Style & Decor Blog

As you read on Style Sleuth back in October, Steven and Chris are back – but before they get back into the routine of their daily show (which begins on Monday, January 4, 2010), they’re hosting a faboosh festive special.

Deck The Halls With Steven & Chris is set to air on CBC on Thursday, December 10 at 8PM, and pulls together some of the country’s biggest names – George Stroumboulopoulos, Jully Black and the divine DT herself… Debbie Travis!!! YAY! – to share in the celebrations.

With Steven and Chris playing host for this special, I only thought it fair that they share some of their top entertaining tips with us. Here goes!

Steven & Chris’s Holiday Entertaining Tips

1.  Choose your holiday theme colours and adopt them for the season. Go from head to toe - everything from the tree to the giftwrapping in the same palette will give you that professional look. Don’t forget to look for things you already have to incorporate into your holiday decor - a silver teapot, some books, even your existing plates - the possibilities are endless!

2. Simple centrepieces can be made using everyday grocery store items. From beautiful pears in green or red, green grapes, even clementines - you can mix them with inexpensive greenery from the floral section of your supermarket (lemon leaves, eucalyptus) for an elegant and natural feel for your table.

3. Save your scraps of ribbon from giftwrapping, even if they’re only four inches long. These can be used to make a ribbon chain - an elegant and fun version of this childhood tradition can be wonderful for trimming the tree.

4. This year, why not try and avoid the bloated feeling you get after Christmas dinner? Try serving a salad in between the starter and main course. It cleanses the palate and gives you a break so you don’t feel as if you’re continuously eating and eating.

5. It can be frustrating to slave over a hot stove all day, just to see a fabulous meal devoured in 10 minutes. Why not slow it down by playing a party game? Place a Trivial Pursuit card under each person’s plate and take turns reading questions to the table.

Fun ideas! Thanks guys!

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You know those email surveys that you fill out, and then forward to the next person?

I asked Samantha Pynn, host of HGTV’s Pure Design and Contributing Design Editor here at STYLE AT HOME to fill out my own version… Here goes!

Heels or flats? “Heels!”

Favourite art? “I love so many different types of art. Sculpture, glass, painting, photos. I love Virginia Macdonald’s photography, and so many of the gorgeous paintings from Art Interiors; Lisa and Shira have a wonderful eye for talent.”

Favourite rooms? “Living and dining. I grew up in a house with an open living/dining room at the front of the house. We used that space for reading, listening to music, playing and of course dining - we were just in them all the time and I love and live in my living/dining room the most. It’s usually the most finished and gracious room in the house, and for me, the most lived-in.”

Favourite gadget? “I am a gadget reject. But I love my pink Canon camera. These days I am all about documenting life.”

Favourite neighbourhood restaurant? “Fresh by Juice for Life! Is Starbucks a restaurant?”

Bag or clutch? “Big bag! I carry everything. I never know when I’m going to need a tape measure or floral snips!”

Who inspires you in interior design? “Steven Gambrel, Thom Filicia, David Overholt - former design editor at STYLE AT HOME, interior designer and my mentor. Julia Black and Malcolm Patterson – two designers who I work with and adore. We’ve been together since season one of Pure Design.”

Favourite eco-friendly decorating item? “Vintage furniture! I just pulled over and lifted a settee into the back of my hatch!”

Favourite design you’ve created? “So hard… I madeover a seventeen-year-old girl’s room last year, and I could’ve moved in!”

Favourite place in the world? “Home.”

Thanks Sam!

Watch Pure Design on HGTV, Tuesdays at 9PM EST!

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What do Steven & Chris, Peter Fallico and the Suzanne Dimma all have in common?

Now household names across the country, they all got their start on hit shows produced by WestWind Pictures on HGTV.

Here’s the exciting bit… You now have a chance to join their ranks, with WestWind Pictures and HGTV Canada’s new hunt for the Next Big Design Star!

Canadidates have one month to produce a maximum 2-minute video to display their design savvy. The video must have a short intro with the candidate’s biographical details, and then maybe a quick do-it yourself project, or a design-on-a-dime idea. Throw out all the stops and wow the team with your energy, personality and talent (think Mary Tyler Moore show opening credits!), then email the compressed video file to the folks at WestWind by clicking here.

After the November 27th deadline, 20 to 30 of the best entries will be selected, and finalists will be contacted in early December for a live screen test.

Good luck!

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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.)

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…

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

Did I just hear someone utter “fabulous”?

The hiatus is officially over!

Starting January 4, 2010, Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman are returning to CBC-TV with their eponymous lifestyle show, Steven and Chris.

The guys have spent their summer hiatus traveling the country and abroad, researching the latest trends in lifestyle, decor, food and fashion, and have returned fresh and eager to share their experiences with viewers. First up is a Holiday Special in December, followed by their weekday show in January.

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With the premiere of Pure Design’s sophomore season on HGTV on Tuesday, September 29  at 9PM, Samantha Pynn returns to the small screen to deliver another shot of sustainable style.

What can we expect from round two of Pure Design?

“Our interiors are really awesome this year,” Samantha says. “The spaces are really tailor-made for the homeowners this season, ranging from the most traditional to ultramodern.” And that “liveability” is important, she says. “They’re the ones who have to live in the space, so they have to be happy!”

I weaseled an invite down to the Pure Design Production Office to take a peek inside Samantha’s world of beautiful before-and-after transformations, only to find that her office itself was subject to the makeover maven’s magic wand.

“Before,” says Sam, “this office was really cold and the colour was wrong.” She’s hard pressed to put a name to the hue that adorned the walls – “let’s call it ‘beige’” – and the outdated office fittings were anything but inspiring. “The 1980s ‘working girl’ desk gave me the chills, and we could never find anything – it was a state of complete disorganization.”

But armed with her inimitable style – and some fantastic finds from IKEA – Samantha brought order to chaos.

BEFORE… “Very dingy and damp-feeling”

AFTER!

“I think you can tell this space is very ‘me’!” says Samantha.

A crisp coat of Benjamin Moore’s Dune White CC-70 set the stage for Samantha’s office refresher, and by laying down gorgeous copper-tone seagrass carpet from Carpet One Floor & Home, the room shed all vestiges of its cold, institutional vibe. A new boardroom table flanked by IKEA’s contemporary classic Tobias chairs makes for an inviting meeting space that Samantha’s reluctant to take full credit for. “Pure Design Senior Stylist Malcolm Patterson helped me design the space,” she says. “He balanced my feminine style with some midcentury modern pieces from IKEA.”

And in keeping with Samantha’s environmentally-conscious approach, the old office furnishings found new homes at other offices in the building instead of ending up on the scrapheap.

BEFORE…

AFTER!

The production office is home to Samantha and six of her staff, but everyone’s got ample workspace in the new layout, thanks to new desks (in actuality, four Melltorp dining tables pushed together to form one gigantic worktop), and rolling under-desk filing cabinets from IKEA. The table lamps are from IKEA as well, but Samantha customized them by mixing-and-matching the lamp base with a different shade. “It’s always good to put your own spin on a piece,” she says. “Make it your own!”

The walls are lined with Samantha’s inspiration boards, complete with tears from her favourite photos from Style At Home magazine. The boards themselves are upholstered in pretty lavender fabric from Robert Allen. “I love how the lavender works with the apple green and pink accents in the room,” she says. “I wanted it to feel like a floral arrangement come to life.”

To create privacy without sacrificing natural light, Samantha selected translucent window treatments from Hunter Douglas Canada. Below the windows, acrylic trays from IKEA ensure fabric swatches stay neat and tidy – and save time when Samantha’s hunting for a particular sample, as the clear acrylic means all swatches are visible without having to dig.

Unfinished magazine boxes and filing drawers from IKEA were painted a perky apple green – another case of Samantha putting her personal stamp on mass market merch.

Adjacent to the conference table is this sweet little lounge. I love the Karlstad sofa from IKEA in this Linneryd Natural-colour slipcover, which is paired with the Vejmon coffee table – repainted, of course, this time in Benjamin Moore’s Violet Mist CC-880. Eagle-eyed Samantha fans will recognize the pink tufted chair from her own home, featured in Style At Home back in June 2008. Pretty patterned pillows break up the solid, softly-hued upholstery and add a hint of romance.

And those gorgeous floral arrangements that are among Samantha’s trademark flourishes? “One of our producers has a beautiful cutting garden,” Samantha says. “We always have fresh flowers here at the office.”

You’ll see more of Samantha’s office in Season Two of Pure Design!

Premiering Tuesday, September 29  at 9PM, HGTV

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It’s that time again…

(Me, Style At Home editor-in-chief Jane Francisco, contributing decorating editor Kimberley Seldon and CityLine host Tracy Moore)

Join me, Kimberley Seldon and special guest Samantha Pynn (I’m SO cited to finally be on-air with my old partner in crime!) on the Tuesday, September 29 episode of CityLine. I’ll be setting the table for harvest brunch, and adding to the overall mayhem that’s bound to ensue when you get the three of us together… Can’t WAIT!!!

Here’s one of the plates I’m using in my tablescape… SO dreamy!

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I was watching CBC’s The Hour the other day, and host George Stroumboulopoulos’ running gag of referring to himself as “Canada’s boyfriend” actually made me think. He’s very likely the most talented interviewer on television at the moment, has a wicked sense of humour, and seems fiercely intelligent. But if George really was my boyfriend, I pondered, my first order of business would be to ditch those dreadful red pleather chairs on his set.

I doubt any single piece of furniture in this country has supported as many famous bums as this chair, and apart from George, it’s probably The Hour’s most recognizable icon, but let’s face it - his set’s in need of a new hot seat. And one that’s less fire-engine-red.

But what to replace it with? In my opinion, the red is a little too in-your-face (not to mention severely limiting as far as guests’ attire is concerned - what exactly does one wear so as not to clash with cooked-lobster?), so I’d go for something neutral or achromatic. Having said that, the lines of the current chair are pretty much spot-on, and entirely appropriate to the rest of the set design: clean and contemporary, with a bit of sparkle-and-shine in the polished chrome finish leg. What I’d also like to see is a chair that’s designed by Canadians. Honestly - what a fantastic opportunity for the Ceeb to promote domestic design!

With that shopping list in mind, one chair immediately sprang to mind…

Bye bye, retro kitsch; hello Trudeau! The Trudeau armchair from Toronto-based furniture designers Gus Design Group is a clean and contemporary Canadian classic that could be seamlessly integrated onto the existing set. The arms are more slender than the red chairs, which would allow more guest than chair to dominate each camera shot, and it’s still got that slightly industrial stainless steel base that’s in keeping with the red model.

For an even warmer option, what about Gus Design Group’s Spencer chair?

The button-tufting is such a gorgeous detail, and lends the chair a really comfortable look while retaining the clean lines of the original. I can totally see celebs feeling at home in this number.

Whaddya say, George? Give me a ring if you’re interested. lol

Debbie Travis, the doyenne of DIY done right, is making a rare appearance in Toronto!

On Wednesday, August 5, Canadian Tire is hosting “What Women Want” – a day of music, free product samples, large prizes and interactive booths focusing on home decor, organization, kitchen, fitness and lawn and garden. 

Things get rolling at 11AM at Yonge & Dundas Square, with Debbie speaking at 12:30PM, and signing autographs afterwards.

Other special guests throughout the day include artist Walter Campbell, BBQ master Ted Reader, professional organizer Clare Kumar and yoga instructor Cynthia Rose.

What can you expect to see in Debbie’s Canadian Tire product preview? Here’s a sneak peek…

And of course…

Sounds like a great day out with you mom, sis and girlfriends – and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet this decorating legend face to face!

Oh yeah – did I forget to mention it’s FREE?!?! Craziness!

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Fans of TLC’s Take Home Chef take note – the small screen does Aussie food phenom Curtis Stone no justice. The guy’s unnervingly good-looking in real life. Not to mention extremely talented at what he does: taking everyday ingredients and whipping them into something truly spectacular.

Curtis was in Toronto recently to introduce his stunning new cookbook (with a slant towards simple cooking methods and ingredients that are easy to come by), Relaxed Cooking With Curtis Stone, and a stunning line of kitchen aids at The Bay. While here, he also offered a cooking class at the lovely Dish Cooking Studio for the press (a group that’s likely more familiar with microwave meals than the nuances of pretty plating).

The first course? Tuna tartar – a brilliant balance of sweet (yummy palm sugar), sour (lime), salt and spice. The tuna was marinaded in the lime juice, which actually has the effect of “cooking” the tuna without ever exposing it to the grill. (It was so good, I ate half of it before I remembered to take a snap.)

Each course was paired with the perfect wine, selected by Curtis. (Which is why the snaps might become blurrier with each passing course…) His linguine was accompanied by a lovely chardonnay, and the lamb ratatouille with a delightful chiraz. “Wine is just another ingredient,” Curtis says. “You wouldn’t put anything into the dish that would conflict with the other ingredients, and the same applies to wine pairings.”

The last time he was in Canada, Curtis toured Niagara wine country, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “You have great wines here,” he says.

For the second course, Curtis prepared linguine with pesto and shrimp. This is a little more my style.

If you’ve ever watched Take Home Chef, you may have wondered how it actually works on a logistical level. On the show, Curtis seems to randomly approach a stranger at the supermarket (who always happens to be a gorgeous gal, strangely enough), who proceeds to take him back to her house to cook dinner. Surely it can’t be as random as it appears on-screen? “The producers have a chat with potential girls as they walk into the supermarket,” explains Curtis. “If they’re interested, they’ll tie a ribbon onto their shopping cart to let me know I can approach them in the store.” Aha! 

But has there ever been a case where the show’s set-up backfired?

“Has anyone every seen the show Cheaters?” Curtis laughs. “Every now and then, the girl’s boyfriend would come home from work, and see a film crew set up in their kitchen. They’re very relieved to find out it’s Take Home Chef and not Cheaters – they think they’ve been busted. That’s always fun.” He’s only been kicked out of a house by a jealous hubby once.

And then there was the time when Curtis followed a shopper back to her house, only to find out that she hadn’t paid her gas bill, and the kitchen was without power…

But what’s Curtis’ entertaining style at his own LA home? “The best sort of host is a relaxed one,” he says. “An air of formality can make people uncomfortable. Just like with cooking, you can’t take it too seriously. A relaxed approach makes it personal; a much nicer experience.”

And here’s that lamb ratatouille I was talking about. Basted in dijon, this was definitely my fave course of the evening, and even won over an avowed vegetarian in the crowd (for reals). Right before serving, Curtis burned fresh rosemary to fill the room with the mouth-watering aroma – the perfect sensory complement to the dish.

Ooh, I’m getting hungry all over again just looking at these shots… For these recipes (and hundreds more), check out Curtis’ new cookbook, Relaxed Cooking With Curtis Stone. And for my full Q&A with Curtis, check out the September issue of Style At Home, on newsstands next week!