ELLE DECORATION Canada

For me, stunning interior design is not just about things like architectural style (see page 74) or what colour the walls are (see page 32). Obviously, the choice of materials is important (see page 88), ceiling height plays a starring role, as does the element of natural light. But the truth is that in any home, it is more about the composition of the content, the unique decorative touches, that brings life and character to the place. The objects we lovingly choose, our favourite books, our carefully placed pieces of art—they often say a lot about us, our personality and our state of mind (see page 18). Are we flamboyant, maximalist, minimalist, curious, creative, romantic? I've rarely visited a space created by artists—workshops, studios, lofts or houses—that I did not…

SHOP CANADA Pearls of Light Kaizen is the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement over time through small daily steps. And it's something of a mantra for the lighting firm RBW. The 2.0 version of the Akoya pendant lamp—a nod to the cultured pearl of the same name—is proof of that. The Akoya's power consumption is a meagre 8.7 watts, but its lumen output has increased. And the sleek perforated-aluminum shade, which seems to hover weightlessly above the handblown glass globe, has a reduced carbon footprint, because it's now produced in Canada. The Akoya comes in various sizes, hues and finishes, and you can even order it in whatever colour lights your world. — (From $1,050, rbw.com) The Power of Pink “Researchers have shown that if you paint daycare walls in…

Modern Madonna These days, Delphine Hennelly is one of Canada's most sought-after artists. That may be because her colourful madonnas and libertines call out to the woman, the mother or the female friend in us. The wonderfully old-fashioned scenes she concocts, in vivid, liberally applied paints, seem to be straight out of an 18th-century toile de Jouy or the Italian Renaissance. Her ethereal creations are among the most provocative works on display at Galerie Pangée, in Montreal. — (pangeepangee.com) Between the Lines Scott Sueme used to take his creative impulses to the street as a graffiti artist, but he eventually began working with wood, paper and clay. In his studio in Vancouver, using paint, cut-outs or digital effects, he creates interactions between shapes and colours that serve as abstracted reflections…

An integral part of domestic life, the objects that surround us deserve special attention. So much so that the founders of the celebrated American design platform SIGHT UNSEEN have written a book to show us how to successfully share a home with them. Here's our illuminating chat with JILL SINGER. No doubt you've noticed the renaissance of the playful Memphis style? Well, Jill Singer and Monica Khemsurov saw it coming long before many others did. Same thing for the resurgence of terrazzo and, more recently, of checkerboard patterns on floors, walls, furniture, even small everyday objects. Since launching their online magazine Sight Unseen, 13 years ago, the two journalists have identified almost all the major trends and carefully catalogued the creations of emerging artists on both sides of the Atlantic.…

It happened in the blink of an eye. My cherished old cup slipped from my hands, disintegrating as it hit the floor. Everything smashed to smithereens. It was an odd little porcelain vessel, part of a mismatched set, nothing special about it, but just the right size and weight to make it irreplaceable. Brown and ivory, a little cracked (I didn't care) but not chipped, it served its purpose perfectly. I loved it. Of course, there are plenty more cups like it in shops, but either the glaze is too matte, too glossy or too ornamented, or the thickness of the lip bothers me, or the paper-thin walls burn my fingers. Then there is the base, too round or not rounded enough, and then the colours, the proportions. Yikes. It's…

All in for Amber (PAGE 30) This warm and gentle hue has us glowing. — The Case for Colour (PAGE 32) Neutral tones have a calming effect. But bursts of colour revitalize and refresh. California designer Jonathan Rachman shows how to strike a balance. — Into the Dark (PAGE 38) Montreal design firm Blanc Marine has a thing for the dark side: “Black enhances the beauty of everything around it. All other colours are magnified by what is both a presence and an absence.” — Wall of Fame (PAGE 44) Wallpaper may have fallen out of fashion for a while, but new technologies are changing the game, and striking patterns have the walls talking once again.…