Book burning - but in a good way

This week’s Hot Home Products column is about the role books play in décor, and includes a great interview with Lisa Occhipinti, who turns neglected old books into beautiful objets. Occhipinti manipulates pages and covers in a number of ways, including burning the edges of book pages.

“It makes brilliant black edge, an amorphous shape that you could not draw — it’s so elegant,” says Occhipinti, whose smaller works are available on Etsy.

If you’re nimble of hand, you can recreate some of her designs, because she’s also written The Repurposed Library ($30 list price, available from Chapters), which includes 33 projects designed by Occhipinti and other artists and crafters — with detailed instructions for making everything from a chandelier to a hanging book mobile. 

Just don’t assume that Occhipinti’s work reflects a lack of respect for the text. She’s a life-long book lover who despairs over the declining role books play in many lives. “I feel like people don’t read entire books anymore – people read blogs and tweets. But when you get involved in a book you slow down time and create a quiet time to contemplate yourself and the world. My work is partly a motif for that. I get a lot of feedback from people who say my books give them a break from the cyber/virtual/digital noise.”

If you love old books, and old book stores, you MUST check out the website Biblio-Files. Going there if like a mini vacation for me. And if you’re looking for an old or obscure title, check out the wonderful ABE Books. Don’t leave the site without visiting the Weird Book room. Because in a way, weird books are what make the world go round.  

They're baaack - eco energy grants add incentive to make household upgrades

It was pretty much a no-brainer that the federal ecoENERGY Retrofit program would be reinstated in the last budget. Why not continue a plan that’s good for the environment, and the economy?

Naturally, that's being applauded by manufacturers such as Owens Cornings, who make EcoTouch Pink Insulation batts and AttiCat expanding blown-in insulation system and Roxul, which makes stone wool batt insulation (shown above).

According to Owens Corning, an attic insulated to the recommended standard of R-50 will save a half-ton of greenhouse gas emissions annually. It will also make your home more comfortable.

Insulation is just one route to a more energy efficient home. If you want a larger plan, consider having an energy audit done by an organization such as GreenSaver, Ontario’s oldest not-for-profit provider of energy audits and services.

What does a home energy audit entail? To get the full story, go to GreenSaver’s website. Basically, it’s a review of your home’s energy efficiency — inside and out — and includes a “blower test” to measure air leakage. After the review, you get a report detailing suggested improvements and after they’re made, GreenSaver comes back to measure your efficiency gains. That document can be used to apply for various grant programs. 

For more information on government grants and rebates for home improvements, as well as how-to guides for making your home more environmentally-friendly, go to Show Me the Green.

If it’s cooling you’re looking at (and who isn’t during this blast of heat), you might consider whether a ductless system, such as that made by Daikin, would work for you. Many models qualify for eco-retrofit grants, information about which can be found at Natural Resources Canada.

If I had extra money sitting around (dang! why did my 1992 Mercury Sable have to die this summer, forcing me to buy a new car?), I think I’d invest in venting skylight window or a roof window (shown below) from  Velux. (I already have one of their sun tunnels, which has become one of my fave features of my house). If I did, I bet I could pretty much turn off the central AC (which I only use on the hottest of the hot days) as opening a skylight allows hot air to escape. I've been told that some models qualify when they are used to replace inefficient skylights and that each reno that includes an Energy Star skylight is eligible for $40 per skylight. The company’s solar water heaters, which save CO2 from the atmosphere and can lower water bills by up to 60 per cent, would also qualify.

Best to get moving on all this, though. The grant program will close by March 2102, or when the $400 million runs out, whichever comes first.

 

Phone it in

Kohler Canada has just launched  a free mobile application for IPhone and I-Pod Touch users that it’s touting as a hardworking resource for designers and homeowners alike. Features include the ability to access product images (like the gorgeous toilet and shower head shown above) and instructional videos, a database of KOHLER retailers, and a product catalogue.  

What's next? More sustainable energy, we hope!

Interested in green and sustainable energy? Then check out the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA) WattsNext website, the aim of which is  to promote conservation and renewable energy  by showcasing sustainable energy ideas from across Ontario.

To encourage greenies, those signing up to receive updates from OSEA get their name entered in a weekly prize draw. Share a story about an individual or local initiative and you get extra entries in the weekly draw, and your project gets pegged on a WattsNext? map of sustainable energy initiatives.

Or you can submit a video of  an individual or community-based green energy initiative for a chance to win a complete 10 kilowatt solar system. The video with the most views before September 24 will be the winner.  Prizes will be announced at Ontario's Green Energy Field Day, a "doors-open" event showcasing conservation and renewable energy projects across the province.  

Meet Emily, my new downtown friend

So glad I dropped by Design within Reach  the other day, when I made a rare trip down to the corner of Spadina and King. Met the delightful Emily Scott, an account exec there, and we took a little spin around the showroom floor. At the time, I had my eye open for outdoor furniture and decor so two things stood out (see below) But I couldn’t help but keep wandering back to an  Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair from Herman Miller (see pic above).I think it’s the Platonic ideal of a chair. More on that and other stuff from HM soon.

I know melamine is all the rage these days, and there’s some great stuff  out there (check out JacKryn France  (at right) 
and Pottery Barn) made from the newest generation of this retro material, but I loved Stefania di Petrillo’s handcrafted Variopinte  enamel dinnerware, which I also saw at DwR. The hot hues are made by crushing natural pigments mixed with glass powder and applying it by hand to metal before firing. That means no two firings produce exactly the same result, and each plate is a little piece of original art. It’s also is non-toxic and dishwasher safe, which satisfies my housewifely side. 

Also loved the Oppiacei table, designed by Diego Grandi and Manolo Bossi for Skitsch. Made of fine porcelain, Oppiacei is shaped like a poppy seedpod from the poppy plant, (oppiacei is the Italian word for opiates). It comes in white or a metallic glaze) Not only is it beautiful, the removable tabletop can be used as a serving tray. So all you need is a few flutes and a bottle of Veuve and the evening can commence.

 

Trolling for good design pays off

 
 
 
  
 
Some may call it goofing around, but for me trolling online for interesting design and useful products for the home is research. And it’s darn hard work, too At least that’s how I justify letting hours dribble away while I amble around the net! But it really does pay off sometimes. It was during such a fishing expedition that I discovered a young Chinese design company called Innovo, which is run by a trio with a decidedly international flavor — with principals Zhang Lei,Jovana Bogdanovic and Christoph John coming respectively from China, Serbia and Germany. They met — where else — in Milan. I found work from these youngster’s firm on Inhabitat, which is my favourite green/sustainable design weblog. Great design, global reach and good writing. The boilerplate description is that it’s “devoted to the future of design, tracking the innovations in technology, practices and materials that are pushing architecture and home design towards a smarter and more sustainable future.” Well worth following. The coverage of the Xuan light, made with bamboo grass, and the Paper Chair, which riffs on ancient Chinese paper-making arts (both shown above) were part of Inhabitat’s coverage of the Milan Furniture Fair.  Are they not the most beautiful things you’ve seen today (at least so far)?

What I Missed This Week (part 1)

 
Forthwith comes a confession. I’m getting old. I can’t keep up with the Bright Young Things anymore, at least when it comes to getting to all the hip-type events that happen around town. For one thing, these youngsters all run everywhere. Frequently in heels. And, mirable dictu,  while I too was once was a gay young butterfly, I am no more, and often need to rest a while of an evening. Rather than pretend, I’m confronting that reality with a brand new weekly blog entry called What I Missed This Week.  I think it’s pretty self-explanatory. So here’s what the cool kids in and around Toronto did last week:

Talked design and sized each other up at the opening of retail space Domison at 35 Jarvis Street.  I wanted to go in part because the 3,500 sq. ft showroom was designed by Alexandre Blazys and Benoit Gérard of  Blazysgerard  and I remembered that I met these fellows a few years ago at an appliance event — Jenn-Air, perhaps? They were young, talented, smart as whips and extremely cute, if I maybe permitted to say. The other reason to check it out is the fact that behind the store are Thien and My Ta Trung, also the creators of Periphere, already well-established as a design presence in Montreal .The brother and sister team were also part of the Sibling Revelry exhibit at the Interior Design Show. The vision is laudable and worth supporting: a  line of Canadian-designed furniture, and work from independent design studios from Canada and abroad. I’ll go one evening next week, for sure. Unless TCM is running a Marlon Brando tribute, of course. Or my bursitis is acting up.

Food. Pro party people. And art. Whoa - what more could you ask for? Other than few bottles of Veuve, of course. It’s a question posed by Manny Neubacher and Anya Shor, recently in the news for launching The Art Stylists,  a sort of an art procurer service (and I mean that in a good way – see pic of work from Adrian Williams above). They’ve just opened the Neubacher Shor Contemporary (NSC) — 3,000 square feet of gallery space at 5 Brock Avenue. By day, it will function as a gallery, but they think the high moveable walls, good lighting and a brill sound system will also establish it as a bitchin’ event space.  Hopefully they’ll have a liquor license as well (see Veuve ref. above.) But as party guy Sebastien Centner (Eatertainment), will take care of all that, we should be in good hands.

And in the when the darn-heck did this happen department? What?! I can only think I was out cold on a park bench when Elte opened an outlet store with discounted stuff not too far from my burb-esque neck of the woods. It’s at 31 Jevlan Drive in Woodbridge (905) 856-0800. Hhhm, I wonder if that means I could afford one of those over-dyed carpets (in red and/or tangerine, natch)?

And of course, one of my fave places to get great used building and décor material, Habitat for Humanity’s Restore , has opened a new location at 3 Carlaw Ave.

Phew, I’m exhausted. Missing all those events has really taken it out of me. Better go put my feet up with a cup of warm milk.

As if you need another reason to head down to NYC

 

 
  

If you’re looking for reasons to convince yourself that a springtime jaunt to NYC is a must-do, (other, of course, than the fact that you deserve a break!) here’s more incentive, especially if you love high style and decadent decor. The fabulous (in every sense of the word) mosaic panels at the Sicis showroom are compelling enough reason to hop on a Porter flight on a sunny May weekend. These incredible mosaics, such as the panel from one of their new lines (shown above), called Saville, are breathtaking.

You’ll also be able to check out a new line of furniture called Next Art from this toney Italian design house. They’re pretty far-out, as the pics above show (the Moi et la Rose love-seat and the Tenderly chair). When I posted one or two on my Facebook page this week, design friends polled seemed to either love them or hate them, with some even calling them bad design. Personally, I can’t help but love these pieces, simply because I think they’re beautiful, sculptural and different (and I’m REALLY big on different these days). Can one sit comfortably in the chairs? I’m not sure – guess I’ll have to head down to NYC to find out!

After a launch this week at the Milan Furniture Fair, Sicis is also rolling out another new furniture line by Christian Lacroix (see pics below). In an interview, Lacroix said he was drawn to the collaboration with Sicis because “the…juxtaposition of intricate work and artisanal incrustations evokes exactly what I did in Haute Couture. What really appeals when working with Sicis is the way in which we can create the trompe l’oeil effect or a treasure’s richness, or a miniature’s complexity or the purity of a metallic tint achieved/gained via teeny/tiny stone and glass splinters.” I agree. I think.

We probably could have all guessed that Lacroix is a fan of Byzantine mosaic work, which he says he admires for its elegance, detail and vibrancy of colour; and the style of which inspired the mosaic panel he did for Sicis of Empress Theodora (see below). This beauty was a warrior queen who Lacroix describes as a forerunner of the modern First Lady. She was definitely a force to be reckoned with; my Oxford Encyclopedia says she also was well-versed in the practice of political torture, but I hear there was a lot of that going around back then! Theodora also inspired Lacroix’s Bergère wing armchair (left), upholstered in beige leather and brocade on black background, with a velvet headrest and black lace medallion. It’s paired with an ottoman in pink velvet decorated with black lace.

The Chauffeuse (below) is a high back chair in blue brocade with a gray and brown floral pattern and a tasseled “necklace” hanging from the back.

 
See you in the Big Apple?

 

Need help with your green living cred?

As Earth Day approaches, attention once again turns to living a little more lightly on the planet. If you need fresh ideas on how to do that, visit the Green Living Show, which will run April 15 to 17 at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place.

In addition to over 400 exhibitors showcasing all things green ­ — from jewelry to cookware to furniture — scheduled events include a green business forum, youth conference, fashion show and appearances by journalists such as Evan Solomon and Emily Hunter.

Celebrity chefs will cook eco-delicious dishes, and visitors can taste local foods, wine and beer. Fresh, local and sustainable foods can also be purchased at a Farmers Marketplace. Hybrid, electric and fuel cell cars will be available for test drives, and there’s a programmed EcoKids Zone for the little people. A panel discussion on the prevalence of toxins in beauty products will also take place, led by Gill Deacon, author of There’s Lead in Your Lipstick. Musicians Sarah Harmer (whom I adore!) and Alyssa Reid will perform  in a live concert on Saturday at 6:45 p.m.    
  
On Sunday, April 17, feature speaker Tom Rand will offer a presentation called Kick the Fossil Fuel Habit, which is also the title of a book he wrote. Rand was a successful businessman who now focuses his energies (get it, energies?!) on carbon mitigation. The anti-carbon crusader is now active in raising venture capital for clean technologies and works with a number of clean energy companies and organizations.  (see pics above)

For décor-istas, there will be also lots of information about, and inspiration for, green renovation and design. Two exhibitors that I think are especially worth checking out are The Recycler, the nom de green of a former pig farmer who now makes whimsical furniture out of old bicycle parts and The Timeless Material Company   which offers wonderful salvaged and reclaimed building materials (see pics below).


 


 

Larger corporate exhibitors, such as American Standard , will also be there. Visit their booth and ask about their FloWise toilet, which saves about 25 per cent more water than conventional dual-flush toilets.  (I like the Tropic, a sleekly contemporary looking toilet that comes in white and biscuit.)

Admission to the Green Living Show is $12 for adults, $9 for seniors and students between 13 and 17. But Samsung Electronics Canada will provide free admission to anyone who brings e-waste to the event for recycling at their Canadian facility. For details visit the Green Living website. 

Because size sometimes does matter - especially in the kitchen

This is one of the coolest things I've seen all week. Price Pfister has come out with an adjustable-height faucet.That means it can be raised up or down to suit the size of pot you're using. It’s easy to adjust — just a touch of a button on the handle changes the height. (I LOVE the Delta touchless faucet I have, but immediately thought this one would be great for cleaning out the over-sized pot I use when I make strawberry jam. And that it might even be handy in the laundry room). The new faucet, called Elevate, also has a pull-out sprayer, and swivels 360 degrees. It will work with a four-hole or two-hole configuration. It’s only at select Lowe’s stores, and sells for about $280. Click here  for a demo video.