http://stylenorth.ca/blog Real Canadians decorating Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:38:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 en http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2010/05/scandinavian-furniture-porn/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2010/05/scandinavian-furniture-porn/#comments Sat, 01 May 2010 14:51:33 +0000 Chris http://stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=13934 This post has absolutely nothing to do with real Canadians decorating; I'm sorry, I apologize right off the top. But any decor junkie, Canadian or otherwise, will appreciate the preview gallery of the upcoming Wright auction of Scandinavian design. All the mid-century iconic designers are present and accounted for — Jacobsen, Wegner, Mathsson, Hennigsen, Juhl — but what stands out for me are the less familiar pieces.]]> http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2010/05/scandinavian-furniture-porn/feed/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2010/03/auction-decorative-arts-with-an-asian-accent/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2010/03/auction-decorative-arts-with-an-asian-accent/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:08:49 +0000 Chris http://stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=13645 Two competing Toronto-area auctions on March 23 mean that decor junkies will have to pick their poison, either authentic French antiques or Asian decorative art. Downtown, A.H. Wilkens is holding the decorative arts sale, while the French pieces can be found at Mississauga's Oasis Convention Centre. Wilkens can be previewed Sunday and Monday but you can't peruse the French furniture until 4 pm on the day of the sale.]]> http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2010/03/auction-decorative-arts-with-an-asian-accent/feed/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2010/02/ah-wilkens-tries-to-fill-the-auction-gap/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2010/02/ah-wilkens-tries-to-fill-the-auction-gap/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:03:56 +0000 Chris http://stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=13192 If nature abhors a vacuum so does the auction business. WIth Ritchies in bankruptcy new kid on the block A.H. Wilkens Auctions & Appraisals is stepping in to fill the gap, or would be if they could get their proverbial shit together. In my in-box this morning was a notice about the next AHW decorative arts auction, which happens to be TONIGHT! How about a bit of notice boys? Maybe a weekend-long preview to give folks a chance to peruse the goods?]]> http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2010/02/ah-wilkens-tries-to-fill-the-auction-gap/feed/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/12/waddingtons-a-feast-of-blue-white/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/12/waddingtons-a-feast-of-blue-white/#comments Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:58:17 +0000 Chris http://stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=13270 There are some fine pieces in the upcoming Waddington's Decorative Arts Sale (December 9 and 10) but what really sparked my interest was the plethora of Worcester blue and white porcelain on offer. Culled from the estate of Larry and Betty Douglas, the collection includes some Worcester transferware but most of the pieces are painted, some with very dramatic dragon motifs.]]> http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/12/waddingtons-a-feast-of-blue-white/feed/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/09/ritchies-back-from-the-brink/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/09/ritchies-back-from-the-brink/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:55:10 +0000 Chris http://stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=12373 What a feeling of sadness came over me yesterday as I toured the nearly-empty Ritchies showroom in advance of tonight's back-from-the-brink auction. After a two-month closure and the dismissal of its entire staff, Ritchies owner and CEO Ira Hopmeyer is endeavouring to resuscitate the business with a two-day sale, tonight and tomorrow. There's precious little to be had.]]> http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/09/ritchies-back-from-the-brink/feed/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/08/ritchies-down-for-the-count/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/08/ritchies-down-for-the-count/#comments Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:20:14 +0000 Chris http://stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=11215 The dealers at Toronto's St. Lawrence Antiques Market were buzzing yesterday morning with the news that Ritchies Auctioneers had laid off its staff and closed its doors, likely for good. Last month Sotheby's announced it was severing ties with Ritchies over failure to pay consignors for items sold May 25 (payment was due July 8). The two houses had been partners since 2002.]]> http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/08/ritchies-down-for-the-count/feed/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/07/auction-primer-richties-discovery-sale/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/07/auction-primer-richties-discovery-sale/#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:04:46 +0000 Chris http://stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=10240 There’s really no telling what you’ll find at a Discovery Sale. The furnishings tend toward the traditional but I sometimes see mid-century pieces on the floor. What is a sure thing is that bargains will be had. This is your guide for how to make the most of what is surely one of Toronto’s best value auctions.]]> http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/07/auction-primer-richties-discovery-sale/feed/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/07/where-to-find-ontario-auctions/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/07/where-to-find-ontario-auctions/#comments Sun, 05 Jul 2009 19:26:45 +0000 Susan Forint http://stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=10468 With Canada Day landing mid-week this year, I thought I'd take advantage of the free day and do something I rarely make the time to do . . . I went to a rural antiques auction. I consulted a few of my favourite auction listings to see if any sales were being held on our nation’s birthday. Auctionsfind.com handily tabulates auctions in Southern Ontario, in a format that's easy to scan by area and shows whether the sale includes a photo preview. The Auction Advertiser features a calendar view that lets users find auctions on a particular date, and Ontario’s Auction & Antique Paper is another good source for auction listings]]> http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/07/where-to-find-ontario-auctions/feed/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/06/waddingtons-art-auction-moves-online/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/06/waddingtons-art-auction-moves-online/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:11:19 +0000 Chris http://stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=10124 Waddington’s Monthly Art Auction, one of my all-time favorite Toronto sale opportunities, has moved online and taken all the fun and much of the assurance with it. I would never buy art this way. In the past, I’ve been intrigued by an online pic only to be disappointed when I stood in front of the work at the auction preview. Digital photos and computer monitors have fluctuating and unpredictable colour values; often times a painting will turn out to be murkier or less saturated in person than it appears on screen.]]> http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/06/waddingtons-art-auction-moves-online/feed/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/06/auction-world-headquarters-sell-off/ http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/06/auction-world-headquarters-sell-off/#comments Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:06:47 +0000 Chris http://stylenorth.ca/blog/?p=9659 His email handle is auctioncaller so World Headquarters owner Mark Taaffe shouldn't have any trouble directing his own sale Monday evening (June 8) beginning at 6:30 pm (2885 Dundas West). Taaffe is clearing out the shop to make room for fresh stock and he won't be adding a premium to auction bids. Could be some fantastic deals in the offing.]]> http://stylenorth.ca/blog/2009/06/auction-world-headquarters-sell-off/feed/