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stylenorthchris - who has written 815 posts on styleNorth.

StyleNorth founder Christopher Jones is a graphic designer and journalist who has written about homes for Toronto Life, the Globe and Mail, Canadian Living and the Toronto Star, among other publications. Chris has an unquenchable thirst for interior design and his stack of hard-cover, shelter porn books is taller than he is. A wannabe decorator, his home is his laboratory.

 

Summer Jacquard

Friday, May 17, 2013 by Chris

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I'm not one to change up my decor with the seasons but I make an exception with bedding: warmer temps call for lighter blankets and so I've recently switched up my heavier duvet cover for a light-weight, cotton jacquard that I purchased in India. Jacquard patterns are loomed rather than printed so the image is reversed on the underside. In this case I believe the orange (above right) is the top side but I prefer the taupe-y reverse, which goes better with the wall colour, Farrow & Ball's Dauphin.

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Big Change Not Small Change

Monday, May 13, 2013 by Chris

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When I first blogged about Furnish it With Vintage enthusiast Connie, she was new to the blogging world but an old hand at thrifting, a gal who knows her way around Goodwill, Salvation Army and Value Village. But that's the thing about decorating with thrift, once you overhaul a sofa you'd better love it 'cause it's yours for a good long while. Fortunately, Connie does love her teak-arm sofa set, now looking smart and comfortable in an updated neutral chenille.

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Happy Mother’s Day

Sunday, May 12, 2013 by Chris

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Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and all you other Mom's out there. Thanks to my friend Susan for sharing this snap of flowers her boys brought her last week. The nice thing is, the digital flowers keep on giving, their blooms will never wilt. I love you, Mom!

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Feeling Lucky?

Saturday, May 11, 2013 by Chris

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It's ridiculously short notice, I know, but I only received the flyer yesterday for Waddington's Cobourg's bi-annual fine furniture auction. And let me tell you, there is some sweet stuff in this sale. Do you remember the post I did about designer Michael S. Smith and his masterful use of pairs? Well there are some very pretty pairs on offer, including the handsome tchotchkes above and the pair of side chairs below that once belonged to the late Robertson Davies [there are several items from the writer's estate in the sale].

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The Walls Came Tumbling Down

Monday, May 6, 2013 by Chris

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My friend Rebecca was very excited to show me her latest reno project; after six years in her current house, she and husband Dan had finally removed their eighth (and final?) wall, the one standing between them and their backyard. Instead of having to go out a side door and around to the back, sliding glass doors now provide outside access and abundant light. Like so many young couples in gentrifying cities everywhere, Rebecca and Dan fought their way onto the property then slowly scaled it one rung at a time. Their Victorian semi in Toronto's Palmerston/Little Italy neighbourhood was a duplex when they bought it and so it stayed for the first two years while they adjusted to taxes, a mortgage and all the other joys of home ownership.

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