Category Archives: SHOPPING GUIDE

PRODUCT REVIEW: The Dyson Hot + Cool™

Posted on April 16, 2013 | Leave a comment

With all the up and down / hot and cold / spring not spring oh winter’s back weather we have been having in Toronto I was very glad I had on hand The Dyson Hot + Cool™ bladeless fan heater to test out. This little machine switches from hot to cold with a simple (and stylish) switch utilizing its Air Multiplier technology.

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I must admit the sleek design is what I love the most. In a small space like mine I don’t have room for many devices- the 2-in-1 capabilities of this little machine save me closet space and it’s compact size allows it to sit on a mantle or on the floor unobtrusively.

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The product tilts and rotates allowing for heat or cool air to flow around a room. With the winter like weather we had recently I had it on full blast a few evenings and it did a decent job of heating my small living room. I love that the technology that Dyson is so known for includes that this unit is bladeless- so no worries with my little children and their little fingers.

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Last design point- I love that the remote sits via magnet seamlessly on top of the unit. Good design and great technology- my kind of product.

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FRIDAY 5: HOW NOT TO DECORATE

Posted on April 12, 2013 | Leave a comment

Perhaps it’s this foul weather that’s making me think negatively but I’ve been thinking a lot about bad decor choices. In my years working in design TV I have seen a lot of horrendous “before” shots. Ditto on what my client’s spaces usually look like before we are done with them. Interestingly, I find a few common patterns prevail- thus the basis of today’s Friday Five.

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FAUX PAS ONE: Drapes that are too short. Drapes should always just skim the floor, or for a more romantic look puddle with about 2″ – 4″ of excess fabric. I personally don’t like puddled drapes in most cases but what irks me even more is drapery that is even 2″ too short- they look like flood pants- like you ran out of fabric- and it should be avoided! Skim the floor or puddle.

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FAUX PAS TWO: Rugs that are too small. A rug should not look like a postage stamp in comparison to the size of the room. Rugs are meant to warm up a room, be played on, be walked on- so let’s make them large enough to do their function. Rugs should extend past the legs of most of the furniture in a grouping. If you’ve purchased a rug that is to small consider placing an identical one beside it to create the illusion of a larger surface.

FAUX PAS THREE: Light fixtures that are too short or two low. This could be it’s own dedicated blog post but the main offenders I see are in regards to dining table fixture heights. We recently had as a client the CEO of major lighting company and he gave me a great rule to follow (thanks Robert!)- the bottom of the fixture should be double the height of the table from the floor. No lower, no higher. Bonus points if the width of your fixture is about half the width of your table.

FAUX PAS FOUR: Accent walls. I am not against these in principle, but I find that when they are done without the help of a professional they can look like you ran out of paint. Instead of paint, I like to use wallpaper as an accent wall and pull the paint colour from one of the tones in the pattern.

FAUX PAS FIVE: Matching, overstuffed, brown or beige leather like couch sets. They are wrong. A sofa is such a main piece in a living room so let it have good shape, be pretty, and look the opposite of a lumpy sac of potatoes!

That’s my small rant for today, please feel free to add to this list in the comments below ;) Happy weekend everyone!

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FRIDAY 5: SPRING MUST COME

Posted on March 22, 2013 | Leave a comment

Hurray for Fridays. I don’t know about all of you but this week was a long one for us- and our prolonged Toronto winter has not helped much! But- it can only go up from here, right? It is technically Spring although I am still wearing my cashmere scarves & full winter coat (helps that I love my winter wardrobe but enough is enough)! So for today’s Friday 5 it is all about Spring- because it IS coming!!!!

20130322-200423.jpgThis adorable umbrella. How cute and vibrant is this? So convenient it can be bought online.

20130322-200702.jpg Green. It was never a fav colour of mine in decorating but I must admit it has grown on me. This collection at HomeSense screams spring to me.

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Bouclair’s new wallpaper line. It’s so cheerful, so colourful, and so cheap. Love the instant impact that patterned wallpaper provides.

20130322-231846.jpg Again with the green with a few fabric selections for a new client. Chevron- still going strong in my books

20130322-231947.jpg Finally, my husband just picked up a new suit and I couldn’t help fall in love with these socks at Harry Rosen. Fresh and vibrant- makes me want to purchase some men’s socks.

Here’s to a speedy start to spring!

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FRIDAY 5: THINGS I CANNOT WAIT FOR

Posted on February 22, 2013 | 2 Comments

There’s been lots to be excited about both personally and professionally (more on that note later) so I’m currently in a state of impatience for some of these things to hurry up and get here! So for this Friday 5, a little peek at some of the things I cannot wait for.

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1. SATURDAYS HAVE GOTTEN EVEN BETTER with Kate Spade’s new line of products coming this March 2013. As is to be expected with her eponymous brand, it’s bright, feminine and graphic- and more affordable, such a bonus. Images from Kate Spade Saturday Instagram.

Nate Berkus Home

2. TARGET COMES TO CANADA really soon and I just can’t wait. The entire shopping experience is a well designed experience- from their store fixtures to their product. And of course their designer lines, like this image above from the Nate Berkus collection are always on trend and friendly on the wallet. Image from Target.com.

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3. A NEW VIEW FOR 2013 is in store for the Canning house as it is the year I am FINALLY going to make improvements to my own home. A  black window and door are in the works and I am taking lots of inspiration for Donna Karan’s Manhattan apartment shot by Richard Powers.

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4. A TREAT FOR MY SEAT the “Ergo“, designed so that the body slightly moves while sitting to build core muscles intrigues me. I was debating getting an exercise ball to sit on at the office but realized it would be impractical (massive, roll away, I would fall off, etc.) and stumbled upon this little pretty. I might just get it and share a review with you.

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5. Coco Rocha- even on her Instagram is so pretty. This monogramed Rebecca Minkoff purse is so me- down to the cobalt colour. Logan Real- please respond to my email and paint a little LC on one? Pretty please? Just can’t wait to add this to my collection.

Happy Friday!

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FRIDAY 5: VALENTINES DAY

Posted on February 8, 2013 | 1 Comment

The snow is falling relentlessly here in Toronto- covering our city in a pretty blanket of snow. I am staying warm and dry working from my home office designing up a (non snow) storm. Taking a minute from the flurries to bring you my Friday 5- my Valentines Day edition.

I’d be happy to serve up my candy hearts and chocolate kisses in these Horne beauties:20130208-122805.jpg
Place them bedside to this graphic Mazizmuse goodie from Pile of Pillows:20130208-123026.jpg
I’d pair that lovely pillow with this sweet Crane and Canopy scalloped sheet set:20130208-123149.jpg
And curl up and read this:

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And lastly, I thought this was kind of fun and timely with Valentines Day coming up next week. Keep your intimates tidy and organized on the Bra Ladder:20130208-124059.jpg

Stay safe, warm and dry everyone!

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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

FRIDAY 5

Posted on January 18, 2013 | Leave a comment

I honestly cannot believe it’s Friday- this week flew by faster than Don Draper’s ability to finish off a bottle of bourbon.

This week was spent working on #thekitreveal, finishing off two bathroom renovations in Toronto, and shopping for a little girl’s room in Forest Hill. It was also spent doing a few design consultations and signing new business. It’s been a great start to 2013, but feeling rather pooped. Which is why this resonates with me today:

20130118-181944.jpg I’ve recently been introduced to the fun website Fresh Words Market. Some stylish, optimistic typography at very reasonable prices. Love this message of choosing happiness- because it really is a choice sometimes. Speaking of choice:

20130118-182622.jpg How lovely are these colourful options from Canadian jewelry company Ellie Mae. I was introduced to all this arm candy and more at the #SpringFever media preview this week at The Hazelton Hotel in Toronto. Which leads me to this:

20130118-183250.jpg The Hazelton Hotel, designed by the renowned Yabu Pushelberg is one inspiring, luxurious space. User experience and all details are beautiful down to the custom cleaning product they sell in their spa. Don’t even want to know what it costs but it sure smelled amazing. In the spirit of following my nose:

20130118-185249.jpg Instagram has introduced me to some amazing, talented, super stylish folks. The Pink Diary is one such individual as evidenced by their image above. Lastly:

20130118-185547.jpg This is me super happy with the progress on this bathroom we designed in Toronto. We’re renovating and decorating two bathrooms for this busy family- can’t wait to share more with you soon.

Happy Friday everyone!!!

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FRIDAY 5

Posted on January 11, 2013 | Leave a comment

Welcome to the Friday 5- a new weekly post that will feature my roundup of things that inspire me, make me smile, bring me joy.

Starting with this:

20130111-091928.jpg I was in the DeSerres store at Yonge and 16th picking up supplies for a painting I am having a client’s child make for their new bathroom. Let me tell you, this space is gorgeous. Graphic, streamlined, glossy, so much attention to detail in the millwork and fixtures. Could have spent all day in there. Who knew organized art supplies could be so pleasing to the eye. My son thinks so too:

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20130111-123043.jpg We are starting to pull accessories for #thekitreveal and these little organic accessories could be quite darling on a tabletop somewhere. Found at the treasure trove that is Decorum on Yonge Street in Rosedale.

20130111-160950.jpgHow beautiful is this paintings by Vancouver artist Zoe Pawlak. I love the vibrant colours and the saturated hues. Speaking of hues:

20130111-160417.jpgHello red lipstick! I have recently stumbled upon some fabulous fashion bloggers and Katelyn from The Skinny Blonde Girl is one of them. Her outfits are so effortless and I must say this girl has mastered the art of taking a good iPhone picture of herself (a difficult task I have learned!).

Happy weekend to all, hope you are spending it in restful and inspiring ways!

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FEELS LIKE SPRING?

Posted on January 4, 2013 | Leave a comment

As I look out my window and see all the snow it is more than a bit strange to be thinking about spring- yet the media preview invites and product pitches are filling my inbox and it’s a welcome distraction from the fact that my new dress pants are already salt stained.

We’re working on a bathroom right now in North York that is certainly going to feel like spring. With a palette of green, white and yellow, it will be fresh, youthful and modern. Dust is still flying around in the space but the home stretch is very near- so I’m shopping accessories in sunny colours. But first-

Lisa Canning Interiors small space bathHere’s a little Instagram sneak peek of the bathroom design. Accent tiles, white subway tiles, some modern chrome fixtures. There’s a floating white vanity with custom floating shelves on the other side that are screaming for some accessories. This is my favourite part of projects- the finishing touches! Enjoy this little hint of spring below courtesy of West Elm, Crate and Barrel, CB2 and Umbra.

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BEHIND THE SCENES OF DABBLE

Posted on August 22, 2012 | 1 Comment

One hat I wear when I am not designing or styling spaces is that of Market Editor for Dabble Magazine. Dabble is the brainchild of design-media guru Kimberley Seldon and I get to contribute in its pages (with some pretty fabulous colleagues, I must add) with my top product selections for home, travel and food.

This month we shot the opening page at an office space I designed for a client in the Wingold Fashion district in Toronto. Flocked J&V Damasco wallpaper from NewWall- so delicious! Here is a behind the scenes peek at the lovely Maria Raco from NewWall and photographer Allan Kosmajac from 44 Media doing their thing:

Here’s a shot of the pieces I styled with from the Martha Stewart office line for Staples. We always bring more product than we need to style a space so we can have plenty of options- and teal ended up being our accent colour. The chevron box is from HomeSense and the lucite tray is a line I’ve featured in a past Dabble Digs, AVF available at 1212:

Working as Market Editor allows me to shop the market for the best out there and share it with you. Many of these items I have tried personally and would absolutely have in my own home. Selecting the products takes a great deal of time and care, and I try to make the search as global as possible.  It’s a large undertaking to traverse the retail landscape- now made even wider with shopping online- but in a similar way to the designs I create for my clients, I love finding items that will help improve one’s quality of life.

While it is hard to pick a favourite, I will attest the travel Rowenta steamer, and its convenient compact size, has become  my go-to tool on photoshoots for removing wrinkles from blankets, pillows and other textiles. The Chilewich mats will be adding a modern texture to a future dinner party at my house and I appreciate the smart design of the Gautier bed- great for small spaces. Enjoy this issue!

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