Did I hear right?
by Elisa Krovblt
Eagerly awaiting Target’s arrival – even more now that I’ve heard the news: There will be a Starbucks onsite. Oh yes there will.
Leave a Comment February 16, 2012
If you know who Sandy McTire is…
by Elisa Krovblit
Sandy McTire is the man on the money
You might need to be a little old-school – I’ll admit I had to look it up – Sandy McTire is the iconic tam-and-mustachioed Scotsman emblazoned on Canadian Tire’s paper money loyalty program.
I love CT. Something about the crazy mix of décor and auto parts, hunting paraphernalia and tools makes every trip quite interesting. I never know what I’ll come home with, but it’s always treasure. And paper money.
It’s one of the oldest loyalty programs on the book. It’s also one of the most popular. But Sandy is not going to be happy with the new competition – Canadian Tire’s new loyalty program will give him a run for his money.
Literally.
While CT gives you .4 cents on the dollar, the new loyalty program will be doling out a full percent back. Credit card shoppers will be included in the new program – the old program was limited to those that paid cash or used CT’s own credit card. The program will go through a trial in the Nova Scotia locations at the end of the month.
CT doesn’t plan to ditch the paper money all together, they will offer both. But a loyalty card means tracking purchases and including all payment forms – plus a higher return rate, and more savings will likely be the bottom line for most loyalty rewards enthusiasts.
And while I expect the new loyalty program will quickly make its way west, Sandy’s still got a bit of a reprieve around here for now.
Leave a Comment February 16, 2012
Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet – and looks so cute in my new sugar bowl!!!!
by Elisa Krovblit
Grapefruit sugar bowl $18 antrhopologie.com
I love love. I love being in love. I love my husband. I love my family. I love my cat. Love love love.
Valentine’s Day is a great idea, one day a year where they’re reminded that actions can speak louder than words. Where a trinket, a reminder of that love is a magnificent idea. But you know what I just don’t get? Why people limit themselves to saying “I love you” with chocolate, flowers and plush animals holding hearts.
Love transcends heart-shaped do-dads. I would much rather be on the receiving end of a present that will find a permanent place in my life and will say “I love you” to me every time I see it and use it. Why can’t you be both sentimental and utilitarian?There are a lot of great little items that make perfect Valentine’s Day presents.
La Tour Trunk $149 pier1.com
What says love better than the city of love? Paris. C’est l’amour. And who doesn’t love more storage? So how can you go wrong with this Parisian-inspired storage trunk!
'Kisses' oil on canvas by Erin Rothstein artinteriors.com
Like chocolate? How about Erin Rothstein’s oil on canvas ‘Kisses’. This lovely painting will keep saying I love you long after the last chocolate kiss would have melted in your mouth. And this piece of pop art will be an asset to any collection.
DKNY Sweetheart bath towels $14.99 bedbathandbeyond.ca
A sweet little treat for your bathing beauty, these plush and luxurious towels will be a constant favourite in the towel rotation, swathed like a hug around your Valentine.
Tiffany Locks heart lock bracelet silver $605 18k gold $4400 tiffany.ca
Utilitarian and sentimental. Right.
Fieldcrest luxury bloom duvet king $255 queen $202 thebay.com
Beautiful bed linens are an ideal gift. The dramatic black and white bloom pattern is a bouquet for your beloved that can be enjoyed at the end of every long day.
Grapevine wine rack in red Designer: Ran Lerner $25 umbra.com
Nothing says “Be My Valentine” like a romantic red present. A bottle of wine with your sweetie is a start to a perfect romantic evening. A stylish red wine rack – why not store a few bottles for spontaneity.
Leave a Comment February 12, 2012
Say “oui” to Gautier—French luxury furniture arrives in Toronto
by Silvana Longo
On February 3, HD&R attended the first Canadian showroom opening of French luxury furniture brand, Gautier, at their Adelaide and Jarvis location in the heart of Toronto’s home design and décor area.
Amidst the aroma of fresh brewed coffee, croissants and tasty amuse-bouches at the press breakfast, charming old-world French music played in the background contrasting the modern beauty of the Gautier furniture brand. An unmistakable signature style that includes adjectives like sleek, elegant, contemporary and above all GREEN.
Like the vibrant green Gautier logo, all furniture is manufactured from sustainable forests. Eco-friendliness, sensual design and their five-year warranty make owning one of their carefully crafted furniture pieces worth the investment. This half-century old, family-run business started in Nantes, France, and now has three manufacturing sites there with more than 650 partners throughout the world. We are thrilled they are finally here in Toronto! Here’s a peek into the Gautier world.
One-person easychair and armrest and corner and two-person easychair
Enjoy customized, flexible and state-of-the-art living. Gautier’s stunning designs match the adaptability of their collections.
Who wouldn’t want to cozy up in this oasis of a living room?
Sétis coffee table
How great is this coffee table? I was drawn to the two secret drawers where you can
tuck away any clutter build-up when guests come over or just use them as extra storage.
Maxi-pouffe
Thanks to their highly flexible modular pieces and choice of coordinating feet, you can create your own sofa to suit your taste and needs.
How sleek is this ottoman as the finishing touch to your custom Gautier sofa?
Visit gautier-shops.com
Leave a Comment February 6, 2012
Designed for function
by Elisa Krovblit
Photos by Kendall Townend
“Every time I went “Hey!” The crew went “Oh no…” But those “Hey!” moments translated into some incredible features in the City Girl Catering kitchen.
Amanda Ford is the woman behind City Girl Catering. Having left her career as a portfolio manager for a major Canadian bank, Ford attended the French Culinary Institute in NYC in 2005. She’s been the backbone of a couple of celebrated Toronto restaurants, and now runs her own successful catering company, while also developing her own line of culinary products. Those “Hey!” moments were all about creating the perfect kitchen that could support the demands of food preparation, en masse.
While the kitchen is in her own home, this is no ordinary residential kitchen – or ordinary residence. The kitchen, Ford says, is bigger than many restaurant kitchens – and prettier, too, thanks to the talents of her designer, Rachel Finer.
Finer and Ford worked together to bring this very unusual kitchen to life. Ford wasn’t worried so much about aesthetics, she was tearing out her lovely and oh-so-conventional white marble kitchen, and function was her priority. She wanted to design the function and flow based on the smooth systems she enjoys in professional kitchens, while Finer kept bringing in the idea of resale, of entertaining, and ensuring that neither function nor fashion would need to be sacrificed – though the two did need to come up with some interesting solutions for this residential installation.
The results are as beautiful in practice as they are in the pictures. Stainless steel is not only flattering, Ford explains that the five-foot section of stainless countertop creates the perfect surface for rolling out pastry dough and working with cold applications. The rest is quartz, for its durability and heat resistance. The choice of material offered Finer a wide variety of finishes, allowing her to create a visually and functionally ideal complement to the cold steel.
The stove, while not a professional appliance – as Ford would have liked – is from the GE Monagram series. “It’s ginormous and incredibly powerful,” says Ford. “Each burner has 18,000 BTU and it has the largest cavity of any oven on the market.” While a professional oven would have been her preference “and much cheaper!” Finer had let Ford know that bringing professional equipment into a residence would have posed an issue with insurance. Of course there is a large, stainless range hood above the stove, also from the GE Monagram series. While these stylish little numbers are starting to show up in a lot of residential kitchens, most will never realize the power these have, but from fish to deep-fry, these really do keep odour from escaping the kitchen. It has four speeds as well as two built-in warming lamps.
One of the most commercially recognizable elements of the kitchen is the restaurant style “feat of engineering” over the peninsula. Ford wanted the shelving above her main work station to house all of the items she needs at hand. Instead of running around the kitchen gathering pans and ingredients, they are all within arm’s reach. But the price for convenience is steep. While Ford jokes about the feat of engineering, she is completely serious when she explains that “six large steel posts support literally over a tonne of weight.” The stainless wrapped cherry protects the wood from damage during use, but the cherry is strong and enduring – and also an attractive finish.
The peninsula itself proved more functional than an island. While it concerned Finer that Ford wanted the countertop height almost two inches higher than conventional countertops, Ford’s not concerned about resale. Some renovations are personal, you’ve got to love where you live. In this case it’s more than just a home. “It’s my office, it should be perfect.” says Ford.
The peninsula and countertops actually have dual function. While cooking and catering are her main uses by day, Ford also teaches cooking classes, and the bar-height countertop along the one side can seat eight comfortably, with a perfect view. The bar is also ideal for entertaining.
The lights are also great for entertaining – thanks to dimmers and undermounts. But soft light isn’t practical for a catering kitchen. Ford has six pot lights over the peninsula, another 15 ceiling pots as well as more undermounts.
While investigating lighting, Ford also found hydroponic grow lights and incorporated them over the wall shelving. Sourced from North Carolina, they are energy efficient and stay on all night. With them she grows an herb garden, the selection her to have the freshest herbs at her disposal any time of year.
One element that most will not have considered for their own kitchen is the massive blower box. The reason may be that this is Ford’s own invention. She does a lot of smoking fish and searing meat and needs to dry the surface. The three-sided blower box, equipped with two high-powered fans does the trick. It’s also the perfect way to dry blanched veggies, she explains, they travel better and don’t break down that way.
Of course there is floor-to-ceiling storage for the endless varieties of specialty oils, vinegars, salts, and assortment of baking ingredients, but she’s created shallow shelving instead of arm’s deep pantries so that she can see and access what she needs.
A large Sub-Zero fridge with the side-by-side freezer is adequate for what she needs at hand, but fridges and deep freezers have taken over the basement.
While not at all a conventional kitchen, it’s perfect for Ford. She’s proven that there’s no need to limit yourself in kitchen design, room to think beyond resale, and to find perfection in those “Hey!” moments.
Amanda Ford
Amanda is City Girl Catering, which specializes in organic, local and ethical dishes. They cater functions of any size, from intimate dinner parties to full service at weddings. Ford is also developing the City Girl Catering product line, including barbecue sauce and a line of soy products. citygirlcatering.ca
Leave a Comment February 6, 2012
The heart of red
By Glen Peloso
It’s that time of year when everything seems to be hearts, chocolate and red. Valentine’s Day permeates just about every retail shop in the city, and strong reds seem to be so associated with this Hallmark holiday that we rarely look at the colour unless it’s in the month of February. In my opinion, cupid has run off with this colour but it is time to hang on to it as a great one to use in the home.
I have to say that red is one of my favourite colours to use in a space, largely because it is a strong colour that often overpowers the other colours that are part of the room. As a result, it offers the person entering the room for the first time – or anytime really – a place to start the experience of the room. We subconsciously look to the brightest colour in the room to start the experience of that room, and by offering a very clear focal point in a strong hue, we remove the feeling of being overwhelmed that you can get in a large space.
I have to say that there is something very enticing about the excitement the colour red invokes, and that may very likely be the reason that it has been selected as the colour that has come to represent Valentine’s Day – which is all about passion. That same kind of passion is great to inject in to the home, but the question remains how to effectively do it so that it isn’t overwhelming, but is an exciting experience.
Red is certainly a great colour for creating intimacy and romance in the home. It can often be a wonderful colour to use in a dining room, for instance, where you may cover all of the walls in a warm red shade. Generally, the dining room is used in the evening when it is illuminated with the warm flicker of candles or other sources of soft lighting. You want to create a sense of intimacy and closeness, whether you are using the space for a group of friends having stimulating conversation or just for two people celebrating a significant day, like Valentine’s Day. Creating a room that is both somewhat dark and aesthetically “close” helps to create that feeling of familiarity.
Deep reds can also be a pleasing choice for an accent wall in a master bedroom. Whether you use the colour in a detailed wall paper or as a solid block for a featured wall like the headboard wall, the depth of colour gives a feeling of sleep and passionate intimacy, which is generally what you hope for in the bedroom.
In other rooms, red is a fantastic colour as an accent. You can use it in accessories that may be placed on a bookshelf to offer pops of colour to the area. Having pieces of glass in a bright red can offer excitement to coffee tables, side tables, or elements on a mantel shelf. I have also used larger red glass bowls on a kitchen table, which serves to ground the table and the area.
Speaking of grounding an area, traditional Persian rugs filled with deep reds can be wonderful to ground the furniture in a room. I don’t suggest red as a colour to use in flooring, like the red cherry-stained floors that have been used in the past. Red works best in the home as a “spice” but not as a “flavour.”
Selecting the right red can be a bit of a trick and you certainly don’t want to work with a primary colour unless you are creating a kids play area. Opt for a
deep red when used on walls, and a slightly brighter shade when used it as an accent. Benjamin Moore’s “Rapture” is one that I really like and have used effectively in the past.
If you ask me, I think that every room should have some element in red, whether that be a throw cushion, an accessory, a carpet or an entire wall. It creates a sense of excitement, passion and good design. With
all that said – have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
Glen Peloso
Glen Peloso, design editor at Home Décor and Renovations and principal designer of Glen Peloso Interiors, has been designing spaces for commercial, corporate and residential clients for more than 15 years. You’ll recognize Glen as the host of such television design shows as Restaurant Makeover, Take This House & Sell It and Renovate My Wardrobe, to name a few, as well as from speaking engagements at home shows across Canada. glenpelosointeriors.com
Leave a Comment February 4, 2012
Thank goodness someone figured these things out
By Elisa Krovblit
Luckily we have our connections so that we can bring you the best of the best in everything for your home.
This week our most mention-worthy connection is our Editor-In-Chief’s mother-in-law. And we’re grateful that this inquisitive woman came across The Daily Buzz. thedailybuzz.com.au
This helpful gem originates in Australia and has some savvy solutions to life’s little dilemmas. The kind of dilemmas that you don’t actually lose sleep over, but once someone shows you a better way, you think to yourself, “Thank goodness someone finally figured that one out!”
Visit thedailybuzz.com.au for their 25 tried and true techniques to solve life’s little problems.
Here’s a few of our personal faves:
Baking a pie? Making jam? Forget the paring knife and grab a straw. A simple stab will have strawberries hulled in a split second. Wonder if the name was a clue that someone finally figured out.
Cut down on linen closet disarray. Fold your sheet. Fold your flat sheet. Now neatly tuck them all inside one pillow case. Voila. Sheet set in a sack.
Don’t lose it just because you lost it. From little screws to small earrings, just put a piece of pantyhose over the end of the vacuum, secure it tightly with a rubber band and turn it on. The suction will pull up those little lost treasures.
And clearing up cleaner clutter is easy now. Just attach a tension rod in your cleaner cabinet and hand your spray bottle cleaners on it.
Leave a Comment January 30, 2012
IDS12
by Elisa Krovblit
The Interior Design Show 2012 – IDS12 – was A-Mazing!
I’m glad it was moved down to the Metro Convention Centre, it’s such a perfect venue for the show. It’s not the first year it’s been there, but each time I go I realize that it just fits. And there was something about this year’s show. It looked good. The roster of speakers was cohesive and interesting. The layout flowed. The exhibitors exhibited. The designers represented.
Everyone took it to the next level – effortlessly. It was just about good design. It was a gallery of décor.
More of an extravaganza than a buying event.
A quick walk through made this year’s favoured trends immediately apparent.
Natural materials were heavily represented. Woods and wood grains were a star feature. Embellishment and sparkle made the scene. I’m so relieved that we’re finally heading into an era of glam! Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for minimalist – sleek lines, refined design and a visual that’s clutter free, but sophisticated glamour can really bring a space alive with fun and personality. Mixed with the organic element, it shows that designers and manufacturers are thinking about an ordinary and common feature in a whole new way. Wood has character, stone doesn’t have to be so stoic.
Comfort was another ‘can’t miss’ feature of the design. Soft materials, plushness, user-friendliness and inviting and playful or relaxing features really added comfort – physically and as a tone to a space.
I didn’t want to leave. It’s over and I still want to go back. But the beautiful pictures and the dreams of how to bring those features into my own home will keep me going until IDS13!
The Shopping Guide was there, I hope everyone was able to get their copy, you don’t want to miss out on some great finds and designer advice.
Leave a Comment January 30, 2012
Designing the kitchen of your dreams
By Yanic Simard
photo by Ted Yarwood
Are you in love with your home but have a hate-on for the kitchen? You’re probably thinking of renovating sometime down the line, but the thought of it may overwhelm you to the point of wanting to put up the “For Sale” sign, pack your things and move into a home with a brand new kitchen. But before you do that, take a minute to stop and think about it. If you re-design the space yourself it will be your own, created the way you want it. Just about everything is customizable and nothing’s worse then moving into a home where the layout or function of this main room just doesn’t work for you and your family. Sure, it might look pretty, but it may actually be quite unpractical.
The kitchen is a space that should be well thought out and well planned – especially since you’ll probably only do this once. Hiring a professional and experienced design firm can be very beneficial. Not only will they make the design process a whole lot easier, but they will help you avoid costly mistakes. I’m going to take you through the course of action I took when creating this beautiful space.
PERSONALITY
Constructing a space that is well-suited to the homeowners is very important to me. I really like to bring the personality and character of the family to life through the design. The kitchen is the hub of the home, which means that investing in this area is a very wise decision – not only for the time while you live in it, but also if you decide to sell in the future. This kitchen is completely customized, made exactly how the homeowners wanted it.
photo by Leni Johnston
THE OVERALL DESIGN
I always like to begin a project with some sort of inspiration. Clive Christian’s designs very much inspired the look of this kitchen, above. It’s traditional, but with a twist of contemporary. I kept a lot of important elements in mind when coming up with the design, contrast being at the top of my list. The dark, elaborate wood for the cabinetry really stands out against the colouring of the natural stone. You’ll notice that the Calacatta marble for the flooring, countertops and backsplash are all the same, creating a strong sense of unity. To add some visual interest, I laid out the backsplash in a brick pattern. You might also notice the cut out in the backsplash area – this was made specifically for the pop-out fan for the range, so when it’s being used, it is flush with the wall rather than protruding outwards. The more little details you incorporate, the bigger the impact of the space will be. I kept the look clean by paneling the fridge to match the contemporary shaker-style cabinet doors.
THE ISLAND
Keeping the work triangle in mind, I decided place the sink here, keeping it, the fridge and stove all within an acceptable distance of one another. I made the height of the island higher than the typical 36 inches. Instead, I opted for 40 inches because I find that it’s much better for cooking and baking, which is what the family was mainly going to use it for. All four sides of the island are used for storage, consisting of doors and shelves, with wicker baskets that offer easy access for the children. I even made room in there for recycling and garbage components along with a water filter. It’s all in the details.
Underneath all of this beauty went a lot of hard work. Don’t be fooled to think that because the kitchen is massive, that the efficiency is not there. This big kitchen is for a big family, and functionality played the most important role in the design, which was totally achieved. The homeowners love it, which is the best payoff for me as a designer. Now go and take down that for sale sign!
Yanic Simard
Yanic is the principal designer of the Toronto Interior Design Group. Specializing in residential and commercial projects, Simard often applies his signature high/low and old/new combination design techniques in developing unique designs. Simard has created designs for clients in Toronto, Montreal and Miami, and appears as a regular guest expert on Citytv’s CityLine.
tidg.ca • facebook.com/yanic.simard •
twitter.com/yanicsimard
Leave a Comment January 28, 2012
