Retail
Jewellery for the home
Vitaly has introduced a curated selection of home accessories made from aluminum, available online and at its Toronto and Los Angeles stores.Handout
The Canadian accessories brand Vitaly is taking its edgy hardware beyond the jewellery box. Known for contemporary styles with an industrial aesthetic, the brand has introduced a curated selection of home accessories available online and at its Toronto and Los Angeles stores. “We’ve known for a long time that we wanted to reimagine everyday household objects through our own design lens. During the pandemic, we all spent a lot of time in our houses thinking about the objects we were using daily to help keep us calm and grounded,” says Vitaly creative director Zack Vitiello. Meant to be displayed individually or together as a set, the collection includes an ashtray, incense holder, coaster and a joint holder, all made of aluminum. A handsome catchall with curved, molten edges does double-duty as a display for Vitaly’s chains, rings and bracelets.
Vitaly, 505 Queen St. W., Toronto, 416-901-7467; 7716 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, 323-879-9346, vitalydesign.com.
Trending
Parlour trick
Parlours are back in fashion, and Atlanta-based interior designer Bradley Odom recommends delineating them from the rest of the home.Mali Azima/Handout
As we rethink how we entertain at home, some designers say that the parlour room is making a comeback. Traditionally, this formal setting was reserved for receiving guests. Today, it’s more a multifunction space suitable for unwinding, from reading in the morning or having cocktails in the evening. “It’s a comfortable and beautiful place without the distraction of modern technology,” Atlanta-based interior designer Bradley Odom says. In fashioning your own parlour, Odom advises delineating it from the rest of the home. “I think it’s also ideal to create some separation from the rest of the house to really emphasize that it is a space to unwind and enjoy the company of others with less distraction from the banalities of daily life.” Looking to the gathering spaces in hotels for inspiration, Odom suggests adding ambient lighting, stocking a bar area and incorporating dark, rich tones. “In the best-case scenario, the room is really enveloping in its efforts to create the parlour effect,” he says.
Business
Big in Japan
Hello Sunshine is a retro-inspired Japanese restaurant and karaoke bar in Banff.Chris Amat/Handout
Two firms have teamed up to bring a fresh new dining space to Banff. Designed in partnership of Frank Architecture (frankarchitecture.ca) and Little Giant Studio (littlegiant-studio.com), Hello Sunshine (hellosunshinebanff.com) is a retro-inspired Japanese restaurant and karaoke bar that juxtaposes Japanese psychedelia with a spaghetti western set in a mountain cabin. The result is a distinct design experience that brings the unexpected to Banff National Park.
Obsession
Hollywood feature
Dear Future spans five decades of industrial designer and architect Gaetano Pesce's work, including new and historic pieces and contemporary re-editions.Handout
In Los Angeles, contemporary design gallery the Future Perfect (thefutureperfect.com) has curated the city’s first solo exhibition for Italian artist, industrial designer and architect Gaetano Pesce. Debuting during L.A. Art Week and open by appointment until the end this month, Dear Future spans over five decades of Pesce’s designs including new works, historic pieces and contemporary re-editions. These include La Mamma, a curvaceous armchair designed in 1969, River Table, a rare work from 2012, and the debut of a new series called Multicolored Lamps with Rocks. The exhibition is housed in the Goldwyn House, the new Los Angeles flagship for the Future Perfect and former home of movie producer Samuel Goldwyn. Throughout the grand Hollywood Hills mansion, guests will discover the work of other designers in situ, including a dazzling disco chair by Rachel Shillander and a garden filled with of one-of-a-kind sculptures by Dan John Anderson.
Investment buy
Fresh cut
Tobisho SR-1 secateurs feature a locking mechanism that is easy to use, even with gloves on.Jo-Ann Richards/Handout
With the first day of spring just days away, gardeners across the country will be prepping to prune. At the Gardener’s Kit, which has stores in Vancouver and Victoria, owner Susanne Osmond says that a pair of Japanese secateurs selected for your hand size make for a comfortable experience, adding that these secateurs feature a locking mechanism that is easy to use, even with gloves on. “It never accidentally engages while you are working and you can lock them with one hand, if your other hand is full, by pushing them closed against your hip,” she says. For small- to medium-sized hands, Osmond recommends the Tobisho SR-1 Secateurs, a lightweight and well-balanced pair based on the traditional A-Type shape and constructed from one piece of Yasugi steel.
Tobisho SR-1 Secateurs, $145 at Gardener’s Kit (gardenerskit.com).