{Inspirational Spaces} Fashion-Forward Design

 Photography by Virginia Macdonald

Here's something for the fashion lovers. When I first came across jewelery designer Maryam Keyhani's home in Canadian House & Home magazine, I was blown away by how she mixes her love of fashion with an eye for home design. Maryam's space is truly a beautiful work of art. It's simple, elegant and refined. One of my favourite pieces in her Victorian home in Toronto are the hat pendants. How cute are they? In the dining space, I love how she mixed many elements that don't traditionally go together - like concrete (the bench), velvet (the chairs) and mirror (the table). Her shoes, hats and accessories aren't hidden away in wardrobes and closets, but instead, they're beautifully displayed for all to see. Looking at her artwork, you can tell this girl loves her fashion. I thought it was quite cheeky how she draped a dress over art, almost as if it were a 3-dimensional art piece. What is your favourite thing about this space? Do you love it as much as I do?

Sunday {Colour} Inspiration + My Week in Review

Moody colour palettes have their own unique beauty. And did you know that black & white are two of the most emotive visuals in nature? There's something about how these two polar opposites come together. White, often a symbol of purity, brightness and natural innocence combats the dark and authoritative black. I just love how expressive the colours can be without being too audacious. The image on the left is from Elle Decor's March 2012 issue whereas the image on the right was shot by Mikkel Vang for Vogue Living Australia. Which one is your favourite?

This is what I was up to this week:

The perfect Spring DIY that will cost under $50 and take you only 5 minutes! 

I'm currently head-over-heals for Lana Del Ray.

I was under rug swept by Christian Lacroix's tempest rug.

The fine linens from La cerise sur le gateau were just too cute for words (but I managed to say something anyway).

I visited Toronto's Allan Gardens and got some flower power inspiration.

I was inspired by the colour and detail of Tom Antil's Vancouver impressions collection.

~ Happy Sunday!

Flower Power ~ Natural Colour Inspiration From Toronto's Allan Gardens

Photos by Robert Joseph

To celebrate the beginning of Spring, I took a leisurely stroll through Allan Gardens, Toronto's conservatory located in the downtown core. Talk about flower power! Allan Gardens, first established in 1858, has a beautiful display of flowering and tropical plants - including a few palm trees. It's a public botanical garden and features six greenhouses with permanent plant collections (sub-tropical garden, Palm House and cacti) and seasonal plants. My goal was to capture the different colour palettes that can be derived from nature. What made these photos almost magical was how the sun, peaking through the light grey clouds, cascaded through the greenhouse windows and danced on the plants and flowers. These photos are unedited to show the natural beauty of the space. I hope looking at these images makes you feel inspired. Happy Friday!

Design Through The Eyes of Kyle Schunerman

Before I discuss the topic at hand, I must take a moment to talk about the weather. Although the calendar says that it's still winter, outside in Toronto - where I live - the weather is screaming summer. I don't know how the weather has been like where you are, but Toronto has experienced a relatively non-existent winter. Now, in mid-March, we're bathing in temperatures of 19 degrees Celsius (that's 66 degrees Fahrenheit!) Plus this beautiful weather is supposed to continue (or so says the five-day forecast). No complaints here, I'm just mesmerized by the weather we've been experiencing thus far in 2012. One local meteorologist even said, "records are melting [all across Canada] more than a marble cheesecake in the fridge!" 

Now onto the creative stuff. Have you heard of designer Kyle Schunerman? He's a fellow creative gent. If the name sounds familiar, maybe it's because Kyle was featured as one of the Next Wave of Top 20 Designers by House Beautiful. And who doesn't love some fresh new blood? What I like about Kyle's spaces is they all have a different personality. He favors clean designs with sleek curves and playful colours. He's also very marketable. What I mean by that is his design tastes reach a broad audience. He isn't too flamboyant or extravagant -- even though there's no problem with being so -- and his designs are cost-effective which means many people can take advantage of them. Plus he has a new book out on how to design for small spaces, and since I live in an apartment myself, I'm dying to get my hands on it. Some stand-out design pieces for me include: the-vintage-tennis-rackets-turned-mirrors, the brown-and-white cow patterned coffee table and the purple flower vase. What inspiration to you get from Kyle's designs?

Happy Friday!