Light work

It's been quite mega busy, what with the Interior Design Show (Did you go? What did you think btw?), major painting and priming happening at our place (we've sorted out the main floor, yay! Pics to come...), and then taping CityLine yesterday morning (watch for the show next Monday!). But of course I took time to slack off yesterday and hit my fav Goodwill with my friend Jasmine. I do have my reasons - we still need a long low dresser for the bedroom - but I still managed to find lovely stuff we definitely don't need, like a tooled brass vase-shaped lamp base that sat smartly on a black plinth. All for $9.99. How could I say no? Ummm, I had to, the last thing we need right now is another vintage lamp with 'personality'; if I bought all the ones that spoke to me I'd be tripping over them by now, lol.

While I was sourcing for CityLine I stumbled across this pendant fixture from West Elm and thought it was just so darned interesting that it was worth a post. I'm all over the mix between old and new; it has the feel of one of those star fixtures, but the faceting takes it an entirely different direction.

5 quick questions - Matt Carr

Matt Carr, Umbra's Design Director, is a difficult guy to pin down. When I first e-mailed him he was somewhere in China, Shanghai I think, so I'm amazed that he was finally able to spend time and answer a few questions. As Matt mentions below, he's participating in the Pecha Kucha presentation at the Interior Design Show today - I'm moderating the presentation, which should be a laugh. Hopefully it will be fun and fast paced; Pecha Kucha is Japanese for chit-chat, each presenter gets 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide to speak to the theme of 'Inspiration'. So if you're at the show today, make sure to stop by. In case that wasn't enough, he and his girlfriend, Joyce Lo, have also designed one of the spaces at Come Up To My Room at the Gladstone Hotel - A v. cool exhibit that runs until Sunday, Feb 8th.

I asked Matt to pick out a few of his favourite pieces that he's designed for Umbra. From the top: The Mixalabra, my current fav candleholder. The Rolly Desk, check out the rest of the Rolly line too. The Teatime Clock, love all those vintage teacups. And finally the Biblioteca bookcase, snapped in Matt's own living space. Click here to check out more 5 Quick Question interviews.

Arren Williams: Can you describe your style?

Matt Carr: Style is always evolving. Lately I have been really into industrial vintage antiques with a touch of folk and a little glam. Ransacking through the aisles of the St. Lawrence antique market has become somewhat of a Sunday morning tradition. I am not a huge fan of slick contemporary as I love blemishes and inconsistencies…the little things that give pieces character and a story. Neither contemporary nor traditional, my home is a complete mixed bag of pieces that work together to make a comfortable informal living space.

AW: What's really got you excited in the world of design?

MC: Technology continues to change the face of design. From new materials and processes that I was just checking out in factories in Asia to how we develop product in our Toronto design studio. We have been using a 3D printer to generate exact models from our computer renderings. It is such an amazing tool to explore and understand forms, surfaces, and ergonomics. It’s kinda like our little design oven.

AW: What's the next thing you'll be buying for your place?

MC: Moving from a loft to a house meant a lot more furniture to acquire. The to do list for the house is still long, but I think the next investment piece will be a great armoire to hide the TV and unsightly electronics that go with it.

AW: Anything, décor wise, that you totally hate and think should be banned?

MC: Ha! Hate is a strong word but when I visit Mimi’s, my fave Pho restaurant on Gerrard Street I cannot get over the peach coloured sponge job they went for. Almost so bad it’s good…

AW: What's next for you?

MC: The last month has been a busy one. Just got back from a trip to Hong Kong and China then headed to NYC for the NYIGF. My girlfriend and I are just putting the finishing touches on our “In My Heart” installation for this weekend's COME UP TO MY ROOM event. We were inspired by the experiences people share in hotel rooms. Whether it be a honeymoon or a torrid affair, hotel rooms have a long association with love and lovers. Using light, holograms and typography, In My Heart is an installation that explores these relationships. Also presenting a Pecha Kucha speech during IDS focusing on how we are constantly surrounded by inspiration…even in the most mundane everyday experiences.

    

Over black?

The iPhone is such an iconic design object that's marvellous to hold and play with, let alone place a call, but, does it's slick black finish really match 'you'? Urban Outfiitters have stepped in with a series of happy/edgy/cool artist designed skins to mash things up a little, and take the look beyond basic black. I've picked a couple of my faves below which totally have a decor vibe - Blue Willow by Colin Thompson which, yep, happily borrows from your Gran's china, and Bunny Blossom by Kozyndan totally feels like a vintage wallpaper (I see it working with a navy velvet sofa, pea green wingbacks, a glass waterfall coffee table and an oak herringbone floor - but that's just me...).

   

 

A pitcher is worth...

I'm thinking calm thoughts - We are having painting issues. One bedroom is totally sorted, thanks to Zinsser Bulls-Eye 1-2-3 from Home Depot. We'd suspected we were dealing with oil-paint and wanted to play it safe (it's a transforming primer). For the second bedroom, in a wildly bad idea, we switched to a regular latex primer. Yeh, no. As soon as we started slapping it up the walls started to bubble and flake - somewhere underneath that old latex is a layer of oil paint that's causing nasty problems... We're going back to the house tonight to sand the walls and seal everything up with the Zinsser. Lesson learnt, lol.

So, in an effort to get to my 'happy place' here's a quick look at an instant collection that I'd love to make room for - Pitchers. The first is modern with a trad blue stripe, from the Chophouse line by Terence Conran for Royal Doulton. The second is an Ikea classic, Dryckjom, that has the look of a hand-thrown piece at a smidge of the price. The third has muscular minimalist lines; Cove from Crate & Barrel. The fourth, called Kooky Feathers, is all hand-painted and witty from Anthropologie (where else?). The fifth is a major splurge - the pretty Still Life Water Pitcher by Job Smeets from that temple of design; Moss.

     

Absolutely bananas

This totally made me laugh this morning - I needed it since a wee bit of stress is kicking in about us packing and moving into a semi-ready house, plus we still need a ceiling fixture for the new living room, and this one is just about the coolest/funniest one I've seen.

The Chiquita Chandelier, yep, made of Chiquita Banana boxes, was designed back in '03 by Netherlands based designer, Anneke Jakobs, who was obviously way ahead of the curve with the trend of 'upcycling'. And, if you fancy your very own chandelier chez vous, Anneke gives you two choices; either order one directly from her, or get thrifty and crafty by downloading the PDF instructions (here) to make one yourself. If there's a run on banana boxes at your local grocery store, don't blame me...

 

Via Elle Decoration South Africa

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...

   

Cut a rug

I've always been a fan of the laser-cut woodgrain vinyl floor mats by Arzu Firuz, especially after I had the chance to see them in person at last Fall's Maison&Objet design trade show in Paris. I love her work, since it picks up on influences from trad Turkish crafts and wittily re-interprets them in fresh and modern ways. But sadly, according to Arzu's retailer list (see here), no-one in Canada had picked up her de-lovely line - A shame since they're quite the showstopping pieces and, from what I can tell, they won't completely break the bank.

Now there's a bit of a glimmer of hope, since Ligne Roset recently released designs by Arzu named Azra; there's a rectangular rug, a floor runner, and a circular rug, all available in black vinyl. Take a look below to get the gist and pop in to the retailers in Edmonton, Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto (click here for the list) for more info. And, for a taste or Arzu's current line - love that hand-cut plastic canvas panel - take a look at the last shot below.

  

Ticking over

I've always been intrigued by clocks and must've caught the fascination quite young; my Dad had a dozen antique clocks in the living room, a few of which chimed on the quarter hour, though never quite in synch, which I'm sure got in the way of me watching Blue Peter and Doctor Who. The black and white clocks I picked below are, imo, all a bit on the cool side and, in a lucky twist, none cost a gazillion dollars.

The first is from Seiko and, strangely, I stumbled across it at a watch repair booth at Sears and not on the shelves of a posh design store. This 8" diameter clock has a modern feel, a hefty chrome frame and can either sit on a surface (it has a stand) or wall mount. If you fancy hunting it down the code is QXG124K, and expect to shell out $55. The second was first manufactured back in the 1930's - the Kit-Cat Clock, who's comical expression, swinging tail and hilariously googly eyes that roll back and forth have made it quite the iconic timepiece. Touch base with Ergo Industries for a Canadian retailer (this little black and white kitty sells for around $73), or check out Kit-Cat in the US for all the other available colours. Finally, in another odd discovery, I found the classic wind-up Big Ben alarm clock - designed by Ellworth Danz for Westclox in the mid-sixties - on the shelves at Wal-Mart for a smidge under $20.

   

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 

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.

   

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.

     

    

No milk, just cool gear

I've had a soft spot for the Drake Hotel in Toronto ever since we held my 40th birthday there a couple of years back (it was a raucous, well-attended affair with a hot playlist from DJ D Parie, all jammed in the Underground bar). Now, apart from all the regular goings on at the Drake too numerous to mention, they've taken it upon themselves to open the Drake Hotel General Store in a vacant storefront next door.

The space is so fresh they haven't even had an opening party yet - that happens tonight - but fear not, they're already packed to the gills and the paint has dried. It's kind of a corner store / art installation / quirky design gallery all mashed into one with vintage shop fixtures that look they were grabbed from Goodwill and given a quick wipedown before being pressed into service.

Theirs is quite the kooky selection of goods, from ultra saucy x-rated colouring books to lollipops, clothing and accessories. My quick faves are below - The rhino, grizzly bear and moose shot glasses in goth black glass, the gnome dishware (yes, there's more than the pitcher) and mini wind-up music boxes that play 'Singing in the Rain' and 'Stairway to Heaven'. In other words, while you won't be popping in for a carton of milk, the shelves are stocked with the kind of cool finds that you didn't know you needed, but really, really do. [Images 2 and 3 by Justin Adam]

   

  

 

 

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 

Oh (aluminum) Tannenbaum!

For some people Christmas is a time to let go and bring out the shrunken apple head dolls, reams of multicoloured lights, odd tchotchkes and battered nativity scenes. For others it's still an oppurtunity to make a style statement.

The tree below, snagged from Hammacher Schlemmer, is a redux of a classic 1950's aluminum tree in all it's sparkly artificial glory. And, while the homeowner didn't go to town and plunk for the Color Wheel projector from HS (now it's green, oh, now it's blue!) he did head to The Bay to grab those swank turquoise glass ornaments. Chic and simple!

Call me?

Almost everyone I know has a close relationship with their cell phone, or moby as the Brits call it. Perhaps a bit of a love/hate one to be sure, but if you are going to carry around something all day every day (some people even sleep with theirs), then it might as well be beautifully designed and a pleasure to hold.

Below is the latest from LG, the second phone in their collaboration with trend-forward Italian fashion house Prada. It looks super swish to be sure (love the slide-out keyboard) but here's the kicker - There's a Bluetooth watch, the Prada Link, that pulls text messages and incoming call info from the phone and runs it right on the watch screen. And, rather than rifling through your jacket or bag trying to find your ringing phone, pressing a button on the watch allows you to swiftly cancel an unwanted call. Swanky, chic and hi-tech indeed. No word yet on when (and if) it might hop the pond and end up on the Canadian market.

Via Gizmodo 

A crafty institution

Toronto's bi-annual One of a Kind Show is quite the handmade, craft and artwork institution, so much so that the folks behind the show have now brought One of a Kind's to Vancouver, New York and Chicago. I can't remember the last show I missed and walking it, other than the excercise (lol), is always so inspirational since there's just such a feast for the eyes.

As always, I've ended up picking out a few best-in-show that I thought would be worth sharing -

Wendy Walgate's world is dreamy, odd and Alice in Wonderland-ish. My friend Morgan turned me onto her work, and I must say I became an instant fan - I love how her artwork plays with memories, collections and colour. 

Flakes stationary has a collaged feel that I totally get (love those Holiday cards). Ashley Stapleton's work is witty and pretty and her new calendars, debuting at the show, are smashing.

Kyla Francis caught me with her hand-printed enamel sneaker design as well as that hilarious mug inspired by haircuts spotted at the One of a Kind. She has such an irreverent, modern and young take on decorative work.

The show runs until Dec 7th, so make sure you get down there and hit the aisles!

 

 

Kitchen Confidential

Can I say how much I love, love, love the way this kitchen for Canadian Family turned out? I had the pleasure of working on the project with Jen Reynolds, CF's editor-in-chief, and the results were shot by the always sassy Michael Alberstat (make sure to check out his portfolio).

Jen's drab old kitchen didn't reflect her century home's feel or her eclectic sense of style (it was as dull as dishwater) so we spent time layering charm back into the space; making sure it worked for her family and had all the bells and whistles Jen had always wanted (like those smashing fridge drawers from GE Monogram). Here's a quick rundown - The kitchen was planned and installed by Home Depot, the antiqued painted cabinetry is by Kraftmaid, those new windows are from Jeld-Wen, the sink and faucets (including the pot filler above the cooktop) are Kohler. As well as the fridges, the oven and cooktop are from GE Monogram (the SmartDispense dishwasher is GE Profile). And finally, that gorgeous Persian rug was lugged back years ago from Iran by Jen's husband Neil!

You'll have to grab the Winter '09 issue for the inside scoop on the whole project, but I wanted to share a few of the shots below.

 

Good cause, good vintage auction

Modern design junkies take note: ModernLove, that fab Winnipeg-based online retailer of hot vintage finds, is at it again with their 5th annual charity auction of 20th Century design and decorative arts to benefit the Canadian Cancer Society. From Nov 28th until Dec 8th Roan Barrion, the dude behind ModernLove, will be listing quite the eclectic slew of items on eBay; some by big names, some just plain so-cool-I-gotta-have-it. And yes, they're happy to ship around the world.

Take a peek below at some of the items that'll be showing up, there's some well swish gear, as well as a limited edition t-shirt emblazoned with the iconic Eames rocker. Check in for more info here, and get ready to bid!