Inspiration can come to us in many forms, including through the quirky habits of family members. That is certainly a part of Becca Wallace‘s story, whose grandmother was the sort who wouldn’t let anyone throw anything away. This “habit” led to two little cabins on her property filling up with vintage toys and objects that she couldn’t bear to part with over the years.

It wasn’t until her grandma had passed that Becca unearthed some of these treasures, but she has found a most meaningful and inspired way to honour her grandmother’s nostalgic heart through her strikingly modern yet charmingly sentimental fine art photography. And I think you’ll agree, the results could easily make one heartsick for a bygone era of simplicity and endless hours of child’s play.

CARS

STACKS

 

ROBOTS

BARBIE CLOTHES

For those of you in the Toronto area, Becca is currently showing at the One Of A Kind Show at the Direct Energy Centre {on now until December 8th}. Not only does Becca offer frameable prints, but she also has some stunning pieces mounted on wood block and finished with resin. This treatment of her already striking photographs absolutely pops the saturation of colour and takes them to a whole new level. The only difficulty will be choosing which one{s} to take home!

If you’re unable to make it to the One Of A Kind Show, check out Becca’s Big Cartel store.

Wishing you an inspired Monday!

xo
s.

photo by gabriela hansen

Happy New Year! I truly hope this finds you all warm and well, with hearts and bellies full from the decadence of time spent with your loved ones. I choose the word “decadence” because slowing down to “just be” seems so rare these days, so indulgent. Reading books. Going for walks. Playing board games. Cooking together. Snuggling by the fire. Taking time to talk and laugh and dream. It’s decadent. And the truth is, I haven’t quite had my fill yet.

I’ve always believed that the best way to be a leader is to lead with your life. In that spirit, I’ve decided to take a few more days off. I know I promised I’d get back to sharing irresistible inspiration with you as of tomorrow. The truth is, I savour with anticipation the promise of diving back into design, food, health, beauty and fashion inspiration with you soon! But for now, I am going to indulge in more reflection and rest.

I know this is a choice not all of us can make as the New Year starts and the demands of work thrust most of us back to our routines tomorrow. I appreciate the luxury that I am afforded as I take the time to just be with my son until he goes back to school on January 7th. But I’d like to take this internal shift back into my regular routine as well.

This year I plan to listen to my instincts carefully. I am aiming for authenticity. I don’t believe in resolutions or “naming” my year with a word. But I do believe in reflecting and moving forward with intention whenever I’m given the opportunity to pause. So I’m going to take time over the next few days to further reflect and curate my thoughts and intentions for this New Year.

The truth is, I may not do it perfectly. There are books on my reading list I may not get to, plans that may not get perfectly architected, and I may still be riding the edge of intention mixed with a generous dose of fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants by the time January 7th hits. But that might just be what is actually authentic in the end. In fact, it might just leave enough room for inspiration to strike and for beauty to be discovered in the everyday.

In the reflecting I’ve done thus far, I’ve realized that I am learning to leave room – this week and in the year ahead – for process. The process of becoming. The process of thinking and dreaming and digesting and designing. The process of creating things that matter.

I will fail. I will get swept up in the rush of life and forget to make room for the process. I will get caught in the undertow of the expectations of others and the expectations I have for myself. But I hope to refine and reshape my rhythms so that my process becomes more authentic. More intentional. More beautiful. And I hope that in that process, I will inspire some of you, too. Maybe we can help each other.

On this first day of 2013, my wish is that we would all drink deeply of this decadent opportunity to reflect and “just be” as we consider the process of becoming and all the possibility it holds.

Happy New Year!

xo
s.

Today being Friday and sunny and nearly the weekend, it feels only fitting to share something a little extra special. I had the sincere privelege of working with the very talented Phil Lindsay on two delightful videos this summer, and I’m so happy to share the second one with you today. This video features a visit to the wonderful Kravet showroom in Toronto, sourcing fabrics, wall coverings, rugs and furnishings in search of inspiration.

Kravet + The Designer’s Art of Discovery from The Curated House on Vimeo.

Kravet truly is my favourite source for fine fabrics and wall coverings, and I’m sure this sneak peek offers you insights as to why!

I must express my most sincere gratitude to Phil Lindsay who went above and beyond for this little video, risking life and limb walking backwards for some of these shots {you can see me awkwardly trying to direct him so he doesn’t fall down stairs at one point!}. He finished this video in the midst of a move and a ton of traveling and is truly the loveliest. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Phil!

I’d also like to thank Balzac’s for welcoming us into their warm and visually inspired space, and Anthropologie for allowing us to feature their clothing. You can find the skirt in the latest colour way here and the blazer here.

Lastly, my sincerest thanks to Val and the lovely team at Kravet for your consistently warm and gracious hospitality. It is such a pleasure to work with people who appreciate that the process of making things beautiful can and should be beautiful in and of itself. Kravet works directly with the design trade only, so if you saw something you loved, please reach out to your favourite interior designer and have them look into it for you!

Happy Friday, friends! Wishing you a weekend filled with inspiration and adventure.

xo
s.