Category Archives: Style

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

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.

Memories

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My parents moved to the suburbs in 1957.  They purchased the model home of the new development; a ranch-style bungalow with a sunken living, dining room.  As it was the model home there were many ‘extra’ decorative features included.  One of those features was the paint finish on the walls in 2 of the bedrooms, the hallway and the wall above the fireplace mantle in the living room.  A special technique of ‘painted-on wallpaper’ was applied to the walls.  A ‘Master Painter and Decorator’, as they were called back in those days, applied a very detailed decorative finish using paint to give the impression of wallpaper.  I shared a bedroom with my sister that had the special paint technique; soft grey with little bouquets of white flowers in a repeating pattern. (See photo below)  My mother coordinated the bed linens in yellow and then pink.  Years later in 1973 my mother hired an ‘Interior Decorator’ to redecorate the bedroom that my sister and I still shared.  Now keeping in mind that this was the ‘70’s and the theme of the time was “mod and groovy’ our bedroom was decorated in the most amazing way!  We had wall-to-wall lime/chartreuse green shag carpet, white faux fur bedspreads and the grooviest part was the wall finishes.  On three of the walls was a vinyl wall covering of vertical wavy stripes of bright yellow, goldenrod, black, white and chartreuse green.  The paper had a gloss finish.  The remaining wall was painted in the brightest, sunshine yellow.  We had draperies made to match the ‘groovy’ theme that were white and weaved.  I remember the paperhanger man being very experienced (read mature) but very frustrated at hanging this very heavy, not pre-glued wallpaper.  Years later I was the one who sadly had to strip the wallpaper off and prime over the yellow paint.  The walls were then painted a colour that leaves no memory with me yet I can recall every detail of that bedroom from the very distant past.   As a wise person once said “Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose”.

                  

Designer Market 2011

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On Saturday I attended the annual ‘Designer Market’ at The Distillery Historic District in downtown Toronto.  The event is organized by Kimberly Seldon whose original idea was to make the event feel like a Paris flea market.  The Market has over 40 vendors, ranging from antique, vintage, modern and flea market finds of fabric, furniture, food, jewellery and clothing.  The location of the Market is in the Distillery Fermenting Cellar and very much sets a mood that transports you back to another time.  Walking around inside the Fermenting Cellar one can feel the ghosts from the past still lurking about and also visible are some of the old apparatus (large wooden wheels, pulley systems) that would have been used for the distilling process back then.  In 1832, William Gooderham and John Worts established Gooderham and Worts Distillery.  In 1877 the Distillery was the largest in the world.  After 153 years the Distillery ceased operation and closed.  Throughout the ‘90’s The Distillery was used for film locations making it the second largest location outside of Hollywood.  In 2003, the Distillery District was re-born and once again became a vital part of the city.  The Distillery Historic District is now a pedestrian-only village of restored Victorian Industrial buildings with original brick-lined streets and home to restaurants, shops, schools and live theatres.  I always find the Designer Market event to be a lot of fun and I really do feel that I have been roaming about Paris, if only for a morning.  This year I scored a great lamp for only $10!  Not that I needed it, but hey, when in Paris…..

Can’t Live Without…

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When opportunity occurs I like to take a walk along Bloor St. in downtown Toronto.  Heading west from Yonge St. I stroll past all the shops checking out their window displays.  Jewelery, shoes, clothing and decor shops all create some sort of design in their windows for passerby’s to view.  The window display I was really taken with was Holt Renfrew’s.  WOW!  A riot of colour like you couldn’t imagine.  It may be really cold outside (think snow flurries in April) but their windows were hot!  The theme of their window display was “This spring you can’t live without…” and done in all the fabulous colours of spring.  Various media personalities were quoted as to the items they could not live without and the items were displayed in some vibrant and lively fashion.  Someone couldn’t live without lemons, lots of lemons.  Someone couldn’t live without their dog.  Someone else it was a great white shirt.  Someone a LBD (little black dress).  And of course someone couldn’t live without chocolate.  This got me thinking; what could I not live without?  Hmmm?  I’m thinking yellow tulips, French macaroons, birdsong?  So…let me know what it is that “this spring you can’t live without”?   PS.  A big shout out to all the window designers out there who put smiles on our faces and thoughts in our heads!

 

My Purple Chair

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I like checking out thrift/vintage shops.  To me, it is all about the thrill of what possibly lies inside.  ‘What will I find?’  I think also it is about the memories that are attached to the items.  The sense of looking into and having the sentiment of a bygone era.  Vintage finds will give you a sense of what the post-war 50’s, the swinging 60’s and the groovy 70’s may have felt like.  I have ‘scored’ some wonderful items in these thrift shops over the years.  Recently I purchased a silk Hermes scarf for $6.99 (vs. $200 plus)!  I like to wear it (proudly) but if that is not your thing, re-think its purpose and sew it into a fabulous cushion cover.  One time I spotted a ‘pink’ Saarinen-style dining table.  I stood in front of this table for many minutes not only because the whole pink thing made me smile but because I wondered, “where could I see myself using this? Garden furniture?”  I eventually moved on and left the pink classic to the next person.  But one of my most interesting finds had to be a purple, full length, 100% mohair coat ($7.99).  I purchased this coat and had it dry cleaned.  I had no intention of ever wearing this coat but instead it was the mohair fabric that I coveted.  I had been looking for months for fabric to re-cover a Louis XVI chair with.  Mohair was what I had originally wanted but the cost had kept me at a standstill.  With chair and coat in hand I visited my upholsterer.  He had a good laugh but did agree that the fabric was a wonderful solution for the chair.  One stipulation…I had to take the coat all apart.  No problem.  If I could save $$$ on the fabric what’s a little effort.  I have now enjoyed my purple mohair chair for many years and the fabric has stood the test of time.   So next time you visit a thrift/vintage shop, keep your mind open to all the possibilities that lie waiting for you!

                               

Cork Flooring

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The character of a room may come from the furniture and accessories but the structure and true nature comes from the wall, ceiling and floors.  The floor beneath your feet provides the most tactile sensation than any other surface.  With every step, your foot registers and responds to the surface it comes into contact with.  I recently had to install a new flooring treatment in the basement of my home.  The basement could have a possibility of being damp so I ruled out carpeting.   I decided against stone tile because it would be too cold without radiant floor heating.  Hardwood was also not an option as the basement is sub-grade.  My remaining options were few.  In the end I decided to install cork, the glue down cork flooring that is approximately 3/16″ thick.  I chose a medium dark brown stain and a 12″ X 24″ size tile.  Cork is an all-natural, environmentally responsible product harvested from the bark of the cork tree.  Very Green!  The benefits of cork flooring are its softness, resiliency, resistance to moisture, thermal insulation, acoustical insulation and anti-allergic.  Everything that I wanted.  But until you live with cork it is hard to grasp how amazing this product really is.  In bare feet I feel no cold coming from the concrete floor below.  It has given the ‘media room’ a soundproofing quality.  It feels smooth and looks fabulous.   I love my cork floor!

                           

Stand with Style

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The weekend!   Is there anything better than time for self, to recharge and indulge?  When the weekend comes I like to bake. Or rather I like to create a wonderful vignette of a ‘feast for the eyes’.  A while ago I purchased a cake stand for a prop to stage a home for sale.  The glass cake stand was on sale (perfect price for a Stager) because the domed glass lid was broken.  No problem, I already had a domed lid that belonged to a cake plate.  I propped the cake stand with green apples, added some ‘apple’ green tea towels etc. and the kitchen helped sell my clients’ home.  Since then I have employed that cake stand in my own kitchen many times.  Everything from buttermilk apple cake to banana muffins to bright red peppers.  I find whatever I place on this cake stand ‘elevates’ whatever I display.  It takes the ordinary and makes it special.  It makes me feel like I am noshing at some classy establishment without ever having to leave the comfort of my home.  Whether it is in the kitchen with baked goods to drink with tea or on the dining buffet with appetizers to accompany drinks with friends, the mood is heightened.   So next weekend get out that special plate, pile some ‘yummies’ on it, make the tea or pop a cork and set the stage for a moment to recharge and indulge.   Style is in the details!

                         

Here we go!

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Welcome to MODMISSY.  I am looking forward to the ride!  I plan on sharing my thoughts and ideas on details that really resonate with me. 

Life is a visual world and design is an integral part.  I see, you see.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. 

So let’s begin our adventure together.