Tag Archives: furniture

My New (Old) Chair

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As I previously mentioned my MIL (mother-in-law) has just downsized and moved into a beautiful new condo.  Unfortunately, not all of the furniture she previously had in her home was able to fit into her new space.  Fortunately, (for me) I became the owner of a new (old) chair.  The chair I acquired is most likely from the ‘60’s era; very Mad Men-ish with long legs, a curvaceous shape and body hugging fabric!  I envisioned this chair in my home as an occasional chair that could be put to service in any room.  The existing fabric was a light orange colour that had faded over the many years it sat in my MIL’s living room. 

Yes, I love orange but I knew this chair needed reviving to boost its style quotient.  My décor is on the contemporary side so I did not want this chair to look as though it was a ‘hand-me-down’ or an afterthought.  The new upholstery had to be a fabric that could seamlessly fit into any room décor but still uphold the chair’s uniqueness.  What I decided upon was cowhide.  I purchased an entire hide that is the colour of coffee cream with hits of black and white.  I stayed away from any hides that would have made the chair look like a ‘cowboy’ chair – not the look I was after. 

I enlisted the services of David Upholstery www.davidupholstery.ca and was thrilled with the results.  David took extra measures to add details that made the chair look fabulous.  Only upon close inspection does one notice that the chair is upholstered in cowhide making it a very subtle detail.  Nothing worse than something that yells, “look-at me, look-at me”.  I love my new chair with its edgier 1960’s charm and I’ve been having some fun moving it from room to room. 

All images via Modmissy

Dromadaire – past blast!

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In 1960 at the Cologne Furniture Fair, Philippe and Francois Roche meet with Patrick and Jean-Claude Chouchan (Bobois).  Driven by their mutual desire to revolutionize the contemporary age and Scandinavian furnishings they become partners and the well-known furniture company Roche Bobois was created.  Collaborating with famed designers for over 50 years a Roche Bobois furniture piece is above all furniture with a unique character that speaks of the personality of the creator who designed it, with their sense of talent and ingenuity.    In 1974, designer Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois created the Dromadaire sofa with its ‘variable geometry’. 

Thought I would share this truly fun piece from the 70’s and by the way a dromadaire, french for dromedary, is a large humped camel.  Doesn’t the brown sofa below mimic that?

Whatever sofa you happen to be lounging on this weekend have a great one!

A Very Mod Merry!

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First, I want to wish everyone health and happiness for 2012 and hope that this year may be your best.  Before I close out the ‘holiday theme’ I thought I would share one last Christmas post (do I hear groaning!?) to make mention of the very mod Christmas gifts I received.   Bear with me here.  Observing the ‘Modmissy’ theme my SIL (sister-in-law) gave me a retro-inspired stool/side table that looks like a big white mushroom.  Made of fiberglass with a high gloss white finish, this stool is the perfect addition next to my white leather sectional.  It adds that bit of whimsy to the room.  From my teenage son I got a very ‘groovy’ acrylic tray.  The 70’s-inspired pattern with lime green, pink, yellow, turquoise and of course orange is the perfect tray for sitting on my white credenza.  And of course whenever I shop for others I always find something for myself so I picked up a Ball Chair and Egg Chair.  Only these are miniature versions that don’t sit next to my desk but rather on my desk.  Colourful and inspirational! 

  

  

  

All photos via Modmissy

Hanging for the Weekend

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This is where I would like to hang for the weekend – no pun intended!  I came across this photo while doing some product search at RoomandBoard.com and liked the layout.  It was the 5 white pendant lamps hanging above the space that caught my attention.  The room’s ceilings must be quite high thus creating a space with possibilities for overhead drama. These sculptural lamps were designed by George Nelson in 1947 and became instant icons of mid-century modernism.  The lamps are constructed of a steel wire frame and covered with translucent plastic giving a nice soft light.  These lamps are part of the permanent collection of the MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) in New York City.  Also in this space I love the contrast of the white walls with the striated exotic wood floors that are left mostly uncovered to appreciate their true beauty.  The tall window with no surrounding trim or molding is quite contemporary in design and also allows for an unimpeded view to the outside greenery that lies beyond.  The full height white fireplace creates a striking focal point for the space.  The redefined ‘fire-scape’ with the natural river rock insert is a nice departure from the traditional log insert.  The hearth is both wrap-around and raised off the floor.  Nice details.  I love the dove grey velvet-looking sofa.  The sofa’s very clean lines go well with the contemporary feel of the space.  Completing the look is a Venatino marble-topped table and a natural fibre area carpet.  Actually completing the look would be me sitting on the sofa with a nice glass of wine and a great book!  Enjoy your weekend wherever you happen to be ‘hanging’.

Rock Inspiration

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A friend of mine vacationed this past summer on Georgian Bay, Ontario with her family.  Each summer they tour around the lake in their boat and set up camp on one of the many 30,000 islands in Georgian Bay.  The marvel of the ‘sixth Great Lake’ is the beauty to behold in the windswept pines, the endless beaches, the majestic towering cliffs and the granite rock formations. The rugged beauty of the area inspired the artists of the Group of Seven to paint the Canadian landscape and thus started the first major Canadian national art movement.   Part of Georgian Bay sits on the southern edge of the Canadian Shield of granite bedrock exposed by glaciers at the end of the last ice age approximately 11,000 years ago.    While hiking across Beckwith Island my friend found a rock, probably granite that she immediately fell in love with and decided to carry it for the rest of the hike.  She even had to swim with the rock out to where the boat was anchored.  Although the rock was grapefruit-sized, it became very heavy to carry after a few hours.  But determined she was.  The rock made its way back to the city and took up residence on her fireplace mantle.  The colour of the rock, the sheen, the organic-ness of the rock became the inspiration for my friend’s living room makeover.  Each time there was a question or query as to what her direction or style was my friend looked to the rock.  In came a new deep grey sectional, a ‘greige’ shag area rug, and large matted, white framed prints for over the fireplace, new white drum shades on the black lamps, and a natural stone-topped cocktail table.  A white leather chair is on order and the hunt for a mid-century wood chair to place in front of the fireplace has begun.  The end wall in the dining room was painted in a deep grey as a stunning feature wall.  Accessories in silver and glass have been added also.  The room looks fabulous.  My friend is thrilled with her results.  And all this from a rock!

                  

Restoration Weekend

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It has been such a busy week and I am looking forward to a quiet and restful weekend.  A time to re-charge and re-store.  If I could I imagine myself lounging on Restoration Hardware’s daybed sofa (Belgian Roll Arm Daybed Sofa) in front of a big television with a roaring fire at my side.  The time-worn look of the wood cabinetry and flooring will give a feeling of comfort and ease.  If the sun is not pouring in through the beautiful French doors, I will light the space with gentle lighting from the two fabulous sconces (Loire Architectural Railing Sconces) flanking the fireplace.  If I choose to read I will have light from the floor lamps (Polished Nickel Floor Lamp) on either side of the daybed sofa.  I am also envisioning some great fireside snacks.  And if you knew me well, popcorn would certainly be included.  Crunch, crunch.  I hope your weekend is great and that your space is restful.

     

        Image via Restoration Hardware

The Ball Chair

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Last week I was at The Bay flagship store on Queen Street in downtown Toronto with a friend who was looking for the perfect LBD (little black dress).  As we made our way up the escalators to the 3rd floor, Ladies Fashions, I noticed that there was a hubbub of activity going on and the smell of perfume in the air.  We soon discovered that the commotion was that the man himself, Oscar De La Renta was in the store to celebrate the launch of his new fragrance ‘Live in Love’.  Sitting on a small stage in The Room (women’s couture apparel), Oscar was interviewed by none other than Jeanne Beker of Fashion Television.  There was a lot of excitement in the crowd as the legendary designer spoke about life and being in love with yourself.  Great words of wisdom but I soon broke away from the crowd of onlookers as Jeanne and Oscar continued on.  With everyone attending the presentation, the rest of the 3rd floor was mine to discover.  And what did I discover??  Outside the change rooms for ‘waiting’ friends (or husbands) to sit on was a Ball Chair.  Designed in 1966 by Eero Aarnio, the Ball Chair or the Globe Chair as it is sometimes called was an idea that Aarnio came up with when he moved into his first home and needed a proper big chair that was very unique in design.  “After some drawing I noticed that the shape of the chair had become so simple that it was merely a ball. I pinned the full-scale drawing on the wall and sat in the chair to see how my head would move when sitting inside it. Being the taller one of us I sat in the chair and my wife drew the course of my head on the wall. This is how I determined the height of the chair. Since I aimed at a ball shape, the other lines were easy to draw, just remembering that the chair would have to fit through a doorway”.  Interesting….out of necessity comes invention.  And a groovy looking one too!

            

            

                Image 1 via Modmissy    Image 2 via eero-aarnio.com

Convertable Furniture

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I have been busy decorating a condo in a newly constructed building.  A 1100 sq. ft. condo may sound great and look good on paper but once a homeowner occupies the space they often realize that sometimes the square footage is not exactly in the areas where one wants it.  For example the master ensuite is very large whereas the principal room, living/dining room, could have been larger.  The key to decorating the space is all about the furniture, the lighting and the accessories.  The correct furniture will make the space appear roomier and will also make the space function well.  I love the challenge of decorating ‘small spaces’.  I know that 1100 sq. ft. may not seem small to some people but when a homeowner is downsizing from a much larger space the challenge is in ‘re-programing’ the homeowner to understand how they can still have everything they had before but just in a different way.  They can still entertain 6-8 people comfortably.  They can still have their office space, a media area, a ‘cook’s’ kitchen, a library and a reading nook.  Many times I have said “space is overrated”, it is not how much you have but how you use it.  While sourcing items for the condo I came across some items I thought I would share.  The photos show how a space can convert from an office/ library/media area into a bedroom at the touch of a fingertip, without disturbing everything in the room.  Take a look.

      

      

     

     

   Images via: 1 & 2 – Studybed.co.uk    3 & 4 – Bonbon Compact Living Solutions

Preparing Your Home for Fall

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Summer has faded away and autumn has officially arrived; the days are getting shorter and the air is turning cooler.  The crunching of leaves underfoot will soon turn to the crunching of snow underfoot.  Thoughts of warmth and cocooning come to mind at this time of year.  The change of season also leads to a change in décor inside your home.   Spring and summer’s cooler and pared back décor changes to layering up rooms with texture, pattern and rustic finishes adding warmth to a home.  As we prepare for the advance of chillier weather and of more time spent indoors here is my list of preparing your home for cooler weather. 

1.   Switch up your summer bedding, adding layers of comfort and warmth.  Pamper yourself with cozy bedding.  Put the cool cottons away until next spring. 

2.   Introduce seasonal colours into what you already have, choose warmer   shades of yellows and reds, earthy browns and greens.  Replace summer cushions with luxurious velvets and faux furs.  Indulge in seasonal flowers and rustic arrangements.

3.   Switch up your clothes closet: pack summer items away, bring forward    fall/winter clothes.  Indulge in a cashmere sweater. 

 4.   Add a throw blanket into a room; wrap yourself up in warmth. 

 5.   Update your pantry with comfort food.  Spoil yourself with seasonal goodies.

 6.   Wear some chunky wool sweaters and decorate with chunky wools.  

7.   Re-arrange your furniture to make a room feel warm and inviting, group furniture into intimate conversation areas. 

8.   Cover bare floors with area rugs that feel good and provide warmth underfoot. 

9.   Create a cozy reading spot.  Read a great book.  Sip on warm tea.  Pour a glass of wine. 

10.   Light some candles, evoke a peaceful mood.

Cooler weather, or rather down right cold weather, is a time to indulge, pamper and spoil self.  Let the good times begin!  

   

                   TIME TO COCOON!

Folding Chairs

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This past weekend I was invited to dinner where a large group of us gathered around the dining table.  Of course it is always fun to share stories, laughter and lots of great food.  The challenge always being whether there are enough seats to accommodate everyone.  Enter the folding chair.  The trusty folding chair that can always be found tucked in the back of someone’s closet.    

                                                      

Back in the 1960’s and 70’s no house was complete without a card-table and folding chairs.  The first aluminum folding chair was created in 1947 by Fredric Arnold and by the late 1950’s the Fredric Arnold Company of Brooklyn, New York was manufacturing over 14,000 chairs per day.  Although folding chairs have been in use since ancient civilization in Egypt, Rome and Greece where they were used for ceremonial purposes and were considered a status symbol the metal version of today does not quite garner the same prestige.  The folding chair of today has always been rather ‘utilitarian’ and very lacking in style.  But recently I came across this ‘new and improved’ version that has an innovative design and updated appearance.  This folding chair is a piece of furniture that has style and visual impact, definitely not a piece that would be relegated to the back of the closet.  Imagine presenting this at your table with family and friends next time you have a gathering!?