Jessica Claire Loves Paul Smith Loves Disney

I am loving the vintage Disney vibe of these hand-woven wool cushions from the Rug Company's Paul Smith Loves Disney Collection:

I can totally see them on a barrel armed tufted sofa in an eclectic apartment...

At Last! My Maiden Voyage to John Derian in NYC

My adoration for John Derian is well documented on this blog. It will not be a big shocker then that one of my top priorities while in NYC was to get to his eponymous shops in the lower east side.

Upon walking into the charming John Derian Company Store, I was immediately struck by the shiny glint of his signature decoupage pieces (and I was pleased to see that John himself was actually in the store too!)

Cake stands, trays, vases, paperweights, plates, table lamps -all of the amazing decoupage pieces I could look at for hours on end were there for me to faun over!

Along with the signature decoupage, there were stunning displays of the Astier de Villate glazed terra cotta pottery from France, graphic Hugo Guiness prints framed gallery style, candy coloured leather Moroccan poufs, canvas tote bags, quirky cutlery, buttery-soft cotton rogues gallery t-shirts and more!

It was very tempting to snap up the divinely scented Beekman 1802 goats milk soaps that are packaged by the month and the patterned Astier de Villatte Notebooks were calling my name as well. The painted wooden blocks meant to resemble book covers were so creative and the postcards, greeting cards and other paper goods were amazing too!

Once I was done in the first store, I proceeded to walk a couple of doors down to John Derian Dry Goods, another retail location which is jam packed with John's furniture line, Moroccan rugs, sumptuous textiles, interesting lighting, garden furniture and more.

It took every ounce of strength not to send home a duffel bag filled with the shams, toss cushions, duvets and table linens with their fetching ethnic prints and vibrant bursts of colour.

In the end I left with three of the circular fashion plates I have been lusting over for months that I originally spotted at Constantine.

The fact that they ended up being half the price of what they would have cost at home helped soften the blow to my wallet and every time I look at them I just feel so happy!

Do You Remember the Time?

RIP king of pop.

Blush and Grey

I came very close to buying this beaded t-shirt from J Crew last week:

The soft grey hue combined with the blush petal pink of the stone embellishment reminds me of south sea pearls and is one of my favourite colour combinations.

 

The pallette conjures the design scheme of Molly Sims' NYC apartment, courtesy of Kishani Perera.

And the combo also reminds me of this stunning living room from Fox Nahem Design.

(pearl jewelry from Tiffany's)

Best

Sigh…there is nothing like cracking open a fresh pot of bobbi brown gel eyeliner

Lulu Guiness in NYC

Checkerboard floors, black and white stripes and a gigantic cameo, what else would you expect for a New York outpost from someone who crafts purses fashioned to look like boxes of chocolates and scalloped shells and pursed lips?

Located at 394 Bleecker near Marc by Marc Jacobs, the NYC Lulu Guinness store is Paris Apartment chic in every way! I wasn't allowed to take too many photos so you'll have to trust that the store is divinely designed.

The only thing that gave me pause though was that Lulu's designs for the Rug Company weren't showcased...

Glamour Girl would have popped against the black and white floor

And Canvas Rose would complement the black and white palette beautifully.

Decor Shopping in NYC…Grove

Last summer I made my first round of visits to NYC decor spots and was blown away by the selection, styling and glam factor – it is New York after all! This time around I decided to focus more on soho and the meatpacking district than on midtown’s more uppercrust stores like Trelliage and Mecox Gardens. So without further adieu here is one of many posts to come on the amazing shelter stores I visited, starting with Grove.

Located at 617 Hudson Street in the meatpacking area, nearly every single thing in Grove could easily find a place in my dream home.

Graphic toss cushions embellished with bright hits of grosgrain are immediate eye candy but it only gets better inside when you catch sight of the amazing displays.

A mix of eclectic furnishings from manufactures such as bungalow 5 and two’s company mingle with custom cushions and well-selected accessories.

Ikat-clad picture frames, lacquered trays and neon-hued travel backgammon sets are colourful and playful, yet Grove still has a polished ambiance that doesn’t scare away a more sophisticated palette.

Grove also stocks a selection of fresh cut flowers in a flower bar behind the counter for custom arrangements and will deliver anywhere in Manhattan.

Some of my absolute favourites from the shop are:

A black and white polkadot ashtray, $45 is a perfect place to stash your keys on a front hall console.

Croc-embossed leather coasters with nailhead detailing are glam and edgy all in one. I picked up two sets of the turquoise colour for our newly revamped family room.

This lucite trunk, $650 is to die for. End of story.

Big Apple

I returned tonight from a whirlwind four days in NYC with my best girlfriends and although I am beyond pooped, I wanted to quickly post to say hello.

I had the chance to hit a whole whack of restaurants and stores I had been eager to visit, so get ready for lots of great posts on my New York adventures!

Stacked

These porcelain books made by Brooklyn ceramicists Klein Reid are so odd, yet so delightful. I think buying the littlest guy as a top piece for a vignette (like a cherry on a  sundae) would be precious!

$35 for the smallest,  to $85 for the midsize to $115 for the largest

Torontonians can find them at Hollace Cluny on yonge.

Saturday Morning Giggles

Had to share this supremely odd yet addictive video I saw on To The Maxxx

Steals and Deals from Of Things Past

I popped into Of Things Past last week while on an errand for work and had to snap some shots of these cutie deals:

This Barrel back chair, $280 is small scaled and glamorous with its chrome base and tufted upholstery. Recover it in a lilac silk and it will fit in perfectly in a hollywood regency boudoir.

This Glass thumbprint decanter, $24.50 adds snazz to any bar set-up for a steal.

This painted secretaire, $870 is so pretty. The floral motif is painted in soft pastel colours and would look darling in a little girl's room or an eclectic home office.

Melody's Kitchen

How pretty and fresh is the kitchen of Toronto designer Melody Duron?? The white subway tile and marble counter tops are simple and clean and the stunning botanical prints provide fresh pops of pastel.