{ Posts Tagged ‘vancouver’ }

the abc’s of decorating

On a visit to Vancouver last summer I came across “We”, a public art installation by Jaume Plensa on English Bay Beach. The all-white, human-shaped metal structure, with its alphabet cutouts from a melange of languages, is stunning to say the least.

We Art Install the abcs of decorating

The exhibit’s graphic appeal proves that the alphabet isn’t just for kids anymore. A scan through home decor catalogues suggests that stores and studios are also singing the alphabet…and each to their own tune. Their fab products are taking the alphabet from childish to oh so chic!

PB Teen Wire Wall Letters the abcs of decorating

Wired Wall Letters from PB Teen are a fun way to personalize a space. These letters would work equally well in a kitchen or front hall, as they would in a home office!

West Elm Alpha Beasties the abcs of decorating

Alphabet Beastie Cards by West Elm would look fab framed and matted. Line them up in alphabetical order or mix them up to form fun words and phrases. Perfect for the mod playroom or nursery.

Six Under a Tree Soup of Letters Wall Vinyl Decals the abcs of decorating

Vinyl wall decals, like the Soup of Letters Vinyl Decal from Six Under a Tree (through Etsy), are an instant way to add some pizazz to a space. Plus, they’re easy to move from room to room as inspiration hits!

Ikea Gyllen Wall Lamp the abcs of decorating

Ikea’s Gyllen Wall Lamp sheds new light on the typical eye exam chart! Isn’t this version way easier on the eyes?

So what do you think?  Are you still up for practicing your ABC’s? Or does the idea make you want to get some Zzzz’s instead? Leave a comment and let us know!

amy *

Amy Walters is a Winnipeg-based design enthusiast and blogger. For more design inspiration from Amy, check out her blog aDESIGNdock.

vancouver: shops we love

Vancouver is a breeding ground for hot Canadian talent, and at the Style at Home offices we often look west for design inspiration. Here are two of our favourite contemporary home decor destinations, plus one brand new spot in trendy Crosstown. Read more about our fave Vancouver shops in the March issue of Style at Home, on sale February 7.

Vancouver Special
3612 Main St., 604-568-3673; vanspecial.com
A range of contemporary furniture, accessories, and art and architecture books, Vancouver Special aims to make good design accessible. Owner Anne Pearson, a UBC architecture grad, also hosts various events, exhibitions and lectures in the space, which was designed to look like an art gallery.

VS HEE LOUNGE HORSENS ART MUSEUM w21 vancouver: shops we love

Hee lounge chair

VS PINOCCHIO MULTI COLOUR w21 vancouver: shops we love

HAY Pinnochio rug

Provide
529 Beatty St., 604-632-0095; providehome.com
A destination for modern design, Provide stocks local and international wares.  The Crosstown loft space is light and airy, mirroring the clean lines and organic forms of the products it sells.

Provide CatherineRegehr w21 vancouver: shops we love

Catherine Regehr Porcupine Loop cushion in silk

The Dirty Apron Cooking School & Delicatessen
540 Beatty St., 604-879-8588; dirtyapron.com
Relatively new to Crosstown, The Dirty Apron Cooking School & Delicatessen allows you to unleash your inner chef. Former Chambar chef de cuisine David Robertson leads students through hands-on classes, working with professional cookware and state-of-the-art appliances, teaching each step required in creating a complete meal (classes start from $145 per person for a four hour course).

After preparation and plating are finished, students gather in the stylish dining room to enjoy their three-course meal and a glass of wine. The best part? Cleanup is taken care of by The Dirty Apron staff.

Classroom 2 w1 vancouver: shops we love

Classroom at The Dirty Apron

christmas events in canada

Well, it’s the first of December and that means the Christmas season has officially arrived. I love this time of year and the multitude of things to do across the country, that contribute to that feeling of holiday cheer. I scoured the Internet for a few events I thought were worth checking out, but feel free to leave a comment and tell us what’s going on in your corner of the country, too!

vancouver2 christmas events in canadaVANCOUVER
Irving Berlin`s White Christmas: The Musical
When: Now until December 27
Make your days merry and bright by warming to this unforgettable musical about love and friendship. Based on the classic holiday film, this tap-dancing delight brims with tunes—including “Blue Skies,” “Sisters,” and the ever-popular “White Christmas”—that will fill you with the joy of the season.
Click here to buy tickets.

CALGARY
Once Upon A Christmas at Heritage Park
When: December 5 & 6, 12 & 13, 19 & 20, 2009
Celebrate the magic and wonder of Christmas Past. Tour the beautifully decorated Park on a horse-drawn wagon ride, visit Santa and his reindeer, and take a spin on the magical Town Square skating rink. Roving entertainment, hands-on Christmas activities and festive, holiday traditions will awaken your Christmas spirit. Celebrate the magic and wonder of Christmas Past. Tour the beautifully decorated Park on a horse-drawn wagon ride, visit Santa and his reindeer, and take a spin on the magical Town Square skating rink. Roving entertainment, hands-on Christmas activities and festive, holiday traditions will awaken your Christmas spirit. Click here for more information.

toronto2 christmas events in canadaTORONTO
An evening with The Priests: Harmony
When: Friday, December 4, 2009, 8pm
Enjoy a very special musical evening with The Priests, the singing clergymen superstars who broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest selling classical debut album of all time. This celebration features songs from their second album entitled Harmony, released November 23rd, and conversations with Classical 96 FM Program Director John Van Driel. The event will assist in funding the St Paul’s Christmas Family Program, feeding local families in need this season. The evening is produced by Sony Music Entertainment Canada and will be recorded for broadcast on Classical 96 FM and Salt + Light Television. Performance takes place at St. Paul`s Basilica, 83 Powers Street, Toronto, M5A 3A8. Click here to buy tickets or call 1-866-9-GET-TIX; visit amazon.ca to buy their album.

montreal2 christmas events in canadaMONTREAL
Christmas in the Park
When: Now until December 24, 2009
Christmas in the Park is a magical site where world music, opera, songs, storytellers, circus artists and street performers all come together in two festively decorated parks.
Click here for more information.

halifax christmas events in canadaHALIFAX / DARTMOUTH
TD Bank Financial Group Dartmouth Christmas Tree Lighting
When: December 5, 2009, 4:30pm
This event features live entertainment, free hot chocolate and cookies (while quantities last), free Kiwanis Club “Santa Express Train Ride”, free Candy Canes (while quantities last), and a visit from Santa Claus at the HRM Fire Truck and fireworks. Nova Scotia Power is partnering with The Dartmouth Tree Lighting in order to promote energy efficient Christmas lighting and will be offering an exchange program during this event. Bring two sets of your old Christmas lights to the tree lighting ceremony. Nova Scotia Power will exchange your old Christmas lights for one set of energy efficient LED Christmas lights. Quantities are limited, and based on first come, first served.
Click here for more information or call (902) 490-6776.

propellor design’s dram chandelier

dram1 propellor designs dram chandelier

The designers behind Vancouver-based Propellor Design took 120 mismatched old tumblers they’ve been collecting for years and created this stunning light sculpture, the Dram Chandelier, out of what many people would consider junk or trash.

If you’re looking for something to make huge impact in a modern loft space, this would do it — and if you think it must look stunning during the day, just imagine how brilliant it would be at night with all those colours of the different glasses scintillating during the twilight hours!

The piece is approx. 32″ in diameter; for more about Propellor Design, click here.

Available at: Made, Toronto, www.madedesign.ca

Price: $6,000

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

eco friendly valentine’s bouquets

bouquet eco friendly valentines bouquets
Who would have guessed that cut flowers were fraught with so many environmental concerns?? From the pesticides used to grow them, to the fungicides used to keep them from rotting, to the fact that they’re often shipped thousands of kilometres across the planet to get to you, they are so many factors in why asking a few simple questions of your florist before buying your bouquet make sense.

Are the flowers  organic or certified*? What is the certification? Do you use locally grown products where possible? Are your vases made of recycled glass?

In Vancouver, Amoda Flowers specializes in eco-friendly, sustainable, organic bouquets, and more (one of their lovely bouquets is pictured above). They also factor in the following to ensure that as many aspects of their business are as natural as possible.

  • Cellophane used for wrapping and packaging is compostable and non-GMO
  • Tissue paper is made from recycled paper
  • Ribbon is biodegradable, and coloured with soy inks
  • All printing is done on recycled or tree-free paper

So when you visit or call your florist, ask about eco-friendly flowers. More and more florists are offering them. The selection might be small, but the more people who ask, the bigger the selection will become!

Available at: www.amodaflowers.com

* If you want to know more about eco-certification for cut flowers, check out this post from Amy Stewart’s blog, Dirt By Amy Stewart. Amy is the author of Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers and really knows all there is to know about not only the environmental concerns behind the cut-flower industry, but also the gardening industry in general. Plus, her blog is just plan fun and informative! For more on Amy, check out www.amystewart.com.

The third winner of a Go Green Works Starter Kit, including the following products, is Rebecca Vogan of Toronto! (To see the original post announcing the contest, click here.)

  • Green Works Dishwashing Liquid, Green Works Natural All-Purpose Cleaner, Green Works Natural Glass & Surface Cleaner, Green Works Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Green Works Natural Dilutable Cleaner, Green Works Natural Bathroom Cleaner

You still have a chance to win the fourth and final kit. All you have to do is be a subscriber to my blog. If you’re not a subscriber already, sign up to have the Natural Chic blog delivered directly to your e-mail inbox for a chance to win. To do so, just click this icon: emailfeedicon eco friendly valentines bouquets

I`ll pick one more winner next week. Good luck!

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

christmas cards for a good cause

katwright christmas cards for a good causeThinking of sending Christmas cards this year? If you are, be sure to make them green cards. There are lots out there, but I love the idea of Notes to Nourish.

They’re limited-edition card sets featuring original art by Lower Mainland B.C. artists and designers. Each set consists of four cards printed on chlorine-free 100% recycled, postconsumer waste paper, and money raised from them will go to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society and British Columbia SPCA.

Artists whose work is in Set 1 (shown above, at right) are Sarah Cavanaugh, Jean Lee, Anne Pearce & Robyn Sommerville; in Set 2 (left) it’s that of Chris Allen, Nova Hopkins, Luke Krienke & Kathryn Wright.

Available:

  1. Email order@notestonourish.com to order and arrange for pickup
  2. Order through www.katwright.ca
  3. Pick them up at:
    West Vancouver Museum
    750 17th St.,
    West Vancouver
    604-925-7295
    Tues. to Sat.: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    Sun. and Mon.: closed

Price: $10 per set

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

sapadilla canadian cleaners

sapadilla sapadilla canadian cleaners

Sapadilla, a Vancouver-based company, is rocking the Western Canadian market with their green cleaning products, featuring two essential-oil scents, Rosemary + Peppermint and Grapefruit + Bergamot (my absolute fave — it makes me want to wash dishes and that’s saying something!).

The products boast impressive green credentials since they’re non-toxic, biodegradable and free of the following common chemicals:

• synthetic fragrance or dyes
• petroleum-based solvents
• phosphates
• ethylene Glycol Ethers
• chlorine
• ammonia
• EDTA
• formaldehyde
• parabens

Plus, 1% of all revenues from the products is being donated to 1% For The Planet (www.onepercentfortheplanet.com), which is a network of environmental organizations around the world.

And soon, Sapadilla hopes to spread out across the rest of Canada (keep your fingers crossed!).

For retail info: visit www.sapadilla.com

Prices: $6 (dish soap), $7 (countertop cleanser), $9 (all-purpose cleaner)

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

canadian content

cn cities canadian contentMoleskine’s City Notebooks are the “little black book” for the stylish globetrotter. These handsome journals based on design destinations like Paris, London and New York include city-specific maps, ample space for note-taking, conversion charts, and sticky sheets to overlay on maps so that you can trace your route as you go, serving as both a guide AND souvenir of worldly meanderings. The Autumn 2008 Moleskine lineup sees two more Canadian cities included in the series – Toronto and Vancouver, joining the pre-existing Montreal offering –  a sure sign of the increasing recognition Canada’s earning among the world’s top design destinations! Yay us!

Price: $23

Available at: Chapters and Indigo Books & Music, 800-832-7569.