One in, one out

David laughed when I brought this lamp in with the groceries the other day, and said he had a feeling I was at Goodwill. How could I resist? Absolutely impossible - It's massive, gorgeous, and was a total steal at $14.99, and that included the linen drum shade. A quick wipedown and here's the result; sitting awfully pretty on the rosewood credenza. Problem is, now we somehow have too many lamps (lol) so I'll have to let at least one of them go (as well as tons of other stuff) when we take part in a neighbourhood yard sale in June. After all, I yammer on about editing all the time so I have to be tough, and stick with the one in one out rule...

Brew your own

If you were to rifle through our kitchen you'd discover we have a whole cupboard dedicated to tea. In fact, if you fancy an Egyptian Licorice, a spot of delish and hard to find Lipton French Vanilla, or even a steaming brew of a rather potent Australian Green Tea & Mint, we've got you covered (not to mention all the sundry other boxes and bags picked up on our travels). But, who knew each tea should be steeped at a different boiling point? Ummm, not me, lol. Well thankfully Breville, one of my fave stylish countertop appliance brands, has just intro'd a brand new kettle that can raise the bar on your tea brewing abilities. Go ahead and push a button on the base of the Variable Heat Kettle to hook up the perfect temp for Green, White, Black and Oolong tea and - not forgetting the coffee-aholics - French Press. Easy peasy and chic. Click here to read more.

Speedy Gonzales

Yesterday I had to make like Speedy Gonzales and run around town like nobody's business. My day started well enough, with a preview of the just-opened One of A Kind show in Toronto, except, rather than a leisurely stroll I only had 20 minutes to check it out before my next appointment. Gah! Needless to say, I'll be going back to have a proper poke around (more cool stuff to come).

Here's one thing that definitely caught my eye as I was dashing about - These are the hot and fresh hand-painted Splatter Morph Pads by Montreal firm, Schleeh Design. I'm bananas about well-designed paper goods, and I just loved the loose and splashy colours - very Pop!

  

Happiness is...

I'm feeling the happiness today. The sun is streaming in through the windows and doing a smashing job on all the seed trays we've planted (yay!), plus, news broke that Anthropologie's first Toronto store will open it's doors on April 22nd (double yay!). And while all the smartypants, me included, were swearing up hill and down dale that the first Canadian store from the boho fashion and interiors chain was to be in Yorkville, ummm, nope - It's gonna be at the Shops at Don Mills. Yep, perhaps a bit of a treck for downtown types, though McEwan is opening there in June (chef Mark McEwan's fancy-schmancy gourmet grocery destination, read more here) guaranteeing it'll be even more of a hot spot.

I'll be at the Anthropologie opening, so I promise to report back with cool finds and snaps of the place. In the meantime, here's some sunny day inspiration - A living room from the UK that made my jaw drop, with its white-painted floors, patchwork sofa and round shag rug. Yummy, yummy yummy.

Via Le Brocante and House to Home UK 

Table talk

After looking for a fair while for a dining table for the new space we realized that something custom would definitely be the way to go. Errrr, custom=pricey, so we've embarked on a slightly crafty route and are in the midst of sorting something out.

Step 1 - We talked David's dad, who's in construction, into dragging home a few beaten-up old scaffolding planks.

Step 2 - I got totally soaked and filthy, while high-pressure washing the wood to get rid of the ground in grime and chunks of old concrete.

Step 3 - Once the planks were dry I used a belt sander, and then we hand-sanded, to smooth out the wood.

Step 4 - Then, on a warm and sunny day this past weekend, I finished the boards outside with a two-in-one stainer / sealer.

Step 5 - Well, we're not there yet, but the boards will be coming home and attached to a vintage stainless steel trestle base that I've been dragging around for years. Take a boo at the shot below to get a taste of the kind of thing we're trying to acheive, though our table is stained in a rich dark finish (and we don't have a beamed ceiling). [Image: Living etc.]

Imagine the sparkle

Okay, I hardly need to remind you that I'm not a photographer; one look at the snap below will tell you that, lol. I've spent far too much time trying to catch the shimmer and sparkle on the recently tiled and grouted backsplash, and all to no avail. I'm hoping you can figure out that they're a gorgeous 2" x 12" ribbed glass tile that's back painted in white. If not, you'll just have to squint a little and use your imagination. The tiles are called Taffeta; they're from DalTile and are available to order through Home Depot. We ran them from countertop to ceiling and wrapped them into the window well above the sink too. I can't tell you how happy I am that we went with a stacked pattern for the tile - rather than having them laid brick-style - it keeps everything feeling nice and modern. And yes, this is one step closer to us being finished...

Very extraordinary chickens

I popped in to Ultra on the the afternoon of their re-opening in February and was met by controlled pandemonium. I sidestepped some workers and said hello to cool as a cucumber co-owner Charles Khabouth, who vowed they'd be ready for that evening's event. Luckily the dust settled, and everything went off without a hitch.

One of my favourite Toronto design firms - Munge Leung - is behind the restaurant's rather glam re-do, including those showstopping 15ft tall curtains printed with mondo images by photographer Stephen Green-Armytage, taken from his book Extraordinary Chickens. The curtains flank a huge solid oak table and 24 hi-gloss lipstick red charivari chairs. Not to take anything away from those chickens, but that table - designed and created for the space by edgy firm Castor - is quite the stunner too; it's a massive 25-feet long solid oak number supported by a quirky mix of vintage, baroque and hand-carved cast aluminum legs. Click here to see the table under construction, and make sure to stop in at Ultra for a cocktail or spot of dinner sometime.

  

Hit the deck

Has Spring sprung? Well, with the mercury reaching a balmy 7C today (lol) at least we're moving in the right direction. I'm excited that West Elm has just launched their snazzy outdoor lines and wanted to share a couple of my faves, though much of the collection is catalogue/internet only, which pretty much means a no-go for Canadian shoppers. What gives?

Ah well, to find a spot for these smashing loungers we'll have to do a fair bit of work. The garden is currently more of a wasteland, about which at least one wag has noted, "Boy, you've got quite the job ahead of you with that!" While the grand plans will have to wait until we win the lottery - lap pool (!), summer house (!) - this year is more about sorting out a small deck, clearing the weeds, testing the soil and having a go at a vegetable garden. Mmmm, homegrown tomatoes...

 

No holds barred

This brought a tear to my eye - A peek inside the stunningly intense interiors of the just-opened Viceroy Miami, designed by Ms. Kelly Wearstler. The spaces are all entirely about sparkle, verve and panache with a keen sense of eccentricity and style (can you tell I've been reading Diana Vreeland's biography? lol). Here's a word or two from Kelly on her inspiration “…a blend of modern sophistication with a dash of exotic flair and timeless East Asian accents. The color palette is multi-layered with sumptuous tones, which off-sets the classic forms and organic finishes – antiqued mirror and brass, onyx, stone, marble and wood.” Anyhoo, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...

From the top: The main lobby and detail. a vignette from the resort's Signature Restaurant, a view of the express lobby, a look at Club 50 on the 50th floor (think of the views of Biscayne Bay), and finally; one of the rather swish looking bedrooms kitted out with KW linens and robes. Plus, to check out my 5 Quick Questions interview with Kelly, click here.

     

One light, two sales

The light below was the latest find for our place, scored for the princely sum of $60 from a vintage store on Queen East last week. David cleaned it up (it was all tobacco-y, blech) and hooked it up in the living room, and then, well, we're just not sure - It's certainly cute, the copper finish is sweet and I'm totally digging the inset glass squares, but it just isn't big enough for the space. It'll stay up, but in the meantime the hunt is back on...

Onto other news of some pretty flashy sales that are upcoming. If you fancy a bit of modern furniture then Gus* will be having a Warehouse Sale in Toronto on March 28th and 29th (click here for more info). And, if anyone fancies a road trip, Design Within Reach has just announced a mondo Warehouse Sale at all their Annex stores, including the location in Cleveland, that will run from March 27th to the 30th (click here for info on all the Annex locations). Expect major discounts, bring an empty car (or a van!), and think about wearing elbow pads, lol. I Mapquested it, and Cleveland is a totally do-able 5 1/2 hour drive from Toronto...

Sound and colour

I hafta say, one of the best things we ever bought for the house was a Pro-Ject Debut III turntable. We picked ours up from Bay Bloor Radio, and funnily enough, my only caveat was that it be in hi-gloss white (lol). As you can see, other than white, it's also available in the on-trend and very Eighties colours of red, yellow and blue. Love them, though if that isn't enough it also comes in matte black, gloss black and silver (for more of a trad hi-tech feel). To keep things nice and simple ours is currently hooked up to a Tivoli Audio Model One radio, shown below in a white/silver combo, and the sound is just stellar. Add in second hand records at a couple of bucks a pop - last night we were spinning Bryan Ferry, Human League, Mireille and the Xanadu soundtrack - and there really isn't a better way to spend an evening...

 

A healthy obsession

Whenever I ask a photographer to share some of their favourite shots I never know quite what's going to happen, so when I bugged a good friend of mine, photographer Angus Fergusson, to send through his faves he kindly obliged and then revealed that he's 'kitchen obsessed'. Yep, 3 out of the 6 shots he sent through are of very posh kitchen spaces. Funnily enough Angus and his darling wife Beth have a luvverly kitchen of their own; the result of surviving a reno on horrifyingly run-down fixer-upper in Toronto's west end. They bravely managed to see beyond the filth, rotten panelling and oddly placed toilets to create a bright, open and modern space - Fingers crossed we'll see it popping up in a mag sometime soon (it's quite the transformation).

The first two shots are from the sadly defunct Wish Magazine, the next three are from House & Home, and that final snap is of House & Home's Editor-in-Chief Suzanne Dimma, at home with her feet up, from the Globe & Mail. Make sure to take a boo at the rest of Angus's portfolio here and, on a personal note; Angus shot our last house for House & Home (you can see some of the snaps here on Apartment Therapy) so I'd love to give him first dibs on shooting this one, whenever it's ready, lol...

      

So you say grey or gray?

Which is it? Unfortunately I tend to flip back and forth, which confuses both spellcheck and any editor I might be working with, lol. Whatever, it's a colour that people seem to have a penchant for these days. We'll be picking a dark smoky tone, either Palais Royal or Chrome from Ralph Lauren Paint, for the walls and ceiling of our basement media room. And I have a bit of a thing for grey/gray glass too - Somewhere in a box in storage sits a bunch of (fingers crossed) well wrapped vintage and new art glass that will be making an appearance shortly in the new place...

In the meantime, here's a swanky set of grey/gray glass vases from BoConcept who, sadly for me at least, have yet to open a store in Toronto; though they do have one for the lucky folks in Vancouver.

From Helsinki with love

Hello, I think I'm in love. Ummm, I'm talking the pieces you see below - Vintage linens found and re-worked by Helsinki-based designer Elizabeth Salonen of Mottoform. Elizabeth scours vintage shops, antique stores and summertime outdoor fleamarkets in Helsinki and, when she's back in Canada, any pieces she can score here too. She then hand-prints each one-of-a-kind piece with designs inspired by hundreds of photographs of Art Nouveau architecture snapped around Helsinki and from research into the archives of the Finnish Architectural Museum. The collection, called Helsinki Remade, is available only through Design Forum Finland, though Elizabeth is currently looking into a few stores and online retailers too (fingers crossed for a Canadian retailer!). Lovely, no?

   

Ready for a thank-you

Normally, we have a drawer somewhere in the house dedicated to cards and ribbon (giftwrap is stored elsewhere, lol), but in our current state - still in set-up mode at the new house - lawd knows where all that gear might be. We always try and keep a bunch handy for thank-you's and birthdays, so I tend to grab them whenever they catch my eye. These lovely cards, illustrated by Meg Mateo Ilasco and printed on walnut veneer, definitely stopped me in my tracks this fine Friday a.m.

Meg has her own web store where you can find more of her work (here); and make sure to check out her new Utile line too, which is pared back and graphic and all about organizing. The Boheme Veneer designs below: Vases and Vessels (my fave), Hanging Rattan Chairs and Macrame Pattern sell for $5 US each, or $14 US for 3. And yes, Ms. Mateo Ilasco will happily ship to Canada.

  

Handy, dandy and sticky

Staying organized is a constant struggle - I'm forever misplacing my phone and/or keys - so something like this little monkey from Up To You would be very handy dandy indeed. Designed by a firm called Pulpo out of Germany, it's a self-adhesive wall tile in a durable powder-coated steel finish that can stick up, well, just about anywhere. Along with the tiles below, Up To You also carries Pulpo's smart Antler Keyholder and quirky Drip Hook, though sadly, there's no word on that suction-cup Virgin Mary...

 

Have camera, will travel

Richard Powers thinks he would have made a terrible fashion photographer, funny thing is I'm happy he thinks this, since his interior photography is so delicious. I came across his work on a cool blog called Yatzer, while I was marvelling at an artist's Manhattan loft space that he'd shot (make sure you click on that link, it's a fab place). So I went digging, found his website and dropped him a line asking if he'd mind me sharing some of his work. Luckily he said yes, so here's just a taste.

Richard has shot around the world - you name it, he's been there - and his work has popped up in top o' the line mags like Wallpaper*, World of Interiors, Dwell and Elle Decoration. He's also shot a couple of books worth checking; Beyond Bawa, by David Robson, and Tropical Minimal by Danielle Miller. Does he ever sit still? Probably not, lol. Click here to spend some time checking out his incredible portfolio, and click here to be wowed by, ummm, a mouth-watering library of 56 houses that he's shot in hot spots like Brazil, Denmark, Australia and Switzerland.

      

Summer lovin'

Oh you can almost feel it. There's a change in the air and Spring is on it's way which, after a bit of iffy weather, will lead us rushing headlong into Summer (yay). In advance of soaring temps and bugbites I thought I'd share a taste of UK retailer Habitat's Spring/Summer '09 outdoor collection. They are a fave of mine since they take chances, they love colour, and there's always something that I want to try and cram in my suitcase whenever I visit. Hmmm, do you think that swanky Belize 4-poster double lounger, pictured below, will fit? No, lol? Well luckily some of their way more affordable deckchairs might...

Yes, we painted the stone

Okay, cue flashback. We're travelling back in time slightly, since the house is thankfully way more organized than you'll see below. To remind you, the Montigo fireplace had been installed, framed and then faced with concrete board while we decided on exactly how to finish it off. Luckily we scored some edgestone tiles that had the perfect look, but a less than perfect sickly pinky-beige colour (ugh). Our solution, which frankly horrified the contractors, was to paint them out so we would be left with the texture of the tiles and a sense that the fireplace and stone surround had always been part of the house.

The before shot doesn't quite do justice to the tile's fugly colour (it almost looks good, lol). The second shot shows the tiles primed (thanks, as usual, to Zinsser Bulls Eye 123), and awaiting a final coat or two of trim colour in a semi-gloss. What do you think? And, if you fancy, click here to see the story so far on the reno.

 

Joe's glass floats

Every now and then I'm in touch with a craftsperson who's work I totally admire, and that's the case with LA-based glass blower and designer Joe Cariati. I included his swell-egant glass decanters in a recent Trendwatch feature for Canadian House & Home and, since our theme was Mad Men, they were a perfect fit. Joe kindly took a couple of minutes to tell me about his work, influences and style:

"If I had to choose one word to describe my style it would be 'Air'! I love to inflate, or blow the glass. Too often I see glass that is squelched by heaviness and weight. A great Italian master alerted me to the "feeling" that the glass has when the material is blown extremely thinly. I agree! The quality of the work transforms instantly. It is my hope that the viewer also has an experience, perhaps like re-discovering something that you are familiar with, but seeing it in a new light.

Weight, light transmission and overall clean lines are really what my glass is about. I'd love to see it float off the table at times...and it's extremely difficult to execute this quality in terms of technique which I find very exciting, it keeps me engaged in the process....

In terms of design, I do choose to work off mid-century wine decanters, but these are hardly replications. I feel that they are more paying homage to a great tradition that the glass houses flexed in the States in the 50's and 60's. My lines are a lot more simple, my colors, well, elegant and contemporary to say the least...

There's a lot of action in the process of glassblowing, and it's this process or action that drives my work. Engaging in this heavy amount of action - glassblowing - has also shaped my designs. I'm not a "fussy" glass blower, I cannot stand to spend time on surface decoration or frilly techniques. For me, the purity and process of glassblowing is constant, there are no breaks, no time to rest, no lull. So, with that, my approach is Clean, Pure, Simple and More. That is the M.O. of my company..."

Take a look below at some of Joe's work, and see more here; his glassware is available exclusively in Toronto at Hollace Cluny, and the lamps are a (gorgeous) brand new venture with Swank Lighting. [Image 1, 2: Phillip John Cybulski]