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Blue Silk Fortuny and Follow-Up

Tuesday, March 22, 2011 by Chris

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Further to comments on the previous post about colourful Fortuny pendant options . . . Also in response to the comments, I feel a duty to show you the one other area where some of Jill and Jack's money went -- to their entryway, for which the designer created a four-colour paint stripe (blue, cream, silver and gold) that wraps up and around a curved ceiling and staircase leading to the second floor of the home. It would have been an expensive application and the painter's fee also came out of the budget, along with oversight charges, no doubt. Ultimately, I get the sense that some of the criticism stems from class-motivated indignation. This is a $1 million-plus home in a desirable pocket of the city and people who live in such places spend commensurate amounts on their decor, they hire the best help and shop in the best stores. It might seem wasteful to some, but this is not the kind of home where you're going to see second-hand anything unless it's a prized antique. I wish I was as fortunate.

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Blue, Blue, Electric Blue

Friday, March 4, 2011 by Chris

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I had the privilege of touring the Royal Ontario Museum's new show, Water: The Exhibition earlier this week and naturally, I couldn't leave without a quick spin around the gift shop. If blue is your decorative accent colour then run, don't walk to the ROM where all manner of watery hues are yours for the taking. Vases, stunning glass globe paperweights, even glow in the dark starfish are up for grabs. If such electric blues aren't quite your style, you'll find calmer, subtler shades, as well on tea towels and crewel-work cushions sporting distinctive seahorses.

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Farrow & Ball Refreshes Its Deck

Wednesday, February 2, 2011 by Chris

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International paint and wallpaper purveyor Farrow & Ball shuffled its fan deck yesterday, which probably isn't news in too many quarters but in Toronto, home to Canada's only F&B outlet, the story is noteworthy if only because it points to home decor trends over the next half decade, or so. Every few years F&B culls under-performing colours and introduces new ones. Some of my favorites have fallen by the wayside — Dauphin, Biscuit and Ointment Pink, RIP — while recent intros, like Pelt (a dark purple), have caught on. In fact, if I can divine a trend from F&B's new selection, it's the continued ascendance of mauves and grays in home decoration.

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Pantone Is Always Right

Thursday, January 6, 2011 by Chris

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Perusing the magazine racks a few days ago I was struck by just how right Pantone was in picking pink as THE colour for 2011, or more specifically, Honeysuckle (swatch at left). It's no real surprise that British House and Garden (above left), Canada's Style At Home (above centre) and Living Etc (above right and below) are on top of the trend right out of the gate -- it's only January, after all. But these trend forecasts are made more than a year in advance to allow magazine editors, clothing and industrial designers to stay ahead of the curve. Pantone's Colour Symposium looking ahead to spring/summer 2012 was held last month in New York City and in June 2011, the International Colour Association (AIC) will hold its mid-term meeting in Zurich to prognosticate about what lies even further down the line.

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Sister, Can You Spare a Vote?

Tuesday, October 12, 2010 by Chris

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Every fall Apartment Therapy holds its annual Colour Contest which is sort of what got me into this blogging racket in the first place. In 2007, my former partner and I made it to the finals and that gave me the confidence to unleash my inner decorator. Late last week I checked in with AT and I have to admit I was underwhelmed by many of this year's entries -- I thought, heck, my apartment looks better than some of these joints so I scalped some pics off styleNorth and shipped them off to New York. Well, two days after being posted I'm in the running to steal first place in the international zone and I could use your help in making it across the finish line. If you're already a member of the AT community it will only take a second to give me a nod; if you're not down with the AT posse, registering is painless and only takes a minute.

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