Design: Collecting Collections

I’ve written about my collections fairly regularly over the years. Each collection is slowly growing – especially now that I have a whole house to fill – and I love each of them. My Eiffel Towers are currently housed on top of my dining room buffet, my menagerie is sort of spread around the house as is my silver collection, and my milk glass and Sophie Conran pieces have a new spot in a glass-fronted Billy bookcase. I also have an expanding collection of DIY inkblot paintings and mugs. How many collections is too many?

Collection-Covet-Garden-1

Covet Garden Issue 40 Collection-Covet-Garden-2

Covet Garden Issue 40

As I was reorganizing one of my kitchen cabinets this past weekend, I noticed that I also have a collection of espresso makers. How’d that happen? They’re such handy little things, so I guess I find them hard to resist.

espresso-makers-White-Cabana

espresso makers – photo by me

All my collections have their place in my home, so I feel as though it’s okay to keep adding to them. When I run out of room, I guess I’ll have to stop. Then again, I could always move into a larger home?!? 

Blogging: So, you want to be a blogger?

While blogging is not my full-time job, I am very committed to it, take it seriously (but not too seriously because that wouldn’t be so fun, right?), and approach my blog work as professionally as I can. I have learned so much from many bloggers I have met online and offline, and I really try to give back to the community when I can. I had the opportunity to give a presentation at BlogPodium 2013 (loved it!) and I hope to do so again in 2014. In the meantime, I had the pleasure of writing a guest post for the BlogPodium blog. It’s a great read (if I do say so myself) for people who are new to blogging or who are just about to start their blogging journeys. If you’re interested in reading my post, click here. Let me know if you have any questions!

Uptown: The Tronchi Lighting

When I bought my house I thought one of the first things to go would be the hall light fixtures. They looked, to me at least, to be too flashy and I couldn’t really imagine how they would match my furniture. The dark burgundy walls didn’t help their case.

White-Cabana-light

before: the foyer with dark walls and a fancy chandelier

Once I painted the place white, the chandeliers seemed to (almost) disappear. They looked less gawdy than before and they actually began to grow on me. In fact, I’ve become such a fan of them over the last few months that I have now decided to keep them.

And I don’t seem to be alone in my interest in this style of chandelier.

DSC_20812

From the Right Bank

7

47 Park Avenue

$(KGrHqN,!ncFI-+RZoMZBSRjLY2ytg~~60_1

via Ebay

The chandeliers in the above photos are the tronchi style. They’re made of crystal and each piece is in the shape of a tube or trunk (hence the Italian translation of the name). These handmade Murano glass Venini chandeliers can also be made up of prism crystals and balls like the gorgeous fixture from 1st Dibs below.

927952_l

chandelier05_l

via 1st Dibs

A couple of weeks ago, I found a few similar chandeliers and decided to scoop them up for other places around the house. I’m completely hooked on these now and I have completely embraced their fascinating style! I should say, though, that my collection of lighting fixtures is made up of the budget/imitation version of the Venini glass chandeliers but they still reflect the light beautifully and are interesting to look at (not to mention great conversation pieces). The lucite prisms in my chandelier collection are proving that they work perfectly with my decor. I’ve dropped a few of the prisms as I cleaned them so I’m pretty thankful that the pieces are durable. They’re fairly lightweight too which has made installation smooth. Be on the lookout, people. I have no doubt that we’ll be seeing more of these Venini chandeliers (or the lucite versions) all over the design blogs and magazines soon enough.

Check back soon for a full lighting reveal!

Celebration: Welcome Giselle!

I am so so so excited to share the news of my niece’s birth. My very first niece! I’m too thrilled! Giselle was born exactly two weeks ago and has been getting a lot of love and attention from her 3 older brothers (and her parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc.).

Tutu-lulu-jellycat

Tutu Lulu Cream Bunny

 

I am definitely looking forward to meeting Giselle and seeing the whole crew in NYC soon.

Welcome to the world little Giselle! xoxo Zia Jojo

Personal: Saying Goodbye to My Jeep

Can we take a moment to mourn the loss of my Jeep?

Jeep-

The transmission broke last week and it just wasn’t worth it to put more money into the car so yesterday my dad arranged for my Jeep to be taken to the scrap yard. Oh, I’m sad. Although I haven’t driven it for a while, I was – and am – attached to this car.

Jeep

Jeeps have been my favourite car since forever*. While mine guzzled gas, I absolutely loved driving it. We all know that I like the Fiat 500 but I love my Jeep. I used it to commute to university every day during my undergrad, to drive from Kingston to Toronto countless times during my Master’s, and to move and start my PhD in London (not to mention all the driving to work over the years). Me and my Jeep have been on so many long trips together and so it’s no wonder I’m sad. It’s the end of an era.

Jeep -

What about you? Are you attached to your car?

*Long before the Fiat 500.

Photos by BG.

1 2 3 4 5 6 9