Andrew King: Part 2

There is good news for Ottawa art fans this cold, February night! Ottawa artist, Andrew King has just launched his first solo art exhibit at the Terence Robert Gallery, 531 Sussex Drive, in Ottawa. Here are some examples of his new works -- as quirky, delightful, and animated as ever! Enjoy, and do pop by if you can. The exhibition runs until March 5th.

Unique hotels: Part 1

Apparently not all hotels are made of wood and other prefabricated materials -- some are made of ice and snow! In Norwegian Lapland -- two hours north of Oslo by air -- the fabulous Kirkenes Snowhotel features 21 rooms made of snow and ice. Guests are treated to real beds in each suite, surrounded by gorgeous snow sculptures; very warm, Artic designed sleeping bags; and lovely warm lighting to offset the colder room temperatures. When it's time for dinner, meals are served in an adjoining wooden structure, with local foods including fresh salmon, whitefish, and cloudberries. And, if you are in need of warming up, there is a Scandinavian sauna by a nearby lake, just a short walk from your suite. Here are some gorgeous images of the Snowhotel suites to brighten your day. And stay tuned ... next Friday, I'll be bringing you another unique hotel -- just for fun! Happy weekend to all!

Goodbye plain walls: Hello Moffat Bailie

When I think of extraordinary walls and ceilings, I think immediately of Moffat Bailie Walls - a fabulous Ottawa-based company owned by Sarah Moffat. I first met Sarah two years ago at an event where she and Susan Bailie were showcasing Moffat Bailie's brilliant work. Their hardcopy portfolio was outstanding -- overflowing with beautiful images incorporating glazing and Venetian plastering techniques, as well as gold and metallic leafing --a technique where microthin metal is applied to a surface, whether it's a wall, ceiling, pillar, etc. Quite frankly, walls have never been the same to me since, because I know there's always more that can be done -- especially under Sarah and Susan's skilled hands. Here are a few examples of Moffat Bailie's fabulous work. I guarantee after seeing them, you'll never look at walls, ceilings, or pillars in quite the same way.


Brown and gold leaf cover the walls and curved ceiling of Ottawa's Siam Bistro, a lovely Thai restaurant on Wellington Street.
Photo courtesy of Sarah Moffat. More images on Siam Bistro's web site.


Absinthe Cafe, Ottawa
Photo courtesy of Sarah Moffat .


Glazing.
Photo courtesy of Sarah Moffat.


Gold Leafing.
Photo courtesy of Sarah Moffat.


Glazing.
Photo courtesy of Sarah Moffat.

The Burakkii Collection: Sara Seggie

Imagine ...

It's 10 PM on a Friday night and you're relaxing in your spacious, contemporary living room after a demanding week ...
A fire crackles gently in the fireplace, and gleaming, dark mahogany floors reflect its golden light ...
Through floor to ceiling clear glass windows, you see snow gently falling ...

You sit back luxuriously on your Roche-Bobois sofa, outfitted in the most neutral of fabrics, and glance contentedly at your surroundings, relishing the sense of peace and modern elegance. Finally, your eye comes to rest on this magnificent work of art ...



And you stop ... as always dazzled by the commanding presence of this colourful, modern mosaic wall hanging which so perfectly complements the room's spacious simplicity ...

And, you realize, once again, how lucky you were to find this unique piece -- which is part of Canadian modern mosaic artist, Sara Seggie's, newly launched Burakkii Collection ...

Enjoy everyone, and I hope your weekends are as blissful as the one above! See you Monday!

Mosaic Tile

If you're thinking of renovating a bathroom, you might want to incorporate some mosaic tile into your design. Here are some absolutely fabulous examples, courtesy of the Ann Sack's Web site. I absolutely love the first, but my favourite is most definitely the second with the floral floor tile. Just like wallpaper, mosaic tile makes a huge statement. And, importantly, it is perfect in both smaller and larger spaces. So, even if it's not feasible to use alot, incorporating some provides quite the dramatic touch.

Glasswork by Robert Moeller

I have a six year old and a three year old (read: bedlam at dinner), so I don't get many chances to entertain with gorgeous dishes. But, if I did, (and a girl can dream, right!), I'd definitely be including Robert Moeller's sushi dishes and platters in my repertoire. Lucky for me, Robert lives just north of Ottawa, in the village of Wakefield. But, for anyone living outside the area who loves his glasswork as much as I do, Robert ships outside Canada, too. So, lucky everyone, I guess! Happy viewing!

Rice Denmark

It's snowing again tonight. Cold, wet flakes which probably will be freezing rain by tomorrow morning. Yippee!! I need a holiday, but can't take one. I need sun, but it's gone on holiday, too! So, I'm turning to Rice for my colour fix and beautiful interior photos, to boot. Rice is popping up on a few great design blogs lately -- notably Hidden in France and decor8, but I feel compelled to get in on the action, too. I just love all the colour against white and the cheerfullness of Rice products and images. Here are a few photos from the Rice website to take your mind away from dreary winter (if that's the season you're in). BTW, all Rice products are designed and developed in Denmark, and are produced in the third world with respect for people, so it's hard to go wrong here! Happy colour!

The Pod Hotel - New York City

Designing small spaces can often be challenging. Where to put the bed? Where to put the closet? And what about the television!? ... The Pod Hotel in New York City takes small and makes it work really well. It's all about maximum use of space, in a hip, funky, tech atmosphere -- perfect for the stylish and economical traveller. And, best of all, it's located in the heart of NYC's Midtown East neighbourhood. Check it out! I already know where I'll be staying next time I'm in NYC! (BTW, all images below are from The Pod Hotel's website.) Have a great weekend, everyone!

Tagged!

Barb at May December Home tagged me the other day -- so that means she's asked me to share seven random things about myself, and then tag seven other lucky blogging friends to do the same. The random things about myself shouldn't be an issue -- because as I said to Barb, I'm very good at random! Anyways, here are my seven, followed by the seven I tag!

1) I was born in Montreal and grew up in Burlington, Ontario -- which for those of you who don't know, is just outside of Toronto.

2) I love dancing, and am busily learning how to mambo and salsa these days!

3) I love LOTS of colour, pattern, and funky lighting!

4) I was a bouncer when I was at university. Think they liked putting the small blonde beside the big, bruising football players. Something about calming the situation down! Thank god I never got swiped!

5) I lived for a year in Australia and New Zealand, which was fabulous.

6) I'm married with two small children: a boy and a girl, who I love to bits and keep me very busy.

7) And, I love blogging, because it's terrific meeting people from all around the world, who share my passion for interior decorating, design, and art.

And, here, are the lucky ones I'm tagging, because I love their blogs and I've enjoyed getting to know them a bit over the past few months with their comments and own posts.

Felicity @ All Things Bright and Beautiful

Karen @ Alkemie

Neutral Dwelling

Jenn @ Flow

Bronwyn @ Smoke and Ochre

Brilliant Asylum

Kari & Kijsa @ Ask Kari & Kijsa

Arevco Lighting

As many of you know, I love lighting -- almost as much as I love unique furniture. So, when I walked into Arevco Lighting this weekend, I was in seventh heaven! Check out these fabulous fixtures currently on display. I could seriously handle any one of them in my home -- especially the first, if only I had the room! For those of you lucky enough to live in Ottawa, Arevco Lighting is located at 285 Richmond Road, in Westboro (of course!)

Secret passageways and hidden rooms

Imagine standing by a bookcase, and all of a sudden, it mysteriously opens. Or, leaning against a staircase, which suddenly lifts up, revealing a hidden room. These are the types of creations Steven Humble of Creative Home Engineering specializes in - fully automated, Hollywood style secret passages that you'd never know were there -- unless someone told you or you stumbled on them by accident.

When I asked Steven why he started Creative Home Engineering, he told me he's always been fascinated with secret passages and planned to have some in his own home. But, after he became a mechanical engineer, and actually started looking for someone to build some, he found there were really no companies around with the right experise. So, using his engineering and robotics background, he started a business, filling this little niche for others like himself around the world.

Well, I'm certainly glad he has, because this kind of stuff is just plain fun! Think of the possibilities if you were having your home custom built and wanted something a bit different. Forget ordinary custom cabinets; I say, build something with mystery and panache!

For your viewing pleasure, ladies and gentlemen, I give you the work of Steven Humble, of Creative Home Engineering, Tempe, Arizona... I hope you enjoy and these images inspire you to create something a bit out of the ordinary ...

Wall Juice - Part 2

Happy Monday, everyone! I just want to remind you Wall Juice
is offering a 15% discount this week to My Designing Life readers on their fabulous Wall Tattoos and Phrases. So, if you've been sitting on the fence about adding some "zing" to your walls, here's your chance. Just quote interiors0108 and you'll be all set.
BTW, I just want to thank All Things Bright and Beautiful
and Desire to Inspire for teaching me how to make links to web sites. Much appreciated! Please check out these two great blogs if you haven't already.

Alison Fowler

It's Saturday, and I'm back with Day 3 of Ottawa Artist Week. I do hope you're enjoying seeing some of the great art originating with artists in Ottawa. Today, I'm profiling the florals of Alison Fowler, done in fantasticly colourful acrylics -- perfect for grey, January weather like we have here today. Here are some sample images, and you can check out more of Alison's work at http://www.artbyalison.com/ If you live in Ottawa, you can also head down to Alison's solo show at The Foolish Chicken, a funky restaurant at 79 Holland Avenue. Happy rest of the weekend, everyone!

Karen Goetzinger

I'm back with Day 2 of Ottawa Artist Week, and so pleased to introduce Karen Goetzinger, a mixed media textile artist who is based here in Ottawa. I certainly don't know much about textile art -- and suspect I am not alone. But, when I first saw Karen's work last week, I thought, wow, how beautiful. I love the colours and texture, and am so impressed that much is stitched by hand. Just imagine one larger work displayed on a wall, or four arranged together. Wouldn't they make a lovely, stunning focal point -- especially if shown against low, contemporary furniture? Unfortunately, I can't show you more images right now because I'm fighting with technology and it's getting late! But, please do check out Karen's website http://www.karengoetzinger.com/ and enjoy her creative talents. There's more wonderful abstracts, and she also creates kimono-canvas which are extremely unique.