Men’s suits: Little details that are often overlooked
Feb 27th
Suits have often made or broken men in a flash. Not surprising when we all know how important first impressions are to humans. And sadly many times when things go wrong it is often because of small details that were somehow overlooked during the selection process.
For instance it is very important to buy a shirt and a tie that goes with your new suit. Too many times people focus on the suit and assume that they will find something in their wardrobe that will go with it only to get disappointed and frustrated at the last minute when they are about to go out for that all-important function.
But probably the most important factor that is often forgotten or overlooked are the buttons. Buttons are supposed to add value to a suit and are even capable of giving a very ordinary fabric the royal look. Bottom line, spend more time and care selecting the right buttons to go with your new suit. Or reject a readymade suit that does not have the right buttons for the look you want.
Other critical small details have to do with your choice of accessories to go with your suit. What watch will you wear? How will it look with the expensive pinstripe suit you have settled for? What about the shoes? What color are they? Is there a danger that they will clash with the color of your suit rather than complement it?
There are many fabrics to choose from for men’s suits. In fact so many that it can quickly get very confusing. But do remember this important tip. You will rarely go wrong with a good quality wool fabric which is wrinkle free.
Bathroom Sinks: Buying Tips, Ideas & MORE!
Feb 24th
Does your bathroom need a new look? One of the easiest ways to give it a facelift is to get a new bathroom sink. These days, there are a variety of sinks being offered, from the traditional white porcelain bowl to the free-standing sink, and you can easily find something to fit your budget.
There are five basic different types of sinks on the market today, and each one should be chosen considering your needs, who uses it the most, the size and style of your washroom, and your decorating style. If you are unfamiliar with the types, each category has been listed with a brief description.
Vanity sinks are the sinks that are installed into cabinetry. They are functional because they provide ample storage space and keep all your toiletries neatly out of sight. However, since they can take up a lot of room, they are most suitable for a large bathrooms as opposed to a tiny powder room.
Pedestal sinks usually come in one piece as the sink sits on top of a pedestal and are usually made of porcelain or marble. This adds to their sophisticated quality. They take up very little room, so are an excellent choice for a small bathroom.
Vessel sinks sit on top of a counter and often looks almost like a bowl or some other vessel. Hence the name. The are very decorative and have a contemporary look and feel. They can be varying sizes though and can come in a variety of different materials, with the most common being glass, stone and metal
Console sinks are sinks that are mounted on a countertop connected to a wall at the back and supported by two legs at the back. This is a great style for smaller bathrooms as it can make the room appear larger than it is. There is no cabinet, but placing a basket under it is a good way to make some storage space.
Wall-mounted sinks are the type of sinks most often seen in public restrooms. They are functional and take up little room, since they are attached to only the wall, making them perfect for even the smallest bathroom. Since this type of sink can be pulled away from the wall, they are best suited for households without small children or anyone who needs to use a sink to support their body weight.
Careful consideration should be taken when selecting the perfect bathroom sink to ensure it best suits your lifestyle. Look around to find the best one for you.
Bedroom Furniture: Keep Things Simple
Feb 24th
One thing I enjoy is the look of a clean and stylish bedroom. You can tell a lot about a person by the look of their entire apartment but how their bedroom is presented is particularly important, in my opinion. It’s a private place where you retreat to at the end of the day and you should feel as calm as possible in this space. What is important to keep in mind is that simplicity is key: Yes, you have many interests and it’s fun to show them off but at a certain point it all becomes useless, aggravating clutter. The transition from my bedroom at my mother’s house to the bedroom I have now in my very own apartment was very difficult but thankfully not at all expensive.
The bed is the obvious focal point of the bedroom in regards to furniture and it should be presentable. To get a more contemporary look to the room, I suggest a solid platform bed with a wooden slatted base (I find the metallic ones don’t have a personal vibe to them and they come off a little cold). The low to the ground look is very much in vogue right now and if you have a small bedroom, it gives off the look of extra space. I also appreciate that a boxspring isn’t necessary because I honestly find them a little tacky and well, boxy. I got my black-brown platform bed frame at Ikea in a Queen size a couple of years ago and it’s still going strong! It’s the Malm model and Ikea.ca lists it at $189.99, which is around a hundred dollars less than what I paid for it originally but even at almost $300 it was an amazing deal!
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/S39849855
I’m really plugging Ikea here but another great item that I have in my bedroom is the Hemnes 6-drawer chest in black-brown. What I like about it is that it’s tall and that is another great way to save space and give the room a more modern look at the same time. I have nothing against the longer ones that take up half the wall; they can look amazing if you have the room (unfortunately, I do not) and if you find a piece that compliments your living space instead of overwhelming it. It’s listed at $299 and comes it also comes in a cute blue color that I wish I had thought to buy but at the time I was so concerned with being “matchy-matchy” (my entire bedroom furniture is Ikea black-brown and it looks good but I should’ve shaken things up a bit)!
http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/70121249
As for shelving, I recommend wall shelves as opposed to having a giant book case. That enables you to keep only a few of your favorite books, CDs/records and knick-knacks in your bedroom. The living room is a place to keep the heavier objects but the bedroom should have a lighter, airier feel to it.
Layla Brown
Bathroom Accessories with a purpose
Feb 24th
If you find yourself having to hurdle over lumps of dirty towels or have even experienced stepping onto some foreign toenail clippings as you enter your bathroom, the area may be lacking some very important and functional accessories. To help put some things into perspective, access the current situation of dysfunction before supplying the necessary accessories. You can also make a stylish and salubrious impression by furnishing your bathroom with unique and helpful items.
Freshening Accessories
No one likes to enter a bathroom filled with lingering and unpleasant mystery odours, so be sure to have plenty of air freshening supplies on hand. Choices can be based on packaging style to suit decor, product convenience and effectiveness, or simply for liking the fragrance it delivers.
So what will it be? An anti-bacterial ocean breeze scented spray that allows you to combat odours and germs on contact, or the dual functioning benefits of a fragrant toilet paper holder that releases a pleasant scent with every spin?
Ozone friendly aerosols and ornaments filled with scented potpourri or droplets of your favourite essential oils make wonderful environmentally safe fresheners, or for a more lasting effect opt for an automatic wall-mounted freshener with timing features capable of delivering bouquets of pleasant aromas every hour. Whatever the choice in freshening devices, a bathroom’s first impression is greatly measured by its welcoming odour.
If caught in a situation of unexpected company arriving and your air freshening resources have suddenly depleted, simply place as a small cupful of scented fabric softener in an inconspicuous area to quickly freshen up the room.
Clean and Tidy
Place necessary accessories such as waste baskets and towel racks in plain view, this will help to avoid and divert potential sloppiness from happening in the first place. In the event that plain view tactics do not improve a messy situation, stop mess culprits in their tracks by using a visual aid, such as placing a large sign on the door that says; “Slob Prevention Training Program in Effect Until Further Notice”, and then removing the sign once the situation has improved.
Wall mounted soap dispensers keep your favourite cleansers and soaps neatly organized and hygienic and keep counter tops free from product clutter. For easy clean-ups of toilets, sinks, door-handles or any other bacteria breeding crevasses furnish the bathroom with a stylish dispenser containing some handy disinfecting wipes.
Adding functional and stylish accessories will keep bathrooms looking clean and smelling fresh, delighting all throughout their personal hygiene experiences.
Barbara Sonja Biller
Bathroom Design: Candle Light & Soaking Tubs
Feb 24th
As a women, the bathroom is one of my favorite rooms in the house. It is a sanctuary, where I get ready for the day to come and unwind from a long day of work or sports.
I am a bather. I prefer to take a bath than a shower and do so everyday. So when I designed my house, I took a long time deciding what kind of a tub I wanted and how I wanted to mount it. There are a staggering amount of options out there.
My first decision was whether I wanted a whirlpool bath or not. Obviously, the big advantage is the massage you receive when you lie back and turn on the jets. However, you can’t use any oils or bubble baths if you don’t want to make a huge mess. The noise of the motor is also an issue, as well as the space you need to house it.
I have always been a big fan of the old fashion tub, but like to have a platform around my bath to keep shampoos, bath oils, candles and towels. With an freestanding old fashion tub, you are limited to a soup holder that crosses the tub. I find it gets in the way.
A freestanding tub also requires exposed fixtures which are very expensive. So, I desided to take and old fashion tub and drop it into a platform that I covered with marble tiles. I saved money on the facets because they were mounted from the platform instead of leading from the bathroom floor.
These tubs also come in different sizes. You can have a 5 foot or 6 foot long tub. Since I am only 5′5”, I decided for the 5 footer. That way, I could rest in my tub without the risk of drowning if I snoozed off. Also, you use less water to fill it which saves money in the long run.
Now, I can come home, light a few candles and relax im my soaking tub. Sheer heaven.
O. Alexandra Viteznikova
Kid’s Furniture For The Little Brain
Feb 24th
A child’s formative years, from birth up to the age of five, are crucial to their development. Parents invest in educational games and toys to promote their child’s brain activity, but recently pediatricians have emphasized just how important a child’s free play and unscheduled activities are, as well. This means that the things a child sees and touches while on his own are very important to his learning progress, which in turn means that devoted parents now have something else to keep in mind: furniture. The idea is to fill a child’s room with interactive furniture which will encourage the child to explore its shapes and textures, replacing typical shapes with abnormal or unusual ones to spark creativity and help a child think outside the box.
PLAY +, an Italian furniture line has focused on “…the conviction that an environment for children should not be considered merely a ‘backdrop’ to a series of activities…but, rather, a protagonist in the construction of the identity of each child…” (ZPZ Partners, www.playpiu.it) and includes everything from chairs to hiding spots for growing minds.
The designers’ strategies are aimed at fortifying the learning of essential functions in the child, and most importantly, doing this in a way that engages the child. In other words, your tiny tot has fun while learning.
Armed with these visual and conceptual pointers, inspiration can be drawn from these designers, while implementing two of the things the modern parent can’t overlook: accessibility and budget.
IKEA, not surprisingly, offers some interesting additions for children of all ages. Kids love swinging and hanging off things, and the joy from playing with gravity is something most adults can remember even years after they’ve outgrown the tire swings! IKEA offers two hanging seats – an obvious luxury in a child’s world – to expand the child’s motor skills while being, well, just plain fun. The EKKORE (light grey polyester) swing provides some privacy, while the IKEA PS SWINGA (blue weaving) is recommended for older children, and has a more sleek design perfect even for little fashionistas. (ikea.com)
Rocking chairs also improve motor skills and general coordination, so if your little one isn’t tempted by a swinging seat, the bear themed rocking chair from Kids Chair World (kidschairworld.com) should pique his interest! The chair even comes with a detachable cushion secured with Velcro. Kids Chair World also offers the standard rocking chair by Kidkraft in bright red, adding exciting vibrancy to any child’s bedroom.
When it comes to covering the floor, why not combine practicality with fun? This 100% wool soccer rug from A Kids Corner (akidscorner.com) includes finger puppets, goal nets and a mini soccer ball, and promotes interaction while developing hand-eye coordination.
Even simple furniture additions like coat hangers can be made more interesting and eye-catching. This deer coat hanger from IKEA also serves the purpose of introducing a young child to new shapes and curves as well as the concept of asymmetry.
Finally, organization shouldn’t be overlooked when creating an original space. This toy treasure chest from IKEA (ikea.com) is a roomy storage solution with a soft felt lock the little hands will need to unhook to open. The book case carousel by Guidecraft (allchildrensfurniture.com) can be fully spun for easier access to books, and its novel shape and rotating concept are another way to add pizzazz to the every day necessities.
Finally, for the DIY savvy parents there’s a way to literally transform a room into an interactive experience. Dornob (dornob.com) recently featured an indoor tree house that is inarguably the coolest room a kid could have, and the best part (aside from the actual tree house) is that your child can help make it, picking and painting the colors onto the walls.
Finding something creative within each furniture piece will keep a child interested in the item longer, making it a wonderful investment both for the pocketbook and the mind!
The Modern Bed
Feb 24th
Without a doubt, the most important piece of furniture you will every buy for you or your family is a bed. We spend somewhere between a quarter and half of all our time in bed after all. And for the young and very old that percentage can be even higher.
There is nothing quite as appealing as a beautifully made, inviting bed to climb into after a long day at the office or even the golf course.
Beds and bedding have come a long way since our grandparents time. Yet, the manufacture of high end organic mattresses, pillows, and accessories looks more like it did in our grandparents day. With the combination of pure organic materials, creative design and professional hand craftsmanship, some green mattress companies have transformed their manufacturing facilities to a completely organic and pure environment.
Now for the good part! The styles are very modern, but still fit into a traditional environment. So, the beds looks as good in a Soho Loft as at ‘The Cottage’.
The great advantage of green beds and bedding are not only comfort and luxury, but also, organic bedding is extremely healthy for you and your family, particularly for allergy sufferers.
The new organic mattresses and bedding are antimicrobial. In other words they are made of a substance that kills or inhibits the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi or protozoans as well as destroying viruses. I don’t know about you, but I would rather not sleep on anything that even remotely resembles fungi!
Of course all this organic bliss is going to cost you a little more than your average run of the mill mattress. Organic mattresses retail between $2000-$5000, compared with the $850 you can spend on a spring coiled model.
Look on line at www.greensleep.com, www.obasan.ca, or www.vivetique.com for more information on retailers near you.
Sweet dreams….
O. Alexandra Viteznikova
Kitchen Design 101
Feb 24th
In 1998 I found a jewel of a property, on a jewel of an island. I had the incredible pleasure of designing and building a house just the way I wanted. Sounds glamorous but building a house has broke up more marriages, and caused a few heart attacks when you can’t find your contractor and he has your money.
That being said, designing and building a house is the most creative thing I have ever done. Since I am a closeted architect, who studied Finance, I hand drew all the plans in such detail that I included the furniture.
The heart of every house is without a doubt the kitchen, even if your man is trying to tell you otherwise. After all you have to keep up his strength with food. Not to mention the kids.
So, I spent 1 year thinking about exactly how to set up the kitchen. What bugs me most is that is some kitchens, even large ones, two people can’t cook and clean at the same time. For me that is vital. To have two areas that can be worked simultaneously, without tripping over each other and possibly spilling the wine! That way when you are finished cooking, say for a dinner party, your kitchen is clean.
Now you don’t have to have a large kitchen to accomplish this goal. It just depends on how you set it up. There are of course professional kitchen designers, but I enjoyed doing it myself, and who knows t my cooking and entertaining habits better than I do..
So this is how I did it. I measured the size of the kitchen and drew it in edging tape on the floor of my Manhattan apartment. Then I decided where the plumbing was going to be placed. Of course if it’s a reno, you may be constricted by existing plumbing.
Then to scale I laid out the stove, sinks, dishwasher etc. I stood in my pretend kitchen and I pretended to cook. You know when the stove is just out of reaching range from the prep area. Or when dishwasher is open, you can’t open the fridge.
The most annoying for me is actually at my dad’s house where at 5′5” I can’t reach the cupboards where the dishes are kept when the dishwasher is open.. So I have to take all the dishes out, put them on the counter, close the dishwasher and then put the plates, cups and glasses away. That takes twice as long! At my mom’s former home, before I got her into a great condo, the kitchen design was down right dangerous. If the dishwasher is open, and you didn’t realize it, you would literally fall right over it. Thank god my mom was good at the long jump in her school day,s because it saved her possible broken bones.
So if you play in your pretend Betty Crocker’s kitchen for a while, you will find these glaring problems before you spend a years salary on a new kitchen. Plus it’s a lot of fun!
Olga Alexandra Viteznikova
Women’s Spring Hairstyles 2010
Feb 24th
Two years ago, I was flipping through the latest issue of NYLON and came across a spread with a model whose hair was so bleached it was silver and was cut into a choppy, spiky mullet. Yes my friends, this is the very picture I brought to my hairdresser and asked her to re-create on my head. “This model is wearing a wig, you know,” was her somewhat incredulous answer to my request. Wig or no wig, I was ready to make the drastic change. After a couple of seasons of having my hair as my “thing”, (and getting called Garth, yes, from Wayne’s World) I got extensions and took my mullet to a whole new level. Almost a year later and immense amounts of regret for putting my hair through irreparable damage, I have learned the art of the updo and will continue to pile my hair ontop of my head until its long enough to look normal again. (This will take years, according to my hairdresser. She’s too nice to say, “I told you so,” even though she was apprehensive to bleach, tone, and bleach again to achieve that non-colour I so desperately sought after). Luckily for me, as a product junkie, I have a whole lot of new reasons to slather, massage, wrap, heat and slick on the slew of miracle creams and masks for damaged and splitting hair. Hopefully, after a few more weeks of using Redken’s Heavy Cream and Ojon’s deep conditioning masks (which are AH-MAZING!), my hair will be long enough to attempt to recreate the stylish and chic hairdos that dominated the spring runway.
PLAITS, PLEASE:
A major reoccurring trend in the hair department that was seen on the runway from the likes of Rochas, Oscar de la Renta, Alexander Want, and my personal favourite, Giambattista Valli, the school-girl braid has been taken to a whole new level. Popular styles varied greatly in design and the breaid can be really be worn any way this season and still hit the trend bullseye. Spotted on the runway: simple, loose, and on the side; a more complicated, twisted updo version, milkmaid style, and inspiration from Heidi to Pippi Longstocking was evident. At Giambattista Valli, the models’ hair was pulled into a big, voluminous pontytail before being teased some more and braided simply or fishtail. A style so easy we were doing it in elementary school? Guess I’ll have to come up with another excuse for being late!
POLISHED & PRETTY:
The slick look has also been a reoccurring trend for a few seasons running now, but this spring, the hair can either be parted (centre or side; it’s your call) or pulled back and off the face. Let the rest frame your face or pull back into a ponytail; both were seen on the catwalks this season. Previous seasons looked hard and shellacked while this spring, the style looked like it was created with a few mists of water and shine serum as opposed to a tub of super-hold gel.
SHE’S COME UNDONE:
Last week, part of my intern duties included transcribing an interview with one of the hairstylists from the set of the Sex And The City 2 film. After rewinding and listening to the interview about 700 times to catch every. single. word., the “ undone styled style” is the only thing I could think of for days. After catching a glimpse of this look at Gucci, Chloé, Giles and Tommy Hilfiger, to name a few, I finally understood the stylist’s obsession. Loose, big waves with lots of movement and texture fall right in the very centre of the spectrum of prom queen curls and bedhead. Hair should look styled, but not like you look like you spent hours styling it. Tips on how to achieve the look: use a texturizing product, (my personal favourite is Bumble & Bumble Brilliantine) and a few different wide barrel curling irons, switching directions and never clamping the hair, but wrapping it around the outside of the iron. Shake it out (upside down for added body), mist with light hold hairspray and don’t get mad when people stare.
OMBRÉ:
Long since a trend from everything from cardigans to cocktail dresses, it was Prada’s sequin ombré clutch I was after last season. This season? The trend has migrated north and is allowing me to stretch out the salon visits to 12 weeks instead of 6. (Both my wallet and my damaged hair are thanking me). Letting your true colours show has been a huge hit on and off the runway. Trendsetting fashionistas from Rachel Bilson to Cameron Diaz to Alexa Chung have been sporting major roots, but fear not, the look gives off a laid-back cool vibe and totally looks on purpose and not like you missed your salon appointment. The trick is to ensure your roots are a maximum of 2 shades darker or lighter than your ends, any more and it quickly goes from trendy to tacky. Any trend that is encouraging me to show my true colours while saving cash? I’ll take it!
Aimee Brothman
Style.ca Writer