Living with dogs

Brendan of interior design firm Kwinter & Co. (previously featured here) emailed about one of her design projects that included 2 very large dogs - Bernese Mountain dogs which happens to be one of my favourite breeds. It is the Toronto townhouse of Dr. Stephanie Bot, a psychoanalyst, which explains the Freud bust that resides next to the bed. :) Brendan explained: This project was all about the dogs and how to furnish it in a way that worked for them. I used colors that were close to theirs so that when they shed it doesn't show up so much. Many of the materials were dog friendly. Having 7 cats, I totally understand the need to consider animals when decorating and most importantly, when purchasing furniture. I hope the dark floors hide the black fur!

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Crushin' on Michael Graydon

I am still crushing hard for Toronto photographer Michael Graydon (I showed my devotion to his work here). His photos are scattered all over just about every Canadian shelter magazine around, and they are simply magical. He makes me want to be a part of each room he has captured....especially the ones below. 

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Lofty living

I have been a huge fan of lofts for as long as I can remember (still dream about owning one someday) and I got my hands on some photos of a fabulous Vancouver loft designed by architect Omer Arbel (Jo featured an amazing home of his design here). Here are some details from Omer: The project consisted of a seismic upgrade and restoration of a heritage building in Vancouver's historic gastown district, and a loft interior design project. The loft is organized around a new courtyard open to above, inserted into the heritage fabric of the building, allowing light into the centre of the very deep plan. All other interior elements are rendered crisply using precisely machined elements, conceived to stand in strong contract to the rough heritage fabric of the existing shell. The massive amounts of exposed brick, the beamed cielings, concrete floors - it is breathtaking, and yet not at all cold. W O W.
Photography by the talented Martin Tessler (we showed him some love too here and here).

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Stalking in the Byward Market

It's my turn for a change for a stalking post. This one is located here in Ottawa, and was submitted by Isobel (ironically enough I had come across it on MLS the day before she emailed). Isobel's parent's live in the Byward Market, a very desirable neighbourhood as it is smack in the middle of downtown, filled with cool shops and restaurants (and she actually grew up there and not in the 'burbs - lucky girl!). Isobel styled the home for her folks, and she did a smashing job I have to say, especially for Ottawa standards, as no one here knows how to style or photograph a home for a sale listing. I am not kidding you - it's so embarrassing. Isobel was really smart in styling this older home with modern furnishings as I'd guess 80% of the people looking to live in that area are young professionals who are typically into modern homes and/or decor. And I have to point out how much I love a feature wall in a home that lacks architectural detail. In this home it is a brick wall (although I think it's wallpaper but imagine it's real brick), or you could clad a wall in rough, reclaimed timber or some exposed concrete would be cool. Any of these give a bit of drama and intrigue because there's only so much you can do with furniture. Think about it. 

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Catlin Stothers

A seamless melding of old and new, a simplicity, a truth to the designs, whether contemporary or with a nod to the traditional, a sense of humour and a love of the quirky, the found object and a relaxed and stylish vibe. Practical with panache. An easy going elan. Love the first kitchen. Love. At one moment dark and moody yet light and practical, a fabulous marriage of materials, wood and concrete, tile and stainless steel. Urban meets nature with an indy edge and you can still cook up a storm in the place. Great homes by Montreal based interior designer Catlin Stothers.

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