A Good Reason to stay in bed… Rubie Green Bedding

It was lovely to wake up early this morning and enjoy a cup of tea in the spring sunshine. It would have been harder if I had been in the lovely new bedding from Rubie Green. Michelle Adams started Rubie Green with the premise of creating eco-friendly textiles with classic prints and patterns. The result – simply beautiful.

The new bedding is available in (l to r) Tillinghast, Habibi, Classis and East Village. The East Village is so pretty and modern all at once – very feminine, with a bit of an edge. Unfortunately I don’t know if Andrew would go for pink. Luckily, I’m really loving the Habibi too!

I love the caption for the Habibi – so cute!

‘It’s the balance of the room that falls off kilter when he’s gone, and the way it instantly rights itself when his keys jingle the lock. It’s butterflies that still haven’t ceased in taking flight, and the way he seems to know exactly what’s on your mind. After all, he is your beloved; he is your habibi.’

Settle into a good book and lovely linens – sounds perfect!

For more information on Rubie Green click here – and be sure to check out Michelle’s fantastic blog – M.A. Belle 🙂

{All photos from Rubie Green and Aphrochic via Flickr}

Javier…

Javier had been bugging us all week to take some nice new photos of him. He kept posing around the apartment, so finally we caved. He was too adorable (obviously I’m very biased), so I had to share!

Enjoy!

We’re serious about raw hide.

Fabulous spaces – Jessie Randall

While feeling rather Domino deprived, I’ve been wanting to go back to some of  my very favourite Domino moments. Hands down, one of my most favourite ones was the lovely Brooklyn home of  designing duo Jessie Randall and Brian Murphy of Loeffler Randall. Having seen their amazing shoes and bag, it’s no surprise that their savvy style would translate into their home.

I love the bright white moulding and accents, and neutral colour scheme. The gorgeous, gilded wallpaper provides peachy pop of colour and a little bit a glamour. The ‘ For Like Ever’  poster sold out shortly after the 2006 article in Domino – get the look at one of my favourite Etsy stores, Made By Girl (while you’re there check out her other amazing prints), or get the original by Village here.

‘Deeply Madly in Love’ by Made By Girl

The desk is of course, West Elm’s Parson Desk, it’s clean, understated profile makes it blend perfectly into any space. The beautiful accessories make it more personal and prevent it from ever looking generic. I love the glass dome and the lovely bud vases filled with full blossoms.

I love these little Glass Domed Birds from Pier 1 – at only 5 inches tall they would be perfect on a desk (mentally adding it to my wish list…)

The cork lamp base provides a perfect venue for a small rotating display of beautiful, sentimental items –  be it photo booth strips or a beautiful brooch, as seen here, or whatever you like… Make your own cork based lamp with these simple steps by Kate via Design Sponge.

I love the pop of colour from the green Overlapping Squares Chairs from West Elm. I love the gallery wall in the dining room, it give it such a personal, lived-in feeling. Plus, life’s too short – why limit yourself to just one piece of art per space! It’s a perfect place to display personal photos and smaller pieces of art. For Jessie’s very personal touch of a paper sillouette (of yourself, a loved one or a pet), have your own made here.

Love Jessie’s style? Want to copy it in your space, or think you already have? Take some pictures of your space and enter at Elements of Style for a chance to win a copy of the Domino Book of Decorating.

{All photos from Domino September 2006}

A lovely Sunday in Spring…

Hope you enjoyed your weekend and maybe even had a chance to go for a long walk…

The style and colour scheme of this outfit translates perfectly to Jessie Randall’s living room.

{Photo: J Crew}

Room of the Week

There are so many beautiful things going on in this room by Sara Gilbane. I love her choice of colour on the walls and lovely yellow contrasting moulding, which tie in perfectly with the ottoman. The lovely mix of patterned cushions against beautiful, classic white upholstered pieces. The banana tree. The lantern chandelier. And, of course, the zebra rug!

The room stays true to Sara’s classic/modern blend with a fun touch of ethno flair!
Love it!

Just lovely…

Some lovely images by Tim Evan Cook.  A beautiful way to start the day.

If you live in Toronto and have thoughts of taking ballet lessons again, or for the first time, check out Canada’s National Ballet School’s adult classes. I’d love to start in September!

What might have been…

Mock-up of the proposed cover for April 2009

After a month without receiving my favourite magazine in the post, I was excited to see the proposed cover of Domino for April 2009 at Style Court. It features up and coming designer Sara Gilbane. Sara has an uncanny knack for combining antiques with personal treasures for a look that’s both traditional and completely fresh.

Sara’s extraordinary style and portfolio should come as now surprise, having worked for five years with acclaimed design firm Kemble Interiors. Unafraid of colour, she fearlessly combines colours and patterns to create spaces that are exquisite, yet very liveable.

With my own Zimbabwean upbringing, it’s no surprise I love British colonial style and antiques. The beautiful leather chair (below, left) reminds me of a traditional campaign chair used on expeditions and safaris. I love it’s traditional style juxtaposed with the bright blue writing desk.

The bedroom (below, right) is just too pretty – I love the florals mixed in the bright, fresh space.

There are far too many gorgeous images to include from Sara’s portfolio which you can find at her site. Be sure to check it out, no doubt we’ll be seeing much more of her savvy style.

Valentino: The Last Emperor

Valentino – his are some of the most beautiful creations to grace the human form. You can hardly call them dresses or clothing – they truly are works of art. If I could own one couture gown it would be a Valentino!

Valentino: The Last Emperor focuses on Valentino during the last two years of his career. It goes behind the scenes at the creation of his beautiful hand-made gowns. I think that much of what makes his dresses so special is his special ability to bring together inspired creativity with a strong understanding of the female form, in all the shapes it takes.

“For me, one of the most important things is proportion,” he says. “I look very carefully [at] all the detail of the human body of the woman.”

Valentino

Click here to view a video of Valentino at work at on Oprah.com

He really pays attention to the personality of the person he is designing for and their unique form, which is why his looks are also such a perfect fit.

Kate Hudson is the Queen of Boho Chic in this.

This gorgeous gown is a perfect fit for Halle Berry’s curves.

The film also delves into Valentino’s personal life – beyond the glamourous parties and shows, you see his relationship with his partner in life/love/business of 45 years Giancarlo Giammetti.  On Valentino, he says:”To be with Valentino as a friend, as a lover, as an employee is a bit insane. You need a lot of patience.” But it looks like they both enjoy the beautiful things in life from their boat to their homes, parties and not to forget, their five pugs.

Click here to watch the preview.

Suzanne Dimma – House Tour

Entrance

I have been following Suzanne Dimma’s work through Wish magazine for some time now and, although I’m still disappointed with the folding of Wish at the beginning of this year, I am so excited that she is the new Senior Design Editor for Canadian House and Home magazine.

Suzanne has such a fun, eclectic sense of style with a fresh and very modern. Her spaces are a creative blend of old and new and often reflect her love of travel. Throughout her home, Suzanne displays treasures from her frequent trips to Paris every summer as well as far-flung places such as Bali and Istanbul.

Salon Style Art

Photo above: househunting.ca

She has a knack for mixing patterns and fabrics as evidenced by her kilim rugs and suzanis. She has amassed an impressive art collection which is displayed throughout the home including an impressive gallery wall in the main lounge. A favourite source of hers is the Galerie Martine Namy-Caulier in Paris.

Kitchen

Her home with fiance, architect Arriz Hassam is a fantastic blend of their two styles – his, more modern and minimalistic, and hers, a rich blend of fabrics and accessories. The result is a chic, modern space that clearly displays their personalities.

{Except where marked, all photos from Wish Magazine, October ’08}

Happy Monday!

After a weekend in bed, feeling decidedly under the weather, I’m up and ready for a fresh start today. What did you get up to this weekend?