Fun, whimsical display made from dried tree branch and paper clips to hold favourite photos and treasures...
Idea from Pottery Barn
Dazzling acrylic paintings by Brandy Saturley of Sol Sugar Designs here in Victoria... I showcased some of her colourful, curvaceous pieces from her Toe collection awhile back.
Soft ambient Japanese lights from Kozai Designs in Vancouver on West 6th Avenue.
Designer Toshiyuki Tani has developed a very contemporary line of gorgeous lights utilizing traditional Japanese woodcraft techniques. His Wappa series of pendant and floor lamps employ bent cedar from Akita in northern Japan. The Mocoro table lamp is a cylinder of soft ambient light nestled within a layered globe of turned Japanese hemlock disks. And his newest light, the very delicate Sen, is hand-built from many hundreds of tiny strips of bamboo by traditional bamboo craftsmen in Shizuoka prefecture.
Top: Sen Table Lamp, Kazaguruma (Pinwheel) Pendant/Floor Lamp, Shuriken (Ninja Star), Hanabi (Fireworks), and Mocoro Table Lamp
This is by far one of the most amazing stores I have ever stepped foot in... Fan Tan Gallery located in Victoria's historic Chinatown, just steps away from the famous 5-foot-wide Fan Tan Alley. Bette Patrick and her son Alan are the shopkeepers and maintain a superb home décor store. I don't think I have ever seen a more remarkable merchandise display that changes *weekly* (see a post I did back in February showcasing some fabulous examples).
It is always a treat to stop in for a browse whenever I go for a pitterpatter downtown. And Coal the gorgeous cat is sure to greet you at the door, or at the cash register (sooo darling!).
Nothing exists until or unless it is observed...
Swiftsure Weekend is here!
The 64th annual Swiftsure International Yacht Race starts this morning off the tip of Clover Point in Victoria...
With over 250 boats and up to 140 miles to sail, it is one of North America’s most challenging overnight offshore competitions.
What a sight!!
Awe-inspiring art from local Victoria talent Beth Dunlop...
She specializes in watercolor & pen works and creates a style of her own that is imaginative, ethereal, and gloriously emotive. Inspired by the beauty of nature, the power of love, and the splendour of our being, Beth's creations are truly breathtaking...
The weekend is near, the season is here... time to go treasure hunting!
I love how this vintage hotel lobby key box finds new life as a mailbox system.
From Pottery Barn
Nothing spells summer like a gorgeous, flowy dress and a majestic, handsome horse... two of my favourite things!
Together?... well, why not?
I love these stunning designs from the spring/summer collection of Vancouver clothing company DACE
(from top: Lucky, Rocket, Maisie... names of the clothing pieces not horses!)
I adore these Jenna Rose pillow covers, storage bags and (my personal favourite) ottomans --like the Granville above-- created by talented Canadian designer Jenna Greenberg. Available at Mooncruise Gallery in Vancouver...
Captivating AIGA/DC fundraising clock designed by Canadian artist Marion Bantjes... glorious and whimsical
A couple of darling ducks and a drake... our aquatic, waddling Mallard friends downtown Victoria.
How does it go again? Happy as a duck near water.
Or be like a duck.... Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath (;
Softness, affection, innocence, and love...
Hues of carnation, fuchsia, cherry blossom, magenta, lavender rose, puce, amaranth, cerise.
Oh the beauty and bliss of being tickled pink...
House Beautiful
(top) Style at Home
At Home with Color
House Beautiful 
Steven Miller
Canadian House & Home
Madeline Stuart
At Home with Color
Drake Design
Mrs. Me Bedtime Stories
House Beautiful
Normal Room
Robin Pellisier
Shootfactory
Tom Scheerer
Ghislaine Viñas
Living Etc
Kelley Interior Design
Continentale in Florence
Jane Churchill
Jan Showers
Ikea
Ghislaine Viñas
Artus Hotel
Jeffrey P Elliott
Manuel Canovas
Boligtorvet
Betsey Johnson
Better Homes and Gardens
Home Cheap Home
Living Etc
Country Homes & Interiors
Steven Miller
House Beautiful
Miles Redd
Shootfactory
Ruthie Sommers & Chapman Radcliff
A beautiful round table and awkward, out-of-place rectangular placemats?
This is sooo ingenious and sooo what I need... placemats that are a perfect fit for a round table! No more overlapping standard mats, or having corners hang over the edge. These clever Wedge Placements fit a circular outdoor table perfectly and are completely weatherproof... from Solutions
The unique weaved sculptures of Canadian artist Dawn MacNutt. The formations are interpretations of featureless human figures or large architectonic columns created from natural and non-traditional materials. Her compelling life-size willow, grapevine, seagrass or bronze works (sometimes upwards of 12' tall!) are used for outdoor installations, sculpture gardens, and indoor spaces. I like how the bits of copper glisten out from the interlaced basketry in her works...
I love the captivating beauty of baby blue... and it simply shines in Sheila Bridges' apartment in New York. A spacious, airy and elegant space... the sophisticated blue and the complementary soft green provides a perfectly classy background for her collection of antiques, collectibles, artwork, and favourite quotes.
A marvellous collection of bags designed by Erin Cychmistruk of Erin Cee...
Erin is an incredibly gifted Vancouver artist who works with a multitude of mediums such as textiles, wood & fabric wall panels, illustrations, and mono-prints & intaglio prints (top: Weeds, cloth batik). I find her collection of bags especially appealing (I *love* to collect big, fabulous bags this time of year!!). They are made from cotton and linen, and each bag goes through several processes of waxing, dyeing and silk-screening.... her designs are so whimsical and fun! I absolutely adore...
Bold, bright, and full of whim...
Cool custom wallpaper by Rollout in Vancouver
Forest Paper (so Spring inspired), Assembly Point, Warbabies 2, Kelpy, and Sentence Structure
Oh, I am so charmed by this dinnerware... how gorgeous would this look for a springtime dejeuner? Very chic.
The Green Lotus Leaf Collection from Chintz & Company in Victoria...
Each plate is a delicately ruffled, hand-painted lotus leaf. What a dramatic table effect to stack each guest's place with the largest leaf at the bottom and the smallest at the top. Stunning!
Lauren Marsden is a talented Victoria artist who creates some of the most amazing artistic creations I have ever seen. Her indoor/outdoor carpeting gallery space of Home Sweet Home (above) exhibit blew me away. Her latest artistic endeavour is called Territorial Knittings... she is knitting street sign covers for every street she has lived on in Victoria. The pattern is an exact duplicate of the sign itself... very clever, very creative!
I adore these Cartolina cards created by Fiona Richards (of Dominion Post & Salvage) here in British Columbia. Every one of the cards is a Canadian multicultural collage of recycled paper and eco-conscious inspiration. Ancient patterns and contemporary colours, detailed type-ornaments and old wood block prints... it's a world of texture and an eyeful of sizzling colour. Completely eco-unique and delightfully refreshing!
Live, Laugh, and Love... enjoy Canada's Victoria Day long weekend!
Image from Tropical Houses
Visually beautiful, captivating and enchanting... tis the ever-intriguing fireplace. It adds character, warmth and depth to a space. Not to mention an enduring dramatic presence...
David Netto
(top) Shootfactory
Real Simple
Wish
Amie Weitzman
Jonathan Adler
Living Etc
Home Cheap Home
Nate Berkus
Tom Scheerer
At Home with Color 
Wish 
Apartment Living
I love these eco-pretty designs created by Luce Beaulieu of Posch designs in Montreal. The sweet Handbags are made from recycled bed sheets and pillowcases, and the "I *Heart* Kyoto" silk-screened tees are made from reclaimed old shirts. The Hang Tags are created from 100% post consumer laser paper and vintage wrapping paper. Super charming and *très* eco-trendy!
Oh the noble, ever-useful bungee cord! How I adore thee...
I am hooked on the idea of stretching a bungee cord to create a great place to drape mags, books and newspapers. An inexpensive space-saving DIY... especially perfect for an outdoor space like a makeshift tented canopy. Handy dandy!
Super cool pottery by Victoria artist Faro Annie Sullivan of Dirty Girl Clayworks. I showcased some of her talent in a previous post back in February... her work is currently showing at Studio 16 1/2 in Fan Tan Alley located in Victoria's Chinatown. 
I bought the Namaste vase for my dear mom as a gift for Mother's Day (I have been dying to post this piece for a long time, but of course I had to wait until after Sunday so my mom wouldn't see her special surprise in advance!!). I just love it... I might have to get one for myself!
This whimsical, captivating sofa designed by Judy Hoysak reminds me of Alice in Wonderland (where's the hookah smoking caterpillar?!)...
It's forest enchanting AND it's made from sustainable materials: bamboo plywood frame, reclaimed pine legs, natural latex foam and organic cotton batting. Very eco-cool!
Check out Emma's "green" design week as she blogs about eco-unique and chic products...
I so revere this sterling silver Peace Pendant designed by Jenn at the RedCatRun Studio in Ontario. Peace is the way...
Intriguing works designed by local art students at the Emily Carr Institute 2007 Undergraduate Exhibition...
LACK, Ikea coffee table and plastic bags by Monica Otero
Interchange by Anh Le
Our sacred home our natural and artificial surroundings. The images are of a highway interchange, mirrored and repeated to create an ornate, luxurious pattern connoting wealth and affluence.
One Time Use Only, the plywood BBQ designed by Warren Stagg
The title says it all.
Trash Scans designed by Jill Alison Banting
The silkscreen on paper art piece is an urban interpretation of the Tibetan mandala (the mandala is an object used for visual contemplation on the beauty and perfection of Creation). This collage is created with trash from the everyday... a reflection of our disposable, junk food culture. Spirituality and the pursuit of self-knowledge are replaced by consumerism and self-indulgence. Very symbolic.
I love this container garden idea from Living Etc... the strawberry red is so delicious! Metal planters from Barbed adhere to a vertical magnetic wall (their designs are sensational!) Great small space idea...
The Barton Lamp designed by Kevin McElroy
The modular light fixture and table is inspired by an intravenous medical device... a warm, favourable design is modelled after an otherwise sterile medical apparatus. Light and table can be used seperately or as an ensemble...
Spring flowers in all their vibrance flourish and shine in my garden...
I love this idea... a row of vintage postcards as a snazzy looking backsplash!
Image from Creating Vintage Chic
Visual poetry by Montreal artist Nicolas Baier ...
Digital photographs are reconfigured so that the elements within them render new distorted and mysteriously appealing images. Abstract impressionism... beautifully surreal.
Mom and me on an adventurous outing... oh, how I love thee!
An amazing woman of beauty, faith, strength, and grace... a neverending song in my heart of love, happiness, and being.
How blessed I am to have *you* in my life...
Happy Mother's Day, dearest Mom (and to all the Mom's out there!)
Namasté xo
Happy Mother's Day!
A day to honour Mother... Mother Nature. The magnificence of mountains, the beauty of animals, the serenity of nature...
Thee oh so symbolic Polar Bear art print by Gracia Habey and Louise Jennison (this so resonates with me! Knut, so Kute... could be Kaput! Water wings for polar bears!! Yikes! Mother Nature must weep...)
Honour our beautiful Mother Earth every day...
I love art, and I especially love the variable, powerful impact of art in a setting. One of the most significant ways to make a space unique and personal is by the addition of artwork to the walls. Good art is not what it looks like, but what it does to us; and thus so, art can make or break a space. It is the punctuation mark in a room. And so, what is the affect: a question mark or an exclamation mark...?!
Jeffers Design
Magni Design
M Design
Donghia
Elle Decor, seascape by Marine Hugonnier
Annie Schelchter
Canadian House & Home, photo by Joy von Tiedemann 
Apartment Living, Rob Ostan painting
Canadian House & Home, art by Kim Atlin 
Elle Decor, framed Rolling Stone magazine covers
Home Style, cherry blossom image
Magni Design
Kerry Joyce
Alex Papachristidis 
Canadian House & Home
Woodson & Rummerfield
Elle Decor, wood panels painted by Charles Mary Kubricht
House Beautiful
I think this is one timber terrific idea!
The Stump creation from ReadyMade. Bore out the entire cavity of a (fallen) tree stump to create a cubby for storage and a sawed top for a lid. Voilà! Instant storage, seat and sidetable!
Your dreams are your paints, the world is your canvas...
An inspiring image from Kerry Joyce. I love the idea of putting a large world map on a wall (and bedding) in a child's bedroom. Why not give them a geography lesson, and an important message that dreams can change a world?
I am enamored with these works of art by local artist Miles Eldredge. I love the sincerity and etherealness of his paintings... he uses plants and trees that are native to Vancouver Island, and he evokes a powerful symbolism of heaven on earth : "one can tell a true paradise because its inhabitants usually have no idea that it is there... if they would just look around, they would see the beauty that permeates everything" [Well, that is an exception for this enchanting place called Victoria (aka Mile Zero)... we know its paradise! (; ]
At Dawn No Light Shines
A Red Flowers Blooms Red
Luscious greenery from Kermodi in Vancouver...They have the most bewitching collection of indoor/outdoor plants. I am smitten with the whimsical, sprightly beauty of the Whirly Girl (top)
I am loving this Mama coffee table from Bravura Interiors in Vancouver. I think it's an ingenius design... the middle compartment can serve as storage and the "lid" can be an additional seat, table or tray. I love multi-functional pieces!
Radiant images from renowned photographer Debi Treloar...
Our majestic Great Blue Herons here in James Bay (check out the webcam in Beacon Hill Park)
Images captured by Studio 7 Designs located in my lovely hometown... they are amazing local talent, and provide exceptional design work. Check out their extensive site!
Crazy for corks?
Here are some quirky-cool ideas on how to recycle your towering collection of wine and champagne corks...
Home Cheap Home, art from Andy Warhol's cliffside house in Long Island 
Cork Chalkboard/ Message Board 
Cork Lamp 
Flat cork coasters 
Cork bulletin board 
Cork placecard holders, as seen on eBay 
Corks in plants 
Cork Table, House Beautiful 
Cork-Filled Lamp (or vase), from Wine Enthusiast 
Cork Baseboard 
Cork Art, Modern: Creative Living Spaces 
Cork under lid handle 
Cork Chair, by Gabriel Wiese 
Cork Coaster made with CDs
Corky Roof, The Crafty Wino's Birdhouse
Cork Wall, from Strat'sPlace
I am captivated by Frieke Janssen's digital art...
What an incredibly "power-full" reminder! Lest we forget the colossal amount of energy we consume day in and day out...
I received a lovely email about Lisa Komuro and Ulla Clark's gorgeous Spring designs at LU Prints based in Pemberton, BC. I adore the fun and fresh hand-printed textiles like the Zen Napkins, Owl Tea Towels, Geese Apron, & Leafy Napkins. You can see them at the Portobello West market monthly in Vancouver...
Feast O'Fun or Flunk?
Can you guess the image?
I love close-ups, especially when images are almost unrecognisable... I find myself mesmerized by the GlueGunGlue, Chalkboard and Popcorn pictures by Vicki Prinsen of Prinsen Photography & Designs located in Tachie Village in Northern BC.
Cool pieces of contemporary furniture created by BC designers for Small Medium Large in Vancouver
"I wanted to design a chair which looked like a shrub pruned to look like a chair" - Richard Schultz
Contemporary clawfoot tub...
Details of an Andrée Putman designed bathroom detailed with Bisazza glass mosaic. The tub features white spherical ceramic feet instead of the traditional clawfoot.... lest I say dare to be daring in design. (image a la Interni)
Stunning images from Farmboy Fine Arts located in Vancouver. The team consists of Tim McCool, Todd Towers, and Tim Gudewill who are farm boys born and raised in Red Deer, Alberta, in the heart of the Canadian prairies (hence the name).
The company designs architectual elements and art specific to any space, producing unique and contemporary pieces of work. A fabulously successful urban enterprise with rural roots... a job well done for a few Prairie guys who have stayed true to their origin.
I love the fresh modern look of local fashion designer Raymond of the ever-enchanting Evan & Dean... the look of splashy lemon yellow, cool midnight blue, and ethereal Shamrock green makes for a stunning spring/summer collection. Oh la la!
Radiant spaces from Carr Design Group, based in beautiful Melbourne...
(oh, I learned from my Aussie experience that "pawpaw" means papaya! yummy!)
Happy, Happy Weekend! Enjoy a day al fresco, no matter what the activity! (;
(image a la Pottery Barn)
Time to break out thee ole patio furniture. Why not forgo the conventional wooden Adirondacks, floral umbrellas, and woven aluminium chairs... and dare to be different?
I am really diggin' the cool Garden furniture collection created by 5.5 designers. Plant sweet-scented lilacs, fast growing ivy, radiant rhododendrons, beautiful roses, or classic cedar to personalise your "seating". The possibilites are as endless as your green thumb imagination...
Posie Gets Cozy, patchwork-wallpapered closet door
Lago, "N.O.W” (Not Only White) integrated wardrobe
Real Simple, imprinted sliding panels
Elle Decor, custom-made De Gournay wallpaper embellished with splashes of gold leaf and resin by artist Nancy Lorenz.
The uniquely striped OZ Lampe de Bureau designed by Roman Duclos of Rlos Design. I imagine the cascading light would be gorgeous...
Here's something to do this weekend on the west coast...
View the giant Bird's Nest created by renowned local woodworker and artist Brent Comber from Stanley Park windfall as an art piece at the the Interior Design & Urban Living Expo at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre for this weekend only. It promises to be full of exciting shows and exhibitors, including a lecture by Eames Demetrios (grandson of Charles & Ray Eames and Director of the Eames Office), an outdoor feature on how to live smaller and smarter, as well as a design contest using the "denim" wood devastated by the Mountain Pine Beetle.
Bright and bold. The La Pomme, La Pera Roja, Black Crow, and Raven Spirit acrylic series as part of local Canadian artist Sonja Olson's "Serious Pop" exhibition currently showing at the Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria Gallery on Douglas Street in Victoria, until May 9th.
I simply love this nursery space designed by Kendall Wilkinson...
Even as an adult, I would love to open my eyes first thing in the morning to a luscious view of Paris! Une murale magnifique...
J'adore these gorgeous mirrors in nickel silver from the ever-enchanting Emery et Cie... très beaux! (More of my Emery et Cie favourites can be found here)
Eco-cool stuff from Secco (available in North America at Greenloop)...
Iceflower Ring ~ black rubber ring with pearls in bright colours, made from used car tire inner tube (rubber)
Nice Mice Pot Stand made from hot pot stand, used computer ventilation grill and mouse balls
QWERTY Magnet Word ~ made from used computer, cashier or type-writer keypad buttons
Utensil Holder ~ made from used washing machine drum
It is not only fine feathers that make fine birds... how about a fine home?
A proud little bird and *his* birdhouse, in my James Bay neighbourhood...
Elise ~ available in green or black with cream sash and striped top detail, made with soy/cotton/spandex and knit sash made with hemp
Norah ~ reversible wrap dress
Lori ~ made with hemp/silk/organic cotton blend with bamboo voile
One of my favourite pastimes is admiring the variety of heritage homes here in historic Victoria. The city is rich in history and architectural heritage, and the houses built at the turn of the century and later are all so uniquely beautiful. I love to think that each house has a story...
The very talented University of Victoria Art graduate Andrea Pratt captures this enchantment in her "Stories" series, My Life as a House in acrylic. Simply stunning...
This will be Andrea's contribution to this year's fundraiser for the Federation of Canadian Artists, the Paintings By Numbers show on September 21, 2007. Click here to see last year's art work.
More peacock madness, and butterflies too! I love to adorn plants and windows and lights this time of year in radiant reflections of the season.... j'adore the gorgeous and colourful Hanging Peacock and Hanging Butterfly & Flower collection a la Atelier LZC, available at Mirror Mirror (would make a stunning mobile!)
Stunning and ethereal lamp works from Dutch company de Maria's, designed by photographer Roos Jooren and textile specialist Diana Maria
Rooms, photography and embroidery on fabric
Volvo3 and Maria, photography on fabric
That time of year again! Here are some impressive ideas to quench your insatiable green thumb...
Unique designs for traditional terracotta pots, from Teracrea.
(from top)
Treille is a system of cylindrical vases horizontally aligned and connected by green (camouflage) nylon belts and adjustable metal braces. A stair set can be created made of three containers to hang from the ceiling or from a wall.
Infinito is an assemblage of vases which can be configured in a multitude of circular shapes.
Balconcino is a vase obtained by joining a cylinder and a bowl, allowing greenery to grow from the varying heights.
lines by: davis, wonderful works of textile design by Canadian talent Davis Khounnoraj
Bags and pillows and cards, oh my!...
Plots of greenery are a place of refuge, in a rural or urban setting... I especially love the modern grid layout!
Domino
(top) Downtown Victoria
International Westonbirt Festival of the Gardens in Gloucestershire
Better Homes & Gardens
Marie Claire 
Better Homes & Gardens
Hospes Palau de la Mar in Spain
