Happy Friday - have a fabulous weekend!

Thanks for visiting this week - I had fun with all our chic industrial treasures! Have a great weekend - enjoy all the signs of spring and hop on back here on Monday morning for more!  - Fiona 

Metal on my mind! 

It's been a very 'industrial' few days here at the cafe - I love all the found objects and salvaged treasures that have made an appearance here this week. So to end the week I have found some marvelous recycled furniture from here. We used to have some designer friends who furnished their studio with vintage, steel office furniture from a government surplice warehouse. They took it all to a sand blasting facility and ended up with wonderful brushed silver pieces that looked fantastic in their historical studio building. They had resurfaced the vintage wood floors too and I remember how the red tones of the fir floors reflected in the mirrored surface of the furniture pieces.  We have a few pieces of vintage steel  furniture including a huge cabinet of flat files(map drawers). It would look great with a shiny silver overhaul but it is so huge I can't even imagine getting it out of here and then back again - so it's not going to happen! I hope you like these pieces they are all authentic vintage cabinets that have been stripped and clear coated - I think they're fab! I'm not even sure which is my favourite, maybe the first and the third - how about you?

Industrial style | bringing it home

A few great steel pieces from Sundance that are more appropriate at home than in the office. These are reproduction pieces that are really fun and useful. Don't you love this locker unit - all that's missing is the combination lock! Really neat idea with the safety lamp cages. And I'm sure we could all find a use for the wire basket units too. 

This just in - My Nottinghill Notebook Giveaway

In case you missed our last giveaway you can shoot over to My Nottinghill this morning where Michele is having a CARTOLINA NOTEBOOK GIVEAWAY for the rest of this week. Nine sweet little recycled notebooks up for grabs. My Nottinghill blog is a favourite amongst stylish designers and chic decorators - with loads of good taste and piles of creativity -  for example this fabulous vintage writing desk (above).

Decorating with found objects | For the love of junk.

I wanted to show you some amazing images I found when I was researching the whole 'decorating with industrial or found objects" theme that I have been obsessing about this week. I don't know exactly what it is about this style that I love so much but I think that it has something to do with the fact that I love a good treasure hunt! It's so exciting to find a cool vintage object that you can rescue from its original usage and then showcase it as an objet d'art. It makes your space so much more personal and unique. I specifically love oversized, whimsical items like vintage signage, toys, sports memorabilia like paddles and bowling pins. Anything with type or giant letters on it is really fun too. Vintage fans are great because their blades look  so industrial - like propellers. Anyway I hope you enjoy these examples of decorating with found objects . . . 

Heavy Metal | New at Cleveland Art

Yesterday I was swooning over the "Industrial Schoolhouse" style featured in my Style at Home magazine so today's post is directly related to all that wonderfully utilitarian, rescued loveliness. As one of our readers put it yesterday - it's such a contrast(and  relief) to all the matchy matchy decorating styles out there these days.

Cleveland Art

Jeff at Cleveland Art emailed me(because he knows how much I love their wares) to let me know that they have a whole new shipment of salvaged good-stuff just listed on their web site. So of course I was there in a flash! Every time I go to Cleveland Art I get so overwhelmed by the volume of vintage wares they carry - and it's all absolutely fantastic. You don't need much of an imagination to see how these pieces can work in an artist's studio, a modern loft space, a barn conversion or a mid century show home. Even though these pieces were originally designed for the factory floor or the tool makers work shop they are classics in their own right, beautifully styled and wonderfully proportioned. I have tried to show you here a selection of both their original pieces and their modified ones too. There's so much to look at on their site I expect you will find your own favourites! Thanks Jeff!

I love all these pieces and I can just imagine them sitting on some of those cool old floor tiles from the other day.

More metal.

Staying with the heavy metal theme - this is a picture I took at a local junk store not too long ago. Lots of great stamped and pressed brass and tin bits and pieces. I picked out a few buttons that I fancied from the 25c box. I think I scored! There are 3 very nice art nouveau buttons in that collection that I will find a project for.

Name that Style | Style at Home

I am not much of a trend follower - I have never found it very interesting to follow a crowd. I'd much rather do my own thing. When I picked up the last issue of *Style At Home magazine I was delighted to find that some of the trends for 2009 that they were featuring felt very untrendy to me. They seem more eclectic and personal than the cookie cutter styles that are featured in so many of todays mags. I specifically love the  style that they feature in the second image here - this is so me - I love this look. I love the oversized utilitarian pieces and the practical materials. I personally would rather pair it with some interesting textiles to soften it a little but over all I think it a great 'trend'. The top image they call  and the 3rd image is " Belgian Farmhouse". Does your home style have a name? I've never really thought about naming my decorating style but it's rather fun . . . .

"European Mauves"

"Industrial Schoolhouse"

"Belgian Farmhouse"

"Gothic Chinois?"

This last image snuck in here - I can't remember where it came from but it was calling my name so as far as I am concerned this should also be one of this year decorating style, let's call it "Gothic Chinois"!

*Style At Home magazine is one of Canada's best decorating mags. We have about 4 or 5 good decorating magazines in Canada but Style at Home always offers realistic, interesting and unique solutions for styling your home - it's one of my faves. They have a nice web site too.

New from The Rug Company

Custom pillow designs from Paul Smith and Alice Temperley. I love this bird pillow(it's very Cartolina!) The Paul Smith ones(the 2nd and 3rd pillow) are heavily embroidered. and I love the black details. These are so unusual and very special. More here.

Window Shopping | Henry Road

I love to get comments from readers and I appreciate every one, thank you! I always read them and if there is a link to the reader's blog or web site I always check it out. So the other day I clicked on the name of one of the comment writers and found myself at Henry Road. I was so excited to find all these beautifully designed patterns and products I immediately made contact with Paula Smail, the talented designer at Henry Road. I love her web site - not only are all the beautiful patterns and pretty wares featured so creatively but you really get a feel for the brains behind the brand. Paula has wonderful taste and a real eye for oversized, simple pattern(which requires great skill to pull off as successfully as she has.) So, this morning, enjoy your visit to Henry Road right here. . . .

Henry Road is located at 3949 Laurelgrove Ave, Studio City, CA. The web site is www.henryroad.com . Thanks Paula!