On the Wall

I have a rule when I am looking at blogs: if I spend more than 5 seconds looking at a photograph, I copy it and save it onto my computer desktop. I then separate all those photos into different folders with very original titles such as "dining room", "living room" and "bedroom" (how I ever thought I could be a writer one day is beyond me!). I have one area reserved for any photo that simply doesn't fit into any other category. It is by far the largest file, but the most inspiring at the same time because it is filled with great ideas to complete the look of a room, those little details that are more personal than colour samples and furniture designers. I plan on attempting to group all those photos into more specific themes and sharing them, starting today with anything fun that goes "on the wall".

P.S. all photos are from Apartment Therapy, Design Sponge, Desire To Inspire, and Remodelista . I am getting more disciplined at identifying each photograph's source and promise to be more specific in the near future.

Caleb Siemon Lighting

These pendants above are called "Happy Kiss Lights" by Caleb Siemon and his wife and partner Carmen Salazar. Having studied in Italy under the apprenticeship of renowned glass master Pino Signoretto, Siemon uses Italian-style "sommerso" technique (an edge of clear glass surrounding the coloured portion) in his California studio to create these. I am not generally drawn to blown glass but I have seen these used to add a pinch of colour to more contemporary spaces and they do it quite successfully. It seems that more typical items such as vases and bowls are the main focus of his work, but his lights are also very nice.

Library---RESTORING A HOUSE IN THE CITY

Restoring a House in The City: A Contemporary Owner's Guide to Renovating Town Houses, Row Houses and Brownstones With Great Style

Beautiful book full of ideas on how to use the existing character in your home or turn your house into a unique space. I flipped through it many times and I can't wait to get it.

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

I went to Carmel-by-the-Sea in August and, while I did bring home memories of the beaches (and dolphins!), I took a million photos of houses. Someone once told me that, when building a house, the door is one of the most important aspects to consider and often one that is neglected. A unique door adds charm and is a welcoming factor that should not be overlooked. In Carmel, houses don't have address numbers. Rather, they have names.

I was so impressed by the immaculate landscaping and the originality of the doors and windows that I felt the need to pause in front of every house, almost as if waiting to be invited for a cup of tea and scones or something. Apparently, the residents are quite used to people peaking into their homes and photographing for future inspiration.

The entire city looks like it is straight out of a fairy tale and you almost expects seven dwarfs or the Smurfs to come out the door to rescue a princess in distress. While I realize that this enchanted feel isn't really suited for the average suburban home, I thought I would share some of the photos just for fun.

Olsson & Jensen

Why did I take German instead of Swedish in college? Olsson & Jensen is a company from Sweden and that's all I know about that them because I don't speak the language. (Their website has yet to be translated in English or French.) Their lighting is beautiful!

Library---Uppercase Magazine

Reading magazines on a day off, whether it's lazing on a sunny afternoon in a Cafe or at home in the bathtub or by the fireplace with my doggies and my man, is a guilty pleasure of mine. I really thought that one day I would work for a magazine but the whole industry has taken a turn in the last few years. There are fewer and fewer magazines out there, as all of my favourite ones have been forced to "retire", so I get really excited when I find an actual copy of a magazine that I like. This is what happened yesterday when I purchased my first issue of the Calagary-based Uppercase, "a magazine for the creative and curious". It isn't oriented towards interior decorating but is packed with information and interesting articles on movies, photography, crafts, and all sorts of inspiring things and the layout and graphic design is beautiful. They publish every 3 months and their 7th issue should be available shortly. It is the best 18$ that I have spent in a long time.

Here is what they are all about:

"We're inquisitive: learning from other artists, illustrators, designers, photographers, filmmakers and musicians, whether they're upstarts or icons, famous or shy, verbal or visual.

We're inspired: enchanted by great ideas and strange inventions; by colour and pattern; things fancy and frugal; the charm of vintage in a modern life; the ridiculous and the sublime.

We're adventurous: traveling to destinations both real and imagined, peeking into creative spaces and discovering magnificent people and memorable places.

We're eclectic: curating souvenirs, collecting treasures and celebrating the extraordinary in the everyday.

We're playful: delighting in visual amusements, intelligent distraction, entertaining wordplay and sweet indulgences".

Little Black Book---Vancouver---ORLING & WU

It was at the Design Show last Thursday that I noticed that this store had finally opened its doors. I peaked at the space before it opened and it looked very promising. Based on the products that were displayed at their booth this weekend, it looks like it is a store that I will visit regularly (if only because I am starting to feel really embarrassed by the amount of time that I spend at the fabric sample section of The Cross! Too muuuuch!). I cannot wait to go in and see for myself this week.