A melhor decoração Home

Have you ever traveled, seen a beautiful locally designed piece of furniture or art and thought "I wish I could buy that and bring it back in my suitcase ? or  My carrier on charges are going to be sky-high and the porter is going to be pissed!"
Well, now in Ottawa you can skip the travel part and just head down to Green Light District Design. Here David and Deborah Peets have curated a gorgeous collection of furniture, art and lighting from all over the world [what a great job huh?]  Some of the several locations where they've found their pieces include Buenos Aires, Argentina,  Cape Town, South Africa and Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Carrie and I headed down there last week [while Karyn is recovering from London, England - stay tuned for her blog] to see what was new and learn more about their collection :


All the pieces have a few things in common - natural unique materials, modern, hand crafted and affordable such as this fabulous [yes, i know i use that word a lot!] dining table made from Kiatt which is an African teak:

They are quick to point out that their finds are not "tribal" nor "trendy" but future modern classics along the same lines as Eero Saarinen [Finnish mid-century architect/ designer], and Hans Wegner [Danish architect designer. Nor is it the hippy stereotypical furniture you might see at a Ten Thousand Villages-type shop - it is downright sexy!! :



So without further ado, here are a few more snaps...keep in mind this stuff is stunning in person : The lamp is actually designed by a Montreal designer.

Well, in case you haven't figured it out by now, women [at least my friends] are highly sensitive to their surroundings. We need to feel safe and warm and comfortable in general. If you are to have a chance 'in hell' of us staying over night, you must make the minimum effort ! Here is a partial list of ways to make your pad more inviting, from an interior design point-of-view :

1] Buy a 'decent' sofa. By decent I mean something not too big - a 3 seater is ok, a sectional is optimal if you have the room. That way you can each sit on a 'section' for cozy conversation and beverage partaking :

If your living room is small, a love seat is ok if you can add a lounge chair too [there's nothing more embarrassing than sitting too close to someone you barely know!] :



Lastly, you don't have to spend a fortune, but please no scratchy nylon or sweat inducing vinyl. Something soft like us :-)

2] Consider window coverings. Does your living or dining room look out onto a public street or parking lot? If so, window coverings are a nice way to keep the nosy neighbors at bay.



Getting blinds or curtains doesn't mean you are a wuss or Martha Stewart wanna be. Notice the clean gender-neutral color, style and quality of these roman blinds. Simple and functional. Love it !!


3] Get a good floor and/or table lamp[s]. Nothing creates the right mood better than soft indirect light.
Look at how simple, elegant AND masculine this lamp is :



or you can kill 2 birds with 1 stone, i.e. a good lamp and a piece of art [see number 5] like this gorgeous piece designed by Ottawa architect Rick Shean :



4] If you have hardwood floors, shop for an area rug. If not [i.e. you have carpeting] get a coffee table. Or both.  Rugs and tables are great ways to add warmth and soften sounds in a room, thus creating more comfort. They visibly tie a room together which further creates visual comfort and coziness.


Don't be afraid of shag - there are some great affordable and highly luxurious choices out there including the Kymo brand from Alteriors :



5] Treat yourself to something special.  Buying a piece of art or beautiful object d'art says a little something about you and your softer side. Here is a great painting by cky's Carrie Colton painted in 2003 and purchased by Yvonne way before they were partners or even friends !


 And finally a really cool fruit bowl by Alessi
 
There. Now if that doesn't get the girl, you've got the wrong girl...
Blogatcha later,
Y

Technically she's a gemmologist but designer Pamela Coulston sure rocks!
Pamela is the anti jewellry, jewellry designer, making a point of never looking at other jewellry in magazines books or other boutiques. Her inspiration comes from some of same things that inspire me (perhaps this is why I LOVE her work so much) Architecture, Industrial design, Lighting, and Nature. Certain rugged aspects of nature she repeats in her work which stem from Pamela's many world trecks from Africa to the Arctic!

Yesterday Yvie and I paid a visit to Pamela's lovely new custom jewellery boutique, Disegno, 100 Murray Street in the Market to discuss what inspires her!



Pamela approaches her Disegno designs as a collaborative process with her clients just like an interior designer, listening to her clients request and requirements, reviewing drawings, materials and finally providing a wax mould of the final piece before the she has local goldsmiths, carvers and lapidary's realize her designs. Pamela's work is all about weight (this stuff is substantial), line, proportion and the material she is designing with.

You can see some of  Pamela's muses above in her architectural 'Window Pane' ring, stacked 'Mountain Range' ring and the uber sexy 'Square Rivets' ring. 
Another passion for Pamela is the study of bones both human and animal. Several of her pieces, such as the exquisite necklace shown here, are evolutions of her pencil drawings of bone texture.

Here I am wearing the awesome Plumb Bob earrings and Plumb Bob pendant that Pamela conceived of during a trip to Lee Valley Tools :) !
I think I've found my Christmas gift! Oohh Dave, don't you love how easy I make things for you? ox, Carrie