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Dear styleNorth . . . A Custom Opportunity

Wednesday, December 14, 2011 by Chris

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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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Rust Never Sleeps

Friday, December 9, 2011 by Chris

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I like to think I'm a pretty good listener but there's no guarantee I'll actually take the advice you're giving me. A case in point is the large metal starburst sculpture that has adorned my balcony since moving into my current apartment. When I hung it up, my decorating buddy Kevin advised me to clear coat it first lest it rust in the elements. "Oh, I'm not worried about that," I said, or something to that effect. Well, now I've found a potentially better use for the star — this kind of metal relief sculpture is suddenly hot again with the ascendance of C. Jere, et al — and Kevin is singing the "I Told You So" chorus. When I pulled it down yesterday, I discovered that the piece was indeed covered in rust. It took me about two hours to revive it with Blue Magic, steel wool and some abrasive pads.

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It’s a Small World (After All)

Tuesday, December 6, 2011 by Chris

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My friend Susan was over a couple of weeks ago to drop off a Craigslist purchase she very kindly volunteered to pick up for me since she was in the area on a CL run of her own. With the new chairs — a client purchase — temporarily in my space, and Liza's coffee table jacked up on my dining table the place looked more like a workshop/storage space than a home. And while Suz chuckled at the state of things she later sent me the photo above of her own dirty little secret. "Filtering, downsizing, editing, whatever you call the act of getting rid of superfluous furnishings, great buys and awesome next projects, the fact remains that a purge, no matter how necessary can be bloody hard to accomplish," writes Susan.

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Magic Carpet Ride

Friday, September 2, 2011 by Chris

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Not having a car of my own (God bless Autoshare!) I often resort to public transit when moving various decor items from point A to point B. I've schlepped lounge chairs on the subway and table tops on the streetcar but yesterday was the first time I transported a carpet on my bicycle. I rigged up a sling to support one end one of the grass cloth rug while the other went over the handlebars. I was a bit wobbly while I figured out my burden's center of gravity but once I was moving things went tickety boo. Had my destination not been reasonably close, I probably wouldn't have attempted this. Fortunately, I made it without mishap and my friend, who's starting all over with next to nothing, was deeply grateful to get something nice down on the questionably-coloured hardwood. Trigger the cat likes it too!

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He Who Hesitates . . .

Monday, July 11, 2011 by Chris

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After much deliberation I decided what to do with the daybed. As much as I love the kilim, it was problematic in terms of accessorizing; once I threw a few cushions on it, which I especially need since there are no arms, you couldn't see the suzani pattern. I scoured the internet and old issues of Elle Decor for suitable examples and have settled on the style of this Robsjohn-Gibbings daybed. Because the period is so precise I decided to use an equally appropriate fabric so I went to the best online source I know, WinterBeachModern.com. There I found a spring green, nubby boucle, which was priced at $119 for a 10.25 yard remnant -- amazing! Unfortunately, while I dithered someone else bought my remnant.

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