Collections

I love collecting things. Boxes, furniture, accessories, and a great deal of these I get from traveling. I love organizing and 'curating' my collection, filling it with interesting objets and arranging them to keep things exciting. I'll forgo the little Trevi Fountain model or the double-decker bus-shaped teapot, and instead wander around on Via Condotti or Portobello Road for beautiful things that I can see and reflect upon.

I love grouping like colors together. Above, a Peruvian vase, Argentinean silver box, and little bronze horse bust sit on a colorful tray from Lima.

And here, a trio of Harvard Classics rest on a silver tray from Paris, topped by an interesting marble bookend from Rome.

Dishes and tableware are two of my favorite things to collect. Glasses from Paris are the best, so interesting and elaborate yet simple at the same time. Linens from France are also a failsafe, and they tend to get softer every time they're washed. The plates are from Italy, and the bone-handled knife is from Argentina, where they eat a lot of steak.

The red box from Mexico is made out of a beautiful, scented wood, and the horn cup and egg are from Argentina. They look lovely with a watercolor behind them, which I picked up at a local market in Peru.

An ashtray from Cusco is topped with an antique comedy book and an inlaid turtle from Mexico that I bargained for (from $30 to five). You can get anything for any price in countries like Mexico or anywhere in South America... even some places in Europe!

I love Venetian masks, and this handmade one came straight from where it all started. Another one of those scented boxes! From boxes to crystal to antiques, you can get what you want when traveling, you just have to look for it.

... of the Month

A new feature on my blog, ... of the month will showcase great places, stores, restaurants, etc. every month. This month, it's Toronto store L'Atelier, which is always full of unusual furniture and objets d'art at fair prices.

I'm not even in the store and already I want everything! The bedside tables, the lacquer boxes, the lamp; my mouth is starting to water.

As soon as I walk in, I see this great Muranoesque chandelier in purple blown glass. Statement lighting? I think so.

I love these mercury glass chalices, but I wish there was a size in between the large and the small.

This phrenetic bust reminds me of the movie My Fair Lady, which starred Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. Professor Henry Higgins had a few of these in his two-story library in the musical remake of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion.

I loved these framed starfish hung above a simple water feature. They remind me of one I have in my bedroom in our house in Southampton

As you've probably surmised from my blogging record, I'm a big fan of vignettes, and L'Atelier has some of the best.

A burlap light fixture is very Parisian...
... and I loved this whimsical butterfly watercolor.

I thought these bells would be fun to hang on the side of our house in Southampton. You could ring them at dinner time to call everyone to the table.

L'Atelier:

1224 Yonge Street, Toronto

(416) 966-0200

Master Bedroom

A master bedroom should command attention, but still be inviting after a long day. That's exactly what we were thinking when we bought these great chairs covered in a knockout chinoiserie fabric; comfortable, stylish. However, the space was a bit bland. I'd envisioned a table between the chairs, something more substantial on the mantel...

... and throw pillows that would go with the chair fabric and the ottoman.

I started realizing this spaces full potential by cleaning off the bookshelves (housed by chicken wire, which I don't really care for) and replacing books and accessories stylishly.

The mantel was next. Old black and white photos in black frames are the ultimate (and affordable) art failsafe. I layered in a newly purchased mercury glass ball and a faux-bois vase. I added a few little things like an old baby's shoe and an Asprey clock.

Finally I have a table! Somewhere to put my book, some flowers, and a glass of wine. I also found these interesting round pillows, and they totally match the fabric.

A tray on an ottoman always works well, just be sure to use contrasting colors! It's a great place for magazines, a candle, and maybe a piece of art.

Et voila! The finished product. Everything I'd want in a reading space: comfortable chairs, a little table, a fire, and a place to put my feet up.

Restoration

I bought this box three years ago on Portobello Road in London, for close to $20. I was walking by it the other day when I thought: you know what? This box really isn't great.

The inside was dull orange paper, and there was a brass crest with bits of brass peeling off!

So, I rushed to my closet, and pulled out some pretty, inexpensive papers I'd bought last year at an art shop in Toronto. I originally was going to use these papers to wrap things, but they don't hold tape very well. These are only four styles, but I have about a million.

I settled on this happy paper, with blue, purple, and green circles.
I used a paper cutter, ruler, and glue stick...
To transform this box into:

Nothing like a pretty place to keep random odds and ends. I also spray-painted the crest black, and dabbed the paint off so that some gold shines through.