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Condo Living: Space Saving Redefined

One of the things I love most about the design industry is seeing innovative colleagues and companies create remarkable products that solve problems. Obstacles are often just opportunities for creativity if one is willing to push through them. That drive is undoubtedly what fuels the creative fires of the design team of Italy’s Clei. This innovative furniture manufacturer’s products – imported by Resource Furniture – have been sold to New York City residents since 2000, and now they have come to Toronto.

From designers to mechanical engineers to hardware specialists, the creative minds involved in the design, prototyping and manufacturing process of these products are incredibly impressive. So is the lifetime warranty.

Given the Manhattanization of Toronto and our subsequent booming condo culture, the market for multipurpose, space saving furniture is on the rise. With per square foot costs in the city skyrocketing, “tidy and efficient” condos {read: REALLY SMALL} are dominating the market. If you’ve decided to nest in one of them, you will definitely want to visit Resource Furniture – now in Toronto at 366 Adelaide St. East – to make the most of each precious square inch.

The mind-blowing, space-creating function of these pieces really must be seen to be believed. A 600 pound bed frame can literally be moved with the touch of a finger. Your jaw will drop as it morphs into an office space before your very eyes (with books still on the shelf). It’s like something from an episode of “I Dream of Genie.” No wiggling noses or fairy dust required here though folks. In this case, the magic is all in the brilliantly engineered hydraulic system.

There is no better way to understand how this product magically transforms from one purpose to another than to see it in action. Here are two quick videos guaranteed to make you believe that engineers are sexy too.

Astonishing, right? I think it’s worth a trip to the showroom just to show off your hidden, superpower strength. “Look, babe! I can lift this bed with ONE FINGER!” Definitely good second date material for those feeling the need to impress.

Wishing you a creative and inspired weekend!

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|July 20th, 2012|4 Comments

The Art of Grouping: Working With Smalls

If you’ve been tracking with me for awhile, you will have noticed two things: ONE, I love original art and I work with it as much as I can when designing interiors. TWO, I love working with one Toronto gallery in particular: Art Interiors.

I’ve worked with owners Lisa Diamond Katz and Shira Wood for years now, curating and adding pieces to my clients’ collections from Art Interiors‘ beautifully edited gallery. With a vision for creating a gallery that invites people to break down the typical boundaries to buying original art, Lisa and Shira continue to offer affordable pieces in a warm and engaging environment that takes the edge off of what you might expect from an art buying experience. No pretense. Lots of warmth, humour, beauty and creativity. And pieces starting at $50.

I recently stopped in to collaborate with the lovely and sophisticated Shira to show you how you can create larger, anchoring groupings with “smalls.”

Painting seen behind Shira is by Madeleine Lamont

For our first grouping, Shira and I chose this beautiful figurative 16″ x 16″ piece by Elizabeth Lennie entitled “Beach Life” as our starting point. I love this Canadian artist’s work as she captures scenes that were foundational to some of my favourite childhood memories of growing up in Canada and enjoying the outdoors.

Next, we chose 2 complimentary pieces. The first, entitled “Sonic Boom” by Aaron Jones, is a 12″ x 18″ mixed media piece that connects to the treed landscape on the horizon of Lennie’s beach scene as well as the blush coloured palette of the sand. The second – a much more contemporary 8″ x 8″ piece by Dionne Simpson – draws upon the colour palette while lending a decidedly modern edge to the grouping.

This grouping would work very well on its own, but we wanted to show you how you could build your collection over time. The next piece to catch my eye was this whimsical and quirky piece entitled “Ram” by Amy Thompson.

I love the vintage charm of the artist’s chosen canvas – an old library card.

We also selected two contemporary abstract smalls by Emilie Rondeau – “Champs Fleuri” and “Celeste.” Both only 6″ x 6″, it is the bold and dynamic colour palette of these two pieces that adds a definite joie de vivre to our grouping. I also love the way the chartreuse green of the grass in “Ram” is echoed in the Rondeau pieces along with the shades of blush that pull from our first three pieces in this collection.

Again, I would be quite happy to call this grouping complete, but for the sake showing how a grouping can be curated over time, we selected one last piece to show you. This 8″ x 10″ is actually a part of a triptych entitled “Round Lake Series” by Rojia Dadashzadeh, and I think it does a lovely job of balancing the abstract elements with the more literal in our collection. Again, it also connects with the blush colour palette along with the two black frames and the dark horizon of the beach scene.

Overall this grouping gives the eye much to consider with a gentle wander while offering many points of harmony to make sense of the collection being grouped together.

Curating your own groupings of smalls should be a creative adventure! Start with what you love. Look for connections between the pieces that draw you in. Often you’ll find that there are commonalities in colour palette, texture, subject matter, line and form or just mood. Pulling unexpected pieces together that speak to you can create the kind of interesting and engaging grouping that uniquely reflects your personality in your space.

I would strongly encourage you to pop into Art Interiors soon to see what inspires you! The ladies are the loveliest and always ready to help you discover your own tastes in art. The art they have curated is as varied as the audience for which it is intended. There truly is something there for every taste and budget. Can’t wait to hear about your fabulous finds!

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|July 18th, 2012|2 Comments

The Art of Architecture: A Rural Canadian Retreat

Remember last week’s post about Sacred Spaces featuring three truly inspiring homes created out of converted, centuries-old churches? This week I am delighted to share a soul stirring, sacred space of another kind. Surrounded by evergreen and hardwood forest, this home sits poetically atop the crest of a hill. Gently blurring the lines between nature and shelter, this home celebrates the connection between the outdoors and an inspired interior.

A year round retreat that also serves as a gracious gathering place, this home was intelligently and intuitively designed by architects Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.

The continuity of finishes throughout the home – including the truly Canadian warmth of the Douglas Fir walls and ceilings – create a harmonious palette. This serves as the perfect backdrop to showcase all four resplendent seasons through the spectacular wall of glass that faces into the valley.

Even the outdoor fire pit – one of my favourite spaces on the property – connects to the indoors through the use of the same natural stone featured on the indoor fireplaces. The restraint and consistency of material use creates a calm and cohesive property that is at once stirring and rejuvenating.

All photos by Nic Lehoux courtesy of ArchDaily

My guess is this interior will inspire you to get outdoors and look for inspiration on how to bring the outdoors into your own home! I hope the use of materials and finishes featured will offer you some ideas on how to create cohesion and a sense of retreat in your own nest.

xo
s.

By Sarah Walker The Curated House|July 17th, 2012|0 Comments