Last weekend I made my annual trek to Toronto with my husband for the Interior Design show and as usual it was well worth the drive. Even in the snow and rain!We started our weekend by dropping by the Distillery District, a great historic part of the city. Its an historic distillery that has been turned into a quaint, interesting mecca of shops, galleries and restaurants. It is also a great location for movies so you may spot a star or two during your visit! I loved Blackbird Vintage with it's interesting selection of goods and Balzack's Coffee House. Both places character filled. Check out my photos below.,of this unique area in Toronto. We also strolled along Queen Street West browsing in some more vintage stores , my favourite being Queen West Antiques .It had a large selection of mid century modern furniture and quirky accessories. Here are a few items I spotted. Along with all the vintage and retro goodies, I also checked out a new store to Toronto CB2. It's part of the Crate & Barrel family offering a modern, fresh approach to design in bright and funky colours. Here is a sneak peek. This store is worth a visit and the website has a great selection.
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So my latest paint project was my entry way closet. It was the only place I hadn't painted since moving in eight years ago. I know it's a miracle for me! Everywhere else has been painted multiple times. I have been meaning to do it for a while and so finally got down to it. I took everything out and sorted the contents. After cleaning it I used some paint from my dining room and office Wythe Blue HC-143 (by the way Benjamin Moore's Colour of the Year 2012) and freshened it up. I also decided to paint the inside of the doors with Stratton Blue Hc-142 to add that pop of colour when you open it up. Finally I bought some wire baskets and a fun yellow tub,all from the Great Canadian Superstore. I re used my existing shoe rack and wooden hangers. I labelled the baskets for the contents and finished off by adding a sign above the shelf using a canvas and alphabet stencils. Another quick, easy and inexpensive makeover- my favourite! Spring cleaning is around the corner, why not start early and organize your closet too. Here are some great finished examples and products you could use to help.Original art by Lisa Lawrenson This week a new piece of art came home to my place. I am lucky enough to have a good friend who is an awesome artist. and I commissioned her to do her interpretation of a piece I had seen before. I love it, the subject, the colours and the details. It fits perfectly above my fireplace and really pops against the dark wall (AF-170 French Press by Benjamin Moore). Original art in any home really adds that personal touch. If you are not as lucky as me to have Lisa Lawrenson as your friend, never fear you can contact me for her details or check out her website- ladecor.homestead.com. Supporting local artists ensures that they keep on creating masterpieces for us to enjoy and cherish. Thanks Lisa!
This week's Pick's are from my favourite UK magazine - Livingetc. First are some amazing hand crafted door knobs from an interesting company called hautedecor. I have never seen anything like the selection they have of unique knobs and handles for doors and furniture. The variety of materials used ranges from driftwood to glass. The ones that caught my eye would really add a pop of colour. Check them out..... Also on my pick list is an interesting mirror that could be used in a tradional or contemporary space from another great UK company, Graham and Green. They have a large selection of interesting accessories and furniture. The pocket watch design in the black and gold really makes a statement on your walls.Finally my third pick is a cool piece of industrial furnture, a tradtional design in an un-conventional material. Mixing it in with wood pieces and soft furnishings will create layers and interest. Take a look! This piece comes from Alexander and Pearl. Another fine example of UK style. Check out all these websites for yourself, Unfortunately none of them ship to Canada yet but you never know! We can at least take inspiration from them.Now I am a definitely a chair lover! Especially mid century classics like the wishbone chair. I can really appreciate any material,any shape, simple or more sophisticated. A popular look right now is the ecclectic use of mis-matched chairs around your table. As a self proclaimed, orderly and organised person, I would never have thought I would embrace this somewhat disorganised look but. . . . . . . . . I do! I love the mixing of woods,colours and fabrics creating an exciting and unique look. A matching set is not where it's at!! So check out these tables and the great chairs surrounding them. Love,love,love these! Notice how the blue and the red are repeated throughout.Simple-a chair for everyone even the baby!Colour and shape with a classic black table to ground it.Shabby chic at it's best. Simple wooden chairs around a colourful dining table. The warmth and character of wood. Same chair (IKEA) two different looks. (Martha Stewart) Bold blue unifies the mix of seating, One chair,two tones. Wood or white which will it be?.A true blend of time periods but it works.I'm on the hunt for vintage chairs maybe I will mix it up too, how about you?
One of the sharp, graphic trends of the moment is the Chevron. It's on everything from walls to floors. In a neutral room a piece of furniture with a colourful chevron pattern adds some personality and interest. Choosing a Chevron wallpaper or paint treatment really makes a statement . Even just a vase or blanket with that detail can add another layer and is simple to do and not too expensive. You can change things up once in a while to refresh your space and keep things current. Have fun with it and pop in a chevron or two!
This week I saw a couple of new things that stood out for me and I just had to find out where they were from. I saw this amazing light fixture and a cool chair in magazines while browsing in Chapters(or my personal library as I like to call it!) So I looked them up and they were both from stores in Toronto. First this great ceiling fixture from West Elm, there are stores all over the U.S and now in some cities in Canada. They have modern and rustic pieces with an industrial flair. You can find furniture,accessories,rugs and lighting. Here are some examples of what they have to offer. Now this chair I love from a new store in Toronto called Boconcept, a Danish design firm offering really interesting and modern furniture and accessories. It is now on my list to visit next time I'm in the big city. This chair with it's wool seat and wooden base speaks chic design with comfort, it's available in other colours and fabrications. Enjoy these fine examples below.... So that's my pick's of the week,stay tuned for next week's picks...Well today's project took me five minutes after I got home from work and is something I have been meaning to do for a while. I wanted a piece of art for my bedroom and had a canvas that had a few previous lives as wallpaper art or spray painted. I wanted to find some fabric with an interesting graphic print. While at IKEA I found the perfect piece and it was only $6.99 a metre. I bought 1 1/2m which gave me enough for the canvas and some cushion covers which will be another days project! I cut enough fabric to overlap and used a heavy duty stapler to attach it to the canvas. I pulled it tightly to make sure the finished product would be smooth and flat. Like I said it took me just a few minutes and it's now hanging proudly in my bedroom. There are so many amazing fabrics out there and all kinds of ways to use them, either on a canvas or in a frame. You can co-ordiate it to your room or use it as inspiration for the overall colour scheme. Handmade art doesn't have to be complicated but can make an impact on your space, and give you the satisfaction of making it yourself!Examples found on PinterestWell everyone I have a new obsession, and no it's not a new latte at Starbucks! I discovered "Pinterest", it's an amazing on line pinboard. People post pictures of all kinds of things and then you can save them, re-pin them or like me spend hours searching through them just because you can! There are many categories and an endless, ever increasing supply of image candy! I had seen and heard about it in my magazines and on some of my design t.v shows and I decided to sit down and finally see what all the fuss was about and now I'm hooked! Here are some examples of pictures "pinned" up. Well,don't just sit there go and get "pinned" yourself, I'll see you there.......Now we are in 2012 there are a couple of big trends in decor that have carried over from 2011 and are still going strong. I'm not really sure how I feel about them myself but they are definitely here for a while. let me know what you think? Yes or No? Will you follow the trend? First up is Malachite- a green copper carbonate mineral. I have seen it used in its pure form just as a paper weight or as a table top. Above you can see a faux malachite wallpaper. The rich, jewel tone can be dramatic in an entry way for example. Take a look at these other ways to use it............ Next up is Snakeskin- now anyone who knows me is aware of my phobia! So I probably won't follow this trend but many of you may! Here are some fun examples..... Some design trends make a strong statement just like these.
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