Tonight is dedicated to applying coat #2 of the chalkboard paint to the studio wall, so in keeping with the theme of redecorating, I thought I’d share this redesign of the BC Footwear LA showroom that I came across on Design Sponge. Love the overall DIY effect it has, the photo collaging on the walls and the vintage letters used in the display. This is similar to the feeling that I’m trying to convey, in the sense of having it be creative, interactive and playful.
Now, if I could just get this project to move a little quicker, I could focus on more of the “fun” decorating parts and be done with the physical labour! Quite frankly, I’m exhausted after yesterday’s 12+ hour day, but there’s so much to do in these last few critical weeks. No one ever said it would be easy!
On this horribly gloomy, dismal day, I decided it was time to start tackling the insanity that is my bedroom, in preparation for it being turned into the bicyclette studio. This seems like the perfect opportunity to get rid of as much as possible, so I’m trying to be selective when I edit my possessions. We’re moving our bedroom into the smaller room in the apartment (which was previously occupied by my brother), and the larger room with the huge front window is being turned into the studio and work area. Tres exciting! I currently have five bags of clothes to get rid of and my bed is covered with winter clothes to be packed away, which to me is progress. I figure that like any big overhaul, the whole apartment will get more chaotic before it gets organized.
Anyways, today I stumbled across a new interior blog that I will be adding to my list of dailies, Made By Girl, and it was as if the universe knew I needed inspiration, because one of the posts I came across was photos of her home office renovation. For some reason I’ve had difficulty finding images for reference, so this was perfect, right along the lines of what I needed, at the right time.
I love the white, the bright infusions of colour, the graphic wallpaper, the storage systems, the quirky decorating accents, the inspiration board … gives me some great ideas for designing my own space.
If anyone has any other sources of studio/office space inspiration, or some neat project and ideas they think I might be able to incorporate, feel free to pass them along to me! It’s about that time, and I’d love the input …
White washed walls. Streaming sunlight. Accents of colour. A vintage aesthetic and carefully constructed vignettes. This is what my dreams are made of. White is often thought to be sterile and lacking in personality, but I find it to be quite the opposite, a blank canvas and an opportunity to play with texture and details.
source
I love the rustic details, the imperfections in the chipping paint and the coziness that is exuded. There’s a story here, and the vignettes of found objects and various trinkets communicate this.
I can’t wait to start putting together the bicyclette studio (more on this soon!), drawing inspiration from interior’s such as these. The hard part will be incorporating functional workspace into the mix.
Between hunting for thrifted pieces to use in my thesis exhibition and starting to think about my new studio space (more on that later!), I’ve been especially keen on various forms of interior inspiration and on the lookout for ideas to borrow. I love vintage furniture, there’s so much character and a raw quality to them that is so hard to find in new pieces.
Meet Factory 20, and their family of beautiful vintage pieces.
Dutch Early Century Iron Wooden Stool
Dark Belgian Claw Foot Center Table
19th Century Tailors Work Bench Table
Mercantile Oak Glass Display Cabinet
The pieces I’ve found so far are nowhere near this caliber (or price range), so I’m focusing on repurposing them and adding a little bit of bicyclette flair. I guess I need to step up my thrifting game …
I’m running on very little sleep and still have a lot of work to get through tonight, but I wanted to get in a quick interiors post. I was working on a project last week (or was it the week before? Oh my…) for my visual merchandising class in which we had to research and design an idea for a window display, and the first step was to find two inspirational stores. The first one I used was Love of Mine, which I posted about here, and the other choice was easy: Anthropologie. I had the pleasure of working at the opening of the location in Yorkville back in the summer, assisting with setting up the store and being part of the visual team, and it was a great experience, as there is no store that has such a strong vision when it comes to interiors. Anthropologie does an amazing job with their visual displays and merchandising, using found materials, handcrafted props and art to create stories and themes that are innovative and inspirational. They make organized clutter and chaotic creativity work and breathe new life into seemingly useless junk.
Here are a few of my favourites, collected over time and tucked away into my inspiration folder, so unfortunately I’m unsure as to sources …
Also, here’s a quick snap of the thrifted goods I found this past weekend that I mentioned yesterday, to give you an idea of what I’m working with. As soon as I finish my brand book (due next week, wow), I’ll be focusing my attentions on the exhibition props and adding a bit of bicyclette flair …
I’m finding it harder and harder to balance school with “real” life. I’ve taken this huge step forward with the trade shows in Vegas (we’re talking about 250 pieces for the initial buy!), making the reality of it that much closer and bringing my excitement to the next level. I just want to dive in, full force.
So I’m looking at finding a studio space now, somewhere that I can work out of and use for storage, shipping and photo shoots, as well as developing the online store and looking into my different options in terms of hosting. And then I get to start styling and shooting the clothing, and selling online!
Inspiration is such an important process of this for me, and putting together this blog has been such a valuable experience, being able to gather my thoughts and explore my creativity and receive your feedback and comments. So thank you for being part of this with me, and as always, I would love to hear from you!
And with that … Happy Monday!
One of the things I love about Queen St. West, the area I live in and the future home of bicyclette, is the constant source of inspiration that the various stores provide. A walk down the street offers a multitude of creative window displays and covetable products. I was first captivated by the butterfly collage that greets customers as they enter the store, and then upon glancing at the jewelry on display and the interior of the store itself, was intrigued. Love of Mine is a fairly new store on the Queen St. West strip in downtown Toronto, offering a well-curated collection of jewelry and accessories.
Love of Mine is for the individual. It was designed to provide each client with a unique shopping experience by connecting the loves of the store’s creator to those of the shoppers. Think of Love of Mine as a way to express your sophisticated creativity and individuality. For us, craftsmanship and artistry define each piece. With this in mind, our modern designs maintain a classic sensibility, always unique and always in style.
The pieces all have a vintage-inspired aesthetic, marrying old with new and offering truly unique pieces that it is hard not to fall in love with. Owner Anna Damelin says,“I like things that are natural and organic; modern with a little bit of kitsch. It’s about picking the special things that no one else has. I want to be able to love it now and still love it 10 years later.”
Prices range from $12 for headbands to upwards of $500, with trendy pieces priced in the lower range and those with semi-precious stones and more intricate details higher. The store itself has a gallery-esque quality, allowing the pieces to stand out and draw you in.
Images Credits: Eat.Live.Shop, BlogTO & Love of Mine
I watched Down with Love today as I was making some last minute Christmas gifts, which is where the inspiration for today’s interior inspiration post comes from.
Not sure if anyone remembers it, I don’t think it got the best reception, but there’s something I love about this movie. Perhaps not exactly cinematic genius, but it’s quirky and silly and just plain fun and quite honestly, I think it’s primarily the styling, art direction and set design that has me singing its’ praises. The costumes are fantastic (hello, 60s!) and the sets are amazing. The colours, the patterns, the spaces … perfection, so pretty! They did an excellent job juxtaposing “his” and “her” apartments, and everything is executed down to the last detail.
That huge window and balcony in her apartment make me wish that that was a realistic apartment feature, not to mention the winding, floating staircase and the sunken living room. And the pink chairs? Ah, love. They’re welcome on the floor of bicyclette anytime. Reminds me of this fiberglass rocking chair, which I would also gladly accept:
The other highlight of my day was when I wandered down Queen St. West, to get myself out of the house and see if anything sparked inspiration, and came across a tiny little shop selling vintage home wares and a small collection of clothing. Turns out the woman only planned to open for a month (it’s been three weeks thus far), as a way to sell off pieces from her own collection, but it’s been going so well for her and she’s had such a good response that she’s decided to stay open for longer. She has some amazing items: vintage pyrex, glassware, boardgames, linens, jewelry, furniture, and the list goes on. And the prices are very reasonable, not overpriced like I find many of those shops to be. Here’s what I walked away with: a set of eight glasses with the prettiest pattern on them and an elongated, slim shape that is perfect. It just so happened that I had been looking for new glasses, as my random dollar store collection doesn’t quite cut it anymore.
Back to the movie talk, and on an ending note, I would love to hear what your favourite films are in terms of costume and set design? I know there are some good ones out there, and they’re a great source of inspiration …
This will be the first year that I have my very own Christmas tree. I usually spend the bulk of my time off at my parents’ house, but this year it looks like I’ll be staying at my place more than usual, so I thought it was about time to start my own decoration collection. I decided to go the artificial route for a variety of reasons, the main one being that I’ve fallen in love with white trees. There’s something so pretty and surreal and whimsical that I find so beautiful about them. I’ve ordered in online from Sears, and am patiently awaiting it’s delivery, which was supposed to be Saturday, but has apparently been delayed due to the busy season. You’d think they would account for that, but whatever.
I love the idea of collecting Christmas tree ornaments over the years and each one having its’ own story behind it, so I’m looking forward to beginning my own collection. For this Interior Inspiration Monday, I thought I would share some sources of holiday decorating inspiration that I’ve been drawn to. And the fact that today we got our first (tiny) snowfall (yay!) makes it even more appropriate.
Can’t wait for a tree of my own to dress up. I will post pictures when it’s up. And as soon as this crazy week is over.
Oh, Monday, how I dread your arrival. I guess the bright side is that I’m so close to my Holiday break that it’s better to just keep plugging away at this point.
For this Interior Inspiration installment, I’m focusing on the details. The following photos are all from my ever-growing collection of photos that I’ve been adding to for awhile now. I’ve mentioned it before, but one of the key focuses of bicyclette will be on visual merchandising and the creation of a comfortable and creative environment. I believe that merchandise should be integrated with the displays, and instead of having a sterile environment, it should be inviting and encourage customers to interact and be inspired. I feel as though this collection of photos represents that, even though they are home interiors and not necessarily retail. There’s a lot of room for cross-over though, and like I said, in this case, I’m inspired by the details.
Wallpaper as tapestry. There's something about a bold print that instantly jazzes up a space
Flea market feel. Maybe a little on the over-cluttered side, but I like the idea...
Mismatched vintage furniture, wooden floor and the gorgeous fireplace/mirror combination
Collection of random frames (empty and not) as wall decoration. Perhaps hanging jewelry within?
This velvet covered couch is perfection. I need to find a similar version. And I love the array of patterned pillows and throws
Again with the frames, though perhaps a little too hectic. Also love the simple couch with punches of colour
Whitewashed walls and floors create a calm environment, and the bedframe is beautiful
The romantic, vintage vibe that the mannequin and hanging clothes gives off creates an intimate environment
This whole set-up creates a perfect display
The details, accessories and vibrant accents of colour
I’m curious what decorating tips and tricks people use, and what they are drawn to?
My taste tends to gravitate towards the more vintage-inspired and eclectic, as evident in the above photos.
Also, where do you get your interior inspiration from?
For this edition of Interior Monday, I’ve chosen to spotlight another inspirational boutique that does interior architecture and design extremely well.
One of my friends, Kaitlin from My Vintage Secret, told me about a store in Paris, Merci, that she learned about through a trend presentation that she recently attended. After searching the internet for awhile for more information, I finally found a few articles and blog posts highlighting the shop and raving about its’ unique quality. Simply put, Merci is a charity concept store, with all of the proceeds, minus the costs and salaries, going to children in Madagascar, one of the poorest countries on the planet.
The fairly large, 16 000 sq foot store is split up into three stories offering a multitude of books, clothing, flowers, furniture, and also a café and an elegant canteen. Talk about covering a lot of territory. Merci offers specially designed pieces for the store by Stella McCartney, YSL, and Paul Smith, to name a few, and because the designers have given up their profit margins, the items are 30-40% cheaper. The clothing offerings have been described as “Bobo” (Bourgeois Bohemian), a new term for me, and one that I’m not sure I like the sounds of. I understand the application, but the word “clown” keeps popping into my head first. C’est la vie. Merci also boasts a vintage stand, which has been likened to a 70s photo shoot and is completed with a selection of pieces donated by various actors, models, and singers.
The top level of the loft offers a wide range of furniture, some affordable, some more decadent and in limited editions, along with a multitude of home accessories. “This is a personal mix of rare pieces and daily objects, which illustrates my life philosophy” says owner Marie-France.
Next door is Café Bouquiniste (the Reading Café), which is a New York City inspired space merging a coffee shop and second-hand bookshop.
Merci is a retail store that is truly inspirational in that they have succeeded in creating a hard-to-find, truly unique shopping experience. The merchandise is eclectic and well-curated, they fully embrace and succeed with their high/low pricing strategy, they’ve found the perfect combination of vintage, bespoke and brand, and they’ve created an exciting environment.
This gives me one more item to add to my list of reasons why I need to visit Paris, and a store to look up to as I continue to piece together bicyclette. I knew there was a reason I chose a french name for the store!
I’m curious what everyone thinks of this concept and it’s extremely eclectic orientation?
Leave A Comment