Midcentury Modern Chair

I’ve been collecting midcentury design on and off for about 10 years. Some pieces, like my coffee table and dining chairs, are the original Danish and come in varying states of wear and tear. Some, like my sofa, are reproductions and thus a bit of a cheater’s game, but fit in nonetheless. But this Chieftain chair by Finn Juhl for Montauk is the best of both worlds: a reproduction of the original 1949 design by the Danish designer. Created for the Cabinetmaker’s Guild in Copenhagen, the chair was host to none other than King Frederick IX at the exhibition, thus dubbed the King’s Chair. Juhl thought “King” was too pretentious, and preferred “Chieftain’s chair” a name that stuck. But once you bring it home, you can call it whatever you’d like.

Chieftain’s chair, ($15,000) available in Vancouver and Calgary at Montauk, montauksofa.com.

Paola Navone Como Bamboo Woven Chair

Fall is often a time for great furniture launches (something we’ll be celebrating in our October issue—stay tuned!) and Crate and Barrel has a beautiful new collection from famed Italian designer Paolo Navone (she of Knoll, Poliform and Roche Bobois, to name a few). There’s a Mediterranean influence to her designs—-colours in deep blue, cool aqua and crisp white, with accents of vibrant red—paired with a simplicity of style and elegant materials (marble, wood, glass). My personal favourite is the Como Bamboo Woven chair, a grey and white houndstooth seat with a leggy, open base that’s perfect for a small space. It’s a cool update on two trends—black and white, and grey as the new neutral—and a true statement maker.

Paola Navone Como Bamboo Woven Chair, $399, available September 13 in Vancouver and Calgary at Crate and Barrel.

Mrs. Godfrey Chair

I find that the selecting perfect occasional chair is a tougher decision than choosing a sofa. Sofas are the straight man, the anchor of the room, and in general, not the place to take big risks. But the occasional chair is a great item to have a little fun with: that extra bit of spark in the room. Jonathan Adler’s designs are just the right note to strike, and the Mrs. Godfrey chair is a perfect example. Its midcentury lines with tight back and button tufting give it some visual interest, but the colour is the true winner: “Cashin Ocean” offers a nubbly finish that’s probably just a little too tempting for my cat, but it’s oh so pretty.

Mrs. Godfrey chair by Jonathan Adler, $1,850, available in Vancouver at Mint Interiors, in Calgary at Kit.

Outdoor Tulum Chair

When I’m on deadline (countdown to our giant [and redesigned!] September issue going out the door: two days!), I’m most likely to fantasize about downtime with a great book in the sun (I’m currently devouring The Financial Lives of Poets—a hysterical page–turner of a summer read). And this sunny outdoor Tulum chair is just the right size for such a task: pretty in yellow (or teal, or black and white) with a body–comfortable design. Pair it with one of food editor Neal McLennan’s Bees Knees cocktail and deadlines are just a distant memory.

Tulum chair, $395, available in Vancouver and Calgary at Country Furniture, countryfurniture.net.

Modern Ottoman

We’re in the throes of prepping for two of our biggest events of the year: Western Living Designers of the Year, and our inaugural Western Living Design Week. It’s moderately controlled chaos—the good kind!—and I’ve been popping around to all of the stores that will be joining us as we celebrate design the from September 12 to 22 in Vancouver this year. Of course, the side benefit is that I’m still looking for a few more items to outfit my new apartment—namely, flexible seating. These Blythe Wedge Ottomans from Stylegarage in Vancouver’s Gastown are just that, and fun too: mix and match the fabrics on several of them, pair them up for a foot stool by the sofa, or separate them into single pieces when the party grows and you need a few more seats. The toughest part will be deciding on which pattern to choose: soft, grey, canary yellow or a boldly striped cherry red?

Blythe Wedge by StyleGarage, $400,stylegarage.com.

The Perfect Spare Bedroom Chair

In the ongoing journey that is the set-up of my new place, my next project is the spare bedroom. Realistically, I have visitors just a few times a year so I’m reluctant to make it a dedicated bedroom—but I’ve got more ambitious plans than just a classic work space/bedroom dual split. It’s also going to be a dance practice space—which means keeping the floor open. Thanks to the dearly departed Nood furniture, I’ve got the king size fold-old bed covered, but I’ve had my eyes out for a folding chair that’s less church basement, more mid-century modern. Bo Concept’s Oslo chair (very Scandinavian) is the perfect fit: made of solid oak and bonded leather, it’s set to look great while it’s encouraging me to write one more paragraph, and just as sweet when I’m trying to convert my double into a triple pirouette.

Oslo Chair, $249, available in Vancouver and Calgary at Bo Concept boconcept.ca.

Stylish Deck Chair

I spent the last week at one of my favourite places on the planet—Palm Beach, just south of Powell River, BC., with a few dear friends. It was one of those highly stressful times when the most pressing thing on my agenda was what we were going to heat for dinner (local spot prawns, barbecued corn and fresh peas was one highlight of a meal) and how many books I could clear though (Janette Walls’ latest, The Silver Star, proves a great beach read.) The only downside was the lack of true lounging chairs, so next year I’ll be BYOC’ing it with this beauty from Gallant & Jones. The Ogunquit deck chair features vibrantly printed outdoor polyester and an
organic cotton pillow hanging from a Vancouver-crafted, North American white oak frame, and the on-trend chevron is only slightly brighter than my mood when I’m at Palm Beach, book in one hand and watermelon slushy in the other. (Have I mentioned I’m a little Ninja obsessed these days?)

Ogunquit deck chair from Gallant and Jones, gallantandjones.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.

Reissued Stool 60

One of my favourite accessories at home is an Alvar Aalto vase—designed in 1937 and still as elegant and timeless today with its wavy, watery lines. Aalto’s Stool 60 is just as timeless, and for 2013—Stool 60’s 80th anniversary—parent company Artek is issuing the stools with coloured tops inspired by the Paimio Sanitorium. (The tuberculosis sanitorium was designed by Aalto in 1932.) The soft shades work perfectly with just about any palette, though I’ll take the sage-green one, please. Stool 60 from Artek, $332, available at Inform Interiors, informinteriors.com.

Dramatic Throne Armchair

Like many of my friends, I spent the week post-holidays recovering from that wicked flu that’s been making the rounds. Part of that recovery process included a marathon session of Revenge, a guilty pleasure that’s about as deep as a puddle in Palm Springs, but full of eye candy and gorgeous, Hamptons décor. I found myself coveting matriarch (and evil-doer) Victoria Grayson’s “throne”: an oversized upholstered chair that gives the Queen the air of reigning authority. While I suspect Grayson (played by Madeleine Stowe) actually has a custom chaise, this powerhouse from Magis will suit just fine—both artful and in charge, as any Queen’s throne should be. Magis Proust chair, $1,365, available in Vancouver at Livingspace,livingspace.com; in Calgary at Domicile, domicileinteriors.com.