When Isaac Newton suggested that to every action, there is a reaction, he wasn’t talking about home fashion trends. But he could have been. It’s a theory that would explain the resurgence of metals in home appliances, décor and textiles after years in which a cool, monochromatic colour palette and a minimalist approach to room accessories dominated the scene. (more…)
Debbie Travis has just added affordable modular furniture to her line at Canadian Tire. Homeowners can customize unitd to suit a room’s function and their own storage needs. Pieces comes in a maple-coloured laminate finish, which can be painted to match any of the four “moods” into which Travis divides her collection. www.canadiantire.ca.
The new line of LED (light-emitting diode) fixtures from
Sylvania combines great design and energy efficiency. LED lighting emits a clear blue-toned white light, is cool to the touch, shock resistant and is made without mercury or other toxic gases. LED lights are also long-lasting—the manufacturer claims that LEDs last up to 20,000 hours, compared to about 1,000 hours for regular incandescent bulbs and 10,000 hours for compact fluorescent bulbs. www.sylvania.com.
Designer Barbara Barry’s new line of ceramics might make you hope that a snow day comes sooner rather than later, just so you have a reason to relax on the couch and sip tea from a “Musical Chairs” teacup, part of a whimsical tea set that Barry has designed for the venerable china manufacturer Wedgwood, which has been making fine ceramics for the last 250 years. www.barabarbarryco.com
Designers Lorne and Tracey Kadish have come up
with a gift/décor idea that they think will brighten any dull corner. The Brilliant Gift is a glass block lit from within and decorated with crystals, pendants, metallic stars and ribbons.
Available in shades of metallic, blue, plum and green, and in single eight-inch block or a set of six, eight and twelve-inch blocks. www.thebrilliantgift.com.
One fun and affordable way to add individuality to home décor and design is to incorporate poetry, inspirational words or literary quotations to walls or other household items such as lamps, vases and picture frames. Wall Talk makes the process simple, with pre-cut, pre-spaced lettering that can be pressed onto the wall or other surfaces. The quotations come in a variety of fonts and sizes, and are available in matte black or low-sheen pewter. www.walltalk.ca
Finally, a product that eliminates the time-consuming task of cleaning exterior windows. Pilkington Activ self-cleaning glass works by using ultra-violet rays from natural light to break down dirt that accumulates on the surface. Clever technology comes with a price—expect to pay about 20 per cent more for Activ glass than conventional windows. For more information and a list of dealers, go to www.pilkington.ca.
The Pause bed takes the weekend ritual of lounging in bed to a new level. The Pause bed includes side tables that conceal a universal iPod dock, which is connected to a Bose speaker system housed in one of five locations on the bed. The Pause bed is not yet available through retail outlets in Canada, but can be ordered online through the website at www.designmobel.co.nz. Prices for a queen-size bed start at about $3500. (more…)
No more drawers stuffed with bulky containers and orphaned lids with Rubbermaid’s new Collapsible containers. They have pleated sides that fold to a height of just one inch, making it easy to stack several in one spot and matching stackable lids. Prices range from $5 to $10 per container. Widely available at hardware and home improvement centres. For more information, go to www.rubbermaid.com. (more…)
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