{ Archive for December, 2008 }

sleep therapy pillow

sound therapy pillow 51 sleep therapy pillowAs much as I love the holiday season, it can also be an incredibly stressful time. Work is busy, the shops are busy, weekends are busy — it always seems as though there’s no time to relax. In my case, this leads to grumpiness, and nobody likes a Scrooge.

Check out this great pillow from Sound Oasis. Designed like a regular pillow, the SleepTherapy Pillow SP-150 has little speakers stuffed inside that allow you to listen to your favourite tunes or relaxation sounds while you drift off to zzzzzz-land. With a standard earphone plug, you can hook the speakers up to a CD player, MP3 (it worked with my iPod) or TV system, and the speakers are so thin that you don’t feel them at all (they are also removable so that you can machine-wash the pillow).

Whether you want to fall asleep to the guitars of Led Zeppelin or to the soothing sounds of waves crashing against the shore, this pillow is fantastic for easing you into relaxation mode (and just in time for Christmas Day when you need a quick catnap!).

Price: $50 US

Available from: Sound Oasis, soundoasis.com.

steve jensen murano glass

muranoglassware steve jensen murano glassIn the February 2009 issue of STYLE AT HOME — subscribers already have this in their hot little hands! — I’ve featured the gorgeous Murano glass designs of Steve Jensen in our Home & Style column. I had the opportunity to meet Steve himself at the gorgeous Joan Eiley showroom a few months back, and found his passion for the thousand-year-old art of Murano glassmaking absolutely contagious. It truly is one of those situations in which the story behind a product is as beautiful as the design itself! 

DID YOU KNOW…

* In the 13th century, glass production moved to the island of Murano to protect Venice from glass furnace fires, and to safeguard the secrets of the Murano ‘maestros’.

* Trainees in the technique of Murano had to live on the island for the rest of their lives, allowing them to hone their skills.

* Gas bills for Murano glassmaking furnaces are now upwards of $300,000 a month — hence the hefty price tag.

* During the Austrian occupation of Venice in the 19th century, Murano glass production came crashing to a halt, so as not to compete with the Austrians’ own Bohemian glass empire. 

* Aventurine is a form of Murano glass spun with gold.

Fascinating stuff!

Photography by Tracy Cox

Orchidea 22-inch candlesticks in Carnelian, 32-inch Marco Polo lamp in Gold with parchment shade

Price: Collection starts from $1,020

Available at: Joan Eiley, Toronto, 416-968-0778

samantha pynn says…

041h7117 samantha pynn says...Samantha Pynn is back at STYLE AT HOME, having wrapped the first successful season of Pure Design on HGTV, and she’s laying down the law on holiday decorating! Just how long is it acceptable to leave those holiday lights strung up? Samantha gives her opinion on HGTV’s Question Of The Week!

seven heavenly tea cups

teaset seven heavenly tea cupsHave you visited Etsy yet? It’s an online community of artisans — a bizarre bazaar, perhaps? (I’ve always wanted to use that phrase!) — and a fantastic source of unique gifts. While prowling the site the other day, my friend Jenn came across the Etsy space of New Zealand artist Trixie Delicious who takes vintage china and reworks it in totally irreverent and unexpected ways that she calls “Vandalized Vintage”. These adorable tea cups and saucers are frumpy Crown Lynn pieces from the 1960s adorned with seven heavenly virtues in heat-fused ceramic paint. So fun! A word of warning, though — some of the content on Trixie Delicious’s Etsy page runs a little on the racy side, so I’m gonna have to slap a PG-13 on this one. icon wink seven heavenly tea cups

Seven Heavenly Virtues Tea Set

Price: $175 US

Available at: Etsy

matt & nat vegan purses

Matt & Nat, based in Montreal, create amazing vegan purses that will have you thinking twice about buying leather again. The materials include vegan leather (textile with a polyurethane coating) and faux suede made from recycled plastic bottles, and the look is pure style.

The new collection includes the first two purses shown below, but if you’re looking for a bargain (and who isn’t these days?), there’s a ton of stuff on sale on the site, and the Duomo below is one of the sale items — love its pretty pink colour and sassy styling! Product descriptions are as per the Matt & Nat site.

mattandnattracy1 150x150 matt & nat vegan pursesTracy Marrow: White vegan leather handbag with 100% recycled grey faux suede lining, tone-on-tone stitching, antique silver and black nickel hardware and Matt & Nat logo bar. Features top zipper closure, 2 front external magnetic pockets, and 2 external magnetic pockets on back. Interior features a zip pocket, cell phone and PDA pockets. Price: $250

mattandnathamburg2 150x150 matt & nat vegan pursesHamburg: Pewter vegan leather handbag with light grey faux suede lining, tone-on-tone stitching, antique silver hardware and Matt & Nat logo bar. Features a double zip closure and 2 shoulder or hand held straps. Interior includes a zip pocket, cell phone and PDA pockets and a detachable key chain. Price: $220

mattandnatduomo1 matt & nat vegan pursesDuomo: Magenta vegan leather handbag with tone-on-tone stitching, magenta nylon lining, antique silver and black nickel hardware, and Matt & Nat logo bar. Features top zipper closure, 2 top handles, 1 shoulder strap and 1 external zipper pocket on back. Interior zip pocket, cell phone and PDA pockets, and detachable key chain. Comes with additional detachable shoulder strap. Price: on sale for $129

Available at: www.mattandnat.com and stores across Canada

Do you have a product you’d like to recommend for this blog? Email me at naturalchic@styleathome.com!

the perfect waffle

img1m1 the perfect waffleIf there’s anything that makes my stomach grumble ravenously with hunger, it’s the thought of waffles. The smell, the taste, the warm feeling — there’s nothing quite as delish as a waffle in the morning.

My fervour for this delightful grilled breakfast food was only magnified when I discovered All-Clad’s Classic Round Waffler. This amazing kitchen gadget uses steam release technology to stop condensation build-up in the grill, thus creating the perfect waffle — tender on the inside and wonderfully crisp on the outside. Best of all, it features an indicator light which lets you know when it has reached its optimal temperature, ideal for Christmas morning when you’re busy making oodles for your family’s breakfast. Bon appetit!

Price: $160

Available at: Williams-Sonoma, williams-sonoma.com (prices on site are shown in US dollars)

(Looking for other gifts to give food-loving friends and family? Check out Style at Home’s 10 best gifts for foodies)

LG portable dvd player

dp392 n large LG portable dvd player

I love LG. Plain and simple, I just love them. And this sweet little device just makes me love them even more. It’s a portable DVD player with an 8″ LCD screen and up to 3.5 hours of battery life, great for watching a movie on the go. Even better, this slick beauty doubles as a digital picture frame, holding up to 250 photos. What a multi-tasker!

Perfect gift for: friends or fam who commute to work by train or bus; your teenagers (with two earphone jacks, your kids can stay entertained on the long drive to grandma’s for Christmas)

Price: $220

Available at: Best Buy, bestbuy.ca

benjamin moore palettes for 2009 – part three

unexpected synergy lr 1 benjamin moore palettes for 2009 part threePalette #3: ” Unexpected Synergy”

Hadley Red HC-65 (chimney breast)

Dried Mustard 2158-10 (adjacent walls)

Gray 2120-10 (base)

“For the daring and adventuresome seeking a design statement that surprises, delights and jolts all at the same time, ‘Unexpected Synergy’ uses the power of colour to achieve unique patterns,” says Benjamin Moore Canada’s colour and design manager, Sharon Grech. “The ‘Unexpected Synergy’ palette unites intense, warm colours with cooler, organic neutrals. It’s a palette that could serve well when a room refresh is called for, rather than a complete recreation.”

Available at: Benjamin Moore, 800-361-5898

So… Which of these three palettes strike your fancy?

benjamin moore palettes for 2009 – part two

naturebedroom benjamin moore palettes for 2009 part twoPalette #2: “Nature’s Essence”

Timid White OC-39 (right wall)

Sea Haze 2137-50 (left wall)

Pale Avocado 2146-40 (ceiling)

Sharon Grech, colour and design manager for Benjamin Moore in Canada, says the “Nature’s Essence” palette is all about bringing the outdoors in. “Palest tints are inspired by sand, shells and hazy skies. Deeper organics are borrowed from peat, rust and exotic fruits. Raw materials help tell the interior story of Nature’s Essence.”

Available at: Benjamin Moore, 800-361-5898

benjamin moore palettes for 2009 – part one

palette1 benjamin moore palettes for 2009 part oneThe January issue of STYLE AT HOME is hitting stands now, and that means it’s paint predictions time again! I’ve opened our Home & Style section this time around with a gallery of hues that the various paint companies are forecasting as faves for 2009. Each of Canada’s major paint manufacturers have design teams who keep and eye on colour trends — largely influenced by couture — and it’s always cool to see how creations for the catwalk translate into colours for the home. 

Benjamin Moore has summed up the look of 2009 in three different colour-trend stories as part of their “Colours For Your Home 2009″ colour card that will be available at retailers in the new year. Which one is your fave? I want your verdict on each!

Palette #1: “Personal Imprint”

Black Satin 2131-10 (fireplace)

Gossamer Blue 2123-40 (lounge area)

Brookside Moss 2145-30 (home office nook)

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