Tag Archive | "Cabinetry"
Old Wood Transformed by Greenwood
I admire Toronto-based craftsman Michael Greenwood as much for his work ethic and promotional savvy as for his talent in turning old wood into beautiful new furniture and building projects. Michael checked in with me a couple of weeks ago; business was a bit slow due to the winter so he was updating his blog and working his way through his contact list. As it turned out I needed a favour that only a woodworker could provide and so I dropped in on Michael at his new location in the artist colony at Stirling Road in Toronto's west end . . .
Full post and comments...Not So Ugly Duckling
Monday, May 28, 2012
You couldn't really call it ugly; even with its goopey, brown stain the cabinet was too inherently glamourous to merit the u word. But the finish was appalling and so my friend Susan was determined to give the piece a makeover, ideally in a tasty, high-gloss colour to approximate the Tommi Parzinger examples below. Suz decided on canary yellow and set about sanding the piece down to prep it for spraying. Much to her surprise and delight a swan began to emerge almost immediately. Susan was stunned by the beautiful wood grain and thought the piece might be teak although the jury's still out on exactly what kind of wood she was working with.
Full post and comments...Cocktail With a Twist
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
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.
Full post and comments...Slumming: Marty Millionaire
Saturday, January 15, 2011
I have a confession to make: In two and a half years of blogging about Toronto's decor scene, until last week I had never set foot in local landmark, Marty Millionaire (345 Queen Street East). With a window stacked full of obviously cheap knock-offs, I could never be bothered even though shopping guru Rita Zekas told me she had some fun with the "irascible" owner. Inside Marty's is pretty much what you'd expect -- row upon row upon row of mostly repro junk. But wouldn't you know it, hiding amidst the crap were a few gems that I'd actually consider taking home.
Full post and comments...What To Do With All Those Books?
Saturday, December 18, 2010
This is one of the rare posts where I'm leading with the reveal because frankly, the before shots just aren't that sexy and I'm pretty sure you'll follow along with the process now that you know where this whole thing is headed. Any wall of post-move boxes looks pretty much the same but Scott and Andrea were really up against it. She's an art and design writer, author of the popular View on Canadian Art blog, and he's an architect; the two were merging households for the first time when they took over the lease on my former dream apartment. The couple invited me back to see the space and months after moving in they still faced a long wall of boxes, a testament to their love of books . . .
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Monday, March 4, 2013
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