Summer reading + My favourite post

The weekly micro-decorating newsletter * Issue 5 of 13, SS25 *
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With summer officially beginning in two days, let's gather up some design articles for those nothing-to-do moments that mark the season:

On childhood

Remember Children's Village? Before caution intervened, this playground gave generations of kids an exhilarating taste of freedom, including my brothers and me. This article from a few years ago is a fun primer on how an Englishman's renegade spirit made it all happen:

Canada’s Greatest Playground and Its Visionary Designer | The Walrus

Fifty years ago, he transformed a children’s park into a social utopia

The WalrusNicholas Hune-Brown

On miniatures

Designing a set for a movie and designing interiors for your everyday life are no doubt connected – so why not take some home inspiration from a groundbreaking filmmaker? Wes Anderson movies are treasure troves for design lovers, so it's not surprising that London's Design Museum is giving us a closer look. The miniatures featured in this article are a reminder that the smallest details are key to good storytelling:

You Can Soon Dive Into the Archives of Filmmaker Wes Anderson

London’s Design Museum presents an exclusive look at pieces from the Wes Anderson archives, offering insight into some of our favorite films.

Design MilkAria Lee

On mid-century revival

When we think of collecting mid-century antiques, we tend to picture furniture and objects – but imagine having the opportunity and means to acquire a classic mid-century home. This designlines story shows what happens when you balance respect for the past with an embrace of the present. As you might have guessed, I especially enjoy the display of objects on the living room shelves:

A Reimagined Parkwoods Mid-Mod Marvel

Parkwoods is a surviving example of Toronto’s mid-century modern enclaves—explored through a revived bungalow by ben homes.

Designlines MagazineChad Hetherington

On stealth stores

In recent months, we've started exploring design shops in Toronto that are appointment-only or otherwise hard to reach, dubbing them "stealth stores." The New York Times is catching up on the trend, as proven by this entertaining roundup from last week:

On soulful spaces

These days, any interior that offers respite from life's vicissitudes is worth honouring – and that's exactly what Monocle magazine does in this collection of noteworthy spaces. Have a look and imagine which one you'd most like to visit. (For me, it's the fifth.) Are there design decisions you can borrow and incorporate into your own home?

Five of the world’s most peaceful buildings, where architecture soothes the soul - Monocle

For millennia people have sought out places to visit where they can get away from the bustle of everyday life.…

MonocleEmilie Wade

My favourite post

Last Thursday was the fourth birthday of guy with an eye. I've been looking back and reminiscing, wondering which article best captures the mission of this newsletter. I settled on one that stitches together architecture, graphic design, plant life, and domestic objects:

In praise of waviness

The weekly micro-decorating newsletter * Issue 4 of 13, F23 * Subscribe free * One of the fastest ways to add some enjoyment factor to your home is to bring in something wavy. Meandering lines instantly evoke pleasure. Need proof? Toronto’s Yonge-and-Bloor cityscape provides a supersized example. Here’s my balcony view of the

guy with an eyeGuy Koolhof

As we begin year five, I hope to continue inspiring you to live artfully at home.

Thank you for reading.