Inspiration Gallery #5: Awesome Antiques

Only so much can be said about antique sales and I realize that many of my posts lately (maybe too many?) have been devoted to the Christie show which took place this past weekend: this will be the last for a while, I promise.

That being said, it's hard to deny the "awesome" factor when it comes to pre-loved items: cutesy, kitschy, witty, worldly, quirky, classic, beautiful, elegant, stately, crazy, rare, refined or absolutely-100%-unique, you can find it all.  Items with history speak volumes, and can personalize your space in a way that mass-produced, disposable wares never can.  I tip my hat to all things "built to last" and welcome antiques into my home; I love the life they bring to it.  I find inspiration in the most unique pieces and in the way others integrate antiques into their spaces.

Check out fantastic photos below and let me know: are they hot, or not?  Inspiring or disappointing?  How do you fit antiques into your life and home?

Can you even get over the one-of-a-kind pieces, antiques and modern touches in this room?  I *heart*.
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The rustic nature of this room is deceiving: it's eclectic and chock-full of antiques,
yet the overall feeling is surprisingly modern.
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This room strikes me as being very contemporary, with a distinctive South Beach feel (yes/no?  am I crazy?)
What's terrific is the seamless integration of the antique pieces: there are a ton of them here - the side chairs,
the setteee, the stool to name just a few - but this room is light, bright and very modern.  Applause.
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Yes, please!
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Stop it, right?  I know.  I could easily live in this kitchen: it is exceptionally functional and streamlined where it needs to be, and yet overflowing with personality derived from totally unique and gorgeous antique finds.  What a beauty! via here

Stop it, right?  I know.  I could easily live in this kitchen: it is exceptionally functional and streamlined where it needs to be, and yet overflowing with personality derived from totally unique and gorgeous antique finds.  What a beauty!

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Sleek, sexy and full of historical charm.
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This room is a veritable celebration of antiquity bound together with a beautiful white common thread, yet nothing here feels old or fussy.  I positively swoom over the dining room chairs AND the grandfather clock AND the mantle mirror.
If only I lived in a fabulous chateau where this design would work!
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Generally I have the biggest love-on for white rooms but this just called to me.  Check that wallpaper,
which is not antique but which is absolutely freaking gorgeous, and those chairs?  To die for,
particularly in the varying colorway.  Love.
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Seriously?  I know.  I love this site too.
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This fantastic bed illustrates the perfect marriage between antique and modern: a classic
shape and design has been brought bang-up-to-date with glossy white paint and a fab
swath of new fabric in a contemporary color.  Like all the other classic duos we revere
(peanut butter & jelly; Bonnie & Clyde; Tom & Jerry - yup, I went there)
this is a perfect pairing :)
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The big finish, by none other than homegrown talent Sarah Richardson and
her equally talented brother Theo and his design co. Rich Brilliant Willing for the
2011 Interior Design Show (IDS) in Toronto.  The challenge of this room
is to determine where the antiques end the newly constructed pieces begin, and
that's the beauty of it!  Happy scrutinizing :)
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Post script ~

You may have noticed (is it noticeable? haha) that personally, my favourite look is a mixture of antiques with simple, clean lines and modern base pieces, set against a crisp white backdrop.  And that being said, it's then less of a surprise that my own living room is entirely white and furnished with simple furniture and a veritable stable of streamlined teak pieces.  Shocking.  I would be lying, however, if I said I wasn't more than tempted by those gorgeous colorful rooms.

I wonder what D. would think if I slipcovered our dining room chairs in a full rainbow of shades ... ?


  

Christie Redux

Another terrific Christie weekend come and gone and while I have very little to show for it (details to come) my weekend cohort Alison made out like a bandit by finding a superb harvest-cum-bistro table for her kitchen, which is nothing less than perfection.

The day began a little uncertainly as the promise of full sun with a high of 21 did not materialize (BOOOOO, weatherman!) but once the fog lifted - our biggest concern especially as it pertained to visibility - we were on our way.  At left is a photo of the entrance to the Christie field; can you feel the excitement?  Probably not, but trust me.  It was pretty exciting.

The most terrific and fun element of the show was, as always, the ability to find just about anything you might want (though again, in my case, nothing I needed!).  The range of merchandise was mind-boggling, from the traditional ...

to the charming ...

to the sweet and eclectic ...

to the unexpected ....

to the downright weird ....

I mean, seriously?  Come on

Whatever your taste, style or preference there's always something at the market that's just perfect, but it's too much for one post!  Rather than split up the pictures and spread them out over multiple blogs (which I'm sure would bore you and would wear out the welcome of the show!), I was inspired to create a page dedicated to design and decor events: 'Event-Full!' is my space to put all the details and photos that won't fit here, and give them the spotlight they deserve!  Check it out HERE.


And now that the spring show has closed, we can start looking ahead to the fall: everyone mark your calendars for Saturday, September 10!  As always, obsessive details will follow closer to the date.  Until then, enjoy the new page!


  

Christie Classic Antiques Show is Tomorrow!

via Sense and Simplicity

Tomorrow is the big day!

Be sure to strap some walking shoes on your feet, a sunhat on your head and lather up with sunscreen, then drive yourself out to the Christie Lake Conservation Area for the spring Antique Show and Sale.  Over 300 vendors from across Canada will be in attendance, with a treasure trove of fabulous finds just waiting for you to pick them out!  Directions and show information can be found here.

Unlike in years past when I attended just for the fun of being there, this year I have a small shopping list that I'm excited to scout for.  On my wish list:

• two stylish "catch all" trays: one for the living room (for TV remotes, etc.) and one for the office (to use as an in-box for bills and invitations and whatnot
    
• architectural drawings for the main floor bathroom - one 8x11" portait and one landscape in an irregular size (maybe 8x30" or something of the sort)
    
• one or two little paintings, preferably original, for the dining room shelves
    
• a saucer or decorative plate to live beside the bubble lamp
    
• antiqued mirror panes (I'm not expecting to find this one, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed nonetheless), and
    
• antique fabrics for living room pillows and to sew a privacy curtain for the shed/change room
    
• a unique planter for the kitchen counter - I have a hankering for a white ceramic elephant but barring the ideal find, I'd be happy with any animal shape so long as it's cute!
    
• some tchotchkes with character and panache

I realize that knowing specifically what I want is the death-knell to finding it but I'm choosing to think positively and have no intention of overlooking any fabulous finds due to any singularity of focus.  I'm definitely keeping an open mind; just hoping my wish list will help hone my hunting skills a little bit :)

It promises to be a great day weather- and shopping-wise, and perhaps I'll see some familiar faces there!  Jennifer at Rambling Renovators has also proposed a meet-up throughout the day for fellow bloggers and blog-lovers; details are here.  And for those who can't make it this season, I'll snap plenty of pictures to share with you on Monday.

Have a great weekend, everyone ... I know I will!


  

My Secret Antique Crushes

It's no secret that I am chomping at the bit for Saturday and the Christie Antique show to arrive (which in my opinion is not turning up nearly fast enough!) and as a result have got Antique Fever on the brain.  It is, quite literally, all I can think about, and foremost in my thoughts is the idea of just how much time I will get to spend that day with my secret antique crushes.

We all have them, I hope think: those pieces large or small that suck us in every time and make us wish we had one (or twenty).  The items that we're drawn to time and time again - the ones our eyes find even when we're not looking for them, and our feet make a beeline to before we can develop even one rational thought.  It's not like I seek these pieces out ... I swear to you that they find me.  And, naturally, they beg me to bring them home with me (notwithstanding that I have no real use for them, nor any space to put them!).  I wouldn't classify myself as a "collector" in any way but these, well ... they are at the root of most of my impulse-purchase inclinations, and I suspect that these will be the items that my kids will roll their eyes at and laugh about when it's time to dispense with my estate and sell off, give away or otherwise re-home a few dozen of each.
 
Like I said, we all have them, right?


Here are a few of mine (just in case you'd like to stage an intervention or do some shopping in my future storage room!):

Barrister's Bookcases

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Singer Sewing Machines



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Church Pews

(yes, seriously)

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Teak Credenzas

(the old saying is true ... you CAN have too many of these)

  

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Books of Any Kind

(old that is ... not generally valuable)



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So there you have it: an excellent sampling of the antiques I'm crushing on.  I'm not ashamed to admit I scout the online sale sites for antiques like pre-teen girls used to eat up a Teen Beat magazine: taking in every detail - every eyelash wood knot and smile line dust cover - with my heart thumping in my chest from excitement.  And if year's passed are any indication, the 29th will feel like I'm 13 years old again at a New Kids on the Block concert:

Bring on the cute boys antiques!    

The Flavours of Summer

After a very long Long Weekend which was good and fun, but oh-so-busy, I admit I was struggling to find inspiration for my blog posting today.  I spent much of the day casting around for something - anything - that sparked my interest and fed my design eye only to find nothing.  Zip.  Zero.  Nada.  Bupkiss.

UNTIL, that is, I sat down tonight to watch Iron Chef America with J.  It's an epic battle this evening with halibut as the main ingredient and as always, I'm amazed at the ingenuity and sheer beauty of the finished dishes.

It also occurs to me how closely the processes of building a dish and building a room align.  In both cases you begin with a neutral foundation, into which you layer detail and complexity which not only build on and support the base but also compliment each other.  The finishing touches are the small accents that provide a kick - to the eye or to the tastebud - that pulls the entire look together.  A great dish, like a great room, engages and stimulates all of your senses and on that basis alone is a natural fit for a design blog.

So in honor of the season and to celebrate the commencement of our few months of farmer's markets, garden veggies, beautiful Ontario produce and earth-to-table eating, here are some absolutely stunning, gorgeous and most importantly, mouth-watering, dishes for your enjoyment!

sweet corn salsa with red pepper jalapeno and lime via here

yellow cherry tomato salad via here

frank restaurant's rhubarb-ginger turnover via here

grilled asparagus and red onion pizza via here

chicken pasta salad with peas via here

ontario peach fritters via here

hodge podge via here

(not technically "produce" but I couldn't resist) homegrown ontario ultimate meatloaf via here

red pepper and caper bruscetta via here

corn and red pepper chowder via here

tortellini soup with balsamic caramelized onions and mushroom via here

spring fruit tart via here

fruit spring rolls via here

gordon hamersley's beet, goat cheese and walnut tart via here

visit your local farmer's market today!  photo via here

Fun at the Farmer's Market

Gorgeous day yesterday at the farmer's market, and not nearly enough time to wander amongst the stalls and take in all the sights and smells.  As mentioned in my last post, we were also preparing for a campus tour with my younger brother on Saturday afternoon, so our time to tour the marketplace was limited.  I did manage to chat up quite a few of the vendors and got some great photos of the merchandise before we had to go, and I'm looking forward to spending some good quality time there over the summer :)

Beautiful herbs from Hutchinson Farm

Pretty and unique bird houses & feeders from Seasonal Creations

Gorgeous produce - I mean really spectacular - via Teresa's Garden Centre & Farm

12176 Derry Road, Milton



T'is the season for tasty stacks of rhubarb & asparagus from Thames River Melons

I was tempted by (but resisted ... today!) these cupcakes from Hillary's Cupcakes

Lovely local artist Ann Kornuta painting outside the Dorland-Haight Gallery

Pure, organic honey-based products from The Bee & Me

An assortment of mouth-watering produce

the Farmer's Market

And THIS is the random herb that Chloe stepped in while I was trying to take a photo of the wares from Hutchinson Farm (note to self: holding the dog while trying to take photos does NOT work).  We purchased the one she most badly damaged & brought him home to live on our window sill.  I don't even know what he type of herb he actually is, but I'm thinking of naming him Rupert.

Before: the "artistic" shot

Rupert: the CLOSE-UP

The "After" shot: Isn't he cute?  Hopefully he tastes as good as he looks

As well, for any Miltonians (or Milton visitors) interested in hitting a great sale and supporting an even better cause, the Milton District Hospital Auxiliary is hosting a Rummage and Plant Sale this coming weekend at the Milton Fairgrounds on Robert Street.  Here are the details:

May 27 & 28

5:30-8pm (Friday) & 8am-1pm (Saturday)

Drop off DONATIONS: Friday, May 27, 10am-8pm

FREE PARKING

All proceeds go to Milton District Hospital and the plant portion of the sale promises to be exceptional: all the plants that didn't sell at last week's annual Horticultural Sale will be there, and the stock is rumored to be excellent.  I myself will be at the Christie Antique Show in Dundas, Ontario and won't be able to attend, but if you go, please share feedback and/or photos if you snap them!  Happy shopping!