Mike D's Brooklyn Town House

Well I don't think he'll want to fight for his right to party in this house (I'm sorry, I had to) because Mike D's (of Beastie Boys fame) house is pretty much immaculate. He and his wife Tamra Davis spent 6 months renovating the house (with a tiny half a million dollar budget...) and the result is nothing short of spectacular. I literally gasped when I saw pictures of their kitchen. {via The NY Times - Thanks to Christina for the link!}

{All images via The NY Times - see all pictures of Mike D's home here}

Kinfolk event at École Militaire

Last Tuesday, I had the absolute pleasure of being invited to a special evening celebrating the launch of Kinfolk Magazine's latest issue at École Militaire, a gorgeous boutique located on the Plateau.

The intimate dinner was held inside the store's beautiful open space and featured a simple yet scrumptious meal prepared by local chef Franco Gattuso of Drogheria Fine. I had met Franco before because I often stop by his small shop to pick up a latte and a sandwich around the corner from our place. He's known for his tomato sauce and gorgeous olive oil but he is also a very accomplished chef. I mean, the man prepped a delicious 3 course meal for 18 people on a couple of hot plates on the sidewalk. Impressive.

When I arrived at École Militaire, there was a serious downpour outside and it was so nice to be welcomed by the smell of roasting gnocchi and the warm glow of candlelight. The guys from École Militaire set up a long table inside their boutique and invited a group of talented peeps from the city, all of whom worked in some creative field.

 

 The table setting was simple and sweet, as was the menu - Crostini di Toscana, Pasta della Nonna, Gnocchi di Patate al Pesto Siciliano (to die for!!) and for dessert, a special treat prepared by Pascale of Pâtisserie Rhubarbe.

Dessert was a lovely olive oil cake with yoghurt mousse and poached rhubarb. Simple comfort food done right in a charming setting with equally charming folks. A pretty stellar evening and the perfect way to celebrate Kinfolk Magazine, which is ultimately about gathering and celebrating everyday beauty.

Be sure to check out Volume 8 of Kinfolk. The issue is dedicated to Japan and the incredible details that make up its unique culture. I am still reading my copy and soaking in every last word and image. I dare you not to feel inspired!

Grocery store tables

I was perusing the aisles at Loblaws (a grocery store, for those of you not familiar with Canadian grocery store chains) last week when a stack of outdoor metal tables caught my eye. They were piled amidst the BBQ equipment and patio furniture. $15 a pop and available in a variety of colours. Although I agree that these would be lovely outside, I instantly thought that they would make amazing bedside tables.

  
You see we've been looking (and by "we" I mean "I" - Mike couldn't care less) for a pair of simple metal-based tables for our bedroom for a while. I needed them to be quite low because our bed is low to the ground and this turned out to be tricky. I finally concluded that the ones I loved were out of our price range and that we would just wait until we bought a house and had a sense of our new space to splurge. But at $15 a table, we could afford to get a pair and if they were to be replaced by higher end ones one day, then they would go out on the patio to join their patio furniture friends.

I'm happy with how they look in our room. They have clean lines, take little space and don't have any shelves that need to be styled (or dusted). Speaking of not styling, here are some terribly grainy pictures I took with my iphone while Theo was trying to pull down my pants.

In The Studio With: Little Houses

My meeting Shanah Flodstrom, creator and designer behing Little Houses Clothing and Assembly Home Goods, was rather serendipitous. I placed an ad on Kijiji to sell our old dining room chairs and she replied. I recognized her email address because I had come across her collection on Etsy. When she showed up at my house to pick up the chairs, I was excited to meet her and basically invited myself to her studio to see what she was working on. Turns out her studio space is next door my friend Nalo's studio and Nalo had already mentioned my blog to Shanah. I suppose it was just a matter of time before we met. Thanks Kijiji! Shanah very graciously invited me to her studio - or rather, accepted my own invitation to visit her studio - and I took her up on it.

Shanah started Little Houses about 7 years ago in her tiny apartment in East Vancouver. She has always had a very strong creative drive and a love of making things by hand so starting a clothing line just felt right. Her attention to fit and detail helped Little Houses build quite a following, namely for its assymetrical coats and sweaters, which are still best sellers on Etsy!

Moving to Montreal a few years later, Shanah continued to develop her line and to establish herself in the city's supportive design community. Her studio space is located in an old elementary school in the heart of Mile-End. The old classrooms have been divided into cozy studio spaces inhabited by artists and artisans of all kinds. Shanah shares her space with 4 other designers and honestly, I don't know how such a small room can hold so much talent!

When I walked in, Shanah was busy at the cutting table, slicing fabric for a summer dress she was making for herself. Isn't that awesome! Although the studio space is packed, it's a really functional space. There are about 5 sewing machines lined up against the back wall, each of them owned by a different designer. Shanah's gets a ton of use because she still makes every item of clothing by hand and to order. As you can imagine, this keeps her pretty busy.

Large rolls of wool, leather and cotton fabrics were resting in a corner, ready to be used for Little House's Fall 2013 Collection. The new coats will feature her trademark asymmetrical front with amazing textured wool and clean lines. Her latest designs were set up in the corner and really showcase her tailoring skills.

As if she wasn't busy enough, Shanah also launched Assembly Home Goods, a home accessories line that takes a cue from her fashion line - mixed materials, clean lines and unexpected details. I freaked over her wool and leather pillow cases. She also creates custom duvet bedding and hopes to add more items to her line.

Be sure to check out Little Houses and Assembly Home Goods online! Big thanks to Shanah for the visit!

// For other studio visits, click here!

This is how we roll

Last week my friend Dalia and I were feeling pretty desperate to get out of the house. Her baby was not napping, mine was teething. We both had a case of the grumps. Dalia suggested we meet up for some lobster rolls in Mile-End and I basically ran out the door. Turns out that this tiny vintage clothing store on St-Viateur, Friperie Funk, also sells really delicious lobster rolls. We're talking giant lobster claws and perfectly toasted bun kind of lobster rolls. We got ours to go and walked the little guys to the park. They ate the wood chips off the ground (why are they so obsessed with those??) while we devoured our sandwiches. And just like that, our afternoon was rescued.