In The Workplace

This is a very special but sad week. The internship is coming to an end! I’m going to miss my time in the House & Home office. Working in this urban environment has been a dream. Check out this view from our building, for instance!

What other opportunity will ever come my way where I get to work on planning events for the Princess Margaret Lottery House, liaising with amazing designers and going to photo shoots?

Plus, visiting the best places all over Toronto for furniture and accessories…

…and watching an awesome product line come together?

As well, what other opportunity will offer encounters with the Lynda Reeves when she emerges from her beautiful office behind these doors?

The House & Home internship has offered me greater experiences than I ever could have imagined. I’ll carry with me all of the valuable lessons I’ve learned from Mark Challen, Lynda Reeves, Kirby Miller, Trish Snyder and so many other members of the H&H team. And no matter where I end up next, you know I’ll be subscribing to House & Home and visiting Houseandhome.com!

In The Loft

Saying farewell to the internship also means parting with the loft — my top-notch home for the summer. I’ll be saying goodbye to dinner parties in the city…

…and that’s because I’ll be deprived of my kitchen, outfitted with the sleekest Samsung appliances. At least I’ll still be able to whip up some great dishes using these easy to follow House & Home recipes!

I will also be parting with a space all my own, where I had the luxury of changing the look almost every week. Here’s the space in its latest state. Most things are packed up for home, but a few things are kept out for the last visitors.

In The City

To end off my week, I took a final stroll through the Harbourfront gardens, a short walk from the loft.

There was a pretty fun mix of technology and gardening. A positive spin on the phrase, “it’s like watching grass grow.”

There were also a couple more design destinations I really needed to check out before leaving the city. In a soon-to-be-trendy area in Toronto — The Junction — a neat store exists by the name of “Smash”.

They carry restored vintage fixtures and salvage materials.

One great lesson learned from working at House & Home is how important it is to bring character into your space with great investment pieces that transcend trends, and help balance old with new. Keeping up with great design isn’t hard, especially when you check House & Home’s design section as often as I do.

I thought it would be a nice finish to this design internship with a visit to the Design Exchange. It’s an educational design centre and museum that promotes the value of design through displays of historical design objects, as well as new and groundbreaking work.

I love this table by Thien Ta Trung and My Ta Trung, made of laser cut nickel-plated steel. It is such a solid piece yet the treatment is delicate at the same time. It’s all about balance.

This quilted covered shelving console by Frederic Galliot and Vincent Hauspy is really playful. If you like to sew, perhaps a tamer version of this would be something to consider for basic or bare shelves that you may own!

Design Exchange also showcases and sells some of the best Canadian designs. I loved the Totem Cups by Rob Southcott from IMM Living, pictured below. Stacking cups are taken to the next level: form and function fuse beautifully! It’s also great if you have glass-fronted kitchen cabinetry, since you’re going to want to display cool but useful objects.

Another lesson learned from Samsung Canada and House & Home is an emphasis on designs that are eco-smart. These Log Bowls by Doha Chebib for Loyalloot, for instance, are made from reclaimed trees. They demonstrate that completely natural accessories can still have a contemporary edge.

Thank you so much for keeping up with my adventures during my internship with Samsung Canada and House & Home Media. Please come back soon to see the last video posts but in the meantime you can check out a ton of inspirational videos on the House & Home site. Also be sure to visit other amazing House & Home blogs updated daily by our designers, editors, and writers. Keep up your love for design!