Tim Lam's fantastic Kitchen transformation

Am still in a post election haze :-( so was nice to have something cheerful to focus on today. The Interior Designer Tim Lam revealed the amazing kitchen transformation he just completed as part of the One Room Challenge. He took a dark, basic builder kitchen and transformed it into an inviting and sophisticated space in 6 short weeks.

See the attached dramatic before and after photos below:

Dark basic builder kitchen

Light, bright inviting space that looks double the size!

My favourite Tim choices:

1. Spraypainting the dark cupboards (colour = Sophistication from Para Paints)
and switching out the hardware = affordable change with big impact

2. Installing a custom streamlined builtin with hidden storage for the microwave

3. The polished nickel wall sconces and floating shelves keeping company with my Big pear print.

Congrats Tim on your  fantastic transformation.

Am very happy to have my art in this beautiful new kitchen.

xo

New Illustration: Modern Office

Interiors are my favourite thing to illustrate.

Am very happy with this new piece. 

Experimented with torn paper and watercolour and not colouring in the entire illo. 

Partially inspired by Ludwig Bemelmans

 and the drawing from the old Clue game.

Love in a Cold Climate in situ

My prints in situ

Three of my prints in a beautiful loft in Toronto.

Love the teak desk and those matching lamps!

All three of these prints are currently available in my shop. 

 

 

Photos from Spain Part 2: Barcelona

Our Hotel: The Hotel Praktik Rambla

Housed in a stunning 19 Century apartment building with modern furnishings.

Perfect combo of old and new.

Can't say enough about it. LOVED IT.

 The floors at Hotel Praktik. Love. #Tiles

The bathroom. Loved the green tiles.

 A fantastic bookstore in El Ravel.

Fantastic lunch at La Central with Luci Guiterrez' book.

 The ceiling at La Sagrada Familia by Gaudi.

 Visit with Luci Guiterrez. :-)

 Ricardo in his fantastic bookstore Abracadabra.

Gaudi's Park Guell.

Unfortunately over run with tourists and selfie sticks!

Behomm: Home exchange for Designers and Visual Artists

I joined Behomm last week. It's an invite only home exchange for Designers and Visual Artists and has some stunning homes on offer.
This is my page.  I'm hoping to do exchanges in Spain, Montreal + Morocco - to start!
One can dream!

Two Salon walls with my prints

 On wall left to right: 1. Small white bouquet  2. Small black bouquet and 3. Marnie

Marnie silkscreen print 40.00 

Available in my shop

Left to right: 1. New DIVE IN print 2. Small white bouquet 3. Small black bouquet

#silkscreen #art #print #salonwall #interiordesign #affordableart #torontoartist

Gorgeous Interiors on Homeland Season 4

I've been absolutely swimming in the gorgeous interiors of Homeland Season 4 this week.
This season is set in Pakistan and it's full of stunning textures and colours.

 
The highlight for me is the US Ambassador's office (above) which has a stunning marble wall, campaign style cabinets, gorgeous lamps + a deep navy rug - all bathed in a golden light.

Love those black campaign style filing cabinets with brass handles.
Home inspiration!

Happy Client with Empty Belly print

A happy client sent me this photo of her newly reno'd kitchen with my framed Empty Belly print.
Isn't her kitchen great?
I love to see these in situ shots - so don't hesitate to send along your own!
ps. You can buy Empty Belly in my shop here.

Thomas O'Brien + AERO

The book (which matches very well with my Kuba cloth I think!)

I'm reading this book right now and loving it.
Aero is both a studio and a shop founded by Thomas O'Brien and Bill Sofield (who went on to design the Soho Grand) It's been located in SOHO in various locations since 1992.

I just adore Thomas O Brien's interior design sense.
I love his warm palette, mix of vintage + modern - his use of elegant things in a very relaxed, non formal way and his layering.

His bedroom! So layered and lived in.

The aesthetic of Aero is a titch refined for my taste so for me the best photos in the book are intimate pics of the various apts Thomas has lived in over the years - such as his bedroom above.

Very juicy. Highly recommended. 

Covet Garden in the House!

Today the gals from Covet Garden along with photographer Jodi Pudge + assistant Ian were chez moi to shoot my space for Covet Garden's upcoming book. I was thrilled to have Jodi shoot my space as I've admired her work for years. Below some pics from a very fun day.

 Setting up

 

Editor Jessica Reid + Jodi assess the situation!

Jessica, Jodi + delicious scones from the Drake - which Jodi declared the best in the city!

Its true ... very flakey.

Jodi,  Jessica + Editor Lynda Felton in background posing in a classic "Serious Editor" pose.

Hi-larious.

Here she is doing it again!

Lynda is one of the funniest people I've ever met - she kept me cracking up the entire day.

 

Jodi shooting me while I shoot her.

Yes... very Meta.

With Jodi's shooting and Jessica + Lynda's styling + input the photos turned out absolutely gorgeous! Alas I can't show them to you until December when the book comes out. Can't wait!

ps. Speaking of... Have you ordered your copy yet?

Dreamy Holiday Get Away

Bonjour! I've just returned from a dreamy holiday away in Montréal.

(American Readers take note!: Montréal is a beautiful historic city in Quebec Canada with gorgeous architecture, great shopping + restaurants. ie. All the charm of Europe without the expense!
Added bonus: I think they have the best bagels in the world.)

Old Montreal looking so cozy + romantic at Christmas time.

One of the biggest reasons for the dreamiest of my trip (in addition to my travelling companion bien sur!) was our hotel! We stayed at the Hotel Gault in Old Montreal and I can't recommend it enough.

Hotel Gault Exterior - I loved this elegant corner door

The Gault is a boutique hotel housed in a former textile headquarters which was built in 1871.
The façade is considered "Second Empire-style" (ie influenced by the buildings of Haussman's Paris) and features vertical pilasters carved into blue-gray limestone.  It's a five storey building with only 30 loft suites making it truly "boutique". The first floor featured a restaurant, cafe and cozy library with a fireplace. The staff were very welcoming and always friendly + helpful.

 
 Hotel Gault Exterior. Tres snowy!
The exterior of the building is in complete contrast to the very contemporary + beautifully designed interiors.

Our Room Night 1

Check out that wall - I never met an 19th century exposed brick wall I didn't like. :-)

Our Room next couple nights

 - featuring: foyer, work area, to-die-for bathroom with mod tub + lux fixtures plus (not seen in photo) - tres comfy King bed,  lots of custom closets and **2 beautiful french windows which opened up to the most dreamy view. **

The rooms were so big- they felt like little loft apartments rather than hotel rooms. SIGH.

(Don't hate me. :-)

Beautiful view from one of the french windows. 

Breakfast at L'Express

Atwater Market

 Dinner at Joe Beef

Very cozy interior with great filled chalkboards.

View from the Bar

Me on Rue des Artistes in Old Montreal

Breakfast at Beautys

92 year old Founder Hymie Sckolnick holding a postcard of himself from 1942 (!)

Closeup of postcard. (Is that not the cutest?)

Place d'Armes + Notre Dame Basilica looking very special + Christmasy

 Close up of Maisonneuve Monument in front of Notre Dame

Noel bread

Other highlights included:
- visit with Louis and Charles 
- le Cartet on Mcgill St
- a visit to Pointe-à-Callière: Montreal's Museum of Archaeology + History (A-mazing)
- very special Christmas dinner with sweet Zab + family
and a visit to Fairmount bagels to stock up on sesame bagels for the drive home.
Num num.

*Au revoir Montreal! Je t'aime.*

A visit to Kim's house

A visit to my friend Kim's house is always inspirational.
She's one of the savviest decorators I know - cuz she knows where to save (she found those great chairs out on the curb on garbage day!) and where to invest - for eg in that fabulous George Nelson light!
She also knows how to mix old + new and high + low with aplomb!

Here is her kitchen with my Empty Belly print framed in white.
(Lovely framing done by Telegramme prints FYI!))
I love how she painted the top + bottom cupboards different colours and added groovy vintage looking glass knobs from home depot! Saavy!

My favourite apt from a movie ever

Meg Ryan's Manhattan apt in Kate + Leopold. SIGH.
Love the messy mix of vintage + modern.
Love the bench by the door, the rounded mirror + very cozy lighting.

I own this movie and every year or so I watch it so I can melt into Meg Ryan's wonderful apt.
It's an amazingly warm space full of a great furniture, rugs, mirrors, and art work.
(Stuart's apt upstairs is also fab with great vintage storage!!)
Watching the movie is the equivalent of wrapping myself up in a warm blankie.
I watched it again last night and it did not fail to inspire.
If you like these kind of interiors I can't recommend it enough.