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Last Pieces of the Puzzle
As lovely as it was, my 1940s chinoiserie cabinet simply wasn't working with the canary yellow daybed or the Saarinen table and '60s Swedish pendant light. It had to go. My '80s glam TV stand was similarly at odds with the rest of the room. And so they've left the building, saluted for their service but not much missed. In their place, a couple of period pieces, a 1950s modular shelving unit and an Ed Wormley-style side table that provides a brilliant perch for the TV and video components without hoarding precious floor space.
Full post and comments...I Am My Mother’s Son
Sunday, June 3, 2012 by Chris
I'd like to say that my move my came off without a hitch but that wouldn't be entirely true. Rogers completely screwed up my move order, cut off my service two days early and disconnected my email entirely leaving me with a lot of mystified contacts for five days. On the bright side, very literally, I moved on Thursday, a day ahead of torrential rains that took a heavy toll on Toronto. All I could think of as I unpacked the next day was my poor movers having to deal with the deluge. Better them than me. I had challenges of my own to confront, namely squeezing 10 pounds of flour into the five pound bag I now call home.
Full post and comments...Less is Less and That’s OK
Tuesday, May 29, 2012 by Chris
Thursday is moving day. Again. It's shocking even to me and all the more so because my new apartment feels like such a comedown from the last several places. At just 450 square feet it will be the smallest space I've ever lived in. But here's the thing . . . after two mercilessly noisy apartments, peace and quiet were the only considerations that really mattered in this home search. This week I went to the flat and taped off where all the furniture will go. And while it's true that there isn't room to swing a cat, I've devised a space plan that accommodates all my essentials and puts them in the proper alignment with one another. My present abode is nearly twice as big but there's no way to position the sofa perpendicular to the TV, which is how I like it.
Full post and comments...Return to Matchy Matchy
Thursday, April 5, 2012 by Chris
Two of my favourite decor books of the past season were Amy Lau's Expressive Modern and Katie Ridder's Rooms: both designers conjure with confidence creating spaces that whisper serenity and scream luxury. One thing that surprised me about both books, however, was the tendency of the decorators to fall back on matchy matchy solutions that I mistakenly imagined were passé (photo by Roger Davis).
Full post and comments...Dear styleNorth . . . A Custom Opportunity
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 by Chris
StyleNorth reader Rob wrote to me for advice on how best to sell his enormous custom dining table, which was made by Toronto's Cabinet and is still in mint condition. Rob and his partner will soon be moving into smaller digs which can't accommodate a 15-foot table that comfortably seats 18 when the two leaves (18" each) are in place. He was considering consigning the piece although I think he'll take too big a bath on it that way; consignment shops typically take about 50 per cent on a piece that will already be significantly marked down. And the trouble with Craiglist/Kijiji is that the people who shop on those sites don't usually live in homes that can handle a piece of furniture this big.
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Monday, October 8, 2012 by Chris
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