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Entries in furniture (104)

Sunday
Aug012010

A new shop in town

I was soooo excited to receive an email a few weeks ago from Deborah Peets, owner of a new furnishings shop here in Ottawa (who saw me in the Jan '09 issue of Canadian House & Home). We are severely lacking in decent furniture shops here - we do not have all the very reasonable priced shops like C&B, West Elm, Urban Outfitters, etc. etc. We have an Ikea. And EQ3. And that's about it. Every now and then a funky shop pops up in Westboro or downtown and I can hardly contain myself. Now, these shops are likely where you will find investment pieces that you'd want to keep for a looooong time, and Green Light District Design is one of those shops. Here is what Deborah had emailed me about her shop (www.greenlightshop.ca): "Our aesthetic is clean and contemporary; our pieces from places like Buenos Aires and Cape Town are made of natural materials - leather, wood, parchment, cord, reclaimed cotton. The best part is we get to know the designers and artisans personally, we touch and try every piece before we commit. All our furnishings and accessories come from small production, designer owned companies; all have significant hand made component and the highest level of craftsmanship." My new hubby and I were in awe right when we walked in. It's just one amazing piece after another. I managed to pick out a few small things that I HAD to have, and hopefully one day when Jeff and I are done with our house additions I'll be able to walk in there and pick out a piece of furniture (or 5) when we actually have some space. If you're strolling around downtown Ottawa, be sure to take a walk down Dalhousie St. and stop by Green Light District Design - Deborah and her husband David are super sweet, they can tell you the stories behind all their finds, you'll likely walk away with some gorgeous treasures, and while you're in there, look up. A jaw-dropping restored tin ceiling is part of the shop (pic after the jump, along with the items I picked up).

  
  

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Thursday
Jun032010

Reader request - bathroom vanities

Sorry for my lack of reader request posts lately - things have been a little hairy for me (and with 9 cats now I mean that in every sense of the word). This one comes from Brooke: "I have one request: bathroom vanity's using antique dressers. I am renting an apartment, and going to school to become a designer... and once I am all done and find a place of my own - I will be sure to find a fixer upper... and in that fixer upper will be many fab finds such as a vintage dresser vanity!" I adore dressers repurposed as vanities so I was shocked to find out I didn't have that many photos of this brilliant idea. So below are some vintage dressers, tables, maybe some not so vintage dressers, and even an Ikea kitchen island. (The last photo after the jump has been a favourite of mine for a loooong time).

Sköna hem Elle Decor
Nuevo Estilo Mark Olson
Kristen Buckingham House and Garden
Kara Mann Sunset
Sunset Sunset

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Wednesday
Mar172010

Why I wanted a shipping container - part 2

Here is another store in Puerto Vallarta that I almost passed out in. It's called Ponciana, located downtown, and was filled with everything under the sun. Clothing, tons of linens (lace, tablecloths, pillowcovers, runners...), mirrors, furniture, glassware, dishes, pottery, paintings...you name it. And I went a little nutty in this store knowing I could fit little bits and pieces in my suitcase. To my delight I did end up purchasing several items. Here's a peek inside Ponciana, and coincidentally you'll get a glimpse at a few of the things that came home with me (which is another post for later).


Wednesday
Mar172010

Why I wanted a shipping container - part 1

Today I thought I'd post some more photos from my trip to Mexico, specifically from a couple of the shops that I fell in love with. Then tomorrow I'll show you all the stuff I managed to cram in my 1 suitcase.

This first shop located in downtown Puerto Vallarta is called Origenes - David Luna. It was BEOOOOOOTIFUL. Tons of incredible rustic, earthy furniture from Mexico and elsewhere that I could have furnished an entire home with. To die for. And none of it fit in my suitcase. If you're in Puerto Vallarta, you must check it out for the eye candy factor. Bring a shipping container with you.  :) (Their website includes details of the locations of their 4 shops and interior design projects).




Friday
Dec112009

Koop

Koop Design is an architecture and custom furniture firm based in South Africa. It was founded in 1999 by Richard Stretton. Richard's first 2 projects were 2 game lodges where he lived on-site in remote settings and built the buildings and furniture by hand. Koop’s design ethos - to produce buildings and products that are environmentally sensitive and energy efficient. A crossover between architectural and furniture design form s the basis of Koop; the furniture is approached structurally and the architecture is assembled like large pieces of furniture. Beautiful settings for such beautifully hand-crafted work. Check out the website for all the gorgeous furniture he has designed that can be ordered.