Tag Archive | "Toronto"
A.H. Wilkens Tries to Fill the Auction Gap
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?
Continuum: Transformation Inspiration
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Continuum, a new decor store at Pape and Danforth in Toronto, is not what I expect from a "vintage" shop. For one thing, a lot of the inventory isn't especially old, it just isn't brand new. And much of the stock has been reborn under the fearless direction of store owner Daina Liepa who has a definite knack for updating tired furnishings.
Guest Post: Fabulous Fornasetti
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Apparently, not everybody loves Fornasetti as much as I do. When I proposed this piece to Chris, he made a face and said, "Ew, I don't care for Fornasetti at all." Love him or hate him, Pierro Fornasetti (1913-1988) was the most prolific designer of the 20th century. There was a major retrospective of his work at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London in 1991, however, it has only been in the last decade or so that there's been significant commercial interest in his work.
Holiday Windows At The Bay
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
One of my fondest Christmas memories is my family's annual trip downtown to see the seasonal window displays at Toronto's duelling department stores, Eatons and Simpsons. The window unveiling was a newsworthy event in 1960s Toronto and crowds gathered on the snowy streets to see the curtains pulled back to reveal merry, mechanized scenes of the north pole come magically to life. This year, I was happily surprised to see a lively moving display in the windows of The Bay's flagship store at Yonge and Queen Streets (former home to Simpson's).
O Christmas Tree!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
I spotted this poinsettia Christmas tree in the lobby of my dentist's office last week -- isn't it amazing? If red and green are the colours of Christmas then this tree has the season all sewn up. Poinsettias are native to Mexico but they grow wild all over Central and South America. In Brazil, I saw poinsettia trees 40-feet tall! Some folks are suspicious of the potted plants believing them to be poisonous, especially to pets, but my research suggests there's actually nothing toxic about poinsettias.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
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