Guest blog / Julia Black: It's in the grain

Julia Black: John Ross might as well win a gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Truth be told he might not exactly be an athlete, though he is a supreme representative of the Canadian way. With his overwhelming compassion for nature, his creative brilliance, and his oh-so stylish designs, what more can you ask for? As logger for nearly 15 years in British Columbia, John decided to channel his passion into high-end one-of-a kind pieces crafted from cast-off wood. You might have caught his work in Oprah Magazine and Canadian House & Home, and to actually get your hands on his furniture and lighting you can pop into one of my fave Vancouver shops, The Cross. John currently resides on Vancouver Island, so those of you lucky enough to be on the West coast right now be sure to check him out! Who knows, maybe you’ll come away with an extraordinary, and very Canadian, piece of furniture.

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

   

  

Guest blog / Julia Black: On the runway, in the garden

Julia Black: What do you get when superstar designers from the worlds of fashion and outdoor furniture collide? The answer: You get the latest collection of outdoor furniture from Andrew Richard Designs gussied up with fabrics inspired by Bustle, the renowned Canadian sportswear label designed by Shawn Hewson and Ruth Promislow. Bustle's Muskoka-ready collection first made it’s appearance at LG Fashion Week back in October '09, but the official launch of the outdoor fabrics was celebrated at IDS10. Having caught up with Andrew Bockner of ARD, he reminded me that even though we (at that point) were only in mid-January, there’s really no reason why we can’t start gearing up and getting excited for summertime fashions and oh-so-stylish outdoor furniture a-la Andrew Richard Designs. The Cottage Style line of outdoor fabrics brings a dose of preppy fashion to the outdoors with watery blues and coral-coloured plaids, polo-esque stripes, and sailor-blue solids. Okay, now where's the sun? [Image 1: George Pimentel]

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

Julia Black: It's pronounced Hi-Me

One of the designers at the IDS that totally blew me away was Spanish artist-designer Jaime Hayon. He's a fave of Arren's (who got a chance to meet him) but it was Hayon's collection of playful and imaginative lighting for Metalarte that totally struck a chord with me. His design sensibility, stemming from his early experiences in the skateboard and graffiti culture, is remarkably bold, whimsical and thrilling. Hayon's creative passion drove his studies in industrial art both in Madrid and in Paris, which led to a quick climb to the head of the Design Department of Fabrica. He first broke out with a collection of designer toys, ceramics and furniture, and then expanded into interior design and installation, a collection for Lladro, and even designed this collection of sneakers for Camper. Hayon's ability to blur the lines between art, decoration and design, makes him - for me at least - a master of contemporary design.

Below you'll see Jaime Hayon himself (Jaime is pronounced Hi-Me, btw) riding a giant chicken rocking horse. Next, a couple of snaps of Hayon's work with Metalarte, and finally, that sexy black number is from a collaboration with Swarovski. Metalarte is available through Lightform in Canada. [Images: Courtesy Hayon Studio. Portrait Nienke Klunder]

Julia Black: Manga meets chic

What do you get when you combine the brilliance of a young female cartoonist inspired by Japanese Manga comics (remember Sailor Moon?) with my fave Scandi retailer? You get Ikea's latest textile collection, Charlotta. The line of 5 patterns was designed by Asa Ekstrom, who dreampt of becoming a Mangaka (a Manga cartoonist) from the age of 13, and trained in both Sweden and Japan before releasing her first Manga comic strip. Each of the Charlotta patterns is an imaginative, magical and lively mash-up of Japanese and Swedish styles, mixing Japanese woodcuts, origami and Vikings (one even goes so far as to let Godzilla rampage through some of Scandinavia's most historical buildings). So, whether you fancy new cushions, new drapes, a tea cosy, or you just love a bit of Manga, grab a couple of yards of Charlotta and get sewing.

Julia Black: Staying in the closet

With New Year’s resolutions and must-do lists in mind, just the thought of tackling my closet gives me a headache. This January, not only do I need to clean mine, I also need to source an entirely new closet system that can smartly handle all my clothes and accessories, all while staying within a relatively thrifty, post-holiday budget. Thankfully, West Elm has once again managed to answer my prayers in efficiently chic home décor, this time with the Bergen Closet Collection. All the shelves, drawers and racks within the line are both stackable and portable, so I'll get that posh custom look and can always take it with me should I ever want to move! The icing on the cake: The collection (available in chocolate & white) is made with FSC-Certified wood veneers (which means it’s using material from sustainably managed forests), uses eco-friendly hardwood construction (so no MDF and therefore less glue and other icky stuff) and is finished with water-based stains and lead-free lacquer. If that isn't good news enough, most of the hardware is made from recycled materials. Love!

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

Julia Black: Milk, no cookies

When hunting for eco-friendly alternatives to painting furniture while we were shooting Pure Design, I was ecstatic to discover Homestead House Paint Company, Canada’s only milk paint manufacturer. I was even more thrilled to learn that beyond the 45 shades of all natural, enviro-friendly milk paint, they also have wood stains, 100% acrylic latex paint, and traditional oil paints (linseed or hempseed oil, just like the pioneers used), all of which are eco-awesome! If you can't find a colour you love (like the pretty robin's egg blue called Loyalist) all of Homestead's natural, biodegradable, VOC-free and all around earth-friendly paints, stains and finishes can be matched to any colour you wish, and can be used on just about anything - both indoors and out - that you fancy. So, as we look forward into the New Year, we can also look back and appreciate that some historic design tricks are in fact the way of the future. Cheers to a healthy, clean and environmentally kind 2010!

Check out the snap below to see Nadine and Jacques' gorgeous Homestead House milk-painted cabinet (and lovely living room) from a recent episode. [Image: John Queenan]

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

Julia Black: Pop-Up Colour

In light of all the pop-up shops that have been, well, popping up lately, I've felt a lovely buzz around the city like never before. The only problem is that this dampening, dreary winter weather throws a blanket on all the energy we have. I know, when you look outside it appears cold and grey, but the fix is in, and it's colour! Just look to the latest from folks like Jonathan Adler, CB2, Ikea and BoConcept for tons of helpful inspiration, and decide on a New Year's resolution to get more pops of colour in your life. Have a look below at snaps of BoConcept's collection for 2010. Oh, and btw, BoConcept has a store in Vancouver and are about to open a brand new location in Calgary in the next few days.

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

Julia Black: Things that make you go oh!

My entertaining plans this year have gone a little gaga - go figure - so I’ve decided to hunt for some witty, odd and outrageous entertaining décor. Having popped into the new Drake General Store (they've opened up on the swanky Rosedale strip on Yonge) I couldn’t help but fall into a playful holiday mood. Inspired by the crazy/cool objects in store I found all sorts of amazing bits and pieces perfect for my jam-packed social calendar. After all, it’s good to poke fun at the uptight and not to take anything too seriously, and with these eye-catching, jaw-dropping and fun-loving accessories I think I’ve managed to lighten up my hostess duties just a tad. Check out their Heffer Pitcher (good for eggnog too), the Unsealed Glass Bowl (who needs plastic?), and the Coffeee and Lipstick Stained Mugs (no need to do dishes!).

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

  

Julia Black: Judging a book by its cover

I just love buying books! I love finding stunning hardbacks to put on display, dusty classics to refer to (or to remind myself to read someday), and style books that always inspire. Most especially I love buying books in the holiday season because they make a wonderful gift. So, when I discovered that Penguin had released a new classics collection of gorgeous clothbound books I knew I could check off tons of names on my gift list. A senior cover designer at Penguin, Coralie Bickford-Smith, has designed these beautiful book covers, and its her admiration for vintage printed ephemera that distinguishes her designs. Whether she uses literal or symbolic references to drive her work, the alluringly dramatic covers are the perfect reason to revisit and rediscover a bit of Jane Austen or Oscar Wilde. The only problem is choosing which title to buy, since they certainly are lovely as a set!

To read an interview with Coralie click here, to snap up the books at Indigo/Chapters click here and, if your a total bookophile check out Penguin's fun blog here. [Image 1: Liam Goodman via Vogue.com. Image 2 & 3: via Coralie Bickford-Smith]

For even more of Julia's point of view check out her cool blog here.

Julia Black: Capturing Heidi Leverty

One of my favorite aspects of working on Pure Design is searching for local artists to feature in each episode. Several of us on the team would brainstorm and research that perfect creative type for each episode at hand, and with countless talented and passionate artists out there discovering them was such a memorable journey. One of my absolute faves this season was Heidi Leverty, an astounding photographer and enlightening artist. Her exceptional ability to convey, through her lens, the beauty in discarded objects is amazing. Within her four collections of photographs, Heidi shines a light on transformations, cycles, and lifespan, which causes us to reconsider and appreciate the value and beauty of all that is around us. Take a close look and you’ll see the ordinary material of our everyday routines becomes an extraordinary photograph. You can catch Heidi's inspired work on this week's episode of Pure Design on HGTV.

For even more of Julia's point of view check out her cool blog here.

Julia Black: Wet, cool and green

Hey one and all, I've asked the v. talented Julia Black (you might know here from HGTV's Pure Design!) to start up as a weekly contributor on my blog. Here's her first post - Over to you Jules!

Whenever I discover anything Canadian I feel a lovely patriotic glow, so when I recently came across an outstanding Canadian company making a positively stylish difference I wanted to share the pride. Tap Water Bottle has created a reusable - made of 100% glass - chic and sleek water bottle that is more than a water bottle, it's a fabulous everyday accessory. I just love the crisp design and practical flip cap, and of course, the sassy message written in a refreshing white font reminds us why you're smarter for choosing an environmentally friendly material for storing your drinking water. Considering how much hideous litter plastic bottles create, and how much money it costs to stay hydrated with H2O these days, investing in reusability is the smart thing to do, so cheers to Tap Water Bottle founder Racquel Youtzy, who has a strong mandate to make the world a cleaner place to live! To grab a few Tap Water Bottles (they're a snappy Holiday gift as well as perfect water decanters for your next swanky 'do'!) click here. [Image 1: Peter Ovesny. Image 2: Michelle Quance]

For even more Julia check out her cool blog here.