A visit to The Modern Shop

My favourite Ottawa shop for modern home decor goodness is The Modern Shop. I have visited this shop on more occasions than I could ever count and have spent more money here than I care to calculate. :) The other day owner Michael Shaikin suggested the husband and I stop by for a visit as he had just finished a makeover of the shop - he didn't need to twist my arm! Some walls painted black, floors painted in Farrow & Ball's Calamine (like my dining room - WOOT!), and super fabulous and funky wallpaper (Studio Job Alt Deutsch Wallpaper by NLXL)...it's fresh and fun and looks fantastic! Plus he used my wallpaper/painter guy who is amazing so Mike owes me a serious discount on that Moooi rug I ordered I think for hooking him up. ;)

It was tough to photograph the pink floors properly in this light but the photo above is a decent attempt. Looks gorgeous with the Era Lounge Chair by Normann Copenhagen. 

Tom Dixon accessories. SO HOT. 

Jonathan Adler accessories. SO FUN. 

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My top 5 online furniture stores

I came up with a list of my top 5 favourite online furniture stores conveniently located in Ottawa and Toronto and wanted to share because you all need to know about these shops. Why? Because they are awesome and owned by awesome Canadians. And you can shop them online! 

The first in the list of best online furniture stores is Furniture Maison. This is a new-to-me online store whose focus is on clean design with a simple aesthetic, including Scandinavian, mid-century modern and industrial influences. Furniture Maison develops direct partnerships with furniture designers that own their manufacturing facilities, eliminating the middleman and unnecessary mark-ups. Also, their online-only approach minimizes overhead which allows their relatively small operation to offer their products at affordable prices without compromising on quality. I know this for a fact because they sent me a sofa and it is FANTASTIC and incredibly well made. Here are some pieces they carry that I am a big fan of:

Concrete coffee table

My sofa! Part of their collection of mid-century modern furniture. The Ruby reversible sectional sofa. 

Not your granny's rattan! The Aloha chair

The Louvre TV cabinet. For all your stylin' media component needs. 

I need a room to fit this in. Seriously in love with the simplicity of this loveseat. The Leo 2 seater sofa. A great course for Scandinavian furniture online - check out more of their Scandinavian furniture best sellers. 

Another Scandinavian-vibing piece is the walnut media unit. 

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Creating a fab space with LA Furniture

LA Furniture makes shopping for furniture a less daunting task than it needs to be. Their website is awesome - it provides you with photos of decorated rooms and then shows you each element used in the space and takes you to details of each and with a click of a button each piece is yours! Here is a cool 3D rendering of a space they dub "Italian Style Living":

Each piece of furniture and lighting in the photo are available on their website, and you can create this same look in your own home or buy your favourite pieces and mix up the rest. Let's have a look at each item in the photo above...

I need to start with that sectional sofa. I am dying for a sectional since my husband and I are always cramped for lounging while watching movies. This Lusso Panorama Italian Modern Grey Fabric and White Leather Sectional Sofa is amazing - it is totally modular so I can have my side set up how I like it and hubby can organize his side however he wants. 

Every living room needs a statement lounge chair or two. These are the Divani Casa Kylie Modern Red Eco-Leather Accent Chair and the Divani Casa Zinnia Modern Red and Black Eco-Leather Lounge Chair. BOOM!

Living room media storage is key. No one wants to see your ugly cable box. This sleek number hides all the ugly - Modrest Edward Modern Large Black High Gloss TV Stand.

Rugs are a great way to warm up a space and anchor the furniture. A graphic rug like this Modrest Palo by Linie Design Modern Cowhide Area Rug does the trick, and keeps your feet (and cats) warm. 

A Gower Modern Coffee Table to stack all your pretty books, and a Baldwin Modern Grey End Table to allow easy access to that cocktail you're downing. 

Lighting is one of my favourite things. This Modrest 7023 Modern Red Floor Lamp is a great punch of colour and a cool modern touch to the space. When placed over a corner of the sectional, it creates the perfect reading nook.

If you would rather check out LA Furniture's offerings in person, they currently have 5 locations - 4 in Los Angeles and 1 in Brooklyn. Carrying over 6000 items, ranging in styles from Contemporary, Modern, Classic Italian and Transitional, they have something for everyone. 

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This post is in collaboration with LA Furniture. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

A loft in a former marmalade factory

I have become a huge fan of Polish/German interior and furniture design studio Loft Szczecin and wanted to share one of their latest projects. Designer Ewa Adamiak kindly sent over some info. Our project was done in a former warehouse of a marmalade factory, which operated before World War II in Szczecin (Poland). The project involved reconstruction of one of the open spaces for an apartment divided into 4 rooms (living room with a kitchenette, bedroom, office, bathroom). In the most part of the loft we preserved historic, wooden floors that have been restored. All the kitchen furniture were designed and built by Loft Szczecin. Countertops were made of white marble and kitchen furniture of plywood. The rest of the furnishing is vintage furniture and lamps from the 50s and 60s from Denmark, the Czech Republic, Poland and the Netherlands. The furniture have been renovated by Loft Szczecin. For decoration we used a poilsh rug from the 30s. All of that exposed brick is absolutely incredible. And those floors! And that sofa! (Check out previous features here, here and here)

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Green Light District

Last weekend while the husband and I were in Toronto participating in the Fall Antique & Vintage Market we FINALLY got to visit Green Light District. Deborah and David started this shop here in Ottawa but a few years ago packed up and moved themselves and the store to Toronto. This was my first time in Toronto since the move so I was stoked to check out their new digs in the really fun neighbourhood of Roncesvalles (a short jaunt from downtown). We met them at the shop where I toured around drooling over all their wares and snapped photos, then we all went for dinner a 2 minute walk down the street at Hopgood Foodliner (amazing drinks and food - try the Newfie Fried Rice!). I really can't wait to go back to GLD and check out more of that 'hood. Thank you so much Deborah and David! Missed you guys!

Just beyond the Subway is The Chocolateria - OMG! Need to definitively stop in there on the next visit. 

Their sign from the Ottawa shop looking right at home against a beautifully restored brick wall. 

That petal table is so freaking cute. And such incredible craftsmanship.

They have REAL butterfly chairs complete with leather covers and steel bases. I have always wanted one of those. 

(Mom - you need this lamp!)

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