DaDe is not Dead

DJ Rice working his house magic at the launch

Chandelier made with Evian Bottles, AMAZING! Created by Darcy Lundgren

Packed house at DaDe Gallery

Friday night marked the grand opening of DaDe Art and Design Lab. An amazing new store here in the city. Darcy and Greg, the 2 owners put on a fabulous party. Their goal is to bring new and innovative art and design to Calgary and I for one could not be happier. The space is raw, urban and so New York chic! They also want to promote local artists in the city which is so important and I am proud to say that we are going to be working on a collaboration with some art and design, information to come soon!!!

Check out www.dadegallery.com

My fabulous assistant Stephanie with her fiance James

Colin from ICON Stone and Tile and Darcy from DaDe

Megan from Espy and I standing in front of DaDe's signature shredded paper pieces

Design in a Box

Jason Krell of Jason Krell PR and Dominic Blanchett of Domicile Interiors

Miche and Amber from Marketplace Events and fashionable event coordinator Brenda L

Avenue Magazine editor, Kathe Lemon and myself were all smiles

Yesterday was the party for Avenue Magazine's Design in a Box competition at Domicile. The 5 winners were revealed. It was a fabulous party filled with the whose who in the design scene in Calgary. I love this idea of Design in a box, the premise was to design something that fit into a 4'x4'x4'space. The winners were amazing, nice to see some fabulous design coming out of Calgary! Here are some of the winners (click on the image for more information):

1. Alumajet- Len Reimer

2. Sombra- Johnny Hehr

3. Hoodoo Stool- Greg Ball

4. The Cubby Hole- Justin Brown

5. Soft Vase- Anna Mandelkau and Carey Jones

Congratulations to all the winners!!!

Pretty Peridot

One of my all time favorite places to shop at here in Calgary is Peridot. What I LOVE about them is that they carry one of a kind items that I cannot find anywhere else in the city. Dawn, the owner, prides herself in bringing in eclectic finds and really caters to the design community. I have to say that I am sick of going into store after store and finding the same pieces, it is a nice refreshing change to step into Peridot and be enlightened with such delicious design finds! Thank you!!!!!!!!

Some of the pieces that I love:

Franklin Side Chair: a traditional chair with a unique twist: Zebra hide. I love how unexpected it is but how it still works it out!

Dover Mirror: everyone knows my love for Art Deco and this would be just the piece to add a little deco drama to your space!

Waldo Floor Lamp: a previous post showed how gold is coming back and this floor lamp is no exception! Love the overscale shade.

Chloe Side Chair: The bamboo back to this timeless chair is fab! This is a stand alone piece that I could see accenting any living space or office.

You can check them out at:

#101, 638-11 Avenue S.W. Calgary AB T2R 0E2
T: 403.237.6890 F: 403.237.6894 E: peridotc@telus.net
Store Hours: Mon to Sat 10-5:30 & Sun 12-5

hansgrohe

I was asked to join a group of Canadian interior designers on a trip to Atlanta to visit the Hansgrohe headquarters. I am a huge fan of Hansgrohe because of their clean lines and modern aesthetic. Hansgrohe was established in 1901 in Schiltach, Germany by Hans Grohe. Hansgrohe began its operations manufacturing metal spun products and included parts for clocks, brass pans and anchor plates for stove pipes. It is now the world's leading plumbing specialist.

This company also has a line called AXOR, where they work with several high profile designers such as Philipe Starck, Antonio Citerrio, and most recently Patricia Urquiola (my absolute FAVE!). The reason that this line is so amazing is that it is so new and fresh. I have never seen anything like this before. The look is modern, organic, and lends itself to so many interior spaces. The moment they introduced this line to us, I was in love. The line also has introduced hansgrohe's first ever line of sinks and tubs.

Watch Patricia Urquiola speak about her design for hasgrohe here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39PKi-0tX8c&feature=related

http://www.hansgrohe-usa.com

Love Lies Bleeding

Myself with the ever so stylish Duc

Me with City TV's Judy Gabriel and Jill Belland

We were invited to the launch of Love Lies Bleeding, a show put on by the Alberta Ballet that was dedicated to the life of Elton John. The show was a stunning representation of his life done in a way that was artistic, glamorous and sexy.

The show's highlight was the lead dancer Yukichi Hatori, who was out of this world, his movements were so crisp and fluid at the same time. Another definite highlight were the costumes. Every one had been well thought out and executed so well; a crazy mix of leather, feathers, tulle, and studs.

I love it when I go and see a show and come out smiling to have seen something that I had never expected. This was for sure a bit step in the right direction for the ballet and one in which I am sure Sir Elton is quite proud of!

STYLE ICON: Iris Apfel

I fell in love with Iris 3 years ago when reading a feature on her in Elle Decor. An interior designer and co-founder of Old World Weavers (known for their fabulous reproductions of vintage fabrics) was noted for her extraordinary sense of style. It was all in the mix for her; vintage finds with magnificent couture pieces from Lanvin, Chanel, and all the big fashion houses. She was so well known for her style that her wardrobe was put on display at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art: AMAZING!

Her homes were just as eclectic. Mixing traditional and modern elements with a hint of flea market style. Having an a list celebrity client base didn't hurt either (Greta Garbo).

Now, this closet I could crawl back into any day of the week!

Read up on Iris Apfel: Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel (Thames and Hudson)

Check out this great video on Iris and her thoughts on fashion and design:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMzMPKo9w20&feature=player_embedded

Muskoka Chairs go HAUT!

I was never really a big fan of the Muskoka chair until now. PC Home has come out with a rainbow of colours for these chairs that really gives them more of a modern look. Gone are the days of them conjuring memories of rustic retreats, it's now all about modern back yard lounging. I love the bright green colour, I see it with white accents for a fresh and fun approach to backyard decor.

A must for any chic back yard and for $99.99 you can't go wrong!

More info at: www.presidentschoice.ca