Thanks to Mother Nature for providing such mild winter temperatures, construction on Lippincott Living is moving right along. Exterior wall installation will be completed by the end of January.  Work on rough-ins is scheduled to commence early February.

“Lippincott Living was honoured to host the launch of Good Food Media (http://goodfoodrev.com/) at the showroom recently.  40 food writers, chefs and industry insiders were treated to a spectacular 6-course meal at Cecconi Simone’s spectacular corian table.

Chefs included Michael Steh from Reds, Scott Vivian from The Wine Bar, Jeff Crump and Bettina Schormann from The Ancaster Old Mill, Victor Barry from Splendido, Jason Bangerter from Auberge de Pommier, cheese maker Ruth Klahsen of Monforte Dairy and Derek Zavislake from Merchants of Green Coffee.

Good Food Media covers the stories and people surrounding local food culture in our area, with a special emphasis on locally-grown and sustainable producers.  It was founded by local food guru Malcolm Jolley and sommelier Jamie Drummond.”

The Design Exchange (DX) is a national design competition open to professional designers across Canada working in a range of disciplines.  The awards were presented at a gala dinner at the Design Exchange on November 24th.  The winners are displayed in an Exhibition at the Design Exchange running from November 25, 2009 to February 21, 2010.

The Design Exchange Awards promote Candian design excellence and recognizes the critical role of design in all types of organizations – national and international.  The Awards celebrate the success stories achieved through close partnerships between clients and designers. Projects are recognized for balancing function, aesthetics, and economic success.

Award categories include architecture, interiors, visual communications, environments, fashion and industrial design.

Construction Activity

Construction officially began on Tuesday, October 13, 2009.  All underground services are being installed and the expected completion date is October 30th.  During the first three weeks of November work on the foundations below the building will be taking place.  The framing will begin immediately afterwards and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.  All the rough-in plumbing, HVAC and, electrical will start in the new year.

Keep checking back as we post updated pictures of the construction in progress.

2009 ARIDO Awards Honour Ontario’s Best Interior Designers

Since 1982, the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario (ARIDO) has held an annual awards program for all registered members.  The ARIDO Awards is one of the most highly regarded honours in the interior design community.  Showcasing excellence, innovation and originality in interior design, the awards bring superior design to the forefront each year.  Each entry is judged on its own merit, by esteemed representatives from business, media and design.  After careful consideration and discussion, an Award of Merit is given to projects which score between 75 to 89 percent.  Awards of Excellence are bestowed on projects which score between 90 to 100 percent.  At the Gala Awards ceremony on September 24, 2009 at the Liberty Grand, Lippincott Living won one of the coveted Awards of Excellence.

Porcelain throughout main floor of home

Porcelain is a very hard tile that resists cracking and chipping.  It is hearty, strong and durable.  In contrast to glazed ceramic tiles, porcelain’s colour goes all the way through.  This is a benefit in the unlikely event you do chip it.

Porcelain comes plain or patterned.  The newer products on the market are available in oversized formats — some as large as 24″ x 48″ which is a size normally associated with natural stone or marble slabs.  The beauty of porcelain is that it doesn’t have to be thick to achieve the large format so the installation is easier.  In addition, it is impervious to stains, acids and oils in the way softer materials are not (marble, limestone, sandstone). 

The pricing can range from $3 to $10 per s.f. (larger sizes are more) plus installation. It is still below the equivalent stone or more exotic hardwoods.

Porcelain is not being limited to kitchens and baths.  It is increasingly being used throughout the main floor of homes.

Corian dishes and back lighted feature wall

What is Corian?  What are the benefits?  How does one maintain it?

Corian is a man made material composed of acrylic polymer trihydrate and is said to be a thermosetting plastic.   It has invisible seams because of the techique used in seaming the product.  It can also be molded to create organic shapes and three dimensional objects.  Corian can be textured, sand blasted, etched, grooved and sculpted for an endless variety of aesthetics. It is warm to the touch as opposed to natural stone, granite and marbles which are cold.

Corian can be used in various settings.  It is used alot in kitchens and bathrooms on counter tops and backsplashes; however, we’ve used it to create back lighted features in casinos, designed beautiful custom sinks, had sliding doors made from it as well as shower bases.  It is also being used in Europe to clad building exteriors.  Corian comes in many colours although we have consistently used either bone or cameo white.

The benefits of Corian are that it can be repaired easily if scratched or chipped.  It is easy to clean and does not harbour bacteria.

This is the most difficult task for a non-professional.  We often see first-time buyers who are purchasing off of floor plans.  Buyer’s remorse sets in very quickly once they see what they’ve bought.  Here are some tips to understanding a floor plan:

• Determine where the suite is situated in the building.  Which way it faces will tell you what kind of natural light can be expected. North and east facing units will have limited and indirect daylight.  South and west facing units won’t but you will have to deal with the hot sun.  Window treatments for shading will need to be considered.
• The floor you are on will affect your views. Will it be the skyline in all its glory,  a serene lake view or, the back lane that the delivery and garbage trucks use.  Noise, odours, and future developments also need to be considered.
• When looking at the layout, imagine yourself walking through the spaces.  In small units, try to choose a layout that has limited corridors and large open areas — this is the most effective use of space.  Look at the views as you go through the unit in your mind.  Check if there are focal points in each room such as a fireplace, location/s for a piece of art or a space for some built-in millwork.    Look at access to daylight.  Are there any rooms that are internal and dark?  This is O.K. for an inboard bedroom or den but you want as much daylight access as possible (unless you’re a mole or a vampire).
• Know your living habits.  If you don’t cook on a regular basis then a suite with a small galley kitchen may be appropriate.  If you entertain, a large island in the kitchen is desirable as a gathering place, a social hub.
• Combo rooms are good because they allow you flexibility in how you use the space.  Living, dining and kitchens are often combined so if you’re not a chef who entertains guests on a regular basis you can forgo the big dining table for ten and go with a small table instead and use the additional space for a great living area.
• Try to determine the scale of a floor plan.  Many developors do not print their plans to a standard scale but will show room sizes.  Usually the entry door is three feet wide and the floor tiles shown in bathrooms and kitchens are 1′ x 1′.  Those are your benchmark measurements.  From there you can pretty much draw all your primary pieces of furniture into the plan.  Measure your furniture and plot it into the spaces to scale so you know what fits and what doesn’t.  Even if you don’t have furniture, go through this exercise so you know what you need to buy and can order it in advance.
• Check the amount of storage that is provided.  The lack of storage is the biggest bone of contention for condo dwellers.  Are there “bonus” areas in the foyer, in hallways, or laundry closets?  Are the closets in the bedrooms large enough? (You’ll know how big they are because you’ve figured out how to scale the floor plan, right?)  Closet systems already on the market will help to maximize storage including double hanging shelves for clothing/shoes.  Hooks on the backs of doors increase storage as well.
• Last but not least, look at your kitchen layout.  Is the “work area triangle” efficiently laid out (fridge, stove, sink).  Once you take away the space taken up by the sink, stove, fridge and dishwasher, how much cupboard space is left?  Do the cabinets go high to take advantage of cubic feet?  Are there full-height pantries for vertical storage?

Going through these exercises is key to avoiding any buyer’s remorse.