Christmas and Eames

It's July - and swelteringly hot - so in my world at least it means the Holidays have started. Last week the fireplace was lit and the house was filled with lots of sparkly decorations, a white tree, two models, a photographer (hi John Cullen!), two assistants, an art director (hey Jason Kang!), a wardrobe stylist, a hair and makeup person, plus a couple of extra folks who were roped in to lend a hand. And, we were lucky enough to have smartypants food stylist Ashley Denton on set too, who took a couple of secs in between shots to snap a few pics of the goings-on with the Instagram app on his iPhone. They turned out super-cool, so I thought it'd be fun to share them (there's more on Ash's Instagram stream here).

Yep, it's all very Christmas-y, but in that last shot you'll see something far more practical, the Eames Hang-It-All that's now installed in the front hall to handle a slew of jackets, trucker hats, dog leashes, and towels (for our occasionally mucky Whippet, Spot). It was a splurge for sure - after shopping around I found the best price for a new one on eBay - and, funnily enough, it's the only Eames piece in the house. Happy Holidays!

Feeling bookish

Over the last while I've been working on some cool projects for Indigo, and - after saying pretty please - they're allowing me to share a couple of the snaps.

Coralie Bickford Smith is the designer behind this F Scott Fizgerald series of books from Penguin Classics. There are 5 books in all, each of which have a fantastically glam Art Deco inspired cover by Bickford Smith, and all of which would make a stunner of a set for your bookshelf. I'm a huge Deco fan, in fact at the age of 12 it was my first collection (I still have the first thing I ever bought, a diamond shaped alabaster dressing table mirror - have a look at it here), and to this day I'm a total sucker for the glamour and artifice of the 20's and 30's. Back to the books... Wouldn't these covers make gorgeous wallpapers? Oh, and if you fancy your own set, Indigo now has them in stock.

A flower battle

So, I get asked to do lot's of fun things in my line of work, but some are definitely more fun than others. If you catch the current issue of Canadian Family you'll see a crazy huge feature that I got to work, shot by John Cullen, and yes, it was crazy fun - Three completely bananas days in-studio involving the CF crew, models, kids, food and crafts, and, in the midst of it Jen Reynold's (the mag's Editor-in-Chief) threw down the gauntlet and challenged me to come up with a centrepiece for $25.

Easy? Maybe, except her's was to be all gorgeous and fresh, while mine had to come entirely from the dollar store. And so here are the results. My 3 fake flower topiaries (glue gun fake flowers onto melamine plates, then attach bamboo stick and plant them into terracotta pots), versus Jen's fresh poppies, ferns and ivy loosely arranged in a vintage metal vase. Which is your fave? Vote right here!

Call me Fifi

Okay, so how huge was Woofstock? Ummm, let's just say it was a massive doggie day out (you better believe it when they say it's the largest dog festival in North America). In fact, Spot the Whippet is now zonked on the sofa with a grumbling belly after scarfing down tons of free samples. For me the coolest find of the day was the totally brilliant pet photography by Jason Krygier-Baum. His large-scale and very coy Poodle portrait totally stopped me in my tracks, and made me think that it's time for Spot to get ready for his close-up. Oh, and just so you know, while you might agree with me that the supermodel below looks just like a Fifi, her real name is just as beguiling - Paree.

White, no noise

I know it's a Sunday, but what the hey, inspiration struck and I decided to snap a vignette I threw together before we head out en famille to enjoy Woofstock.

That 1984 LA Olympics poster was a fantastic find at last week's neighbourhood yard sale (thx again Brenda for pointing it out!), and both the kooky Sgrafo Modern vase and Howard Miller gold clock are perennial faves too. But, it's the Dyson Air Multiplier that I'm totally counting on as the weather heats up. Yep, it's a fan, but apart from the incredibly sleek bladeless design I love the fact that a) it's way more attractive than the ugly old black fan we used to have hanging around, and b) it's way quieter than the ugly old black fan we used to have hanging around.

Form meets function and keeps you cool - What could be better than that?

Carmen - a lover or a fighter?

This'll have to be quick-sticks for me, since I'm about to slap some fresh-caught Chinook salmon on the grill and uncork a lovely red - It's been that kind of day. I did want to taken a sec to share my favouritest (I know, it's not a word) lamp that I spotted at the ICFF a while back. It's Carmen from FontanaArte, and comes in the lovely table version below, as well as a pendant option too.

I think it's the witty shape, and the crisp lines in white powder-coated steel that make me just love it so. Funnily enough Héctor Serrano, the designer behind Carmen, was inspired by medieval armour, but if you ask me I see more of a frilly bathing cap thing happening. To each their own I guess. Oh, and I also scored a snap of Serrano's notebook with his initial sketches for the line. Don't you love getting a peek into the creative process?

A couple o' owls

Can I hear a hoot-hoot? Okay, apologies for the punny intro, but owls are just not going away. This morning I caught a behind-the-scenes Facebook snap of some prop owls that Dwell Studio will be using on an upcoming shoot (here), then there are some incredibly cool owl bookends that Indigo will be intro'ing in August - along with the rest of their fantastic new home collection, not to mention Uhu, the cool wall-mount lamp from Contraforma that's pictured below. I caught the Contraforma line at the ICFF and I hafta say, I was super impressed by the Lithuanian crew behind the line.

And then there's the rather sad looking owl vase in that second shot. It doesn't have a name, and has probably been languishing in a shady corner in my mother-in-law's garden for at least 10 years. Well, I decided to stage a rescue, and its now been brought home, washed and is on its way for a bit of a fix-up. So keep an eye out for more owl pics soon!

West Elm and Etsy's love-in

Hey there. Yep, I know I've been barely hanging around here recently (I'm blaming it on a combo of being blisteringly busy with work, travelling to both New York and Chicago within the past couple of weeks, oh, and getting kinda sick too), but here's something that you guys can really sink your teeth into>>>

West Elm's Toronto store will be hosting an Etsy We Heart Handmade Art pop-up event curated by Fieldguided - that's her smashing carryall pictured below - which'll feature a slew of other local Etsy craftspeople, as well as promising both drinks and tunes. I was in the store yesterday and they were being busy bees getting prepped and clearing space for what promises to be a very busy Saturday. All the deets are below, and yep, Bookhou (a local design fave of mine) will be there with lots of gorgeous gear, including the pillows and artwork pictured below, too.

I'm hoping to make it, but might be entirely exhausted after participating in our mega local neighbourhood yard sale (shout out to everyone who lives in The Pocket!).

Guest blog / Jenn Hannotte: The perpetual kitchen reno

Jenn Hannotte: Last October, after my youngest pulled what looked like 1930s underwear out from behind the radiator in our kitchen, I called John at Cera Stone. "GUT IT," I said. Really, I didn't *want* to renovate the kitchen, I wanted to live with it and save up for the real-deal. 

But after the underwear, and because earlier in the summer I had removed all the cabinet doors because they were covered in SLIME, and because after the bathroom renovation we had a big ol' hole in the kitchen ceiling thanks to the old toilet losing it's shhhhh all over the place - well, it wasn't a kitchen anymore. And so, like I do, I started to rip things apart myself and discovered the original asbestos-tiles, and while not exactly good for the lungs, they were in really good shape which gave me hope for the pine-plank subfloor. Yes, we were going to gut the kitchen, but, no, we weren't going to spend much putting it back! Once everything was out, I decided to have a wall framed out over the messed up plaster that held the old cabinets in place, and we clad it in beautiful birch plywood. The sink, stove and fridge all stayed in the same place to keep costs down. A couple of base cabinets from Ikea, an inexpensive butcher block countertop, rough-pine shelf from Home Depot ($12!) and bingo, we had a kitchen. 

Okay, it didn't go that smoothly - I have hung different cabinets and shelves, moved the fridge around, painted the floors after resolving not to, and painted half a wall black before deciding (surprise!) white it was! This is a temporary kitchen - if temporary means 5 years or more to you. So, because we'll be living with it for quite some time, we figured that we might consider getting some appliances that work. I know people go on about "function and form" all the time, but sometimes I like to ignore that and spend money in places we shouldn't instead of... .getting appliances that work.

And so, this week a new crop of appliances that will bring harmony to the kitchen are set to arrive. Appliances that marry form AND function. I know, what a concept. Once they're here and installed I promise a full kitchen tour. For now, here are some shots of the before and during - and a sneak-peak of the 'after', shot for the Marion House Book last month! (which, incidentally, already looks different!)

For more of Jenn's take on style click here.

New York whirlwind

As I write this I'm close to comatose on my bed at The Hudson hotel in NYC. Yep, it's been a bananas couple of days running around Manhattan checking out everything that's going on during New York Design week and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, and it's not over yet. Below is a snap of all the catalogs, postcards and mags I've collected so far that caught my eye - and yes, before you ask, I've already edited it down to the stuff I really, really like. Luckily it all fits in the Tom Dixon bag that I snagged, which seems to have gotten the vote of the coolest ICFF bag around (hot on the heels of the gold metallic bag Tom Dixon doled out last year). And keep your eyes peeled, I'll be posting lots of my NYC design faves over the next while...

TGIM

Yes, as in Thank God It's Monday and I'm finally finding time to pop up a quick post. Things continue to be crazy busy in my world (best quote from one of the kids in the midst of a shot for last week's HUGE photoshoot for Canadian Family's summer issue - "I need to go poo!").

Anyways, enough of that, how about some of this??? I was hunting for rugs designed by Christian Lacroix for Designers Guild and this happened to pop up instead and has suddenly become my latest design crush - The Dot-Grid Printed Cotton Mat by West Elm. Seriously, what's not to love?

Shopping (and buying) a bit of vintage

I Tweeted this morning how my car is currently chockablock with outdoor pillows, vintage watering cans and Italian tiles. And yesterday I hefted, nudged and toyed around with pea gravel, fake grass, ivy and ferns (both real and not), a fake hedge, flowers (more of the real and not real business) and a rather handsome teak garden bench - All for a book cover shoot. Yep, it's been a little on the busy side over the last while.

Luckily it hasn't been all nose-to-the-grindstone, since there was time over the weekend to wake up early and hit the Meister Markt Collector Show with our friend Laura Muir, who luckily brought her camera along to record the proceedings. That vintage airplane poster was a real winner, but a bit too rich for my blood at $75. And then I saw a vase. Loved the design and the fact it's marked 'Italy' is a total plus, and the price? At just $20 I had to have it. We finished off the morning hunting for records to add to my other half's collection, then headed off for a well-earned greasy breakfast. Oh, and for more vintage fun, click here to see what caught Laura's eye. [Images: Laura Muir]

Powered by the letter N

For me to get through a looong day, without any awful mishaps at least, I definitely need to set the ball rolling with an espresso. And to keep me really happy (and well caffeinated) it's just gotta be a short shot of the hot stuff from my Nespresso machine. We have their CitiZ hanging out on the counter, but now I'm a wee bit jealous, since they've just launched Pixie, a compact new machine that can brew a hit of espresso within 25 seconds of being switched on. Oh, and if that's not enough to pique your interest, Nespresso hooked up with a Parisian design crew called 5.5 Designers (seen below monkeying around) for a series of Pixie accessories, including insulated cups inspired by the aluminum coffee capsules.

Getting on the tube

Okay peeps, as a little bit of a sidestep from the normal stuff I post, I thought I'd give you the lowdown on a brand new HGTV Canada show that's just started casting and is need of, well, you!

Friends of mine at Proper Television are on the hunt for houseproud design savvy homeowners (not design professionals) that love their home and are opinionated about style. Into modern or traditional? Just survived a reno? Live in a yurt, a mansion or a condo the size of a walk-in closet? No matter. If you're picked to get on the show you've got the chance to win a cool $1,000.

Here are the deets -

If you live in Southern Ontario and think your home is something special they want to hear from you. Just email the following to casting@propertelevision.com by April 29, 2011: 

• A short description of you and your home
• A snapshot of you (jpeg if possible)
• Up to 5 snaps of your home (jpegs if possible)
• A daytime telephone number
• Video isn't necessary at this point but if you insist, upload your vid to YouTube and send the link

Guest blog / Julia Black: An underfoot explosion

Julia Black: If I had to choose just one element of style that I love most it would have to be textiles. All that colour, pattern and texture is magnificent, though recently I’ve been especially attracted to what lies underfoot, so when I discovered Morris Etc. a new found obsession for rugs exploded.

Amy and Brett, the insanely talented Brooklyn-based couple behind the firm, have spent many a day working in design and media, but came to realize their true passion was handcrafted, one-of-a kind rugs. The collection is filled with predestined heirloom pieces in eye-popping fruit-punch combinations of bold stripes and neo-traditional patterns that'll definitely help lift us out of hibernation and catapult us into springtime. A big plus - Morris Etc. invites you to customize your own wool flatweaves, as well as shop their creations online, not to mention that you can stay connected with them here on Twitter, and via email updates (which will let you know when new shipments arrive). No matter what you’re obsessing about this season, don’t forget to treat your feet! [Images: Joyce Lee]

To read more posts from Julia click here, and to check out her cool blog click here.

{that one great thing} Cobi's ashtray collection

Back when she was Editor of Canadian House & Home Cobi Ladner was one of my many bosses (oh, the life of a freelancer). Now, as I'm sure you've seen, she's just launched her very own witty, colourful and happy line of fabrics, furniture and accessories called cobistyle. As you can imagine she's been a little busy, so I've patiently been pursuing her for a *that one great thing* pick, and here it finally is. And seriously, will you ever look at Cobi the same now that you know she's a little light fingered?

Cobi Ladner: I wonder what it says about a person if their 'one great thing' is a collection of stolen hotel ashtrays? Especially if that person has never smoked! I guess I have to admit here, in front of the entire world, that yes, I did personally steal one of these little beauties myself. It's actually my least favourite of the bunch. It's the one from The Plaza hotel in NYC. I was lucky enough to stay at the Plaza for business  (back in the day when Ivana Trump briefly owned it). The crest is only cheaply printed on, probably in China, but I had to have it as a memento. 

I use these little dishes all around the house -  in the bathroom to hold loose jewellery; at the kitchen sink and bedside for my watch; on my desk for business cards (some days I need to remind myself of who I am); on my husband's dresser to hold change. I look for them whenever I'm in junk stores, the Sally Ann and flea markets. It's a total high to find a lovely little dish that originally sat in a beautiful room in Paris, on a dusty shelf in a thrift store in Southern Ontario. Who's suitcase did it travel in and was it a sentimental impulse to bring it home as a memento of a fabulous holiday?   

Although I love to see kitsch in other people's homes - pillows from Niagara Falls, shot glasses from Florida - I'm not into that myself. No, I love the idea of elegance - Paris - London - New York - Darlin', I love ya, but give me Park Avenue.... and the notion that a hotel would have fine bone china from England printed with their fabulous address. 

My favourite little dish isn't here unfortunately. It was from the Hotel Scribe in Paris and was a little fluted square with a fine orange line around it. I loved it so much I tried using it as a soap dish in our powder room and my clumsy 13-year old broke it. So much for the elegance of Paris in our house.  I guess that's what makes it all the more appealing.

It's a mug's game

I've spent the last while researching a couple of feature projects for the likes of House & Home and the National Post and, while I was noodling down an internet back alley, I happened across these rather cool mugs. Okay, while I'm not much for funny mugs, these were inspired by the weird ones that get half forgotten and shoved to the back of the cupboard. They also have a rather nice bit of provenance too, since they were designed by Baptiste Ymonte and Vincent Jousseaume of Atelier Polyhedre and are from a limited edition line called Mug Shot. Now that's a nice way to enjoy your no-foam-half-sweet-lactose-free-vanilla-latte. Baroque and Flash are available online here from Paul Smith.

{that one great thing} Jen's (two)one great vintage chair(s)

Can someone please explain to me how it's already Wednesday? I'm having a really work-y week and time is just whizzing by, which is why I'm super glad Jenn Hannotte's *that one great thing* pick popped up in my inbox, since she's always such a smartypants whilst I am - right now at least - feeling awfully fuzzy in the brain department. And yes, before anyone says anything, I know Jenn is slightly cheating by picking 2 things, but that's just how she rolls...

Jenn Hannotte: My One Great Thing is actually Two Great Things, but their stories are the same and I didn't want to leave either one out! When I was living in Winnipeg (holla!), I was working as an art director for a specialty advertising company. I was 20 years old, and while I cared a great deal about how my various apartments looked, I didn't really *know* anything about the history of industrial/furniture design. In a corner of the office sat these two chairs, stacked and dusty. I thought they looked cool and asked the boss if I could buy them, but he generously (it turns out!) gave them to me. This was my first experience exploring the history of an object; I turned over the chairs and discovered they were Fritz Hansen chairs and went to eBay (pretty much the only source at the time!) and learned their worth. From there, armed with a little more information I soon found myself hooked on learning about the history of design. I consider the discovery of these chairs the fuel for my passion for design, and on the downside, the impetus to my chair addiction! They always make an empty corner pop, and they've always worked with whatever look I'm loving. Here's round-up of their recent history of resting places in my various homes as an homage.

{that one great thing} Jan's handmade frame

I once had a landlord who mentioned that old chestnut, You scratch my back, I scratch yours while I was signing a lease, and delightfully went on to say You kick me, I kick you. Memorable, yes, but not exactly charming, so the first part - definitely not the second - came to mind when Jan Halvarson of Poppytalk kindly asked if she could grab the shot and story from Susie Sheffman's *that one great thing* pick to post on her fantastic blog. I said of course, and then proceeded to bug her into contributing one in return. So here goes!

Jan Halvarson: I have fond memories of my Swedish grandfather whittling away on a chair outside in the back deck on warm summer days. I would be playing in the yard, and he would watch me and whittle away. He made this frame, and I really don't even know the back story, nor does anyone else, but it's just always been around, following me everywhere I go; always there. And as I write this I'm realizing how profound that is. I remember it having three hearts, and I'm sure at one point there were four, but now only two remain. I love how he painted them gold, and left the rest. It's housed a favourite black and white photograph of my mother, at times my drawings and right now I love it best just left as is. Without even knowing it until now, it could very well be the inspiration to why I love handmade so much today.

In the photograph the frame is shown with a collection of found driftwood I wrapped a bit of yarn around and a crochet covered rock from artist Margie Oomen.

Going out Est for Eames

I recently got the chance to speak to students at Humber College all about what I do, as well as my thoughts on design, and, other than the fact that they must've thought I was bonkers, I did find time to beg them to please try their best to not buy knock-offs. I'd much rather see a vintage piece, or great affordable design (hello, Ikea, Habitat and West Elm!) in an interior, rather than a sad looking fake Barcelona Chair.

So this week I was super-duper happy to check out a brill new online mag from Australia called Est Magazine, which had a great feature comparing a fake to a real Eames DAW (that's Dining height Armchair Wooden base to you and me). Click here to look at the mag, and to read all about design integrity vs. a ripped-off copy, and have a boo below at the 4 looks Est stylist Amey Rosenthal put together, photographed by Toby Scott, of the real thing. Traditional, Family, Old & New, Corporate - Do you have a fave? And thanks too to Natalie Walton's great blog Daily Imprint for the intro to Est!