Style & Decor Blog

Good morning, all! Thanks so much to my guest blogger Margot Austin, who must have pulled an all-nighter to deliver her post below on the lovely lighting at last night’s launch gala for the Interior Design Show.

Margot’s got a tough job ahead of her, as she’s been given the honour of judging booths for the IDS’s “best in show” awards later this weekend – not an easy decision by any means!

Having said that, year after year I’m staggered by the beauty of Snob’s booth. Snob owner Denise Zidel’s passion for African design is absolutely contagious, and with her exotic collection at IDS10, she’s truly outdone herself. It’s one of those booths that require you to stop for a few minutes and let your eyes soak in all the gorgeous little details. Here are a few of my Snob faves…

This orange leather console table is to die for… The nailhead trim runs along every edge, and the stiletto-legs are incredibly sexy. What a fantastic statement piece for my front hall… I’d even pair it with that perennial entryway fave of mine, the orange metal coatrack from Urban Outfitters. (Yes, I’m obsessed with high-impact entryways.)

How about a little plume-ination? This ostrich feather floor lamp diffuses a beautifully soft, warm glow.

…But the piece de resistance at Snob IMO is this series of Egyptian pierced metal pendants. The intricate detail on these hanging light fixtures is art gallery-worthy. I just don’t know which shape I’m more in love with – the globe, or the teardrop. I’m dying to see the teardrops arranged in multiples running the length of a rectangular dining table, or three globes of different sizes suspended at different heights over a circular dining table…

Even if you can’t make it down to the IDS this weekend, you can always check out Denise’s spectacular showroom at Snob, 388 Carlaw Ave., Suite 202F, Toronto; 416-778-8778.

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If I could have awarded a booth at the 2009 Interior Design Show with a big red ribbon reading “Most Inspirational”, it surely would have gone to Snob. Almost as if we were drawn there magnetically, Samantha, Lynn Spence and I converged on Snob’s uber-exotic show space at the same time, and I’m sure anyone around us thought we were nuts. (Yes, there was that much “ooh-ing” and “ahh-ing”!) Snob is a Toronto retail destination that specializes in past and present African design — a HUGE trend that’s poised to peak this summer, methinks — and the booth was a vertitable trove of owner Denise Zidel’s truly stunning finds. Above, you’ll see just a few of the African artefacts on display during the show, arranged on a new shelving system that Denise has designed. Imagine that unit in a small apartment or condo being used as a barely-there room divider! Ooh! The stitched hide rug is also so beautiful — and that’s saying something, because normally I’m not the biggest fan of hide.

Here’s Snob’s iconic “Cow Chair”. I love the webbed seat!

This floor lamp was a showstopper as well.

Check out more of Snob’s trendsetting treasures by visiting online or at the Toronto retail location!

Snob, Toronto, 388 Carlaw Ave., Unit 202F, 416-778-8778