Style & Decor Blog

Sometimes seeing how something’s made can alter your enjoyment of the finished product. As much as I love hot dogs grilled on the barbeque every summer, for instance, I never, ever want to see how wieners are made. Ever.

On the other hand, when it comes to fine furniture craftsmanship, seeing the artful process of how it’s manufactured can enhance your appreciation of it, elevating something as taken-for-franted as a simple slipper chair to a true work of art.

Last week, I had the chance to go behind-the-scenes at Toronto’s Barrymore Furniture to see how their soft furnishings are made, and it just reinforced the beauty of their custom collection of sofas and armchairs.

It all starts, of course, with fabric. Barrymore offers a huge selection of upholstery options in their own fabric line, as well as high-end threads from the likes of Robert Allen and Kravet. Just take a look at their sample room… So pretty!

…And behind-the-scenes lies Barrymore’s fabric storeroom. Bolt after bolt of trendy textiles. Before it’s cut, each length of fabric is completely unrolled and inspected for quality control on a giant roller.

The selected fabric is then cut (by hand!) according to draft forms. These racks contain all the templates for each sofa and chair model Barrymore carries.

Springs are hand-tied into position into the (heavy – but so durable!) hardwood frame in preparation for upholstery. Barrymore uses a special string that resists that annoying “squeak” after you’ve been plunking down in the same spot for a number of years.

Exposed wood elements of the furniture frame are taken to the spraying room for stain treatment. Doesn’t this look like a Star Wars set?

Now we’re ready for that upholstery…

This is what tufting looks like – from the side of the chair we never see!

…Et voila! A completed sofa, upholstered in a lovely Larry Laslo fabric.

These particular sofas are on their way to various Canadian embassies all around the world! (Nice to see Canadian diplomats abroad still remember to buy Canadian!) Kind of cool, as well, to think that dignitaries across the globe are able to enjoy Canadian craftsmanship each time they visit the embassies!

If it looks like they’ve got the process down to a science, there’s a reason: Barrymore’s been at this for over 90 years now. What a great “Made in Canada” success story!

Barrymore Furniture, Toronto, 416-532-2891

Woah.

Talk about a match made in heaven.

Check out the new Marimekko collection of custom IKEA furniture slipcovers from Bemz… Without a doubt, the best fabric options Bemz has put out yet.

Hello, fuchsia! What a striking statement piece… (Bemz also scores extra points for styling this shot with my all-time favourite bowl in the background - the red, stemmed Maribowl from Iittala!)

Marimekko is a Finnish design studio that absolutely epitomizes “freshness”. Their designers have basically defined the superchic Scandinavian modern aesthetic that’s now a global phenomenon.

Marimekko’s poppy print (”Unikko”) is probably the studio’s single most iconic contribution to design. Here, it breathes new life into IKEA’s Henriksdal Parsons chair.

And here, IKEA’s Klippan sofa gets the Unikko treatment.

There’s only 13 days left until these very merry Marimekko upholstery options are launched from the Bemz website… Check out the live countdown here!

To me, summer means Galbraith & Paul fabric. The Philadelphia-based design duo of Liz Galbraith and Ephraim Paul specialize in the art of hand-block printing — pressing carved wooden (or foam rubber) blocks coated with coloured vegetable dyes onto fabric to make patterns. It’s a thousand-year-old process that’s Galbraith & Paul have brought into the 21st century with their penchant for stunning patterns and pretty palette of over 80 colours.

Fern (above) is a new hand-block printed pattern for Spring 2009, and Birds Silhouette (below) is a new variation of my all-time favourite Galbraith & Paul fabric, Birds (a citrusy, multicoloured version of the same pattern — on linen it’s positively dreamy). Wouldn’t these make the prettiest throw pillows for the cottage?

Love the Birds Silhouette in black, too… So striking!

For more information, visit www.galbraithandpaul.com or call 215-508-0800.

Is your Ektorp looking a little worse for wear?

Does your Klippan need a facelift?

Breathe new life into your fave IKEA furnishings with washable slipcovers from Bemz! Designed specifically to fit IKEA’s most popular furniture frames snugly, Bemz is the perfect solution for updating a sofa or chair at a fraction of the cost of custom reupholstering. They’ve recently added to their slipcover options this plush new chenille option in Cinnabar Red — a fantastic way to add a punch of colour over the holidays, and what could be cosier than curling up on chenille? 

Bemz 100% cotton Chenille slipcover in Cinnabar Red (on IKEA’s Karlanda two-seater sofa)

Slipcover price: $309

Available at: Bemz

Babs has done it again. Barbara Barry’s new Enduring Elegance home fabric collection for Kravet Contract reflects her signature style - sensible, understated chic in a soothing palette -  in all its glory. I admire how Barbara constantly finds inspiration and beauty in the everyday items around her, whether it’s a pair of shears or a paperweight. And as these are contract fabrics, it means they’ll withstand the test of time - ideal for high-traffic areas in the home.

Available through designers: Kravet, 800-535-3258; Montreal, 514-931-2437; Toronto, 416-921-1262; Mississauga, Ont., 905-607-0706.