Oh Canada!
We have officially moved our vacation location from Vero Beach, Florida to Quebec, Canada. After a 4 day jaunt in Florida, hanging out poolside, sipping Mojitos and partying at Emilio and Gloria Estefan’s house on Saturday night (they threw a wonderful party and are truly a class act couple), we took a quick flight to Montreal Canada, where we then got into the car and drove to Quebec. It was the closest we could get to Europe without flying there. We were looking forward to seeing all the beautiful colors of the changing foliage on our drive, but we were disappointed yesterday to find that everything was still green. When we arrived in Quebec we found it is home to centuries old buildings full of historical importance. We certainly plan to indulge ourselves while we are here in french brasseries, beautiful churches and breathtaking botanical gardens. I’ve included some pics here from last night. I will be sure to post some pictures tomorrow of our adventures today. Au revoir!
Vacationing in Vero
Today is officially day two of our annual vacation. Every year around this time we head to Italy to celebrate a wedding anniversary of a few friends. This year the party got moved from Tuscany to Vero Beach, Florida. What a great place for boating, fishing, kayaking, snorkeling, diving, paddle boarding…and the list could go on and on. I’ll post more tomorrow, but until then Im just going to enjoy the moment.
Reader Question: What do I do to my walls when I have really high ceilings? Where would I hang my artwork?
I get asked about high ceilings all the time. What do I do with the walls? Where do I hang artwork? It looks and feels like the space goes up forever. My answer is…add more molding. I found this picture online and although the style is a little bit too traditional for my taste, it certainly drives home my point. If you add molding around the room where the ceiling should be it will automatically give you a “wall map”. The molding will dictate your space. You will be able to hang art both high and low without feeling like it gets lost and if you want, you can even paint the room under the molding leaving the upper wall the original color. By adding more molding, it will get rid of the stark openness and give the space a cozy and relaxed feel. Another thing that I especially like about this room is that they painted the molding darker than the wall color adding even more architectural detail.
Kohler Iron/Occasions Island Sink
I heart this kitchen island from Kohler that was spotted at the 2009 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. Check out the details.
With its seamless one-piece surface and integrated basin, the Iron/Occasions island sink brings sleek design and functionality straight to the surface. Made from KOHLER Cast Iron, this island sink forms a convenient workspace that’s both durable and easy to clean. And because KOHLER Cast Iron is 93% recycled and reclaimed material, you can feel good about its sustainability.
According to them this is guaranteed not to chip, crack or burn and the enamel covered cast iron is also easy to clean. This definitely gives you storage space, surface space and is more functional than a typical island. Its dimensions are 30 x 63 inches in size with the trough in the middle about 8 inches wide. Sleek and sophisticated, I would say this is definitely kitchen couture!
Reality Show Featuring Anthropologie Buyer Keith Johnson
Attention all you Anthro lovers!!! Here’s something to geek out over…
The Sundance Channel is gearing up to premier “Man Shops Globe” on October 7th, 2009. This show is a new original series starring Keith Johnson, the antiques buyer for the innovative specialty retailer Anthropologie. One of the largest purchasers of decorative antiques in the world, Johnson globe trots six months out of the year to find unique and beautiful items. The eight-part, half-hour series “Man Shops Globe” (working title), follows his high-pursuit, ends-of-the-earth excursions, from flea markets in Paris to remote villages in India to obscure art studios across the globe. The series is produced by World of Wonder (“Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood,” “Show Biz Mom & Dads,” “One Punk Under God”).
“Sundance Channel’s audience loves travel and design so we are very enthusiastic about offering our viewers an inside look at Keith’s adventures and an appreciation of his dedication to nurturing artists, as well as an understanding of what makes his eye so unique. His charm, coupled with his knowledge of the gorgeous objects and antiques he finds are sure to have our audience salivating for more,” said Sundance Channel GM Laura Michalchyshyn. “We are also thrilled to be working with World of Wonder again; it is always a great collaborative process resulting in good work!”
In each location, be it China, Argentina, South Africa, Brazil, France, England, India, or Scandinavia, Johnson hits the ground running with a different team of local experts and artists who help him acquire and re-imagine a new life for the eclectic objects he finds. Working against the clock and driven by his own competitive spirit, he is inexhaustible in his search for uncommon design. This series is also distinguished by Johnson’s appreciation of the creative process: each episode will showcase exquisite and delightful objects as well as the artists and process behind the work.
Whether he discovers an antique table or wealth of original works in an undiscovered artist’s studio, viewers are sure to be fascinated with Johnson’s knack for finding covetable, one-of-a-kind pieces.
Executive Producers are Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. Co Executive Producer and Director is Jeremy Simmons. The Executive Producer for Sundance Channel is Lynne Kirby and the Supervising Producer is Ann Rose.
About Keith Johnson:
Keith Johnson’s passion for art, antiques and travel emerged in childhood as he accompanied his father, an art dealer, on excursions through Europe. His current role as Anthropologie’s antiques buyer is driven by Johnson’s early experiences and boundless curiosity. He spends most of the year abroad in search of decorative antiques to be sold in Anthropologie stores and serve as inspiration for in-house design, as well as gifted artisans to create original works.
Johnson’s relationship with Anthropologie began in 1994 when his partner Glen Senk, now CEO of parent company Urban Outfitters Inc., became president. Senk asked Johnson to find antiques for the women’s lifestyle retailer’s first store. As Anthropologie grew so did Johnson’s responsibilities. He now acquires antiques for 115 Anthropologie stores and curates the art gallery in Anthropologie’s Rockefeller Center location.
