Canadian Quest II

We're looking forward to our trip to Toronto this week. As we said earlier, we've been asked to speak at their Interior Design Show and we're eager to check out the different exhibitors at this year's show. We got a sneak peek of what to expect and have listed a few things here that we're excited to see in person. We'll be sure and keep you posted on what's new. In the meantime, check out some of our favorite picks below:

-JK Studio (Image 1): Primarily working in wood and building interior furnishings, the studio's focus is on producing work that is unique, thoughtful, and innovative while respecting tradition. We love these hanging light fixtures.

-Heidi Earnshaw Design (Image 2): This studio based practice specializes in the design and production of handcrafted, solid wood furniture, functional objects and fully fitted spaces. Through individual client commissions and an expanding collection, they strive to create unique and carefully detailed pieces that are durable, timeless and responsibly made. We especially like this console that looks like a distant cousin of something designed by Pierre Chareau.

-Shawn Place Designs (Image 3): This is a small furniture company located in northern British Columbia and is headed by designer/craftsman Shawn Place. The company produces beautifully designed, handcrafted modern furniture of the highest quality. Every piece of furniture is hand-built by Shawn Place, from the shaping of the timber to the weaving of the seat, something almost unheard of in this age of mass production. The Owl Chair you see here is definitely a favorite and feels modern yet familiar at the same time.

-Felt Studio (Image 4): Led by Kathryn Walter, this studio is a laboratory that explores the material and culture of modern industrial felt. Influenced by her background in sculpture, Walter has created a body of work ranging from intimate artworks to large-scale installations. We're crazy about the geometric pattern above and can't wait to see some of her work in person.

-Ateliers des Cent-ans (Image 5): Renaud Sauve, formerly a prop designer/manager with Cirque du Soleil has left his days under the big tent behind and now creates his own line of porcelain ware. Beautiful forms with subtle detailing make this collection a real stand out. We certainly hope we can come back to the states with a few of his pieces tucked in our luggage.

If you find yourself at IDS next weekend, please stop by the main stage Saturday afternoon to hear us talk with Melanie Morassutti about Design Authenticity: Understanding your decorative roots.

Canadian Quest.

The Interior Design Show is Canada's version of ICFF and it's the country's largest contemporary design fair. Since the doors first opened in 1999, IDS has been visited by over 500,000 design professionals and served as an industry hub for thousands of design-forward businesses. So we were thrilled when they asked us to be a keynote speaker at this year's show in January. This is our first trip to Toronto so we asked Shauna Levy, Vice President of MMPI Canada and the director for IDS to give us a few tips on what we should see and do while we're there. She must know us pretty well, because we can't wait to check out all of her suggestions:

-Art Gallery of Toronto (Image 1): Founded in 1900 by a group of private citizens, this is one of the largest art museums in North America, with a physical facility of 583,000 square feet. The AGO recently underwent a facelift under the design direction of Frank Gehry and the new look includes an iconic spiral staircase, a titanium and glass south wing and a new glass and wood facade.

-Corus Quay (Image 2): We'd definitely like to check out the lobby of the new Toronto headquarters for Corus Entertainment. Outfitted by Quadrangle Architects Ltd. the building features open floorplates, raw ceilings, exposed ducts and cabling and also showcases a twirling slide that runs the length of the building. Looks pretty cool...

-Domison (Image 3): We're always looking for cool furniture showrooms and this definitely looks like one we need to investigate. Minimalist and contemporary in its aesthetic, Domison was opened by brother and sister design team, Thien and My Ta Trung. They not only present locally made furniture, but promote local art and design through a selection of artistic books and designer accessories. (Better bring our checkbook...)

-Avenue Road (Image 4): We're also eager to visit this showroom designed by Yabu Pushelberg. Established as a showcase for seductive, sophisticated furniture, AR is one of Canada's premier venues for classic and contemporary furniture designs. With a showroom of rotating innovative designers, they're currently housing eco-friendly furnishings which we're excited to see.

-Commute Home (Image 5): We also want to run by this shop, which has been described as a mini-museum housing beautiful sought-after pieces from beds to bar stools to vintage and one-of-kind furnishings. This looks like a good resource!

-Cafe Belong (Image 6): Finally, we want to be sure and eat at Cafe Belong. Designed by John Tong of 3rd Uncle Design, the airy dining room was apparently inspired by Argentinian cafes with reclaimed wooden beams loaded with red, orange, and yellow tones. We love the design, but it's Brad Long's food we're really looking forward to trying...you know we love to eat!

Thanks to Shauna for these great tips...be sure and check back in a few weeks to find out which exhibitors we're most excited about seeing at the show! For more information on IDS click here!

The Great American Woody.

We've had an incredible time over the past year traveling across the country with The Great American Woody, but now we're in the homestretch and sadly the journey is coming to an end. However, we're thrilled at the possibilities of raising much needed funding for DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS.

As many of you know, The Woody is being auctioned off as a part of DIFFA’s “30 for 30” auction on charitybuzz.com. You can learn more about it here, but you better act fast because the auction will close Monday, December 19th.

We would greatly appreciate it if you could help us spread the word by blogging, tweeting, facebooking or simply e-mailing your contacts about this unique project and auction. Our goal is to continue to drive interest in bidding so we can raise as much money as possible to support DIFFA’s groundbreaking work in the fight against AIDS. So far the bid is up to $36,000, but we'd love to double or triple that by next Monday.

We'd like to especially thank Moore and Giles for making this happen and everyone else out there who helped support this project over the past few months including: Traditional Home Magazine, Architectural Digest, Luxe Magazine, GQ, Garden and Gun, Avenue, Pernod Ricard, Effen Vodka, Bulleit Bourbon, and Banks Rum. You can learn more about our journey (and get some great cocktail recipes from PDT's insanely talented mixologist Jim Meehan) at www.followthewoody.com. It's truly been an amazing ride and one we'll never forget...Hope everyone's enjoying the holiday season so far. Now, let's all raise a glass to DIFFA. Cheers!

New York City PAD.

Following the success of the Pavilion of Art & Design London and the Pavilion des Arts & du Design Paris, we're pleased to tell you about PAD New York. This inaugural fair coincides with New York's fall cultural season of Impressionist, Modern, Contemporary Art and Design auctions to bring together a selection of 49 international galleries to the Park Avenue Armory. PAD New York will bring together exceptional works of Modern Art, Design, Decorative Arts, Photography, Jewelry and Tribal Art from the 1890's to today. The fair will provide a unique opportunity to see and buy work by blue-chip artists and historic and established designers vetted by a panel of experts allowing you to buy in confidence.

Taking place at the historic and prestigious former military headquarters, the Park Avenue Armory is within walking distance to New York's top museums, auction houses, galleries, hotels and restaurants on the city's Upper Eastside. An international art power centre, the New York art world comes alive during the fall auction season with collectors, dealers and connoisseurs alike converging in the city for top-quality museum and gallery exhibitions.

There is a VIP opening this Thursday, November 10th from 4 to 9 pm and then the show is open to the public starting Friday from 11 am to 8 pm and runs through November 14th. Now for some exciting news...our friends over at Modern Magazine have offered up FREE passes to the first 50 people who stop by their offices located at 575 Broadway. You should definitely try and make it there this weekend-it's going to be a fantastic show. To learn more about who and what you can expect to see click here!

In the meantime...just for fun-click here to learn a little about our first New York City pad!

Haunted House?

Located in the desert near Joshua Tree, California, this vacation rental named Rosa Muerta is kind of creepy and kind of cool all at the same time. Designed by architect Robert Stone of L.A. firm Levin & Associates, the structure is rooted in modernism but the structural and ornamental elements, including hearts and flowers are all in shades of black. We're intrigued....Click here to learn more and have a spooktacular Halloween!

A Chair Is Not A Chair.

Our good friends over at SUITE New York are gearing up for a cocktail party tonight, October 27th (invite only), at their "NoMAD" showroom to launch the Pink Swan Project. 19 leading interior designers, architects and fashion icons including Jonathan Adler, David Mann and Kelly Hoppen to name a few, were asked to customize the legendary Swan Chair designed by Arne Jacobsen in personal homage to Breast Cancer Research Foundation and its worldwide initiatives. All the chairs are currently on view at SUITE New York, but if you can't make it by to see them in person...no need to fret. These one-of-a-kind creations will be auctioned off on CharityBuzz.com throughout the rest of the month giving you the opportunity to own a classic design while also helping a terrific cause. To learn more click here! Happy Bidding...

Loft Love.

A good friend of ours reminded us of this project today and it's always been a favorite. Designed by Photographer Anita Calero, this 2,000 square foot West Chelsea loft feels as fresh and relevant today as it did several years ago when we first came across it. We find it incredibly inspiring and hope you like it as much as we do. To learn more click here! Photography by Anita Calero/GMAimages.com and Jonny Valiant.