THE GREAT DIVIDE
The sleek, modernist Divide coffee table designed by Grant Wyllychuk of Ornamentum Furniture comes in light, regional woods. It's a great-looking piece that will stand the test of time and trends, but it's also an ideal design solution for small spaces. That's because it doubles as storage, with the top sliding open to reveal space inside. Available woods are Douglas fir, white oak, and alder, and the standard size is 50 by 100 by 35 centimetres. However, you can order other wood types and customize the table to a size that suits your room. All of Ornamentum's furniture is hand-crafted to order at the company's East Side studio. The Divide table sells for $1,950. To view the Divide and other pieces, visit www.ornamentum.bc.ca/. To order, call 604-215-7444. (Turnaround time is about six to eight weeks.) Ornamentum Furniture is committed to environmental responsibility and the use of sustainable woods.
THE WORLD AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
Anyone who saw Martin Scorsese's The Aviator was treated to a feast of interior and architectural design from the 1920s, '30s, and '40s. The film about the halcyon years of billionaire recluse Howard Hughes focuses on international aviation, so it's no surprise to see big, beautiful, rotating world globes popping up as set decorations throughout the picture. Many of us grew up with a globe in the bedroom or on the teacher's desk. Globes can add a nice if somewhat nostalgic design dimension to rooms, and the biggest assortment of these stylish spinners can be found at International Travel Maps & Books (530 West Broadway). ITMB sells about 200 different types of freestanding, desktop, illuminated, and inflatable globes ranging in price from a few bucks to as much as $10,000. If they don't have something in stock, they can special-order it for you.
FUN AT FUNHAUSER
Alice goes to Tikiland, where all things late-'60s and early-'70s have been spruced up and reincarnated. Funhauser, nestled right in the Chinatown corridor (35 East Pender Street), presents plenty of choices for rumpus-room chic: everything from coffee-table books (like The Donut Book by Sally Levitt Steinberg) to original art (Luc Latulippe, I Braineater, Tiki Bob, Heather Watts) to gifts (toys, party bags, lunch boxes) to home accessories (coasters, collectible mugs, patio lanterns, TV trays). Just one walk through the store is enough to conjure memories of playing bartender in those slightly dank basement bars of yore. To make the nostalgia trip complete, owner Peter Usiecki assures us that the velvet paintings are on order.
BUBBLY SEATING
Most of us know the proverbs of Mohammed and the mountain, or the horse and the water. Well, architect David Christopher pretty much put them into action after designing enough homes only to find he couldn't find the proper furniture to fill them. His one-year-old collection focuses very much on the art of entertaining and to this end seamlessly marries form and function. The Phat-J couch, of the J-Collection (www.dcfurniturecollection.com/), features a champagne bucket built into the ottoman, and many of the pieces adjust to accommodate more guests as the party builds. Admirers of the line include NFL wide receiver Jerome Pathon and Donald Trump, who called the J-Sofa "magnificent". The champagne has been flowing ever since.
STARRY, STARRY SOFAS
Haven of all things girly, Peridot Decorative Hardware (1512 West 14th Avenue) puts a twinkle in your living area with silver-sequined cushions that Mae West would have loved (rectangular, $75; square, $125). Picture them by candlelight. Admittedly less glittery but just as glamorous in their own way are square black cushions framed in fluffy black feathers ($55), by local label Cocoon. If you'd rather sink into something downright snuggly, invest in a creamy-coloured cushion covered in long, curly-haired Mongolian lamb ($149).
OFFICE ASSISTANCE
Working at home often means your living room or bedroom has to do double duty. No problem there, except that files and boxes in the traditional manila colour do say "government department" rather than "snug nest". Light-years ahead in visual appeal is a line sold at Pottery Barn (2600 Granville Street). Covers are in matte "bookcloth" (which looks like dull-surfaced silk) in crimson, willow green, and black. Stash your papers in a file box ($50.99), organize photos and DVDs in their own separate container ($27.99), and line up those back issues of BC Business in a "magazine butler" ($21.99). Small metal frames accommodate your handwritten description of what's inside.
http://www.straight.com/node/5768
