{ Posts Tagged ‘margot austin’ }

style at home booth at ids11

Each year when the Toronto Interior Design Show rolls around, I get so excited to see how everyone designs their booths. Some are simple and sleek, others are grand and glamourous.

I’m not just saying this because I work for the magazine, but the mega-colourful Style at Home booth has to be my favourite this year. The collaboration between our design editor Margot Austin and fabulous artist Alanna Cavanagh was pure genius — the perfect mix of design and art sensibilities. Did you see the mural that Alanna painted? A-ma-zing.

Here are a few snaps of the booth — everything was painted using the colours from the Style at Home paint collection from Beauti-Tone. So fresh!

sah booth wall style at home booth at ids11
sah booth counter style at home booth at ids11
sah booth seatee style at home booth at ids11
sah booth mural style at home booth at ids11
sah booth table style at home booth at ids11
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sah booth birdcage style at home booth at ids11
sah booth beautitone style at home booth at ids11

Our editor-in-chief Erin McLaughlin also gave a fab seminar on ‘How to Get Published’ (did any of you catch it?) and her Dad stopped by to check it out. Here they are, hanging out in the Style at Home booth:

sah booth erin style at home booth at ids11

Do you guys like the colourful look of the booth?

xo,

Lauren

ids11 tweet-up at nota bene

There’s no better way to kick off IDS than to have a party before the party. Designer pals Meredith Heron and Sonya Nesbitt-Kinkade organized a tweet-up at Nota Bene tonight as a fun way for design tweeters to get together prior to the IDS11 gala. Margot and I attended on behalf of Style at Home — other guests included Arren Williams, Kimberley Seldon and Tracy Moore (who brought along her CityLine crew).

And then, there were of course the amazing bloggers and social media fiends that we chat to every day on Twitter. It was wonderful to meet all the people behind the tweets and it’s not surprising that we all had a fabulous time!

So what we really want to know is — when’s the next one?

tweet up nota bene ids11 tweet up at nota bene

tweet up overall ids11 tweet up at nota bene
tweet up ladies ids11 tweet up at nota bene
tweet up arren williams ids11 tweet up at nota bene
tweet up sarah gunn ids11 tweet up at nota bene
tweet up secrets ids11 tweet up at nota bene
tweet up glamma mama ids11 tweet up at nota bene
tweet up table ids11 tweet up at nota bene
tweet up lauren margot1 ids11 tweet up at nota bene
A big thanks goes out to Meredith and Sonya for organizing the tweet-up, as well as all the incredible guests who attended the event. Also, the staff at Nota Bene were simply fabulous and the food was delish. And finally, a big thanks to the following groups who provided goodies and showed their support:

Beauti-Tone Paints
ELTE
West Elm
Hewlett-Packard/Palm
Artemano
Benjamin Moore
Penny People Designs

xo,

Lauren

shopping event at west elm

Last night we hosted a shopping event at West Elm in Toronto’s Liberty Village and it was a huge success! So many fabulous people came out for an evening of shopping, music, cocktails and eats {you guys went nuts for the frites!}.

If you happened to see a tall blonde dressed all in black, sneakily snapping pictures of people when they weren’t looking, well, that was me. I’m so glad I got to meet and chat with some of you, and it was great to speak face-to-face with people that I chat to on Twitter and Facebook.

Below are a few of the snaps I took during the event — can’t wait for the next one!

west elm magazine shopping event at west elm

One of the bar areas at West Elm {thanks to all employees for their hard work!}

west elm christine shopping event at west elm

The dreamy bedroom space set up by design editor Christine Hanlon

west elm shoppers shopping event at west elm

Some of the lovely guests at the event

west elm snowglobe shopping event at west elm

Had to sneak this in -- I love this little buddy!

west elm margot shopping event at west elm

Senior design editor Margot Austin tidying up the living room space she created {she also gets my vote for best-dressed of the night!}

west elm overall shopping event at west elm

All the pretty party people

west elm tabletop shopping event at west elm

So beautiful -- a place setting on the wintry white tabletop that editor-in-chief Erin McLaughlin styled

west elm margot sam shopping event at west elm

Two of our faves -- Margot and Pure Design darling Samantha Pynn

west elm line shopping event at west elm

The line-up that wrapped around the store -- we love you dedicated shoppers for waiting in that crazy queue!

west elm editors shopping event at west elm

Fab five -- managing editor Tamara Robbins-Griffith, senior design editor Margot Austin, design editor Christine Hanlon, editor-in-chief Erin McLaughlin and contributing design editor Samantha Pynn

Thanks again to all who came out and to the fantastic staff at West Elm for all their hard work. Hope to see you again soon!

xo,
Lauren

welcome to the new style at home blog!

We’ve always considered Style at Home to be like a decorating friend to our readers — approachable, fun, stylish, and full of helpful decorating and entertaining advice. This is why we’re so excited to announce the launch of our brand new Style at Home blog! Now you’ll be able to check-in daily to see what your fave editors are doing behind the scenes at photo shoots and events, and stay up-to-date on the latest design trends (plus, you can still access past posts from the individual blogs in our archives).

Let me introduce you to just a few of the editors that you’ll see blogging:

editors1 460x347 welcome to the new style at home blog!
{left to right, from top}
Margot Austin, senior design editor; Erin McLaughlin, editor-in-chief; Sara Cation, associate editor; Tamara Robbins, managing editor; Lauren McPhillips, web editor; Natalie Bahadur, senior web editor.

Thanks for stopping by — we hope you’re as excited about the new blog as we are!

-L xo

martha stewart at the home depot

I’ve interviewed a lot of decorators and design luminaries over the years. A lot. But I still think I’d have a twinge of the old butterflies-in-the-stomach at the thought of interviewing Martha Stewart. Don’t get me wrong: I died a little inside when I wasn’t able to make it out to Canada Blooms on the 20th, when decorating’s grande dame made her scheduled appearance. (I was on holiday, and it turns out, not too far from where Martha flew after the show to check out her fave Canadian breeder of Friesian horses.) I’m just in utter awe of the lady. She’s done so much to elevate decorating and design in the public eye. Everything about her is just so… Epic.

My colleague, Senior Design Editor Margot Austin, had the chance to interview Ms Stewart that day, and you absolutely must check out Margot’s play-by-play of the fateful meeting here.

picture 34 martha stewart at the home depot

We’ll be featuring some of our fave finds from Martha’s cost-conscious (and awe-inspiring) new collection for The Home Depot in our June issue (coming out in a matter of weeks), but I couldn’t wait to share one of the standouts of the releases — The Martha Stewart Living paint collection.

Boasting 280 colours, and made from a low-VOC formula, the paint collection is (as expected) a pretty big deal. To tide you over until the paint collection hits Home Depots nationwide in May, here are Martha’s Top 12 Colours for Spring/Summer 2010. Delish!

colour palete martha stewart at the home depotThose grays are particularly tasty, and the two teal/aqua options are a sure sign the trend for turquoise is still gaining momentum. (I’m taking an Araucana Teal lookalike on my next CityLine segment… Can’t wait to see it covering a whole wall!)

You’ve also got to check out the paint chips for the collection, which are truly spectacular. Each chip is generously-sized (3×6″), and on the reverse, features a suggested complementary ceiling and woodwork colour from the range. So clever! Tintable tester pots ($5 per 8oz.) are also available to help narrow down your selection before committing to a colour.


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margot austin on martha stewart’s blog

Guest post by Style at Home’s senior design editor Margot Austin:

I`ll admit it. I have a Google Alert set for my name. It`s fun to see where mentions pop up. Funny thing is, often the mentions refer to Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos, a band that often plays Austin, Tex, or Margot Austin, author of children`s books like A Friend for Growl Bear. But yesterday it was all me. This very Margot Austin got a mention on The Martha Blog. Yes, THE Martha. Here`s a play-by-play of how it all came to pass.

martha stewart blog1 margot austin on martha stewarts blog
It all started on Thurs, when I got the call that I would have 7-10 minutes to interview Martha Stewart that Saturday. Only 2 other media outlets would be given similar access. Yay! Martha came to Toronto last Saturday to take in Canada Blooms and promote her new product line at Home Depot. Here are the highlights:

1 My hands and nails were a mess from weeks of painting and DIY projects. Did a quick home manicure Friday night. As I was backing out of my driveway Sat, saw at least 3 nails were already chipped. Drat. Thank goodness it was very pale nail polish (plus we all know Martha has worker hands so I thought she might not notice).

2 Couldn`t decide what to wear. Decided on my red jacket and blue and white striped T — Springy and nautical.  On my way out the door realized there were pen marks on the jacket. YIKES!  Quick change. Not happy with final choice (boo).

3 My curls are unruly. Sat was a very bad hair day. (boo)

4 There was a major entourage: about 5 PR people, plus a few people from Home Depot.

5 Martha`s handshake is the fingers-only kind. Weird. Ladylike but firm.

6 Tested my tape recorder many times before entering the interview. Worked fine. Sat down in the room. Pressed Record. It just beeped and wouldn`t work. She was in full sell mode — talking talking talking before I even asked a question. I actually said excuse me and admitted the recording trouble. No luck. Then she gave me the classic Martha scold: “I guess you`re just going to have to take notes.” I smiled, shrugged, apologized and started writing immediately!

7 I felt I was just getting started when a PR rep said “One more question.” GAH!

8 We ended the discussion on paint. It was when she mentioned Francesca — a colour named for one of her French bulldogs — that our true bonding began. We talked paint for a few seconds and then went right to the important stuff: our mutual love of Frenchies. Here`s a pic of her Francesca and my Lulu — cuties, no?

martha stewart blog2 margot austin on martha stewarts blog

9 I gave her the Sept 2007 STYLE AT HOME and showed her the pic of Lulu in the story on my kitchen reno. Not only did she love the shot and my pup, but she also loved my kitchen. Martha loved my kitchen!

martha stewart blog3 margot austin on martha stewarts blog
martha stewart blog4 margot austin on martha stewarts blog
10 I politely pushed my way through the throng of people waiting for her to speak on the main stage and made my way to the media platform. How was Martha`s presentation? Meh. But I still love her — oh, and did I mention that she loves my kitchen?

Learn more about my chat with Martha in upcoming issues of STYLE AT HOME. Needless to say I`ll be spending hours with all the paint chips, but here are my other favourites from Martha`s new line at Home Depot:

martha stewart blog5 margot austin on martha stewarts blog1 Baluster lamp $99. Lovely cerused finish, great scale.
2 Regency fountain, $169.99. Love the simplicity.
3 Fretwork outdoor rug, $119. One of these for my deck please!
4 Ribbed glass 3-in-1 convertible pendant, $59.99. Classic vintage look and adaptable to different ceiling heights. Nice.

trendspotting – dark high-gloss walls

I loved how my colleague Margot Austin responded to the always-difficult “what’s your fave paint colour” question in a recent interview (which you can read here). Instead of choosing a specific hue, the divine Miss M said her current obsession isn’t a colour, but rather a finish. “I’m planning to paint my house in a deep dark high gloss finish,” she says. “Very Billy Baldwin.” Now, Margot’s new dilemma is narrowing down her current glossy options — chocolate, navy or charcoal grey. I’d love to see her go navy, if only because I fell in love with this Miles Redd-designed interior that originally ran in the July 2009 issue of House Beautiful, which took Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue No. 30 down the lacquered route. The high-gloss finish adds such a rich depth of colour. So decadent and glamorous! (The drop-dead herringbone floor and superconfident hits of orange don’t hurt, either.)

picture 51 trendspotting dark high gloss wallsSource: House Beautiful, photography by Thomas Loof

picture 62 trendspotting dark high gloss wallsSource: House Beautiful, photography by Thomas Loof

picture 71 trendspotting dark high gloss wallsSource: House Beautiful, photography by Thomas Loof

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IDS10 wrap up – guest blogger Margot Austin

I’m horning in on Mr. Sleuth’s territory one more time to give you my final wrap up on IDS10, held in Toronto last weekend. First up are my top three picks of the show.

pinecone 250x187 IDS10 wrap up guest blogger Margot Austin

No. 3 The Giant Steel Pinecone. I’m a bit of a nut for a great chunk of yard art and when you combine that with my belief in the pinecone as nature’s perfect accessory, well, this thing has can’t lose written all over it.

img 27161 250x333 IDS10 wrap up guest blogger Margot Austin

No. 2 Well, it was love at first sight when I met her Thurs. night at the gala as you know, and she’s one of the main reasons this booth — Lightform/Metalarte — was an award winner (more on that later in the post). Still love her, miss her…

cbcradio 249x172 IDS10 wrap up guest blogger Margot Austin

No. 1 Oh my, it’s as if this was custom designed for me. Thanks Tristan Zimmermann of Science + Sons. So, here’s the deal: it’s called Radio Canada and it allows CBC Radio-addicted householders (that’s me) to switch from Radio 1 to Radio 2 without moving an old school dial through static (if you’re thinking digital tuning and presets already solved this, well, you just aren’t one of us, so skip along now). As a bonus it has MP3 player capacity for when Jonathan Goldstein is on. Anyhoo, this baby is a prototype so click on over to Science + Sons and sign up for the news on when production will begin.

I caught lots of inspiring speakers, including the PechaKucha — loved that! Met the super talented Ingrid Abramovitch and got a behind the covers tour of what it’s like to be the author of a stunning new book, Restoring a House in the City. V. JEALOUS!  Another highlight was being on the judging panel to distribute the design awards for booths at the show. I breezed in there thinking it would take 30 minutes, but more than 3 hours later I was still debating and assessing with fellow judges. I selected in the 400 sq ft booth category but didn’t hesitate to pressure fellow judges into going with my faves in their categories, too, ’cause that’s just the kind of girl I am.

judges 250x187 IDS10 wrap up guest blogger Margot Austin

Here come da judges (we even had official IDS clipboards). From left, John Tong of 3rd UNCLE Design, moi, Clayton Budd of 64th and Queen Design Agency.

For me, the challenge came down to which is most important: the product, the installation, the signage or the layout?? Well, I decided to go with product first, ’cause without that, the rest is gravy. So, I chose Lightform/Metalarte (see  lamp above) and Lema as my winners. Lema had just the most beautiful closet fittings I have ever seen. And the stylist in me loved the black paper suit jackets hanging in their closets. One simple idea to elevate the whole presentation.

lema 249x141 IDS10 wrap up guest blogger Margot Austin

Boo, this pic isn’t doing Lema justice, but it’s the best I can find.

See you at IDS11, Jan 27-30, 2011. Thanks Mr. Sleuth. – Guest blogger and STYLE AT HOME senior design editor Margot Austin signing out.

IDS10 – style at home booth

style1 IDS10 style at home booth

Here’s our little home away from home at the Interior Design Show — the Style at Home booth as designed by superstylist Malcolm Patterson (whose gorgeous Toronto home graces our new March 2010 issue). Split down the middle (as we’re sharing the space with our sister publication, Canadian Gardening), it’s two takes on a breezy, summer dinner party. Delish!

stylegreen IDS10 style at home boothOn the Canadian Gardening side of the table (above), Malcolm’s arranged place settings of Jasper Conran’s gorgeous Chinoiserie Platinum for Waterford Wedgwood.

ks IDS10 style at home booth…And at the Style at Home end, we’ve got Kate Spade’s classic June Lane china. So pretty!

Stop by the booth tomorrow (Saturday, January 23) between 2:00 and 4:00PM to chat with Style at Home’s Senior Design Editor Margot Austin, Canadian Gardening’s Editor in Chief Erin McLaughlin and me! We’d love to meet you!

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IDS10 – meet the style at home editors

picture 4 IDS10 meet the style at home editors If you’re heading down to the Interior Design Show at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Saturday, January 23, be sure to stop by the Style At Home booth! Style At Home’s Senior Design Editor Margot Austin and I will be on-hand from 2:00-4:00PM, and we’d love to meet you! Speaking of which, Margot will be guest blogging from the IDS right here on Style Sleuth, beginning tomorrow night after the lavish Opening Night Gala! Stay tuned to Style Sleuth for all the glamour, guts and gossip!

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