Last week we were excited to finally host Keisuke and Michiko Iwata, with a joint exhibition at Mjölk. It’s been a few years since we first met them at their home near Fukuoka and featured them in Mjölk Volume 4.

Please have a look below to get a sense of the show. There are still some beautiful and unique works available online as well.

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The autumn air has blown some new pieces of furniture from &Tradition into the showroom this week.

We also recently received some new Tomiyama Koichi pieces as well (Fuuka Big Circle tray pictured above).

The Moor Rug by All the Way to Paris in Red Heather.
Fly Table SC11 with smoked oak legs and gorgeous Pietra di Fossena top.

Touch tray by Studioilse.

A detail shot of the Mayor sofa and brass Bellevue floor lamp by Arne Jacobsen. Mayor sofa fabric is a mole mohair, with smoked oak legs.

The Catch lounge chair by Jaime Hayon.

The other week we made a quick trip to the County, about a 2.5 hour drive from Toronto. It’s a pretty talked about weekend getaway spot in recent years, with a hot real estate market and many fed-up creative Torontonians fleeing to build their dream. This was our third visit and we have yet to explore everything that the County has to offer.

Our friends Laura and Dale introduced us to the Lake on the Mountain area, which has a unique landscape. On one side is a lake, at the same level as the land. On the other is an escarpment that overlooks Picton Bay below. Standing in between, there is an eerie sense of unfamiliarity, whereby you are experiencing two bodies of water at different levels. There is a parklands for day use, a resort and several restaurants.

We chose The Miller House because it offered a beautiful view of the escarpment below to Picton Bay and the Glenora Ferry. Their menu offers a variety of charcuterie platters and other sharing dishes.

The Inn across the street offers another menu, in a more cozy atmosphere. I would think it’d be perfect in autumn and it overlooks the lakeside.

It’s not a visit to Picton without checking in on Alex Fida‘s project House of Falconer. What a labour of love this place is. He is currently busy building a coach house in the back but in the front there is usually at least one pop up shop to check out.

I bought a lovely black ceramic necklace from Cylinder Studio.

It’s not a visit to PEC without a bit of antiquing…

…and farm animals!

I must share with you where we stayed this time. We usually prefer the anonymity of a hotel stay but since following The Wilfrid Boutique Farmhouse on Instagram, I had been wanting a little bit more of a bucolic experience. Nancy and Frank were absolutely lovely, and their home is lovingly decorated and very comfortable. What I liked was that they maintain a separate area for themselves, so you don’t feel like you are in their private space all the time.

Frank was very excited about his new tractor so John gave it a try.

Adored the chickens that were wandering free range around the property.

A comfy living room to hang out in.

The breakfasts were epic. John and I were the early risers out of the three available rooms, so we got to drink tons of coffee, chat and peck away at all the goodies on the table for quite some time. With a passion for cooking, you won’t have a bad meal!

We booked last minute so the very spacious double room was available (no kids allowed, doesn’t matter, we like to travel solo). It was very comfortable and charming, with an ensuite bathroom.

I totally forgot to bring my actual camera for this little jaunt (hence the instagram style photos in this blog post). As such, we were really excited to receive a Fuji Instax to use during our stay at the Farmhouse. It’s included with the room and you can keep all the photos, with the requirement of leaving one photo behind for their photo wall. This is the first time ever we have had actual photos of US from a trip, as opposed to the usual random arty fare.

My love, at The Courage in Wellington. We stopped here for lunch on our way out of the County. Our friend @modernmod djs here on occasion, which would be a good time to check it out I would think.

If you are thinking of visiting the County, there is plenty to see and do.

We were happy to have Mami Hasegawa (middle), her son Seikichi and friend Fuchi Uchida come stay with us at the cottage, to get the full Canadian summer experience. First stop is our favourite local shop, Lilli’s Antiques.

We ate well during the visit.

One new item we really enjoyed using was this new to the shop large stone grey bowl by Cecilie Manz.

Smoked fish bought locally, caught from Georgian Bay.

We were also treated to some informal tea ceremonies, which the kids took an avid interest in (maybe due to the “treats”).

The girls had the opportunity to give it a try. Poor kids, trying to learn something new and all the grownups have to photograph every moment. Modern life!

Jurgen Lehl most popular products are back in stock. Get them online now or at the shop!

Basil Soap

The blend of lavender, patchouli and lemon essential oils and a powder ground from fresh basil gives a clear, invigorating scent.

Jatamansi Shampoo and Rinse Conditioner

Both made from the oil extracted from the root of the Jatamansi flower, this shampoo and conditioner smell incredible.

Jurgen’s Tea are back in stock too!

II. No. 1 Tea Blend, $20 CAD