My favorite shelter magazine these days has to be Elle Decor ( American version). For me , it showcases some of the best examples of boldly mixing styles, eras, new, vintage and antiques in a classy, timeless way. Pick up an older issue of Elle Decor from 5 or even 10 years ago and you will be hard pressed to tell whether it is a current or back issue.

Another convenient way to get your decor “fix” is through a large number of online magazines that have established themselves over the last few years. Check out RUE Magazine and Lonny Magazine . Lonny has been restructuring, so their newest issue will go online in the middle of March.

Due to trying economic times, the publishing industry has had a hard time getting advertisers to commit. As we all know, advertisers are the backbone of any magazine. No matter how awesome the content is, if the advertisers are not willing to pay for the glossy full page spreads the publication just isn’t viable. Hence the fate of  another much loved magazine ,Domino, which published its last issue three years ago.For all of you who mourned its passing, cheer up! Conde Nast is publishing a Special issue this April filled with Domino’s best decorating stories, focusing on small changes that can make a big difference.

As spring draws nearer, the store is slowly filling up again with all the wonderful new products that we have picked up for our clients recently at market. After living with a sparse, picked-over store for most of January, we have started receiving shipments daily. There is so much stock to come over the next few months from new jewellery lines, throws, cushions to luxurious candles and lighting. Even a sweet, flirty French clothing line, just to keep the product mix interesting!

We are really excited about our new Upholstered furniture line from Precedent Furniture, made in the USA, using Dwell Studio Fabrics. From Transitional to mid Century designs, the upholstered furniture is beautifully made and well priced. Definitely worth a look if you are currently considering replacing some of your upholstered pieces. And as always, a healthy infusion of ever changing vintage pieces to add the tension between new and old, contempory and whimsical, that every space needs.

This season, even more so than in the past, we are embracing colour in a big way with our accessories and lighting.From sunny yellows to Kelly greens we want to see you kick-start your rooms! You will be amazed how a little infusion of happy colour can transform  a beige room – your personality isn’t “beige”, so why should your home be?

Finally, the much anticipated photos from Accent on Design. Fresh colour and a liberal mix of styles and eras. Nothing goes together but everything WORKS together.

After the busy , adreneline packed Holiday shopping season and emptying the shelves even further during our much-anticipated January SALE – the shelves are looking rather bare. A wonderful sight to behold for any retailer! Our clients, however, can’t wait to see the store fill up again to capacity. Sparse just isn’t our look. A few clients have expressed concern, wondering if our picked -over inventory means we are going out of business? Heck, no!

It’s time to restock and there is no better place to shop for the best home accessories and giftware that the WORLD has to offer than The NEW York International Gift Fair.2800 companies exhibiting from over 85 countries in three seperate venues. Four days of non-stop shopping should get the store full and fabulous again.

Although my trip to NY never leaves enough time to check out what’s going on in other stores: trends , displays and merchandising, I do try to take a few hours out of my schedule to check out 3 key retailers,very different from one another, but who all have their fingers on the pulse of retail and giftware. Always “on-trend” and no expenses spared when it comes to lush,eye catching, gorgeous displays.

Next time you’re in NY, drop by Barney’s Chelsea Passage, Bergdorf Goodman’s 7th Floor or ABC Carpet and Home ( voted America’s Best Independent Retailer by Businessweek). These venerable retailers have all the bases covered.

Shopping on Black Friday, especially in the USA, has become an event of Olympic proportions. Here is one retailers “shout out ” to all you Holiday shoppers to please support your local businesses – the small, unique stores that make our neighborhoods special and are an integral part of every thriving community. In these trying economic times small retailers depend on your support and for the most part we all work extremely hard to offer you products and services  not available at the big box stores which are slowly taking over neighborhoods as independent retailers find it harder and harder to compete. Imagine your “hood” without all the small retailers, service providers and purveyors of the “finer things in life”…

So whether you love shopping in Yaletown, Gastown, Granville Street or Ambleside, please give your local stores a chance to win over your business, not just this holiday season but each and every day.