Merry, merry

Christmas comes early in my business, way before snow is on the ground and usually when most people still are in flipflops and shorts. Yup, the Holidays, for me at least, start at the end of Summer. The tree below, my first for the season in fact, just popped up in the latest issue of Canadian Living magazine - it was shot right at the beginning of September by Luis Albuquerque - along with four other dazzlers (you'll have to pick up the mag to see the rest). The tree and decorations are both a sneaky look at what you'll see from PC Home this season, and that tree top scarf and those sparkly mary janes are from Joe Fresh Style. I feel an eggnog coming on...

 

Shopping and dancing

Not sure whether you've made it to LIV by Au Lit yet to check out all the fashion and home deliciousness they have on offer, but on Nov 8th and 9th you really must. Joanna Goodman and her team are hosting a Holiday Shopping Event that will satisfy you deal hunters with a 20% discount on, well, just about everything in store. Throw in hot chocolate, loot bags for the first 50 shoppers, a DJ spinning while you shop and the chance to win a luxe swag bag and you've just about reached shopping nirvana.

Joanna's well edited collections are always on-point for style, and this season is no exception. This is what she's loving right now -

Tartan: Great trad pattern for the home, and when given a bit of a contemporary edge it becomes very current and fashionable.

Grey: Hottest colour this season. We've seen this colour trend in pretty much all products and textures this season from wool couches to silk party dresses, tweeds, knits and even dishes and accessories.

Cashmere: Always a classic choice for both home & fashion! 

 

Nail or coat hanger?

Affordable artwork, and people actually slapping art up on their walls, is one of the coolest major trends in design. With the advent of Etsy, and great local galleries like Art Interiors, buying art that you like doesn't have to be intimidating or fusty in any way; a huge break from the old days when walking into a gallery would have involved a staring contest as the person behind the desk sized up your net worth with x-ray vision (nasty).

But, would you buy the art and wear the matching t-shirt? Ummm, I would, lol. Online music retailer Insound got together with designer Jason Munn to create the Insound 20; a run of 20 different limited edition posters, matching t-shirts and hoodies inspired by a bunch of Insound's favourite bands. Cool? I think so. And yes, they ship to Canada.

 

 

 

Tea with Joe

Wednesday was all about deadlines. I was literally glued to my laptop, banging away to get a gift guide done for the National Post (look for it mid-Nov) so, by the time I was done, I was desperately in need of a cuppa. I was in luck; Dammann Freres, a storied French tea company that's been around since 1692 - honestly - is making it's debut at Pusateri's glam Flower & Gift store up on Avenue Road in Toronto. The store is well worth a visit (I don't wanna hear from any whiners about needing passports to head north of Eglinton), and the tea? Delish. My fave was L'Oriental, a flavoured black tea with citrus-y notes, but there's quite the range to choose from, and at $18 for a pretty tin they'd make an easy-peasy hostess gift. Oh, and the rest of the store is jam-packed with beautiful flowers and scads of vases and accessories, many of which were exclusively hunted down for the store.

Next stop was the Joe Fresh Style fashion show for Spring/Summer '09 down at the tents for L'Oreal Fashion Week. I sat with the Flare crew and thoroughly enjoyed the looks tripping down the runway, but for me it was so all about the colours. Navy, grey, white, grey/blue, a buttery ecru, acid yellow and hits of sorbet brights. All I could think about is what a fresh and modern colour palette that could be for a space!

Take a look at the snaps below for a feel of Pusateri's store, the tea, and the Dammann Freres swish patterned teacups and teapots, as well as one sneak peek from the runway.

    

    

  

5 quick questions - Kelly Wearstler

With a polished yet edgy take on uptown chic, and a very fashion-forward view on style, Kelly Wearstler rocks the glossy world of interior design. Her signature look is a high-tone mix of vintage and new, the odd and unusual, and often features elements that take a keen sense and educated eye to actually pull off - Almost like a design version of a circus high-wire act. She's been featured in Vogue, on the cover of Domino and, I've raved about her on the blog before (take a look here). Kelly has lots on the go, no surprise there, so I can't tell you how happy I am that she found time to answer 5 quick questions!

Below you'll see quite the glam Bauble Box from KW's collection for Bergdorf Goodman, as well as a couple of shots of the Tides South Beach (photography, Annie Schlechter). Kelly was shot by Mark Edward Harris.

Arren Williams: What's inspiring you right now? 

Kelly Wearstler: I derive inspiration from everywhere - travel, nature, fashion, art, architecture, modern technology... everywhere. 

AW: Is there anything you'd like to see banished from interiors? 

KW: A drab, visually uninspiring space is never in style. 

AW: What's the next thing you have your eye on for your own place?

KW: I'm still in the process of designing my current home, so I'm looking for so much at the moment, especially amazing art for my house. 

AW: How would you describe your current style and how has it changed over the years?

KW: My style is always evolving so it's impossible to pinpoint it exactly. I'm a Modernist at heart, and, of course, I love all colours. Since I began my career as an interior designer I've learnt to educate and train my eye, leading me to become more confident, and sassy in my work.

AW: What's next for you?

KW: So much! This past year I opened my boutique at Bergdorf Goodman, where I have a line of decorative accessories and introduce about 20 new pieces every season. I also created my first collection with The Rug Company. Most recently, this Fall, I created a 150-piece collection of fabrics and trimmings with Groundworks at Lee Jofa. Up next is a line of bedding, table linens, decorative pillows and throws. I'm also working on several hotels - including Vicerory Miami and Anguilla, set to open in the first half of 2009 - as well as residential projects. 

  

   

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...

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...


Fashion tech

First off, thanks to the witty and well dressed folks behind Fashion File's cool blog for giving me a mention. Check it out for their behind-the-scenes insight on what's happening on the street and on the runway!

More on the fashion front - HP hooked up with designer Vivienne Tam on a swanky new Special Edition clutch-sized laptop that debuted in Tam's NY Fashion Week runway show. I'm loving the signature red case with it's funked-up floral motif (imagine it as wallpaper, mmm) that picks up on prints in the collection - definitely more chic than geek. The word is that you'll be able to get your well manicured hands on it in October.

Spanish Eccentric

Maybe it's a Brit thing -  I'm always inspired by eccentricity, and in the design world who better expresses it than one of my current faves - Jaime Hayon. Wacky, surreal and downright fabulous are trademarks of his style; this guy creates his own rules and follows his own very odd heart (can you imagine any other designer having a shot taken wearing a pink fuzzy bunny suit?).

Hayon and Camper Shoes are a smart fit - both are edgy yet iconic Spanish brands - so it was only natural that a sneaker collection from the witty designer ended up hitting stores;  "a sporty shoe with a touch of elegance" is how he descibes them. And, since I'm such a sneakerhead, I'd love one in every colour....

Take a look below at the shoes and check the quilted detail on the sole and how it picks up throughout his work. Following on is a store he designed for Camper in Paris and a v. glam restaurant, La Terazza del Casino, in Madrid.