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/2012/01/tribute-decor-uniquely-positioned/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2012/01/tribute-decor-uniquely-positioned/#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 12:55:43 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=19585 Online vintage furniture sellers are popping up like dandelions in spring. The explosion of hunter/collector TV shows like American Pickers has spawned a thousand cyber cottage industries populated by Goodwill junkies who think they can make a go of it online. I wish them all good luck but I suspect many of them will wind up with basements full of junk and a server bill to boot. I predict a happier ending for Susan Elliott of Tribute Decor, however. Susan is based in Kingston, Ontario, almost equidistant from three of Canada's biggest markets — Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. She'll deliver for a nominal fee ($95 to Toronto) and unlike Craigslist, she'll take the goods back if you're not completely satisfied.]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2012/01/tribute-decor-uniquely-positioned/feed/ 6 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2012/01/cb2-uncorks-queen-west/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2012/01/cb2-uncorks-queen-west/#comments Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:14:31 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=19556 Given that CB2's first Canadian store is housed in a former party palace it was fitting that the company blew off the roof last night with a major opening party featuring DJs, drinks, decorating celebs and a happy crush of pretty young things. Crate & Barrel's younger sister showed off her colourful, hip style with a media preview followed by an invitational for local taste-makers. The most popular observation was about how much colour was on the floor. Atomic orange, kelly green, electric blue, triumph red, canary yellow -- CB2 turns up the volume on saturated hues that dovetail perfectly with its young, urban demographic.]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2012/01/cb2-uncorks-queen-west/feed/ 5 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/12/european-flare-on-dundas-west/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/12/european-flare-on-dundas-west/#comments Sat, 03 Dec 2011 10:58:54 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=19040 Further to Thursday's post about Old Fashioned Restoration, proprietor Emanuel Calleja isn't just a master furniture restorer, he's also a dealer with a great eye who does the bulk of his picking on annual European buying trips. The cost of trans-Atlantic shipping means this is no bargain basement, but if you're in the market for high-quality vintage and antique pieces, 3068 Dundas Street West should be on your shopping itinerary. Although Calleja has a number of very fine antiques — his spectacular German marquetry bedroom set was featured on the Antiques Roadshow — the dealer has a particular taste for early 20th century furnishings and lighting, especially art deco.]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/12/european-flare-on-dundas-west/feed/ 4 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/11/town-and-country-on-dupont/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/11/town-and-country-on-dupont/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:06:13 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=18959 Last week on The Grid I covered the launch of Peaks & Rafters, a hot new spot on Toronto's burgeoning Dupont Street décor strip. The brainchild of interior designer Margot Bell, P&R has been catering to the upscale tastes of Port Carling in the heart of Muskoka for nearly 20 years and has now extended its reach into the city under the friendly, able oversight of Bell’s daughter Katelyn Jarrett.]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/11/town-and-country-on-dupont/feed/ 2 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/11/g3-living-upscale-in-a-small-town/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/11/g3-living-upscale-in-a-small-town/#comments Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:46:44 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=18927 Home décor retailer Gilles Charette isn’t reinventing the wheel: he does his buying at the same gift and tableware shows his competitors frequent, albeit flying further afield to the big shows in New York and Atlanta in an effort to keep his stock fresh. But what really sets Charette’s G3 Living apart is its location in tiny Picton, Ontario, in the heart of Prince Edward County. Time was when discerning locals would have to drive to Toronto or Montreal to do the kind of shopping that is now available on their own doorstep. Charette says he took his inspiration for G3 Living from his favorite home stores, namely Toronto’s Teatro Verde and Vancouver’s Liberty: “It's about the product mix and the vibe of the entire space, it has to be inspiring,” stresses the merchant.]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/11/g3-living-upscale-in-a-small-town/feed/ 9 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/11/reclaimed-zen/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/11/reclaimed-zen/#comments Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:29:02 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=18869 Normally, one photo from a shop review jumps out as the one to feature. I'm usually looking for some colour and an image that gives a good sense of what the post is about. But the choice was especially hard with Toronto's Zenporium (998 Queen Street East, 416.778.1936), a relatively young retail operation specializing in home furnishings crafted from wood reclaimed along the Pacific Rim, particularly Indonesia. To make choosing even more difficult, Zenporium's offerings fall into two distinct camps, the rough and rustic and the sleek and contemporary. Teak root side tables have a foot in each camp (priced around $400), while this dresser is crafted from wood reclaimed from old fishing boats (about $1,000).]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/11/reclaimed-zen/feed/ 2 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/11/cocktail-with-a-twist/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/11/cocktail-with-a-twist/#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:38:28 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=18849 TV's Mad Men is a cultural phenomenon that has inspired a new generation of hipsters to jump on the cocktail bandwagon and Toronto retailer Kristen Voisey is capitalizing on the craze. Last spring, Voisey opened BYOB (972 Queen Street West, 1.877.989.8980), a shop specializing in retro glassware, bar accessories and a range of ultra-cool custom bar cabinets like the beauty that folds down from the wall when the clock strikes party time ($789). And it's not all retro fun at BYOB; Voisey stocks a wide range of contemporary accessories like Whiskey Stones, cocktail shakers and the animal head shot glasses and bottle stoppers, below. If bar culture is your thing, BYOB is your home away from home.]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/11/cocktail-with-a-twist/feed/ 3 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/09/africa-on-queen/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/09/africa-on-queen/#comments Wed, 07 Sep 2011 11:36:43 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=18217 Kiondo, a Toronto gallery specializing in African art and decor items isn't exactly new but with no storefront signage, the shop has been flying a little under the radar. Business owner Chris Johnson has been importing crafts and art from Africa — mostly from around the Guinea Coast — since 1988, selling privately to dealers and designers before opening Kiondo in 2009. A painter and illustrator, he's something of an accidental retailer having fallen into the business by happenstance. Johnson shares the shop at 323 Queen Street East (416.533.9959) with his wife, jewelry designer Laura Serrafero (Eles Designs).]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/09/africa-on-queen/feed/ 3 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/08/gratitude-moment/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/08/gratitude-moment/#comments Fri, 19 Aug 2011 10:14:48 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=18016 On Wednesday I had the pleasure of sitting down with Marta Calle, brand director of CB2, the furniture retailer currently readying its first store outside the U.S., on Toronto's super cool Queen Street West (opening November 2011). Calle was tanned and relaxed having just spent a week in Mexico and when I remarked that she'd landed herself a pretty sweet gig, she said, "I have the best job in the world, I know it and I work really hard to keep it. I'm grateful and give thanks for it every morning." I love meeting people who appreciate what they've got, who are confident but not arrogant and most of all, comfortable in their own skin. That describes Marta to a T. Check out my post about the newest CB2 on The Grid.]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/08/gratitude-moment/feed/ 2 http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/08/shops-sputnik-vintage/ http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/08/shops-sputnik-vintage/#comments Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:58:17 +0000 Chris http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=17896 I hadn't planned to make this mid-century week on styleNorth, it just turned out that way. Last Saturday I hiked out to the Toronto suburb of Etobicoke with my new friends Susan and Dave to visit Sputnik Vintage, a relatively new player in the local MCM furniture market. Sputnik is owned and operated by a knowledgeable and very funny veteran dealer named Peter Frampton who doesn't sing but is a master of accents and impersonations. Frampton dealt in antiques for decades but he made the jump to mid-century stuff when saw the popular taste heading in that direction. Smart move.]]> http://www.stylenorth.ca/blog/2011/08/shops-sputnik-vintage/feed/ 4