Black and white and Italian

I love a bit of Piero Fornasetti, the Milanese artist and designer who's iconic imagery still feels as bizarre and fascinating today as it did when his work first appeared on the scene back in the '50's. His most recognizable designs are of a woman's face (apparently a 19th century opera singer called Lina Cavalieri) which became a central theme in a collection called Tema & Variazioni. Over 350 of his designs were originally produced as plates; depicting her enigmatic face in a slew of different aspects - tattooed, swallowed by a crocodile, turned into a butterfly, and poking out her tongue.

Get hooked up with the gorgeous plates at Palazetti, check out the Fornasetti Collection of wallpaper from Cole & Son, visit Fornasetti directly for access to original vintage items, and shop AT Design Home for accessories and more. But the latest news is of a limited edition Blu-ray disc from Detour Designs that takes Tema & Variazioni and artfully animates it into a surreal 50 minute tour de force for your flatscreen (I can't think of a chic-er way to unwind).

Take a look below at the disc and a couple of screenshots, as well as some of Fornasetti's other work.

Green, peace and cheers

Happy Hols one and all! I'm off for a couple of days of turkey and rest, after we dig out the car from a snow drift, lol, and head out of the city. Below is the Peace Bird, a collage by Christopher Bettig for Artists to Watch (a fab greeting card company), and my card of choice this year that I snagged at Urban Outfitters - I loved the design and since it was printed with soy ink on recycled paper, how could I resist? Cheers!

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]

    

I'm not in London but I would like a teapot

I do like it when trad companies like Wedgwood get a little subversive. In place of all the lovely gear they normally do with folks like Martha Stewart and Barbara Barry they've taken an edgy side-step to collaborate with illustrator Will Broome on a line destined for Flash - a swanky yet short lived pop-up restaurant that has appeared in London, at The Royal Academy of Arts Burlington Gardens, as part of the Academy's GSK Contemporary Season. The restaurant closes for good on Jan 19th (click here if your heading to the UK and want to try and get a table), but the Will Broome collection, limited to 1000 pieces in each style, will continue to sell through Wedgwood until they've all found a good home.

    

Let there be discounts

'Tis the season for sample sales, and here's one that's definitely worth hitting - Bev Hisey, maker of fab carpets and cushions (yes, admittedly she's a friend but I do love her stuff; see more here) and Charlotte McKeough of Brave Brown Bag (a line of indestructibly chic bags that come in tons of colours) are getting together to hold a Winter Solstice Sale at Bev's studio space in Toronto. Head down to 1066 Dundas Street West on Dec 19th and 20th, between 10am-6pm, to score major discounts on some really wonderful gear and to meet them both.

   

Free art now!

You've gotta love ReadyMade magazine, and their cool DIY take on design and living. Their latest jolly jape lets you download and print your own artist designed posters from their website (click here). Dubbed 'Poster Children', the collection of five pieces is inspired by state-sponsored artwork produced in the US during the Great Depression, and used to promote everything from hygiene and health to vacations and theater.

Here we go - The first is by Nick Dewar, the second is from Mike Perry, the third is courtesy Christopher Silas Neal, Open created the fourth and, last but not least, Christoph Niemann came up with the fifth. Oh, and people, did I mention that they're free!?! Grab some high quality paper, choose 'best' in properties and get printing.

  

  

Handsome, not scruffy and inefficient

I don't know whether a woot-woot or a wheeeeee is appropriate, but we're awfully excited about the new Jeld-Wen windows going in at our place. Basically, when we had the energy assessment done, the suggestion for getting new high efficiency windows was a total no-brainer - Our mix of mangy vinyl sliders (circa 1985) and original 60's aluminum windows (sometimes both in the same window, don't ask...) were just not cutting it; not in the looks department and definitely not on the saving money on the energy bill side of things.

Our great contractors, Cera-Stone, measured everything up and then we started the process of deciding on the look and finish (lawdy, I do love customization). With help from James, our rep from Jeld-Wen, we decided on a line of theirs called Donat Flamand, made just outside of Quebec City, and picked aluminum clad AuraLast wood frames with Low E glass and Argon gas between the panes (in simple terms both the glass and the gas-fill improve insulation, keep the heat down in the summer and allow for passive heating in the winter, read more here). We went dark and neutral on the cladding and picked their ALUM Brown, though they have about 30 colours to choose from, and then designed the smaller windows to split into 2 (casement and fixed), and the larger to split into 3 (casement and 2 fixed). Since we wanted everything nice and clean and simple the 3 exterior doors were ordered to match too - full glass, plus a sidelight for the dining room and front door. Phew!

Take a peek below at the progress (that's the before snap of the back of the house from the end of July, followed by where we're at today). Click here to see the story so far on the reno and, if you're in the market for new windows; here's some good info from Natural Resources Canada on what to look for.

   

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!

Allie makes her mark

Well, maybe I should let Allie's Mom, who sent these shots through, speak for herself...

"Sweet 4 year old Allie was trapped in the house with a terrible bug. After five days of boredom, she decided to express her creativity. Proud of the fact that she had finally mastered the ability to write her name, Allie decided to find a marker and try a new technique. Forget the paper, it was time to move to the furniture. What better then than the new cream/yellow formal living room that her mother had painstakingly designed (WAS SHE CRAZY WITH FOUR YOUNG KIDS... well that's besides the point.) Being one of 4 kids, under the age of 6, she needed to show the world her abilities. Quick to the drawer where Mom kept the black Sharpie permanent marker for labelling... PERFECT! Allie started with a small set of lines on the cream sofa and then thought it was time to move to the brand new Barbara Barry Slipper Chair. In big bold black letters, she wrote her name across the chair and then started a pattern down the side. Mom enters the scene and the fun, unfortunately, ends."

I slipped in a shot of the style of chair to help set the scene, then you can see the befores of Allie's handiwork and the afters of the magic wrought by a very talented upholstery cleaning company.

         

 

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

Insert kitchen here

Make sure your wigs are securely attached; it's going to be a whirlwind of a week. I'm getting a little exhasuted thinking about it, and it's only Monday morning, but this is a crucial time on our reno. Tomorrow both the kitchen cabintery and all our new windows arrive. Phew.

The main floor has been mostly drywalled in anticipation (take a look below) and the contractors are ready to receive everything and get rocking and rolling on it all. So, a few things have to happen in quick succesion - #1 The windows have to be installed asap. #2 The new floor has to be laid down. #3 The kitchen cabinetry gets installed. Tired yet? lol

With thanks from a Cephalopod

In such times as this (nope, I'm not going to mention the 'e' word...) it's good to remember your p's and q's; in other words, it's nice to say please and thank-you. I know, your Mum probably drummed this into you as a kid and you, like me, probably just heard blah-de-blah as she mentioned, for the zillionth time, "Say thank-you"!

Sending out a card to say thanks is, I think, one of the simplest and nicest things to do; especially this time of year. And, since we mentioned zillions, Etsy has just about that many sellers who offer mutiple letterpressed and handmade ways to say thank-you. Check out my picks below: #1 Armato Design & Press gets witty with a funny faux French thank-you. #2 Faye + Co feels posh and pretty (and comes in different colours). #3 Cracked Designs uses a cool retro phone to say it with mod style. #4 Serimony has a happy-go-lucky octopus do the work for you.

    

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