The colours of IDS11

I’m back from IDS11, and I’ve got loads of stuff to show you. But I have to tell you that I was so focussed on talking to people, checking out the products in the booths was almost secondary! So even thought I took pictures of a lot of cool stuff, I didn’t always remember to make note of who designed the cool stuff. Bad me!  Click here for a complete list of all IDS11 exhibitors.

There’s so much to see and take in at IDS, it can really be overwhelming. And no matter how many times you walk up and down an aisle, you always see something you missed. Colour always catches my eye, so for my first IDS recap, I’m showing you the colours of IDS11.

This is the Style At Home/Beauti-Tone booth. Doesn’t it make you feel like spring? :-)

Check out the paint can chandelier :-)

 

Pretty dishware…

Carpets (and check out that pair of pants!)

Love these carpets from Elte. They’re old carpets that are given new life by dying them in gorgeous vibrant colours.

 

LOVE this carpet from Weaver’s Art.

Glass mosaic artwork by Filippetti.

Glass wall scones.

The floor in the Para Paints booth

I forgot to take a picture of the Urban Canvas Art booth – this picture is from their Facebook page.

An example of their colourful artwork from their web site:

And I love this textural birch tree painting.

Even a pink piano…

And colourful shower heads from Grohe!

Do you have a favourite colourful design from IDS11?

I’ll be posting a lot more pictures from the show over the next week, so if you want to see lots more design coolness, be sure to drop by :-)

And also be sure to drop by blueloom, where Kinga is featuring a tour of my home. I’m honoured that Kinga asked me to share my home with her readers – thanks Kinga! :-)

If you want your home to reflect who you are and what you love, drop me a line for an in-person or online consultation.

Schmoozing at IDS11

Just after arriving at the IDS gala last night, Arren WIlliams and Tommy Smythe wandered by. I grabbed a TBB and said let’s follow Tommy, he’ll lead us to Sarah! Well, he led us to the House & Home booth, where we accosted Tommy and Arren and took some pictures.

And then we zipped over to the Sibling Revelry exhibit, and there was Tommy again in the space designed by Sarah Richardson and her brother Theo (he’s one third of the design team Rich, Brilliant, Willing in NYC). Tommy wearing a very cool Harry Rosen tie and his do-it-yourself facelift :-)

Tommy is hilarious, and so gracious. Thank you Tommy for letting the TBBs accost you! And of course, we had to accost Sarah too :-) She was also gracious and patient with us as we had our pictures taken with her :-)

Last night was schmoozing, today is perusing! I’ll be back with lots of pics from IDS next week!

Leaving on a VIA Train

With apologies to John Denver and Chantal Kreviazuk…

My bags aren’t packed, not ready to go
Tomorrow’s day one of IDS in TO
I have to get my hair done and butt in gear

When dawn is breakin', it'll be time to rise
Hubby’s gonna be my taxi ride
To the station where the train is ready to board

So off I go to Toronto
To the twenty-eleven Interior Design Show
The fun is going to start in business class

'Cause I'm leaving on a VIA Train
Saturday’s when I’ll be back again
Oh, for sure it’s gonna be a blast!

 

There's lots of booths and loads of peeps
No time to rest and take a seat
I'll tell you now, my feet are going to ache

Every booth I see I’ll aaah and oooh
Every designer I see I’ll say “Hi” to
(although I’ll probably be way too nervous and shy)
When I come back I’ll be psyched to decorate

So off I go to Toronto
To the twenty-eleven Interior Design Show
The fun is going to start in business class

'Cause I'm leaving on a VIA Train
Saturday’s when I’ll be back again
Oh, for sure it’s gonna be a blast!

Now the time has come to end this tune
I’m a decorator, not one who croons
I have no idea how to write a song.

Tonight I’ll dream of rooms to design
In the morning I’ll be bright-tailed and bushy-eyed
Ready to get the party train rolling along!

 So off I go to Toronto
To the twenty-eleven Interior Design Show
The fun is going to start in business class

'Cause I'm leaving on a VIA Train
Saturday’s when I’ll be back again
Oh, for sure it’s gonna be a blast!

'Cause I'm leaving on a VIA Train
Saturday’s when I’ll be back again
Oh, for sure it’s gonna be a blast!

Thanks to Dennis Welsh for including my IDS poem in today’s Dennis Welsh Daily!

Finally, it’s here! IDS11! I’m hopping on the train in the morning with my TBBs, and we’ll get this party started – and I have a feeling it won’t end till we get back home on Saturday! The pre-gala Tweet-up/dinner on Thursday is going to be huge – loads of bloggers, some big-name designers, Style At Home magazine, and Cityline will all be there. Really, no pressure at all to look fab and be on our best behaviour ;-)

Trade day on Friday will be busy, busy, busy! Besides checking out all the booths at the show, there’s Erin McLaughlin’s seminar “How to Get Your Designs Published” at 12:30, and a casual blogger meet-up planned for Friday at 3:00PM. If you’re going to be at the show on Friday, check out Aubrey + Lindsay’s Little House Blog for deets.

And how’s this for kicking off the festivities on a high note – Style At Home Blog just selected my guest bedroom as one of their favourite reader-submitted bedroom designs! WOOT! THANK YOU, Style At Home!!

I probably won’t have time to post while I’m in TO, but I’ll be writing a full re-cap of IDS11 early next week – if last year was any indication, you won’t want to miss it!

To my blogger buddies who will be at IDS11 – see ya TOMORROW!
And to my TBBs – LET’S ROCK TO!!

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!

If you want your home to reflect who you are and what you love, drop me a line for an in-person or online consultation.

Sorry I don’t have time to write a Sarah 101 re-cap for you this week – but never fear, I wouldn’t leave you Sarah 101-less! Head over to Rambling Renovators to check out Jen’s wrap up of Andrew’s Bedroom, complete with a Chiang Mai upholstered bed!

VIA train – CBC.ca | Metro Toronto Convention Center – partypm | Toronto skyline – The Strathcona Hotel

Tiny Little Chairs. Literally!

I don’t remember when or where I first came across Tiny Little Chairs, but I’ve been wanting to write a post about them ever since. And finally, here it is!

Tiny Little Chairs is a series of precious metal pendants that celebrate mid century furniture design. There are currently five pendants in the series, each one representing a vintage chair that revolutionized the furniture production and design process. The pendants are handmade in Montreal by Bruxe Design and come in gold, silver, and bronze. Prices range from $170.00 to $1,750.00.

1. Tulip Chair | Eoro Saarinen & Charles Eames

Eoro Saarinen and Charles Eames designed the Tulip Chair for the Organic Design in Home Furnishings competition in 1940. They received first prize. Did you know that the Tulip Chair was the basis of the seating used on the original Star Trek TV series? Beam me up, Scottie!

  

2. Eames Lounge Chair Wood | Charles & Ray Eames

Eames Lounge Chair Wood (LCW) is also known as Low Chair Wood or Eames Plywood Lounge Chair. It was designed by the husband and wife team of Charles and Ray Eames. Charles Eames perfected his technique of molding plywood into complex curves while making molded plywood splints for the US Air Force during World War II.

 

   

3. Eames Management Chair | Charles & Ray Eames

Also designed by Charles and Ray Eames, the Eames Management Chair. It was originally designed for outdoor seating, but has found its way into homes and offices everywhere. The chair is constructed with cast aluminium and a seat frame that supports a stretched synthetic mesh. The mesh was replaced with fabric and leather and ribbed at 1-7/8” intervals. Not long after the chair was introduced.

Image via Herman Miller

4. Eames Fiberglass Scoop Chair | Charles & Ray Eames

Do you notice a trend here… the Eames Scoop Chair is made of molded fiberglass and was designed by Charles and Ray Eames in the 1950s. This is an original Scoop Chair with an H-base:

It also comes with an Eiffel Tower base.

   

{If you want to learn more about the original Dynamic Design Duo, you can read all about Charles & Ray Eames at Eames Office.}

5. Barcelona Chair | Mies van der Rohe

The Barcelona Chair was designed by… NOT Charles & Ray Eames! It was designed by Mies van der Rohe for the German Pavilion’s entry at the 1959 International Exposition in Barcelona, Spain. The design was inspired by campaign and folding chairs of ancient times. It was initially designed to bolted together, but was redesigned in 1950 using stainless steel. This allowed the frame to be formed into a seamless piece of metal, giving the chair a smoother appearance.

 

   

So what do you think of the Mid Century Modern Mini Me’s?

If you want your home to reflect who you are and what you love, drop me a line for an in-person or online consultation.

All chair pendants from Tiny Little Chairs | Tulip Chair – Wikipedia | Eames Lounge Chair Wood – Design Milk | Eames Management Chair – Herman Miller | Eames Fiberglass Scoop Chairs – Etsy and Modernica | Barcelona Chair – Wikipedia