Kim's personal links
MY FAVOURITE DECOR SHOPS IN OTTAWA
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kitchen remodel in my last house
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my twin sister's mostly kid's rooms decor blog
Love the styling of the latest range by Australian furniture designers Zuster. Fabulous furniture. Wonderful "rooms". Seriously how sexy are those American Oak legs on the Sabrina Lounge! By turning to the dark side the sisters have found the perfect counterfoil to their new range. Inspiring. Beautiful.
Zuster, Dutch for sister, is the perfect name for a Melbourne-based furniture and interior design company run by 4 sisters (Wilhelmina McCarroll, Fleur Bouw, Katrina Myers and Meika Behrendorff). The Zuster philosophy embraces simple lines and unadorned forms, providing the perfect foundation for beautiful timber grains and meticulous craftsmanship. With strong attention to finer details, pieces are characterised by subtle shadow lines, seamless timber butterfly handles and the careful selection of matching grains to work with the proportions of the piece. Their bespoke contemporary furniture is gorgeous, and you can check it out on their website, but as you know Jo and I prefer to focus on interiors. This company is very talented in that department as well, and the spaces they have designed feature many of their furnishings. The first few photos below are of Willy's home, on 40 acres in Yarra Valley, complete with picturesque view and horses!
This is the last day of a 4 day weekend for me - essentially the only span of time off from my day job I am taking this summer. (I thought I should save my vacation days for the house renos which gawd knows when or if they will start anytime soon). Friday my husband Jeff and I stopped off at a couple of my favourite local home furnishing shops to get an idea of what we might want to purchase when the house is complete. One of those shops was Green Light District Design, which I have blogged about here and here. Jeff and I had dinner with the owners, Deborah and David, a couple of weeks ago and found out some very sad news. They are packing up the shop and moving it to Toronto. I am happy that Deborah and David are taking their shop to greener pastures but I am really disappointed that the shop didn't work here in Ottawa. So before they left Jeff and I decided to pick out some things that we've had our eyes on for ages, and we are planning to pick them up in Toronto and check out the new shop when the order comes in. In the meantime I picked up some more of the gorgeous dishes (handmade in South Africa) that I have been slowly acquiring since my first visit to GLDD, and of course took some photos. But before I share those, here are some details of the new shop: The name will now be 'Green Light District'....The new address is 365 Roncesvalles Ave in a totally renovated shop in Toronto's west end, near High Park....The website address remains the same....The neighbourhood of Roncy has had a complete street renewal over past 2 years which is now complete....We are keeping most of our current suppliers, but adding exciting new pieces....The last day in Ottawa will be Sept 11; opening in TO late September.
Here are the dishes Icould not pass up purchasing before the store closes. I snagged a couple more soup bowls, side plates, pasta bowls, finally some dinner plates (love the unfinished edge!), and a really pretty accent bowl. I adore how they are SO handmade that each piece is really a different shape, and when stacked they sit unevenly. PRETTY!!!
Last week I flew to Sydney for the launch of Freedom's Summer 2011 range. Earlier this year they relaunched their look taking Freedom from dowdy and forgotten to fun and fashionable. Even though Freedom paid for my fares and accommodation I'm not the kinda gal who waxes lyrical about a brand unless I think it is great. This is everyday furniture for everyday Aussies (and New Zealanders) with a clever, quirky and stylish vibe. What really caught my attention was their limited edition range (and I really mean limited as the last season's limited pieces sold out quickly). A chinoiserie patterned canopy chair in bold red, an in your face ketchup coloured wingback that is willowy at the same time, a midnight black leather wingback and ottoman so matt that it is almost stealthy and a canapé that is a quirky and stylish statement piece. The Jack and Jill ottomans are sure to be a hit too. And the prices are great ... but you'll have to wait until the catalogue comes out to find out just how great ;)
So many other pieces caught my eye. There are wonderful hammered metal coffee tables and side tables as well as a chunky, boxy leather sofa. The Asia Daze range is rich with red and black lacquers and asian influenced homewares. Great vintage posters, larger than life floor lamps, cute rugs and a narrow dining table perfect for limited space. Team the table up with turquoise stools and it's love at first sight. Summer bright outdoor settings and clever wooden screens and box seats are perfect for apartment balconies. The Freedom designers have come up with a great range. The night was styled by Megan Morton who kept me entertained from the moment she urged me to drink up my pineapple cocktail as she walked me through the range. Hi to Lisa from The Red Thread and lovely finally putting a face to stylist Heather Nette King. Thanks Freedom. I had a fab time and the range is super! Release is timed for August 22. Until then you can see more after the jump ...
I warned you! More from the dark side. The Milan loft of furniture designer Rodolfo Dordoni via AT Casa. This is more me. Still undecided on the oversized humanoid sculpture (this coming from a woman with a life size Mary and Jesus statue, a 3m Papua New Guinea spirit post and a Tiwi burial pole) but the rest is perfect. Soon I too shall be welcomed home each day by a darkling den.
Fri, 21 Oct 2011