Author Archives | stylenorthchris
stylenorthchris - who has written 538 posts on styleNorth.
StyleNorth founder Christopher Jones is a graphic designer and journalist who has written about homes for Toronto Life, the Globe and Mail, Canadian Living and the Toronto Star, among other publications. Chris has an unquenchable thirst for interior design and his stack of hard-cover, shelter porn books is now nearly as tall as he is. A wannabe decorator, his home—which he shares with partner Mike—is his laboratory.
Upside Down? Or Rightside Up?
While surfing 1stdibs.com today I came across this coffee table, which I instantly recognized from the August 2010 issue of Canadian House and Home (photo by Stacey Brandford). In my opinion, it was the most glamorous shot in the mag that month and I was crazy, absolutely crazy about the coffee table, which belongs to journalist Karen Von Hahn and her husband Thomas. I love that 1stdibs displays the table one way, like a letter M, and the Von Hahn's present it the other way, like a W. What's your preference? The M's a bit golden arches don't you think?
Less is More at Avenue Road
Thursday, August 5, 2010 by Chris
There are all kinds of gorgeous, high-end stores in Toronto that I've never blogged about because frankly, if I can't afford to shop there, what's the point? But I'm making an exception with Avenue Road, partly because there's such a buzz about the place, partly because it's so darn beautiful and partly because it was designed by hometown boys George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg whose stellar work is also the subject of a gorgeous new coffee table book.
Designers at Home at the DX
Monday, August 2, 2010 by Chris
Do artists and designers have cooler spaces than the rest of us? Um, yes, as it turns out, at least that’s the conclusion I drew from Design Domestic, a photo exhibit currently up at Toronto’s Design Exchange until August 19. The show presents glimpses of the personal tastes and styles of some well-known Canadian curators and design professionals, people like industrial designer Andrew Jones (no relation), whose dining room is pictured above. Other featured spaces belong to Jason MacIsaac (Ministry of the Interior), Shaun Moore (MADE), Montreal landscape architect Claude Cormier and installation artist An Te Liu (below), among others.
What a Difference An Inch Makes
Tuesday, July 27, 2010 by Chris
When I did the reveal post about my new dark walls I was a bit surprised that no one commented on the fact that the new cream lampshades (above left) weren’t quite the right size. The shades weren’t new, they were ones I’d pulled out of storage while I had custom shades made. The new shade on the right is one inch taller and one inch narrower; the difference is subtle in the photo, but much more apparent in three dimensions. Yes, the old shade would have looked alright with a slightly smaller harp but I didn’t have one on hand, and anyway, I think a 7-inch harp is just too small for a 16? lamp.
Library: The Saint Laurent & Bergé Legacy
Sunday, July 25, 2010 by Chris
I would NEVER pay $123.50 for a shelter book, which is why I'm only now getting to The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Bergé (Vendome Press). I have coveted this title since first seeing it late last year, but only recently did it find its way to my favorite book reseller, Toronto's BMV, where I scooped up a copy for $49. I have yet to find a discounted edition of the Christie's hardcover catalogue from "the sale of the century," The Yves Saint Laurent Pierre Bergé Collection, but a friend has kindly loaned me his copy so I could blog about it here.
Monday, August 9, 2010 by Chris
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