Category Archives: PRESS

STRIPE OBSESSION

Posted on January 29, 2013 | Leave a comment

It’s no secret I am a bit obsessed with stripes. If you look through my wardrobe it’s a bit embarrassing to observe how many striped pieces I own. A flip through my portfolio reveals be same thing. I think the reason I love stripes is that they are modern and classic at the same time- and in the same way I love wallpaper they provide dynamic pattern and make a bold statement.

Let’s talk a walk through (my striped) memory lane:Lisa Canning_March 2013_Canadian Family This is my daughter’s room photographed by Angus Fergusson in the March 2013 issue of Canadian Family. So excited for this feature- thanks to the team for featuring my work in print- it is always a thrill to see my work highlighted like this. Little Evelyn did her best to be enthusiastic in the shot too :) For more on how I created this stripe click here and here.

20130129-153420.jpgCheck out my fellow striped designer friends Nyla, Christine and Sarah at the recent Business of Design conference in Toronto. More stripes!

20130129-153701.jpg This is a space I designed on For Rent- for how we created this striped effect click here.

20130129-153957.jpg Lastly, this is one of the very first projects I created in my business so I always look on these images fondly- we painted a horizontal stripe to give this cookie cutter condo a customized look.

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Posted in PERSONAL, PRESS, SHOPPING GUIDE, Uncategorized

ORANGE ON MY MIND

Posted on January 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

Lately orange has been on my mind- it’s not a colour I typically gravitate towards in decorating or for my wardrobe. But for some reason (leftover influence of the Tangerine Tango talk of 2012?) orange has made an appearance.

Take this hat, for example:

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Purchased very spontaneously for $9.99 at Joe Fresh (love Joe) on my way to a meeting for #thekitreveal the orange pop against a soft camel body is so contemporary. It reminds me of this:

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Hermes orange is so easy on the eyes. Love this recent hit of Vitamin C over at H&H. So fresh!

And today, I share my thoughts on orange, animal prints and other things I think will be strong trends in 2013 over at Style At Home- thanks Lauren McPhillips for allowing me to talk about orange, and many other things, in this article.

Here’s to orange continuing to pop up in 2013 :)
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WHAT I’M COVETING THIS CHRISTMAS

Posted on December 5, 2012 | 2 Comments

It’s that time of year- where gift guides and beautiful layouts of products abound. Dabble Magazine just rolled out their guide- and in my Dabble Digs column I’ve got loads on my wish list.

Dabble Magazine Holiday 2012 Lisa Canning

It’s also the time of year when long lead publications get to see the fruit of their making gingerbread cookies in July / trimming a tree in +30 weather- labour. This year I am thrilled to have been included in Chatelaine magazine’s holiday issue (it’s a gorgeous double issue filled with great holiday ideas!). I created a stocking out of wallpaper remnants from a past condo client and acrylic paint. Lisa Canning Chatelaine StockingNext I hand painted the chevron pattern:

Lisa Canning hand painted chevronAnd (many hours later, plus some trim and grommets for some edge) a custom stocking is born! So thrilled to be included with some pretty awesome company in this fun feature. Take a peek at all the stockings here.

Chatelaine Magazine Lisa Canning Stocking(Stocking image by Roberto Caruso)

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GIVING THE COBBLER SOME NEW SHOES

Posted on March 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

Full disclosure- while it is a joy and a pleasure to design modern spaces reflective of my clients’ lifestyles and personalities, my own house still needs a lot of work. While various past media projects (like the Style At Home video and Evelyn’s room upgrade) give me a good kick in the behind, there is still much to be tackled, including my kitchen, bathroom and master bedroom. If you’re following me on Pinterest, you’ll see I have started boards to help get me going- if I showed you what my kitchen looks like currently you’d be agreeing that this cobbler needs new (WAY MORE STYLISH) shoes.

I have a feeling after visiting the National Home Show this year I am going to be totally motivated to get started. It’s a show packed with ideas for all your reno & decorating projects and this year I’m really excited to join my colleagues Glen Peloso, Jim Caruk, Jackie Glass, Jane Lockhart and Jackie Morra at the Reno & Decor booth to answer design questions this Saturday at 12pm. Please come say hello if you will be at the show, and if you have a kitchen you hate, please know I can empathize!

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ROOMS TO GROW: MODERN KIDS DECOR

Posted on March 12, 2012 | 5 Comments

Special thanks to Global News for popping in last week to see my daughter Evelyn‘s room. Click below to watch the spot!

Creating this space was long overdue for my daughter Evelyn- for almost 17 months she went without drapes, without paint and without any design direction. But on one hand I love that I waited this long to make her space her own as now I have a sense of her engaging and joyful personality- and I hope that comes across in the room design. It was a joy to paint, sew window treatments, make art and assemble a mix of high and low pieces- as in the end, the delighted look on her face when she entered her new “big girl” room was so worth all the work.

To learn how how we did it all (in 48 hours no less) click on over here!

Source guide:

Oeuf crib- Ella and Elliot
Modern Sparrow Glider in Baldwin Mist- Ella and Elliot
Lampson Graphite rug- Korhani Home
Nyvoll 3 drawer dresser- IKEA
Crib blanket- You Name It Baby
Assorted pillows- Home Sense
Cubino chair (personalized)- You Name It Baby
Bird houses- Urban Barn
Decorative wooden birds- Michael’s
Canvases in Frames- DeSerres
White side table- HomeSense
House tissue box cover- Urban Barn
 Knobs with letters- Michael’s
Pink toy storage box- HomeSense
Drapery (customized with purple ribbon)- IKEA

Photos by Larry Arnal.

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Posted in HOME TOUR, PERSONAL, PRESS

A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR MY “BIG” GIRL

Posted on February 29, 2012 | 3 Comments

Something about being 7 months pregnant makes me want to redecorate. We did it the last time I was very pregnant with Evelyn when the Style At Home website wanted to do a feature on our house, and this time I am again a pregotron changing things up again.

We did a 48 hour makeover in Evelyn’s room in time for a media deadline- and I am so thankful for the push to make it happen. For 17 months she was in a curtain less, paint-less, design-less space and now she has a room that is as joyful, vibrant and cute as my little lass.

I’ll be sharing the professional photos in time but here are a few tight shots for now :)

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Posted in HOME TOUR, PERSONAL, PRESS, PROJECTS

HOW TO SURVIVE THE INTERIOR DESIGN SHOW

Posted on February 11, 2012 | Leave a comment

So… this post is a little tardy, but being that I’m now 30 weeks pregnant (when did that happen?) sleeping has taken precedence over blogging. Instead of a round-up of my IDS12 favourites, I thought I’d offer a few survival tips to IDS from this first time exhibitor (still can’t believe that happened too).

TIP #1: HIRE AN AMAZING ASSISTANT

Meet my assistant Lara Cupido, without whom I would surely be a grumpier designer (and poorly accessorized- that is her fantastic necklace I am wearing above, this girl has great taste). Lara has worked with me through 2 seasons of production design on For Rent, worked very hard through major client installations and has schooled me on the best restaurants in the city (look up foodie in the dictionary and it’s her face there). Inside and out, she’s one special gem and I’m so happy to have her as part of my team. (Photo by Arnal Photography).

TIP #2: WEAR SENSIBLE FOOTWEAR

As much as I love my heels, the Interior Design Show is one massive exhibit to work your way through. Save the heels for the opening night party, opt for flate for the rest of the show- above I am wearing sensible Stuart Weitzman flats during an interview with House and Home. (Photo by Sharyn Smith)

TIP #3: FIND A COMFY SEAT

Several hundred people rested their tootsies on this Pavia chaise lounge from BoConcept in my National Bank hub. Unless instructed otherwise, the booths at IDS are meant to be interactive. It’s a great venue to try out new products so do take it easy and soak in all the design eye candy. (Photo by Arnal Photography)

TIP #4: STAY HYDRATED  I don’t have any secret inside tips on where to get free water at the show- otherwise I would have taken more advantage! But one cannot live on coffee alone, so make sure to get your H20 fix too.

TIP #5: FINISH OFF THE SHOW WITH GREAT FRIENDS

The Canadian Design Blogger Meetup was the Saturday night of IDS- and it was so lovely to catch up with colleagues at Brasaii.

Here I am with fellow designers Jennifer Brouwer and Lisa Ferguson; with Dabble Mag divas Christine Da Costa and Nyla Free; and with blogger extraordinare Christine Dovey of Bijou and Boheme.

TIP #6: CAPTURE IT ALL WITH A GREAT PHOTOGRAPHER

Special thanks to Larry Arnal of Arnal Photography for capturing my work at the National Bank hub. Here are a few of my favourite shots:

And for a round-up for the best of IDS12, take a peek at what fellow bloggers thought of the show: Judtih Mackin for HGTV here, Tim of Design Maze here, Jennifer Flores of Rambling Renovators here & Pam at Cherish Toronto here.

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IDS12: OPENING NIGHT PARTY

Posted on January 27, 2012 | 5 Comments

It’s been a fun whirlwind these past 2 days- here’s a little recap of the Interior Design Show opening night party and the unveiling of my design of the National Bank Hub for the How Do You Live exhibit.

Furnished by BoConcept, I created a multifunctional space for the modern family. When you visit the space you’ll notice a home office, room for toys and lots of concealed storage to keep the space feeling spacious. Using the National Bank colours of red, black and white I was thrilled to outfit this small space. More detail shots of the space to come : )

Thanks to Larry from Arnal Photography for the great pics below from the opening party:

Photo 1&2: The lovely Allen Chan, Sharyn Smith and Glen Peloso paid me a visit. Photo 3: Showing Jen Wilson some of the smart storage solutions from BoConcept. Photo 4: With the lovely Sharyn Smith, the fantastic lady of Eventful PR who I’m so happy to be working with. It’s been a great start to #IDS12!

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SOME EXCITING (IDS) NEWS

Posted on January 17, 2012 | 4 Comments

Last week I tweeted a little teaser that garnered a few very supportive, lovely comments (thank you friends!). And now I can announce why I feel like I need to be pinched- I am designing a space at next week’s Interior Design Show!

The National Bank is the sponsor of the IDS 12 feature exhibit, How Do You Live? This exhibit will highlight small space living at its best, with TAS Designbuild developing the concept for the exterior shell of the multi-level showcase and six unique interior spaces, each designed and decorated by a different Toronto-based design firm.

The National Bank’s hub will sit side-by-side the HDYL exhibit- and yours truly is designing it! I’m thrilled to put my small space skills to use in this venue. I am humbled and excited to say the least to be a part of IDS 12.

What can you expect in The National Bank Hub? They have challenged me to transform a 16′ x 24′ shipping container (very cool that it’s reusable) into an office and den for the urban family. I’ll be going to one of my favourite retailers BoConcept (remember that great functional coffee table I used on The Marilyn Denis Show?) to outfit the space.

Not going to give away much more (surprises are so much fun)- but here’s a few of the sketches that led up to the final design:

Can’t wait to party with many friends and colleagues next week at IDS 12 and to unveil my design! I am truly so excited for this fabulous opportunity.

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Posted in PERSONAL, PRESS, PROJECTS

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DABBLE IN SOME HOLIDAY CHEER

Posted on November 20, 2011 | 1 Comment

As my mailbox fills with holiday party events I am reminded just how quickly the holidays come- and how each year I vow to savour them and not stress about a thing. The current issue of Dabble Magazine is a great resource for stress free holiday shopping, decorating and entertaining and I am so happy to be a part of it.

In my role as Market Editor I get to comb the marketplace bringing readers great home, travel and food products from around the globe. Check out my favourite selections for this holiday season by clicking on the images below- I am hoping to find the Chilewich place mats under my tree and that sumptuous HBC cashmere travel set wrapped up from Santa:

And in this issue we had the fun opportunity of having our house featured in the issue. So since this was shot long before thoughts of sugar plums entered my head, I am one step closer to a stress free holiday. Special thanks to Elte and Indigo for helping me glitterize my living room, and to photographer Simon Burn for managing to direct my kids in the shoot. Enjoy!

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Posted in DABBLE, HOME TOUR, PERSONAL, PRESS, SHOPPING GUIDE