furni time tickers

The Globe and Mail highlighted some sleek, retro-reminiscent clocks in their Home section today. Check out furni online to see more. Their clocks are pretty cool and would make a fashionable addition to any 'timeless' room. Just in time for longer nights when transitioning to waking up without the sun is particularly challenging.

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hello LOHA

Lorcan O'Herlihy Architects (LOHA) is an architecture and design firm based in California. Their work is stunning (and their website is pretty nifty too!). I've only checked out their residential designs so far and had a hard time choosing a favorite, but the exterior (above) and view! (below) of the Lexton MacCarthy Residence (click the Lm on their 'periodic table of elements' on their website) really caught my eye.

Also of note: I'm not one for subdivisions, but their 12 Houses plan (click Hv) gives cookie-cutter urban sprawl eyesores reason to hope.

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Bold Moves

One thing I think people over look in home decor is making a bold statement. I have noticed in pictures I'm drawn to, its often a focal point or a bold move that strikes me the most. When people have small spaces, they can be timid about using focal points. A big painting, a bold color, a cool sink, all of these things can add up to one great looking room, no matter what its size!

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keeping up with the jones'

Hilarious. I got a good laugh out of this silly (or creepy?) pair of lemon and lime juicers. The Mr. and Mrs. Jones Juicers were crafted up by Polly George and can be found this side of the Atlantic at unica HOME. Juicing just got a lot more intimate.

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if you can't beat 'em, join 'em

I'm resigning myself to an early fall. It's cold. I'm wearing jeans. Pretty soon I'll be forced to carry a sweater with me. I've decided that I have to embrace it (survival tactic) or else I'll mope for a whole month (and no one likes a moper). So I'm starting to dream about pumpkin lattes and woolly sweaters and getting cozy. What better way to start than by reorganizing my living room (okay, so what if it's a bi-monthly activity)? Last night I created a definite split between my 'dining area' (not shown) and my 'living area' (pictured above). I'm happy with it. And now I have a very inviting, corner reading nook with a coffee table for easily-reachable book access and coffee mug placement. I hung out there for 4 hours last night and felt very satisfied. That's a good sign.

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Stylish Storage

Small space is all about storage planning. The first thing I consider is do I want open or closed storage. If what I'm storing is not pretty or interesting to look at, I go with closed storage. For the most part, I opt for closed, its easier to cram stuff in when you have people coming over on short notice! I do have open storage in my office. There I find I can be a bit more creative and practical all at the same time.

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Weathered Wood

Weathered wood is one of those trends I bet some people thought would die a early death. Some of my friends do not like the look at all. If done right, and in the right place, I think it looks great. A room full of it is too much for me. I love the texture it can add to home decor. The top picture would make my mother in law break out the paint cans, but I really like how it looks!

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Cubbies

Cubbies seem to be everywhere in pictures these days. They do make a lot of sense, I just don't know if I'm disciplined enough to have open shelving. No, I'm not. Love how they look tho. How about you? Are you cub worthy?

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HGTV Rate a Room

I'm sure most of you have seen rate a room on the HGTV website. I have mixed emotions about it. On one hand, I love seeing how regular people decorate. There are some really talented people out there. Some of the comments are down right mean! I'm all for constructive criticism, but yikes! Here are a few rooms I thought were done very nicely. Do you have a favorite rate a room?

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Neat Tricks

I love creative and clever ways to use space, large or small. Here are a few pictures I came across that I thought were fun. White totes are found all over these days but the way they used these are really eye catching. Who says a kitchen is too small for a pot rack? Using stylish ottomans for a coffee table is a fantastic idea!

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a year of mornings

I absolutely love this concept. Two friends, 3191 miles apart, take a photo every morning and post them side by side on their website. A visual storyline of relationships, everyday experiences, and chance compositions that go way deeper than surface beauty (although there's no shortage of that!). Check it out.

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a really likeable art story

http://economist.com/books/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9644754

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tidbits from toronto

I spent the weekend visiting an exceptional friend in Toronto who gave me a personal tour of some of the city's hotspot design and decorating stores (and restaurants and clothing boutiques and and and...). To be honest, I didn't mentally document everything as much as I thought I would because I was enjoying the moment too much to plan ahead for future blogging posts. HOWEVER, a few spots did stand out...

I had no difficultly understanding why Commute Home received so many raves. The store's handmade, on-location-crafted furniture pieces are gorgeous, unique and that perfect blend of modern-meets-antique. I already want to go back and take a second look.

The other stand-out stop was Ministry of the Interior, a design store/ gallery space that happened to be featuring some of Jason Miller's work (including the daydream mirror above), which for me was a chance of perfect-timing as I'd just read Dwell's article on him a few days earlier (only available in hardcopy). I love it when that happens - you read about an artist and their work and then get to put it into focus by unexpectedly coming across it in person soon after. Uber cool.

One thing's for sure, my tidbit taste of Toronto left me with an appetite for more and cast Ottawa's limited design scene into even paler light. Good thing the distance from here to there isn't as wide as the gulf between reality and dreams in Miller's conceptual art meets contemporary design objects...

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Style File- Black and White

Lucy and Desi, peanut butter and jelly, black and white. What do they all have in common? They were made for each other! Ok, Lucy and Desi for the 50's but you get my drift! Black and white has been around forever it seems and for good reason. A fun way to tweak black and white is to add a 3rd color to the mix in a smaller dose.

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Small Efficient Kitchens

These kitchen are great examples of small but efficient kitchens. They may be tiny but for what they lack in size, they make up for it with great style. If at all possible, a table or small workspace is a big plus in a small kitchen.

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Signs

I've always had a thing for quirky wall signs. I have quite a few in my house now, my favorite being a canoe sign (top picture). This was my office wall and has since changed but I still have that sign. Feels like it belongs at summer camp, and thats why I bought it. I also have a matching one in green that says cabins. My friend Linda redid her bathroom (stunning!) and added a subway sign (2nd picture). Thats the first sign I've seen in awhile thats made me swoon!. Ebay is a great place to find old signs etc.

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Pottery Barn Bed and Bath Fall Line

I received my Pottery Barn Bed and Bath catalog in the mail yesterday and really liked what I saw. They have a very nice mix of things for fall. You can check out more bedrooms on their website. (Click on title of this post to link you to their website)

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spanish eats in new digs

Spanish artist/ designer Jaime Hayon has designed a new restaurant for a prestigious Spanish chef that will be opening this september, according to Frame magazine (see link for more photos). Looks like it's worth adding to the travel journal list!

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Chalk

I have to admit, when I first started seeing the use of chalkboards in home decor, I thought it would be a passing phase. Its been awhile now and it does not seem to be fading at all! I love the use of chalkboards in the home. They give visual punch with such stark blackness, although you can now find chalkboards in all sorts of colors. I've used chalkboard paint in the past too. Adding magnetic paint to chalkboard paint is a great combination.

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A Small Corner

I love to look at pictures of how people use and decorate those small corners in their homes. Those odd corners or not too big spaces can be a perfect opportunity to get creative. If you can create something that is nice to look at and useful you'll feel doubly great!

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You may have outgrown youth hostels and lonelyplanet guides but most of you have not outgrown traveling. For those of you who are lucky enough not to be chained to a mortgage, 2 children and a minivan there is a new guide to the planet. Brought to you from the ever stylish people at Wallpaper magazine are Wallpaper City guides (40 cities profiled). Each guide profiles an eclectic mix of restaurants, shopping, hotels and design stores. Most venues are known only to locals and since the authors have inserted a discreet map on the last page you might even be mistaken for one.

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