Tag Archive | "Design Classics"
Memphis Makes a Comeback
As a decor blogger I'm inundated with press releases and product pitches, 99 per cent of which I ignore. But last week I was notified about a wild new collection of art furnishings from Italy's Cleto Munari that made me sit up and take notice. For the past year or two, we've been hearing about the comeback of 80s style and suddenly, here comes Memphis, back for another moment. The Memphis-Milano Movement (1981 - 87) was founded by designer Ettore Sostass and sure enough, he's one of the nine international architects and artists Munari has commissioned to design for this collection. The limited-edition cabinets, tables, chairs and carpets all feature bright, geometric designs in shapes that defy the everyday, which I think is the point.
Full post and comments...Mid-Century Madness in Coburg
Friday, March 18, 2011
A few months back Waddington's auctioneers opened a satellite location in Coburg, Ontario, and they're having a sale tomorrow that promises to be barn-burner for mid-century modern fans. This morning the website is showing a gallery loaded with decent furniture and lighting and the auctioneer says he still has oodles of art and glassware to unpack and get up on the site. The preview starts at 9:30 am with the sale beginning at 11 am with the smalls; expect furniture to start hitting the block around 1 pm. The auctioneer expects the sale to go all day.
Full post and comments...Designer Gold Beneath the Clutter
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Toronto’s Foxy Boutique (251 Gerrard Street East, 416.925.3252) is packing it in after years on Gerrard Street and owner Michelle is selling off all her fixtures and fittings in addition to as much stock as she can move. This wouldn't normally warrant a post but Michelle has a few exceptional pieces she's parting with including the superb LC/6 desk/table above. Designed in 1928 by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand, the table is a favorite of architects the world over. New, the Cassina table retails for about four times the $1,000 Michelle is asking for it and hers is in very good condition. She also has a smart Ital Interiors display piece that would work very well as a modern side table (24" square, 23" high). Don't be deceived by the mirror finish, the block is actually highly polished steel. Michelle is asking $400 for it.
Full post and comments...Dynamite Dinette Sets
Sunday, January 9, 2011
I've come across a trio of well-priced, retro dinette sets recently that I thought I'd share with you. As much as the idea of a dinette set seems old hat, I think good sets like these are poised for a comeback since they're perfect for today's small condos. Okay, they're not elegant dining suites, but how many people with one-bedroom apartments ever serve dinner for more than four? Tea for two is probably more like it. Hence the practicality of a table in the 36" - 42" size range. My favorite of the bunch is this set at Toronto consignment shop Anything Goes in Cumberland Terrace. OMG, how I love those adorable, yellow flower seats (or are they four-leaf clovers?)! The set is Italian and the seats are beautifully stitched leather, not vinyl or naughahyde; the legs have charming little ball feet and the ultra-simplified backs with their single post and curving rests are the essence of modernism.
Full post and comments...Tim’s Holiday House Tour
Thursday, December 23, 2010
In Apartment Therapy's 2010 Room For Colour Contest the top three international entries were all from Toronto -- yay team! The winner by more than a length was Tim (yours truly placed second) who kindly agreed to let me show off his gorgeous waterfront condo, which was beautifully decorated for the holiday season. What impressed me most about my visit to Tim's is his lavish attention to detail. Every corner, every shelf boasts a well-composed vignette, no opportunity for display is wasted -- it's like being in a showroom but without the homogeneity that the description suggests.
Full post and comments...
- Love It or List It: Advantage Hilary (97)
- Decorator Nightmare (48)
- All Blogged Out (43)
- Comments: No Registration Required (41)
- Lamp Rehab: Before OR After? (39)
- Strip Brass With Oven Cleaner (30)
- With a Little Help From My Friends (28)
- Making Sense of HomeSense (26)
- High Contrast (26)
- Real Style on a Real Budget (24)
- More, More, More From IDS 12
- IDS 12: A Few of My Favorite Things
- Starstruck at IDS
- IDS 12: Let the Fun Begin
- Tribute Decor Uniquely Positioned
- CB2 Uncorks Queen West
- Hardware: Inside and Out
- CB2 Unwraps Toronto
- Treasure Hunting in Cobourg, Ontario
- Awesome Lighting at Philz
Saturday, April 23, 2011
4 Comments