Tag Archives: style

The Man Cave

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I thought in the aftermath of the (Lord) Stanley Cup playoffs I would write about the location I found myself at for the final championship game.  Yes, I was a ‘jump on the bandwagon’ kind of fan but hey, I was there supporting the team.  Ah….but which team??!!  I spent the evening in a ‘Man Cave’!!  My friend has outfitted his garage into a sports-central, man cave zone complete with all the necessary furniture and accessories; décor very befitting of a man cave.  It is a double garage so the dimensions are good.  The focal point is the built-in bookcases storage units with a LCD television mounted above it.  There is an under counter stainless steel wine beer fridge and lovely amusing artwork hanging on the walls.  There is the required punching bag necessary for venting at half time.  There are numerous bicycles, shovels and power sprayers for hits of colour.  There are lots of comfortable seating made of durable, heard-wearing nylon fabric complete with beverage holders.  The chairs are foldable so they can serve multiple uses.  The window coverings are vintage terrycloth towels.  The lighting is by the glow of the television and the stars in the sky.  Not to mention the beautiful full moon that was out last night.  I enjoyed the evening very much as there were lots of friends and neighbours to share this momentous occasion with, not to mention that the setting and ambiance were perfect.  My friend has definitely achieved what he set out to create; a fabulously designed ‘Man Cave’.  Well done!!

A Classic Wood Boat

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If I may divert today from my usual posts of design classics of the 20th century and iconic pieces of furniture and instead write about something a little different.  The piece I want to blog about is a beautiful antique, hand-made, mahogany and cedar……wood boat!  This boat is a 1947 classic design of pure beauty.  The craftsmanship that went into the making of this boat would be comparable to that of a beautiful classic piece of furniture.  There are over 6,000 brass screws that where hand turned; definitely a labor of love.  Like many pieces of antique furniture (i.e. Spool bed) this wood boat has passed through many hands.  Each owner has loved it and added their own handiwork.  Since owning it we have sanded, stained and varnished the boat.  The hull of the boat is alternating strips of cedar and mahogany so we ‘tiger- striped’ it with stain.  Very cool.  Riding around the lake in this boat I feel like a lady from bygone days; an era of chiffon kerchiefs, cat eye sunglasses and halter top bathing suits.  Swimwear was tame and very ladylike; any two piece bathing suit was considered a bikini.  But here is an interesting fact; did you know where the name bikini comes from?  Originally created by Parisian designer Louis Reard in 1946, he named it after the Bikini Atoll, where the atomic bomb was tested! 

       

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

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For my birthday recently I received a beautiful gift of potted red gerberas.  I put them into a white ceramic pot (contrasted nicely with the red) and placed them on my kitchen counter.  The flowers lasted quite a while and their bright cheery colour provided a boost on many grey spring days.  I decided to take photos of these flowers and so with my camera setting at digital macro I took some very close shots of the gerberas.  The details that were captured are striking.  Magnified beauty!  The photo provides more details of the flowers than the naked eye can see.  Digital macro is a very cool setting on the camera. 

I am thinking I may have this photo enlarged (8 ½ X 11 or bigger) and then framed in an oversized frame.  I use the RIBBA frames from IKEA and then cut my own mat to size.  It is a very affordable way to have some original art.  I think the red flower, white mat and black (or white) frame would look great anywhere; see my photo shop example.

           

My cheery red gerberas are now in the compost bucket but their beauty lives on; truly a gift that keeps on giving!

 

Gumballs!

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Part of the enjoyment I get from staging a client’s home for real estate sale is that I get to work (or as I like to call it – play) with the homeowners ‘objets d’art’. Their accessories and décor items.  Their tchotchkes!  Sometimes there are interesting pieces collected from world travels or beautiful vases and coloured glass bowls.  Often the kitchen may have cool stainless steel barista items or wooden trays made from exotic woods. And I always smile when I come across a gumball machine in a child’s room.  I think it is the rainbow of colours that are fun to work with and the childhood memories that are beckoned back. 

So recently when I came across this 2nd photo I was reminded of gumballs.  And once again it made me smile. 

Any guesses as to what these colourful balls are??!! They look just like gumballs.  This is the ‘Pinocchio’ carpet from the Hay Rug Collection www.day.dk   named after a Danish candy of colourful, sugar-coated licorice balls.  The Pinocchio carpet is handmade in Nepal from 100% pure wool and every single ball is felted by hand and then put on a string like pearls.  This carpet would definitely be a centerpiece in any room.  Not to mention that it would make you smile! 

Eiffel Chair

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Ahhh…Paris in spring. When a young woman’s fancy turns to all things beautiful.  Ok, maybe I am not visiting Paris this spring but I do fancy beautiful things!  I am not visiting the Eiffel Tower but I do love the Eames ‘Eiffel’ chair. 

 

 

 

 

See the slight resemblance?  The Eiffel chair or DSR as it is officially known was a landmark design from Charles and Ray Eames created in the 1940’s.  It was coined the ‘Eiffel’ chair due to its distinctive chrome rod base that resembles the Eiffel Tower.  The seat was made from molded plastic. The Eames’ focus at the time was on plastic because this new material held the promise of being able to do more with less.  (sound familiar?) The plastic could be molded into organic shapes that would imitate the shape of the body. Very comfortable. This chair was the winning entry in a 1948 NYC Museum of Modern Art competition and in the 1950’s went on to be the first mass-produced plastic chair.  It was an award winner then and is still an iconic piece today.  I would love to have one of these chairs in my collection but….what colour would I choose; Aqua Sky or Lime Green or Red or maybe even White??!! Would I buy a pair or just one? Definitely a statement in any room.

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 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

 

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!

 

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!