Repurposed Furniture

While reading a recent issue of Conde Nast's Traveler Magazine and last Saturday's National Post Newspaper, I was impressed and inspired by creative ways that common household objects have been given new life as original pieces of furniture.

Instead of tripping over children's blocks, why not use them to create a colourful chair?

A chandelier comprised of coffee mugs? That sounds like a buzzworthy idea to me.  

But if it's not your cup of tea, try wine glasses with their stems removed for a classier effect.  And if you do actually try this, please send me a picture!

The top two photos feature the works of designers Nic Roex, Pepe Heykoop and Geke Lensink. The cup chandelier is by Sander Lucas.

West Elm Toronto

West Elm, the younger sister to the gorgeous and rustic home decor store, Pottery Barn, has arrived in Canada, opening up in Toronto's trendy but still rather quiet, Liberty Village.

The open concept loft space and hardwood floors of West Elm Toronto offer the perfect environment to house the modern cottage like furniture that West Elm reasonably sells.

My design savvy friend, Jess, who invited me to the opening party, wrote a fabulous review of the store which can be read here.

Aside from running into milk. audio DJ, Gani and eating delicious mini quiches, a highlight of the night for me was noticing the clever use of a rock as a name card.

In addition to being environmentally friendly and having the option of keeping a personalized paperweight, the cleverly stylized rock was a good indicator of the type of modern & practical pieces that can be found at West Elm.

For those Canadians who still miss shopping at Caban, West Elm offers a wonderful alternative.

Colourful Cottage Country

Check out these colourful Muskoka Chairs I spotted while eating crispy fish & chips in the tiny, picturesque town of Thornbury, Ontario.


Aside from brightening up lacklustered wood, these chairs add some fun to the traditional cabin look and make a trip to the cottage that much more exciting.


They are also a clever advertising concept for Benjamin Moore paints. By taking a standard cottage country object and brightening it up, all of a sudden the laid back cottage vibe has been interrupted with a smile, causing consumer's to take notice of a product without feeling intruded by city type billboard ads.


Good job Mr. Moore!

The 2008 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit

Last weekend marked the annual Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit at Nathan Phillips Square. Always one of the more enjoyable weekends of the summer, the event lived up to its high expectations of showcasing different kinds of art from emerging talented Canadian artists. Below are a few of my personal favourites:

Ceramic art from Julie Moon

Cleverly reconstructed purses made out of old books by Noelle Hamlyn

Mixed media and custom art by Danielle Hession

A recent grad from Ontario's College of Art & Design, the juxtaposition between her vintage images and modern choice of mixed media, results in beautiful and fascinating pieces. If you would like a custom picture, Danielle can incorporate personal photographs into her work.

Funny Toronto t-shirts by Yasmine Louis

"there was smog in my head"

"I spent the day getting on and off the Spadina car, hoping for something to happen"

Toronto images painted by artist, Rob Crawford

Fine art photography of intricate Ontario landscapes, by Janusz Wrobel

Unique photography that makes you smile by Quebec's, Jerome Bourque

Don't fret if you missed this year's art exhibit, the Queen West art crawl is just around the corner and features many of the same artists who were at Nathan Phillips Square. It's happening at Trinity Bellwoods from September 12th-14th.