Under glass

I love a good window display, they can be just so inspiring. In fact it was one of my first jobs, working in the display department at Selfridges in London, errrrr, a very long time ago...

I happened upon the three windows below, designed for the Big Window Challenge; a competition that's happening right this minute in NYC, dreampt up by the savvy folks at Bloomingdales & Apartment Therapy New York. The first, called Bridget's Bridge and designed by Curtis Robertson, is inspired by a paint-by-numbers painting. The second, The Downtown Chalet designed by Jane Mount, is meant to make you feel a little Swiss. The third, The Bachelor Party designed by Patrick J. Hamilton, is styled to evoke New York at night.

Take a minute and click here to vote for your fave, take a look at more shots of the spaces, and to guess which I voted for (it's currently in the lead...).

via laidbackchick on Twitter

Top style from down under

Ummm, hello? Why aren't we all living in Australia? Amazing weather, amazing style, and the food - mmmm. And, while it's hovering around minus I-don't-know-what here, down there they're wandering around in flipflops enjoying sizzling temperatures. How fair is that?

Back to Australian style - I recently stumbled across the Deborah Bibby's blog (take a look here), editor of Real Living magazine, and was totally wowed by the pages she's been posting from her mag. Ultra stylish, bright, fresh and fearlessly colourful they totally spoke to me (and hopefully they'll do the same to you!). Take a boo at some of my fave shots below from their Jan/Feb /09 and Nov /08 issues - I want every single one of the lamps...

And major kudos to Poppytalk and Desire to Inspire for getting picked as part of Real Living's '14 websites that will change the way you live'!

   

Saved by Saralisa and Sagan

I've been driving myself bananas looking at options for shower curtains, hooks, towel rails and toilet roll holders for the basement bathroom (have a look here). I'd hit every fancy bath supply store I could think of (ummm, no, I won't spend $80+ on a toilet roll holder) and stopped in at every big box imaginable and, seriously, there was bupkis worth lugging home. So luckily yesterday, on a run through Ikea scouting for a makeover I'm working on for CityLine, inspiration struck.

I turned a corner and there was Saralisa; a new line of fabric that just landed the shelves that has the chops to make an absolutely boffo shower curtain. Not sure whether I'll be plunking for the white or the black, but y'know, at a chintzy $6.99 a yard maybe I'll make 2! The other big save was Sagan for all the hook, rail and toilet roll holder business. Hefty and modern in a bright chrome finish - Just what I'd been searching for, and that swish little roll holder is a very budget friendly $14.99...

   

Fresh and Finnish

I'd given you a sneaky look at Marimekko's Spring /09 releases here, but since there's so much smashing gear from them this season I wanted to post more. The patterns range from playful to edgy in colourways that span warm and bright to high contrast black, white and grey. In fact, after looking through their new line and continuing collections, I think we might be picking one of their fabrics as a drapery choice for our new living space (it's a toss-up between Frekvenssi by Harri Koskinen and Marhaba by Ikka Suppanen).

Another hot announcement is the launch of a new line of Marimekko wallpapers, produced by Italian firm Sirpi S.p.a. The papers are expected to hit shelves sometime after April and will be debuting shortly at all the best design trade shows (take a boo at the first shot below to see one of the papers, the following three shots are a taste of Spring). And, talking of wallpaper, if you'd like a Marimekko background wallpaper for your computer click here.

In Canada, touch base with the wonderful Marimekko Vancouver for info on the collections (they can get their hands on the whole shebang) and, of course, to have anything shipped chez vous. [Images: Copyright 2009 Marimekko Corporation. All rights reserved]

   

Urban goes garden

I know, it's all bare branches and frostbitten ground out there (at least in this neck of the woods) but soon enough it'll be time to think green and garden, and guess what? Last year Urban Outfitters rather slyly opened up a new home and garden concept called Terrain that would be totally worth the drive to, errr, Glen Mills, Pennsylvania (outside of Philly). Terrain at Styer's is the full name, since they've set up shop in the old Styer's nursery and the goal, says Urban Outfitters, is 'to transform the local garden center into an experience that celebrates the beauty and abundance of nature, while offering an eclectic mix of garden-inspired products tailored for the contemporary customer.' This is all especially exciting since the plan is to eventually open up to 50 locations across the country, though sadly, who know's now whether that'll go ahead...

Take a boo below to get a taste of the place - It's eclectic, rustic and thoughtful and yes, it all looks gorgeously lush and inspiring. On site there's a hothouse, a seasonal exterior plant area, landscape services, and a cafe (what a pretty place to tie the knot!) as well as a beautifully merchandised store. [Images 2, 4, 5 by mytoenailcameoff on Flickr]

      

It's all going O.K.

It's official, Orla Kiely has ruined my weekend - We're heading off for a bit of cross-border fun and of course will be hitting Target, who have just released the fact that they'll be launching an Orla Kiely line of housewares that'll hit shelves Feb 1st. Ummm, I'll be there this weekend, not February!

The line of tableware, storage and even swanky aprons is all happily patterned with her trademark look (yes, the de-lovely pear print makes an appearance) and will most probably sell out within minutes. C'est la vie is all I can say...

Not content with cornering the housewares side of things, Ms. Kiely's line of mid-Century inspired furniture, for Heal's in the UK, has also set hearts a flutter. The rich walnut collection is peppered with Orla's patterns and warm colours, and has a classic style that echoes vintage Brit and Swedish furniture. The Lusk Sofa, as well as the Rowan dining table and chairs (all below) are some of my fave's. And, just to confirm that she obviously plans to take over the world, Bewley's Tea in Ireland recently released a Kiely designed tea caddy for their Gold Blend, which has already been spotted on eBay.

   

Orla Kiely for Target via sfgirlbybay 

3x modern kitchens, 1x sexy chair

I'm apparently well and truly kitchen obsessed. Now any glimpse of a swish new cabinet or sleek countertop has me all googly-eyed, so of course, when I caught sight of DWR's latest - a capsule collection of cabinetry (pardon the alliteration) - I was, well, drooling.

Designed exclusively by Nilus de Matran for Design Within Reach, DWR: Kitchen is set to order in three finishes; black oak, white and walnut. The line is entirely free of exterior hardware, which is thankfully one less excruciating decision if you ask me and, since the cabinetry is designed as a modular system, it's built to be portable, so when you move it can come along with you!

Of course I can't leave it there. Another DWR exclusive for /09 is a petite group of chairs designed for Emeco by iconic French designer Andree Putman for the recently redesigned Morgans Hotel in NYC. The Morgans chair, handmade of 80% recycled aluminum, is available in a trio of sexy finishes - brushed anodized aluminum, satin black and gloss white. Mmmmm, is all I can say to that.

Iffy on the table, but the chairs are a go

While the kitchen at our new house is well on it's way to getting completed (yay!) my mind has been wandering to the dining area and how it might get sorted. We'll have a skinny slice of a long table (that at least has been decided, and there isn't room for anything else) but, while I've been saying that wood might be nice, I've been rolling around the idea of something slick and white instead. For dining chairs we'll be doing an eclectic mash-up of painted charity shop specials, that's for sure (I can't abide the red leather dining chair I'm sitting on right now...) but still, I'm in need of inspiration.

Here are a few shots that caught my attention; bits and pieces of which are floating in jig-saw puzzle pieces around my brain, trying to fit together. The first shot is the latest from Marimekko for Spring /09 (more to come on that delicious front), and I'm loving all the colour and pattern. The second feels eclectic with Bruno chairs paired with a white farmhouse table. The third is the freshest gear from e15, who're on their way to show at IMM Cologne, and I'm all about those old Thonet chairs with their blocky white table (and don't even get me started on that great herringbone floor...). In the fourth that rustic table totally works, paired with lots of white and very barmy lighting. And finally, an 'in my dreams' white painted industrial space that rocks out with a Tulip table and chairs. [ Image 2, 4 Mai Linh, 5, Bertrand Limbour. Via Marie Claire Maison]

    

Almost, but not quite

The neighbours must be loving us - All this snow and ice has meant the filled-to-the-brim skip out front of the house can't be picked up yet (fingers crossed for a slight melt soon), and now it's a wee bit more full with packaging from the kitchen install. Yup, the kitchen is going in (can I hear a woot-woot?); the Home Depot installers arrived yesterday and the work has begun on fitting all the de-lovely Venicia by Kraftmaid cabinets.

We went for the Mirra Collection Carina doors in Bianco Gloss (take a boo below at a Venicia kitchen in the Chianti Gloss, and squint to see it in white and not red, lol). They're chic and simple flat panel doors with a swish integral aluminum pull for a seamless and ultra-modern look. The planning process at the store was great; we worked with Georgina (she's a treasure!) who knows the Venicia matrix upside-down, totally maxing out on all our storage needs. Make sure to click here and read up about all the Venicia cabinet's bells and whistles.

Picking out appliances was, as usual, eye-wateringly difficult since there is so much fab gear to choose from. I firmly believe that once you pick the range/cooktop everything else will fall into place and, since our range will sit smack dab in a peninsula, we decided to go with one that had a downdraft extractor so we didn't have to worry about a ceiling-mount rangehood. Tada! Jenn-Air had the perfect solution, we went with their Dual Fuel Slide-In Downdraft Range, which led us to pick their Cabinet Depth Side-by-Side Refrigerator and the Energy Star rated Built-in Dishwasher - All in stainless steel with a great modern industrial vibe.

For the countertop and integral sink we're set on Corian (though I'm flip-flopping on the colour), the faucet is the fantabulous new Karbon articulated kitchen faucet from Kohler, and the backsplash a ribbed white glass subway tile from Daltile called Taffeta - All available to order through Home Depot.

Click here to see the story so far on what's been happening on our mondo reno - We're finally in the home stretch, with a move-in date of Feb 1st!

    

What's new? Lots!

Getting a sneak peek at what some of my favourite retailers will be intro-ing for '09 is always super exciting and always gets the decorating part of my brain all happy. Take a boo at what's coming -

West Elm plunks for low-slung sofas and hits of lemon yellow, olive green, burnt orange and turquoise, and has totally upped their well-travelled vibe with Moroccan-ish tray tables, poufs in suede and cotton dhurrie, and ceramic camels and elephants - very Modern Souk.

CB2 (yes, they do ship to Canada) takes a more urban approach with a mix of modern and ethnic touches, orange, yellow and lime and on-trend touches of tie-dye (really!). I loved the rustic South American feel of this set of vases.

Zara Home slaps pattern on pattern in turquoise, sandy gold, cream and amethyst (all v. Moroccan again but with more of a layered flea-market twist) to make quite the chic impression - that striped gold glassware is just fab.

   

Deconstructing Ilse

The Crown in Old Amersham, the second inn by design guru Ilse Crawford for Dhillon Hotels, recently opened up and has already received raves from the likes of British Vogue. The 16th century half-timbered building now rocks a quiet and thoughtful modern rustic vibe, miles away from its past incarnation which undoubtedly included red velour, flocked wallpaper and polished brass odds and ends. I really dig Ms. Crawford's work (I've waffled on about her before here) and wanted to share her point of view, and deconstruct the look, since it's so on trend.

The interiors of The Crown are pared back with an eclectic mix of furnishings, all tied together in a simple neutral palette. The Durant Stretcher wing chair from Martha Stewart Furniture with Bernhardt (available through DeBoer's) would feel handsome and modern upholstered in grey wool. This Windsor Chair, handmade by John Fowler in Nova Scotia, has a classic silhouette in a dark finish - layer in a sheepskin and you're done. Vintage Ercol chairs are a hot Brit collectible, but the company just launched Originals to re-visit the company's mid-Century heyday. The restaurant at The Crown is all about locally sourced ingredients, with a menu designed by Rosie Sykes, served on hefty earthenware and aged pewter; try this charger from Williams Sonoma. Original wide-plank barnboard (check Revival Flooring) feels fresh with a round braided jute rug from West Elm. Finish it all off with walls in Dauphin Estate Emulsion and trim in Mahogany Oil Eggshell by Farrow & Ball.

    

   

     

   

Is it warm and sunny in the Hamptons?

Normally at this time of year we'd be in the UK, somewhere between London and Glasgow, hanging out with family and friends and generally having a boisterous time. Not this year, nope, the reno has kept us firmly stuck in Toronto. So anything that's 'elsewhere' looks exceedingly glam right about now.

I came across the work of Mabley Handler Interior Design while noodling through shots of the Hampton Designer Showhouse, and the guest suite they designed - the first snap below - totally fit the glam 'elsewhere' vibe with its aqua and silver palette. The Showhouse was in Sagaponack (who knows quite where that is, but I'm imagining summertime beaches and surf none the less). The second room is a well appointed guest bedroom from a home in East Hampton; their commitment to that over-the-top wallpaper is brill, the space totally works. Enjoy, and make sure to check out more of their portfolio here.

 

Taking it one shot at a time

Lawdy - Making it through this time of year without major stress-related meltdowns or pulling the blankets over your head takes one thing - a good espresso. It's the kick in the pants to get my day going and then again at 3pm when I'm fading and need another jolt (I'm rocking a shot of Nespresso Mandarin as I type).

Funnily enough I got on the caffeine train rather late; I started drinking it when researching a coffee segment for Citytv's CityLine and haven't looked back since. I found our current coffee and espresso cups at Zellers (suprisingly chic and modern glass numbers) but passing time and the fact that they break at the drop of a hat means I'm on the hunt for new options.

Here's what's on offer across the board - #1 A smart and simple heatproof glass from Williams Sonoma. #2 Mod and off kilter cups from the Cuisine line at Crate & Barrel. #3 Comfortably squished and sculptural Supple cups from Alessi. #4 A glam and gold sparkler from Zara Home. #5 Taika by Iittala feels cool and a bit chintzy in black and white. #6 Handmade and a touch 50's feeling by EmmaLitten of White Doll Arts on Etsy. #7 Nobody does pretty granny chic like Anthropologie with their Amelia cup and saucer. #8 Illy's latest from the Art Collection is a set designed by artist William Kentridge.

        

Philippe and Kelly go shopping on the cheap

This was honestly too good not to share. The LA Times took top interior designer Kelly Wearstler shopping at Cost Plus World Market (a cheapy/cool Pier1-esque decor retailer) and and dragged one of France's most iconic designers, Philippe Starck, to a Big Lots (a massive brand name closeout store) and let him loose. From her big box sojourn Kelly came up with a concept for a rustic glam beach party, while Philippe looked for authenticity in design and constructed a black and white table setting for just a few bucks. Read about Kelly's adventure here and check in on Philippe's purchases here. [images: Al Selb / Los Angeles Times]

 

Feeling blanc and edgy

Stylistas and design junkies take note - The apartment atop the Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine museum in Paris, designed by Art Deco era architect Jacques Carlu (yep, he's behind the Carlu in Toronto too) has a new resident. Courtesy of Elle Decoration and Ikea the space was given over to edgy fashion house Maison Martin Margiela for a complete re-design. The newly all-white interior is open to the public to tour - until Oct 01/09 - and shows quite the creative back-flip compared to its last decorator, Christian Lacroix, who dressed the space in a riot of colour and Baroque touches.

The walls have been covered with black and white 'photocopies' of a trad Hausmann style apartment, draped with silvery curtains and the floors mirrored in places or finished in a confetti covered trompe l’oeil surface that mimics white parquet. Piles of furniture feel sculptural slipcovered in white cotton and even a grand terrace, that overlooks the Eiffel Tower, is covered in white fake grass. The total effect is of a party that's been abandonded by its guests, and apparently this is just the start of something for Maison Martin Margiela, since they're now considering launching their own home line and taking on design projects.

Click here to take a video tour of the space (and practice your French!), and take a look below at the results. The last couple of shots show Christain Lacroix's version - Quite the difference, no? [images 1-3: Maison Martin Margiela/Marie-Pierre Morel. 4,5: Jean-Marc Pallisse]

    

Ladies first...

I was lucky enough to be picked as one of Canadian House & Home Magazine's favourite blogs for their always fab Jan '09 Trends issue, along with quite the glam bunch - Jan Halvarson of Poppytalk, Marie-Eve Best of Lake Jane, and Kim Johnson, the Canadian half of the team behind Desire to Inspire. Jan, Marie-Eve and Kim have all already posted about the issue (thanks for the kind mentions one and all!), so now I wanted to pipe up and share some of the shots H&H just posted here on their website that give the inside scoop on our workspaces.

A few of the pics are below - Jan (not pictured) and the peek at her bookshelf was shot by Janis Nicolay, Marie-Eve and quite a v. fab vintage leather wall storage piece was snapped by Angus McRitchie, and Kim and her fantabulous desk were caught on film by Jordan Craig. Currently I'm working off the dining table piled high with papers and press kits (not too swanky for sure), which is why I'm pictured smack dab in the middle of the living room surrounded by some of our gear that didn't make it into storage, the second shot is of a favourite vintage tulip base with a Moroccan tray top I glued together and painted green (btw, I was shot by the always lovely Virgina Macdonald, take a look here at more of her work).

The magazine just hit the stands, so feel free to pick one up and doodle a mustache on my mug. Oh, and so ya know, House & Home's website is in the midst of a re-design and will launch all polished and shiny looking in Jan of 2009!

No butcher or candlestick maker

I really do dig a good eclectic vibe, so this morning's aha moment (at exactly 7.18am, before my first espresso) was having the luck to hit upon Baker Studio's swish online catalogue. This high quality line debuted in '07 and was refreshed with new intros in '08 that fit with a particular decorative approach; one that's more about wit and style than anything else. There's touches of Ming, a hint of Egypt, Danish pokes it's nose in, and even the British get a hello.

I'd take them all if I could, but here's a taste of the line below. I'm very much into the lacquer, antique brass and cerused oak finishes (still all on the up-and-up in my book). Enjoy. Oh, and you'll find Baker Studio at Studio B.

     

Feeling the blues

Blue and white has been stuck in my head recently, but not in an old fashioned granny kind of way. There are elements of that (check that Delft plate - it's actually a rug) but the palette speaks to me more of a Danish / Moroccan combo more than anything else. It feels fresh, light and modern, and even a touch wintry, especially with that hit of berry red in the Marimekko print.

The inspiration shot is an interior styled by Moooi (available at Klaus by Nienkamper, who btw, are having a special discounted shopping night on Dec 16th, from 5-9pm). Next up is that laughably cool and surreal Moooi rug, Carpet 1. Then we move on to Marcel Wanders splashy take on trad blue and white for an exhibition called Fragiles. We couldn't have not included Madeline Weinrib, with a vinatge chair covered in Ikat and a Suzani pillow (the MW line is available through Y&Co). Ikea's collection for the Holiday's, Kallt, has note cards that are chic enough to make it way beyond the end of the year. And here's that sweet Marrimekko print - Pakkanen.

     

    

We'll be there in 8 hours

The weather is getting to me... already. This grey/cold/rain/snow/slush business is just not my cup of tea. Enough of that, how about some inspiration?

We have a dream of one day buying a place in Portugal, so when I saw this place, owned by designer Marina Saldanha and located in Portugal's Alentejo region, I knew I had to share. Love her vibe - all those collected things thrown together in a rustic whitewashed space just works so well. Okay, lets cut the waffling; ignore the weather outside and look at the gorgeous shots below. [photography: Mai-Linh / Box Management]

Via Marie Claire Maison

First, the good news

Not content with launching shockingly affordable collections from the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Comme des Garcons (which always sell out in munutes) H&M is set to debut it's own home collection in Feb '09. But, before you get too excited, the bad news is there are currently no plans to bring it to North America; H&M Home will only be available online in select European countries. So, check your family tree and shoot off an e-mail to that long lost cousin of yours in the Netherlands if you're hell bent of scoring some of this ultra fresh gear.

Of course the looks are totally on trend- #1 is edgy and urban in black and white. #2 shows the slide towards a natural eco feel. #3 is all about youthful colour and pattern (love that Lisolette Watkins designed pillow!). #4 is a classic combo of navy and white realized in a fresh un-stodgy way. 

Via Husmusen