romance novels. Seriously. So I thought I'd share one of the recent styling projects I worked on with HomeSense, a shoot for a home office (I am jonesing for that metal cabinet) and a dorm room (L.O.V.E. that kooky lamp). HomeSense popped some of the behind the scenes shots on Facebook, so click here if you'd like to take a look at how the magic happens, and then head over here to their online Design Your Digs contest to design your very own office or dorm space for the chance to win a $1,000 shopping spree! Oh, and a major shout out to the team I worked with on the shoot - Mamone & Partners, photographer Nina Teixeira, stylist Malcolm Patterson and of course the whole HomeSense crew.

Take one old lamp {before & after}

Oh my, what wonders a can of white spray paint can do. Not rocket science I know, but I spotted this shiny brass lamp at Goodwill for $10 and saw its potential. The shade was completely un-salvagable (buckled and oddy stained) so that was tossed. I taped up and bagged the cord as well as the socket, and screwed the little loop finial into a spare piece of cardboard, then set up an impromptu spray booth in the back yard (a cardboard box, actually). A few careful coats of matte white spray paint later and the lamp and finial were looking fantastic. The final touch was a chocolate brown silk lampshade that I've had sitting around for ages from Restoration Hardware (tho' you can find great ready-to-go shades at both HomeSense and Pottery Barn too). Oh, and if these pics look a little familiar, that's because this project showed up in Canadian Family! [Image 2: Colleen Nicholson]

Guest blog / Julia Black: Hot and dry

Julia Black: Summer may be coming to an end but as I’m sure you are well aware, mother nature isn’t submitting to the calendar. The heat is continuing, and I'm on the hunt for ways to cool off. So, in preparation for what may very well be one of our longest and warmest summers I have been looking for ways to shake up that beach/cottage/pool must-have - The beach towel! Fresco is an extraordinary towel company, and my current fave. The California family-run and family-crafted luxury towel firm offers more than simple beach towels, they are works of art that layer old-world textile motifs with trending patchwork, washed and boho colour blends. The designs illustrate the whole Gemini duality in design, mixing flashy fluoro colours and hippy tie-dye with some serious historical Damasks, Moroccan influences and Chinoiserie patterns. Their plush 100% Turkish cotton towels are available to order in a whole mess of fantastic colours in both bath or beach sizes (bags and pillows are also in the line). For me, a self-professed eclectic chick (and a Gemini!), I have a passion for both décor and fashion. I love to blend a mix of styles and periods and find myself always challenged in balancing contrasting styles, and having things look good! Thankfully, Fresco has answered my desire for always wanting a bit of both ;)

To read more posts from Julia click here, to check out her cool blog click here, and click here to see her new Get Fresh online videos for CTV!

Bright light, bright light

Today I was going to blog about Jimmy Choo boss-lady Tamara Mellon's swanky NYC apartment that was recently featured in Harper's Bazaar, but then had a last minute crisis about it. The place, designed by Martyn Lawrence-Bullard (who I quite admire), is, errr, perhaps a bit too over the top. Take a look here, over on Made By Girl, and let me know what you think. Is it just me, or is the combo of those snake photographs and a McDonald's meal just a bit icky?

Instead I'm going with this super fantastic new bulb designed by Eric Therner. Eric is a young Swedish designer who had the bright idea to create a 2000 hour 15 watt halogen light that's inside a diamond faceted glass bulb. If you ask me, I think it brings a whole new glam twist to the bare lightbulb trend. [Images: Jesper Lindstrom]

Time for a Picknick

Oh, there's something about Swedish design work from the 50's and 60's that just gets to me, so I couldn't be happier to tell you that Picknick, a classic fresh and summery pattern from 1954, has been re-intro'd. Designed by Marianne Westman, the now 80+ year old designer who was also behind the classic Mon Amie dishware pattern (which has just been re-released by Rörstrand), Picknick is back on the shelves courtesy of Almedahls and - if you fancy grabbing some for yourself - is available online through the fine folks at Huset.

Where will you live?

This wall sculpture/candle holder was one of those irresistable finds that I couldn't not bring home. Yes, it's vintage - dated 1970 and made in the USA by Syroco - and is a grand 41" wide and the price, well, when Mike at Mike's Music (who has a vintage section in the basement of his store) said $15 my eyes glazed over and in a flash I was rifling through my pocket to pay for it. Now though, there are issues. It's too big to hang on the fireplace by a couple of inches, and almost every other spot in the house already has something hanging above it. In other words, I have no idea where it's gonna live. In the meantime, while I'm waiting for inspiration to strike, you'll find it leaning on a wall between a velvet painting of Julius Caesar, a Warhol of Grace Jones, and a paint-by-numbers canvas of Madonna.

Beautiful little things

I love the famous quote by William Morris - “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” Wonderful words, though putting them into practice is quite another matter, but hey, luckily John and Juli at Mjölk have it covered with these beautiful and useful cast brass objects by Tokyo-based designer, Oji Masanori. Mjölk carries all of these trivets, bottle openers and perfect little sets of chopstick rests housed in wooden boxes, as well as more covetable pieces (take a look at everything by Oji Masanori right here).

Here and there

Today, inspirationally speaking at least, I'm all over the shop. I've been drooling over the design of this new French macaron patisserie that has opened in San Pedro, Mexico, with interiors and branding designed by Anagrama. All very chic and white. Then, keeping with the sweet theme, how about this anti-doily punk owned bakery in Munich, Germany, called F**k the Cake Mix (the real name doesn't have any asterisks, lol) and whipped up - so to speak - by Designliga? A touch edgy, but no less cool. Then, on a completely un-cake related front, I was quite taken with these quirky Bödön stools, which are part of a line called The Gipsy Furniture Collection by Attila F. Kovacs and Zsuzsa Megyesi of A+Z Designers in Hungary - The enameled metal stools double as storage/wine coolers and are topped with printed, embroidered and plain cushions. You can catch the complete collection, which is inspired by Hungarian and Transylvanian folk art, craft and culture, at Tent London during the London Design Festival, happening later on in September. [via Dezeen]

Midsummer madness

Oh, I lead a rather odd life. Over the past couple of days I've been checking out a flurry of previews for what retailers will be carrying over the Holidays. And last week, in the midst of an extra hot and sticky July day, I actually dressed my first Christmas tree of the year. So, to help you all cool off from this heat, I thought I'd share a quick take on what to expect to hit the stores as we plunge headlong into fall and winter. PC Home has some lovely cabin and craft influences, as well as tons of affordable sparkle. The Drake General Store has a lock on just about the coolest gear you'd want to gift or receive, including a standout gold-hatted gnome cookie jar (really). Indigo is all about charming chunky knit accessories (love those extra long reading socks!), as well as a fantastic selection of toys and specialty candies. Holt Renfrew has glittery gold covered, in everything from nailpolish by Deborah Lippmann to heels by Christian Louboutin. Sears has a covetable selection of countertop appliances, not to mention a swish washer and drier duo in a deep royal purple, plus they've completely re-vamped their Whole Home furniture and upholstery collection. It's now all made in Canada (yay!) and is uber-customizable, and did you know they also do a great line of Quebec made kitchen cabinetry? Me neither!

This all adds up to the fact that I've been kinda busy, so, with that in mind, I've stolen the extra-pretty shot below from my sister's fashion and style blog, Blink London, from her interview with talented floral designer Victoria Brotherson of Scarlet & Violet. Click here to check out the interview, and to see more gorgeous floral arrangements.

It's (not) a wrap

Fashion designer Diane von Furstenburg is best known for her iconic wrap dress, but here's something altogether non-fashion related from DvF that was just too jammy not to share. Diane (along with best friend and interior decorator Olivier Gelbsmann) is in the midst of working with Claridge's, a posh London hotel, on re-designing 20 suites and rooms that are all expected to be finished by the end of this year. Here's a few snaps from the four rooms that are ready so far, one of which - the Piano Suite - rents out for an eye-watering $13,850 a night. I'm all over the nutty prints and high-contrast shenanigans, but what do you think? [Images: Claridge's]