Aperture Dining Table

I had the pleasure of visiting Vancouver furniture designer Brent Comber’s North Vancouver studio a few weeks ago to watch the legend in action. The man whose Alder bench—crafted from quick-growing, sustainable, small branches of alder—became synonymous with West Coast design runs an expansive shop that’s warm with the scent of sawdust, and bustles with activity (he and his team were in the midst of creating a large piece for a television pilot, along with a massive set of stairs carved from one magnificent deadfall).

Most exciting was the preview I got of his latest work, inspired by Japanese shoji screens: the Aperture dining table pairs dark walnut or western maple atop powder-coated steel legs that appear as if they could slide right into each other. Perfect for a statement-making dining space.

Aperture dining table, $7,100, available in Vancouver at Kozai Modern, kozaimodern.com; and online at brentcomber.com.

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

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.

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

Mid-Century-Inspired Nightstand

A friend of mine has a tiny space beside his bed, and he’s been on a multi-year search for the perfect nightstand—functional without being obtrusive, but pretty too. And at the new West Elm opening in Vancouver last week, I think our quest came to a close: this Mid-Century Nightstand is just 18 inches wide and 15 inches deep, but still boasts two tidy drawers. And its elegant angled legs and retro details—love the bronze knobs!—make it very au courant. I’m sure one of the many owl-themed objets on display in store will make the perfect decorative topper. Mid-Century Nightstand at West Elm, $250, westelm.ca.