The Weekend in Review: IDS 2015 & Other Stuff

This was meant to be an easy weekend, but the unlisted tasks (4 loads of laundry) and the impulse tasks (rearranging decor accessories) had me up past midnight late Sunday. Regardless, all was accomplished and I'm ready for a new week.

To review:

1) Empire Auction preview (starts at 10 am Saturday). Done.

2) IDS Globe Style Saturday (Jonathan Adler @12, Alexa Hampton @2, Thom Filicia @4). Attended!

3) Paint final coat of Aspen Valley green on both doors in front hall. Done. Thank goodness!
 
4) Go through three years of House Beautiful magazines and tear out inspirational pages, recycle the leftovers. Done.

5) Catch E! "Live from the Red Carpet: The 2015 SAG Awards". Done & blogged.

Saturday afternoon was spent at IDS where I was able to enjoy all of the Globe Style Saturday presentations by Jonathan Adler, Alexa Hampton & Thom Filicia. In fact, thanks to my media pass, I was able to personally meet and briefly chat with all three of these talented designers in the VIP lounge. Such a thrill!!☺

A key takeaway from each presentation:

• Jonathan Adler advises each of us to enjoy "rules free living" and to "embrace vulgarity" by adding gold accents to our decor.
• Alexa Hampton shared a lot of great tips. I love the "Sharpie method" she employs to envision a new design by drawing on a photo of the existing space with marker.
• Thom Filicia passes on a piece of advice he was given by the late great Albert Hadley: "Always have an element of surprise in your design."

In other weekend news, I stopped in at Empire Auctions Saturday morning for the preview, but that was a strike out - no classic marble top commodes this month. On the bright side, this gives me at least another month to save up for the splurge. I also finished the final coat of Aspen Valley on both doors in the front hall and added gold highlight to the trim. Later this week I'll be able to put the doorknobs back on - yay!! Lastly, I got through several stacks of decor magazines, tearing out tons of inspirational spaces. I guess I know what I'll be working on next weekend...lots of trimming & organizing to do:

What's Up This Weekend

I know I said this last week, but c'mon, how can it possibly be Friday again so soon? It was a busy week with the antique auction, IDS breakfast preview, Indigo summer preview and IDS gala - all time well spent! (Somewhere in there I also went to work.) This weekend will be more of the same; Empire holds their auction Sunday through Tuesday, and I'm heading back to IDS on Saturday to hear speakers Jonathan Adler, Alexa Hampton & Thom Filicia.

Weekend To-Do:

1) Empire Auction preview (starts at 10 am Saturday).

2) IDS Globe Style Saturday (Jonathan Adler @12, Alexa Hampton @2, Thom Filicia @4).

3) Paint final coat of Aspen Valley green on both doors in front hall.

4) Go through three years of House Beautiful magazines and tear out inspirational pages, recycle the leftovers. (Last weekend's leftover task.)

5) Catch E! "Live from the Red Carpet: The 2015 SAG Awards" (Sunday 6-8pm)


I'm should be able to do all of this with time to spare. What are y'all up to this weekend?

Coming Up: IDS 2011

It's that time of year again, when the Interior Design Show rolls into Toronto. Mark your calendars!!

Location: Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Public Dates: Saturday January 29th (10-7)
and Sunday January 30th (10-6)

One of this year's most interesting feature exhibits is sure to be Sibling Revelry, where four sets of sibling design duos create a space together. The design roster includes Glenn & David Dixon, Jason & Lars Dressler, Sarah & Theo Richardson and My & Thien Ta-Trung. Also part of this year's feature exhibits are the always popular Studio North and DesignGenNext.

If you enjoy watching the on stage presentations, this year's lineup will not disappoint! The following design celebrities are scheduled to appear on the Krups stage: Linda Reeves, Brian Gluckstein, Suzanne Dimma, Tommy Smythe, Mark Challen, Kelly Deck, Darryl Carter and Allegra Hicks. What an amazing group of talent!! For more information regarding dates and times, be sure to check the appearance schedule for Saturday and Sunday.

After combing through this year's list of exhibitors, I selected my top 5 must see from the GTA (Greater Toronto Area):

Wheeler's Studio
Custom Furniture (Oshawa)

The Felt Store
Felt Makers (Mississauga)

Tahir Mahmood
Hand Crafted Design (Etobicoke)


Dylan McKinnon
Furniture Design (Toronto)

Nicole Tarasick
Graphic Design (Toronto)


Maybe I'll see you there!!

IDS 2010 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre

The Interior Design Show returns to Toronto this weekend, spreading out across the North Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The IDS will feature more than 300 exhibitors showcasing the latest design innovations and upcoming trends for home interiors and exteriors.


As always, there will be some great design talks at the show. Saturday afternoons speakers include journalist Ingrid Abramovitch and designer Barbara Hulanicki, as well as what I'm sure will be a lively panel discussion on the subject of "Defining Luxury". The schedule for Sunday promises to be equally interesting, with appearances by House & Home editor Suzanne Dimma, Mark Challen, style commentator, and Brian Gluckstein, principal of Gluckstein Design Planning.


Of course no IDS would be complete without several Feature Exhibits to highlight budding talent and future design stars. I always look forward to the prototype display, which presents innovative new ideas in furniture, lighting, textiles and accessories. In addition, this year there will be a Feature Exhibit to showcase the work of Canadian industrial design school students. It's always interesting to see what the next generation is planning for us.


Homegrown design talent will be featured at Studio North again this year, where there will be 35 innovative Canadian studios showcasing their work. It's amazing how many various creative talents are cultivated here in Canada.


The Interior Design Show runs Saturday January 23rd, 10am-7pm and Sunday January 24th, 10am-6pm. Tickets are available for $17 online in advance, or $20 at the door.

Purchase tickets via this link: IDS Tickets

Enjoy the show!!!

All photos courtesy of www.InteriorDesignShow.com

IDS 2009 Favourites

I spent Sunday afternoon at the Interior Design Show in Toronto, and it was interesting to see what's available in the marketplace. There were several new companies alongside established vendors, offering design inspiration from the floor right up to the ceiling.

Today I'm sharing my top 4 inspirational vendors:

#1 Chromalab (www.chromalab.net)

Tucked into a tiny corner booth, Chromalab caught my eye with colourful furnishings that have been reinvented to add a splash of design fun to any space. I love the way they've repurposed old pieces or generic Ikea pieces simply by painting them and swapping out the hardware for something more unique. These simple changes make a tired item look new and fresh.

Chromalab also creates the clocks you see on the wall. If you have a particular pattern in mind, Alicia and Tony can produce a custom order especially for you. I was thinking how great some of the retro fabric designs I blogged about last week would look on a clock face.

#2 Soon Cho (www.sooncho.com)

A textile designer, Soon Cho has a brilliant creative spirit that led him to create these remarkable light fixtures. As I first looked at these lamps, I didn't realize what I was seeing and it was several moments before I realized how that they had been constructed from plastic straws. Cho starts with basic Ikea Horup floor lamps, then removes the paper shades and recreates them by weaving together thousands of household drinking straws. Brilliant!!


#3 Tansy & Co. (www.tansy.ca)

I knew I would be imressed by this company when I previewed it online prior to attending the show. Sandy Middleton has blended her photography and design talents onto lampshades, clocks & throw cushions.
Bonus: Tansy & Co. is based in St. Catherines, and it's always a pleasure to support Canadian talent.


#4 Kosoy & Bouchard (www.kosoyandbouchard.com)

Another talented Canadian design duo whom I blogged about in the previews, these two Toronto based artists did not disappoint!! While Michelle (Kosoy) works wonders with the ceramics, Pierre (Bouchard) creates stunning pieces in glass. While some pieces are breathtakingly beautiful works of art, others are more functional, and I loved ALL of it!!