Sunday, January 30, 2011

Laure de Mazieres in Miami

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Laure de Mazieres is one of those furniture showrooms that you feel like you could move right into.

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With perfectly styled roomsets within the Miami showroom comprised of the gorgeous furniture from lines such as Ralph Lauren and Roberto Cavalli, it’s not hard to get inspired after visiting.

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From swanky urban to beachy traditional there is a great cross-section of styles to suit Miami’s equally varied clientele.

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Here are some of my favourite pieces:

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This upholstered klismos-esque side chair has such fabulous curves and a great colour-block look.

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This chair plays with exaggerated proportions and materiality – I love how the lacquered frame and brass nailheads interplay with the matte fabric.

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These hurricane candleholders are clean and classic looking- could be a perfect addition to our balcony…

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This four-poster bed with its nickel posts and silk tufting is DRAMA! It sure turns that old wood version you’ve seen on its head!

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This chandelier simultaneously reminds me of bubbles and pearls! I love the classic shape reinterpreted in a more playful material

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These cutie-pie black leather footstools with shiny chrome legs are adorable and would look right at home in front of a fireplace

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This Ralph Lauren bar cart is perfection – love the metal tubing and wood lower shelf. It would look amazing in a bachelor pad!

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These gold scorpions (not lobsters as I originally misidentified) are wonderfully odd and would look just right on top of a stack of coffee table books

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Every inch of the back, arms and seat of this creamy leather sofa is tufted-- tailoured opulence at its best!

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This short and stout lamp screams deco and I love the over-scaled shade and clever switching on the base

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Cake Opera Co: A Symphony of Sweets

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One of my absolute favourite booths at The Wedding Show last weekend came courtesy of local pastry genius’s The Cake Opera Co. I had scoped out the website very briefly prior to the show after reading in one of the tabloids that they created the cake for Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, but I still was awe-struck after seeing the creations live and in person at the show. Not only were they gorgeous, but they had an eccentric couture twist to the designs that I hadn’t seen from the other cake bakers at the show.

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After sampling the incredible red velvet cake and meeting Alexandria and Jessica, the dynamic duo behind Cake Opera Co., I proceeded to spend an inordinate amount of time on their website ogling all the literal goodies!

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From the first image of a graffiti’d Marie Antoinette that greets you on the homepage, to all the detail shots of their desserts, it was hard to pick my favourites! Check out these unbelievable works of art:

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Not just one-trick ponies, Cake Opera Co. go way beyond the confines of cake:

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Butter cookies, cupcakes, croquemboche, meringues, macaroon towers and marshmallows are just some of the other tasty and gorgeous treats they can customize to perfection!

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Cake Opera Co. will combine any number of their fanciful desserts into operetta tables to complement the theme of your event –  it’s edible set design! Check out their retail storefront and concept studio at  1136 Eglinton Avenue West to see (and taste!) for yourself.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Pretty Hits of Peachy Pink

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There is something so warm and appealing about soft shades of peach, pale pink and apricot. Whether used sparingly to add a pop of colour in an interior, or donned in the form of an unabashed poufy party dress, it is such a feminine and inviting hue.

Here are some delectable tastes:

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photos via akris, desire to inspire, gemma comas, elle decor, emici bridal, elle decor, zatista, cake opera co

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Jalan Jalan

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Ever since hanging out in this stunning Miami condo, I was very eager to check out Jalan Jalan, a local boutique in the design district who provided a lot of the furnishings and design services for the space.

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Jalan Jalan is where Buddha meets the beach; relaxed yet streamlined furniture, plenty of shells and driftwod, exotic art and accessories; all these varying factors come together in this well-edited and beautifully styled showroom.

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While I am not personally so into the eastern vibe, I found tons of gorgeous furniture, lighting and accessories that I would easily call my own from lines I adore, such as Oly Studio and Lee Industries.

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I love how all the natural materials, such as petrified wood and shell are glamified, either by being installed on a shiny metal base or they are literally reinterpreted and cast in shimmering bronze, such as the base of this gorgeous table.

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The driftwood lamps by bleu nature are especially soothing yet sculptural with their laid back Malibu vibe.

Here are some of my favourite pieces I spotted:

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These oversized porcelain lamps are an amazing way to play with scale and would look fabulous on a console in a rand foyer.

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This bar cart is sharp and funky with its lucite bars and stitched leather top.

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The petrified wood side table is amped up with its polished chrome x-base. I love how its prehistoric on top and modernon the bottom.P1180142

I obviously adore the zebra hide pillows and black tufted chesterfield, but I also am crushing on the black and white square Moroccan poufs! They just beg you for a lounge session!

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This classic pedestal table and its elegant turned base are elevated to a new level in marble.

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The silver and horn handle tray is a striking spot to park some martini glasses.

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The Lee Industries chair is so sharp in black leather and polished nailheads.

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I’m in love with these stella shelving units from Oly Studio- the wood shelves and antiqued metal frame are a fabulous contrast!