Linen Throw Love

Everyone loves cozying up with a throw blanket, but when warmer temps arrive, the polar fleece and faux-fur options can get too heavy. Enter linen, which is not only a lighter and more breathable fabric, but it also drapes beautifully over your sofa or chair.

The saraille magenta shaded linen throw from Designer’s Guild makes the most of the ombre trend in a juicy colour palette that pairs beautifully with white upholstery.

In a more masculine direction, the washed linen indigo throw from Restoration Hardware is a solid hit of denim blue that adds some nubby texture to your space.

If you want to keep it natural and a little more rustic, you can’t go wrong with the subtle striped Alpine Lodge Linen Blanket by Ralph Lauren.

Tea To Go

You can’t go wrong with blue and white, which is excitedly the theme for the upcoming July issue of Style At Home, so it’s no wonder I was drawn to these stunning tumblers at Teavana on the weekend.

The porcelain finish and patterns remind me of an antique lamp I grew up with in my childhood bedroom. Such a stylish way to sip!

PS- how cute are the solid coloured tins from David’s Tea? What a great way to organize your tea collection and add colour to your countertop!

Perfection

This new Vanitas by Paul Béliveau at Gallerie De Bellefeuille is totally killing me right now. The Coralie Bickford-Smith cover, the Monet water lilies, the Warhol flowers, and that mauve color in the corner…too much!

I am actually using that lillac colour in not one but two different rooms in my house, so I guess it’s not a surprise that I’m salivating over this guy too, which also features the pretty pale purple shade as an accent:


Is this cabinet I spotted at Of Things Past on the weekend not totally ridic? It’s like Kelly Wearstler pastels got mixed in with my grandmother’s chinoiserie all together in one over-the-top piece. The fact that it is sitting on a greek key brass base just pushes it over the edge. Not to mention the pattern and colours totally resemble one of my fabric obsessions that I am incorporating into my den: Manuel Canovas’ Dara from Primavera (you’ll hear more about this gem later on)

Let’s see a close up of this brass greek key base to appreciate how divine this piece is. If no one else buys it and it goes down in price, I may have to cave and buy it- it’s just too crazy not to covet.

Weekend Cocktail #36: Swedish Mule

In honour of my impending inaugural visit to Sweden for an IKEA adventure (more on that later), I am reviving the weekend cocktail with a Swedish Mule from Karlsson’s Gold vodka:

Swedish Mule

• 2 oz Karlsson’s Gold Vodka
• 4 oz Ginger beer
• 1 oz Fresh lime juice
• 0.5 oz Simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water)

Add all ingredients to a Collins glass filled with ice and stir to combine.

(image via liquor.com)

Abstracts At The Artist Project

When perusing portfolios, pinterest and other mags, it’s the tension between modern and traditional styles in an interior that most often catches my eye. It’s what keeps me guessing and wanting to see more, and one of my favourite ways to achieve that tension is by pairing a bold abstract piece of art with a more classical interior.

The art could be by a more established artist or by someone local, it doesn’t matter the provenance of the piece so much as it’s  the basic idea of hanging something that is seemingly so haphazard in a setting that’s so calculated. (Like in the Suzanne Kasler-designed space above)
Here is a sampling of some of my favourite abstracts from the Artist Project, a great spot to start when looking for your own piece, which just wrapped up here in Toronto:

The black ground and large scale of this canvas from Mitchell Clark Meller is intriguing. I love how the black just sucks you in for a closer look. It would be unreal paired with my black and white striped setee.

These little guys from David Brown were small in scale and price at just $75 a pop but were big on style! I love displaying small pieces on easels and placing them on a console or chest-  this one would be amazing sitting on an elaborately detailed mahogany chest of drawers.

Anna Bateman’s “Floral Zest” has a traditional starting point of a vase filled with flowers but then goes a little haywire with bursts of messy colours. I’m drawn to the blues and pinks, a colour combo I am feeling right now, that would look beautiful with the navy sectional I am designing.

The collegiate-looking A is a fun surprise on this piece by Neil Young which is coloured like a miami sunset but given a more modern edge with its resin finish. It would be amazing in a neutral living room.