French Antique Auction

By the time you read this, I'll be fidgeting nervously at the auction house, fist tightly clenched around my paddle as maximum bids roll through my head. In early January my friend Jasmine alerted me to this auction, and I've dreaming about nabbing a few pieces ever since. French Antique Auction? Yes, please!!

I sifted through the preview images and narrowed my choices down to these ten exquisite pieces. If nothing else, I need that marble topped dresser (I've always been outbid at past auctions). If I come home with more than that, I may have to move again. But c'mon, I know I can find a spot for those sconces...and that statue...and that mirror...

Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with news of successful bidding. Please cross your fingers for me!!

Guest Blogging at Krrb

Today I'm blogging over at Krrb (pronounced 'curb'). If you take a look, the post reveals a few extra details about how I put together the young lady's bedroom featured in my recent reveal, #ProjectA. There are some great Before & After photos of the furniture I used in the room, where I tracked it all down and how I pulled everything together to create a room my client loves.

Follow the highlighted link to read today's post, Thrill of the Hunt: Toronto Edition

 Above Image via Krrb

Thanks to Krrb for the opportunity to be a guest blogger!! When you visit their site, take a look around and check out the online classifieds, it's a great place to buy & sell secondhand and vintage goods in your area.

Kijiji Makes the World Go 'Round

To be quite honest, I'm a bit surprised that no one commented on the table that appeared in last week's post about adding character to the dining room. I'm going to assume that's because you were all too astounded by my DIY trim skills to notice ;)

I'd been on the hunt for a round glass dining table pretty much since the day I moved into this condo. The 3'x5' rectangular table I had been using (you can catch a glimpse of it in this post) was a great piece, but it crowded the island breakfast bar just behind. It was also a tight squeeze to get in & out the balcony door.

I've circled the dining area/breakfast bar on the floor plan below for better clarity. It's funny how the builder made it look as though there would be plenty of room for a 6-seater table plus stools at the kitchen island. Yeah, right. Maybe with doll furniture:

Over the course of the year, I searched on and off for the right table. It wasn't until I created my 2014 "To-Do" list that I started looking in earnest and found a near perfect table just four days later. I wasn't necessarily looking for a set, but this vintage chrome table, made by Liberty Ornamental Iron of Toronto (60's? 70's?), came with 4 beautifully designed chairs. It's perfect for the space and totally stunning!!

The 56" top being sold with the table was far too big, so I left it behind in exchange for a discount and purchased a 42" glass top from another Kijiji seller. My old rectangular West Elm table is now listed on Kijiji GTA. It's just like a merry go round!

The chairs will need to be recovered in a new fabric, and I'm obsessed with the idea of using a deep yellow velvet. Can you picture it?

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

Toronto: City of Gold?

I love being home just as the setting sun hits downtown Toronto (this photo was taken at 4:49pm, January 1st, 2013), turning the buildings into glittering towers of gold.

PS - I'm so excited that I FINALLY figured out how to put larger pictures on the blog, which allows me to show you amazing photos like this one. Yay!!

Photo by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto.

Fall Home Show: My Pretty Picks

Yesterday I visited the Fall Home Show at the Better Living Centre at Exhibition Place - the building sits beside the beautiful Princess Margaret Fountain, pictured above. I can never pass by without snapping a photo of the Toronto landmark! But I digress, back to the Home Show visit. This show is a great launching pad for those planning an upgrade or remodel of their homes. Whether it's a kitchen, bath or basement renovation, there are plenty of exhibitors who can help turn your dreams into reality. 

For me, since I'm moving to a brand new condo, I will be decorating rather than renovating, but there were a few things that caught my eye as well. These are my top 3 picks for pretty:

(1) Natural stone tile in a chevron pattern from Creekside Tile Company. This would perfect as a kitchen back splash or an accent tile in the bathroom.

(2) Also from Creekside, this tiny circle mosaic was super cute at about half the size of a traditional penny round tile.

(3) There were several rug retailers at the show, and this gorgeous silk Bakhtiari rug from Persian Designer Rugs definitely caught my eye. Unfortunately it was too large - for both my space and my budget :-(

 

Visit the website for more details about participating exhibitors and celebrity guests: Fall Home Show

All photos by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto.

Why the CN Tower Turned Purple & Green

This Friday night, June 15th, the CN Tower was awash in a combination of purple and green. The display is just one of many events planned by the City of Toronto to commemorate the Bicentennial of the War of 1812. This weekend, as part of the city's commemoration launch, Fort York is offering free admission to The Encampment, a creative installation of 200 tents running nightly in conjunction with the Luminato Festival. I hope you all enjoy the weekend!!

Photo by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto.

Graffiti: Toronto's Alley Art

I was tempted to spend some time at the Royal Ontario Museum this afternoon, but it was such a gorgeous spring day that I thought it might be a better idea to check out some outdoor art. There certainly are two sides to the graffiti debate, which I won't get into here, but you can't deny that it's full of colour!!



















Check out this recent Rick Mercer Rant, as he walks through Toronto's Graffiti Alley:

**Note: If you receive this post via email, the video may not function. Please visit Cherish Toronto directly to view.**

Toronto Weekend

This weekend I've been able to complete a long list of tasks, plus squeeze in some time to relax. I'm loving this spring weather in Toronto; 17 Celsius and sunny is perfection!! I'll be back later with a full post, but for now, here's a little slice of my weekend, captured at HTO Park on Queen's Quay West:

Photo by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto

Cherish Toronto

Peekaboo

Our eyes are not just to see where we're going, but to observe the world around us. There is beauty in the simplest of objects, and all we have to do is slow down and appreciate it. During a Sunday afternoon walk I took some time to Cherish Toronto.

 

Tulips

Push

All in the Details

Metalwork

Pattern

 

Patina

 

Pretty in Pink

 

Water

The Rex

Staples

 

Pipes

All photos copyright Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto.

Please do not use without permission.

Swingers

For me, this image was the highlight of the weekend One of A Kind Show. Captured by Toronto photographer Tania Fitzpatrick, this photo captures the colourful beauty of the CNE on a sunny day. The coral, the teal, the yellow...it's perfection!

Swingers

Image copyright: Tania Fitzpatrick
Visit Tania's Etsy shop: imagesofthisandthat

IDS: Rug Roundup

Later this year when I move into the new condo, one of the big ticket purchases will be a large rug for the living room, and maybe a runner for the front hall. Could that explain why I noticed so many rug options during my tour of IDS? You name it: recycled, over-dyed, custom creations, kilims and flat weaves. There are so many wonderful options, how will I ever choose?

Reloaded Rugs from Reznick Carpets.
With a rainbow of saturated colours to choose from,
these rugs add a vibrant splash to your floors.

Kilim-backed Coco tub chair created by Modallion rugs
in collaboration with Barrymore Furniture.
Who says rugs have to lay flat on the floor?
This is quite possibly the coolest chair of all time.

Wool and silk Prayer Rugs from Modallion.

Designed by Robyn Waffle, the imagery includes
connection, life, faith, after life and spirituality.
Amazing colour - these would be perfect
for a tween or teen room.

Above photo via Modallion

Flat weave rugs from Kate Thornley-Hall,
available in Toronto through Y&Co.
Hand made? Custom colours? Yes, please!!
These rugs will last a lifetime.

Hand made recycled saree rugs from Elte.

Trust me, these rugs are beyond imagination. The colours are from the heavens,
and the silk is soft as warm butter.

The Cherish Toronto rug fund is open for donations, please contact me for more information ;-)

All photos by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto except as noted.