RSS

Archive | Canadian Cool RSS feed for this section

Bev Hisey Christmas Sample Sale

Monday, November 30, 2009 by Chris

3 Comments

I have no idea which cushions, carpets, runners and blankets Toronto textile artist Bev Hisey will be discounting at her annual Christmas sample sale December 3 - 5 but Bev, if you've got one of those orange, felted wool numbers, above left, put my name on it! Hisey has been really branching out lately with some exquisite new lines; I especially love her wildly vibrant carpets, above, although I'd be surprised to see any of those being sold at a discount.

Full post and comments...

Let There Be Lotte

Friday, November 20, 2009 by Chris

5 Comments

INabstracto's Kate Eisen and sometime partner Duncan Farnan hit the motherlode recently when they stumbled upon an old warehouse with an impressive stock of vintage Lotte Lamps, circa 1964. The lamps ($195 each) have their original shades and original tags but Eisen and Farnan have rewired them to today's safety standards. Colors include coral, dark blue, robin's egg, golden yellow, celadon, brown and white.

Full post and comments...

Canadian Cool: Russell Spanner

Friday, October 23, 2009 by Chris

8 Comments

In my Home Show talk about buying vintage furnishings I noted that the best quality vintage furniture inevitably comes with the highest price tags but is also the most likely to escalate in value. As long as the item's provenance can be confirmed, a costly purchase is likely to hold and gain value as the years tick along, provided that you take good care of it. I'm not sure who said it but if you buy the best, you cry only once.

Full post and comments...

Canadian Cool: Caviar 20

Friday, October 16, 2009 by Chris

3 Comments

Canadian decorative arts junkie Troy Seidman has taken the plunge and launched Caviar 20, an online clearing house for his own 20th century finds. Seidman is still building his inventory but the pieces he's displaying share a high taste level and reasonable prices in Canadian dollars. The porcelain, bamboo lamp is $160, the breathtaking oak gueridon is $325 and the Knoll Handkerchief chair, which would wake up any corner, is $325.

Full post and comments...

Canadian Cool: High Gloss Urban Country

Tuesday, October 13, 2009 by Chris

2 Comments

Christine Flynn is one gutsy, young artist. Last month, the Toronto-based graphic designer and photographer set up shop in a west Queen West walk-up, a space so quintessentially cool it's almost self-conscious. On the exposed brick walls is a selection of Flynn's photographs, large-scale, highly-saturated outputs, mounted on stretchers and finished with a thick coat of high-gloss epoxy resin. The subject matter may be rural — horses, cows, forests and fields — but the treatment is completely now.

Full post and comments...