inspiration for decor

Be forewarned, today’s post may be a little self indulgent. But I am still on a high from my amazing day and want to share the details with you….

I took a vacation day!  Nothing like a little sunshine and plans with great friends on your day off. Here’s what went down:

1. A couple girlfriends and I sat in the CityLine studio audience. It was Thursday “Home Day” which (of course) is my favourite day of the week. So fun!  If you live in Toronto or plan on traveling here, definitely try to get tickets.  Tracy Moore is so charismatic and energetic, and gosh does she look good!  I can’t believe she had her second baby less than a year ago.  Amazing.

(Melanie, me, Tracy Moore, Whitney)

2. Next, we headed to Terroni for lunch. Hands down, it’s my favourite restaurant in the city. I know some would disagree but I love southern Italian and the place holds a lot of nostalgia for me.  Following fresh bread, spaghetti à limone, cappuccino, discussion on babies, homes, decorating, and maybe some gossip, we were satiated and ready to get our shop on.

Oh! We ran into Sarah Richardson on the way out of Terroni. BTW-she looks way younger in person. Très fab in a short tailored dress.

3. Next up was a visit to the Tonic Living warehouse for some fabric for my friend and client, Melanie.  After several failed attempts with other fabric choices, luck was on our side and we found just what we were looking for. You can hop over to Melanie’s blog (Nested Organizing) for a sneak peak of this project -her home office. While we are on the subject of fabric: if you are looking to make curtains, pillows, baby bedding, quilts, or anything else that is crafty and requires fabric, check out the Tonic Living website. A great selection and very reasonable prices.

4. Stopped at Starbucks for a non-fat mocha frappuccino. Yummm.

5. Shopping along Yonge St. around Summerhill. This neighbourhood is my old haunt so it was good to drop in on some of the best home décor shops in the city. If you are looking to do a little window shopping, drooling, or dropping some cash, go for a saunter along Yonge St. and check out these shops:

• Belle Epoque, 1066 Yonge St.
• Constantine Living, 1110 Yonge St.
• Absolutely, 1132 Yonge St.
• Chair Table Lamp, 1156 Yonge St.
• Artifacts Emporium, 1170 Yonge St.
• Boo Boo & Lefty, 1198 Yonge St.
  
• Decorum Decorative Finds, 1210 Yonge St.
• 1212, 1212 Yonge St.
• L’Atelier, 1224 Yonge St.

6.  And last but not least, I picked up my son from daycare and headed to the local park.

A perfect day!

Let me just start by saying the Interior Design Show was wonderful. And overwhelming.  I started with an initial walk-through to check out the lay of the land and to see what this year’s show had to offer. Then I ate a granola bar, listened to a panel discussion, used the washroom, took a big breath, and then back-tracked through all the exhibits.  In all fairness, I think I needed to do a third and fourth walk-through to do all the exhibitors justice.  But as I said, I was overwhelmed with all the amazing furniture, finishes, designers, and products represented. Now, if I or one of my clients was in the market for a high end kitchen with fancy-schmancy appliances, or a luxe bathroom with an uber-cool tub and hardware, I would have spent a lot more time looking at some of the fantastic new products on the market. However, that was not the case. I was just there to take it all in and get inspired. And inspired I was.

The Studio North portion of the show was my favourite (Studio North = representation of forward-thinking, edgy Canadian Design from right across the country).  Here is a round up of my favourite exhibitors….

Jean Willoughby is aToronto-based furniture and product designer is driven by a philosophy I appreciate and gravitate towards: purposeful, practical, functional, strong lines, and timeless neutrality. This curved concrete and wood side table was on display on the prototypes stage. It was very cool. Yet warm.  Loved the wood and concrete combo.

Textile designer Julie Moschenross is the creator behind the Manor 12 line. Each piece is hand printed and made here in Toronto. I loved the colours, patterns, and textures of the quilts and pillows on display.  Comfort, quality, and beauty.

Earlier this week I was introduced to the Carroll Street Woodworkers by a great post over on the marion house book so I was excited to see them at IDS.  Let me tell you, this booth was packed everytime I walked by (I walked by three times because I really loved their turned wood light fixture and had to check it out from all angles).  This desk is pretty darn cool too- cords run down the leg and quirky little buttons pop out to reveal hidden storage compartments for your pens.

My day job has nothing to do with design. At all.  When I am is my design groove I care not to think about “work” at all.  But I had to smile when I saw the designs of Nicole Tarasick today.  My client is a major Canadian airline and I’m accustomed to referring to the major Canadian cities by their airport code (Toronto=YYZ , Montreal=YUL, Vancouver=YVR, etc). Nicole’s mission is to handcraft textile goods with bold design, patriotic content and a minimal environmental footprint. Even though I don’t want to think about work when I am at home, I am thinking about purchasing one of her graphic pillows through her Etsy shop. They are just so Canadian.  I dig that.

This coffee table/dinette by TILT is an example of great design. Seriously. Hey teeny tiny condo owners, here’s a space-saving solution for you!

Montreal-based TOMA offers up everyday objects designed to infuse a little humour and whimsy into the hum-drum of daily living. How about this boot mat?  It’s 100x better than my Canadian Tire special. And offered at a very decent price at that ($45CDN). I also adore their hangars – designed to hold your coat and scarf at once.  Or better yet, just leave them hanging empty because their whimsical shape is just so pretty!

I’ll wrap this post up by declaring my delight about the Sarah & Theo Richardson “Sibling Revelry” space. I will admit I wasn’t a huge fan of the red-themed dining space but I was over-the-top-pleased that the main feature of the room was the same Holzberg Summerhill print I have hanging in my foyer. Yay me.

I’ve been eagerly awaiting tonight’s 9pm premiere of Sarah Richardson’s new series Sarah 101 on HGTV Canada. To my delight, it also aired today at 12:30pm. Lunchtime surprise!  The 30-minute episode is packed full of great design tips as Sarah and Tommy banter back and forth discussing the pro’s and con’s of each element. I always like Sarah’s practical approach to design, saving where possible (beautiful but practical tile in the foyer) and splurging where necessary (gorgeous upholstery on all the furniture).  I especially appreciate the segment dedicated to the choice of fabrics.  This is something that I feel isn’t focused on nearly enough in magazines and other online design resources.  While the finished living/dining room was a little too colourful for my taste I have to commend her use of fabulous fabrics and textures.  Finally, I am so happy that the HGTV Canada website posts a shopping guide for each episode, especially because all her design resources are here in Toronto!

(image: HGTV Canada)