I Kijiji. Do you?

Personalized décor. When it comes to home design, that’s the new buzz-phrase being used to describe a home rich in furniture, art and accessories that tell your story, and reflect your tastes, rather than what the design divas decree is the current must-have what-not. You can get the look by purchasing pricey pieces from new cool-kid stores that have figured out used is useful. But if you’re on a budget, and really do love to search out that one-of-a-kind find that fits your space perfectly, or you love polishing a diamond in the rough into something stunning, you might want to start doing your “shopping” on an online site like Kijiji.

There’s another aspect to shopping this way that really appeals to me. It’s so eco-friendly, diverting  gently-used items from the landfill, and allowing me to shop locally and spend less time travelling by car. And there’s almost nothing you can’t find on Kijiji - from BBQs to hot tubs, garage doors to patio furniture.

This week’s Hot Home column focused on a series of DIY projects I recently did, all using items easily found on Kijiji. There wasn’t enough room for all my pics, so I’m including before and after below. With Earth Day coming up, I hope they inspire you to reduce, recycle and redecorate!  Check back here next week for more ideas. And in the meantime, why not share with me your fave online find?

Think this $10 table is Dullsville? Not!

Look below...

 

Use accent paints to co-ordinate furniture with your decor

 

Turn usable parts of stained or damaged table linens into guest towels

 

 

Stripping gaudy plastic tear-drops, painting it out in a rich colour and

adding funky bulbs turns a chandelier from frumpy to fabulous

 

An inexpensive lamp kit turns an old urn (below) into a special lighting accent

 

It's all about the possibilities

 

 

From mundane...

 

 

to marvelous, all with a bit of fabric and some craft glue

 

 

Ah, spring - all about rebirth, and reupholstery

Andrea Ford can help you turn an old chair into a glam decor piece

April, May and June are all about rebirth. So why not give new life to a tired piece of furniture? Andrea Ford of Restyle Studio  offers DIY workshops on re-upholstering everything from ottomans to chairs to headboards. I have at least three items I need to work on. I have a feeling Andrea and I might be seeing a lot of each other over the next few months. 

Another gorgeous creation from Ford

 

 

Hot home office pieces

Sadly, there wasn't room in this week's column in the paper for all the great images I had of office furniture. Happily, the wonders of modern technology make it possible for me to share them here. Kind of a ying-yang sitch.

 

Arie shelves by Aril Levy (at Klaus) can do double duty as shelves or room dividers

Domison's office chair (Corian) has a deliberate formality

Mayhew can help with office design from the floor up

The well-designed home office can increase productivity (image from Mayhew)

 

Castor (at Klaus) offers an unsual take on office decor

Martha Stewart thinks a tidy office (with items show here and below) is a good thing

 

 

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.

 

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.

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)

A cuppa Christmas cheer

Another festive holiday decor idea from designers Jim Connelly and Peter De Sousa that doesn't cost a bomb or add to the waste stream. With it, each guest will find their dinner place easily, and be treated to a lovely  hostess gift.

Festive Tea Cup Name Holder

Supplies

• Old cup and saucer (mis-matched will do)
• Spray paint
• Glue gun
• Miniature Christmas tree
• Tartan fabric
• Faux red berries
• Faux Raspberries/Blackcurrants
• Paper
• Pen

Instructions

• Wash cup and saucer with warm, soapy water to remove grease, dirt or fingerprints
• Let dry completely
• Cover tabletop with newspaper to create a clean work surface
• Spray the cup and saucer with a very light spray of paint**
• Let dry completely
• Repeat two to three coats, letting each coat dry completely until surface has an even finish
• Use glue gun glue to join cup and saucer
• Let dry completely
• Cut a square of Tartan fabric and wrap around the Christmas tree
• Glue the Christmas tree into the cup let dry completely
• Apply some red berries into the tree branches to fill in the open areas
• Add some Raspberries/Blackberries into the tree branches and onto the saucer
• Cut out a piece of paper to make a name tag and write your dinner guest’s name on the saucer

**Do this in a well ventilated area and wear a face mask

Funk it, don't junk - such a jolly idea

 

This week’s Hot Home column includes ideas from designers Jim Connelly and Peter De Sousa for creating holiday décor from recycled elements - like the festive chair (shown above). So clever, so pretty, and so affordable.Instructions are listed below. These boy geniuses have a ton of other  easy and fun projects, which I’ll post over the next few weeks. So keep watching this spot.

Festive Silver Chair 

 Supplies

• Old chair from thrift shop, basement or curb-side
• White bonder primer sealer paint
• Size/glue (for applying silver leaf)
  
• Silver-leaf squares/foil
• Water-based silver paint
• Silver glitter
• High-gloss exterior varnish

 

Directions

•  Wash the chair with warm, soapy water to remove any grease, dirt or fingerprints
• Let dry completely
• Cover tabletop with newspaper to create clean work surface
• Remove the seat from the chair frame
• Paint the chair frame with white bonder primer sealer
• Let dry completely
• Paint the chair with a water-based size/glue
• Let dry completely (the size when dry will remain sticky to the touch)
• Apply the silver-leaf squares or transfer foil to entire chair
• Seal chair with exterior high-gloss varnish
• Let dry completely
• Using a small paint roller and tray, paint the old fabric seat with water-based silver paint (apply heavily if necessary to cover any pattern on the old fabric)
• Sprinkle silver glitter over the chair seat
• Let dry completely

 

Clever cleaner. Clever contest.

Makers of one of my favourite green cleaning products, IQ, have launched a contest called Who cares about this Planet? that challenges Canadians to come up with environmentally sustainable projects that will make a difference in their communities. They’re asking potential winners to create and upload a video of their idea to iQ’s Facebook page. Ten finalists will be selected to share their videos across social networks, and viewers will vote for their favorite project. Each vote will count towards $1 that will be awarded to the grand prize-winner (up to $5,000) that can be used to kick-start the project. The video with the highest number of votes wins.

Why do I like iQ? Two reasons. The corn-derived surfactants do a great job cleaning, and the clever packaging reduces plastic waste. After buying your first bottle from the range, you can then buy small, capsule-sized refills of the cleaner, which you simply mix with tap water before using. Brilliant.

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.