Friday 30 September 2011

IDS West ~ Opening Night Party!

What a fantastic time we had last evening!!

We started off the evening with a tour of the show floor… WOW!! So many stellar examples of fine design all in one place, let me tell you! Audi cars, phenomenal fashion, stunning lighting, unique and imaginative uses of wood, textiles, tile, colour, appliances… it was all there and sparkling in our eyes!!

But first allow me to introduce you to our hosts – Jason & Leonie from IDS West

DSCF2224We LUV Leonie! She’s been our primary contact and has help Barbara and I with the organizing of every element and aspect of our plans with IDS West!! She’s organized our Media Passes, she’s connected us with the designers some of our members will interview, and has organized our reserved seating for guest speakers like Suzanna Dimma from House & Home and Kelly Deck from Kelly Deck Design!

Thank you Leonie!!

We met Jason – our “tour guide” – for the first time last evening. His history with IDS West goes way back, and believe me when I tell you that he knows everything about the show! His energy and enthusiasm for the exhibitors and their design was very contangeous… we couldn’t have had a better person showing us around the floor

Thank you Jason!!

 

Now for some photos of the show… and us… and us at the show!!

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Jason took us to the Audi VIP Lounge and, knowing that once the doors to the party officially opened we’d no longer be VIPish enough to enter this particular lounge, we took a chance to get our photo taken in this fabulous space! The room was a masterpiece designed by Molo and we were all enthralled with it’s shape and form, furnishings and lighting, not to mention the materials used to produce such a amazing space! Wait until you see it yourself: I’m sure you’ll agree!

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Wool Poufs!! LUV

And take a look at that Salari rug… it’s a map of Vancouver! How fantastic, hey?!

The craftsmanship of this chair with its Aboriginal motif panels is wonderful!

It’s a Sabina Hill Harvest Collection armchair (Thunderbird)

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DSCF2223Here’s more of Molo’s design, this time in their own exhibit. These ottomans, hanging lighting, walls, tables ~ they’re made with paper or resin composites and are ahh-mazing. Jason was telling us that after the recent earthquake in Japan Molo started making temporary walls to help create privacy in communal living spaces. So fabulous!

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When we weren’t exploring the exhibits and mingling with the other guests, you could find us here – at the Tom Dixon Bar – or at the food lounge!!

The next three photos are for Meesh of I Dream of Chairs! And for Danielle from Urban Walls who was my primary chair model.

Smile

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What do you think of this cow hide chair? When Michelle from A Schematic Life saw it and it’s wonderful pair she said, “Even though I’m a vegetarian, I WANT that!”.

Sooo gorgeous!!

Speaking of gorgeous… for me it was all about Moe’s. Of course that could be because they accented in ORANGE. Happiness!!

Well… except someone jumbled the pillows. Hey: fix the pillows Moe!!

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And check out the coffee table… I’m speechless! If I had the room in my teeny-tiny bungalow, I’d WANT this piece! For those of you with children, can you imagine how popular this table would be with its hiding spot?! LOL!

A close up of the top of the table – look at the inlayed wood detailing. FAB!

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More pics of us…

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My husband and I would like a fire “bowl” for our backyard and I would love something like this! Sorry for the dark photo :-/

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The photo of the apothecary cabinet on the left just doesn’t do this piece justice. Sheila from SZInteriors and I were drooling over it!!

The fashion shows were terrific too!

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Do any of you remember Cheryl Tiegs? Well, she was there as FloForm’s spokesperson and – for one of the fashion shows – she introduced the models and design. After they walked the runway each model placed themselves in front of a new counter from FloForm… and of course their clothing coordinated with their counter which to my mind was an interesting way to introduce their new line. Too many people for me to see that though!! That’s what Saturday’s visit to the show is for (sans models… and Cheryl Tiegs)!!

Now a couple kitchens…

First, Ikea – and on the front left of the photo, Andrea. She’s one of Ikea’s PR people and will be joining us tomorrow night at BLEND 2011!! We spoke for a few minutes and she’s just as excited for the event as we are!!

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I sooo love the farmhouse table! Of course the kitchen is fantastic too!!

My absolute favourite kitchen of the show however was this one from Bowerman’s Handcrafted Furniture. Something like this would be a dream for me! The cabinet doors are a clean Shaker style in a contemporary grey-green as is the counter… yet the way they’ve “waterfalled” the counter down both sides gives the classic cabinet style a contemporary edge that I love. Couple it all with the stunning, rustic table wrapped around and down the front of the island and you’ve perfectly captured everything I love about eclectic design. Sigh!!

Truth be told, the chairs I could do without. But that’s just me. I’d want something lighter because the wood – while beyond-fab – is very heavy. What do you think?

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By the time Nancy (Marcus Design), Danielle, Sheila and I made it over to explore some featured lighting fixtures, it was almost time to go home. So because a precedent has been established, I bring my favourite 2 pieces to you near the end of this post…

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We never did pull everyone together into one place at one time… but that didn’t stop us from taking one last almost-hole-group shot.

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Our Network members are so fantastic! Every time we get together we have a fabulous time and last night at the IDS West Opening Night Party was no exception!! Thank you again to Leonie and IDS West for your support of our Cdn.dlbWEST Network… we’re having a wonderful time so far!!

Signature

with Barbara, Karla & Nancy
Your Cdn.dlbWEST Organizers

Thursday 29 September 2011

It All Starts Today!

I’ve just come from our Facebook page where one of our members (and my co-organizer) Barbara from the blog hodge:podge wrote: “Less than 12 hours!”

Less than 12 hours to what you ask?

The launch of the IDS West trade show and – tonight specifically – their Opening Night Party, that’s what!

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Our Cdn.dlbWEST network members are excited!!

Live Edge DesignMany of our members will start the evening with a private tour of the IDS West show floor where we’ll see all the exhibitors – fantastic design houses like 18Karat, BoConcept, Live Edge Design Inc. and Straight Line Designs, just to name but a very few.

What a fabulous way to start the night!

Then comes the party!!

Tonight’s IDS West Opening Night Party is presented by FloForm Countertops and it features anticipated fashion hits from Vancouver Fashion Week (scheduled to take place the week of November 1st). Music will be pumped out by Montreal's DJ Mario Galego and I’m sure he’ll be keeping us revved up!

It’ll be a night celebrating fashion, design, art and architect; we’re going to have a blast!

Something to keep an eye out for… some of our Network members will be interviewing select designers/artists/architects, etc. from IDS West. As interviews get published to our members’ blogs, we’ll be sure to link to them so you can read about some of the uber-talented individuals taking part in the show this weekend!

In the mean time, here’s a list of who we’re interviewing along with links to their websites so you can see in advance just how fabulous they are!!

Barbara Hulanicki ~ Barbara Hulanicki Design

Brent Comber ~ Brent Comber Originals Inc.

Christian Woo ~ Christian Woo Woodwork & Design

Grain

Iacoli & McAllister

Jennifer Kostiuk ~ Jennifer Kostuik Gallery

Judson Beaumont ~ Straight Line Design

Kelly Deck ~ Kelly Deck Design

Ladies & Gentleman

Martha Sturdy ~ Martha Sturdy Incorporated

Michael Katz ~ Michael Katz Architecture

Molo ~ Stephanie Forsythe & Todd MacAllen

Niels Bendsten ~ furniture designer (connected with Inform Interiors)

Omer Arbel ~ Omer Arbel Office & Creative Director of Bocci

plainMADE ~ Blog

Urbancase

 

Watch for Tweets from our Network members throughout the night!!! And of course we’ll post some photos HERE tomorrow!

Signature

with Barbara, Karla, & Victoria

Cdn.dlbWEST Organizers

 

P.S. We’re t-minus 2.5 hours now!!

Tuesday 20 September 2011

IDSwest event details ...


The count down is on! Less than two weeks until IDSwest 2011, and we are getting ready to party! Get prepped to don your party shoes at our Blend 2011 cocktail soiree on Saturday October 1st, and much much more. Here are a few event details you'll want to take note of for the duration of the show:

Thursday, Sept. 29th

5:00 pm - A guided tour of the IDSwest show during set-up will take place and allow members to get a sneak peek, ask questions, & meet designers pre-show! {RSVP for the tour via email at cdndlbwest@gmail.com asap}


Directly after the tour the Opening Night Party will take place, with fashion shows, canapes, and drinks to celebrate the start of the show. *Please note that if you indicated on your RSVP questionnaire that you wanted to attend the Opening Night Party or to hear any of the speakers during the weekend show, you will be receiving a Media Pass which grants you access to the entire show (with the exception of Friday Trade Day from 10am-4pm).

Saturday, Oct. 1st

Blend 2011 will be held at the Loden Hotel just a hop away from the Vancouver Convention Centre from 6-10pm.

We are excited to announce that we have reached capacity, the room will surely be buzzing, and the night will be one to remember!








with Barbara, Karla, & Victoria
cdn dlbwest organizers

Sunday 18 September 2011

We’re Going to Party in Style!

In one of our planning conversations with our premier sponsor IKEA Canada it was suggested we hold our social event Blend 2011: A Fusion of Social Media & Design at a “boutique hotel”. Karla, Barbara and Nancy – lovely women who are much more cultured then I – knew exactly what kind of hotel that was. Me? I had to look it up!

Boutique Hotel: An intimate, usually luxurious or unique hotel environment

Wow! This definition perfectly describes the kind of event we want Blend 2011 to be! It was easy for me to agree to the idea of a boutique hotel.

And the hotel we chose ~ Loden Hotel ~ is boutique-extraordinaire!

Grand Salon - Boardroom Set Up[1]

 

Take a look at the rooms we’ll be “blending” in!!

With its lovely white classic architectural features and random modern splashes, THIS is the Grand Salon.

Voya Private Dining Room at Loden

 

 

 

And, attached to this fabulous room is the Voya Private Dining Room ~ wood paneled walls (added since this photo was taken) provide of touch of masculinity that wonderfully balances the the ambiance of the Grand Salon.

Can you see our Network members “blending” in these fantastic surroundings and having a beyond-terrific evening?!

 

Oh Ya! Of course you can!!

For those of you who are style & space aficionados ~ who wonder about furniture placement for our fantabulous night… well, let me show you!

(I took these photos last week during my visit to the Loden Hotel)

DSCF2159These are the doors that “blend” the two rooms into one (and that’s Kathryn, the events manager at the hotel. I had her stand in the pics so we could get a sense of the room’s scale. Even though the request was strange[!], Kathryn was very obliging!)

And here are my notes showing what will go where in the Grand Salon ;-)

Furniture Plan Room 1 - C

Furniture Plan Room 1 - B

If you’re looking for me at Blend 2011 you’ll find me in the Lounge Section sitting comfortably on a sofa while my organizing colleagues do all the work.

Yep. I’m lazy like that!

This last photo shows the Voyathe perfect room for our food and bar!

Furniture Plan Room 2

I can’t wait!

This is going to be a simply phenomenal evening!

Victoria
w/ Nancy, Karla and Barbara
cdn.d&lbWEST Organizers

Tuesday 6 September 2011

Mark your calendars ... Our soiree is October 1st!


It's official, our evening cocktail reception will be held on Saturday, October 1st and members will find RSVP info via email soon! Stay tuned for more details ...


                                        

We are very excited to announce that IKEA Canada will be sponsoring our night! We have been delighted to be working together with the fabulous people at IKEA to create an evening merging bloggers, designers, photographers, and a few very special guests at Downtown Vancouver's boutique hotel, The Loden. Our special room rates The Loden will offer us {for the duration of the IDSwest show} are as follows: $219 for a king or 2 doubles; $239 for 2 queens.


There will be fabulous people, food, design chat, amazing door prizes, and swag bags (Stuff We All Get) with too many goodies to mention! Special guests Suzanne Dimma & Mark Challen from House & Home, as well as Shauna Levy and Kelly Deck will join us during our reception. You won't want to miss out ...


And there is more where that came from! Several events will be taking place  for the duration of IDSwest 2011. Check back for info on Media Passes, the Opening Night Party, and more. Pencil it all in, we would love to see you there!!


We are so excited to be sharing these plans with you & look forward to seeing you all, and members can watch for more details to be sent via email. Let's make it a night to remember!

with Victoria, Karla & Barbara
cdn.dlbWEST Organizers