Style & Decor Blog

Yanic Simard definitely falls on my list of “ones to watch”. As the principal of the Toronto Interior Design Group, Yanic’s work on a model home in Stouffville, Ont., graced the pages of our September issue, and left us hungry for more of his thoughtful, bright and airy interiors… Here are some of my fave spaces from this fresh face on the Canadian design scene…

Check out this custom walnut dining table… Like a fresh take on the waterfall table, but in wood.

Recognize this room? It was featured in both the September issue of Style At Home and on CityLine.

Iconic pieces, stunning in their simplicity.

There’s no excuse showing up for work looking disheveled with a bathroom like this at home…

Love this pendant…

So dreamy and elegant…

Want some more? Take a look at Yanic’s amazing portfolio here.

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As I’ve mentioned on this blog before, I’d choose the north shore of Lake Erie over the Muskokas for my slice of summer heaven any day, and here’s another reason why.

Nestled along the base of a hill in the picturesque beach town of Turkey Point, Ontario, this dream cottage is currently listed on MLS at only $429,000. Bonkers!

The landscaping of the 1,350-square-foot home is lush and brilliant (yes, that IS a palm tree in the foreground!), and the wraparound porch is almost too sweet to be true.

And – a rarity for many vacation homes at this price point – it’s move-in ready inside. In keeping with the beach setting, the decorating is light, bright and airy. I love the under-stair built-in storage!

Love the robin’s egg finish on the kitchen cabinets, as well. And the full contingent of stainless steel appliances might just make your backyard barbeques a thing of the past.

All this, plus three bedrooms! What a gem…

Check out the full MLS listing here!

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Austin Parkway public beach access, Long Point, Ont.

The August issue of STYLE AT HOME will be hitting newsstands this weekend (yay!), and the theme of the issue is “Simple Summer” – gorgeous summer getaways and easy, breezy outdoor living. 

Last weekend, I had the chance to ditch the sweltering urban heat island (I’m so not a fan of Toronto in the summer!) and escaped to my own slice of heaven – Long Point.

Long Point is a 40-kilometre sandspit that juts from southwestern Ontario into the warm waters of Lake Erie, and has been my summer getaway since I was a kid. Wide, sandy beaches, lined with whispering poplars that glint like silver in the summer sun, and an unpretentious atmosphere among the cottagers who have a real passion for the place… Regional Road 59 takes you down the fascinating Causeway, flanked on either side by marshes teeming with turtles and birds (over 300 species fly through Long Point through the year), and terminates at the Provincial Park – the fourth oldest park in the province. 

One of my fave activities on the Point, of course, is to go dream cottage shopping. I’ve always loved this buttery-yellow beachfront property, which sold two summers ago for a prince’s ransom (I’d heard $750,000, but that’s local gossip talking).

Why do I love it? It’s a combination of knockout location, with a modest, charming design that doesn’t take away from the splendour of the landscape (Long Point is recognized as a United Nations World Biosphere).

The most famous property on the Point, however, has got to be the Old Cut Lighthouse.

Built in 1879, the three-storey fort-style beacon with a fascinating history is now a private residence, lovingly restored. The renovation actually won a number of awards, including “Most Outstanding Historical Renovation in Ontario”. Isn’t the fence awesome?!

I’ve always wanted to see inside, and a little websleuthing brought up these tasty snaps. You can also see the shabby state the lighthouse was in towards the end of the 1990s… The transformation is nothing short of stunning!

Sometimes a picture just speaks for itself.

A brilliant azure sky, soft pink rhododendrons (they grow like weeds throughout Copenhagen!), and the vivid cyan of a tarnished bronze statue conspire to form a lasting impression in the King’s Gardens at the heart of Copenhagen.

The King’s Gardens, Copenhagen

I don’t think anything could prepare me for the experience of dining at a waterside cafe in Nyhavn. A harbour canal in Copenhagen (the name “Nyhavn” literally translates into “New Harbour”) that’s dotted with moored old sailing ships, it’s possibly the most atmospheric place in the Danish capital. It’s along this canal that world-famous fairytale writer, Hans Christian Anderson, lived for a time; but now it’s packed with posh eateries and antique shops.

Most of the houses along the canal are more than 300 years old, and have been restored in breathtaking colours (some of which actually reminded me of the new Hacienda Style palette from Pittsburgh Paints that I mentioned last week). A feast for the eyes! 

One of the sweetest surprises of dining on the canal? Once the evening chill sets in, restaurant staff provided us with blankets so that we could remain outdoors. Naturally, they were IKEA.

What a thoughtful idea for your next al fresco soiree! 

Here I am modeling the latest in Nyhavn evening wraps with the fab Olivia Stren. (Thanks to Canadian Living’s Karen Kirk for providing the shot!)

Irma 67-by-51″ fleece throw blanket, $4, IKEA

Hellooooo from sunny Copenhagen! And when I say sunny, I mean INTENSE gorgeousness - it’s reached 27-degrees in a deliciously uncharacteristic turn of the weather here in the Danish capital.

On the ferry from Sweden to Denmark! Breezy but bright!

I’m soaking up Scandi-style on a whirwind expedition led by the folks at IKEA Canada, who had a very exciting release in store for us at the Swedish town of Almhult.

Almhult was the birthplace of Ingvar Kamprad (now 83 years old!), who founded the Swedish style powerhouse back in 1958. The town is also the site of the very first IKEA store, and remains the hub of many of IKEA’s worldwide operations.

The Almhult IKEA location - the first IKEA store in the world!

We actually got to stay in an IKEA-run hotel just opposite the Almhult IKEA, called IKEA Vardshuset. It was really sweet - decorated entirely in IKEA furnishings and accessories! (The closest I’ll ever come to realizing my secret fantasy of spending the night in an IKEA showroom!)

My room!

The exterior of Vardhuset Hotel & Restaurant. Simple and spare, but so sweet!

So what is this big news from IKEA?

Unfortunately, I’m sworn to secrecy for a little while yet - the product has yet to reach Canadian shores! What I can share is the ultrasecret little bunker where they took us to reveal a fantastic new collection… Piqued your interest yet? lol

The mysterious “bunker”…

I’ll be back with more over the next few days! Be well!

Woo-hoo!

The Embassy of Denmark in Ottawa really appreciated a story I’d written on Danish design greats for the February 2009 issue of Style At Home, and have featured it on their website! (You can download a PDF of the original story by clicking on the link on the top right of that page.) What an honour!

Carl Hansen’s Wishbone Chair, Carl Hansen & Son

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

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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Goodbye, Ultra Supper Club; hello Ultra! The radical redesign and rebranding of Toronto’s elegant eatery reestablishes Ultra as the place to see and be seen in the hip Queen & Soho neighbourhood. If you’re not distracted by playing “spot the celeb”, check out the 15 ft. tall roosters, rendered on soaring screens from iconic photographer Stephen Green-Armytage. At the hub of Ultra’s “social dining experience”, the daring Canadian designers at Castor have crafted a grand solid oak dining table that seats 24. The 25-foot behemoth also doubles as a runway! Delish madness! Would you care for a catwalk after your cocktails?

Check out the hand-carved legs of Castor’s dining table. Incredible detail!

Acclaimed design duo munge//leung have delivered a delightfully tongue-in-cheek-global-chic vibe for the space. The cavernous entrance is lit by Moroccan-style lanterns and establishes a surprisingly intimate atmosphere. So gorgeous!

Ultra, 314 Queen St. W., Toronto, 416-263-0330

Photos by Device 222