Style & Decor Blog

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

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!

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…

… And after!

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

Let’s face it – we’re more inclined to be pulling the “staycation” this summer. Instead of flying to some far-flung, sun-drenched vacation resort, we’re going to invest in our own nest and hunker down in our own private havens.

But that doesn’t mean abandoning glamour, of course. Even in the depths of a gloomy economy, you can bring the look of a haute hotel terrace home with a few well-chosen bargains from HomeSense. Yes, ladies and gents – that vignette above is strictly style-for-less stuff, pulled together entirely from HomeSense!

Here’s the lowdown on those low-priced, high-style outdoor essentials:

Outdoor daybed, $1,300

Metallic cushions, from $20 - $35 each

Decorative handblown glass vases, from $10 - $15 each

Glass ice bucket, $50

Coming soon to a HomeSense near you!

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My style-sleuthing is leading me to Copenhagen this summer and I came across these crazy Danish digs…

Hotel Fox is situated in the heart of the Danish capital, and touts itself as “the world’s most exciting and creative lifestyle hotel”. Designed by 21 international artists from the fields of graphic design, urban art and illustration, Hotel Fox is a gallery of 61 no-two-alike rooms of sheer, wacked-out whimsy… 

My fave room is the “King’s Court 1″, designed by Birgit Amadori of Germany. A little bit fairy tale, a little bit Manga, it’s spare but strangely sumptuous at the same time. I’m also a sucker for great blue-and-white combos. And the Medusa on the walls is so very Versace!

Andreas Mindt’s startling “Highlights” room breathes life into the stark simplicity of an achromatic scheme with flowing lines and a real sense of motion. Not a room you’d want to be in after a dizzying night of partying, though.

Brisbane design collective Rinzen, conceived the “Dryads” room as a playful little fantasy-land. The raised bed is intended to suggest “walking into the heart of the forest”, surrounded by trees and fallen foliage. 

Light, bright and refreshingly bonkers! I wonder what it would be like in person…

Check out the other 58 rooms here!

All images courtesy of Hotel Fox

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It is with deep sadness and regret that I wish to inform you that IKEA’s Arvinn chair is not long for this world…

Parting with a favourite piece can be such sweet sorrow. The Arvinn - perhaps the ultimate folding cafe chair - will remain in stock in the woody Antique Stain, but I always preferred the White option, and that’s the one that’s headed for the great IKEA Museum in the Sky by the end of June. At only $50 bones a pop, I’d strongly suggest you rush out and pick up as much of these as you can before they start disappearing forever. They’re a fantastic small space solution — just hang them on the wall folded when they’re not in use — and the price point simply can’t be beat.

I was also surprised to find another iconic IKEA release has recently vanished from shelves, and that’s the Stockholm green glass vase:

This was one of those contemporary classics that seemed to pop up in every interior, making it more of a natural choice for discontinuation (is that even a word?), if only because of its overexposure. Still love it, though.

But there’s no single IKEA piece that I miss quite like the Lack sofa table.

This pared-down, Parsons-style stunner was probably the most versatile table that IKEA’s ever released. I’ve owned about five or six of them — three of which were purchased the second I heard these were being discontinued in mid-2005 — and they’ve served me so well. As a standard sofa table, anchoring a floating piece of furniture in a room; as a console in the front hall; and even as a makeshift breakfast bar, the Lack tackled all of my small space dilemmas with simplicity and style, and is sorely missed.

Of course, discontinuing stock is a spring cleaning ritual that means exciting new releases are just around the corner. I’m off to Sweden at the end of May to report on all the amazing new products IKEA’s dreamt up for 2009 that will have your “loving your home” more than ever. Will keep you posted!

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Bargain hunters, be warned. You will covet the fantastic finds I recently scouted from the HomeSense summer preview… Because really, to borrow a phrase from those inane credit card commercials, “Can you afford not to”?

Ready? Let’s go!

High-gloss ginger jars, from $25 each

If you only buy one accessory this summer, make it a ginger jar. “Must have” is a term that’s over-used, but these shapely stunners really do work just about anywhere.

Embroidered cushions, $25 each

Crewelwork and embroidery are hot hot hot, and it’s rare to see such elaborate stitching at such an amazing price point… Snatch’em up!

Etched-glass drinkware, $4 each

Taking design cues from on-trend Moroccan tea glasses, these little gems would make for lovely votives as well.

Retro-inspired glass goblets, $3 each

These beauties will have your guests wondering how much you’ve just plunked down for antique Depression-era glassware. Borrowing the jewel-like tones of those 1930s antiques, but updated in a global medley of pressed-glass forms, these goblets are a surefire way of introducing a splash of summer to any tabletop.

These pieces are trickling into HomeSense locations across the country… Happy hunting!

Check out HomeSense or 866-466-3707 for the location nearest you!

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Ooh, have I got a treat in store for you…

My colleague and fave sweetie-pie Samantha Pynn has invited me down to Pure Design’s new production office! In the midst of producing the smash-hit’s sophomore season, Samantha decided that her base of operations here in Toronto needed a shot of the same chic she injects in each of her TV makeovers. I’m going to take you behind the scenes at Pure Design to show you the amazing before & after transformation of Samantha’s own office, right here on Style Sleuth… Can’t wait!

I’ll keep you posted…

In the meantime, check out Samantha’s greatest hits from Season One — you can still watch them online on HGTV!

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What do Steven Sabados, Peter Fallico and Samantha Pynn all have in common?

Well, apart from being style-savvy celebs with top TV shows, they all got their start in the hallowed halls of Style At Home magazine.

The latest of the S@H alumnus to make a name for herself is our former Design Department intern Alison Dawson, who you may recognize if you’ve ever dropped in at Mokuba, Toronto’s famed go-to gallery for luxe ribbon. (If you’ve never been, make it a point to stop by. We’re talking 27,000 high-end ribbons, trims and lace, here.)

Through her own business, Chapeau de Gateau, Alison takes gorgeous, Japanese ribbon from Mokuba, and elevates it to spectacular heights as one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, in a collection called “C’est Joli”. I’m nuts for these necklaces… The fluid shapes are simply stunning. It really looks like a flowing ribbon, frozen in time.

And check out these laced-up bracelets… So pretty! They’ve totally got an Anthropologie vibe going on.

Alison also transforms ordinary ribbon into extraordinary custom cake-toppers (incredible inedibles, anyone?) for special events, hence “Chapeau de Gateau”. So delicate and unique, and a great way to make a style statement at a summer wedding…

You can keep up to speed with Alison and her beautifully beribboned bijoux on her Chapeau de Gateau blog here.

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For years, Anthropologie’s been at the top of my list of “American stores that should open Canadian locations”. It’s nice to know that someone’s been paying attention to my listmaking.

Scheduled for a grand opening on April 22, Anthropologie’s first Canadian storefront — at the new Shops At Don Mills outdoor shopping centre in Toronto (which my friend Janine Falcon likens to The Grove in L.A.!) — is generating not so much a buzz, as it is a deafening drone. I mean, it’s impossible to overstate how big of a deal this is. Whereas we used to only be able to order “small, gorgeous things” from Anthropologie’s website (glamorous knobs and cabinet hardware, sweet stitched monogram table linens…), we now have full access to big, yummy lighting, rugs and furniture that we’ve drooled over in each issue of the Anthropologie catalogue, but couldn’t order due to shipping restrictions. 

There’s no sneak peek at the store interior itself (the image at top is from one of Anthropologie’s 121 already-existing U.S. locations), but my peeps at Anthropologie H.Q. say the 8,000 square foot store will have “a rustic modern feel, realized with reclaimed materials and work by artists and artisans, such as surfaces hand-crafted from plaster, paper and fabric”.

In this gorge shell, Anthropologie’s famed visual merchandisers (they’ve actually hired a full-time TEAM of visual merchandisers!) will be crafting creative and innovative window and store displays “that possess a sense of surprise and discovery.” Their theme for the store launch?  Bees!  ”The store’s bee-themed windows will reflect in abstract ways upon their role in our world. Bee-related iconography like hives and honeycombs will be recreated with unexpected materials and whimsy.” For a store that’s generating so much buzz, it’s hard to imagine anything more appropriate. ;) 

Anthropologie, Shops At Don Mills, 1090 Don Mills Rd., Toronto

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Images courtesy of Anthropologie