http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog Real Canadians decorating Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:34:29 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/12/a-custom-opportunity/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/12/a-custom-opportunity/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 09:54:13 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=19174 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.]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/12/a-custom-opportunity/feed/ 3 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/12/rust-never-sleeps/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/12/rust-never-sleeps/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:45:17 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=19089 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.]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/12/rust-never-sleeps/feed/ 2 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/12/its-a-small-world-after-all/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/12/its-a-small-world-after-all/#comments Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:09:50 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=19076 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.]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/12/its-a-small-world-after-all/feed/ 7 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/09/magic-carpet-ride/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/09/magic-carpet-ride/#comments Fri, 02 Sep 2011 11:46:24 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=18182 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!]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/09/magic-carpet-ride/feed/ 8 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/07/he-who-hesitates/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/07/he-who-hesitates/#comments Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:08:26 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=17700 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.]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/07/he-who-hesitates/feed/ 4 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/07/make-it-work/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/07/make-it-work/#comments Wed, 06 Jul 2011 09:25:06 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=17586 When I saw this embroidered kilim on Craigslist I thought it might be a great option for upholstering my new daybed. At the seller's house I was disappointed to discover that the suzani was quite a bit darker than it looked in the CL ad. But I was taken with it -- something about the earthy palette, colourful, if subdued -- so I brought it home with me. I immediately discovered that the piece sucks the light out of the room, yet still I am smitten. So, determined to make it work, I pulled out a large, Vietnamese silk painting that's been languishing in a closet and got down to work using Photoshop to test a few new wall colour options . . .]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/07/make-it-work/feed/ 14 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/06/so-long-louis/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/06/so-long-louis/#comments Tue, 28 Jun 2011 11:09:01 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=17475 I loved my Louis XV sofa, I really did. But it was more a reflection of my former partner’s taste than my own. Sure, I had a hand in choosing it but I always saw it as a beautiful bridge, one that spanned his taste for English country and my preference for a cleaner, more modern line. The Louis’s curves and cabriole legs appealed to him and its unadorned back and single bench cushion appealed to me — it was a lovely compromise. But now that I’m on my own there’s no need to bend, I can make my space a true reflection of my taste, at least to the extent that my budget permits. And earlier this month Craigslist presented me with an opportunity to change things up courtesy of the mid-century daybed/sofa.]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/06/so-long-louis/feed/ 7 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/03/decorator-nightmare/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/03/decorator-nightmare/#comments Mon, 21 Mar 2011 10:59:59 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=16534 StyleNorth reader Jill wrote to me to see if I’d be interested in some items for my fledgling decorating business. She had just emerged from a bad -- as in REALLY bad -- experience with a TV decorator who shall remain nameless. Jill and her husband Jack hired the designer to help them sift through their inspiration binders and pull together a cohesive plan based on their tastes and wishes. Jill and Jack are both professionals and while they’re not wealthy, they were prepared to throw up to $100,000 at the project in order to get the living/dining space of their dreams. Instead, they got a nightmare.]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/03/decorator-nightmare/feed/ 48 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/02/dear-stylenorth-strip-or-paint/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/02/dear-stylenorth-strip-or-paint/#comments Sun, 27 Feb 2011 12:36:39 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=16252 StyleNorth reader Lorena wrote to me yesterday for advice about the distressed but very grand frame she found at the side of the road. "Because of the scrolls of the wood It would be a nightmare to strip," she observes, "but that's exactly what I'd like to do. The wood is old enough that it would look great in its weathered natural state. Also, I have a fairly modern space and I think an old mirror would make a great foil. Wondering if you would mind having a look at the attached pix and venturing whether you think it's worth the trouble, or better to just paint?"]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/02/dear-stylenorth-strip-or-paint/feed/ 9 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2010/11/honour-and-dishonour/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2010/11/honour-and-dishonour/#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 09:47:25 +0000 Chris http://stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=15095 Further to this week's posts, I immediately discovered that the downside of my new Falcon Chair is that it makes an excellent coat rack. Very bad. The photo above is the first and only time I shall allow this to happen; there is absolutely no excuse with a coat cupboard immediately behind the chair. My second addendum is to the Judy post; while I was in the country with my folks we dropped into the weekly tag sale at Waddington's Brighton where the tie-back below was going for a buck. When I got it home it seemed appropriate to dress the photo of Judy in my entryway; it just feels right, like a mourning gesture, to see her draped in black but also honoured. God, how I miss her.]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2010/11/honour-and-dishonour/feed/ 8