Black and White Server

I recently opted for an ottoman to pair with my sofa, which to be fair, has taken some getting used to. It’s perfect for kicking back on a marathon Arrested Development and knit session; it’s less ideal for balancing a cocktail for Sunday night Mad Men. (Yes, my arguments pro and con essentially revolve around television.)

Solution? Every stylist’s go-to: a tray. Now, thanks to this handy number from Bouclair, I’ve got room for my feet and for my Old Fashioned.

Black and white server, $20, Bouclair, Vancouver and Calgary, bouclair.com

Modernist Cat Circa50: Console

Both of my sofas have that textured, tweedy fabric that I love—and much to my chagrin, so do my cat’s nails. I’ve had some success enticing her over to the classic corrugated cardboard cat scratcher, but frankly, it’s more than an eyesore in my living room.

So I nearly cartwheeled in excitement when I discovered these consoles designed by former Lower Mainland–er Crystal Gregory (now based in Seattle) for her design firm, Modernist Cat. Made of eco–friendly materials like FSC–certified wood and formaldehyde–free glue, the Circa50 Console is custom fit with a replaceable FLOR floor tile—perfect for when it’s either worn, or more likely, I get bored of my colour selection.

Now if Gregory could figure out a solution to the 5 a.m. feeding requests, I’d owe her my first born.

Circa50: Console, from $399, The Modernist Cat, modernistcat.com.

Score + Soldier Terrariums

I spent the last few days scouting some of my favourite shops in Calgary. The best and worst thing about scouting? You come away with a pretty long wish list for your own place. Now that I’m officially moving into a new place with plenty of windows, I’ve decided try my hand at an indoor gardenscape again (something I was once skilled at, then decidedly less so).

These Score and Solder terrariums I spotted at Kit in Calgary are the perfect gateway back in—terrariums love a relatively dry environment, which was my downfall in the past (just how do people remember to water their plants?!).

Score and Solder terrariums, from $110. Available in Vancouver at Old Faithful Shop; in Calgary at Kit

Stacked by Muuto

I’m mere moments away from signing the dotting line on a new place, which means I’m also already scoping out the new furniture pieces I’ll need. Can I ever have enough storage? Impossible.

To wit, I’m coveting this super-flexible, super-stylish “Stacked” system from Danish uber-cool design company Muuto. Created in two shades of MDF, in specific measurements that fit everyday items, Stacked can be forever shifted to fit whatever space I move to next. Beautiful.

Stacked by Muuto, pieces from $159, available in Vancouver atVancouver Special; in Calgary at Kit

Raw Wood Cutting Board

 

So often when working in magazines, you’re asked to source things that are on your wish list (as in “I love the lines of the new Maserati GT”). But this week, I strolled up Granville St. to grab a coffee from the West Elm Market and I came away with this cutting board. It’s big and heavy, and I know it’ll be a pain to wash, but somehow all those factors just added to its rough-hewn appeal. In my mind, one day I’ll bring it to an architect’s office and ask them to design a cabin on Jasper’s Lake Edith for me around this board, but until then, I’ll use it for cheese and charcuterie and menacing any would-be robbers.

Raw Wood Board, $63, West Elm Market, Vancouver, westelm.com.

Written by Food & Travel Editor Neal McLennan

Tiffany & Co. Reversible Tote

For some reason I get brain lock around shopping for purses—and in fact my last couple of Kate Spade bags were purchased for me by my sister (who suffers from no such shopping afflictions).

But it doesn’t take much skill to fall for these new Tiffany purses, and the springy Daffodil is now officially part of my collection (not a bad fit with the yellow Tigers I picked up on a recent NYC visit). Plus, it’s reversible for those days when I’m not feeling so sunny.

Could this be the shopping breakthrough I’ve been waiting for? Here’s hoping.

Tiffany Reversible Tote, $745, Tiffany & Co., Vancouver and Calgary, tiffany.ca.

Moroccan-Inspired Lighting

On a rainy night last week, I was out on United Boulevard in Coquitlam for an annual party thrown by Muse & Merchant and ScanDesigns—and there’s nothing like a dark and cold night to put you in the mood for some Moroccan-inspired warmth. Muse has a terrific display of these intricately designed pendants in a variety of colours, gathered together at varying heights in one corner. They’re perfect for that eclectic look: a modern sofa, a mid-century coffee table and a grouping of these lights in the corner. Beautiful.

Marrakech drop lamp, from $428, museandmerchant.com.

Modern Blue Sofa

I’ve spent a couple of months trying to find the perfect new sofa: that ultimate combination of style and comfort, a piece long enough to stretch out on for movie, but not so big that my petite living room suddenly feels all sofa. And I may have hit the sweet spot with this one: the Gus* Modern Atwood sofa in just the shade of blue that I’ve been considering for an accent wall. I love the tight back (loose-pillowed sofas always trigger a little OCD in me trying to get them to sit properly) and the walnut finish on the legs, and I can feel good about owning it too: Canadian company Gus* Modern uses FSC-certified wood. Now, to find the perfect side chair…

Atwood sofa ($2,150) available at Stylegarage in Vancouver, stylegarage.com, and 4Living in Calgary, 4living.ca.

High-Tech Oven

I’ve just come back from a whirlwind tour of GE Monogram’s gorgeous showroom in the Architects and Designers building in New York City (a one-stop shop of nearly every grand design brand—I was a kid in a candy store). And I’ve now got a new piece to add to my dream kitchen wish list: GE’s Monogram Advantium oven, a four-in-one built-in that’s as Futurama as it gets. I witnessed it bake a perfect piece of salmon in four minutes and a juicy rack of lamb in 14—all through pre-programmed “recipes” that balance a percentage of power from its four cooking elements: a convection fan, a halogen light overhead, a ceramic heater underneath and a microwave. Now, if I can just convince Marcus Samuelsson to share his Fried Yard Bird recipe from his Harlem-based Red Rooster, I’ll have left NYC totally happy.

GE Monogram Advantium oven, $3,749, available in West Vancouver at Y Franks, edmondsappliances.ca/yfranks.htm and Calgary at Castle Appliances, castleappliance.com.

Trellis Cocktail Napkins

I’ve got a few annual celebrations that I host at my place: a pre-Christmas party (mainly focused around cookies), a Slovak Christmas party (cabbage and potatoes) and an Easter brunch (yes, more food). The best thing about brunch? It’s a toss up between the mimosas and the hot-cross buns—but both require pretty cocktail napkins, in my humble opinion. Thankfully, Crate and Barrel opens this week in Vancouver, where there’s pretty cocktail napkins aplenty. My pick: these Trellis cocktail napkins, light and Springy, elegant enough for a mimosa and practical enough to hoist a hot-cross bun. Trellis cocktail napkins ($25.79), available in Vancouver and Calgary at Crate and Barrel, crateandbarrel.ca.