IDS West Quick Report

I had a wonderfully good time at IDS West this year.  I brought along a few friends & they made it much more fun.   We spent a good few hours at the Cactus Club Coal Harbour:

{ Alix & Kylie = cutie pies }

I didn't get to see inside the Laneway House because the lineup was ridiculous: 

{ me no likey queues & the prosecco was calling me }

I met a few interesting vendors.  One was Vin de Gard.  I loved the simplicity of their racking systems which allows the wine to really shine. Here are some of the cellars they have been involved with:

{ I love the feature wall at the end of this cellar }

{ the light bouncing off the wall of wine is mesmerizing }

I also met an artist, Shakun Jhangiani.  Her work is linear; however the textural qualities manage to imbue her canvases with a feeling of movement.  See some of my favourites here:  

{ reminiscent of low tide at our cabin}

{ a slightly more tropical feel }

All in all I think IDS West was a success.  I came away with my head a-swirl with plenty of fodder for our new build.

Till next time...

xxo J

IDS West

I'm baaack...

Having taken an unannounced hiatus over the summer, I'm excited to be back at the drawing board, working on our new build.  

This weekend I'll be attending IDS West (the Interior Design Show for western Canada).  I always enjoy seeing familiar exhibitors & discovering exciting new ones.  Plus I am going with some fun girlfriends & we plan to lunch afterwards which (to me, who loves food) is as thrilling as being at the show.

I'm looking forward to seeing the new laneway house that is being auctioned off for charity:

{ I love spaces with history, but I think I could live here among these contemporary clean lines }

I love the idea of living well AND efficiently in a small space.  I don't believe they are mutually exclusive.  This is just over 500 square feet of high end design.  I'd love to plunk it down as a recreational property in Osoyoos or environs & enjoy warm summer desert living in a cool concrete cocoon.

What do you think of the plywood exterior cladding?  Love it or leave it??

IDS West, IDS West, IDS West

Soooo, where to begin? There was a lot to take in. The show was held in the new Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre:

The building itself is impressive & it is apparently as "green" as you can get. There is a 6 acre living roof & the foundations of the building (built over Vancouver Harbour) have a fish habitat built in. I was intrigued by the huge orca which looked as though it had been built out of giant LEGO pieces:

{ created by Douglas Coupland }

ORLING & WU

I met one of the owners of Orling & Wu at the show. Frederik Orling, together with his partner Julie Wu, have brought a little bit of Europe into Gastown. They are featured in the recent editions of Montecristo magazine & Canadian House & Home. This charming shop draws you in & offers a range of quality products from all over the EU. Some of my faves are:

• Mateus ceramics from Portugal by way of Sweden with wonderful rusticated finishes

• Volga linens from England. The Russian linen used is soft & hard wearing = dichotomous perfection:

• Arxe furniture from Spain... limited edition furniture built from antique materials

18 KARAT

18 Karat had a booth with a friendly, accessible vibe AND a super comfy couch designed by Peter Cardew:

This photo doesn't really do it justice but their catalogue (click here), does. 18 Karat catalogues are amazing.

marimekko

Cailin from marimekko as excited about the fabrics as I was. You know you have good product when the reps are as into it as Cailin was!

{ Kotona fabric from marimekko }

As always I love to visit The Cross. Their booth had some very sweet little girl stuff. I've been eyeing baby stuff more often now that I am preggled & nesting.

{ I for one, can't resist a cute pair of shoes & some vintage books }

{ the rustic cradle is adorable & those Bla.Bla dolls are cuddly x10 }

The Cross lounge was fantastic. Uber lounge~y. Timorous Beasties superwide iguana wallpaper was used with punches of royal purple & green. (Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures but check out The Cross's website for photos.) FABULOUS!!

{ Superwide Iguana Timorous Beasties }

{ photo from Timorous Beasties' website }

I met quite a few artists at the show & Jason Rolstone was painting as I walked by. He focuses on bespoke art & his linear style is calming. His media are acrylic, plaster& glazing on canvas but the lacquer is not too too polished or shiny. My two faves from his website are:

{ grey stripe no.1 }

{ teal stripes no.3 }

His studio is in my old stomping grounds of East Vancouver (117 east 2nd) and unsubstantiated rumour has it he may frequent the Biltmore. Anyone who goes to the Biltmore is alright in my books.

All in all a great show with some interesting exhibitors. Who is your favourite?