IDS Design Weekend with Arren Williams {giveaway}

Well this should be fun! The lovely folks at the Interior Design Show have organized a fantabulous prize for the much anticipated IDS11 happening Jan 27-30. Yep, you've got the chance to win an IDS Design Weekend with Arren Williams (errr, yes, that's me!). Along with 2 tix to the Opening Night shindig, you'll get 2 tix to my Arren Williams Up Close & Personal Talk (presented by Graham & Brown and Crown Wallpaper & Fabrics) which also include entry to the show, and 2 swanky nights at the InterContinental Toronto Centre hotel!

Here are all the deets:

To enter for a chance* to win an IDS Design Weekend with Arren Williams (2 IDS Opening Night Tickets, 2 tickets to the Arren Williams Up Close & Personal Talk, and 2 nights stay at the InterContinental Toronto Centre), follow these easy steps: 

1. Leave a comment below the contest blog post (please include your email where asked) explaining why you'd like to win, before Monday Jan 24th at 12pm EST. 

2. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator and will be announced by email and as an update to this post on the morning of Tuesday Jan 25th at 9am EST. Good Luck! 

NOTE: The prize does not include transportation.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.  Void where prohibited.  Odds depend on number of applicants who participate.  Retail value of prize $518.00. Participants may enter the contest by following the steps mentioned above by Monday Jan 24th, 12pm Eastern time.  Applicants must be of the age of majority in his/her province or territory of residence or older at the time of entry to participate and win. Contest open to Canadian residents, excluding residents of Quebec. Contest winner will be announced on ArrenWilliams.com, contacted via blog post comments, and must correctly answer a skill-testing question to win a prize.  Contestants may send a self-addressed stamped envelope to 10 Alcorn Avenue, Suite 100 Toronto, ON  M4V 3A9 to enter for a chance to win.  Rules are available upon request. MMPI Privacy Policy.

Update on Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 09:04AM by Arren

And... we have a winner! Congrats to Carmelo, who's wife has been nagging him for years to update the look of their home. Looking forward to seeing you at the IDS!

On the (main) level

Yep, the August issue of House & Home is finally out (with our place in it), so I thought it was high time to finally share the heinous 'before' and the lovely 'after' of the main floor of our house! So you can get your bearings, that first pic is me standing pretty much where the coffee table is now, looking back towards where the kitchen ended up, and all before the walls came down to finally open the space up. For more scary before shots click here.

Here are the deets on those glossy after shots, photographed by Angus Fergusson -

In the living room the sofa, chairs, tables and ceiling fixture are all vintage. The ottoman is from Bev Hisey, a couple of the pillows on the sofa are from The Rug Company, the Montigo fireplace is from Odyssey Fireplaces, and the rug is from Sears. Spot looks awfully cute in this next shot, against the brill Manderley wallpaper from Graham & Brown. That's a Besta cabinet from Ikea (crammed with records), topped with a turntable, a Tivoli radio and a vintage lamp. I made the dining table out of scaffolding planks and a vintage table base, and all the chairs were super-cheapy vintage finds refinished by Beresford's and, all the doors and windows in the house are Jeld Wen. The KraftMaid kitchen cabinets, Corian countertop, glass tiles and Quality Craft bamboo flooring are all Home Depot, oh, and the stools are vintage. The fantastic stainless steel slide-in gas range with downdraft (no need for a range hood!), dishwasher and French door fridge are from Jenn Air. In the powder room, the wallpaper was dragged home from BHV in Paris, and the teensy sink is from American Standard. And finally, a major shout out to our contractors, Cera Stone!

 

5 quick questions: Laurence Llewelyn Bowen

If you like a bit of lavish and lush, then you'll definitely enjoy a slice of designer Laurence Llewelyn Bowen, who first popped up on screen close to 15 years ago on the Brit makeover show Changing Rooms. He was, and is, unapologetically theatrical and over-the-top, though unlike Hildi Santo Tomas on TLC's Trading Spaces, I don't believe he has ever glued grass to some unsuspecting homeowner's walls... Recently LLB has been busy, designing wallpaper collections (his Helsinki pattern is one of my faves) and launching a new 32-colour paint range in the UK for Graham & Brown, as well as publishing Decorating with Laurence Llewelyn Bowen, his new book. With all that on the go, I'm super happy that he found a spare minute to answer 5 quick questions.

Arren Williams: What's inspiring you right now?

Laurence Llewelyn Bowen: Gothic.

AW: Is there anything that drives you crazy when you walk into a space?

LLB: When people have decorated a room in delusions of blandeur.

AW: What's the next thing you have your eyes on for your own house?

LLB: I am always looking for unusual and original pieces of artwork.

AW: How would you describe your look, and has it changed over the years?

LLB: I love design that fuses traditional and historical elements and up to date contemporary style.  I sometimes deviate from the balance slightly but it is a preoccupation of mine to bring historical style alive.

AW: What's next on the horizon?

LLB: My new book Decorating with Laurence..., which has just hit the book shelves and is having phenomenal feedback. The book celebrates my personal style, a lot of pattern, a lot of colour and an enormous amount of wall space.

Say hello to Amy and Kelly

Well, here's a nice sneak peek at the brand spanking new Graham & Brown wallpaper collections designed by Amy Butler and Kelly Hoppen that'll be launching this weekend at the ICFF in New York! First up are Amy Butler's deliciously patterned Temple Tulip, Georgia and Fountain. Next are Rose, Hicks and Vintage Flock, all from top Brit interior desiger, Kelly Hoppen. Oh, there's more, but that's all I can get away with showing you for right now! Any faves?

Money is an object

If money was no object I would be flying to London today so I can be well rested in time to wave a bidding paddle at tomorrow's Phillips de Pury & Co Design auction. Alas, money is an object, so instead I'll be staring longingly at pictures of the following lovely items which are up for sale - The fantabulous Georges Jouve circa 1952 table lamp, which I would give my eye teeth for (since I can't afford the cool $22,500 estimated sale price). There's a really fab set of painted stainless steel cutlery designed by Alessandro Mendini for Alessi which, hmmm, I thought was a relative bargain until I realized the eye-popping price tag is for a single place setting (the pattern reminds me of this cool wallpaper by Basso and Brooke for Graham & Brown). Finally, after all that rabid gotta-have-it bidding, I would happily take a snooze in that handsome and rare painted steel and suede 70's armchair by Mario Cecchi. Oh, there's lots more to swoon over for sure, so take a look here at the 220-page catalogue, and thanks to Raymond Girard for pointing the way on Twitter.