As a pyro, firweworks are one my favourite spectacles and one of the very best parts of the victoria day long weekend here in Canada.
To celebrate May 24 (which isn’t actually remotely close to May 24 at all this year), here are some amazing photographs from Canadian artist Jeremy Watt (repped by Atti Gallery) that capture the frenetic energy of fireworks erupting in the night sky.
Things are busier than ever in Jessica Claire’s World as the cottage wraps up, house plans amp up and high season at the magazine shifts into gear.
One exciting thing to share is that Garnet Hill, a fab source for beautiful linens, home accessories and more, is now shipping to Canada, so it was perfect timing for me to curate a list of my fave items from them on their FB page. I have featured their product in the magazine before so it’s great to know it’s more accessible than ever.
Their weekend knit throw is totally calling my name! Nap buddy? Yes please!
Also, online is a 20 questions feature on the Style At Home page in conjunction with the our designer secrets issue. Check it out for some juicy nuggets including the store where I could spends hours browsing and the purchase I’d make if money were no object.
I’m off to Brimfield tomorrow with some awesome Style At Home editors and will be tweeting and instagramming up a storm so make sure you’re following me and the style at home page for the latest! We’ll also be uploading shots to our special Brimfield pinterest board of our fave finds that I will be carting around in my sexy old lady meets homeless bottle collecting mobile shopping cart. Wish me luck!
I’m so excited that my sister Marlie’s apartment is included in the newest issue of Style At Home. It was such a fun project to work on, as writer Laura de Carufel brilliantly captured in her story, and I’m so pleased with how the spread turned out.
You may recall some posts about it last year, but for some behind-the-scenes pics from the shoot and before and after shots, make sure to visit the Style At Home blog.
Have you picked up your copy of Style At Home’s 100+ Best Designer Secrets yet? The special issue is on newsstands now chock-full of just under 100 amazing paint colours, dozens of practical design tips and more.
Also included is a great style showdown between senior style editor Ann Marie Favot and myself, with her serene minimal white interior duking it out against my vintage glam apartment. I love it that even though they are so different, a lot of our design lessons hold true for both spaces. For example, we both have large mirrors in our dining rooms to visually expand the spaces and love a calming white bedroom.
Happy reading!
We’re in the final throes of the renovation on the cottage which means I am in the midst of my final round of POs (purchase orders in design admin lingo) and yes they are as time-consuming as they sound. Admin is a huuuuuge percentage of the work involved in any given design project, especially when your client is taking advantage of all the lovely customizable options available at their stylish fingertips. For a big order I can spend hours on a single PO making sure it covers all the pertinent design details, including correct fabric information, dimensions, construction notes and more.
For instance, one PO for a toss cushion to give to your sewing workroom could be as complicated as this:
And that’s just one part – then you need to order each fabric and ribbon component separately (if the fabrics are from different fabric houses) – so one toss cushion can take over an hour to order by the time you factor the math, formatting, triple-checking it for accuracy and then submitting. It’s a good thing to keep in mind when hiring a professional designer or decorator that you’ll be paying not just for their creativity but their project management skills and administration time as well.
HELPFUL TIP: Whether you’re a pro or just starting to tackle your own home, having a binder with dividers that separate the space by room, with plastic sheet protectors holding your fabric memos and tear sheets of the furniture, lighting, accessories etc. for reference is a big help when wrapping your mind around a big design project. More importantly though, is keeping your paperwork organized with all of your quotes, order confirmations, purchase orders, receipts, invoices and the like sorted. Heaven forbid something goes screwy along the way, you have your admin binder which documented every step of the design to support you. The binder is also a fab reference tool for the future when you need to pull out paint colours or reorder and reupholster anything.
From glammy glam versions to rustic, I must admit there is something refreshingly simple about this easter egg placecard idea – perfect for your brunch or any farm-to-table meal for that matter.
If you’re a die hard Hunger Games fan, you can consider the odds are now ever in your favour because I have sourced out some of the set design elements used in the dystopian trilogy’s first film so you can get your own Panem fix right in your own home.
For the record I’m not into the jumble of concrete and neon that they call the Capitol, and I was overwhelmed by the abundance of deco furniture in the train car, (declared mahogany no less, to Effie Trinket’s dismay when Katniss stabs the dining table), but it’s a dystopian society, not a a Parish-Hadley interior, so I’ll commend set director Larry Dias on a job well done and point out a couple of my favourite elements used in the set design:
These seatbelt chairs are used in the dining room where the District 12 tributes dine while prepping for the games. In the past I‘ve seen them at L’Atelier in Toronto in a vibrant orange colour as well.
Hanging in the train car is a crystal cube chandelier similar to this popular design available at ELTE which is perfect for a transitional space looking for a hit of glam.
Also on the train car is a tubular metal bar cart, reminiscent of this beautiful Ralph Lauren version which has lovely deco leanings.
And while we’re on topic, I couldn’t help but tweak over the likeness of a glammed up Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson, to Mike Hindert, known as Mike H or Dirt, bassist of The Bravery. Like scary!
Happy Hunger Games!
Originally introduced at IDS earlier this year, I am still swooning over the silk orchid collection that ELTE has brought in.
The newest incarnation of the idea behind the super popular second-life rugs, I brought one of them on CityLine in January and it got a fab response from the audience and why not? what’s not to love! The colours, the ultra-soft hand, the global-chic patterns… Plus it’s as chic as upcyling gets. Each rug is made with recycled vintage sari silk dresses from India that have been unravelled thread by thread and hand knotted into the one-of-a-kind rugs.
What I wouldn’t give for this particular beauty to provide the foundation for my master bedroom. The ochre yellow with the hits of royal blue and green are not something I would normally gravitate to but I still can’t help dreaming about the concept I would build around it. Unfortunately the collection isn’t exactly priced within our budget ($11,750 for just under a 9’x12’…they are 100% silk after all) – so someone please go out and buy it so I can live vicariously through you. Thanks.
Want to know my fave neighbourhood haunts and what item I am currently coveting for the reno? Head over to the delightful Chestnut Park Realty blog to find out in their fab “My Neighbourhood” series. While you’re there, be sure to read Tommy Smythe’s Q&A too for some great Cabbagetown antique shop recommendations.
After a few months of recuperating post-wedding and working hard at my position as design editor at Style At Home, I am happy to write that I am going to take a crack at keeping the blog up amidst the craziness that is my life. It will be a fun way to give sneak peaks of what I’m working on at the magazine, the progress of decorating projects I have on the go, and more of the same old jessica claire’s world shenanigans that you have so enjoyed over the past 4 years.
To bring you up to speed, the wedding was simply divine. I hope to share more photos with you eventually, but until then these snapshots from the amazing Storey Wilkins will suffice.
As if being a newlywed wasn’t exciting enough, Dave and I also bought bought a house in a wonderful neighbourhood. The catch is that it needs some major reno’s (the photo of the log cabin which was transplanted into the basement sort of speaks for itself, no?) The house hasn’t been touched in decades - we’re talking no central air, knob and tube wiring, asbestos…the works! – so you could say we have our work cut out for us. I can’t wait to dig in and get started so I’ll be sure to update you on the madness as it progresses.
In the meantime, here are some of the latest CityLine episodes I taped this year, including segments covering spring decorating and entertaining ideas, a creative shoe display idea and other stories inspired by the current issues of Style At Home.
Happy viewing!
