And in this corner...

It's been a big week for the house project and I have to say, after popping in there today, that it really does look like we'll get in there by Feb 1st.

On the kitchen front, Home Depot's Installation Services have done a bang-up job on the initial install on the Venicia cabinetry in prep for the appliances that arrive next Tuesday (yay Jenn-Air!). Once the appliances are in, the countertop will be templated (we're going with a Corian surface and an integral sink). And then, when the counter arrives (in around a week to 10 days), we'll be able to finish by tiling the backsplash.

One thing we had our fingers crossed for was a fireplace for the main floor and yep, we managed to squeeze it into the budget. It's a swish letterbox style direct vent gas unit by Montigo (the flue goes straight out the exterior wall) that we sourced through Odyssey Fireplaces, who installed it nice and swiftly a couple of days back. Cera Stone, our great contractors, will be framing and finishing the surround this week. Take a boo at how it looks right now, and how it might look once finished, though we're currently kind of taken with the fireplace surround in that Marimekko shot in the post below...

And finally, under all that protective paper, is our delish new bamboo floor that we scored at Home Depot - Quality Craft carbonized bamboo in a Gunstock stain (it's the middle tone in the sample board below). While I was researching flooring choices the whole sustainable side of bamboo made so much sense - Bamboo can be harvested in 3 years, while oak needs 125 years to reach maturity.

To check up on the reno, and to see what's happened so far, click here.

     

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]

      

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 

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.

    

   

     

   

Dry off with a Schnabel

A real artwork by Julian Schnabel is probably out of your snack bracket (mine too, lol) but in an odd pairing, dreampt up by Works on Whatever to help fund major civic artwork, you can splurge on a Schnabel beach towel for the princely sum of $50. The line for '09, launched at the most recent Art Basel Miami,  and made up of works by 4 top-line artists - Julian Schnabel, Raymond Pettibon, Ed Ruscha and Karen Kilimnik - is available through Works on Whatever as well as online through everyone's favourite; Target (though if you don't have any beach time planned, they'd also be quite the chic and swanky way to doll up an all-white bathroom).

Click here to order from Target (they definitely don't ship out of the US - ugh), and click here to see the full line from Works on Whatever (chuck them an e-mail to convince them to ship further afield). WOW is still showing last years collection as available too, which means I might be able to trade-up my kitschy WalMart hula girl for a Jeff Koons smiley monkey! From the top: Schnabel, Pettibon, Ruscha, Kilimnik.

   

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.

 

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.

   

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!