Louis XVI...The Final Piece

Since I love both vintage furniture and finding a bargain, great pieces rarely come easily. As a result, many of the key items of furniture in my home have a story behind them. The bedside tables in the guestroom, the modern glass & chrome dining set, the kitchen stools and the coffee table in the living room are all perfect examples. Each piece took some time and effort, but in the end I got what I wanted and paid a fair price. My latest acquisition is no exception. After more than a year of searching, this, my friends, is the FINAL piece of furniture for the condo. The Louis XVI commode (learn more about the term "commode" here) is tucked into the corner of my bedroom to provide a bit more storage for accessories and off season clothing.

I previewed this piece at Empire Auctions, but I tried not to get too excited - this wasn't my first time at the auction rodeo, and I had been outbid several times before (including January's French Antique auction). I was happy to discover that this lot # would fall on an evening following a Blue Jays playoff game, so attendance would be low. Lucky!! The hammer fell after just a few bids and I finally had my coveted Louis XVI commode.

The plan is to hang artwork on the wall around and above the television (Gasp! A tv in the bedroom!!) to disguise its existence, but putting holes in the wall is such a big commitment that I'm hesitant. For now I've leaned one of my favourite photos by photographer Robin Waters behind a tray of colourful perfumes.

Can we pause for a moment to appreciate that stunning marble top? I love the veining of this natural beauty!!

So...no more furniture shopping. Now what?

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?

So September Happened...

"Where does the time go?"

As I age (gracefully, of course), I find myself uttering that phrase more and more. Where has the past month gone? I was sure that after Labour Day I would get back to blogging on a regular basis, and yet here it is October 6th and I'm still lacking posts. I don't pressure myself to create "scheduled posts" or have an "editorial calendar" like some bloggers do, but I do want to keep in touch with everyone who still pops in here looking for an update. Hopefully things will get rolling again now that I have a few fun projects on the horizon!

No excuses, but... September was a busy month. I spent several weekend shifts at work, packing and preparing to move our office & warehouse to a new location. In between all the work I managed to squeeze in some fun stuff. According to my Instagram feed, here is what I did in September:

Enjoyed the TIFF screening of Violette at The Elgin Theatre on Yonge Street.

Celebrated my 43rd birthday with family at El Catrin in The Distillery District.

Toured the Princess Margaret Showhome in Oakville with interior design by Brian Gluckstein. It's so gorgeous!! Have you bought your ticket yet?

Hung out on the set of Canada's Handyman Challenge with Bryan Baeumler, Mike Holmes, Scott McGillivray, Paul Lafrance & Jenn Robertson. Season 3 is coming to HGTV Canada early in 2014.

Attended Blogpodium, a fun and super inspirational conference for bloggers. I had such an amazing time catching up with old friends and meeting new people:

Purchased this stunning wool & silk Ardabil rug at auction. I was so tempted to keep it, but it's for the new office.

Discovered that Ritchies is another great resource for antique rugs. This hand knotted 11' wool runner was an absolute bargain that I couldn't pass up.

Whipped up these sweet little baskets to hold markers and notebooks using fabrics from Tonic Living. I love the fun colour combos! 

So...what have you been up to?

Missing In Auction

Sorry I went missing for a bit there, folks. I had intended to write up a couple of posts on the weekend, but then I got distracted by sleeping, cleaning, shopping, brunching...all kinds of fun stuff!! And just when I was ready to sit down at the computer...bam!...I decided to run off to Empire Auctions to do a little bidding. There was a stunning collection of silk rugs on the auction block this past weekend, and I thought maybe I could snatch up a bargain. Well...let's just say that when the opening bids are above my maximum, "bargain" is not the right word, but I did manage to snag one rug in my price range.

I present to you lot #558, a 4'x6' handwoven all silk rug with Kashan motif. I liked this one because it is predominantly navy, and I'm hoping to use it in the office area of the new condo. It will look great next to the gallery wall, which I'm planning to paint a dramatic navy blue.

Such a blend of colours!

A cream border with soft blue & butter yellow
corners lead into a navy blue field.

The central medallion represents a floral motif.
I see my favourite flower, the dahlia, in this pattern.

If you're in the market for a fabulous rug, but don't have an auction house near you, an ebay search often turns up some great options.