Sarah's Back!!

Hello all,

I just wanted to pop in to let you all know (if you haven't already heard) that Sarah Richardson's new series, "Real Potential" premiers on HGTV Canada this Thursday, September 19th at 9 pm. In this series "Sarah's real estate know-how, expert advice and innovative thinking help buyers see past the one disaster room preventing an offer."

I'll be watching, will you?

An Evening with Lynn Spence at Wicker Emporium

I was recently invited to attend a special event at Wicker Emporium. To be completely honest, I wasn't aware of Wicker Emporium until this introduction, and I was surprised to discover that this Canadian company has been in business since 1973. The family owned chain of 22 retail stores (and growing!) is based in Halifax with stores in Eastern Canada and Ontario.

This event was entitled, "Inside Out" and was hosted at the store's Heartland Town Centre location in Mississauga. Style expert Lynn Spence was there to present some fabulous outdoor dining and entertaining ideas. Since summer officially arrives in just 10 days, I thought now would be a great time to share some of those ideas with you!

The overall lesson of the evening was to bring the indoors out when entertaining this summer. Lynn's advice was simply this: "Treat outdoor dining the same as you would indoors." This teak table was my absolute favourite, with 6 stylish place settings set off by a trio of statement candle holders. I was immediately drawn to the soft & chic Nantucket colour palette of this presentation.

 
The second table presentation was bright & sunny, which would be perfect for entertaining guests at an afternoon brunch. Lynn suggested using a small side table for extra plates, napkins, and perhaps a beverage pitcher. Having everything you need close at hand means not having to run back inside. Great idea!

Lynn chose to arrange this classic mango wood pedestal table as a games table, surrounded by a group of durable organic stools made from sturdy acacia wood. Wouldn't this come in handy during a rainy afternoon at the cottage?

Here's another fabulous table setting. The mood at this long driftwood table was a bit more laid back and Lynn came up with an interesting seating combination; slipcovered chairs on one side, a bench on the other, and a pair of woven rattan chairs at either end. Why not mix it up?

Moving indoors, Lynn created this welcoming vignette for a small space such as a home's front entry. The twig lamp lends a casual cottage vibe and I am still wishing that I had a spot for the gorgeous trestle table. I suggested to my sister that she should buy this table for her new home...

 

  
This cozy tufted chair could tuck into a nook and provide a quiet spot to get away for some quiet "me" time. I can imagine settling into this chair on a rainy Sunday afternoon and enjoying a good read. Lynn suggested that you should fill the space in a small nook with a substantial chair - large furniture gives your home a feeling of grandeur.

Do you lack storage space? Think of all the different ways you could use this sideboard and hutch combination, it doesn't have to be just for dinnerware. Here Lynn filled it with spare blankets and bedding, but you could also use it for towels and toiletries in the bath.

The Inside Out event was a lot of fun and I was very impressed by the way Lynn Spence styled each table and vignette. For more info about the evening, check out Wicker Emporium's 5 minute video below. If you receive this post via email, please visit the Cherish Toronto website to view the video.

All photos by Pamela Graham for Cherish Toronto.

Video provided via Wicker Emporium's Facebook page.

**Please note that this post is not sponsored and I was not compensated in any way by Wicker Emporium to write this. I was very impressed by the presentation given by Lynn Spence and I wanted to share the experience with all of you.**

It's Good to be Canadian

I hope you are all enjoying the Canada Day holiday today!! Since today is devoted to all things Canadian, I'd like to share some of my own snapshots taken in Toronto, many of them featuring our beloved Canadian flag.

All photos by Pamela Graham for CherishToronto.

Please do not copy without permission.

Bursting With Canadian Pride

The opening ceremony was held Friday night to kick off the 2010 Winter Olympic Games being held in Vancouver, Canada. One word: Amazing!!!

As host country, the Canadian team was the last to enter the stadium, led by flag bearer Clara Hughes. Of course it goes without saying that the Canadian athletes were wearing the best outfits!! I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of the red parkas and pom-pom toques on the podium over the next few weeks.

Go Team Canada!!

Photo courtesy of VancouverSun

ERA Rug Design Competition

ERA is an acronym for Evolution in Rug Artistry. This year, a competition was launched by Weavers Art to showcase Canadian design talent while promoting ethical carpet and rug production. The top 10 rugs were presented at the Interior Design Show by media sponsor Azure, and a silent auction was held. All proceeds from the auction will go to DAREarts, a local charity providing art education to at risk children.

New @ge Rug
Kenneth Ho
Inspired by the idea of how people are connected by the use of technology.

Ditdah Rug
Fishbol Design Atelier & Narae Kim
White and orange circles replace the dots and dashes of Morse code.

Calacatta
Fleur-de-Lis Design
Wool and silk combine to resemble rich veins of Calacatta marble.

Zipper Rug
Jennifer Fong
Inspired by the concepts of interaction and modularity,
particularly due to the trend of small space living.

Une Affaire De Coeur
Katherine Morley
Here the fleur-de-lis and the maple leaf are harmonious.

Roncesvalles
3rd Uncle Design
The design evokes a sense of place.

Tartan
Clayton Budd of 64th and Queen
A bold & graphic reinterpretation of the classic tartan.

The Jazzy Rug
Roy Banse
Based on the graphic eye exam chart, but with a musical connection.

Lake Ontario
Joy Charbonneau & Ed Zec
The detailed bathymetric form of Lake Ontario.

Bone
Alison Milne Design
A combination of nature and fine art.

Congratulations to the successful silent auction bidders who were able to take home a piece of Canadian art and design (and then walk all over it)!!