find - colour in the gloom

February in a city like Toronto is pretty depressing and drab, this is why whenever I see colour during the gloomy months, it makes me happy.  This weekend was special as I was able to capture some really fun displays of colour despite the somber mood of February.

Pink chameleon in the window display of Aritzia at the Queen Street location.

Honest Eds at the intersection of Bloor and Bathurst (the Annex). The sun had just set and the light was still lingering behind the clouds.  

I purchased new colouring pencils, laid them out and behold a rainbow!

Let the doodles begin! I haven't drawn in ages and I really miss it.

find - one big dining light

I honestly can't say that I prefer minimalism over maximalism, or vice versa.  If a space is well designed and looks right, whether it's simple or ornate, it's just good design.  One thing I can say though, is that the pieces one chooses for any space design are important. 

I like the idea of a strong focal point and what better way to do this than with something fun and grand, like using one large light pendant above a small dining table.  Please see images below :)

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visit - bobbette and belle

Still feeling a bit nostalgic for my romanticized ideas about France, as this years Valentines Day brought back memories of last years Paris trip, today, I suddenly longed to eat a cupcake.  I was in the Toronto Leslieville (Queen Street East area) and decided to pop into Bobbette and Belle, an artisinal pastry shop that is very well known for its exquisitely decorated cakes.  The cake designs made by Bobbette and Belle are intricate, feminine and delicate. Likewise, the shop aesthetic mirrors the pretty cakes found there. The shop is white and airy and mixes somewhat industrial distressed looking furniture with French country and baroque design elements.  It sharply reminds me of Sofia Coppola's film: Marie Antoinette.  Below are some photos of this very pretty space!

all done!

the cupcake of course  :)

find - a parisian valentine

Last spring, my sister and I visited the most romantic city in the world; Paris (sigh*) Although the people were not all that sweet, the architecture, gardens, palaces, metro, boulevards, unique districts, artisan shops, cafe/bistro life, culture, language and baguettes were amazing! I became adamant on discovering the city by foot, and my beloved sister and I walked around the city for days, both of us had never walked around a city that much. My sense of direction decided to leave me on that trip, but luckily she was the most perfect guide (having visited Paris before). I was amazed at the uniformity of the architecture, and how large the city actually is. Although, in the day, Paris is quite busy, towards the evening, Paris chills out, as groups of youth, friends and couples picnic by the the Seine (always with a bottle of wine). Paris with it's black roofs, impressive white-stone medieval, baroque and neo-classical architecture, desserts displayed in windows, and pretty ladies wearing heels on cobblestone streets you are full of an elegant attitude! This valentines, my mind and heart drift to the romantic streets of Paris, and the light and dusty images below paint a perfect picture of my nostalgia for the city of love.

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find - althaus restaurant

PB Studio (an architecture and design firm based in Sopot, Poland) recently collaborated with Filip Kozarski to create the stunning Althaus Restaurant, located in Gdynia (Poland).

Just looking at the clean and comfortable design of this restaurant makes me want to go there, sit-down and order a traditional Bavarian schnitzel, with some potato dumplings, sauerkraut and a beer. The open concept of this two-floor level restaurant merges a traditional style (that reflects the Bavarian cuisine served there) with modern/industrial design elements seamlessly. Beer is a staple drink in the Bavarian tradition.  It is no wonder then, that the colours of this restaurant (the copper, bottle green and amber woods) are reminiscent of beer production and packaging.

Everything in this space, from the seamless transitions of materials of the different spaces, to the design of the menu and logo seem and look so well thought-out, designed and planned.

I know it's a lot of photos, but this is just a glimpse.... enjoy :) 

For more information click here: PB Studio.  Images by Tomirri photography, courtesy of BP Studio.
For restaurant menu and website: ALTHAUS
source via: yellowsource

find - neon grunge

As a kid, my favorite colours were neon. I even carried pieces of neon wax crayons in my pocket (I loved to colour and draw). Yes, I experienced childhood in the 80s but if you think about neon colours, they are truly interesting because they are highly unnatural, full of energy and yet strangely attractive. The spaces in the images below use a grungy/industrial design aesthetic and pair this style brilliantly with pops of neon. The neon colours add immediate edge, funk and a playful energy into the space.

Chooks (above), a restaurant specializing in chicken located in Muswell Hill, London (England) by a London based interior design company called Central Design Studio.  Photograph by James Balston.

Wanderlust (above), an industrial-glam style boutique hotel located in Little India, Singapore.  Designed by award winning Singapore based design agencies: Asylum, :phunk Studio, DP Architects and fFurious. Even the various rooms come in a neon-rainbow array of colours. Click here for more info.

Chi Chi (above), an Asian restaurant and bar in the southwestern suburbs of Sydney (Australia), designed by designer Matt Woods.  Known for his colourful style, Matt Woods designed a number of restaurants in Australia.  Chi Chi mixes industrial design elements, light-coloured woods, soft pinks and yellows and pops of neon...I love it!  Photograph by Sam Ali.

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make - boutonniere

So I know it's not peak wedding season, but a lot of my friends are getting married this summer and I thought I'd share a pretty wedding diy any crafty bride or groom can make. As mentioned before, in the cake topper post, last year, I participated and made a ton of stuff for my lovely sisters wedding.

My sister got married in late summer, however, one of the things I made early were the boutonniere's. Yes :)  It was possible to make the boutonniere's early because I used dry wheat and faux flowers. If you google search: unique bouquets and boutonniere's, many brides and grooms don't even use real flowers.  I have seen these made out of buttons, feathers, felt or burlap fabric, twigs, brooches and more. So that means there are no rules, and that's good because you can save a lot of money.

For this project I used:

• cut wheat
• fuzzy faux dandelion type flower
• round yellow flower
• raffia
• decorative ribbon
• leftover green leaves from other faux flowers

It's imperative you know the theme and colour scheme of the wedding when getting started. The colours I used were yellow and beige (wheat).  What I did with this set of boutonniere's is I prepared and cut all my materials first. I then grouped the flowers and wheat together and tied them together with raffia. Tying the boutonniere takes patience as all the elements have to be grouped carefully and then all the following boutonnieres have to be done in the same way, so if yo don't get it at first, it's okay. Keep trying :)  I wrapped the raffia around the stems of the grouped flowers and to finish off, I tied a small decorative ribbon around the finished piece.

This can be a creative little project because you can use a variety of materials....go ahead and have fun with it!  We did!

Photograph by Shannon McCaskey

find - little nuffield cafe

A few months ago, while browsing the internet, I stumbled upon a cheerful cafe design, located in Auckland, New Zealand, that I just had to share. Using a modest budget of $30,000 (that's including equipment) the designers created a space that is colourful, creative and fun. To me, it is no wonder that this little space won silver in New Zealand's Best Spacial Design in the category of Hospitality.

This cafe/lunchbox shop looks like a crafter's haven, from the yard wrapped letters, pretty chalk boards to the geometric wooden shelves, everything looks so neatly handmade. In addition, I suppose I think this cafe is so playful and fun because the entire colour scheme, square and hexagonal shape of the tiles remind me of something all us 80s babies know....give up?  PAC-MAN! I would love to get my morning coffee or lunch sandwich from a place that rocks like this one!

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