Gallery (s)hopping

Last night was the official opening 'do' for the AGO's Shop, so I headed down for a peek at what's on the shelves. I know, I should really have arrived early and toured the whole AGO, and I will - promise - I'm not quite as crass as infamous PR flack Edina Monsoon (of Ab Fab fame), who firmly believed that museums would be so much better if everything was on sale...

The store has quite the selection of fab stuff - I loved all the Frank Gehry pieces on show as well as the witty/cool references to all the Douglas Fir used in his design of the gallery, like the curly-whirly trivet below, and let's not forget the slew of artist designed limited edition t-shirts either (put me down for one of those) as well as tons of pre-framed art and a whole section with creative gear for the kiddies too. (Exterior image courtesy of the AGO)

 

Vintage bananas

You might have guessed from reading the blog, and if you've seen me working the aisles at charity shops hither and yon, that I am seriously bananas about vintage furniture and accessories. It's an innate thing for me, having been dragged happily along to antique markets and church rummage sales from a v. young age (I started collecting Art Deco at the age of 12). So you probably won't be surprised to hear that I used to live above a vintage store - Zig Zag - in Toronto's Leslieville. The apartment was ridiculously cheap; freezing cold in the winter, boiling in the summer, with only a dribble of water pressure and a crack house for neighbours. Needlesss to say I spent lots of time downstairs in Zig Zag, hanging out with Joe, the owner.

Joe recently closed his last store and moved Zig-Zag a block or so west where he re-opened this past weekend at 985 Queen Street East. He has such a great eye, which is why I was drooling over a pair of swanky mirrored end tables that would look fab in my new place. Joe, can you put them on hold for me? lol. Take a boo below at some of the gear on offer.

A coat conundrum

'Tis the time of year for puffy coats and woolen scarves, at least in our neck of the woods. And, if you're like us, you've got a petite hall closet that's already crammed to the gills. So heaven forbid anyone pops over for a cup of hot cocoa - Where on earth are we gonna put all their bleedin' coats?

I've spotted a few solutions around town and thought I'd share: Urban Outfitters offers a bit of a retro classic with their Coming and Going coat rack that's available in a veritable rainbow of 7 colours. West Elm gives it with a natural, branchy feel for their sculptural Tree coat rack. DWR goes modern classic and wall-mount with the slightly Sputnik looking Eames Hang-It-All. And finally, for a trad touch check out Home Depot's Pewter Wall Hooks by Nystrom, all for the princely sum of $17.97 for the set of 4.

Now you've no excuse for hanging coats on the floor...

 

Local sparkle

Yesterday afternoon I arrived waaay too early for an appointment at Farrow & Ball on Yonge Street so had to tool around a bit and, after stopping in at Putti (jammed with glam and sparkly gear) and Constantine (gorgeous and eclectic as per usual) I ended up in French Country, where I fell in love with a moose. Glitter covered deer and reindeer yes (I even own 3 or 4), but moose, um, huh? It was such an oddly endearing find, and so Canadian, that I had to share.

Oh, and the swanky new wallpaper I got a sneak peek of at F&B will be debuting in March /09, so you'll have to hold your horses on that!

Old dogs and rockers

Apologies for posting later than normal, today has been a bit nuts-o. The steel beams arrived at the house early this morning so I was hanging around watching the install as long as I could before totally freezing my you-know-whats off (I'll be posting shots of the install later). Now I'm back at my laptop and have just polished off Style Scout for the National Post after running to grab a door handle for a shoot for House & Home. Phew, no rest for the v. wicked...

I thought it would be fun to post a couple of recent vintage finds. The first is a totally cool teak rocker that was quite the steal from a seller on Kijiji. It's destined to be re-upholstered for a mod nursery makeover that I'm working on for CityLine. The second are a pair of beyond fab Foo Dogs grabbed from a local Goodwill. $12 each, you can't beat that with a stick. They'll be used in an upcoming shoot I'm working on with a photographer friend of mine Stefano Barbera. And don't worry, I'll be sharing the shots once they're done.

Present-ly

Finding gear that's cool enough to be instantly giftable takes up a fair bit of my grey matter this time of year. Myself, and many of the folks I know, have been exhaustively hunting for the unusual and new, the special and the intriguing. In other words, gifts for the person who has everything.

Roseland Gallery is definitely worth a visit if you've hit that proverbial present wall. The place is always quite the cabinet of curiosities and this season is no exception - Françoise and Dante have tracked down scads of artful goods that include quirky snowglobes from artist Jeff Koons (whose gigant-o sculptures have recently graced the roof of the Met in NYC), standout vases by Mendini and Gatti and a flock of sweet pewter birds. You can put me down for a snowglobe, or maybe a pewter parrot...

  

Animals allowed

When it comes to cleaning I'm allowed to do one job - vacuuming - so I have quite the close personal relationship with our Dyson. I can never quite believe how much stuff it can pick up, even in our teensy temporary apartment (are we really that filthy, lol???). Ours is the DC23, a compact canister version that brilliantly fit in an under-counter cupboard in our old kitchen; gotta love that smart design.

Up next from Dyson is a new handheld called the D16 Animal that would be totally handy right about now (we're about to start Pug sitting). This smart rechargeable cookie is designed with a powerful motorized head to make merry with pet hair, and Harley the Pug, lawd love him, sheds like mad. The D16 Animal hits shelves on Nov 15th.

Where there's woodsmoke

The scent of a wood fire is one of those memory triggers that I always associate with this time of year. It's rich, warm and comforting, despite my mother's attempt at burning the house down. She only did it once, but once was enough - One chilly and damp British evening (is there any other kind, lol) she decided to get a fire going to warm things up. No kindling could be found, instead, the remains of a christmas tree were discovered and tossed into the hearth, closely followed by a match. Needless to say that seconds later the fire brigade was called to douse the chimney fire that was roaring like a jet engine, shooting up sparks and flames and billowing smoke. She personally apologized to every fireman who walked through the door.

Woodsmoke scented candles can now be found for those of you with less adventurous mothers, and make for a perfect hostess prezzie. The Henri Bendel Firewood scented candle smells delish and is available from Bath & Body Works, while the sophisticated hand-poured Diptyque Feu de Bois candle is available from Bullet.

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...

 

Fresh gear, daily

Okay all you design geeks, listen up - Design Within Reach is setting up a sweet program that might just be your cuppa tea. From Monday Nov 10th, and daily for the following 5 weeks, DWR: Limited will offer a first-click-first-served limited edition product. It could be vintage, it could be new, but one things for sure; there's a good chance that your mates won't have the chance to get their sticky mitts on what's on offer (giving you major design bragging rights).

The buzz on what might appear includes a Christmas tree that's more sculpture than kitsch, organic toys made in Vermont, masking tape that would make any modern Martha happy, a vintage typewriter to tap out love notes and a classic chair gussied up by fashion darlings. I'm intrigued.

Take a sneak peek below at a few of the things that might make the cut, including an original vintage 40's Eames plywood leg splint (just about the coolest and quirkiest thing that could hang on your wall). Click here to sign up!

   

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.

 

 

 

Swing that poodle

Scouting for Canadian House & Home's Trendwatch page is my version of a snap-happy wild goose chase. It's fun, never the less, and I always enjoy hitting a bunch of stores across the city to see what's going on.

Yesterday, while I was hunting for a bit of ____ (I can't give it away, honestly I'd be hung, drawn and quartered), I popped into AT Design's newly opened space on Huron Street, a few steps north of Dupont. It's a change for sure - the original AT on MacPherson is chic-ly stuffed to the gills with hardly enough space to swing a poodle, while this spot is a way larger.

Have a look below for a feel of the place. This season Arminé and Therese are mixing up hi-gloss lacquer, lots of white, gold and silver, organic influences, Mondrian, Fornasseti and Michael Aram. Lovely! 

Feeling modern

One of my favourite resources for lighting is Rejuvenation, they're a total go-to for fixtures that have a vintage charm, no matter what the period. And they're completely customizable too, so if you're in the mood for copper rather than nickel then they've got you covered. The newest release for their Satellite line is a collection of authentically styled mid-century modern hardware. Unfortunately this means more vintage furniture will be following me home from charity shops, garage sales and consignment stores since, up until now, ugly hardware was a total deal breaker.

Check out the hardware below - the knobs, handles and backplates are all available in Polished Chrome, Brushed Chrome and Oil-Rubbed Bronze - as well as a couple of their standout light fixtures that are on the cards for the new place.

Paper plain

I'm messy. Right now, and as per usual, I'm sitting at the dining table with a slew of press kits, piles of paper and assorted business cards scattered hither and yon. Everything is important, everything is right now and yes, it's a mess. Other than hiring a personal assistant (lol) I daydream about getting more organized, and how it'll all be different once we have a real live office space in the new house. In the meantime, I'm jonesing for Susyjack's thoroughly modern and beautifully patterned collection of office supplies and 100% post-consumer recycled paper goods.

Irresistible colour and pattern aside, how cool is the Day of The Week Clip Set? And those jumbo Cork Backed Desk Clips, Notes and Notebook are simply marvy and, as Susyjack says - 'Pretty Useful'. Click here to shop, and make sure to take a sec and check out designer Susan Connor's blog Heysusy for her take on inspiration, fashion and design.

 

  

Good scents

"Good taste in design by no means depends on money." So said the late David Hicks, the ultra influential interior designer who's wit and style is still echoed and emulated by many a designer at work today. Apples, as they say, don't fall far from the tree, which is why it's no surprise that his daughter, India Hicks is a triple threat - author/model/designer - in her own right. Her latest endeavour is a collaboration with Crabtree & Evelyn on India Hicks Island Living, inspired by her own sense of style (think a kicked back and relaxed version of Colonial) and shown to gorgeous effect in her book Island Life, available here.

I love the look of the packaging on the Island Night candle; the sculpted silver coral is a sophsiticated touch. Ms Hicks worked on the design as well as the scent - and yes, it smells mah-vellous.

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. 

  

   

Paper cuts

Click on a link, and you'll never know where it might take you - That's how I ended up visiting Royal Buffet's shop on Etsy, where I was totally enchanted. Mollie Green is the delicate hand behind the charmingly ethereal handmade paper cutouts, garlands and mobiles made of vintage French magazines and record albums. The Lady and Gentleman mobile is one of her latest pieces and a total favourite (love the scatter of butterflies over each figure), you'll see it below, along with a couple of playfully crafted paper garlands too. Just darling. 

 

   

Sneak peek - West Elm

Phew, the time has whizzed by in a total whirlwind, so mucho apologies for going awol and not posting quite as regularly as I might like. The last two days have seen me zipping around town in a truck for a setup at a chef's competition and then having a proptastic time dressing a set for tv. Ummm, where is my glass of wine???

Okay, lets hit rewind to Wednesday night and the simply wonderful opening of West Elm in Liberty Village. I was in 7th heaven wandering round since the store is so much my vibe right now - Modern-ish with a warmer edge and a touch of wit; in other words design that doesn't take itself too seriously. The store is huuuge, way larger than their Chelsea store in NYC, and the loft space really works for all the room sets, wall of chairs and wall of occasional tables as well as (sorry, it's so soon) quite the bombastic selection of Christmas decorations. Who knew I needed a jumbo glass ball covered in crocheted lace? Well, let me tell you, I really, really do...

Here are a few fave picks from the night as well as some shots to give you a taste of what the store is all about.

#1 Copper Table Lamp - This made me go weak at the knees. Hammered Copper with a metallic lined black shade. Mmm, irresistible. $229

#2 Ice Crystal Pillow Cover - A swish silk cover (one of tons) that I fell for. Love the faceted pattern and the colour combo. $29

#3 Narrative Squirrel - How cute, and there's a rabbit and turtle to round out the menagerie and sit pretty on your mantle. $18