Seriously, you want to go to the mall?

Got a weekend afternoon free and a yen to shop? For God’s sake, then, don’t go to the mall. Or, worse yet, one of those suburban nightmares called Power Centres, where you need a PhD in conceptual geometry to figure out how to get in and out. Instead, put on your walking shoes, hop on the subway (yes, Toronto still does have a public transit  system – sort of) and head over to Queen Street West. Your only instructions are to keep strolling and stop wherever takes your fancy. Here, though, are a few of my favourite places to pop into:

Style Garage  938 Queen West -  Modern made-to-order upholstery, storage, dining, and accents.

Preloved   881 Queen West - My new fave store. Preloved has one of a kind clothing from reclaimed wools and fabrics. Who knew you could get an exquisite fit in a sweater coat made from remants?  Naturally, I had to buy one for my daughter. #YouCan'tGetThatAtAritizia. They also recently launched a small home décor line.

Chatelet  717 Queen West - Sweet, cute, shabby chic. Very, very pretty but best used  in small doses, in my experience.

The Paper Place   887 Queen West - One of my fave stores on the planet.  Sheets of gorgeous handmade papers in every colour and pattern under the rainbow, as well as journals, stationery, cards, wrapping paper and gifts. I never leave there without buying something. And the staff are lovely.

Morba  665–667 Queen West
 - Fun mix of new and vintage. Last year, I nearly bought up every globe they had in the place, because the selection was so varied, and so good. But I didn’t, because I’m sensible. Also, I have car payments.

Quasi Modo Modern 789 Queen West - Where the cool kids shop for home design. But the staff is always welcoming and happy to answer any and all of my (probably dumb) questions. So don't be shy.

Mokuba  575 Queen West - So many magnificent ribbons, you’ll want to pull a Daisy Buchanan and bury your face into them, weeping “I’ve never seen such beautiful ribbons.”  But don’t, because these ribbons come with fancy-pants prices and I expect that if you wreck it, you buy it. Rumour has it that the staff are just a tad chilly. An occupational hazard, perhaps, when you work on this hip strip?

Nikolaou Restaurant Equipment 629 Queen West - Jam-packed (although my mom might call it a bit dusty and jumbled) restaurant supply store with everything you need. Except, as I recently found out, vegetable brushes.

Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art 952 Queen West - Tucked back a bit from the street. C’mon, would a little culture kill’ya?

All that walking making you peckish?

Stop by Dufflet 787 Queen Street West -  To-die for pastry, killer espresso and a nice selection of teas (Irish Breakfast anyone?). The staff there is always happy. Who wouldn’t be, surrounded by cake?

Epicure Cafe and Grill  502 Queen West - Good food, a good selection of wines and beers and a cheerful atmosphere. It used to be a big hangout for arty types from Theatre Passe Muraille  (see culture, above)

Terroni 720 Queen West -  Judging from the crowds, this is a popular place, and has a rep for great Italian food. Maybe it was just an off night when I went – my pizza crust was soggy and the temperature upstairs was about 40ºC. Plus, when I asked for the Puttanesca sauce with spaghetti instead of penne, I was refused.  It was suggested that doing so would offend the chef. Or his grandma. Or both. Sounds just a teensy-weensy, iddy-biddy pretentious to us.

For more suggestions, go to BlogTo, which has an extensive, well-researched list of great spots on Queen West and beyond.

Meant to inspire - not intimidate

Those who have witnessed Janette Ewen’s approach to design from the good ol' days when she appeared regularly on CityLine, and more latterly as Ty Pennington’s co-host on Inside the Box, will know that she’s a free spirit, and has long been an advocate for personalized décor — even before it was chic. She’s all about finding your own look — rather than slavishly following others. But that doesn’t mean she can’t share her own favourite colours, designs and pieces, which she did recently by  creating pop-up vignettes for the Canadian Home Furnishings Market. It’s just that she hopes they’ll inspire, rather than intimidate. (Don't get her started on what she refers to as dictatorial design dragon ladies, whom she berates from thinking they always know best and for not having sufficient confidence in the taste and creativity of the average homeowner. She had oodles of confidence in us.)

Here, then, for your edification and inspiration, pics and explanations below.  Janette trusts you can take it from here?

Pics are from the TCHFM Quality Canadian Furniture Trends Display supplied by QFMA.

BACK TO BLACK

Mysterious and slightly masculine, this look is rich, luxurious, well crafted and very dark.  Think of a Jazz Age Park Avenue apartment, with a touch of rock ‘n roll.  Not for the faint of heart!

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Inspired by the feathery looks floating across runways, this look is soft and youthful. Look for feather motifs in fabrics, wallpapers and area rugs, and for delicate ostrich plumes used as subtle, yet colourful accents.

FADED CHINOISERIE

Inspired by wanderlust, faded Chinoiserie brings together geometric lattice prints and organic elements (plants, flowers, butterflies, dragons) in muted pastels with a gentle patina. Add touches of crystal, gold and mercury glass for subtle sheen.

GLITTERATI

More can be more, if you love metallic sparkle and shine. Use it in lighting, tableware, ornate stools and side tables— think of Jean Harlow's wardrobe. Crisp white walls provide the perfect backdrop.

HITCHCOCK HEROINE

Taut, tone on tone, refined — but with a twitching frisson of wildness below the surface. Personified by Hitchcock’s ice-queen actresses, who exuded a kind of contrived perfection. Colour takes a back seat to textures and sophisticated finishes - wood grain, enamel, chrome, fur, quartz, tortoiseshell shimmer dimly -  hinting to a life that might just hold a very dark secret.

HYPER REAL

It’s about pop art, Japanimation, citrus fruit and 1980's neon, this bohemian approach to bright is a fresh, modern take on colour. With a backdrop of crisp white, Hyper Real comes to life with the layering of bright and bold accessories, artwork and fabrics.

 

LONDON CALLING

Revisit Carnaby Street with a modern London loft look (think Paul Smith or Jasper Conran). The Union Jack is a mainstay motif, while mid-century modern furnishings in leather, glass and Lucite lighten and soften more traditional British elements.

 

MODERN MOROCCAN

Bright, bold Moroccan looks are coming on strong, showing up in restaurants, boutique hotels, and nightclubs. It unleashes fuchsia, purple, emerald green, mixes it with gold and then layers on intricate patterns.

 

 

 

ORANGE CRUSH

Juicy orange is the standout colour for 2012. Surprisingly neutral, orange works everywhere — in the kitchen, living room, dining room. Mixed with Scandinavian design, it slants toward mid-century modern, but retains a classic timelessness.

This looks back to a time when pioneers dared to go west and dream big, mixing rustic, reclaimed and dusty romance, and is defined by accessories and furniture that have a found or salvaged quality. Surprisingly, it works exceptionally well in an urban loft setting.

 

WELL-TRAVELLED ECLECTIC

This one requires a good eye for pulling together pieces from various eras and styles, and for mixing patterns and colours. If it speaks to you and if there’s a bit of the curator in you, go for it.

WEST COAST RUSTIC GLAMOUR  

Shabby-Chic went down to the beach and came back just a little more sophisticated. This look is slightly Parisian in that splashes of gold, and intricate carving and details. The colour palette is weathered whites, sand and sea-glass blue.

 

 

Ten years of great home-grown design

One of my favourite features at the Interior Design Show is Studio North and Prototype, a jury-chosen display of works from exemplary and emerging Canadian designers. This year, it celebrates its tenth anniversary, with works by some 30 designers, examples of which are included below.

The founding curator of Studio North was Rachel Gotlieb, now senior curator at the Gardiner Museum, a gem of a museum that too few Torontonians know about. (Fast Fact: The city's second most under-appreciated museum is the the Textile Museum, also home to a terrifc biannual fabric sale/fundraiser. P.S. If you're rich, skip it please and leave the bargains for the little people, because we deserve some beauty too. Instead, you may shop directly - with your designer of course -  at Primavera,  which I understand donates a lot of the fabric sold)  

But I digress. Below, a few more reasons to get thee to the IDS, runing next week at the Convention Centre. 

So taken by the fluidity of the Living Stone sink by John Schweighardt

 

Christopher Solar lounge and ottoman in steam-bent walnut and rope (wonderfully shaped)

 
Tahir Mahmood’s candle sticks (ooh, love these too - #iadoreRED)

 

Atelier 688’s  rope lights (think I like this, but I also find it a bit threatening, somehow) They did pillows with maps printed on parachute silk last year that I liked a lot (see pic below). And yes, I too noted around this point the prevalence of matte or unfinished wood, and rope. #ifyoutracktrends

 

ROLLOUT’s  Wanderlust wallpaper (these folks do amazing papers, so I just have to add another pic of a paper I adore even though I'm not sure it will be on dispay at the show.)

 

 

Mushaboom’s Stroll wallcoverings (brilliant and beautiful, no?)

 

New rug design by Kate Thornley Hall  One more pic added (see reasoning for Rollout - above)

 

 

Brothers Dressler’s Cross Dining Table and Peg Stool (always interested to know what this duo is doing.)

Contact Voyaging Company's decorative paddles

 

 Lighting by Ridgley Studio (Crazy groovy, man - these are another of my faves)

Colour - work it!

This week’s Hot Home Products column is all about painting with colour, an especially tempting idea in the deeply dreary days of mid-winter. BTW, if you’re leery of painting at this time of year, keep in mind that low and no VOC paints are much easier and safer to work with than older formulations. As long as you can crack a window open for a bit, you should be okay.

Of course, using milk paint is an increasingly popular option, partly because of the subtle colours and slightly chalky finish, but also because you don’t have to worry about fumes. We like local company Homestead House Paints, which now also offer courses on using milk paint. Homestead also makes a zero VOC line.

Some tips for working with colour from Alison Goldman, communications manager for CIL.

Sample first. The colour you love on the chip may not look the same when it’s on your wall, because of lighting and other materials used in the room. Take the time to slap some of the colour on the wall and live with it for a few days. Many companies now offer very affordable sample pots. An oversized chip is next best, but because they’re usually printed — not painted — it’s not the same.

Strong colours show up imperfections, so prep walls carefully. Again, this small investment in time will pay off. And while more and more companies are offering paint and primer in one, I tend not to use them — unless the colour being applied is very close to the one already on the wall.  To get a true colour, you need a blank canvas.

Sharp cut lines count when you are using strong colours. Use a good tape. I like ScotchBlue Edge Lock, which contains a chemical that forms a leak-proof bond, but which comes off easily. Love it! 

Pics above come (in order) from Farrow and Ball, CIL, and Pittsburgh Paint.

Why not a weekend in Chicago?

How does a June weekend in Oak Park, Il, touring private residences designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and his contemporaries, sound? Pas mal, non? Here, then, is a suggestion for an early summer weekend getaway.

The FLW Preservation Trust will host in June  Wright Plus 2012  in Oak Park, just west of downtown Chicago, and famous for having private residences and buildings designed by the Great Man. Also, please note, that it is the birthplace of crack Toronto Star reporter (and, yes, novelist) Ernest Hemingway.

There’s an interpreted walk that includes interior tours of three landmark Wright buildings, tickets for which are $85 for members, and $100 for non-members. If you’ve got a wad of cash, you can buy a fancy-pants weekend package that includes a party at the Rookery Building, dinner with a “celebrity” chef and a behind-the-scenes tour of Wright's Robie House. Or you could combine it with a whirlwind tour of Chicago,  a city I have, sadly, never visited — even though my husband and father-in-law were born there. But every friend I’ve ever known who’s gone to Chicago has loved it.

The pictures above show the William E. Martin House, which FLW designed, and the George Sharp House, designed by an anonymous contemporary.

Black and white and beautiful

I’ve always been a big fan of black and white photography and film. I love the play of shadow and light, and I find that black and white pieces are often more textured, interesting and nuanced than colour. Tell the truth, can you imagine Casablanca or The Great Dictator in colour? I thought not. So I do wish I had a reason to be California-bound — specifically toward Venice, where the G2 Gallery  is launching Visions of America, an exhibition of photographs by Clyde Butcher, curated by Jolene Hanson. These 30 silver gelatin prints are of America’s National Parks, including Yosemite and the Florida Everglades. These are beautiful, beautiful photographs, loaded with depth and drama. Take a look at the two shown above -- Agawamuck Creek and Seven Cabbage Cut Cover.

Butcher’s been likened to Ansel Adams, a master of landscape photography. But the exhibit organizers suggest that Butcher’s approach to light is more “intuitive” than Adams’ technical virtuosity. My photo buff husband says that’s the result of Adams' commitment to zone photography.  Coincidentally, a collection of Adams’ work will be seen in January in Turlock, Ca.

Butcher uses cameras ranging from four by five inches up to 12 by 20 inches, sometimes requiring custom enlargers to accommodate his huge prints.

These images are more than just pretty pictures; Butcher’s  an environmentalist who’s been instrumental in bringing international attention to the issues facing the Florida Everglades, where he makes his home.

 The G2 Gallery will host an opening reception with the artist in attendance on January 20. His work can also be seen at G2's booth at the LA Art Show.

The $5 admission benefits the World Wildlife Fund, and the G2 Gallery will donate all proceeds from art sales to the WWF. I so wish I had a few spare grand sitting around. Sadly, however, I still have two more kids to get through college. But if I did have extra dough, I would treat myself. In the meantime, maybe I'll go and see The Artist. Again.

 

Okay, maybe I'll make ONE resolution

A fellow named Dr. Mike Evans convinced me to make just one New Year's Resolution.  Perhaps he can convince you too.