Style & Decor Blog

Oh, to be in New York at Christmastime…

One of my fave sources for over-the-top-glamorous tableware – Kim Seybert – is hosting a sample sale next week, and the savings are unbelievable: 40 - 60% off retail! (Savings that probably translate into the price of a plane ticket… lol) These are the table accessories that you’d normally find gracing the shelves at Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Saks, but priced to sell…

As my pal Tommy Smythe proclaims in our Trendspotting story in the January 2010 issue of STYLE AT HOME (on newsstands soon!), “Vive le Maximaliste!”

Here are the deets if you happen to find yourself in Manhattan next week. (In which case, I’ll happily provide you with my wish list.)

Tuesday, Dec. 8, 9AM-7PM

Wednesday, Dec. 9, 9AM - 7PM

Thursday, Dec. 10, 9AM - 7PM

37 West 37th St., 8th Floor (between 5th and 6th Avenues)

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

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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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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Check out Teatro Verde’s new digs!

A favourite haunt of Toronto’s top tastemakers, Teatro Verde is bidding adieu to its storefront in the Hazelton Lanes Shopping Centre (get down there soon because the sale on the remaining merch is INCREDIBLE!), and setting up shop in this grand Georgian mansion on Yorkville Avenue. Reno work on the building seems to be coming along well, considering the grand opening’s scheduled for May 15.

I’m so pumped to think of this ginormous space (9,000 square feet!) filled with Shawn Gibson and Michael Pellegrino’s impeccably edited collection of small, gorgeous things, merchandised to perfection and complemented with their breathtaking floral arrangements… More details to come!

Teatro Verde, Toronto, 888-483-2876

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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

The Christmas before last, a photographer friend gave me a stunning piece of handcrafted pottery from Ingersoll, Ontario-based artist Shane Norrie, whose work I immediately fell for. Since then, you’ve seen Shane’s work in the pages of STYLE AT HOME, and on-screen, with his appearance in Miss Samantha’s smash hit Pure Design on HGTV. There’s a tangible earthiness to Shane’s pieces, not to mention the fact that they’re absolutely fascinating on a textural level. Samantha’s even dubbed his pieces “heirlooms of the future”, and I agree wholeheartedly. Shane’s expanded his repertoire by venturing into mixed media painting, and his work is now available through Canvas Gallery in Toronto, which means there’s more Shane to share. Yay!

Check out Shane’s blog here!

Untitled 24-by-24″ Mixed Media by Shane Norrie

Available at: Canvas Gallery, Toronto, 416-532-5275

Aight… This post will be short and sweet, as I’m reduced to one-handed typing after a nasty accident snapping Manzanita branches (don’t ask)… But I just had to share these gorge new accessories I spotted at Crate and Barrel. Grouping multiples at varying heights is a surefire way of stylish accessorizing, and these fantastic mango wood boxes add a sexy shot of citrus-fresh colour to any tablescape.

Temple Boxes

Price: $75 - $95 each

Available at:  Crate and Barrel, 888-657-4108

We’re putting the finishing touches on the February 2009 issue of STYLE AT HOME, our first-ever “Accessories”-themed issue! It’s been so much fun pulling together all the glamorous and gorgeous “smalls” that help make a house a home, but as always, there’s just not enough room in the book to share all of our faves. I’ve coveted this little guy ever since Paul Harper, managing director of Toronto’s design destination, South Hill Home, included one in the tablescape he designed for our June 2008 issue. Known as the Eames House Bird, this must-have for any mantel boasts sleek, graceful curves and a sexy black lacquer finish. Popularized by the legendary Charles and Ray Eames, the bird is the pinnacle of “haute folk”, and one of the most iconic accessories of the 20th century. A reproduction based on the original in cooperation with the Eames Family is now available through Design Within Reach!

Price: $210 US

Available at: Design Within Reach, Toronto, 416-977-4003