{ Archive for April, 2009 }

h2option toilet from american standard

h2optiontoilet h2option toilet from american standard

If I didn’t live in an apartment, I’d be gettin’ me one of these babies!

American Standard’s H2Option dual-flush toilet is not only high-efficiency when it comes to water usage, it also has the benefit of high-tech action. Graeme Lennox, marketing manager for American Standard in Canada, explains the magic: The toilet “meets the 6-litre full flush, 3.4-litre partial flush standard for high-efficiency toilets, while at the same time boosts day-to-day performance by adding superior siphon jetted technology…When the user flushes the H2Option, some of the water is instantly diverted to the rim of the toilet where there are a series of chambers. The air in these chambers pushes the ongoing incoming water forcefully out into the bowl. Combined with the force of the rest of the water entering the bowl, the siphon pull action is strong.” Plus, it comes with a slow-close seat cover — a total bonus!

Coming in June 2009 to Canada!

Price: from $425

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monogrammed linens

monogrammes monogrammed linens

I’ve been doing a lot of antique hunting lately, and have fallen hard for antique embroidered table linens. There’s something about a stately monogram that elevates an already stylishly-set dining table to epic levels of elegance. 

That’s why I decided it was time to splurge for my very own, old-school, hotel chic, crisp white monogrammed napkins. But where to find them?

Monogrammes, in the historic downtown of Port Hope, Ont., is renowned for custom monogramming (even home retail giants like Elte and Ginger’s Bath employ their services for custom embroidery), stitching lovely letters onto everything from table linens to cushions to handbags. 

Above, you’ll see some of the samples they prepared for me in my hunt for the perfect monogrammed napkins… I’m so cited! Such an amazing assortment of styles… Which one do you think should I choose? I think I’ve made up my mind, but want to hear your thoughts first…

Embroidered hotel napkins, $36 per set of four (What a steal!!!)

Monogrammes, 14 Ontario St., Port Hope, Ont.; 866-239-9967

cool lcd notecard

lcdcard2 cool lcd notecardlcdcard1 cool lcd notecardThere are two things I obsess over in life: new tech toys and pretty paper (Style at Home’s web editor, Natalie Bahadur, and I go gaga over stationery; check out her Favourite Things blog for gorge goods). So, you can imagine how much I drooled over this crazy-cool card from Yellow Owl Workshop.

Printed on 100% recycled paper, the card features a debossed ’80s-digital-style front that lets you fill in your own message. It also comes with a reference alphabet so you know what each letter should look like.

Super geek or super chic? I’d happily say both.


Price: $5 US

Available at: Yellow Owl Workshop or Urban Outfitters

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lemon cupcakes

lemon cupcakes lemon cupcakesEvery day, it`s inevitable. Around 3pm in the afternoon, I start to crave sugar. I just seem to need an extra jolt to push me through to the end of the day. And today, the perfect match for my sweet tooth would most certainly be these lemon cupcakes.

Excerpted from Cupcake Kit: Recipes, Liners, and Decorating Tools for Making the Best Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans, this recipe is easy and makes a delightfully delicious sweet treat.

“Lemons are always in season and these lemon cupcakes are ready to party, to picnic, to lunch, or to take part in any happy occasion.

The yellow part of the lemon peel has a strong lemon flavor and is used to flavor the cupcake batter and frosting. Be sure to wash and dry lemons before grating the peel, and to grate only the colored part of the rind (the white pith under the rind is bitter). The cake flour used here adds an especially tender texture to these cupcakes. It can be found in the baking section of supermarkets.”

Get the entire lemon cupcake recipe! Plus, check out our food section for more easy recipes.

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bringing the outdoors in

greenvest1 bringing the outdoors in

I’m goin’ home!

Join me in my hometown of Norwich, Ont., on Saturday, May 2, for an afternoon filled with gorgeous flowers, fun and fabulousness (I always feel like I owe a nickel to Steven & Chris whenever I use that word now).

I’ll be dropping in at the Norwich branch of the Oxford County Library in Norwich, Ont., at 1PM for “Bringing the Outdoors In” — tips, tricks and the latest trends in bringing spring and summer’s bounty indoors. Find out what kind of container suits certain arrangements best, the trick to floating blossoms, and how can a banana improve the health of your potted plants. Potted, cut or pressed, nothing beats greening up your home with fresh florals from your own backyard!

Bring mom and make it an early Mother’s Day outing! There’s actually a lot going on in on May 2 in this idyllic slice of southwestern Ontario, with the Oxford County Studio Tour. (Make it a point to drop in to see my fave, Shane Norrie!)

RSVP with Lynn at the Library by calling 519-863-3307 – there are just a few seats left! See you there!

inspiration from james merrell

Today`s post is about deriving inspiration from beautiful photography. And in this case, a photo speaks a thousand words. There`s not much else I can say about the exceptionally talented, London-based photographer James Merrell (his website is quite sparse when it comes to details on the man himself) except that his work is gorgeous and inspiring. Take a look at some of my favourite photos below (though it was nearly impossible to choose just four). For more visual delights, be sure to check out his website at jamesmerrell.co.uk. (P.S. Follow me on Twitter!)

jamesmerrell1 inspiration from james merrelljamesmerrell2 inspiration from james merrell

jamesmerrell3 inspiration from james merrelljamesmerrell4 inspiration from james merrell

eneloop pre-charged rechargeable battery

eneloop eneloop pre charged rechargeable batteryWhat’s so great about another rechargeable battery?

The Eneloop is ready to go right out of the pack. That’s right! No waiting for it to charge up, just pop it in and you’re ready to go, plus it keeps 85% of its charge for one year, which means you don’t have to constantly recharge it, and it doesn’t have to be fully discharged before recharging.

You can recharge it using other NiMH chargers, not just an Eneloop charger, and recharge it up to 1,000 times. When you’re done with it, it’s recyclable – just drop it off at one of the 1,000 recycling centres across Canada.

For more info, check out www.eneloop.ca.

Price: from $13.99 for batteries alone, from $29.99 for batteries and charger

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

bloor street diner’s restaurant makeover

Here’s another restaurant makeover that really rocked my socks.

The recent $750,000 refresh of Yorkville’s iconic Bloor Street Diner brought the 28-year-old eatery into full-on cool and contemporary territory, without sacrificing the casual comfort (and surprisingly affordable menu) that originally put it on the map. And the Cobb salad’s just as tremendous as it always was.

I was lunching at the Diner last week, and had the chance to chat with Sebastien Centner, director of Eatertainment — the firm that operates the Diner in addition to some of Toronto’s most celebrated (and celebrity-frequented!) restaurants, including the Panorama Lounge. Sebastien kindly shared the “before” shots, knowing that I absolutely luuuuurve a tasty transformation!

 

Here’s the Dining Room BEFORE the makeover… An late-’90s mix of American diner and French brasserie…

diningroombefore bloor street diners restaurant makeover

 

 

… And after!

diningroomafter bloor street diners restaurant makeover

diningroom2after bloor street diners restaurant makeover

Designed by Mehran Foroughi, the ceiling is solid teak panelling, elegantly lit by 40 spectacular conical pendants. The real standout for me is the textured white wall that lends the dining room a Euro-chic wine cellar vibe.

And I’m a sucker for an achromatic approach done well, which is certainly the case here. “We didn’t want the renovation to look dated in five years,” says Sebastien of the timeless black-and-white scheme (with a few hits of rich bordeaux, primarily in the cafe and billiards areas).

Congrats, and bon appetit! 

 

Bloor Street Diner, Manulife Centre, 55 Bloor St. W. (Bay & Bloor), Toronto, 416-928-3105

colourful cameras from olympus

camera3 colourful cameras from olympus

To me, nothing screams summer more than having a cocktail and some chit-chat with friends while sitting on a Toronto patio. Ah, ‘tis the life. And whenever I can document those fun times by taking pics, I become a snappy-happy paparazzi. With the grass green again and summer just on the horizon, I was on the lookout for a camera to reflect my mood. Enter the Olympus bevy of bright beauties, a selection of vibrant cameras to fit every lifestyle.

camera1 colourful cameras from olympus

camera2 colourful cameras from olympusThe FE 3010 (magenta) is a super slim 0.7-inch digi-cam with 16 shooting modes for any situation ($180). The Stylus Tough 6000 (citrus) is a do-it-all camera — shockproof, freezeproof, waterproof, crushproof, and shakeproof ($350). Ready to go under the sea? The Stylus-550WP (blue) is designed to work just as well below water as it does on land ($250).

With pretty punches of colour and pricepoints to fit whatever your budget, these colourful cameras are a summer must.

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looolo fly cushion

loooloocushion looolo fly cushionI’m seeing a recurring theme in the images I’ve been putting up lately: clean, bright and white!

This flirty Fly cushion from Canada’s own LoooLo Textiles is no exception. LoooLo’s green claim to fame? “Every pillow or blanket we make uses our own hand- and machine-knit biodegradable textiles. Yes, you can throw them in your composter at the end of their useful life and they will biodegrade within 1 year.” LoooLo also uses Canadian suppliers whenever possible. That’s saying something!

The Fly is shown here in Lamb and also comes in Mink, Slate and Buffalo and three different sizes, 9″ x 18″, 11″ x 23″ and 18″ x 18″.

Available at: www.looolo.ca

Price: from $125

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