Muuto Restore Baskets

True, it’s only mid-February, but now that the days are gradually getting longer, I’m starting to get on a bit of a spring-cleaning (and more importantly, spring-organizing) kick. One of our stylists, Nicole Sjöstedt, swears by Muuto’s Restore baskets (and in fact, she’ll be chatting about them when we do our talk at the BC Home and Garden Show this Friday. Made of recycled PET bottles, the felt-like baskets are perfect for always-growing my magazine collection in one room, and as a catch-all for guests to use in my spare room. Plus, they’re an easy way to add a shot of colour—there are nine to choose from.

Restore box by Muuto, $129. Available in Vancouver at Vancouver Special vanspecial.com, in Calgary at Kit kitinteriorobjects.com

Ikea Trendig Cabinet

We’re just a few days away from Chinese New Year (stay tuned to next week’s newsletter for a terrific recipe to help you ring in the Year of the Horse). And just in time, Ikea has released a capsule collection of Scandinavian-meets-Chinese design, Trendig, developed when the company’s Swedish design team travelled to China to collaborate with local designers and technicians. The collection has a limited colour palette—just two shades of red and two shades of green, paired with blonde wood—with playful nods, like the dinnerware adorned with goldfish. My favourite from the lineup, the Trendig cabinet, is a modern update of classic 19th Century provincial Chinese furniture—right down to the medallion-type handles on the front door. Perfect for both an eclectic and modern décor scheme.

Trendig cabinet, $249, available as of February 2014 at Ikea ikea.com

Media Console by Ecologica

I spoke on the main stage at the Vancouver Home and Design Show this past Saturday (our stylist, Nicole Sjöstedt, and I chatted with the crowd about simple ways to bring style your home) and I spent some time afterward, exploring what was new on the design scene (and grabbing a sample of Liberté yogurt, natch). It’s where I discovered Ecologica, a furniture company that’s creating naturally beautiful furniture from salvaged ships and seaside homes—keeping the patina of the wood as is, the fading paint adding to the pieces’ natural beauty. This media console—perfect for either a media stand or as a sideboard in the dining room—would look as great in an urban condo as it would in Whistler cabin.

Media Console, $3,500, available at Ecologica,ecologicahome.com.

Sleek Modern Cabinet

Though it’s been too many years to count since I’ve been in a classroom, the start of September always feels like I’ve hit a reset button, pushing me to get organized again for fall. Some spring clean, I fall organize. I moved a few months ago, and while I technically have more storage in the new place, I have less display space for the things I’ve collected over the years—mainly quirky one-offs that are currently packed in boxes in my storage unit. As soon as I spotted this glass door cabinet from Ikea’s latest Stockholm collection (the brand’s fine materials, high-design collection released every three years or so), I knew I’d found both the perfect piece to free my collections from their confines (in yellow, no less!) and the inspiration to get organized. (And truth be told, it’s the latter that needs the most help.)

Ikea Stockholm collection glass door cabinet, $499, available in Calgary and Vancouver at Ikea, ikea.ca.

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

Merino Wool Storage Box

There’s something about longer days that gets my organization bug going—could be the brighter sunlight that exposes the fact my place is due for a good Spring cleaning—but I was on the hunt this past weekend for a good “stash” system for my wool. (I’m an avid knitter, and my not-yet-knitted-up wool collection constantly threatens to spill out of its current confines.) I spotted these great felt boxes from one of my favourite local design stores, Provide—a perfect pop of colour, and natch, they’re made of wool too. Wool collection, consider yourself tamed. Merino wool felt box in mallow by Daff, from $140, available at Provide, providehome.com

Bright Turquoise Side Table

For 2013, I’ve renewed my love for colour—from the clothes that I wear (I’ve recently added a hot pink down jacket and a bright purple North Face shell to my outerwear collection) to the items in my home. True, I recently painted the whole place the perfect shade of white but all the better to show off a few poppy hits of colour—like this new Vettre nightstand from Ikea. In a cool blue turquoise, it’s a sweet bedside accent, but with its capacity to hold power strips for chargers, it’s ideal in a small home workspace. Topped with a bouquet of yellow Gerbera daisies, it’ll be the sweetest spot in the office. Vettre nightstand ($39.99) from Ikea, ikea.ca

Bauhaus-Inspired Cabinet

When we put together our 40th anniversary issue last December, we all spent a lot of time with our archives, poring over what was important to Western Canadians in the last four decades. One brand that had staying power was William Switzer furniture—started in 1952 in Vancouver and still a staple in many designers’ arsenals.

And now it seems the next generation of Switzers is launching a mod line for generations to come: SwitzerCultCreative, launched by William Switzer’s children, works with local designers to produce environmentally sustainable furniture right here in their Vancouver workshops. I especially heart the Love cabinet from the Baumhaus collection, created with WL-fave Nicolas Meyer (of Nico Spacecraft fame)—long known for his focus on sustainable design. It’s reminiscent of Bauhaus design (which I suspect is where the playful name comes from), and will no doubt have the same staying power of the original Switzer brand. Love cabinet, price on request, SwitzerCultCreative, switzercultcreative.com.