New location a Winner



 

Have you heard? Winners in North Bay is now located in the new strip mall on McKeown Avenue.

 

The brand new facilities of the "find fabulous for less" store are bigger than the old location, but the overall look and feel remain the same. 

 

Clothing dominates the product offering. It has a prime position in the store, whereas the home décor section is tucked in the back. In fact, the space reserved for furniture, lamps and decorative items seems smaller than in the Lakeshore location. Somewhat disappointing I must say!

In any event, a visit to the store continues to be a "must" for anybody hunting for stylish benches or banquettes, neat storage solutions, small tables and accessories.

 

Let's take a look at some of the items in the store right now.

 

 

Industrial-style stools.



Beautiful bench with nail head trim and tufted seat.

Winners is a good place for

shabby-chic pieces, such as

this mirror with a washed-out

patina.

 









Root table à la Winners.



A laundry basket on wheels can be practical.

Woodworking and pancakes in Amish territory

If you like hand-crafted furniture, make sure to check out Pioneer Nook Woodworking. The company, located just east of Powassan, has made custom-built, wooden furniture since 2007, following the Mennonite craftsmanship tradition. They also refurbish and reface existing pieces.

Dove-tail detail.

I recently engaged them to make drawers for a client's dresser, and love the fact that the drawers will be made of solid maple, and will have strong, dove-tailed corners.

This Saturday, July 12th, Pioneer Nook Woodworking will host an Annual Bake Sale and Pancake Breakfast, between 7:30 and 12:00 noon, at 348 Pioneer Road in Powassan. What a great opportunity to explore an interesting part of our community, and to visit an Amish woodworking site!

Photo courtesy of Pioneer Nook Woodworking.

Vested Interest: The exotic side of Callander



 

Vested Interest is back in Callander, and continues to take us on exotic and flavourful trips around the world. 

Filled with peaks and rafters and a beautiful wooden staircase, the bright red building that houses the new store is almost worth a visit in itself.

Although Vested Interest has something for all seasons, it's in the summer that the store excels, with its colourful accessories that will bring joy to your home. 

Here are some of my favourites from my first visit to the Callander location last week:

Fish swimming in formation, adding a touch of fun

to any summer display.

More fish. I love this trio of hot pads/trays.

I was thrilled to find this stylish and sturdy design classic

among the kitchen accessories! The Margarethe mixing

bowl by Swedish designer Sigvard Bernadotte, makes 

whisking, beating, or stirring delightful. Great for a hostess
gift!

All-weather cushion in happy colours.

Paddles with patina

will bring interest to a

lonely corner.

Great for lounging on the deck, headrest included.

Interesting cups and decorations in a thin layer of tin.

Three stores - three best picks

Farmhouse-style clocks in fun colours at Leon's.

What to do with an hour to kill in the northwest end of town? Check out the design offer in this part of the city of course!

Target, Leon's and Canadian Tire are all at a convenient distance from each other in North Bay. Here are my three best picks from these stores. Let me know if I missed anything!




Poufs in a variety of graphic patterns at Target.

Great for casual summer living.



Target has a very attractive blue and golden theme going

in the store...

...like this gilded lamp base that

very easily transforms into....



...this preppy lamp.



One of many accent tables from Target,

all below $100. Oops, I guess that was best

pick # 5 from Target.

Cute armchair from Leon's. It could work equally well

in a "shabby chic" as a more traditional space.

Funky dresser from Leon's.

High, cone-shaped pots look great around
the front door. From Canadian Tire.

Stream-lined, purple couch from Leon's that becomes a bed with a simple  "klik-klak".



Canadian Tire is not known for being a "design mecca"

but the store has a good selection of nice ceiling fixtures,

like this striped glass pendant, with alternating frosted and

clear glass.

We're all itching to put some flower pots outside, so who can

resist these colourful pots and petunias from Canadian Tire?

Got the spring blues yet?

Savine wallpaper from Designers Guild.

Beat the latest - and hopefully last - spell of winter weather with some spring blues!

Pantone, the provider of colour systems, has announced "Dazzling blue" their colour of spring 2014. It's a bright blue that shimmers, and a colour that has been popular on the runways for some time.



Photo: Eclectic Society/Style.





 

Different shades of blue are certainly hot this spring. In contemporary settings we often see them mixed with black. We're also seeing more and more blue kitchens, which might seem surprising, given that the colour is associated with reduced appetite according to feng shui. Together with it's favourite team mate white, a blue kitchen certainly looks fresh and classy this season.

Photo: Houzz. Blue kitchen by Von Fitz Design.

In search of blue fabric inspiration in town, I saw some great, blue cotton and linen prints at Stewart's Decorating Centre recently. They were from Avant Garde, a brand new supplier to the store. Any of the fabrics below would make for very attractive accent pillows. At Fabricland, I also saw an interesting print, that reminded me of some of Finnish design house Marimekko's fabrics. Take a look:



  


Fabricland print.

Marimekko Tuuli print.

Marimekko birch tree print.

 

Speaking of blues, this gorgeously reupholstered chair

is looking for a new home. It is quite petite and would be a 

perfect statement chair - fun and fresh - in a nursery or a 

kid's room. You can paint the legs white if you don't like the wood.

Contact Bonell's Upholstery for more info.

 

New location - great rooms

The Great Room store entrance on 390 First

Ave. E. in North Bay.

 

 

 

 

Who doesn't want a great room? If you're the least interested in design, the answer is probably a resounding "I certainly do"!

A good first step to achieving that objective is to check out the store with the same name in downtown North Bay. The Great Room recently moved to the lower floor of a 1909 house on 390 First Ave. E, just next to Fischer.

The 800 square-foot area is divided in various rooms, and provides an intimate setting for the store's classic and contemporary pieces. Take a look!
 

If you like white-washed pieces - which is my case - this is a great mirror.

 

Grey couch from G Romano. The tufted bench seat, narrow

arm rests and overall straight lines give it a light, tailored look,

despite its width. 

Blue - a hot colour this spring.

A versatile, wooden console.