A (work) room of one's own

Oi has an unusual plan for bringing its product to market

 

An interesting side story to my Hot Home Products piece this week involves a campaign just launched by Oi, a Winnipeg-based company that designs modular furniture pieces that can be configured in various ways to create flexible “cell seating”. The components - made from recyclable plastic -  sit on spiked bases, and come in several colours and coverings, including polyvinyl, polyester and Sunbrella, which can be used outdoors.

Oi cells can be configured to create various seating plans

The twist is that Oi is now offering the pieces at a $399, down several hundred dollars from the original price. The reduced pricing was based on advice from the infamous Dragon’s Den and was made possible by a decision to manufacturer off-shore. Since that price is based on volume, Oi needs to find a minimum of 400 orders to make it worthwhile.

To promote the plan, Oi has come up with a Twitter campaign that can net the top-tweeting “Oi’vangelist” free seating and 400 trees for their community. Clever. I think.

 

 

 

 

Available through a more traditional channel, but in keeping with the theme, Staples  has just launched Martha Stewart’s home office line for Avery, which includes modular trays, boxes, organizers, journals, and accordion files. There’s also a range of sticky notes, including removable chalkboard labels that can be used to label everything from office storage boxes to jars of jelly beans.

 

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.

New curated series kicks off at HomeSav

Since launching earlier this year, HomeSav.com has been quickly picking up speed, rapidly attracting both consumer and media attention. The members-only shopping club offers brand-name home décor, furniture and accessories at up to 80 per cent off, with new sales starting every day at 10 a.m. Items, (such as the Crescent Chair above) are available for three days in limited quantities. To become a member, shoppers must register. It's easy to do - and free.

Since learning about HomeSav, I have frequently found items on it I'd like to include in my Hot Home Products column. I tend not to, though, because I feel sure the stuff will be gone by the time I go to print.

Now HomeSav is launching a Designers Picks series; monthly sales featuring products and brands selected by well-known interior designers, artists, and experts. Each will focus on a specific theme or room. The first event begins Thursday, August 25th, and will be curated by Karl Lohnes. Metro newspaper’s national décor columnist, and Home and Decor expert for CTV’s Canada AM.

Karl has lovely taste, and I’m excited to see what he’s chosen for his signature look. And I'm dying to know who else has signed up for the series. I'll keep you posted.

Dizzying design

 
If you took science in high school, you may remember hearing of the Coriolis effect, named after the French physicist who in 1835 described how the shape of rotating objects appears to change. That's what inspired Thomas Heatherwick, the ridiculously inventive designer who straddles the world of art, architecture and design and whose London-based team tackles everything from a monastery in Sussex to a rethink of London’s iconic buses. It’s all pretty spectacular, but I fixated on the glass bridge at King’s Cross in London I saw on the website. Why, pray tell, can't we have public design like that in Toronto? Is it because we're headed by Mayor Stop the Gravy Train™, who probably thinks that such stuff is pinko frippery?

Heatherwick’s Spun Chair was shown at the Milan Furniture Fair in carbon steel and bronzed brass finishes. It’s described as “a functional chair constituted by a single profile rotated through 360 degrees which transforms the domestic seat into a beautifully rendered spinning top.” Put more simply: when upright, it’s a piece of sculpture, but when seated it in,  a body can swivel in a complete circle. Wheeee! A marvellous idea, but I think I’d go easy on the cocktails if I was sitting in it.

Limited editions will be sold in London at the tres trendy  Haunch of Venison which is, I could not help but notice, showing an exhibit of photographs — many new — from filmmaker Wim Wenders,  who directed the film classic (it's on my personal  top ten list) Wings of Desire. Sadly I can never think of it now without being reminded of the shudderingly bad remake done with, God help me, Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan called City of Angels.

Only eight more weeks till the first day of Spring (technically)

Got the January blahs? Worried that they might hang on  through February, March and April? You could tick off the weekends till Spring by spending them on the couch, with a box of chocs in one hand and the TV remote in the other (of course TCM would be in heavy rotation). Or you could give yourself a few weekend projects to brighten things up around the house. Home Depot has some suggestions:

Change up your lighting, especially in living or bedrooms. Add a dimmer for mood lighting (better than Botox, and safer, too), or treat yourself to an affordable splurge with a lamp from the Martha Stewart Living collection (see pic at left).

A cozy rug will keep you warm (inside at least). Choose a solid neutral or a bold geometrics and oversized pattern to add drama. If you’ve got the money/nerve, go for something from the wonderful Maude design in Vancouver or  Vivienne Westwood, whose is about to launch her own TV show,  in a trendy plaid. (both shown below)

 

 

 Add a sunny shine to drawers pulls in the kitchen or bathroom with Rust-Oleum universal  
 metallic spray paint, which works on most surfaces — including wood, metal, plastic, concrete and vinyl.  

Give your stairs a fresh coat of paint. Go traditional and paint them to blend with the walls or get adventurous by painting a “runner” pattern. If you need extra storage, consider building an under-the-stair feature like the one shown below. You’ll find instructions  on the Home Depot website.

 

Speaking of Home Depot, has anyone else wondered if there's any connection between the departure of long-time prez Annette Verschuren and talk of the arrival of Target in Canada (O Happy Day!). Hhhm. Far-fetched? Perhaps.

Spotlight on Canadian design (no moose were injured in the writing of this entry)

 

 
 
 
 

It’s been a busy week, what with stories on the Interior Design Show , the Canadian Home Furnishing Market (TCHFM) , the annual trade event that was recently held at the International Centre in Mississauga, and the National Home Show all coming onto the front burner.  

One of the threads that seems to connect all three is a new energy in the Canadian design industry and a wealth of talent emerging in the furniture and décor manufacturing sector. For more news on this, check out the Quality Canadian Furniture network,  an association of manufacturers that sings the praises of Canadian-made goods.

I saw loads of lovely stuff at the TCHFM, as you’ll see by the pictures above, which feature product from Amsico, Contintental, Mobican, Trica and West Brothers. I also learned of two terrific independent designers. Fat Crow Design in Edmonton makes a line called White Moose Brands.  Go to their site to see a lovely metal room divider, and leaf-shaped mats. I did get pics for both, but they would not  load - arrggh - technology!). The  beautiful table of reclaimed wood and chairs (at right) is by Grown Design in Toronto.

 
 At the upcoming  IDS, you'll have the chance  see more great Canadian pieces, including hand-made wood furniture from Shawn Place Design in Prince George  (see below).

 
 

Already sick of grey skies? Bury your head in a (beautiful) pillow.

 
 

There are few ways to lend polish to the look of a space more quickly than by adding well-designed, highly-detailed cushions. They bring texture, colour and a touch of luxe. At no time of year is that more important than right now, when cloudy skies and a missing-in-action sun cast a long and lonely grey shadow over our spaces. If you need a pillow intervention, check out The Voice of Style. There, you'll see gorgeous pillows (see pics above), made from beautiful fabrics and trims. Each one-of-kind pillow is designed by colour guru Jane Hall and meticulously sewn by her nimble-fingered assistant Valerie. As a special Christmas gift to Voice of Style customers, pillows are now being offered — for a limited time — on sale. Prices for pillows with feather inserts range between $100 and $175. Buy two, and you get 10 per cent off; three and you get 15 per cent off. Or go crazy and get four, and get a whopping 20 per cent off.  Just for good measure, those buying five (they look best in odd numbers, anyway), get 25 per cent off.

New look, new time for Real Life

I always have fun when I go to visit Sharon Caddy and Tanya Promenko, hosts of CTS’s Real Life. I was there recently talking about great style ideas that won’t break the bank, when I learned that the show has a brand spanking new set, a slew of new experts and a new time — 3:30 p.m., with a repeat the following day at 12:30 p.m. Do check it out – it’s one of my fave ways to take a half-hour break during a busy day — and I always learn something new. Check out the archived segments – I’ve actually done several this year!

A small, but beautiful, world

 Ever had that experience of running into someone from high school in sad straits – like finding the captain of the football team flipping fries at Mickey D’s after doing a stretch in the Big House for passing bad cheques? So depressing. Then there are those times when you find out that two of the coolest girls in high school both grew up to be successful artists. Love it! The world needs more artists.

I discovered this week that Sharon Fox (now Fox-Cranston) has her own gallery in Westport, north of Kingston. I like her work a lot, and have posted a couple of examples above. Coincidentally, it turns out that another former King City-ite, Holly Jenkins  (now Ounapuu), who lives and works in Paris (Paris, Ont., that is), will be Sharon’s featured artist for May. Her bright and sunny floral paintings (see below) made me smile during these last few grey days of winter. When I win the lottery, I’m going to buy Sharon’s Frozen Buoys of Westport(first pic above) and then I’m going to commission Holly to paint a HUGELY HUGE floral piece in big fat reds and oranges and yellows for my living room, which I just painted a dark apricot.

Looking back, it doesn’t surprise me that these two women turned out to be artists — I think they both must have always had an eye for the beautiful. If I remember correctly, (and that’s, um, questionable) Sharon had a way cool fringed suede jacket that she used to rock and Holly Jenkins was, and may still be, one of the few women on the planet who could pull off a denim jacket. I recall that she always wore hers with a kind of casual chic while the rest of us, I’m pretty sure, had more of a hayseed hoser thing going on.

I've marked my calendar for May - great time of year to take a day-trip out that way!