Style Sheet

Top 5 Friday: Paint Colours for A Home Refresh

Guest Blogger — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:20:00 GMT

Paint is hands down the most useful tool in the designer’s or serial renovator’s arsenal. To this day, I am amazed at what a simple coat of paint can do for a room, or a piece of furniture for that matter. I’ve been known to wander into a paint store on a Saturday and have an entire bedroom or living room painted by Monday. Once I imagine a room with a new paint colour it’s hard to stop me. The best thing about paint is that the transformation is so dramatic, yet painting is relatively low-commitment -- if you're like me, the fancy to refresh the walls can strike at any time! Here; five of my go-to paint colours of late.

"Herringbone", Sarah Richardson Designer Palette for Para Paints

Stacey Brandford, Sarah's House 4

Grey rose to the top of the colour charts a few years back as the most popular choice for a neutral wall shade. And why not? It’s sophisticated and calming and looks great when paired with white or a soft cream. My favourite greys are ones with a touch of warmth to them like this one called Herringbone by Sarah Richardson for Para Paints. Use it like Sarah did in a kitchen or as a moody backdrop for a romantic bedroom.

"Parchment Paper", Olympic Paint

Roger Davies

Every designer has a favourite white in their toolbox they use again and again. I’m partial to this warm white called Parchment Paper by Olympic Paints. It works well in a range of interiors from the ultra contemporary to the more traditional. Depending on the direction of the room and the amount of light, the colour can shift from a warm oyster to a pale, warm grey.

"Deep Space", Benjamin Moore

Ashley Capp

Dark grey or black walls have become increasingly popular because of the dramatic transformation they offer. I chose this deep blue-grey called Deep Space by Benjamin Moore for a downtown loft we were working on. The client’s explosive, kaleidoscopic art demanded a backdrop that was both bold and complimentary. Think about using this colour in a small room like an office or bathroom or as a feature wall in a bedroom or living room.

"Hague Blue", Farrow and Ball

William Waldron; Farrow and Ball

Every time I see this deep majestic green-blue by Farrow and Ball used on a wall or piece of furniture I want to run out and buy a can. There is something old world about it that reminds me of a Vermeer masterpiece. Paired with brass details, as pictured above, it is on trend for 2012 and yet still classic and timeless. I think it is particularly stunning when painted in a high gloss finish as we see in the Miles-Redd-designed kitchen above.

"Revere Pewter", Benjamin Moore

Johnny Valiant; The Marion House Book

If you ask me, Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter is the best all around neutral out there. It has just enough soft, fawny grey in it to be considered something other than off white. If you’re looking to add a bit of personality to your room but are afraid to go beyond white try this elegant neutral. You’ll be amazed at what it can do for a room.

Emma Reddington is the lifestyle maven behind the acclaimed blog, TheMarionHouseBook.com, where she experiments with interior design, cooking, baking and do-it-yourself projects.

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Video: Karim Rashid Chats About Good Design and More!

Terry Wong — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:00:00 GMT

Last week, I attended a session of the Interior Design Show's Conversations In Design series featuring Karim Rashid. The iconic designer sat down with host, Chee Pearlman, to chat about a variety of design related topics in an intimate and interactive environment. Designers, design enthusiasts and fans of the iconic designer were able to get up close and personal with him, and some even got the opportunity to ask him their own design questions. Some of the highlights included his views on the need for eco-friendly sustainable design, design longevity and his final thought about artists and designers being people who want to do something original in the world. I'm a HUGE Karim Rashid fan and I found his conversation truly enlightening, inspiring and profound.

I caught up with Karim Rashid after his discussion and we had a heart-to-heart conversation about a bunch of different non-design and design subjects. He was completely charming and engaging, and it was interesting to get his take on what good design means to him and whether or not he develops emotional attachments to his designs. Check out my video below to see what Karim Rashid had to say and check back next Thursday for the second part of my interview, where he shares his thoughts on colour and what he's excited about in 2012!

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Discuss: Home By Novogratz Episodes 9 and 10

Alicia Cox — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:58:00 GMT

I apologize for the late post! Blame it on the office sickness that's lurking around Shaw Media headquarters these days. I really enjoyed Home By Novogratz this week because Bob and Cortney designed two spaces for families that were colourful, personal and a lot of fun.

Episode 9 took the Novogratzes to Long Branch, NJ to design a family-friendly condo for their friend and client, Dave Barry.

The bold hallway makes a statement as soon as you walk in...

...and carries into the dining area, which includes a signature Novogratz lightbox text treatment (they have a similar sentiment/treatment in their own kitchen!).

If you have a pink-loving daughter, then this is the dream room for her!

The sons' room gets bright blue walls and a rainbow carpet, while the master bedroom, below, is super-sunny yellow. I can't imagine ever sleeping in! Though when you're on the beach, you probably want to get out and hit the waves asap.

Families and New Jersey were the theme this week as Bob and Cortney traveled back to the garden state to design a playroom and screening room area for a fun-loving family with three kids.

Plays-ment extraordinaire!

The wallpaper on the back wall is a similar treatment to the wallpaper the Novogratzes used in the model apartment last week.

The stairway teaches about colour and reading, but still looks pretty cool, don't you think? And how about that slide?! My brother and I would have loved that growing up.

Behind the stairs is the adult space -- the screening room complete with wine fridge, microwave and mini-bar.

What did you think of this week's family-friendly designs?

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Design Eye Candy: The Very Best of IDS12 in Photos!

Guest Blogger — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:26:00 GMT

It's true -- we say this about IDS every year: it just keeps getting better! This past weekend I grabbed my camera (and my photographer friend, Kelly Lawson) put on some comfortable shoes and lost myself in the latest and hottest trends, products, and creative minds in contemporary design.

Here's what made my 'greatest hits' list from IDS 2012...

All photos by Kelly Lawson

Offsite/Onsite

Design: Kathryn Walter

Kathryn Walter, Felt Studio, provides a step-by-step transformation into a quiet and private moment, giving a whole new meaning to the concept of a 'chair to curl up in.'

Moss & Lam

Created by Deborah Moss and Edward Lam

“Ursa Major”, a new installation of larger than life bears, connects art and design to nature.

First Impression...

'Strip Tease’ by RAW

A two-story installation of felt strips cascading from the atrium ceiling gives IDS-goers a dramatic curtain entryway. Its impact is heightened by a superimposed digital projection with which guests can interact!

How Do You Live?

Quadrangle’s ‘Last Supper’ installation for How Do You Live

The talk of the show was definitely the How Do You Live feature, presented by National Bank and curated by Mazyar Mortazavi of TAS DesignBuild. Quadrangle’s ‘Last Supper’ corralled 13 of the world’s most iconic chairs, KidRobot dining room centerpieces, and wallpaper unlike any other. Caroline Robbie, designer and co-collaborator on this shipping container-turned-opulent design romp, challenges us to “Think beyond the beige!” The one downside? Being forced to rethink every space in my home...

Ashley Rumsey and Stanley Sun of Mason

Ashley Rumsey and Stanley Sun of Mason make Canada proud on their interpretation of how to think about the daily rituals of kitchen and bathroom. Stunning, pared-down design, including their own elongated waterfall communal table and neon wall signage.

Space by Jill Greaves

Jill Greaves, an Interior Designer with a history of working with Art and Academic projects, sets her own stage in her small space with beautiful pieces from Thomas Paul, Andy Warhol, and David Weeks.

Lisa Canning demonstrating her decor choices.

Designer Lisa Canning collaborates with National Bank to put her creative stamp on the problem of transforming a shipping container into a space for work and play.

Studio North

Studio North, the gallery within a design gallery filled with design knock-outs! Above is Kino Guérin's wood creations. This Quebecois craftsperson/sculptor can do things with wood I hadn't thought possible. He has a real knack for turning wood into...well...something else.

Left: Jason Dressler of Brothers Dressler, sitting at his latest table, the wood for which the brothers sourced themselves near their studio. Right: Sculpture of discarded chair legs.

The Rollout Team - Canada’s wallpaper sweethearts continue to charm with their latest wallpaper offerings: Wanderlust: Paris Wallpaper Collection.

The Main Exhibition Floor

The Envelope Chair in action

Only the Dutch could, would, and did come up with this genius chair design. FLUX, now available online in Canada, has created an indoor/outdoor chair that folds from one single piece of durable material, in adult and child sizes. The colors are saucy and the sitting is downright gorgeous!

Robyn Waffle, designer and creative director of carpet installation.

Think skulls don’t belong on a carpet? Think again. Modallion’s rug designs by Robyn Waffle are anything but wallflowers.

Space by Piero Lissoni

Piero Lissoni is IDS’s International Guest of Honor so I simply could not pass up seeing his space. While visiting we got the inside scoop and were told that at some ungodly hour in the morning before opening day, hundreds of old book covers were torn off second-hand books to create the shelving installation. Not sure if the onerous task was worth it for the designer, but it was sure worth every second of the viewing for me! As was the rest of this year's turnout of international design talent.

Did you go to IDS12? What did you think?

Judith Mackin is founder and creative director of punchinside, an interior design firm in Saint John, New Brunswick. You can follow her regularly updated blog on www.judithmackin.ca. Her design and décor studio, TUCK, is slated to open in April 2012.

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Opening Day and the Opening Night Party at the Interior Design Show 2012

Terry Wong — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:42:00 GMT

IDS 2012 officially launched yesterday and I had the opportunity to fill my day with all things IDS! My morning began with an exclusive preview of the show where I got a first-hand look at the showroom before it opened up to the public. There's lots to see and discover at this year's show and I noticed a focus on "small space living" throughout the gigantic showroom space. Many of the designers were present and I got a chance to hear some of them speak about their designs as I got a sneak peak at some of the main exhibits.

Above: Piero Lissoni and Mazen el-Abdallah speak about their designs

The show just keeps getting bigger and better each year and some of the highlights of this year's show include the interesting and beautiful How Do You Live? multi-dwelling designer spaces, the Studio North & Prototype showcase of unique Canadian and International design pieces, the Design Gen Next display of up-and-coming Canadian design talent and the Cherish Auction & Exhibit, which features Magis Julian chairs re-imagined and reinvented by some of the world's top designers, then ultimately silently auctioned off for the charity ONEXONE.

Above: Designer Magis Julian chairs

In the afternoon, I attended a session of IDS 2012's annual Conversations In Design series which features prominent designers conversing about anything and everything design related in an intimate and interactive environment. I really enjoyed the session I was a part of because it provided the ideal platform for attendees to be engaged by the words of the featured designer and an opportunity to directly ask him or her our own design questions. I would highly recommend attending this series if you're a design enthusiast or passionate about learning how designers conceptualize and execute their design process.

Above: Conversations in Design with Karim Rashid

Later in the evening, I attended the fabulous, annual opening night party--this year's party truly didn't disappoint! Visionary designer, Karim Rashid (check back for part one of my interview with Karim Rashid next week) performed a special DJ set comprised of upbeat house music mashed up with signature '80s tunes for party goers as they sipped on luscious cocktails and perused the enormous showroom to discover all of the new and exciting interior design trends for the upcoming year. Some even got the chance to meet and rub shoulders with celebrity designers Brian Gluckstein, Tommy Smythe, James Dale, Kennedy McRae, Colin McAllister, Justin Ryan and more! Overall, the party was a blast and IDS12 definitely has something for every interior design lover. Check out the photos below for a glimpse into the show and the opening night party.

Above: Karim Rashid performs a DJ set

Above: Brian Gluckstein

Above: Tommy Smythe

Above: James Dale (left), Kennedy McRae (right)

Above: How Do You Live? space by Quadrangle Architects

Above: How Do You Live? space by Mason

Above: How Do You Live? space by Mazen Studio

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CB2 Opens in Canada!

Nadine Sharon Anglin — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:55:00 GMT

We Canadians are a design savvy lot and retailers are taking note. Four years ago saw the arrival of the US-based retailer West Elm (part of the Williams-Sonoma family), and just a month prior, Crate & Barrel got its foothold in the Canadian market with stores opening in Toronto and Calgary. Now, Crate & Barrel's younger, hipper sibling, CB2, has finally followed in the stylish path laid before it.

Not only has it taken up residence on shopping Mecca Queen St. West, it's also brazenly nested in the old Big Bop Concert Hall & Nightclub. Once known as Toronto's hardcore rock venue, the music genre was literally personified in the building's former exterior of peeling purple paint and faded, grimy brickwork.

The two-story structure is, believe it or not, a heritage building, a reminder that Toronto does indeed have some redeemable architecture within its urbanscape of bordered-over Victorian mansions and newly-constructed "soft lofts." Although its previous state was that of disarray and neglect, someone, somewhere must have thought, "There are some good bones underneath those rags."

The CB2 team stripped the brick (replacing some of it where it disintegrated into sawdust-like craters), completely gutted the interior, and kept a few artifacts of nostalgia (the New Wave-styled signage and an old metal door hang prominently on the second floor).

The design direction for their furniture offerings is definitely modern, but not ultra so. The price points are reasonable, although some of the upholstered pieces will run you into the four digits (how can you do quality upholstery any other way, I ask you?).

The colour stories this season include bright turquoise, orange, and green, with plenty of grey variants and whites to offset. Like all stores of its stripe, the accessories--the fun bits and bobs--are the most attainable, and there is an entire section devoted to entertaining essentials and tabletop wares.

Who will shop here? You, me, contemporary-cool types (and if you're wondering, no, it's not exactly an Ikea clone--the pieces are a bit more sophisticated; better constructed), and anyone looking for relatively accessible style. Sure, CB2 may resides a few subway stops outside of downtown edginess, but it's still very far away from the traditional 'burbs (figuratively and literally).

Still, it's ironic that a mainstream American mass retailer would replace the former temple of youth counter culture in this city. Detractors say the last thing we need is another big box store to gentrify the neighbourhood (too late, as per the Starbucks across the street and the Joe Fresh a few doors down). But, if we are to learn one thing from the young idealists (now largely advertising execs and dot-commers) who once held the majority in this part of town, it's that everyone grows up, gets a decent job, and at some point wants a really nice coffee table.

CB2 is now open in Toronto with plans to open another location in Vancouver later this year.

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On the Eve of #IDS12: Karim Rashid on Music, Movies and Global Design

Guest Blogger — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:48:00 GMT

With opening night for IDS 2012 less than a day away, I wanted to check in with multidisciplinary designer Karim Rashid, the featured attraction at the Opening party on Thursday night.

Karim with Xperia Arc 2 Phone cover for Sony Ericsson, Sweden, 2011

Having met him once before, I'm pleased to report that he's as forthright and provocative as ever. Taking time from a busy schedule, he tells me what music you won’t find on his ipod, which designer he feels is woefully under appreciated, and reflects on his Canadian roots. Meet Karim while getting your groove on at this Thursday night's OPENING PARTY IDS 2012!

Judith: What, if anything, has design taught you about music (or vice versa)?
Karim: Design is not just relegated to the visual, but design touches all our senses and is the complete human experience. Music affords me to concentrate, be inspired, dream, imagine, and become completely engrossed in what I am working on. It is an essential part of my process. I find also that the technology for creating design and music are similar and both interchangeable. 

Photo courtesy of Karim Rashid

Judith: What’s an art form in which you see yourself as having the least talent?
Karim: I always wanted to be a musician but had no talent. Hence it is probably why I ended up playing other peoples music as a deejay. I am not a good deejay either, but I only play special events, design weeks, and museums. My strength is finding interesting and unconventional music. I also cannot sing, and I wish I could so I am drawn towards beautiful voices like Bryan Ferry, David Bowie, Antony Hegarty, and others.

Karim Rashid’s interior design of the nhow Berlin, music and lifestyle hotel. His visionary style strikes a perfect chord with the building’s exterior, designed by star architect Sergei Tchoban, making the nhow Berlin one of the capital’s modern architectural and design highlights. Photo by Lukas Roth.

Judith: Whose or what music will never be on your iPod…and why?
Karim: Well I have 2 160 GB iPods with about 45,000 tracks but I do not have any Gospel or classical. I know many would not understand but classical is just too old for me (and probably any music before 1974 is too old for me) -- well I do have Philip Glass, but I do not consider him classical. I generally listen to everything from folk (Gordon Lightfoot) to country rock (Neil young and The Marshall Tucker Band) to dance music (Aeroplane) to electronica (Kraftwerk, Woolfy vs. Projections, Brian Eno) to pop (Crystal Castles) to reggae to industrial to freestyle to Italdisco, and play an eclectic mix of electronic, deep house, ambient, nu-disco, downtempo, punk, ambient, and electrobeat.   

Karim Rashid’s interior design for the University of Naples subway station, Italy. Photos by Iwan Baan for M.N. Metropolitana di Napoli.

Judith: How, if at all, have your Canadian roots informed your sense of design?
Karim: I think my Canadian roots had more to do with my belief in having an expansive education, a broad view on life, and a pluralist attitude to the built environment. I loved the Italian product design landscape and all those products were designed by architects. I went to do post graduate studies in Italy with Ettore Sottsass, Gaetano Pesce, and Andries Van Onck for a special graduate program near Naples in Italy. I also took night classes with Achille Castiglioni at the Polytechnic and I interned with Rodolfo Bonetto in Milano, Italy.
 
Judith: Who’s the most under appreciated designer in your opinion?
Karim: Luigi Colani. He seems to fund his own organic experiments. I greatly respect his work and contributed to the book Colani – Back in Japan. He is widely known in Japan but his amazing biodesigns are lesser known in the west.

The nhow Berlin hotel, interiors by Karim Rashid. Photos by Lukas Roth.

Judith: How do you see the future of design? Is its influence growing, waning, or something of a constant in western culture?
Karim: The culture of design has so much momentum. In fact, I think it is growing faster in Eastern countries. I find abroad, as opposed to the West, I have much more freedom, and the clients tend to be more open to challenging the boundaries of design. In all the countries I work in, however, they are coming to me because they are seeking my style, so aesthetic tastes are alike on some level. In Korea their aesthetic is very fresh, young and playful. The West has very staid ideas of what is quality and many of the emerging markets are willing to grow and expand with new ideas of design.    

Judith: What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the last year?
Karim: That is a really difficult question. I am torn between Amores Perros, Biutiful and Gomorrah.

Judith: If you could take up another profession at this stage of your life, what would it be? 
Karim: When I was a child I wanted to be a mathematician if I was not a designer, but now I would consider being a musician or a motivational speaker.

Karim Rashid’s Hellraiser Tabletop Collection for Alessi, Italy 2011

Judith: Do you mind being questioned?  Do you prefer that your designs speak for themselves?
Karim: Absolutely we should discuss design and the designer’s life. Good design needs advocates. It has been my mission to make design a public subject and to inspire the design community and the public to realize that design changes the world.

Karim Rashid’s Window Shade Collection for Velux, Denmark, 2011

Judith: How do feel about nostalgia? Where is its place in modern design? 
Karim: Certainly we all should have respect for our heritage, our traditions, and rituals, but not to hang on to them so sacredly that we don't progress or develop new rituals. We must celebrate and see our world now; we need to be more prescient and flexible about how cultures change. It always struck me as very odd that we can continue to embrace traditions that become irrelevant to our world today. I say NO-STALGIA.

VEUVE CLICQUOT Love Seat by Karim Rashid

Judith: The rule that form must follow function is now accepted as commonplace. Is there any risk to wedding form too closely to function? What about whimsy?
Karim: The future shapes will be inspired by each product’s subject matter but my interest is to make form as sensual, as human, as evocative, and as sculptural as possible, trying to find new forms that have never existed. I think whimsy may be essential to lighten or elevate our everyday lives.   

Bobble jug; DIRT DEVIL Family, all designs by Karim Rashid.

Judith: What, in your experience, is the most commonly under designed space in the home?
Karim: Design has managed to penetrate every aspect of our lives so you can find well-designed kitchens, bedrooms, living spaces, bathrooms, etc. But I would say that we still seem to hang onto archetypes and conventions. So there are beautiful spaces and work in the world but sadly the design market is really only about 1% of the world's market. My goal is to make it 10%.

On Thursday, February 26th, the MTCC packed with 5,000 of Toronto’s design stars, celebrities, media personalities, and influencers, will be transformed into a fête of local and international pedigree. See overview of the night's festivities.

Yesterday: Countdown to Interior Design Show: Outdoor Living

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A Man Inquires: Colour Forecasting -- How Do They Know?

Guest Blogger — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 02:17:00 GMT

Pantone recently announced the 2012 Colour of the Year to be Tangerine Tango, a kind of orangey red -- and there's a lot riding on it. According to the press release, "The 2011 color of the year, PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle, encouraged us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, continues to provide the energy boost we need to recharge and move forward."

If this Euro situation doesn’t get sorted out this year I’m blaming you, Tangerine Tango.

But seriously, do they bring out the official company Ouija board, consult with psychics and interrogate tastemakers, or do they just say so, and therefore it is?

Colour forecasting seems to be a fascinating game of educated guesses and self-fulfilling prophecy. A while back, posing as a colleague of my interior-designer wife, I got to attend one such colour forecasting presentation (not by Pantone). Clad in a black turtleneck, I made sure to have an elaborate back story in case I was questioned, which to my utter disappointment, didn't happen.

In a massive, grand ballroom on the Exhibition grounds, the wine and lamb sliders flowed freely while my fellow black turtlenecks traded industry gossip. Massive side wagers were being placed on what shade would emerge victorious -- a colour forecast presentation is the Kentucky Derby for design types*.

* Not true

Eventually the presentation began, and a whole bunch of people just left, having gotten their free wine and sliders. The actual unveiling was a (very) long PowerPoint presentation outlining the justification for that year’s colour picks. Inspiration was drawn from the world of the avant-garde, modern art, runway shows and cutting-edge interior design. Some people were intently focused on the presentation, some resumed their shoptalk, some slipped into red-wine induced naps. As we left the presentation, armed with gift bags of paint company SWAG, we all agreed that they had made some very fine colour choices.
In preparing to write this post, I asked my wife if she could remember what the colour was. She thought for a second, “Hm. Yellow? I think it was yellow. Or purple. I don’t know. But remember those sliders?”

What do you think of colour forecasting? Do you follow it?

Paul Beer is a Toronto writer, actor and comedian. You can follow him on twitter @pauldanielbeer. Read his posts every Friday on Slice.ca.

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Discuss: Home By Novogratz Episodes 7 and 8

Alicia Cox — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:22:00 GMT

Last night on Home By Novogratz, Robert and Cortney took on two very different makeovers: a NYC apartment makeover for four young models new to the city and a music room makeover for school kids who won a $50,000 renovation contest, plus two kids' bedrooms for a foster family.

The model apartment was pretty sad -- they couldn't give the girls bed frames at least? The Novogratzes went to work transforming the blank slate into a fun, youthful space the girls could call home.

They visited a wallpaper printer who created one of a kind wallpaper using the models' cards to inspire them as well as patterned paper for the two bedrooms. It was interesting to see how the wallpaper is created using inks and a press! As Cortney suggested, creating unique wallpaper like this would be a cool idea with family photos, vacation shots or any theme you wanted.

An island in the kitchen always defines the space -- I really liked the industrial version they chose as well as the red pendant lights. It was one of the bigger NYC apartment kitchens I've seen!

The Novogratzes took their whole family -- 7 kids and all -- to Florida for the next episode. The kids from Winegard Elementary won a $50,000 contest to have their music/art/reading room made over by Novogratz Design. Wasn't it heartwarming when the principal broke down in tears during the reveal?

The comfy lounging area

The reading area (love the piano key door!)

Another part of this episode was fixing up two bedrooms for a foster family -- a nursery and a boy's bedroom. Seeing those happy boys was so sweet!

The bright and cheery nursery

The boy's room

As I mentioned last week, I visited the Novogratzes New York home last week and got a tour of their house! I'll have that ready for you soon, so stay tuned.

What did you think of this week's episodes? I thought there were some good ideas that could be translated into a family home. Let's chat in the comments!

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Countdown to the Interior Design Show: Outdoor Living

Guest Blogger — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:20:00 GMT

Let’s face it, it’s the middle of January and it’s cold. I, like you, am looking ahead to ‘spring’ and all of its wonderful design collections. The development of outdoor living space is a growing trend in modern design. I suggest you take a peek at the following exhibitors on the IDS 2012 floor and get primed for the upcoming warmer months!

Paloform
This Canadian company specializes in modern fireplaces. Aren’t these new concrete outdoor fireplaces stunning? This company has been in the biz for over 15 years and their products demonstrate the fruit of their commitment to cast the perfect outdoor 'pit.' But, really, these fireplaces are so much more than pits, they are, well, the perfected modern campfire!

Paloform's Bento firebox is a ‘modern fireplace’ which comes in choice of natural gas or propane burners

In addition to the above, Paloform will be releasing a new line of stunning fire pits at IDS 2012. Their brand is design keeping sustainability in mind, using 30% post-industrial recycled materials in their designs. See below:

Above: new Fire Pits from Paloform to be launched at IDS 2012: Soba, Robata and Bol

Andrew Richard Designs
“Canadian luxury outdoor furniture celebrated for its materials and custom designs, created to enhance the lifestyle of the company’s clients.” That pretty much sums it up. And, as the saying goes, good design speaks for itself. A sneak peak at this year’s new line confirms it. Andrew Richard Design’s booth plan for IDS 2012, with its accents of bright colours, is going to be fresh and feminine.

Harrison Loveseat and Lounge Chair Lifestyle from Andrew Richard Designs

Tribeca Lifestyle, new spring collection from Andrew Richard Designs

Christopher Clayton, Landscape Architect
You might be wondering what can you expect to see in a landscape architect’s exhibitor booth at IDS? It’s okay, I asked him the exact same question because, let’s face it, not too many landscape architects are going to plant a garden ‘in house.’ Speaking with Christopher in his studio earlier this week he answered my question by noting that the most alluring thing he can bring to the table is his drafting table! He says it is the best thing for visitors to talk around and engage with while talking to him about their plans for gardens. In addition, he will have over 32 illustrations of his work on display, as well as a ‘white wall’ he will be illustrating. I’m only too happy to stop by and chat about ideas for my garden. You should too. Start imagining the possibilities with a look at his designs below.

Above: Christopher Clayton's designs

Yesterday: Countdown to IDS: How Do You Live?

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Party Idea of the Month: Easy Wine and Cheese and Re-Gift Swap Party

Guest Blogger — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:15:00 GMT

Now that the holiday season feels as if it was so long ago, we have two things on our minds here at Marla Brown Headquarters. What to do with all those fun little gifts sitting on the re-gifting shelf? And, isn’t it time to host a party again? Does January have to be a no-party zone? We say no way!

Now, you may be asking yourself, since your new year’s resolution is to watch those purse strings...what to do, what to do...well, we have the perfect answer. Why not have a few friends over for a Potluck Wine and Cheese and swap those re-gifts at the same time? Read on as we show you a simple way to entertain on a budget and look like a superstar -- actually, an eco-friendly superstar!

Planning the Get Together

All photos by Christine Kufske

The first thing you need to do is decide how many people to invite to your little shin dig. Since a swap party works best as a small get together, 3-5 guests is a good number. Of course, if you have the room, invite as many as you like! We wanted a cool lofty vibe for this shoot with the newest and greatest furniture, so we asked our neighbour Denise, owner of Snob, if we could use her store because she has amazing furniture, light fixtures, rugs and more. Thanks Denise, we love your stuff!

This was a super-fun shoot for us as we invited the crew from Shaw Digital Media to be our guests. From left, Terry, Online Producer, Food Network (and guru of life in general), the fabulous Alicia, Online Lifestyle Producer, with whom we have had the honour of working each and every month for the past year on these Party of the Month posts. We also had the pleasure of hosting Val, Community Producer, Food Network and Tina, Online Producer, Slice.

Upcycling Adds a New Spin to Re-Gifting

We're all familiar with the concept of re-gifting, but add a spin to your party by using upcycled materials as gift wrap. Upcycling is the process of repurposing disposable or discarded items (aka -- find something around your place to re-wrap your gift!) We had a lot of fun wrapping up these gifts for the shoot, using everything from magazine pages and newspaper to adding faux flower blooms, extra cupcake holders and even bubble wrap as bows.

Turn Re-Gifting into a Fun Game

When your guests arrive at the party, have them write a simple clue about their gift on a tag and add it to the pile. The question everyone will ask is, Who gets to pick the first gift? Here's how it's done.

Line up empty water glasses with numbered tags on the gift table. Flip the numbers over so no one can see and have each person pick up a glass as they arrive. Whoever gets #1, gets to look at the clues on each gift and pick first, whoever gets #2, gets to choose second and so on.

Steal Our Wine and Cheese Pairings!

Courtney from our MB Headquarters came up with the idea of turning our wine and cheese into a potluck and we loved it -- wine and cheese meets economical! I went to see Katy and Alexa from the Leslieville Cheese Market who helped me pick out some amazing cheeses based on the wines I wanted to serve.

Before we get into the pairings, I thought we should offer something other than wine, so we added a pilsner to our list of drink choices. This is what they recommended:

Drink                      Cheese to Splurge On                        Cheese to Save On
Prosecco                Delice de Bourgogne                              Belle Creme (Quebec)
Pinot Grigio            Chevre Noir                                             Franz Haalz Dutch Masterpiece
Pilsner Beer           Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar               Britannia 3 Year Cheddar (Ontario)
Icewine                   Raspberry Bella Vitano                     Piave (Italy)
Malbec                  Blue Haze                                                Blue Ermite (Quebec)

MBParty Tip: Always set up your wines from lightest to heaviest as per the list above (in descending order). Don’t be overwhelmed by the elegant names of the cheeses! If you choose to have guests “splurge,” they will pay around $5.75 to $8 per 100 grams and if you choose to have your guests “save," they will pay $3.80 to $4.70 per 100 grams.

Guests should bring 100 to 150 grams of each cheese and a bottle of wine. You supply fresh cut baguettes and interesting crackers, add some olives and you are ready to roll.

We also included something sweet -- a bar of chocolate sounds simple, but displaying it in an interesting way adds hostess points!

It's All About the Cheese Display

Speaking of displays, in a perfect world, we would all have this amazing 4-foot long tree slab, above, from our friends at Greentea Design (another fabulous furniture store in our neighbourhood). We did find an inexpensive way to display the cheese, however, whether you have a gorgeous dining table or not.

Displayed all over the tops of the shelves at the Leslieville Cheese Market were these cool wooden cartons -- we used one for a cheese board, above. The cheeses are shipped in these cartons and I immediately asked if I could purchase one. They gave me one for free! Ask at your local cheese shop or even try the supermarket -- you never know until you ask. Otherwise, any wood cutting board will do the trick.

Marla Brown is a lifestyle and entertaining designer with over 13 years of experience. Designing parties and events both big and small is her passion. For more inspiration, DIYs, chic party tips and fabulous products check out marlabrown.ca.

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Countdown to the Interior Design Show: How Do You Live

Guest Blogger — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 00:40:00 GMT

If you are anywhere in the IDS twitter-sphere or Facebook-sphere you couldn't help but notice a tremendous amount of tweets and posts about "the" IDS exhibit taking place this year called 'How Do You Live.'

This exhibit will be highlighted on the show floor with a cutaway, two-story building demonstrating multi-dwelling living. Mazyar Mortazavi of TAS Designbuild has designed and developed the concept for the exterior shell of the multi-level showcase housing six individual rooms. Living with design will be demonstrated at every turn with unique spaces, each designed and decorated by a different Toronto-based design firm. Participating are: Stanley Sun & Asley Rumsey Mason of mason-studio.com, Jill Greaves of Jill Greaves Design, Mazen el-Abdallah of Mazen Studio, Caroline Robbie & Rick E. Mugford of Quadrangle Architects, Theresa Casey & Robert Gray of Casey Design Group & DesignWorks Studio, and Youssef Hasbani of L'atelier.

What you may not know is that National Bank (the 'How Do You Live' sponsor) is teaming up with talented designer Lisa Canning to create an amazing home office/living room space with furnishings by BoConcept in their innovative promotional hub. Like the rest of the exhibits, their mobile pop-up structure (also made of recycled shipping container) will concentrate on functional design.

Lisa Canning, designer and collaborator with National Bank's recycled shipping container for 'How Do You Live' exhibit (photo credit: Mike Dizon mdd photography)

Lisa Canning, no stranger to HGTV (Marriage Under Construction, For Rent), is excited to showcase in this tiny space (less than 300 square feet), to demonstrate how carefully selected pieces of furniture can do double-duty in terms of function. Lisa says the living room-***-off space will be "Quite bright and airy and even includes a few larger pieces that you might not initially think would go in a small space."

National Bank's container to be transformed by Lisa.

I, for one, can't wait to see how Lisa takes an industrial shipping container and makes it livable! But, if anyone can do it, it's Lisa! Below is a sampling of Lisa's interiors.

Above: interiors by Lisa Canning (photo credit: Tanja Tiziana; Marek Szkudlarek)

Yesterday: Countdown to IDS: How Do You Live? | Tomorrow: Outdoor Living

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Countdown to the Interior Design Show: 18 Karat

Guest Blogger — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:20:00 GMT

The booth and installation that 18 Karat did for last year’s IDS may have shown up in more photographs than any other. Known for their creative use of colour, materials and simple forms, 18 Karat will be back this year with dramatic hues of grass, poppy and canary from their new spring collection.

All images courtesy 18 Karat: New Spring Collection from 18 Karat; antidote bottles, and other vibrant displays from the design team at 18 Karat

Some of the key pieces in the new spring collection are the “Antidote” bottles, “Crumple” vases and “Epoch” bowl. The Antidotes are ceramic and glass in punchy colours (the shape is reminiscent of old whiskey bottles). The “Crumple” vase collection, also in ceramic and glass, gets its name from the fact it looks like crumpled paper.

Crumpled glass vase (image courtesy of the designer, Patty Johnson)

My favourite, however (from pics anyway – we’ll see in the flesh at IDS), is the Epoch bowl, a gigantic hand-formed brass bowl. Judging from the pics, it looks amazing filled with water and tea lights that reflect off the metal. Kenny Torrance, one of the design team members of 18 Karat, designed it. It was made by craftspeople in India working with traditional methods. Insert

Epoch bowl from 18 Karate

Yesterday: Countdown to IDS: Patty Johnson | Tomorrow: Countdown to IDS: How Do You Live?

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Trends in the Twitter Trenches

Guest Blogger — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:45:00 GMT

Social media is impacting the way viewers and readers get their design news. Latest stories, trends and fads can now be sought out in real-time in feeds and streams on platforms such as Twitter. So if we’re talking trends this month why not listen, and most importantly, follow the experts over there!

If you’ve had your ear to the ground and have been active on Twitter, you’ll have notice that there’s been a community of designers and design lovers who have gathered every Thursday at 5pm ET under the hashtag #designtv to discuss interior design and their passion for it. Founded by Amy Beth Cupp Dragoo of ABCD Design (@abcddesigns) and interior designer (and fellow Canadian!) Jonathan Legate (@jonathanlegate), the #designtv chat has rounded up an extremely well reputed gang of people and this week they’ve let us in on what they believe are to be the latest trends for 2012.

Jonathan shot it out there with the very first question to begin the chat: “@jonathanlegate: Q1 : Whats YOUR hottest trend pic?” and here are some of the expert’s answers just for you.

Lonny Mag

Erin McLaughlin, Editor-in-Chief of Style at Home magazine, has come back from the international trade fair Heimtextil in Frankfurt, Germany with a fresh view on design. Her take on trends is that texture is in, and in a big way. It can be through layering them on your bed or even applying them to your walls through panels or even 3D wallpapers!

Desire to Inspire

Maureen Coates, a residential decorator based out of Ottawa, hit the nail on the head when she mentioned that brass and gold finishes were in for 2012. I could not agree more and in fact, had predicted it myself, too! I adore this trend and hope it will continue to evolve throughout the year.

Lonny Mag

It’s a reality that the interior design world closely follows what is on the runway for inspiration. Tina Holmes, producer of several home shows in Toronto, has predicted that since the catwalk is glamming itself up, so should the rooms in our homes for the coming year. I mean, what girl doesn’t love a bit of glamour in her life. I know I do!

Johnson Hartig

Leslie Carothers, CEO of The Kaleidoscope Partnership, has pinpointed one of my most favorite interior design trends for 2012. If a light and airy feel, paired with graphic layers with a fun and quirky look tickles your fancy, then go for it - you’ll be bang on trend!

Nate Berkus on Elle Decor

Meredith Heron, TV host and principal at Meredith Heron Design, has coined the IT colour as being navy this year to replace the popular grey as your new neutral. Navy, which swept over the fashion world and turned this colour into a staple for your wardrobe, has now transcended into interior design. It can act as a perfect backdrop for almost any colour combination which makes it an excellent choice all around!

Thanks to Amy and Jonathan, who week after week, bring all these like-minded individuals together under one Twitter umbrella to discuss such incredible and informative design topics. If you ever feel like joining in, search for the hashtag #designtv every Thursday evening at 5pm ET, and this incredible group will welcome you with open arms.

Michelle Carangi is a Montreal-based designer who blogs about interior design at Holley & Gill and is the Style Director at Pure Green magazine.

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Countdown to the Interior Design Show 2012: Patty Johnson

Guest Blogger — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:06:00 GMT

For the first time in the Interior Design Show's history its producers are mounting a major exhibit on the main floor called OFFSITE/ONSITE – a series of experiential installations that will occupy 10,000 Sq feet of space of the lobby of the MTCC.

Designers exhibiting in this installation include Brent Comber, Moss & Lam, Kathryn Walter, RAD, Stephen Burks & Kenneth Montague.

However, one stand out in this formidable bunch is Patty Johnson—someone I am always prepared to pay close attention to regardless of the project or design she is working on.

Patty Johnson, recently recognized as one of a mere five-percent of women working in industrial design in Canada, continues to fight the good design fight as a craft-focused designer who works with communities in Africa, Guyana, and other locales to bring craft-focused creations to the North American market.

Johnson will be introducing the “Vodunuvo” line of design, inspired by the tribulation, struggle and survival of one of the world's oldest religions. Featuring a ‘behind the scenes’ view of the convergence of design with ethnography, product and artifact, the IDS installation is calculated to involve the viewer in the process.

Above Designs from Patty Johnson in collaboration with communities such as Africa and Guyana (images courtesy of Patty Johnson)

Yesterday: Countdown to IDS: Flos | Tomorrow: Countdown to IDS: 18K

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