Style & Decor Blog

As a confirmed Blue Willow junkie, I was immediately drawn to Toronto-based printmaker Emma Nishimura’s booth at the previous One of a Kind Show. The intricate Chinoiserie styling, bird motifs and pairing of cobalt blue with crisp white in Emma’s stunning “Flight” collection of art play out like a tribute to my all-time favourite china pattern, and immediately rose to the top of my “Most Coveted” list.

“Between the Gaps” -  7.5″ x 9″, etching with aquatint and thread

For this breathtaking series, Emma drew inspiration from Japanese textiles, poetry, quilting patterns and new printmaking techniques. “I experimented and challenged myself to create work that plays with ideas of flight, water, wind and air,” she says.

“Bird 1″ - Intaglio: etching and aquatint on gampi, 3″ x 3″

“The Colour of the Sky and Sea, the Air We Breathe, the Gap in the Air” - Etching with aquatint and thread, 5″ x 8.5″

“Bird 2″ - Etching and aquatint on gampi, 3″x 3″

All images from www.emmanishimura.com

The various sizes of Emma’s prints (there’s quite a range) would make for an ideal grouping on a single wall. Would love to create my own custom art installation with these beauties!

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Forget your reflection – it’s the faboosh frames on these mirrors that are the fairest ones of all. These beauties are from the Lillian August Collection, which is a fairly recent addition to the lines carried at Oakville, Ontario’s stunning Cocoon. Extraordinary attention to traditional detail and the “instant heirloom” appeal of antique-finished gold and silver – with the occasional bit of Eglomise – elevate these mirrors to works of art.

Regency Oval

Barbados

Beauvoir

Hyde

Imperial

Lafayette

With the lavish opening night gala just hours away, I’ve got time for one more sneak peek at the 2010 Interior Design Show… The last in my “names to know” at the IDS series are Eva Milinkovic and Kris Gene of Tsunami Glassworks, a design duo whose modern organic sculptures in glass have been making some serious waves (sorry, couldn’t resist) since 2005.

Names: Eva Milinkovic & Kris Gene of Tsunami Glassworks

Home base: Windsor, Ontario

Claim to fame: Sleek, stunning and sculptural blown glass

Style Sleuth: What does the Interior Design Show mean to you?

Eva and Kris: “IDS is one of those amazing venues that showcases some of the best current design, and features some of the greatest Canadian designers. It’s a great way for young and emerging designers to show off their designs to the public, design professionals, and the press.”

Eva and Kris making a giant wisp.

SS: What are you debuting at IDS10?

Eva and Kris: “This year we’ll be showcasing sculptural lighting, playing with organic forms made from black glass suspended in space.”

Tsunami’s Hypervoxel Chandelier:

(Hand blown glass components suspended from lighting unit by steel cables. By using multiples to create scale, Hypervoxel operates as a sculptural chandelier custom-tailored for large or small applications.)

SS: What was your last home purchase?

Eva & Kris: “A modern-looking rectangular tub by Neptune for our bathroom renovation.”

SS: Where is design going in 2010?

Eva & Kris: “The top directional trends for design in 2010 will be a balance of past and future, with the emphasis on sustainability using reclaimed materials and the utilization of 21st century tools like computer assisted design and advances in manufacturing practices.”

SS: What are your fave colours of-the-moment?

Eva: “Lime green.”

Kris: “Gun metal grey.”

Check out the latest from Tsunami Glassworks at the Interior Design Show, January 21-24, Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

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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Even the hurricane-force gusts channelling through the streets of Toronto couldn’t stop me from getting to the One of a Kind Show on Saturday. And to say I was pleasantly surprised by the Canadian artisan-o-rama’s Spring 2009 installment would be an understatement. Even though a lot of the vendors were the familiar friendly faces, the merchandising was so fresh and inspiring, and there was just a really good vibe to the whole event (unlike the other show I attended this weekend — more on that later!). There’s never been a more important time to buy Canadian and support our own artisans!

And, seeing as how I’m an incorrigible list-maker, let’s break this down into a…

TOP FIVE FINDS at the One Of A Kind Show!

(In no particular order.)

5. Porcelaines Bousquet, 866-445-8696; St-Jean-Baptiste, Que., 450-464-2596

Louise Bousquet’s hand-made porcelain dishware, vases and accessories are truly timeless pieces. I love her floral “frog” (in the image above) that slots directly into the mouths of her vases, making arrangements of items like tulips totally hassle-free. Louise is always adding something new to her collection, and this year it’s a gorgeously textural band around the rims of her bowls. Simply stunning.

4. Margi Laurin’s Altered Books, Morrisburg, Ont., 613-543-2835

Here’s a real trash-to-treasure success story! Margi Laurin breathes new life into discarded library books by replacing the original book pages with blank note paper, creating unique, one-of-a-kind journals. I’m a total sucker for vintage books, and seeing them repurposed in this way is right up my alley. I love how Margi leaves select pages from the original books — especially illustrations — randomly scattered throughout the journals. Charming! 

3. Schleeh Design, Montreal, 514-762-3720

The “Embracelet” designed by internationally renowned Canadian artist Colin Schleeh caught the eye of my friend Lisa. Sculptural, stylish and substantial without being chunky, this hand-painted wood bracelet with a resin coating was certainly one of the show’s standout pieces.

2. Timid Glass, Toronto, 416-893-3052

You might recognize these glass “Imagery Bowls”, as the One of a Kind Show promoters (understandably) used the dramatic designs of Timid Glass’s Sally McCubbin and Aaron Oussoren to promote the show on CityLine and other media outlets in the weeks leading up the event. Contemporary, cool and colourful, Timid’s pieces are a very refreshing addition to the One of a Kind Show’s offerings.

1. Judy Black Acid Sunset pillow in Cyan

Run by two sisters — Jennifer does the design and Valerie handles the number-crunching, Judy Black’s booth was positively screaming for attention. The graphic prints and colours grabbed my eye from afar, but also bear close scrutiny. There’s a great attention to detail on the pillows (a hidden zipper on the pillow cover for full washability; and the use of cotton with a remarkably soft hand finish), and as all of their creations are hand-printed with waterbased ink, there’s a great green component as well.

Did you make it to the show? What did you think?

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No, this isn’t another exotic new wallcovering. It’s actually artisanal, hand-made paper, imported by Papeterie in Thornhill, Ontario. I had the chance to chat with Papeterie’s Zarine Baxter at the Canadian Gift and Tableware Association show back in January, and totally fell for her artful applications of these gorgeous papers. Check out the metallic print from above, applied to home office accessories…

Waste basket, file holder and pencil cup

What a gorgeous way to add some style (and organization!) to a home office. (They also make for great host gifts when traveling, as each of these pieces fold flat!)

For retailers, contact: Papeterie, Thornhill, Ont., 905-660- 6033

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

Scale is everything. It can transform frumpy into fabulous, and vintage into cutting-edge vogue. I love what artist Alanna Cavanagh has done with these timeworn retro Penguin Books covers. By blowing them up to enormous proportions — these measure 43 x 32″! — they’re suddenly au courant art for the home. And how cute would “A Room Of One’s Own” be in a bedroom? I love the coffee cup-stain too — pure class!

Alanna Cavanagh limited edition 43-by-32-inch silkscreen prints

Price: $1,400 each (framed)

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

One of the most valuable tenets of antique-hunting that I’ve picked up? Look past the art — look at the frame! There are so many grand, baroque frames wasted on awful paint-by-numbers pieces (you know the type — creepy clowns, and possibly even more disturbing, those crying kids… Eek…) that are just dying for reinvention with a lick of pristine white paint. Or, if you’re not so DIY-inclined, you can get the look with Harry Allen’s gorgeous picture frame. Based on an antique frame Harry found in his brother’s closet, it’s recreated in glorious detail in trendy resin.

My Brother’s Frame (23 x 18.5″; fits 4 x 6″ image)

Price: $189 US

Available at: Generate Design, 514-295-4678