Here's a clever way to add flexibility to your outdoor seating scheme. Hampton Bay’s new Westbury set ($699 from Home Depot - shown below) has adjustable arms, so it can be configured
as a love seat or couch. For even more flexibility, Westbury’s adjustable table
($249) has four moving panels that transform it from a basic
coffee/conversation table into a low-profile dining table. There’s also a holder in the centre that can serve as an ice bucket, making it perfect for sipping summer wine while nibbling snacks and chatting.
If space for a table is teeny tiny, or if you want to add affordable extra seating to create conversational settings in the backyard, choose a colourful three-piece bistro set, also from HD ($80).This one's also perfect for a postage-sized balcony. Are you listening, condo-dwellers?
When the sun goes down, count on solar lights to cast a soft, eco-friendly glow.
Keep watching this space over the next few weeks for more decor/entertaining and recipe ideas. Because summer will come - I promise - and you do want to be ready, don't you?
Mozi Q reduces the frequency of bites. The ones you do get hurt less. It's safe for kids. And yes, you may have a glass of wine or two when you take the tiny tablets, which should be about a half hour before you go out.
This piece was supposed to start with a brilliantly written ode to glorious late spring weather. Ahem - hold that thought. This too shall pass.
In the meantime, be aware that cooler, damper weather may encourage mosquitoes and pesky black flies. Both can be a buzzkill - as the youngsters say - at any outdoor get together.
Mozi-Q is a new a homeopathic, chewable pill that reduces
the frequency and severity of insect bites. More soon on this - just wanted you, dear reader, to have the website link now.
Not only can mold and mildew affect the way your home and furnishings look — it can contribute to an unhealthy air quality. Concrobium, which makes a range of mold-fighting products, has some good advice for dealing with this unwelcome visitor. Let’s call it “the five D’s”.
Deflect – To prevent mold you need to stop water from entering and accumulating in your home. So check that downspouts are doing their job — deflecting water away from the building. Make sure, too, that property is graded away from the foundation, so that water runs away from the house.
Dry - Mold can grow on water-damaged surfaces in as little as 24 hours. If flooding happens, remove excess water with a shop vacuum or water pump. When water is removed, use fans to circulate and absorb moisture in the air. Open doors and windows if possible; indoor mold spore counts are typically higher than outdoor counts. Call a pro if the job feels too big or if you suspect sewer back up.
Discard - Throw out water-logged and mold-infested materials such as carpeting or ceiling tiles. If drywall has absorbed water, it should be cut out 12 inches above the water level and replaced when the space is dry again.
Deactivate - Use bleach-free Concrobium Mold Control to fight remaining indoor mold. It kills mold and prevents it from coming back. Treat hidden areas such as crawlspaces, closets and under furniture. Special fogger units, which mist Concrobium Mold Control into the air, can be used to treat large or inaccessible spaces such as basements and attics.
Dehumidify - Run a dehumidifier to take additional moisture out of the air. Maintain relative indoor humidity between 30 and 50 per cent. Monitor humidity levels with a hygrometer, an inexpensive device that you can pick up at your local hardware store.
This week's Hot Home Products column in the Toronto Star features the Linen Chest, a Canadian success story that began when Sylvia Leibner opened a small store in Montreal in 1961. Today, a second generation of Leibners oversee a network of over 20 stores. The chain has expanded throughout Quebec and into New Brunswick and, last year, opened Leaside and Vaughan locations. Two new stores, one in the Stockyards and one at Richmond and John Streets, will open within the next few months. They also offer online shopping. Check out the pics below for an idea of what's on offer. I have a feeling readers will be hearing more about these folks in the future. Stay tuned.
Photographers
Angela Read and Michael La Fond are the focus (get it?) of this week’s Hot Home
Products column in the Toronto Star. The couple has just launched a website that sells gallery-wrapped canvases of their pictures.
Here are a few below, from places flung as far away as Georgian Bay and Italy, where the duo (who are also partners in life) love to visit. Scroll down to the bottom of this entry for a few of their tips on how to hang
photographic art. Keep an eye on this space, as I'll be featuring more photographers over the next few weeks.
Michael La Fond
Michael La Fond
Angela Read
Michael La Fond
TIPS FOR HANGING PHOTGRAPHIC ART
When hanging
multiple prints, Michael likes odd numbers of grouping.
Angela
suggests grouping pics by theme or subject.
The two
agree that size does matter — a large expanse of wall can handle a single large
print, while a hallway in a pint-sized condo might do better with three small
prints hung in a row
The big news
this weekend in design/décor is the Interior Design Show. Worth noting too, though,
is the Toronto Offsite Design Festival, also happening this weekend. Actually,
it’s been happening since Jan. 19, when it kicked off in The Junction a week of
some 40 exhibitions and events across Toronto. Reinvented for the third year in
a row, it remains — as far as I can tell — a way to take advantage of the buzz
created by the IDS, and to publicize a souped-up "what’s on in the arts in TO” guide. I say
that in a good way; there are lots of
great things to see in the city right now and if more people thought about
design more often, we might just have a more civilized, more livable city. Others may feel differently, of course.
Under the offsite
festival umbrella are such exhibits as The Happy Show, created by Stefan Sagmeister (until
March 3 at the Design Exchange).
It’s supposed to reflect the designer’s attempt to increase his happiness using meditation, cognitive therapy, and mood-altering pharmaceuticals. (Please resist here your natural impulse here to add wisecracking editorial – Editor.)
Jeff Goodman's lovely, lovely glass
The website also
notes that you can see Jeff Goodman’s supremely beautiful glass until Feb. 27 at
the Ontario Crafts Council Gallery.That will be worth catching, imho. If I wasn’t broke, I’d buy a few pieces of
this lovely glass, made by a lovely man, who once graciously invited me into his
studio, where I made a glass paperweight. So very sad when he died last
year.
I also like
the sound of Snip,
mostly because I’ve always admired Miriam Grenville’s kooky-pretty-clever work
with paper. This time, see a series of patterns at the Hair Lounge until Feb.
18.
My date book
is jammy-packed for the next few days, but I will try to get down to the IDS
trade-day to get a glimpse of Philippe Malouin.
Speaking of dishy, Philippe Malouin designed the lovely waxed concrete bowls below
His impressive
CV includes a stint with designer Tom Dixon and a recent nod from Wallpaper magazine for
a carpet hand- made from looped galvanized steel wire into an arresting
geometric shape. The geometric motif shows up again in his "windows" - light
fixtures designed like shutters and which mimic natural light, for which W
Hotel lauded the Canadian-born designer.
BTW, For the full
list of Wallpaper awards, click here
If you go, keep in mind that the OneXOne’s
children’s charity is auctioning chairs customized by such designers as moimoidesign,
WeKillYou, Monnet Design, Oeuffice, Doublenaut, Burton Kramer, and Marian
Bantjes. Take a peak, and make an offer if you can.
Janine Morrison has a theory about the enduring appeal of mid-century modern, which is the subject of a delicious new book by Judith Miller called Mid Century Modern (reviewed in my Hot Home Product column in the New in Homes section of the Saturday Toronto Star).
As the owner of Tonic Living, which sells contemporary fabrics and custom-makes window treatments, pillows, and futon covers, Morrison was thrilled to come across a stash of vintage fabric when she started her business on E-Bay in 2000.
"It became so wildly popular around the world,” says Morrison, “but one sad day we came to the end of it.” At that point, Morrison began sourcing new fabrics that had the same aesthetic vibe. Since then, the biz has ground by leaps and bounds, and Morrison is in the process of opening a new, larger operation. Stay tuned for news on that.
Why was she so drawn to mid-century design? “It has a simplicity that is just so appealing. It references a simpler time but also an emergent time, where everything was exciting and modern. Whether we even remember the era from our own youth, we sense that it was a time of innovation and social shackles being released. There was such beauty in that,” she says.
You can find out more about Tonic Living in the next issue of ReStyle, which appears quarterly with the Toronto Star.
In the meantime, here’s a list of places in Toronto that offer mid-century décor.
Owner Lawrence Blairs loves Scandinavian art glass, modernist studio jewellery, abstract sculpture, and post modern Italian design. The store is also home to an extensive reference library on twentieth century design and decorative art.
Kensington was into mid-century modern a couple of decades before it gained widespread cool. It’s still home to the much-loved Bungalow where you’ll find vintage clothing, retro furniture, home and fashion accessories.
If
you are falling in love with modern design, Design Within Reach is a
shrine at which you must worship. Take note that “within reach" means
things not found elsewhere and things in stock, not necessarily within
reach of your puny décor budget. But even if you don’t have $5,700 for
an Eames Lounge and Ottoman, go to this store if you want to see best in
class. Worried about snooty salespeople who will sniff you out as a
neophyte and treat you accordingly? Not an issue. The staff is terrific,
love to share their knowledge and won’t blush even if you ask a dumb
question. I speak from experience.
Self-described as the spot where Mad Men meets your best friend’s basement, this Corktown store seems to be a fave the bloggers who responded when I asked for top spots in Toronto for mid-century modern.
EQ3 222
King Street East 416.815.2002 and 3-51 Hanna Avenue. 416.533.9090
This Winnipeg-based company specializes in modern design. On top of their own product range of furniture, which can be custom finished, they offer brands such as Herman Miller, Stelton, Vitra, and Alessi. Also has a great selection of Marimekko yard fabric and accessories at the Hanna Street location.Pssst. Check out the lovely and affordable glass and plate ware.
StyleGarage offers made-to-order upholstery, storage, dining, and accents.
Miller's book is chock full of pics of the best of mid century modern design
Did I miss any great spots that you love? I’m sure I did,so let me know and I’ll add them. Also heard (on Machine Age Modern's blog) that Modern Furniture in Canada 1920 to 1970by Virginia Wright is a great overview of the era from a Canadian perspective. I’ve got my eye out for a copy and will add my own mini review when I find it.
Over the holidays, I unleashed my inner
hippie (never far from the surface, I might add) to create a mood light with an
umbra Fotofall stand and Sylvania’s new Mosiac strips on which I clipped the strip.
Up to ten strips can be joined to create up to 20 feet
and special connectors can be used to negotiate corners. Strips can also be cut
with scissors at pre-marked spots. A remote lets the user choose from 15 colours,
including white.Personally, I don't go much for flashing, blinking lights. If I want that, I'll go to Vegas.But I do like being able to change the colour to suit moods and decor.
A kit, which comes with four two-foot strips, sells for about $50 at Home Depot. Well, what do you think? Pure genius? Or probably drunk?
Forgot
to get your handy honey something really special during the just-passed gifting
season? And now, retailers are already on your back to give it up again for
Valentine’s Day, correct? Confound them by giving a bouquet of tools,
rather than flowers.
Black
& Decker's Matrix Multi-Tool might fit the bill - and your budget. It
consists of a single base power unit that has multiple attachments, including drills,
saws and sanders.
A 20V
starter kit with a lithium-ion rechargeable battery includes a drill, mouse
sander, and jigsaw – for $150. There’s also a 12V driver/drill kit for $70.
Attachments start at about $30 for a two-speed hammer dill and top out at about $40
for an impact driver attachment.
This week’s
Hot Home column in the Saturday Toronto Star is all about test driving the
Kenwood Cooking Chef
with Sandra Bellomo, the company’s North American
training and demonstration manager. Here are the recipes we made. They’re
written for those lucky enough to own this $2,000 machine, but a competent home chef could easily adapt. Look
at the post below for a separate gallery of shots from our afternoon of cooking.
Drunken Snowman Cocktail
Ingredients
2 scoops
vanilla ice-cream
1 cup ice
3 oz. vanilla
vodka
3 oz. Bailey’s
Original
3 oz.
Peppermint Schnapps
Combine ice-cream,
ice and spirits and blend for 2 minutes. Serve in glasses rimmed with crushed
candy cane.
Rim cocktail glasses with crushed candy cane for a festive touch
Chestnut Soup
Ingredients
15-20
chestnuts, preferably fresh, pre-boiled and peeled
2-3 shallots
2 garlic
cloves
¾ cup heavy
cream
2 cups
vegetable stock
½ cup water
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Using the chopping
blade on the food processor, finely mince garlic and shallots. Set aside. Insert
the Stirring attachment. Warm up the bowl and season with olive oil. Keep temperature
between 70º and 80ºC.
After 3
minutes, add the shallots and garlic, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust temperature
to 110 ºC. Set timer for 24
minutes.
Add chestnuts
and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for 2 minutes, then add 1 cup of stock and cook
for 1 minute. Add the remaining cup of stock.
Note: It’s
normal for induction heat to lose temperature when a cool liquid is added. During
the next 4 minutes, the temperature will increase to between 99˚ and 108ºC. The
best temperature for cooking soup is 100º and 105ºC. Use the splash guard to contain
heat.
After 12
minutes, add water.
Chestnuts will
soften as the soup cooks and mixes. When cooking is complete, pour soup into
blender. Add heavy cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend for 2 minutes.
Cranberry
Relish
Ingredients
1 cup fresh
cranberries
1 date
1 orange
1 small piece
of ginger (optional)
2 Tbsp of agave
syrup
Using the
citrus press, extract juice from the orange. Reserve. If you use ginger,
grate it. Add the chopping blade to the food processor and add the cranberries,
date, orange juice, (ginger if using) and agave syrup. Pulse until just incorporated.
Chocolate
Mousse
Ingredients
4 tsp butter
2 Tbsp sugar
7 egg whites
6.5 ounces dark
chocolate
Melt the
butter and chocolate in bowl,keeping the temperature between 60º and 70ºC. This should take under 6 minutes. Pour into bowl
and set aside. Attach the Power Whisk to clean bowl, and add the sugar and egg
whites. Whisk on max speed until it forms stiff peaks. Using the fold function,
gradually add the melted chocolate and butter. Don’t mix too hard or you’ll knock
the air out of the mixture. Pour into small glasses or chocolate dessert cups.
Chill for 4 hours.
Cranberry
Apple & Walnut Risotto
Ingredients
1 cup Arborio
rice
2.5 cups
vegetable stock
2.5 white wine
½ white onion
2-3 gloves
garlic
1 cup dried
cranberries
½ cup walnuts
2 apples
(Sandra likes Golden Delicious or McIntosh)
2 green onions
½ cup grated Parmesan
cheese
2 Tbsp
unsalted butter
½ tsp chili
powder
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Olive oil
Using the Mini
Chopper Mill, chop the walnut coarsely.
Peel apples and
pulse in food processor into medium sized pieces. Set aside. Thinly slice the green onions in
food processor and set aside. Chop garlic and half an onion.
Add the Flexi
Beater to bowl. Warm up bowl and season with a drizzle of olive oil. Set the
temperature between 70º and 80ºC.
After 3
minutes, add onion and garlic. Let cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add rice and
cook for one minute before adding wine.
Increase the
temperature to 120ºC. Adjust the timer for 24 minutes, and set the machine to
stir.
When liquid is
absorbed, add in one cup at a time of the vegetable stock. Use the splash guard
to retain heat.
When the timer
gets to 17 minutes, add cranberries and walnuts, and set mixing speed to 1. At
14 minutes, add apple. In the last 5 minutes, add butter, Parmesan, green
onions, chili powder, sea salt and black pepper.
Love having all the appliances function from one hub
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