ART LIVES WITH DESIGN AT IDS 11

Check it out!  You will notice a new addition to my side bar.  That's right.  The folks over at Kitchen Improved (thank you)  decided I deserved a Best of the Web Award!

Quietly Being  by Open Studio artist Emma Nashimira is etching and aquatint on Japanese paper 



We came close in the last post about ROLLOUT Custom Wallpaper but you didn't think  I would finish my commentary on IDS 11 with out talking about ART, did you?  Well the decidedly nice thing about this design show was the mix and variety of products both utilitarian and beautiful.  Gorgeous paintings mingled with state of the art kitchens and avant garde fireplaces.


Can art and home decor live together without succumbing to the need to match the painting to the sofa?  I really hope so and I believe if you embrace the art you love and show it proudly, no matter what, the answer is YES! Art is also one of the best, and easiest, ways to personalize your kitchen.  If you have an open wall take advantage and hang some art.  Just remember to keep away from the grease, flames and wet areas. (Believe me, I have to say that. You know who you are.)


One exhibitor that I fell in love with at the show was  OPEN STUDIO.

Floating Village by Loree Ovens, another Open Studio artist.

Open Studio, located in the heart of downtown Toronto, is Canada’s leading artist-run
printmaking centre featuring works by over 150 artists.   It is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to producing, promoting and preserving contemporary original fine art prints.  The center rents studio space and equipment to printmaking artists as well as offering guided tours of the facility.   Original works produced and sold at Open Studio include etchings, lithographs, relief prints, screenprints and monoprints—and styles; from landscapes to abstracts.

An assortment of loveliness from Open Studio

Is this a deck of cards or what?! Swag from Open Studio.

Sales of these playing cards featuring the work of Open Studio artists are  for sale ($20 or 2 for $35)
Proceeds go towards supporting the studio.


Open Studio was just one of many galleries and artists exhibiting at the show.  Here are some of my other favorite bits of eye candy.

Furniture & Art by Jocelyne Sylvain

Oneo Gallery

Just a small part of an acrylic painting from Oeno Gallery

Oeno Gallery (Ok wipe that drool off your key board)

"Look Away", a collage by Angela Grossmann from Galerie D'Este

Galerie D'Este

Look of Love by Mark Jeremy Gleberzon is an acrylic painting

Mark Jeremy Gleberzon

Another by Mark Jeremy Gleberzon from his Chair collection

Less than one week to go!


Don’t forget to enter your chance to win a free Orgaline drawer organizer by leaving a comment on any post between now and February 15th! Click here to read January 14th post for details

DESIGN YOUR OWN WALLPAPER

ROLLOUT founders industrial artist Anita Modha and graphic artist Jonathan Nodrick

ROLLOUT, the wallpaper!


As you may have heard, wallpaper is in vogue once again.  I confess I am not naturally "wallpaper inclined" but what I saw recently in the intriguing Studio North & Prototype section at IDS11 in Toronto made me think again.   After all, I am slavishly devoted to art and what better way to " art"  than by utilizing the biggest canvas of all, your wall!
The innovative custom wallpaper manufacturer,  ROLLOUT , featured eight designs, including new work by founder/designers Anita Modha and Jonathan Nodrick.

This funky design is called LeCorbusier

Not only was I impressed by their edgy designs but, get this, you can design your own wallpaper.    It's pricey but that's so you keep  your taste in check.  Keep it to a focal wall such as in a powder room or dining room and you won't break the bank or run the risk of  "too much of a good thing".  This digitally printed eco-conscious wallpaper runs about $10 a square foot.  Get your own art printed for about $8 per square foot plus set up charges.    These premium, latex-based inkjet wallcoverings come in 36’’ wide rolls.  Custom design projects are quoted upon request.





ROLLOUT was recently featured on Canadian lifestyle and design talk show Steven & Chris.  Click here to see the show.  The ROLLOUT section is at 12:30.

Vitra Panton chair by Rollout was auctioned on IDS 11 Opening Night

In addition to their presence at IDS 11, ROLLOUT was also asked to re-design a Vitra Panton chair that was auctioned off with the proceeds going to Casey House, the first free-standing HIV/AIDs hospice in Canada which offers support and care to those that are affected in their communities.  20 one-off chairs by some of Canada's leading designers and architects were auctioned off during the opening night of the event.





IDS11 is Canada's largest contemporary design fair that has served to inform and support the growing Canadian design industry for the past fourteen years.  Thank you to Blanco for sending me to IDS 11!


ONE WEEK TO GO BEFORE THE DRAWING


Don’t forget to enter your chance to win a free Orgaline drawer organizer by leaving a comment on any post between now and February 15th! Click here to read January 14th post for details

IDS11 PIX ARE UP!

I did it.  All pix are posted on a brand new Flickr site called Kitchens for Living on the Road. You can be the first to see the new trends and treats from IDS11 here.

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS CHROME AT IDS11

 

[caption id="attachment_542" align="aligncenter" width="461" caption="The new Culina kitchen faucet by Blanco. The sink (also Blanco) is a polished stainless steel."][/caption]

Now that I'm back and basking in the sun once again, I'm busy creating a whole new Flickr site with all those photos I took to share with you.  Here are just a few to get you warmed up.

[caption id="attachment_544" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="Polished chrome faucets by Canadian firm Riobel will be available in the US this year."][/caption]

Look for the link right here at Kitchens for Living where you can view all the photos and commentary.  As soon as I post you'll be the first to know.   Just to get us started I thought I'd show you some of the faucet fashion at IDS11.   Incidentally this is the 13th IDS show and it's Canada's largest contemporary design show.  This year's event featured 300 exhibitors.  As an American designer, it was interesting to see the differences not only in taste but in product offerings just over the border.  Products and styling appear more progressive.  When I question why so many of these products are not available to us here in the USA I am told that it is not our market.  I hope they are wrong.  If we can't get it we can't buy it.  Right?

 

[caption id="attachment_553" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="This stylish Moen 90 degree faucet is also available in stainless. Photo courtesy of Moen."][/caption]

Plumbing faucet manufacturers from Moen to Riobel to Brizo showed a dazzling array of faucets of all types with one thing in common, a polished chrome finish. Fellow bloggers who had the opportunity to visit Cologne, Germany last week for the "Living Kitchen" event tell me that polished chrome is the choice in Europe as well.

 

[caption id="attachment_543" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="This stunning Siderna faucet by Brizo is simple yet elegant and I LOVE the glass detail on the handles!"][/caption]

Next post: The Sink of the future is here today!

Don’t forget to enter your chance to win a free Orgaline drawer organizer by leaving a comment on any post between now and February 15th! Click here to read January 14th post for details