I’m not going to lie, it’s been awhile since we’ve been able to blog properly.  A mixture of travel, sickness and everyday life getting in the way. Things are happening over here but there’s no time to report on it! Who knew, kids need attention. A lot of it.

The last Junction Flea happened earlier in the month (sniffle) and it was a great run while it lasted! We thank Micah and Paul for putting it all together and wish them all the best for their future plans.

At the second to last flea (which I thought was the last flea) there was a piece of art that caught my eye, but price and mood got in the way. When I chanced upon it again at the actual last flea and found out the price was now $80, I just had to go for it. We had recently swapped out our sofa–it was time to let the 1960s sofa go – don’t worry, we replaced it with the same one, in natural–and found that our living room acquired a new vibe in the process.

I find it so hard to acquire art. On the one hand I want contemporary work but cannot necessarily afford to acquire it quickly. On the other hand I think it’s nice to balance the contemporary out with some older work. But striking a balance, and not going too kitchy is always a concern. I think this piece plays well with the contemporary piece it’s placed beside, as well as the natural leather and oak in the room.

A detail.

Max Papart (1911-1994), France.
Lithograph on Arches with Embossing, Signed and numbered in pencil.

Just needs a frame to finish it off!

Our main reason for visiting Winnipeg was to see our friends Nils Vik and Thom Fougere (and to make a new friend of Mike from Scandinavian Modern). We met Nils and Thom years ago at IDS (ahhh so young), when they had their prototype on display. Since then Nils opened a very successful cafe, Parlour Coffee, in the Exchange neighbourhood (more on Thom later).

They offer pour over, which is still a rarity.

A lot of interesting events happening in Winnipeg these days!

The Parlour space is definitely more of a grab and go scenario, however there are some bar stools if you’re lucky to nab one.

A simple menu. I imagine their treats sell out pretty early, as there seems to always be a lot of traffic.

Babyccino?

I spy Mjölk Volume II and a much coveted Volume I, probably the only one left worldwide!!!

Tyndall stone facade and some benches to enjoy before the -40 temperatures start.

 

As if we hadn’t had enough coffee we headed over to MAKE Coffee + Stuff. We were invited to be on the Jury for an international lighting competition they were holding, called 011_SHADE.

Some of the other jury members.

Although this light wasn’t photographed the best in the submission package, it turned out to be a surprise hit for us.

This one we found to be a unique take on the bubble light.

This design is so intriguing, with the weight of the concrete and lightness of the wire.

You know how we love that charred wood look.

We attempted a fancier meal on our last night at highly recommended Segovia. We don’t generally do dinner with Elodie as her bath time is at 6pm sharp and she’s in bed by 6:30-7. Add a time change and well, we were heading towards disaster city. We were THOSE people. The ones with a screaming toddler in a fancy restaurant. But I mean come on, who really goes out for an intimate dinner at 5PM??? Sheesh. We should have had that room to ourselves yet the tables filled up around us. Anyway, Elodie refused to sit with us or eat anything. I had bought her a Thomas the Tank Engine toy so she happily played with it on the floor…well happily until she tried to choo choo it to where all the servers bustle about. Rookie parent I am it took me forever to remember to shove my iphone at her, which let us shovel food into our mouths for about 7 minutes in relative peace. Check please!

I will say that although we crammed the food in (is there any other way with young kids anyway?), the food was incredible. Oh to be savored…maybe next time!

 

The main event of our trip was the Thom Fougere + Børge Mogensen exhibition.

It was so amazing to see Thom’s work finally available for purchase, taking production into his own hands and working with local suppliers it is very inspiring. It was also a pleasure to meet and have dinner with Mike from Scandinavian.Modern, a kindred spirit indeed. He really knows his stuff and has impeccable taste. He is always pushing designers that tend to be a little less mainstream here in North America, and of course the Danish modern enthusiasts who are in the know have a ton of respect for his offerings.

Here is the images we could muster on a dark and cozy Winnipeg evening:

The beautiful Tyndall stone table, an iconic stone used throughout the buildings in the prairies.

Charge catch for holding your phone while it is being charged.

Bench coat rack system, and wood and metal side table.

The Parlour portable coffee bar.

Believe it or not, this used to be just like our old apartment. We also have a vintage 2213 sofa in black leather with mahogany legs, as well as Thom’s tyndall table. I think it is a perfect combination.

The newest work on exhibit is Thom’s magazine rack which is to the left of the Mogensen sofa.

 

The brass detail of a rare armchair Børge Mogensen designed for Karl Andersson & Söner.

Børge Mogensen canvas and oak Easy chair for Fredericia.

An incredible module sofa with wall mounted headrests. If we had a place for it in our life, I would love this for our home.

We had a great time in Winnipeg, and we’re looking forward to our next visit!

 

 

The other week we visited Winnipeg. Why Winnipeg you ask? Well, firstly I (Juli) grew up visiting my grandmother and family several times a year, even attending a French day camp at St. Boniface for a month in the summer. More recently though, we have made quite a few friends through the shop that are from Winnipeg. Some events were happening all at the same time so we figured it was a good time to visit.

It was Elodie’s first airplane ride and she was surprisingly amazing for a very busy 18 month old. Although I think a 2 hour flight is her maximum, she stayed in our lap and was quiet the whole flight (not as good the way back, but what can you do!). We rented a car and made our first stop The Forks for some lunch. We were going to go to the children’s museum but Mike from Scandinavian Modern told us about this amazing park right next door.The Variety Heritage Adventure Playground had plenty to do to burn off some of that toddler energy.

After a long play session Elodie passed out in the car and we drove around town.

We then visited Little Sister Coffee Maker, a new cafe in Osborne Village, co-owned by our friend Nils Vik of Parlour Coffee and his sister-in-law Vanessa. I am so embarrassed that I didn’t get any proper photos. Travelling with toddler made it hard to get in the zone, and we thought we would have time to visit again (we didn’t), so I only got two shots!

Regardless, the atmosphere is really lovely, and the details are all there, right down to the colour scheme and fresh flowers. Honestly, this is the type of cafe we would go to daily if given the opportunity. They actually use legit Iittala mugs and serve incredible croissants and baked goods. I had a mocha and it was the best I have ever had. John had a pour over, which not many places take the time to do. In order to get Elodie to sit still for a few minute we placated her with her very own cookie. She responded with a fairly adept impersonation of Cookie Monster (nom nom nom) and refused to share even one bite of her cookie with us. She is her mother’s daughter.

A cute post box turned trash bin.

We were pretty tired after our busy day so we headed back to our fancy digs at The Fairmont to grab some room service and put Elodie to bed. We ended up with a double room suite (it was the only room available, I swear) and it was worth every penny. When your kid goes to bed around 7pm the last thing you want to do is sit in the dark for the rest of the evening. Also the room service was surprisingly good for a change.

If you are familiar with Winnipeg then you will know that Stella’s is an institution at this point. I used to go with my grandma to the location in Osborne Village and it’s as good now as it ever was. Best breakfast in town – actually I wish there was one in Toronto!

I know this looks pretty average but they make their own jam and bread which are two huge factors in the best breakfast category. We ate here both mornings.

Some architecture:

The Exchange area

Winnipeg City Hall

Centennial Concert Hall

Manitoba Museum and Planetarium

The first diorama in the museum is the bison hunt, a classic. I always insisted on visiting the museum, every single time, dead of winter even (three buses).

A newer diorama of a Ukrainian homestead. Looks like a William Kurelek painting!

Old murals

Tyndall stone, a limestone rich in decorative fossils, is widely used in commercial applications in Winnipeg. Our friend Thom made a gorgeous coffee table out of this material.

The iconic The Golden Boy, perched on top of the legislature building.

Another post to follow!