Monthly Archives: May 2011

A Very Cool Stool

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Okay by now you know I love orange.  Orange as an accent that is.  I have had a red sofa but I am not sure if I could do a large investment piece in orange.  i.e. An entire sofa in orange, but never say never.  I recently bought a small orange stool to park next to my white leather sectional.  I had been looking for some time but could not find exactly what I was looking for.  Viola!  There it was.  I believe in always waiting to find exactly what you want.  This stool is very organic in shape and texture so next to the square lines of the sectional it looks good.  It is also a wonderful piece to rest my feet on when lounging and is strong enough to serve as an extra chair pulled up to the desk. 

But just this morning this new very ‘mod’ looking stool comes sliding on to my horizon.  It is the Ripplestool (www.ripplestool.com) designed by Tokyo-born Kota Nezu.  His jellyfish stool is “a stool with built-in LED and a water tank. Your natural movement of sitting on it will produce stunningly beautiful ripples; you will feel as if you were seated on the water.”  This stool sounds very cool but alas I have made my decision and will continue on with my ‘organic orange’ stool.  Which would be your choice?  And by the way did I mention price $$ was a key factor?!!

NYC Skyscrapers

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A city is not just a place or a group of people; it is also about the physical structures.  The buildings, roads, transit lines and the entire infrastructure intertwine to create the most wonderful artwork, a canvas painted by millions of artists.  And so it is with New York City.  NYC is defined by its skyscrapers; it has more tall buildings than any other city in the world, and pioneered many of the construction techniques necessary to build them.  Some of the well-known skyscrapers are the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, 40 Wall Street, the G. E. Building (Rockefeller Center), and up until 2001 The World Trade Center Twin Towers.  I had a chance to visit Ground Zero where the former World Trade Center once stood.  Times Square has always been an iconic landmark and a symbol of NYC that draws thousands of people each day but after visiting Ground Zero and seeing the masses of people visiting this site and paying homage, one can feel that there is now a huge heartfelt pull of the masses to Lower Manhattan.  The feeling I got while walking around Ground Zero was that of unity and togetherness; a sense of closeness.  You talked to people not strangers.  It was like bumping into a relative or an old friend.  Everyone on the street shared in the same loss.   I heard peoples’ stories and also learned interesting things such as the master plan architect for One World Trade site’s redesign is Studio Daniel Libeskind.  (Same architect as the recent renovation of the ROM)  The new ‘Freedom Tower’ will rise to the symbolic height of 1,776 feet, the year in which the United States Declaration of Independence was signed.  I also learned that the Empire State Building in 1945 and 40 Wall Street Building in 1946 were both accidentally hit by planes.  

WORLD TRADE CENTER RE-BUILD

       ROCKEFELLER CENTER

          ONE WALL STREET

 

The Frick Collection – NYC

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While in New York City it is almost essential that one visit an art museum.  It is more or less a NYC ‘rite of passage’.  With over 45 art museums in NYC there is something for everyone.  The most well-known museums, The MoMa, The Met and The Guggenheim are often the first choice for a visitor.  But NYC has so many more and often unknown art museums.  There is the MoCCa (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art), the MAD (Museum of Arts and Design), the MOBIA (Museum of Biblical Art), and the Brooklyn Museum (the second-largest art museum in NYC!).  The art museum I chose to visit on this trip to NYC was The Frick Collection located in Manhattan.  As my time was limited (so many things to do!!), The Frick was a smaller venue.  The Frick Collection is housed in the former residence of American industrialist and financier, Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919).  Henry Frick was once known by his critics as “the most hated man in America” and the “Worst American CEO of all time” due to his lack of morality and ruthlessness in business.  There was even an attempted assassination on his life in revenge for his immorality.  Frick was an avid art collector whose wealth allowed him to accumulate a significant art collection and bequeath $15,000,000 (remember that this was 1919!!) and his mansion on Fifth Avenue to establish the Frick Collection.  One of NYC’s few remaining Gilded Age mansions, the neoclassical building, occupying an entire city block, houses masterpieces by artists such as Rembrandt, Whistler, Bellini, Vermeer and Goya.  Walking through the opulent Frick mansion was beauty in itself but the most amazing part of this museum was that there were no ropes or cages to guard the art and therefore I was able to appreciate all the art from mere inches away.  I have never been that close to a Rembrandt!!  Thank you Mr. Frick.

     

NYC Endless Possibilities

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Well I am home from New York City.  What a trip!  I now understand what ‘taking a bite out of the big apple’ truly means.  NYC is so large with so much to see and do that you can only take a small ‘bite’ out of the city each time you visit.  I am already thinking about my return trip and continuing where I left off.  The list of ‘What to do in NYC’ has infinite possibilities.  You could focus the entire trip on just visiting the art galleries and museums; there are so many fabulous ones to see.  You could spend days and dollars on just shopping as NYC is truly a shopping mecca.   You could spend your entire time watching countless performances on Broadway or off-Broadway.  You could spend days travelling the hundreds of miles of subway routes visiting the dozens and dozens of neighbourhoods in ‘the five boroughs’.  You could just focus on noshing your way through the thousands of restaurants that NYC has to offer as it is said that “NYC is not only the nation’s melting pot, it is also the casserole, the chafing dish and the charcoal grill” with great food from every corner of the globe.  While I was in NYC I stayed at the historical Waldorf Astoria with the thickest towels and the highest thread count cotton sheets which was so lovely to return to after spending 16 hours each day touring NYC.  I went to the Frick Collection (a premier museum) visited Macy’s, Saks 5th Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman, lunched at Barneys, dined at Pastis in Meatpacking District, visited Central Park and Central Station, took in a performance at Palace Theatre, toured Upper East Side right down to Battery Park and back up to Times Square and Upper West Side.  Rode the subway, took yellow cabs and walked and walked and walked.  Whatever your style or preference New York City is a definite must to visit.  I (love) NY!

      TIMES SQUARE, NYC

 

Orange

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I love the colour orange.  Orange is my new red.  So often orange is mistaken for the orange of the 70’s, an unfair reputation that has been hard to shake.  But look around; the orange of today is classier and more tasteful, seen in interiors ranging from traditional to contemporary.  A colour that was once so prevalent in pop-culture has now made a transition to commonplace; although there is nothing ‘common’ about orange.  Orange is a combination of red and yellow so it shares some common characteristics with those colours, but orange has less intensity and aggression than red as it is calmed by the yellow.  When red is combined with dark woods in interiors it often gives the room an identity of Asian-inspired or Zen-like, whereas orange has its own identity and speaks of your own personal style.  To decorate with orange or even to wear orange indicates confidence and a sense of playfulness.  The colour orange has been synonymous with autumn and if coordinated with too much black it reads ‘Halloween’.  But to highlight a neutral palette, add a splash of orange in any season and your room will read ‘current’.  Stay away from the complementary colours that sit opposite from orange on the colour wheel like blues as your room will start to feel Moroccan.  (Unless that is what you are after.)  I have a lot of orange accessories in my home; vases, cushions, artwork, throws.  But my favourite pieces of orange that I have are my two orange lamps.  The lamps were recently passed down to me from a favourite aunt who had them in her living room.  The lamps were part of an unchanged ‘70’s décor that was coordinated with purple and brown!  Truly a blast from the past.  I had always admired these lamps so after the passing (sadly) of this aunt these lamps made their way into my home.  The cousins had no idea why I would want these ‘ugly’ lamps and were about to throw them into the dumpster!  I like to think I saved a bit of ‘history’.  The original lamp shades were gold and almost 24 inches high, appropriate for a ‘70’s style.  I replaced the shades with white drum shades and voila, new, re-interpreted, up-to-date, contemporary lamps were born.  So if you are looking for a hit of something new “squeeze a bit of orange’ into your room!   

                

Take it Outside

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Have you noticed lately that everything you read from magazine titles to newspaper headlines to advertising flyers are telling you the same thing?  Live your Life Outdoors, Hit the Deck, Take it Outside, Embrace your Outer Place, Bring the Indoors Out.  Whatever the slogan, the message is the same – get outside and experience everything spring/summer.  Truly enjoy it.  Embrace the warm weather.  I could not agree more.  After a long winter nothing feels better than the real warmth of the sun.  (not the furnace!).   So get ready and take your home in a whole new direction…..outside!  But now that you are out there maybe it is time to re-think your personal style.  Does your outdoor space reflect your same sense of style as the inside of your home?  Or do you have plastic inside too?!  (I jest!)  These days you can outfit your outdoor space with fabulous furniture and accessories from big box stores to hardware stores to luxe stores with all price points.  So once you decide on how you plan on using your outdoor space get going because garden furniture sells out quickly.  Do you like to sit outside with a drink and a good book, therefore something cozier?  Or do you like to do alfresco entertaining with dining table and chairs?  Or sprawled out for afternoon naps on a chaise?  Whether you decide to go with teak or pine, wicker or resin wicker, wrought iron or powder coated steel the choices are endless.  In my own backyard which is very small I opted for comfortable chairs with coordinating cushions sitting around a large coffee table.  Due to space restrictions I could not have a dining table and therefore the chairs have large arms to hold a plate of food or a drink.  The large coffee table is great to put lots of food on so I can still dine alfresco but also a great spot to put my feet up when needed.  For lighting and ambiance I have a candelabra hanging over the coffee table.  Add lots of pots of flowers and herbs, throw lots of candles around and there I am.  But If I could….I would have a resin wicker sectional with a few chairs and a low coffee table with some fabulous outdoor carpet underneath.  Add some great contemporary tall pots with swaying grasses, great lighting, and a water feature and there you have it.  My outdoor living room!  So this year express your personal style and serve up a thoroughly entertaining summer.   

 

 

 

MARTHA STEWART LIVING @Home Depot

DEDON: Lounge Collection www.dedon.de

Local Art

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I recently attended the Art by Designers Exhibition, now well-known as the AxD event.  This unique show was originally created to bring awareness of Interior Designers’ artistic abilities to the community and promote the practice of interior design.  The evening also has a silent auction of Interior Designers’ donated artwork benefitting Inner City Angels.  Inner City Angels is an arts education charity that involves Toronto’s inner city children in innovative arts and learning programs with professional artists.  Over the years, Inner City Angels in their commitment to breaking barriers for inner city children has reached over 5 million children through art.  The AxD event is always well attended.  While noshing on delicious food and strolling through a fabulous gallery, I viewed the many pieces of art done by over 50 designers.  With each piece of art, the designer/artist had their bio.  One designer’s bio stated that “I make art because it’s hard to play by the rules all the time”.  Another designer wrote “As an interior designer my eyes are eternally open to my surroundings”.  The silent auction pieces were all on small, ~8”x10” canvases with each artist displaying their own unique style.  There really was some beautiful art here.  Also taking place this weekend which I plan on attending is the art sale, Small Paintings for Small Spaces.   The event takes place in a historical building that is only open to the public for special events.  So like the AxD event I get to walk through another great venue that in itself is very artistic.  Some art shows you even get to see the inner sanctum of the artist’s studio.  Both the AxD and Small Paintings for Small Spaces are great opportunities to acquire truly one of a kind, affordable pieces of art.  Often the artist just wants to cover their cost and have the opportunity to have a piece of their art hanging on your wall.  So this weekend do a little research in your local newspaper, magazines or internet and see what is going on in a neighbourhood near you.  As Stella Adler, an acclaimed actress once said “Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one”.

    

    

Burberry

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What is it about a pattern that makes it so recognizable, so well-known throughout the world?  My case in point is the Burberry pattern.  Everyone recognizes the Burberry check, the black, white and red ‘nova check’.  Millions of people world-wide own a piece.   But few know its history.  Burberry was founded in 1856 by 21-year-old Thomas Burberry, a haberdasher in England.  At the time Thomas Burberry focused on the development of outdoor attire and in 1880 he developed and later patented Gabardine.  (Think wool gabardine pants) This hard-wearing, water-resistant,  breathable ‘miracle’ material was originally worn by polar explorers; in 1911 Roald Amundsen the first man to reach the South Pole, in 1914 by Ernest Shackleton on his expedition to cross Antarctica and in 1924 by George Mallory on his climb of Mount Everest.  In 1924, the black, white and red ‘Burberry check’ was first used as a lining for the famous Burberry trench coat.  It was not until 1967 that the recognizable pattern was widely used on its own for everything from umbrellas, to purses to upholstery.  Burberrys (now spelled with an ‘s’) is now a UK-based luxury fashion house that manufactures clothing and accessories.   So….an iconic pattern that has become synonymous with high-class, quality and excellence started out as the lining of a coat!  

   MY BURBERRY CUSHION AND BOXERS

 
 

Life of a Sofa

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My MIL (mother-in-law) just bought a new sofa.  After 60 years the living room sofa has been ‘traded in’ and upgraded to a new, linen covered, contemporary, ‘condo-sized’ sofa.  Suffice to say that MIL is ecstatic about the new addition.  This got me to thinking; “could I live with the same sofa for that long, could I carry on a happy relationship with my sofa for that many years?”  Mind you MIL did have the 60-year sofa recovered a few times.  My mother’s first sofa was a red sectional or rather a 1950’s, curved, 3-piece sofa.  Very mod.  It was relegated to the ‘rec room’ after many years of good service in the living room and recovered in a durable family fabric.  That sofa many years later (still with the same durable family fabric) found its way to another family member’s home.  The sofa carried out great service there until it was thrown in a dumpster after a terrible basement flood.  So this sofa too was 60 years old.  Now my living room sofa story is very different.  I am now on my 6th living room sofa.  Two were delegated to the dumpster, 3 found new loving homes and I am happy to say that my present sofa I do love.  Although I definitely know it will not be with me for 60 years.  I guess I like change and I like to change often.  I move my furniture around a lot, change cushions, add throw blankets, remove throw blankets, reupholster and have a steady stream of alternating accessories.  They say that your sofa is always your ‘investment piece’ when it comes to decorating but I say ‘yes, buy a good quality sofa but always allow yourself an option for change’.  I will never forget the moment when my parents’ house was sold and we moved out the living room sofa.  There, looking down was the un-faded spot on the wall-to-wall carpet where the sofa had sat in the same place for so many years.  It was like the chalked outline at a murder scene.  You can bet that we made a mad dash out of there!  I think it was at that moment that I realized that ‘change’ is a good thing for in movement there is life and in change there is creativity.