Creemore, Ontario

Last weekend we were fortunate enough to escape to the country for three days of rest and relaxation.  We spent the weekend about an hour north of Toronto not too far from a small town called Creemore.  As we were in need of groceries and wanted to take a little tour around the area we set off on Saturday morning for the small town. With a population not much more than a thousand, this was the epitome of small town Ontario.  Best known for Creemore Springs brewery we quickly discovered that there was more in this tiny town that we had originally expected. The farmers market was full of local farmers selling their beautiful fresh produce and meats and as we took a tour around the town we fell more and more in love with it and its charm.  The main street was lined with two story buildings all with really interesting and creative signage, and with the town being in the middle of farm country there was an incredible store called the 100 Mile Store - which as you can guess is dedicated to local products and produce.  We really enjoyed our time away and it was just the break that we needed.  Although the drive was a little far for us I cannot wait to go back hopefully soon.

Happy Wednesday

I am thrilled that we have a three day week (Memorial day on Monday and then we have a friend’s wedding on Friday), which means that it is already the middle of the week! What a week it has been! I wanted to share with you all my favorite pin of the moment.  It came to me from a Design Sponge Before & After post and I am just in heaven.  I love the simplicity of the image – Carrara  marble subway tiles and shower fitting – and the soft light that comes in is just perfection.  This is a truly elegant image and has been giving me great inspiration. I hope it does the same for you!

Design Sponge

BDDW

In my never ending quest to find new suppliers, at the moment I find myself drawn more to those that have a crafted and carefully designed collection than anything else.  Our move to Manhattan has been much anticipated because although I used US suppliers when living in London, it has really allowed me to find those boutique companies that I might not have known about while in the UK.  Enter BDDW - a small American company whose products are respectful not only to the materials they work with but also to the integrity of design in general.  With a relatively small furniture, lighting and rug collection, lead designer Tyler Hays (see interview from Fast Co here) has created pieces that are well made and on trend.  I am also a huge fan of their styling, and cannot wait to visit their stunning showroom here in NYC, enjoy!

All Photos courtesy of BDDW

Inspired By

Nantucket!  My trip last week was my first time in Nantucket and boy was that an interesting experience.  First of all I felt like I was in a movie - everything was so perfect, the architecture was true to the region and each vista seemed to offer something better than the last.  My husband loves boats and being on the water, and the entire time I was there all I could think about is how much he would love it - basically it is an island devoted to the water and all things nautical.  Brands like Ralph Lauren have been a huge part of the build-up from kitsch to chic nautical design with wallpaper and fabrics as well as interiors that just bring one directly to the sea. In recent years however, there has been a step away from the traditional blue and white stripe nautical theme and designers have become more creative in how they define beach or seaside interiors.  It would be great to hear what you think, but I am a huge fan of the idea of nautical with out all the obvious references.  Have a great Monday! 

Susanne Kasler

 

House & Home

Elle Decor

 * Okay, I know the image above screams Nautical with the boat on the ceiling, but I do love the creativity of it, and how without that boat one still has the feeling of coastal living, the boat just adds some interest.

Restoration Hardware

I love this detail where boat sails have been tied together to form wall panels - so creative!

The Iron Fish

Designer Thom Filica is known for his stylish interiors, but I also happen to think that he has a wonderful ability to make nautical look super chic.  Check out a few of his interiors and how he manages to en incorporate things we inherently associate with a nautical theme and make them stylish.

Thom Filica

A Little Update

Hi everyone. I am so sorry that I have been absent from the wonderful world that is Canoe Design.  As I mentioned I was in Nantucket last week for the finishing touches of an installation and was scheduled to fly home on Friday morning. Well, things did not go according to plan and due to some serious fog the airport was shut down (with me inside it I might add) and our flight finally took off after 6 hours of delay.  This was not only not conducive to my weekend plans - keep reading - but it also meant that after three very long days of installing the project I was exhausted, and now stuck in an airport the size of my apartment.  To make matter even worse I only had my iPad with me and who knew that posting from the iPad was going to be so challenging?! Clearly I am not as much of a technology master as I originally thought!! I am therefore so sorry that Furniture Fridays this week did not happen and so stay tuned for next week when we have an amazing post from a truly inspiring blogger (not going to give to much away, you'll have to stay tuned!).

It is Memorial Day weekend in the US and so the hubby, pooch and I decided that it would be a great chance to get out of Manhattan.  We have a busy few months coming up with two more installations at work and a trip planned to London for the Olympics that all we wanted to do was get away and have some time to ourselves before the rush that is our life starts up again. We set out in the rental car later that we wanted on Friday and after an adventurous 11 hour drive (it took us 2 just to get out of the city) we were in Ontario, about an hour north of Toronto. We have been really lucky with the weather and have had two beautiful days here just relaxing, eating, walking and enjoying the quiet.  Lina, our Italian Greyhound, doesn't know what to do with all the space and grass to run and we are enjoying seeing her really stretch out and get to her full speed - FAST!

There are some exciting things on the horizon with posts - this week I'll be publishing a friend from Edinburgh's incredible renovation.  For now enjoy a couple of pics from the weekend and see you tomorrow to start a brand new week.

A x

Steffen Dam

I am currently installing a project in Nantucket (see a couple of tweets here), and I am sure I'm not alone when I say that this is always the best - and most stressful - part of a project. I love seeing everything come together and all the months of hard work and planning finally become a home.  This is also the time when we designers run around finding those last little bits and pieces that are going to accessorize and pull the project together perfectly.  Last week I posted on the incredible Annie Turner, and revisiting her work after a few months reminded me of another artist whose work I truly admire.

Steffen Dam is a glass maker extraordinaire! He was experimenting with this incredible material and different techniques - making bubbles, ash marks, etc. - when he discovered truly beautiful and inspiring shapes being formed within the glass.  As you can see from the images below his work is totally unique and breathtaking.  In being surrounded by all things nautical here in Nantucket my mind was drawn to his pieces (image below) that looks like jellyfish and underwater invertebrates frozen in time. What a beautiful collection these would make, and what a truly unique take on this difficult material Steffen has.  I hope you all enjoy his work and creativity as much as I do.

  

Jonanna Bird

A Château for Two

Oober design power couple Daniel Beauchemin and Marc de Laat has decided to trade their time in Manhattan with a simple château in the countryside not far from Eindhoven in the Netherlands.  You may remember Beauchemin from his days at Drake Design Associates or as the owner of one of NYC's most prestigious framers Chelsea Frames and de Laat's real-estate career has been anything but boring as a segway to photography and graphic design.   These two seem to have had it all figured out, and to be quite honest are a great case study in how I want the next twenty years to go!  

Last month Elle Decor did a feature on their new digs and I was inspired.  The house is stunning first of all - with a real homage back to it's heritage as it was originally built in 1864 for a member of the royal court, there are classical features such as white painted stone exterior, a corner turret with a steep pitched roof, and amazing architectural bones inside.  With an incredible collection of vintage furniture pieces (check out the Wassily chairs below on the left) that they have each been collecting for decades, and their perfectly framed art that flank the walls (see last image of the master bedroom), they have really created an incredible property with one space flowing nicely into the next.  This 500 acre property is a true escape from the concrete jungle that is New York City, however after spending last weekend amongst the greenery of Connecticut I can see the appeal and desire for something different.

All Photos courtesy of Elle Decor, Photographer Eric Piasecki

On a not so side note, I am so thrilled to be over with Sandra at Raincoast Cottage writing for her feature Where We Create.  Sandra and I have met through this wonderful world of social media and she has been a true support and friend for me.  So head over and have a look and be sure to stay a while!

Litchfield County, CT

This weekend we were invited to spend two lovely days in the country. We have friends with a weekend home in Litchfield County Connecticut and so we jumped at the chance to have a little escape from the city.  I have seen many photos of Connecticut houses and the architectural style from the late 1800s, however it was truly amazing walking down these large tree-lined streets to see all these immaculately kept properties in person. As the town has strict historic guidelines, many of the houses are painted the standard white with black shutters - a statement in itself - and helps to contribute to the grandeur of this little town.  There were a couple exceptions to this rule (see the multi-coloured dolls house in image 4 below and the moderist library in image 5).  It really was a lovely time away and we couldn't have asked for better weather!  The trip gave me the itch to travel and explore more of the areas surrounding Manhattan and that you don't have to travel hundreds of miles to find a little peace and quiet.  With Memorial Day coming up we might be too late having not planned anything yet, however perhaps some day-trips are in order? Any suggestions?

Litchfield town is home to the earliest Law School in the United States, and so we just had to take a little walk down and have a peek.  Tapping Reeve House and Law School were home to several notable government leaders and senators and it was really interesting to see the first classroom and stand in a true piece of history. 

Furniture Fridays

Welcome everyone to Furniture Fridays! Today I am so happy to have Ranu from Sunshine Girl here to share her favorite pick with us.  A fellow New York resident and blogger about all things food, design, travel and life, Ranu has a great eye and I am always finding something new and interesting to be inspired by. Thank you so much Ranu for spending some time with us and sharing such a unique piece!

I'm a big fan of furniture and am so glad Anna asked me to be a part of this series. Thanks Anna! Now, onto my furniture pick. First off, as a young professional who's mostly renting and on somewhat of a budget, I find it hard to make big furniture investments since it's difficult to predict what my future home will be like. However, I am also in the process of trying to make smarter, more long-term purchase decisions throughout my life too. 

One thing I know is that if I had a corner that was begging for a chair, I would fill it with this one from Organic Modernism. I love the unique shape and the color of the wood paired with the turquoise cushion. I love that it's made right here in the U.S.A. But mostly, I am totally in love with the gold dipped legs. This chair had me as soon as I discovered it, and I hope to be able to add it to my furniture collection sometime soon.

Chair available through Organic Modernism