More Stunning Decor (from my Favorite Store)

I visited Rob Kurkut's divine Calgary shop again this week and took a few more photos for you! 

(I blogged about it previously here).  

Everyone was so smitten with my post on his shop (it's all over Pinterest!), and rightfully so...

Rob's shop is captivatingly beautiful with a perfect balance of fine, deftly arranged things.

I love his whimsical birds-in-chandeliers for Christmas!

I think this is a charming idea...little birds nesting in your light fixtures!

Rob is a master of the killer vignette:

I love this Christmas creation.  
Rob hand-painted a giant tree branch and suspended it from the ceiling, adorning it with crystals and glass icicles... 

It was hard to capture the presence and spirit of this delightful branchscape.  This is certainly an idea to steal for your home (if you have lots and lots of time and high ceilings!):

There are so many pretty moments in Rob's shop.  I am fond of this apple green scene (with a wonderful ornate chair in the foreground):

There is a wonderful mix of light and dark that I find particularly pleasing.  This chiaroscuro effect makes each white element really pop against the dark ones and vice versa: 

An intricately carved table, with more of the light-and-dark motif:

(which reminds me that I need a larger house so I can place this in the front hall)

A little more contrast in another beautiful Christmas branchscape, comprised of elegant black and silver ornaments:

At the bottom of this shot, you can see Rob's gracious customer service counter, which looks like a chic hotel lobby front desk (that's Rob hiding behind the flowers).

Every object is expertly chosen and arranged:

I love this French canopy/balloon chair (do you know what this is properly called?):

No, Restoration Hardware did not invent this chair

I hope you had an enjoyable tour of this utterly perfect store (*sigh*)

If you are interested in purchasing, please contact Rob through his website here.  I promise, he is lovely and easy to talk to!  Call and ask him questions and if you are nice, he might ship you something...

(or come to Calgary and visit us!)

The Most Beautiful Store Ever!!!

Yesterday I had the thrill of discovering an utterly perfect store...

Rob Kurkut Interiors in Calgary.

Walking into this store is like walking into a dream world, created by a master designer to fulfill all your decorating fantasies!  

Just look at it (~sigh~):

Photo:  Rob Kurkut

Rob opened his shop about 8 months ago, and I've been meaning to visit since reading a little excerpt in a local magazine.  There were no photos, so little did I know what I was missing.

The shop is pure perfection.  I didn't want to leave and immediately descended on Rob and asked him a dozen questions (sorry if I seemed a little stalker-ish Rob!):

Notice the beautiful greige colour block behind the mirror.  Rob painted the floors and added all the moldings, trimwork, and architectural detail himself to the tall, airy space.  I bought the small tray underneath the bouquet of hydrangea (I really wanted the day bed).

The store is a seamless mix of old and new, traditional and pared down, with an exciting balance of feminine and masculine elements, and a little whimsy too.

This taxidermy owl is just about to land atop an elegant commode (and looks surprised to see me):

Hello!

Rob has decorated for Christmas in the most elegant style, a bit southern mansion, with lighted magnolia garland and boxwood in graphic black urns:

I fell in love with these sconces (don't sell them Rob), but think I need a better house first (something with much taller ceilings and great architecture):

These sconces require a good home (mine)

Rob is an interior designer with an accomplished career in antique buying, marketing, merchandising (and more).  We didn't get to talk longer as he had customers, but it takes a trove of experience (and exquisite taste) to create a dream store like this:

These stunning twin beds are Italian circa 1940's and are made are burled walnut.

I love the colour block of deep Wedgwood blue behind the beds, proof that you can create architectural detail when there is none (provided you have talent, vision and a good mitre saw).

The gorgeous chandelier (insanely beautiful), elegant commode, and tall trumeau mirror complete the regal vignette:

I think I might need the lamp, as a minimum, if I can't afford those beds and that chandelier:

Rob's antiques are second to none, like this stunning inlaid clock. It is reproduction from Italy (1930's), made from inland mahogany:

A little more whimsy:

And look at this lovely upholstery...adding just a bit of pattern to an otherwise neutral dining space:

This elegant carved sideboard makes a powerful statement, but Rob balanced the elaborate and intricate detail with a display of simple white porcelain.  I wish I had this sense of balance and restraint when decorating:

And last but not least, this stunning armoire crested by a laurel leaf wreath sits in a more masculine corner of the store...

The photographer at work with her trusty iphone.  Sorry I forgot my proper camera, otherwise these photos would be more crisp!

If you want to visit Rob, and I know you do, he will be so pleased to see you (tell him I sent you!).

Rob Kurkut Interiors

1415 11St SW 

Calgary, AB

(403) 245-0035

(Rob's store is located near the Galaxie Diner, The Good Earth, and Peaseblossoms - a few blocks south of Maria Tomas on 11th St.)

My HGTV Canada debut!

Now for some wonderful news:  HGTV Canada hasn't given me my own show (sadly)...but I will now be blogging for them on their website!  

Recently I was commissioned to write shop reviews of local Calgary decorating shops for HGTV Canada's wonderful Style Sheet blog:  

Style Sheet is written mainly by HGTV staff writers, with appearances by guest bloggers like me!

For my first review, I wrote about a beautiful Calgary decor shop called Melange for the Home.  I also took the accompanying photos.  You can read my review here.  

Melange is a beautiful shop.  For locals...I recommend a visit to check out their stunning Christmas decor (and maybe a little shopping)!

If you are a Calgarian and have an idea for a shop I should review, please send me an email or post a comment.  I have a list of favorite shops to review but would love your suggestions!  I hope to do at least one post a month for HGTV Canada.  I even had to get a business number for my "writing" business.  Isn't that cool?!

Please check out the main HGTV Canada website too!  They have some great home decor and renovation content.  I am also adding Style Sheet to my blogroll! 

Our New Chandelier

A few weeks ago, our lovely new Schonbek chandelier arrived.  We had it installed immediately and I've been meaning to share some photos with you.  I am very fond of this fixture.   I should mention that I purchased the fixture from Carrington Lighting (South) in Calgary and the service was exceptional!  I've never been treated so well when buying something for my home.

Schonbek has been designing crystal chadeliers since 1870 and many of their pieces are reminiscent of a bygone era.  I love the style we chose as it reminds me of a French design with its low-slung Empire feel.  I chose a simple style and a fairly small-scale fixture (24" diameter) because our dining room is quite small (about 12' square)!

I think the new fixture looks grand with our old dining room furniture, which is from the early 1900's and is a Queen Anne style.  I almost chose a contemporary fixture but finally settled on one that really spoke to my heart.  And I can keep the room current with simple art, clean-lined tableware and accessories.

Art prints on the sideboard are by Albrect Durer (hare) and John Derian (tree).  The former is from art.com and the latter was purchased at a small shop in Paris.

FYI:  The fixture is called Schonbek Adagio 5103 in Antique Silver.  It is in the Schonbek in-store catalogues but not shown on their website.  Just Google for retailers or buy from your local Schonbek dealer.

P. S. The antique photo effect was added in Photoshop to give the pictures a vintage feel. 

Found: My New "French" Dining Room Chandelier!

After searching high and low, deliberating for days, and bringing two imperfect fixtures home, I've finally settled on this fixture for my dining room:

I love that this fixture is pretty and elegant, but still simple and not too uber-chandelier, if you know what I mean.  This traditional beauty, named Adagio, is from Schonbek and it is made with real crystals.  It comes in at 50% over my original budget, but the quality is very high and the fixture is beautiful, classic and looks great up close.

Despite the Italian moniker, this chandelier looks very French to me and I've decided to think of it as my French chandelier (which adds a certain je ne sais quoi!).  It's reminiscent of French style because it has the same low-slung look as an Empire chandelier, which I have always loved but simply don't have the house to accomodate!:

Plus, the little laurel leaves decorating my chandelier are very Napoleon (see crown below), and you can't get more French than Napoleon Himself:

The fixture comes in several finishes but my preliminary pick is Gilded Silver (as shown), which is a soft pale champagne gold colour.  My second choice is Antique Silver, which is more of a true silver colour.  I think the pale gold looks more classic and sophisticated, but the silver would look better with the various silver and nickel accents around my house.

The tiny crystals which decorate the fixture are mostly done in "clear" (uncoloured) crystal, but there are a a number of accent colours available. You can choose accent crystals in amethyst (so pretty), smokey gray (glamorous), topaz (classic), and so on.  The accent colours sound tacky, but they are actually quite pretty.  For now, I will stick with clear, as shown!

I didn't plan to spend so much on a fixture, but my favorite lighting store, Carrington, is having a big 20% off sale, and the price seems very fair for a crystal chandelier, which I shall take with me when I move!  Luckily, I only have to buy the mid-size (24" wide, 27" tall) and not the larger, saving a few bucks.  My room height simply cannot accomodate a larger fixture.

I recently took order of a contemporary drum-style fixture by Quiozel (this one), which I loved for its classic lines and blogged about here.  But when I brought it home, it seemed too big, stark, and imposing for our small dining room. So back it went and I reverted to the traditional look.  While I really wanted the clean look of a contemporary fixture, the one I chose (after a ton of searching) just looked too modern and dominant once it was in the house. 

I want this fixture to harmonize and I don't think I'll tire as quickly of a classic traditional look.

I haven't ordered it yet. Before I do....any thoughts?

My Dining Room: Decor Dilemma - Help!

The Ideal Dining Room (no, it isn't mine).  Photo:  House Beautiful, design by Susan Zises Green, exquisitely perfect chandelier by Niermann Weeks.

Not surprisingly, when I start one decorating project, my bumblebee mind takes me on another decorating tangent.  Luckily, no one is waiting for these rooms...

The tangent:  when I started researching light fixtures for our guest room, I immediately got sidetracked on chandeliers for our dining room.  Our dining room light fixture (which came with the house...I take no credit) is a miserable eyesore, as you can plainly see in the following photo.  Not only is it unattractive (brass...shudder), but it's not centered, thanks to the placement of our giant sideboard in the room:  

Before you freak out, we do plan to replace the pink rug (preferably with something gorgeous and inoffensively neutral).  It's a great wool rug (I inherited), but is outdated. I also have new ivory silk drapes to hang once I find a (small, nickel) rod (another unrequited quest).  Our dining room furniture is rather traditional.  I also intend to update the chairs with new upholstery once the rug colour is sorted out. 

In the meantime, the new fixture needs to work with my gradually-developing style, which I can only call pared down traditional.  I have studied many dining rooms and have seen a massive variety of light fixtures.  The ones I love most, sadly, require 15 ft ceilings, exquisite architectural detail in the room, and a second mortgage...

But for my present abode, I think a simpler fixture is in order.  I have begun to appreciate a modern look, which I think might prevent the room from looking too precious, too Grandma. 

I am rather fond of this fixture from Quoizel which is available in Calgary at Carrington Lighting (where I have received very friendly service compared to a couple of other shops).

Choice #1:  Classic modern with drum-shade

Initially when these drum-type shades came into vogue, I deplored them.  I still don't care for the plain rectangular drum shades and find them boring, but this one looks a little different, with the trapezoidal shape and the (faux) crystal detail.  The shade is ivory linen and the material is polished chrome, not nickel as I initially hoped, but it looks similar.

I might not have noticed this style of fixture if I hadn't recently seen this dining room, by homeowner/designer Heidi Smith, with a dressed-up drum shade that caught my eye:

Photo:  Canadian House & Home

I am also fond of the grande chandelier, but let's face it, I just don't have the house to go with a fixture like this:

Photo:  Canadian House & Home

I know I could pick a smaller crystal-style chandelier, but I wonder if it is overkill in my humble home.  It's hard to find a simple crystal/glass chandelier in nickel for under $600 (my rough budget).   I did find this little beauty online (not nickel) for a very good price, thanks to a tip from Things That Inspire:

Choice #2:  Fancy but simple enough to be pretty and not pretentious!  

Is this too much for our little house?  I would need to change out some of the decor to work with this, like getting a fancier mirror for over the sideboard, etc.

I've also been scouting simple candle-style chandeliers, like this beauty from Restoration Hardware (below) which is rather over budget ($950 USD including shipping and taxes).  But it is both classic and simple.  They ship to Canada, but I'm out 20% of the cost if I want to return it.

Choice #3:  Clean and simple and bloody expensive

I also like the fixture (below) from Home Depot Canada.  I was impressed to learn that Home Depot Canada (which is separate from the U.S. version), has free shipping (sometimes), free returns (always), and they give you 90 days to make up your mind!  This fixture, in brushed nickel, is from Progress Lighting.

Choice #4:  Clean and simple and affordable

Home Depot had such a great price on this fixture ($55 to $105 cheaper than stores in Calgary) that I ordered it online just to try.  I can always return it!

I am also rather fond of lantern-style shades and see a number of designers using them in dining areas, but I honestly think they are better suited to (a) entryways (b) over round tables in breakfast rooms, if you must and (c) well-decorated stables!

Photo: Adapted from a Windsor Smith room (I love you Windsor and you can do no wrong by me)

What do you think?  Should I try the modern fixture or stick with something tranditional?  Do you have any wonderful online lighting sources you could recommend?

The Lucite bandwagon

It takes me a while to come 'round to a trend.   I'm not exactly an edgy decorator, mostly because I prefer historical, classic looks - lots of white and ivory, antiques, and old-fashioned objects and art. 

Which brings me to Lucite!  I've admired Lucite lamps for a while and finally jumped on the bandwagon (rather late, I'm afraid).  But it occured to me that this look is pretty classic, and if you choose the right style, it doesn't look too trendy.  

I found this beautiful (affordable) lamp yesterday at Home Sense and put it on my living room console table, along with a large mirror I've had for a while.  The mirror is leaning now, but will eventually be hung!

The lamp arrived with a white shade, which I switched to a chocolate brown shade instead.  I knew the brown would help ground my composition, which is rather light with its shiny, mirrored, and silver elements. 

For your edification, Lucite is a trade name for a plastic called polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), which is the same material used in Plexiglas (also a trade name).  PMMA is an acrylic plastic (there are many different acrylics).  It is a hard, tough plastic known for its excellent clarity (it replaces glass), but it does scratch easily.

P.S.  Did you forget I have a masters degree in polymers and plastics?

While I was shopping, I also picked up frames for three antique etchings I bought at the Paris flea market (St-Ouen).  The etchings were purchased from a veritable art dealer and were not cheap.  They date to the late 1800's and the paper is very fragile.  I plan to have them professionally framed (archival mats and UV glass) when my favorite frame shop has its annual sale.

The first picture shows a palace celebration while the second shows La Bourse, the stock market building in Paris, which has classical Greek architecture.  The third etching (a vertical) is not shown.

The two photos below show the lamp with its original white shade.

I don't mind the white shade but prefer a slightly rounder shape.  What do you think?

Below is another etching in my small collection.  I threw this photo in because it's one of my favorite things and was the inspiration for the other purchases. 

It shows a lady and a suitor and says "A Bientot" ('til we meet again).   

I had it professionally framed, which cost a lot more than the actual etching, which I found in a junk/antique shop in a big pile on the floor!  I rescued it for $10 and regret that I didn't buy more, as it cleaned up very well.  It hangs in our front entrance.