Thursday, July 30, 2009

Thanks, VIA Rail

If you're riding VIA Rail this summer, check out the article on Leslieville in the June/July issue of their onboard magazine. Many customers have mentioned the article and I finally found it on the VIA website today. Nice photo, too!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Leslieville Past

Leslieville has changed a lot in the past five years. Many old storefronts have been converted to accomodate the new businesses opening along Queen Street, and some times a bit of history is sacrificed along the way. These tin ceiling tiles were rescued from a building near Logan and Queen which is now a butcher shop. The installation of new duct work meant that the original ceiling had to be ripped out and there was no way for them to re-use the tiles.


After brushing off loose flakes of paint, I just hung one up on the wall and I love how it catches the light coming in from the door. If you're a little more formal, you could also have a simple frame made to finish the edges and you've got a great piece of original artwork that is also a bit of Leslieville history.

There are lots of ways to breathe new life into old tin tiles. Create decorative panels for the face of a counter or bar by attaching the tiles and finishing with a little trim. For an original tabletop, just inset the tiles on a board and cover with a piece of clear glass. I've also seen some interesting birdhouses made from salvaged bits of wood and trim with tin tile roofs. Below are a couple of projects for inspiration.



This cabinet gets a new life with sections of tiles cut to fit into the front door panels. The patina of the tin matches the age of the wood perfectly. Cleaned up and sealed, three tiles hung in a row make a very cool headboard. Finding a throw cushion with needlework that mimics the pattern of the tiles finishes off a great rustic modern look.

In The Pink

My cure for a week of constant rain: a pair of classic powder pink swivel tub chairs! Makes me want to put on a breezy summer dress, sip on a mojito and get a manicure. Swish, swish!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

New and Noteworthy

I recently found these vintage stenopads at the estate sale of a doctor who practiced out of the basement of his house. He meticulously kept all of his office supplies including tiny boxes of index tabs, red-bordered labels, and a tin with every single one of his used pen nibs. My weakness for paper obviously extends to any type of vintage office material, but I've only kept a couple of these for myself. I love the art deco S on the cover of the one pictured above. The rest, in their limited quantity, are in the shop and ready for your very own musings and inspirations.


For those patriots in the crowd, you can't get much more Canadian than a beaver on the front cover. I still have one or two of these, but they're going fast.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Dog is in a Blog


A few weeks ago, Christopher Jones from StyleNorth stopped by for a visit to Winkel. I was excited because I've been following his design blog for some time and was flattered that he had found my shop. He was working on a piece about retail mascots and had heard about my black pug, Hubble. Who would guess that a shopdog would be the lure to get me a spot on a great local design website? He snapped the perfect photo of Hub in his usual state, fast asleep.

Fortunately, Christopher also appreciated the oilcloth that is one of our bestsellers at Winkel, and featured it in a separate post that went up earlier today. Props also went out to Erin Leah Pryde who is the superstar-oilcloth-craftster-extraordinaire. It's amazing to see what she's created with it! Check it out here.

For whatever reason, I'm always grateful for any store publicity. Thanks, Christopher!