Style & Decor Blog

Unexpectedly, my blog post on my hate-on for furnishings with bun feet ignited a firestorm of controversy here at the STYLE AT HOME offices… It turns out, there are a number of bun feet supporters - my colleagues included - who were eager to point out that there are, in fact, tons of nice buns (sorry, couldn’t resist) on the market. Our Senior Design Editor, Margot Austin, shared these beautiful bun contenders with me in an attempt to sway my opinion…

I confess, this first one I love - it’s an example of how a bun foot works well when used in conjunction with an open, airy-based piece of furniture.

This one’s quite pretty, too…

Aight, so maybe I’ll have to temper my earlier opinion, and concede that there are, as Margot pointed out, good bun feet and bad bun feet.

Where do you stand on the great bun debate?

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I’ve been noticing a lot bun feet on furniture recently, and I’ve got to say I’m not particularly chuffed.

Bun feet have the unfortunate effect of making a piece of furniture look dumpy. I can’t help but imagine the legs started off tall and sleek, but were squashed down to that unfortunate overturned egg shape under weight of a massive load. It’s like finishing off a peg pant with a gigantic chunky clog – not at all flattering.

I will concede that bun feet do work in the right context – airy-based, open-legged pieces tend to pull them off better than fully upholstered furnishings. But for your viewing pleasure, here are some of the worst offenders I spotted online… Enjoy.

No, everyone’s favourite pop-tart isn’t launching a collection at Pottery Barn Kids… But I’ve heard she has been dropping some cash there recently while decking out her little guys’ digs.

Rumour has it, BritBrit snatched up…

…The Pottery Barn Kids’ Pirate Bed in a rich Sun Valley Espresso finish. The trundle makes it absolutely perfect for sleepovers. And check out the Pirate Mast & Sail mounted to the wall behind the headboard – what an awesome little detail, and a testament to how thoroughly PBK explores its themed collections for kids’ rooms.

Seriously, how fun is that for a little boy bed?!?

Britney also allegedly picked up a couple of these ginormous Sun Valley plush Santas. This stuffed St. Nick comes in two sizes, as depicted - a petite Pere Noel at 18-inches, and a whopping 40-inch version.

Available at: Pottery Barn Kids

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One of IKEA’s staple storage collections hits a milestone this year… Billy – the bestselling bookcase in the WORLD – is turning 30!

To celebrate the anniversary, IKEA’s pulling out all the stops, including the launch of a limited-edition Billy series called Billy Jader.

Billy Jader’s got a playful, graffiti-inspired feel, with what looks like Sharpie-marker scrawlings lining the interior. Look a bit closer and you’ll notice that designer Annika Bryngelson’s actually used quotations from Shakespeare’s love sonnets in the script… Cute!

Here’s the full assortment of colourways available in the new series, which will be in stores for a limited time only. Those colourful little “B” bookends (which I’m rather partial to, naturally) are also part of the Billy anniversary release.

But have you ever wondered who was behind this iconic design?

Oddly enough, his name isn’t “Billy”.

Gillis Lundgren designed Billy in 1979, but had actually joined IKEA as the fourth employee (Wild! IKEA now has more than 128,000 employees overall…) back in 1953. What’s more, he doesn’t even necessarily see Billy as his masterpiece. Instead, he considers the Tore drawer unit (below) he designed in 1958 as the design he’s most proud of. So interesting!

Lundgren is also the man who came up with the idea of the flat pack, which will very likely be his most enduring legacy.

Fast facts:

* 41,000,000 - Number of Billy bookcases manufactured since 1979

* 15 - Number of Billy bookcase manufactured each minute at IKEA’s Gyllensvaan furniture factory

* Lundgren’s design philosophy: “At the end of the day, I designed for the many people,” he says. “I want to make solutions for everyday life, based on people’s needs. All my products are simple, practical and timeless. They should be useful no matter how old you are, or what your life situation is.”

Billy anniversary series, IKEA, 866-866-4532

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…

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.)

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.

Leon’s at the Roundhouse

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

Ooh, shiny! (I’m having another magpie moment.)

Structube’s new fall collection includes these gleaming white lacquer and chrome pieces at pretty outstanding price points. That little tray table is an absolute gem. Totally serviceable as an side table, but with an open, airy base that makes it ideal for a small space.

Zoe tray table, $149

Available at: Structube

I think we’ve all harboured one of these deep, dark secrets at some point in our lives.

Maybe they’re relics of student-living days, or inherited from a well-meaning great aunt, but all too often, these hideous hand-me-downs end up down in an unfinished basement or at the back of the garage in the hopes that they’ll disintegrate quietly of their own accord.

If you’ve still got one of these repugnant relics hanging around, Urban Barn is giving you the chance to turn your furniture faux-pas into cold hard cash.

Until September 20, you can submit your shameful sofas, tables, beds and armchairs in Urban Barn’s Ugly Furniture Contest for a chance to win a whopping $5,000 shopping spree (and the rather dubious distinction of “Canada’s Ugliest Furniture Owner”).

Good luck! Can’t wait to see the winning entry!!!

Did you get your copy yet???

Here’s a smattering of the yumminess inside IKEA’s new 2010 catalogue…

Loving the grey!  IKEA’s pronouncing it the achromatic hue of the year, and you’ll see it on its own and paired with bright colours throughout the book. 

Ektorp Pixbo three-seat sofa-bed in Svanby grey

I’m really falling for the geometric print (Figur grey) on the IKEA Stockholm easy chair. Here’s a detail:

And for all you naysayers who think grey can’t be “pretty”… 

Edland four-poster bed frame in white, Alvine Kvist duvet cover and two pillowcases, Alina bedspread in dark grey, Alvine Rand rug in grey/white/black, Ritva cushions and tie-backs in grey

And of course, my personal favourite… The new Edland series. It absolutely rocks in grey, and the curvaceous leg is a stunning little detail…

Edland night stand in grey

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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

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…

As 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.”

Louise 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.”

Although 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.”

And 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