The Modern Shop and a new blanket

On Saturday I went down to Bank St. to check out a couple of my favourite shops as I hadn't been down there in many months. We went to the Ottawa Antique Market where I found an old glass milk bottle for $5 and what looks like a Hudson Bay point blanket (but doesn't have a Bay tag on it nor does it show the points, but does have a tag saying 100% wool and another saying Made in Canada) for $48. Only problem is wool blankets and 7 cats don't mix so well. It will likely be added to all the other wool blankets I own that are just for decoration.

We stopped in at The Modern Shop and chatted with owner Michael about his booming business and all the cool stuff he's carrying these days. I seriously cannot wait to get my new house built because OMG he has so many pieces I'd love to get my greedy little hands on. One thing I love is that he's now carrying alot of knick knacks in his shop so if you stop in just to have a peek, you can leave with some goodies even if you aren't in the market for larger items. There were so many little things I wanted to leave with - especially by Muuto. Michael did give me a Plumen light bulb that I've been dying to try out - I have a thing for funky bulbs. 

Michael carries lots of awesome brands, some that are reproductions because let's face it, not everyone can afford an $8,000 Mouille floor lamp. You'll find Jonathan Adler (lighting, pillows, vases etc.), Areaware (OMG their animal pillows are adorable), Georg Jensen, Hay, Luceplan, Moooi, MASHstudios, Normann Copenhagen and a ton of others. So if you're in Ottawa check out his shop on Bank St., otherwise his website is packed with awesomeness. 

The OMAS

Ed of Rideau River Antiques here in Ottawa emailed me recently about an antiques show in Montreal he will be showing some of his fine wares at. I thought I'd share it with anyone reading who lives near Montreal in case you want to go check it out. It's called the Old Montreal Antique Show and it takes place Oct 12-14 at the Bonsecours Market. Ed claims it's the most spectacular antique show in Canada, that many important pieces will be shown by the best dealers across the country. I am going to try and make it out there but since I've been out to Montreal twice recently, I'm not sure I can convince the hubby to go a third time. We shall see. Here are some pics of last year's show. 

The Cribbar

A while ago we received an email about a new surf bar called The Cribbar in Newquay, Cornwall (which, little did I know, is the surfing capital of the UK). The bar, designed by Absolute, has been borne from a collaboration with leading surf magazines and talented designers to ensure that all clichés have been avoided and that the result is a fitting, but definitely not corny, homage to the bar’s namesake, the epic big-wave reef off Newquay’s coast. I love the brightness of it, the "volcanoes" in the ceiling and OMG the concrete chesterfield!

can't stop listening to this...

Menuiserie Lessard

Geneviève, from the neighbouring province of Québec, emailed about her boyfriend's new carpentry/renovation business called Menuiserie Lessard. She sounded so proud of him that I had to feature his work here, and it gave me the excuse to practice my French in our email convo. :) You can find details on his website or on Facebook. For his projects he either customizes Ikea cabinets (to keep costs down) or he'll build the cabinets himself. In other words, he's a great guy to know. :) Some samples of his work are below.