Fab find
Bee pressed-glass bud vases, $29 for set of 3; Williams-Sonoma.
Fresh flowers are blooming everywhere and it makes me want to bring those beautiful, bright buds home! It’s amazing how a few freshly cut florals can impact a room, so why not elevate the look with some textured glass vases? These honeycomb vases come in a set of three and I love that they’re shaped differently for an eclectic, yet unified arrangement.
What’s your favourite way to display flowers?
Even the hurricane-force gusts channelling through the streets of Toronto couldn’t stop me from getting to the One of a Kind Show on Saturday. And to say I was pleasantly surprised by the Canadian artisan-o-rama’s Spring 2009 installment would be an understatement. Even though a lot of the vendors were the familiar friendly faces, the merchandising was so fresh and inspiring, and there was just a really good vibe to the whole event (unlike the other show I attended this weekend — more on that later!). There’s never been a more important time to buy Canadian and support our own artisans!
And, seeing as how I’m an incorrigible list-maker, let’s break this down into a…
TOP FIVE FINDS at the One Of A Kind Show!
(In no particular order.)
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5. Porcelaines Bousquet, 866-445-8696; St-Jean-Baptiste, Que., 450-464-2596
Louise Bousquet’s hand-made porcelain dishware, vases and accessories are truly timeless pieces. I love her floral “frog” (in the image above) that slots directly into the mouths of her vases, making arrangements of items like tulips totally hassle-free. Louise is always adding something new to her collection, and this year it’s a gorgeously textural band around the rims of her bowls. Simply stunning.
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4. Margi Laurin’s Altered Books, Morrisburg, Ont., 613-543-2835
Here’s a real trash-to-treasure success story! Margi Laurin breathes new life into discarded library books by replacing the original book pages with blank note paper, creating unique, one-of-a-kind journals. I’m a total sucker for vintage books, and seeing them repurposed in this way is right up my alley. I love how Margi leaves select pages from the original books — especially illustrations — randomly scattered throughout the journals. Charming!Â
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3. Schleeh Design, Montreal, 514-762-3720
The “Embracelet” designed by internationally renowned Canadian artist Colin Schleeh caught the eye of my friend Lisa. Sculptural, stylish and substantial without being chunky, this hand-painted wood bracelet with a resin coating was certainly one of the show’s standout pieces.
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2. Timid Glass, Toronto, 416-893-3052
You might recognize these glass “Imagery Bowls”, as the One of a Kind Show promoters (understandably) used the dramatic designs of Timid Glass’s Sally McCubbin and Aaron Oussoren to promote the show on CityLine and other media outlets in the weeks leading up the event. Contemporary, cool and colourful, Timid’s pieces are a very refreshing addition to the One of a Kind Show’s offerings.
1. Judy Black Acid Sunset pillow in Cyan
Run by two sisters — Jennifer does the design and Valerie handles the number-crunching, Judy Black’s booth was positively screaming for attention. The graphic prints and colours grabbed my eye from afar, but also bear close scrutiny. There’s a great attention to detail on the pillows (a hidden zipper on the pillow cover for full washability; and the use of cotton with a remarkably soft hand finish), and as all of their creations are hand-printed with waterbased ink, there’s a great green component as well.
Did you make it to the show? What did you think?
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Still high on my orange kick, I wanted to share my latest hit of “Vitamin C for your home”. These statuesque ceramic statement pieces are new from Roche Bobois, and range in size from 8cm to 31cm high. Imagine them in a high-impact cluster on a mantel, or as part of a coffee tablescape… I just love vases that don’t need a floral arrangement to look fabulous!
For more colour inspiration, check out the April 2009 “Joy of Colour” issue of Style At Home, on stands now!
Rondo vases
Price: From $95 to $159
Available at: Roche Bobois, 800-717-2747
I suffer from acute buyer’s remorse, but more often than not, it’s because I DIDN’T buy something that caught my eye. I’m haunted by the sale price for nights after passing up an incredible deal. Hitherto unseen holes in my decor — ones that would have perfectly accommodated the item I’ve stubbornly refused to buy — taunt me mercilessly. The item in question this time around? This gorgeous blue and white Chinois vase from Bombay. Regular store price is only $69 (a great deal in itself), but I also passed up Bombay’s two-for-one deal this weekend… Why? WHY?!?! Imagine a pair of these beauties flanking a mantel, or even a fireplace hearth in lieu of andirons. While I’m still sulking, please feel free to share your best (and by best I mean most traumatizing) case of buyer’s remorse.
Blue and white squared Chinois vase, 18.5-by-6.25″
Price: $69
Available at: Bombay, 877-326-6229
When it comes to both fashion and decor, the fall and winter months are often a time for going dark. We tend to cast aside our bright, white, spring- and summer-coloured accessories and trade them in for warm, dark, cozy coloured ones. Light cottons make way for heavy wools and pastels step aside for charcoals and rusts. But when you think about it, what says winter more than white? These pure ceramic vases from West Elm are bright and inviting, and summon a feeling of crisp brisk winter days. There`s a real textural appeal to these and I love the contrast a cluster produces against a coloured wall.
Prices:
Woodland whites set: $59; Honeycomb cylinder vase: $29 each; Honeycomb bud vase: $9 each; Wood-grain planter: $29 each
Available at: West Elm, visit westelm.com for more information
Blame it on the first snowfall of the year: I’m already thinking of holiday sparkle, and how I’m going to be working merry metals into my festive decor. I’m dealing with huge expanses of warm, honey-tone parquet floor in my new small space, so I’m going to work with what I’ve got and go gold, copper and bronze instead of my old standby, silver. My inspiration piece for the entire approach to decking my halls is this stunning copper-painted glass vase — simple, sleek, and stunning on a grand scale (it’s 18-inches high!). Do you start with an inspiration piece for your holiday decorating? I want to hear what it is!
Alba handblown cased glass vase
Price: $70
Available at: Crate and Barrel, 888-657-4108
Camisole Vases by LightenUp Design are made with natural clays, handmade and nontoxic dyes, and embellished with real lace (see the detail at right), 12″ high, $160 US each.
Available at: www.greenwithglamour.com
Do you have a product you’d like to recommend for this blog? Email Laurie at naturalchic@styleathome.com!
Médias Transcontinental
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