{ Posts Tagged ‘shopping in toronto’ }

luxe launch party at 1212 decor

If you are in any way involved in Toronto’s interior design scene, you were very likely at the grand opening of 1212 Decor on Wednesday, June 9.

1212a luxe launch party at 1212 decor

We’re talking HUGE turnout here, including (amongst the 300+ who were packed into the showroom) Arren Williams, designer Erin Feasby (whose work we’re featuring in an upcoming Style at Home issue! Can’t wait!), the CityLine crew, and of course, the guest of honour, the inimitible Larry Laslo.

1212b luxe launch party at 1212 decorThe world-renowned interior and product designer was on-hand to share his latest pieces gracing the 1212 showroom, while sharing some details on his latest fabric collection for Robert Allen. I was a little disappointed that Larry only took the mike for a few precious seconds, as he’s the consummate showman who has THE best stories to tell. I had the pleasure of interviewing him two years ago when his Robert Allen collection first launched, and he’s an absolute scream (“I love everything. It’s unfortunate. And expensive.”) had me laughing the whole time. A great choice of guest for 1212 to bring in!

Also on-hand was fashion designer Lucian Matis, whose latest collection worked the showroom floor throughout the evening.

1212c luxe launch party at 1212 decor

But the real reason for all the excitement was the chance to check out the truly extraordinary collection of home furnishings, art and accessories. Alex Donovan of 1212 has assembled a carefully curated collection that’s truly inspiring. Trad and rad, all rolled into one inspirational space…

1212d luxe launch party at 1212 decor1212 had me won over long before this big bash, though, as the dealer of Kindel Furniture’s staggeringly beautiful Dorothy Draper Collection. Insanely expensive, but oh-so-elegant…

American Baroque Mirror, Dorothy Draper

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Console and Curio, Dorothy Draper

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Café Side Chair, Dorothy Draper

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Take a peek at 1212 yourself! The store is located at 1212 Yonge St. (appropriately), just south of Summerhill Ave., in Toronto. Hours are Monday to Saturday from 10AM to 6PM, and Sunday from 12noon to 5PM. Happy shopping!

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spring into summer at pottery barn

Looking down at the showroom floor at Pottery Barn’s 100 Bloor St. W. location in Toronto

lookingdown spring into summer at pottery barn

It’s Top Five List time!

Summer has hit Pottery Barn showrooms across the country, and I had the opportunity to take a gander at the goods this morning. Here’s my scoop on their new summer essentials…

1. Natural Curiosity Melamine Collection

1melamine2 spring into summer at pottery barnRemember that coffee table book that everyone had (but never read) a few years back? The Cabinet of Natural Curiosities? Well, this melamine is the rather delicious dinnerware version of the illustrations in that book. Pretty, upscale prints that add a touch of sophistication to a summer table setting.

1melamine spring into summer at pottery barn

2. Townsend Occasional Tables

townsend5 spring into summer at pottery barn

townsend6 spring into summer at pottery barn

Like so much of Pottery Barn’s summer offerings, this classy cocktail table (which retails for $499) leaves room for you to put your own personal stamp on it. The tabletop lifts, revealing little niches in which you can display seasonal smalls.

The Townsend also comes in this sleek console version ($499 as well), which I’d love have in the bedroom to display and store my ever-growing arsenal of neckties. How pretty would that look?townsend7 spring into summer at pottery barn

3. Starfish Duvet Cover & Sham

starfish spring into summer at pottery barnBeachy blue and turquoise starfish, block-printed on crisp white cotton voile… Airy, artisanal and incredibly covetable.

starfish2 spring into summer at pottery barn

4. Crewel lampshades

crewel2 spring into summer at pottery barn

Exquisite crewelwork elevates these shades into works of art. What a fantastically easy way to reinvent a nondescript lamp base! Would love to pair this with a bulky balustrade lamp base in a weathered, cerused wood finish…

crewel1 spring into summer at pottery barn

5. Crab placecard holders

crab1 spring into summer at pottery barnClawfully cute. I’d sworn off animal motif placecard holders after the holiday market got saturated with silly reindeer versions, but I’ll make an exception for these sweet silica glass sculptures. crab2 spring into summer at pottery barn

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loving black and white gingham

ginghamtc loving black and white ginghamThere’s something truly charming about a simple gingham print. These endearingly humble black and white gingham table linens are from Mjolk — a new Scandinavian-style superstore in The Junction neighbourhood of Toronto that I’m dying to scout…

ginghamnp loving black and white ginghamThe timeworn look of the gingham lends itself to low-maintenance — I’d certainly never bother ironing these beauties. Wrinkles and loose folds in the linen simply add to the back-to-basics appeal.

ginghamtable loving black and white ginghamThe black and white gingham even translates beautifully onto a shopping tote. So sweet!

ginghamtote loving black and white gingham

Fog Linen 100% linen placemat, napkin, tablecloth and tote, from $12 each, Mjolk

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malachite accessories at decorum

I was chatting with Tommy Smythe from Sarah Richardson Design the other day, and he told me I just had to stop in at Decorum Decorative Finds to check out their malachite accessories.  (Tommy’s crazy about the colour of malachite, and his passion is highly contagious.)

plate malachite accessories at decorum

Look at those whorls! The fascinating patterns on this malachite plate remind me of a whacked-out contour map. And that rich blue-green combined with the gold key motif absolutely screams luxe…

ball malachite accessories at decorum

A smaller hit of malachite, but no less luxe is this little sphere on a gold dragon/fish plinth. Pure Art Deco deliciousness.

Decorum Decorative Finds, Toronto, 416-966-6829

leon’s at the roundhouse

Think you know Leon’s? You may want to take a peek at the new Leon’s location at Toronto’s historic John Street Roundhouse to see what the big box furniture and appliance behemoth has been up to on its centennial…

l layout2 leons at the roundhouse

l layout3 leons at the roundhouse

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l layout1 leons at the roundhouse

My colleague Lauren McPhillips and I were invited down to see how the epic-scale reno of this old locomotive service shed (a National Historic Site built way back in 1929) was progressing, and we were in awe of the painstaking attention to historic detail. Under the supervision of heritage architect Don Loucks, those raw Douglas fir beams were beautifully restored, blasting away 80 years of locomotive steam exhaust buildup. What I love best about the space is that the structure wasn’t compromised in any way to accomodate Leon’s needs — the supersexy polished concrete floor actually “floats” above the train servicing pits, and lighting is clipped to supporting rafters to avoid unnecessary drilling.

I also love dressing up in hardhats. (Not required for normal Leon’s shopping.)

hardhats leons at the roundhouse

And why is it actually called the Roundhouse, you ask?

Well, the showpiece of the little park in which Leon’s is situated is a fully operation locomotive turntable — a lazy-susan type carousel that could rotate steam engines 360-degrees depending on which of the service bays it was to enter. We got to go for a spin (sorry, couldn’t resist)  on this historic gem, and it was absolutely amazing… I was actually so cited I didn’t think to take a picture. Here’s a shot from the Toronto Railway Historical Association.

roundhouse leons at the roundhouse

Leon’s at the Roundhouse

Toronto, 255 Bremner Blvd., 416-642-0630

william ashley’s electric display

A confirmed sucker for stylish window displays, I’ve come to expect a lot from William Ashley, downtown Toronto’s destination for glam tableware. But I was hardly prepared for this…

carside william ashleys electric display

Yep. That’s an actual Tesla Roadster — the world’s only 100% electric sports car — perched on top of just four Wedgwood teacups outside Ashley’s flagship location on Bloor Street.

carheadon william ashleys electric display

Although we often think of it as being delicate and dainty, bone china is actually the hardest and most durable ceramic, and stronger than any other dinnerware on the market. Strong enough to…well…withstand this…

cartire william ashleys electric displayWhy an electric car, you ask? Well, if you consider the longevity of quality bone china, and amortize the cost of the initial purchase over the years (and even generations!) of use you’ll get out of them, they’re actually quite a “green” product. I think that’s something we tend to forget when considering how environmentally-responsible a purchase is — how long will we be able to enjoy it before it ends up on the landfill?

Check out William Ashley’s “Tesla On Teacups” until September 21st at William Ashley China, 55 Bloor Street West, Toronto.

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muuto at hollace cluny

I’m feeling very Scandi today.

Having come straight from CityLine, where I styled a very merry Marimekko-inspired tabletop (the episode airs Tuesday, July 28th – check it out!), I’m seeing Scandinavian style everywhere – including (new this week!) the stunning Muuto collection at Hollace Cluny.

Muuto is a Nordic design company that hand picks designers from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark for a high-impact line of furniture and accessories that follow a “less is more” approach — products that are light, bright and airy, but also pack wholloping great bucketloads of punch.

Just check out some of the Muuto pieces that Hollace Cluny is carrying…

muuto muuto at hollace clunyAs I mentioned in Home & Style in the August issue of Style At Home, origami-inspired whiteware is totally hot, and Julien De Smedt’s “Crushed Bowls” is another architectural twist on this trend. “The Crushed Bowls show big-scale architecture applied on small scale objects,” says Julien. “The bowls are composed of equilateral triangles and principles we use for big-scale computer modeling.”

 

merrier muuto at hollace clunyLouise Campbell’s “The More the Merrier Candlestick” marries baroque decadence with spare Scandinavian style – two forces normally at odds with each other, but melded together, make for a striking centerpiece. “As the saying goes, the more elements you join together, the merrier the result,” says Louise. “The design is a blend of the formal and informal.”

 

jug muuto at hollace clunyAlthough it’s a sculpture in its own right, Jakob Wagner’s “Flow” is actually a fully functional jug. “With the shape of the jug I wanted to tell a straightforward story about its functional anatomy,” Jakob explains. “A large hole to fill up the jug, a small hole to pour, a low centre of gravity, and a middle area to get a firm grip.”

 

raw muuto at hollace clunyAnd how’s this for a splash of summery brights? (After the summer we’ve been having, we can all use a touch of this uplifting hue…) Jens Fager’s “Raw”collection of chairs, side tables and candelabras are made from wood that’s hand-carved with a band saw machine, and finished in an array of vivid colours.

For a “virtual tour” of Susan Fowlie’s impeccably curated collection at Hollace Cluny in Toronto, check out the September issue of Style At Home — on newsstands soon! (Subscribers will be getting their copies this week!)

Muuto at Hollace Cluny, Toronto, 416-968-7894

 


rikke jakobsen fine bone china

When I was browsing the aisles of Copenhagen’s Illums Bolighus — hands-down the most impressive store I’ve ever been in…EVER — I came across these impossibly pretty little fine bone china bowls. I was running low on Danish Krone at the time (it tends to happen in the land of the $6 coffee), and I couldn’t put my finger on where, but I was sure I’d seen them somewhere much closer to home…

golddots rikke jakobsen fine bone chinaOnly about 3.5″ high, “Gold Dots” designed by great Dane Rikke Jakobsen, stood out from the rest of the amazing offerings at Illums as a super-sweet “small”.

Check out the pretty “Silver Abstract” design, too… Stunning!

silverabstract rikke jakobsen fine bone chinaSo dainty, but such captivating detail in the metallic designs… You can understand my dilemma – to buy, or to wait until I got home to find out if it is indeed available in my home and native land?

Luckily, Rikke Jakobsen fine bone china is indeed available right here in the Big Smoke — just pop down to the 7,000 square-foot Shop at the Art Gallery of Ontario for a dose of these Danish delights!

Art Gallery of Ontario, 877-225-4246; Toronto, 416-979-6660