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Well, it's getting chilly here in Toronto. Although, I seriously do love scarves and warm layers of cashmere and wool, so I am not really complaining at all.
When the clocks change, it always takes me a week to recalibrate – it's the oddest thing. I remember not understanding what the big deal was about when I was much younger. It seemed odd that people would be thrown out of alignment for just an hour, but I am now officially one of those people. And although I love the bonus hour we get once a year on a Sunday, I don't love being plunged into darkness the following afternoon or feeling like I have a mini version of jet lag without having actually travelled!
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As I pull out my winter coats from their summer hiding place this year, I am remembering the one or two that got away.
My favourite clothing store in Toronto, Want Apothecary, closed in the spring. I was so sad to get the news and did my VERY best to stock up on my favourite designers, many that were unique to them before they closed.
What I failed to invest in were two coats - one full length and one more of a car-coat length. One was mustard and one was tomato red, and I am really regretting that I didn’t buy either one of them.
Truthfully, I didn’t need another coat, but these are haunting me a little this fall. They were priced incredibly low by the end, and both were available in only my size – I mean, when does that EVER happen?!
I love a winter coat that isn’t black, that isn’t safe, and that doesn’t go with everything. Winter can be very long and bleak and I love wearing a coat with colour for contrast.
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My favourite one is more than 25 years old. I purchased it in Italy and spent all my saved money on it, on the first day of my vacation. I have never regretted that purchase and love wearing my green coat as much today as I did in my 20’s.
So, if you are sitting in front of a screen, trying to decide whether or not to make a purchase this Black Friday, my only sage advice is to think hard before you click "buy" - what will this piece add, what will it bring?
But on the other hand, don’t let a great piece or two slip away like I did!
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Talking of sitting in front of a screen, I am currently watching season three of Succession.
Well, season two and three as we somehow missed the second series, went straight to the third and realised by the start of season 3, episode 2 that we were either rubbish at following the plot or we had missed ten shows. Turns out that the latter was true and now we are in the thick of things as the family who have everything (apart from a moral compass and a good dress sense) continue to unravel.
I loved how in Season 2 they went to Scotland and held an event at the Scottish Victoria & Albert Museum in Dundee. It’s a beautiful building and I can’t wait to visit it again. This episode made me quite homesick and reminded me of a perfect day visiting the museum.
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Call it a designer issue but I spend a lot of my time watching the show looking past the cast to the interiors. Many of the home’s interiors are not to my liking, the only space I do love and want to see more of is Kendal’s ex-wife's apartment.
It’s the only warm and inviting home that the show has, and who doesn’t love or want a black iron spiral staircase in their living room? The space feels curated and more fit for a family than the other homes that feel more austere and designed with hard edges.
I love the floral draperies, the rattan dining chairs and the eclectic mix of pillows. I love the terracotta velvet chairs and I even have a sample of the fabric (or a very similar one) in our studio.
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The apartment is in the iconic Woolworth Tower in New York and it's currently up for sale for $23.5 million.
I personally think that the set design was lovely and feels far more authentic. I would love to hear your thoughts on how it is currently staged for sale!
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We love all things curated with a strong sense of craft and place.
It is so easy to shop, to fill your cart, closets, and home with stuff but what we seriously love here at GGI is to work with old and new to give each of our clients a unique space to come home to. We are masters at mixing textures and materials to produce a refined home that feels like home from the moment you sit down.
In our current climate with lead times stretched we are always trying to source locally where we can, and we like to incorporate vintage pieces into each project. Vintage might be a piece that our clients currently own that may need refinishing or upholstery or it may be a piece that we have sourced.
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Early next year we will be transforming my client's dining room and I am really looking forward to seeing the vintage stemware wall cabinet that we sourced and installed. It's from the 1920s with original glass doors and it pairs perfectly with the heritage home.
We are keeping my client’s gorgeous crystal chandelier (another vintage piece) and adding our newly designed and sourced furnishings to the mix - samples of which are shown on the flatlay above.
In most of our projects we use the following recipe to ensure a perfect mix of furnishings:
10% Retail + 35% To The Trade + 35% Custom + 20% Vintage
This gorgeous dining room has that mix. It makes it very hard to pinpoint when the space was designed, and it also prevents pieces all looking dated and needing to be replaced all at the same time.
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I always have lots of reading materials on the go. There is a permanent (always curated) stack of books on my dining room table, my desk at work, at the side of my bed, I even have a drawer of books to read or read again, and beside my chair in the kitchen, there is another small (curated) stack.
I used to only be able to read one book at a time, but I currently have three on the go. One I am working on when I take a break to eat lunch and the other two I delve into at home.
The Comfort Book by Matt Haig is a very new purchase from Mable’s Fabels in Toronto. They are known for their children’s books (which is why I was there in the first place) but they also have a small, yet fab, collection of books for grown-ups.
This one delivers simply what it says on the cover, COMFORT. It’s a mix of quotes from the past along with a bit of a memoir. It's simply lovely. Gift it to yourself this weekend - it's like medicine for the soul.
I am also reading State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton & Louise Penny. It’s the first time I have read a Louise Penny novel and it won’t be the last. It gives insight into the sometimes-unseen role of the secretary of state and all the diplomatic chess games that go behind the scenes.
I still haven’t figured out who really is the baddie on the inside and I’m almost finished the book. A great book to read over the holidays!
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Talking of holidays, Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers.
We will be showcasing my team’s favourite places to shop for all things gift and food-related in our Instagram stories starting early next month, so please stay tuned to our feed!
Wishing you all a wonderful month ahead, thank you for your continued support and reading.
Warmest,
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Credits
Girl in Green Mohair Jumper, Anthropologie Europe, GGI Pinterest Board Fashion
Pottery Wall, Geninne (Instagram), GGI Pinterest Board Styling
Green Coat, Style du Monde, GGI Pinterest Board Fashion
Yarn, Kirstie Van Noort, GGI Pinterest Board Styling
Green Coat, source unknown, GGI Pinterest Board Fashion
Succession, Town & Country Magazine
Succession, Town & Country Magazine
Flatlay for a Rosedale Dining Room, Gillian Gillies Interiors Inc.
V&A Museum, Dundee Scotland, Gillian Gillies Interiors Inc.
The Comfort Book, Matt Haig, Mabel's Fables
State of Terror, Hillary Rodham Clinton & Louise Penny, Amazon.ca
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