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Entries in Canada (322)

Sunday
Oct282012

ReOrient 

Yesterday I didn't have a packed schedule of chores/errands so I convinced my husband to take a little trip with me across the river to Wakefield, Québec to visit the showroom of ReOrient. Michelle, the owner, had emailed us last week to let us know about her shop (I was unaware of it's existence) that sells 100% reclaimed teak furniture from Indonesia, and that they were having a big showroom sale this weekend. The hubby and I were immediately smitten with their furniture from the moment we walked up to the porch where some items were on display - and ended up purchasing 2 of them. :-) Michelle explained the process of how they come across this reclaimed wood - the majority of it being from old furniture or buildings being torn down. Her pieces are then crafted in Indonesia and shipped here. It is a very green company - the bench I purchased has a metal base, which is recycled metal melted down and shaped into bars made to resemble scaffolding. They also ensure that the manufacturing process does not exploit the environment, animals or people involved. Here is a sample of the items at ReOrient (to note - the showroom is closed during the winter, but their products are carried by several retailers in Ontario and Québec).

We purchased the bench and the stool above. The bench will be delivered this week (sadly, too long to fit in our car) but the stool came home with us - photos at the end of the post.

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Thursday
Oct252012

The importance of good lighting

Falken Reynolds (from my previous post) happen to be spokespeople for Philips line of LED light bulbs, and utilized a Gastown loft they designed to ilustrate the importance of decent lighting (and the beauty of light by LED bulbs). I thought this was worthy of a mention because these photos REALLY show you what significant impact lighting can have in a space. I'm not a designer so sometimes I tend to forget the "rules" but this team has come up with 5 important tips I wanted to share, which I think are very well illustrated with the photos of this loft. (Read more about it here). (LOVE the tiffany blue wall!!!)
Tip #1: Have different lights for multiple purposes
Tip #2: Use dimmers everywhere
Tip #3: Light tabletops and countertops
Tip #4: Take cues from natural light
Tip #5: Light the things you love 

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Thursday
Oct252012

Falken Reynolds

Chad Falkenberg and Kelly Reynolds make up Vancouver interior design firm Falken Reynolds. Here's another Canadian firm I wish I had of heard about sooner. Their work is so diverse - they clearly adapt to the style of their clients and they execute it all with perfection. From palatial homes to tiny condo retreats, they've dabbled in all kinds of spaces. I've got a particular project of theirs to share with you later today, but for now, here are some bits and pieces from their portfolio. P.S. LOVE those chairs above!

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Thursday
Oct042012

Angela Robinson

I have to admit I was a bit embarrassed when Clair emailed to let us know about the interior design firm in Vancouver she works for - Angela Robinson. I was not at all familiar with this firm....and I LOVE their work! Have I been living under a rock?! So here is a glimpse into the wonderful world of interiors as thoughtfully devised and beuatifully executed by Angela and her team.

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Tuesday
Oct022012

Reader's home - Kris' Vancouver penthouse

I've got a Canadian reader's home to share with you all today, from Kris: I am an Art Director living in Vancouver and obsessed with midcentury modern design. Vancouver's downtown westend has a number of amazing low rise buildings built in the late 1940's that feature a separate penthouse on the roof. I was lucky to find one a year ago that I now call home or sometimes the "Sky Ranch". My boyfriend Mick and I immediately painted everything white as we always do and began to fill the apartment with a mix of vintage finds like our Eero Saarinen Womb chair and Tulip table along with a pair of original Basket chairs. A few key Ikea pieces round out the mix. Our 500 sq ft rooftop deck is pimped out with Canadian designed Solair chairs in white along with Ikea's classic Vago easy chair. Windmill palms and my favorite piece - a Weber charcoal BBQ grill - complete the mix. If Vancouver was right next to Ottawa I'd ask Kris to be BFFs. He has a penthouse apartment (rooftop no less), classic midcentury furniture, a large deck, my 2 favourite outdoor chairs...*sigh*.

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