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Tag Archive | "Contemporary"

Begged, Borrowed and Staged

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

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When home stager Dennis Battler showed me photos of his most recent project, a small semi in Toronto's Riverside neighbourhood, I was instantly struck by how much personality he had injected into the spaces. His blend of vintage furnishings from different eras mixed with industrial and rustic pieces revealed a very definite point of view that runs counter to everything you see on TV staging shows where the mantra is always, "neutralize, depersonalize and de-clutter." The house had been neglected and fallen into disrepair but Dennis and the real estate agent rallied friends and neighbours who pitched in to strip and clean the property. Furniture was then borrowed or purchased for as little as possible on Craigslist — the set of dining chairs were sourced for just $50 — and thrift stores. Dennis blended the wall colour himself from paint store mis-tints.

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Client Project: Worth the Wait

Thursday, September 22, 2011

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Magda was/is my first decorating "client." I use parentheses because our relationship has evolved over the course of the two years we've been working together and we have definitely become friends. She introduced herself at the end of a talk I gave at the National Homeshow in fall 2009; she was looking for help rescuing her decor, which was stuck in the '80s . . . the 1880s. Magda didn't know me from Adam when we met, she'd never even seen styleNorth. I have to give her ample credit for agreeing to what sometimes felt like risky purchases but in the end it all came together beautifully.

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Teal: Kickin’ It Old School

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

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Further to yesterday's post about megatrends, I opened the October 2011 Elle Décor and was hit in the face by page after page featuring "hot colour" contender, teal. On the cover (above, photo by Simon Upton) is a striking lamp and vase in shades of teal and in the first spray of ad pages comes shot after shot featuring this favourite 1980s jewel tone.

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IIDEX/NeoCon Megatrends

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

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On Thursday, for the second year running, IIDEX/NEOCON presents a conference session with professional trend spotter Jamie Thomas. This year the Stylesight trend director looks ahead to spring/summer 2013 and sees four big-picture trends all basking in the shade of a single epochal umbrella, which Thomas pithily describes as “East is the new West.” “We're talking about a worldwide shift away from Europe and America and toward the East,” she says. “This is a long wave trend that will affect fashion, design and interiors for the next 10 to 20 years.”

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Gratitude Moment

Friday, August 19, 2011

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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.

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