Christie Antiques Show Chronicle

Even when I don't really NEED anything, I still love to make the trip to the Christie Antiques Show. It's always fun to look, and it felt like there was more than usual to see this time; I was there all day! Arriving early means getting a good parking spot and the pick of the crop, so I was at the entry the gate just before the 8 am opening.

7:55 am. Apparently I'm not the only early bird. I arrived at the entry gate along with a few hundred others:

8:10 am. I made my first purchase; a yellow basket weave McCoy flower pot. My grandmother used to have several of these on her kitchen windowsill. And yes, I was wearing gloves, it was a very chilly morning:

8:15 am. I spotted a beautiful set of Aynsley china and immediately fell in love. There were enough dinner plates, salad plates and soup bowls for 12, and the set included a lidded tureen and a teapot. The asking price was $395, but the seller offered it to me at $325. I totally regret not making the purchase:

 

8:24 am.  I tweeted a pic of this Eastlake style footstool upholstered in orange velvet. Both the velvet and wood were in great condition, and its tiny proportions made it super cute, but I passed:

 

8:30 am. I was reminded of my age when I saw a Crissy doll. My sister Debbie had the same doll when we were kids. An item from childhood showing up at an antiques show cannot be good:

9:11 am. A pair of Beswick dogs caught my eye, and at $95 for the pair, they weren't a bad price for such popular collectibles. But since I recently thrifted a pair of ceramic dogs (see this post), in the end I decided against these:

10:53 am. My second purchase was a vintage glass towel bar. It's in great condition - no chips or cracks, just some paint from its previous home. I have yet to figure out exactly what I'm going to do with it, but something creative is in the works. I am embracing the wabi-sabi:

 

11:35am. There are no words:

11:49 am. There were a lot of beautiful rugs at this show, even more than I remember seeing in past years. I've talked about my rug addiction in the past, but I managed to stay on the wagon. Sigh. So many beautiful patterns and colours. J'adore:

 
12:03 pm. These bamboo style iron chairs were in nearly new condition - no rust or grime. The vendor had 9 available at their shop near Niagara-on-the-Lake. These would be perfect for outdoor dining & garden parties:

Noonish. Time to break for lunch and enjoy a little 'tweetup' with some fellow bloggers. We shared our finds and talked blogs. Here we are from left to right: Laura of Sweet Maple, Moi, Amy of Love on Sunday, Kisha of Chronicled, and Jen of Rambling Renovators:

4:08 pm. After 8 hours of antiquing, it was time to head home. I took a quick photo of my last purchase before hopping in the car.  I love all things brass, and this set of 6 tiny spoons from Thailand were too cute to resist: 

If you missed this one and you're interested in attending, the next Christie Antiques Show happens on September 7th. In the meantime, check out your hometown for local shows and flea markets. You never know what you'll find ;)

A Study in Storage

When it came time to negotiate the purchase of my new condo, I knew I should ask for a few "extras".  I really wanted smooth finished ceilings throughout the unit, which unfortunately, the developers weren't willing to provide :( In lieu of that, however, I was offered built-in cabinetry for the study nook. Can I just tell you? Best. Bonus. Ever.

The amount of storage in this little nook is more than any simple desk could ever accommodate. Three drawers, full height adjustable shelving behind the cupboard door, open storage and a desk surface. I store so much stuff inside the cupboard; everything from paint chips to binder clips.

 

The open shelves above the desk are the perfect spot to display a few of my favourite things. I like to mix up the display whenever I find a new addition - like the faux Staffordshire dogs I recently scored while thrifting. 

The faux bamboo chair I found on Kijiji (see this post) looks right at home in the study nook. I was originally planning to paint the chair, but considering its excellent condition I decided to leave it natural. I think it looks fab at the desk, and I use it all the time - in fact I'm sitting in it right now ;)

Have any of you purchased a new home or condo recently? Let me know if you've scored a good deal during negotiations!

Sweet Retreat: Lavender Master Bedroom

It's finally time to take a look at the master bedroom in the new condo. The room is an average size for a Toronto condo, about 10' x 12', which is just the right amount of space for an upholstered queen size bed & two 24" bedside tables. The lamps & bedside tables were from my previous home, but I ordered a new upholstered Decor-Rest bed (Canadian made!) from G.H. Johnson's 6 weeks before I moved in. The bed ended up being ready earlier than expected, and G.H. Johnson's were kind enough to hold it in their warehouse until I was ready to have it delivered.

The wall colour was chosen several months before moving in (see this post & this post), but I had to wait for drywall repairs to be taken care of before painting could go ahead. I opted to paint both walls and trim in Gown, a soft and serene shade of lavender from Sarah Richardson's designer palette for Para Paints. This colour is very restful, which is just what I need :)

After living in a fishbowl for several months, I bit the bullet and had drapes custom made to cover the floor to ceiling east facing windows. Working with Parallele Interiors, I chose a gauzy neutral and opted for an inverted pleat style. The end result is very luxurious, and these drapes serve their purpose, blocking out both the morning sun and any potential peepers.

There are still a few missing pieces in the room, such as artwork or maybe a papered accent wall, but in its current state of simplicity the space is perfectly restful. And that's what it's all about, right?

Source Guide:
Upholstered Bed, Decor-Rest, ordered through G.H. Johnson's
Paint, Gown (SR9), Para Paints
Bedding, Magnolia by Gluckstein Home, purchased at Hudson's Bay
Lamps & Lamp Shades, Aquiesse Candle HomeSense
Bedside Tables, Magnolia (discontinued), EQ3
Toss Pillow Fabrics, Designer Fabrics
Toss Pillow Sewing, Fine Interiors by Susan
Drapes, Fabric, Sewing, Hardware & Installation, Parallele Interiors
Brass Tray, Thrifted, Value Village
Rosenthal Vase, Christie Antiques Show

Can You Handle It?

Last year, when it came time to choose finishes for the new suite, I was working with a budget of pretty much zero dollars. At my selection appointment I chose to upgrade just 2 items. First, an undermount kitchen sink, a must have for sweeping crumbs straight off the countertop and into the sink:

  
Second was to upgrade the floor tile in both bathrooms after falling in love with Ciot's polished marble in French Vanilla. A worthy splurge considering its natural beauty:

That was the extent of it. Everything else came standard as determined by the developers' chosen design firm, Crayon Design. I'm happy with the finishes, but I recently got the itch to change one little thing. I decided to swap out the brushed nickel pulls in the master bath for a pair of crystal handles. I love a touch of pretty!

So...Can you handle it?

So gorgeous!!

By the way, the master bath will eventually need a coat of paint on the walls, and I'm not sure which way to go. Any ideas?

Sunrise, Sunset

One of the best things about the new condo is the orientation of my suite. The windows in the living room and master bedroom face east, giving an incredible view of Toronto's downtown skyline. On the flip side, the guest bedroom, balcony and living room face northwest, providing vistas all the way to Pearson International.

Of course this also means catching the occasional sunrise...

 

...and spectacular sunsets too!

Photos via CherishToronto on Instagram