Well we finally got a chance to take a peek at Rogue Gallery’s infamous storage locker (check out StyleNorth’s post here)! The first thing that caught our eye was a set of 5 teak stools.

The whole set was only $5o, that’s only 10 bucks a pop. A similar IKEA version of this sells for $16.99

Stamped made in Denmark, the maker is still a mystery. According to my Scandinavian Design Book, Soren Hansen designed a stool that is strikingly similar.

Here’s the before picture, they were in pretty rough shape, really dry and worn with some staining.

It was a beautiful day outside so I poured a bit of teak oil into a handful of steel wool and starting working at the teak following the grain. The results are pretty amazing, now if we could only do the same with our deck…

Here’s a sneak peak of some of the objects we’ve been collecting for the cottage in our predicable colour scheme of white, blue, red, and black.
I could say that we had a really amazing thrifting adventure
over the long weekend, but…

Finel Heart nesting bowls from Ebay.
Blue Rosti jug from Ebay.
Blue Rosti and Dansk utensils from Rogue Gallery.
Blue Dansk Fondue Set from Ebay.
Black Arabia tea pot from random thrift shop.
Quistgaard cutting board from Ebay.
Red Turkish coffee pot from Value Village.
Porcelain toothbrush holder from Value Village.

It’s taken a couple of months to find all these objects, some of which we’ve been wanting for a long time (especially that Dansk Fondue Pot).

We don’t want to give up the goods just like that, so here are some teasers of the more substantial items we recently got delivered to the cottage over the weekend.

I may have accidentally told a few people what this was out of sheer excitement (you know who you are) please don’t spoil my fun by telling everyone!

I think Juli and I both are especially excited about this find, it’s going to look amazing!

Oh man, you guys are gonna hate us after you see this…

Hope you’re enjoying your Tuesday!

-John-

So last Friday we were up north to receive some deliveries, sell some furniture (4 dressers!) and meet with a willing and able contractor to discuss removal of the ceiling tiles/insulation and put up some drywall. Of course the day resulted in waiting around so we started picking at new points of interest. Namely, the 1970s ceiling tiles in the kitchen and two of the bedrooms. We had already discussed replacing them with wood slats so John started to remove them. Much to our horror, the insulation and the ceiling tiles made for a comfy abode for decades of mouse families. Since John was moved over to drywall destruction duties, I had to don the gloves and mask and wade into the disgusting shreik-a-thon that was stage one of removal. This involved one shower of mouse droppings whilst I tentatively removed the tiles, then a wonderful round two of droppings while I gingerly removed the yards of insulation, all with the fear of a dead mouse landing on my head. At first the job revolted me but it subsided into determination mingled with screaming that was met with a “you’re such a girl” from John.

I totally left out all the gross factors from these photos, making me look like a complete wuss. But it was super bad.

This was evidently their kitchen/dining room. And yes, they do poop where they eat, albeit not as much.

And now for some more horrifying photos of the bathroom before! Read the rest of this entry »

Who are you?
Julie Nicholson and Shaun Moore, owners of MADE.

How long has the store been open?
The store will be three officially in September.

Why did you open your store?
We had an idea of what we personally needed and wanted to see in Toronto and we knew so many Canadian makers who had impressive work yet had no dedicated outlet for showing it. We could easily have continued to complain about what was missing or we could start to build what that idea should become.

What can people expect to find when visiting your store?
Modern Canadian design that reflects original ideas with an emphasis on quality and usability.

Who are your customers?
Individuals, from all kinds of backgrounds, ages and incomes. They all tend to have a passion for design and an adventuring spirit where they are seeking objects that speak to them on a more personal level.

Favorite moment while running your store?
Our first birthday stands out. Friends and design colleagues, supporters and clients all crammed into the store and we had a stupid time.

Worst or most Embarrassing moment?
There was a moment when a customer walked in the door. We both mistook her for someone we knew well and greeted her heartily and effusively. She was really taken aback and then we realized she wasn’t who we thought she was.

Is there an item you regret selling?
We had some scarves by Elsworthy Wang, the black one sold within an hour of displaying them. It sits in my mind as the scarf I (Julie) was supposed to have.

Name something you sell in your store that you also own in your own home?
We both tend to have some things that we love but something we have in common is that we each bought a set of Katherine Morley’s Arctic Bookends (above). She pours so much design heart, design thought, and design soul into her work. Oops. I guess we have a few things in common. We both also have lights by Propellor and some molo seating pieces. Ps. we don’t have identikit homes!

What are you really interested in right now?
MADE is developing more custom work and interior consultation. Aesthetically we are always interested in layers that go into a design that may appear simple but result in a rich effect. Read the rest of this entry »

Our friends at UpsideDive are moving on up to the East Side,
Queen St. that is!

We stopped by over the weekend to say our goodbyes to 51C.

June 1st they move into their new storefront, at 269 Queen Street East. With a more TTC accessible location and tons of new items, we can’t wait to see it! Slated to open mid-June, so check their website for more details!

Photos by John Baker

Following suit with my Norwegian Cottage obsessions has led me to my newest fancy: The trusty shaker chair.

Birch shaker chair from Finnish designer: Ilmari Tapiovaara
via Apartment Therapy

Looking for dining chairs for the cottage should have been a daunting task. I needed to find chairs that were well built, something that works with the cottage, and something that (in a perfect world) could be passed on to a future generation of cottage goers.

But most importantly dining chairs on a budget!

It wasn’t that hard of a task, I’ve always liked shaker chairs around dining tables. Lucky for us, there’s an abundance of modern shaker style chairs out there, a lot of them at a reasonable price.

But which ones are right for us?

Continue reading for the exciting conclusion!
Read the rest of this entry »