House and Home

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What a pleasure to have been included in this month's HOUSE & HOME magazine!  With Suzanne Dimma's support, the whole amazing House and Home team, and Michael Graydon's photographs, the story looks great and was so much fun.  6 pages of delicious food.  Thanks to all.  I'd have a dinner party every night if I could.

http://houseandhome.com/magazine_issues/february-2016/

Unsound Toronto - Hearn Generating Station

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The Unsound Toronto event that was part of the Luminato Festival took place at the Hearn Generating Station.  What a space.  Industrial majesty.  Immense steel members support soaring ceilings, masterfully illuminated for the night.  The steel reverberated with the music.  I felt lucky to have gotten a rare glimpse inside of this relic.  It reminded me of the times when I would sneak into forbidden infrastructural spaces in New York.  The scale of building necessary to run a city can be breathtaking.  I always dreamed of building something that defies imagination.

Ode to New York

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I am thinking of my trip to New York City earlier this month for Design Week and ICFF.  I go every year, as each visit never fails to inspire and provide opportunities to forge new connections to people and places and ideas.  Each meal for instance is a delight; starting with the curation of a table - each element serves simply to give pleasure, from feel in the hand to visual care to of course, the taste.  This does sound indulgent but whenever I leave the city I treat myself to a little plate of oysters and sit at a favorite spot, reveling in the marvels around me that one of the greatest cities in the world offers. I certainly remember how difficult it was to first arrive in NYC to find a place to live and to work, and the tremendous satisfaction in the reward of eventually finding both.

Fire in the Garden

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I am loving my Weltevree corten steel oven.  Such a wonderful thing to enjoy in the garden; a warming hearth to prepare dinners within and to gather around.  It is quite the treat in the winter; a sparking steaming entity that melts the snow and glows with fragrant wood alight, creating a growing mass of ruby embers. 

Art Basel / Design Miami

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DAVID RENGGLI "I LOVE YOU"

REVERSE PAINTING ON GLASS
WITH MATCHING SUIT AND TOTE

RICHARD PRINCE "ALL YOU CAN EAT"

ACRYLIC + SILKSCREEN INK ON CANVAS

BARNABY FURNAS
DRANOFF FINE ART

LIFEGUARD TOWER ON SOUTH BEACH

BREAKFAST AT THE RALEIGH

SOUTH BEACH

 

Amazing trip to Miami saturated with art (+art + art), design, neon, pastel hues, art deco architecture, the beach, gorgeous weather, great food and good company. A few of the places and events visited that I would recommend include Art Basel during Vernissage, Design Miami, Untitled, Scope, INK, Wynwood, Art Miami, Soho Beach House, Casa Tua for lunch, the Raleigh at the little interior bar and also by the pool, Wynwood Kitchen, (thanks Andrea Mills!) the Standard, the Delano, and for a fun meal with seafood bibs and key lime pie Joe's Stone Crab.

Very inspiring.  Lingered over beautiful Motherwell prints and I also saw a very nice Francis Bacon piece that would have almost fit into my suitcase.

Fall Update

Hello, is November around the corner?  I am excited about the projects on the boards right now.  I am working on a cottage project in Port Hope on a gorgeous property, have designed a tiny little sauna [memories from Helsinki flooding back], am about to embark on a 50's modern gem of a house renovation, am designing for the Thompson Hotel rooftop, and have just booked another short trip, this time to Miami for Art Basel again, which was so fun the last time.  The Art Deco hotels along South Beach have a special place in my heart.  Montreal was amazing - hopefully I'll get around to posting some photos eventually. I have been lagging on posting photos and new work I admit, however time is too precious these days, as always. 

Summer Epilogue

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Whew.  This summer has flashed before my eyes, in a dizzying array of project pitches, construction administration, design, drawing production, sourcing, site visits, and yes thankfully the occasional wonderful cottage getaway with friends.  I do appreciate summertime in Toronto, with the festivals, great food, and its discrete patio and rooftop pool oases.  It is almost Labour Day, shocking.  I haven't had much time to document projects or post new content here, but given how time is flying honestly I would rather sit on a dock and dip my feet in a beautiful cool lake.

Fiori di Zucca

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A nod to the summer.  Fresh zucchini flowers from the garden - yes, YES.  So delicate and delicious.  Highly recommended.

Cobourg

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Check out this treasure trove of antique finds in Cobourg Ontario - a bit ridiculous.  Gorgeous old church windows, massive ornate metal gates, hardware, doors, mirrors, timber beams, vintage plumbing and lighting fixtures, mid-century textiles...it goes on and on.  This was a fun excursion one weekend while visiting friends at their beautiful cottage.  The farmers market nearby was well worth the visit also - grass-fed beef, fresh asparagus, brick oven baked bread, and amazing fresh greens.  Not bad for a 1 hour train ride from downtown Toronto!

NYC ICFF 2013

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Here are just a few snapshots of few things I saw and liked in NYC at ICFF - for some reason I didn't take a lot of photos but I looked at a great deal!  I noticed a lot of beautiful wood cabinetry and furnishings with restrained metal and leather details, lacquered or enameled tableware objects, brass artifacts, modern interpretations of traditional chandelier forms.  Off-site, I noted many collaborations between different disciplines and cultures to come up with interesting albeit experimental ideas.  It was great fun as well to have brunch at the Waverly Inn, discover Cafe Gitane at the Jane, walk the High Line, and attend the many design receptions and events at Wanted, and in Soho and Noho.  As always, NYC offered a wealth of opportunity for inspiration. 

Gianni Basso Stampatore in Venezia

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I was thrilled to receive my beautiful letterpress thank-you note cards and envelopes that the charismatic Gianni Basso had made for me.  He has a tiny print shop in one of the quiet side streets of Venice.  I had met him 10+ years ago and he had made some cards for me then - wonderful to see that the shop is still there and nothing had changed.  It was a pleasure to see all of his samples - a legion of very famous names have apparently found his shop somehow and ordered various types of cards for themselves.  It's heartening to think that this tradition is still alive - a precious few of these amazing 18th century letterpress machines are still active and indeed the act of hand writing a note to someone is still very much appreciated.  I will savour the moment each time I send one of these into a post box.

Also - thank you Gianni for recommending that restaurant - it was indeed delicious traditional Venetian fare.  Until next year!

Milano Salone + Venezia 2013

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VIBIA

VIBIA

INTERLOCKING GLASS CHAIN LINKS

BAROVIER & TOSO

BOCCI

GUBI

SALONE UFFICIO

FLEXFORM

LUALDI

PHILIPPE + GABY'S BOAT

ISOLA DI SAN MICHELE FROM AFAR

MIRACOLI AT NIGHT

THE RIALTO FISH MARKET

ASTOUNDING 

ABUNDANCE OF FRESH FISH

VIEW OF THE GRAND CANAL FROM PEGGY GUGGENHEIM

TINY PORTIONS AT CUCINA 'DA OSCAR'
[THANK YOU CATHERINE + JEFFREY FOR 
THE RECOMMENDATION!   WAS VERY, VERY FULL.]

APEROL SPRITZ WHILE ADMIRING MIRACOLI

VERY ORDERLY AND CIVILIZED DESPITE NO LIQUOR LICENSE FENCES, CURIOUS

FRESH BURRATA, HOUSE-CURED SALUMI AND CARPACCIO 
WITH TRUFFLE  AT
 IL SALUMAIO DI MONTENAPOLEONE

These are a few snapshots from another wonderfully inspiring trip to Milan during Salone del Mobile, and from Venice whilst visiting dear friends Gabrielle and Philippe.  Design ideas, beauty and pleasure were in abundance.  I am looking forward to receiving my note cards printed by Venetian letterpress master Gianni Basso Stampatore - what an amazing personality.  The trip was a welcome reminder of the importance of beauty, warmth, friendship, and the legacy of skill and craftsmanship.

Off-site celebrations for Agape, Bassam Fellows, B&B Italia, Poliform, Fontana Arte, Bulthaup, Tom Dixon, Bocci and Boffi - to name a few - highlighted introductions to new products and new directions in the design world.

I believe more than ever that dedicating enough precious time to do things right, to savour the moment, and to continually seek out and embrace new experiences is essential.

Viva Italia.