Style News: Everything We're Loving For Late Summer

Paint Palette

We're inspired by a palette we’re calling summer neutrals: subtly greyed-down yellows and greens paired with beigy greys that feature a similar yellowy undertone. These harmonious hues are as light as air yet grounded like an expansive summer meadow, creating a calm envelope in any space.

Get the look:

BeautiTone POLAR-ICED DR53-1, Home Hardware, homehardware.ca

YELLOW HIBISCUS 357, Benjamin Moore, benjaminmoore.ca

Behr TUSCANY HILLSIDE PPU10-02, Home Depot, homedepot.ca

BeautiTone CAVE PAINTING D7-5-0147-0, Home Hardware, homehardware.ca

Heat Wave

Here’s a fun project for crafting with the kids on rainy summer days: the Cricut EasyPress Mini, a handheld mini heat-transfer unit, lets you apply patterns to any small or unusually shaped object, from sneakers to beach bags to stuffed animals. The unit heats up fast and is easy to use: just apply a transfer patch to the object, press into place, then peel off the backing. The Mini works with any type of iron-on patch, or design your own transfers using Cricut’s Infusible Ink markers and vinyl transfer paper.

EasyPress Mini TRANSFER MACHINE, Cricut, $66

New Traditions

What’s exceptional about Fritz Hansen’s Tradition collection, aside from its timeless Danish design, is how carefully it’s made. The modular collection features ultra-strong joinery, high-quality FSC-certified teak wood, and comfortable cushions covered in durable outdoor fabric. The individual pieces work together or separately, allowing you to customize your outdoor seating to your needs and available space – how fitting! And the core-wood teak will patinate to a sophisticated silver grey as time passes, making this Tradition a lasting one.

Tradition teak OUTDOOR FURNITURE, Fritz Hansen, from $1,300

Spray On Style

Sico’s new Perma-Flex All Surface spray paint makes all your outdoor decor – from furniture to rugs and cushions – look brand new again, easily and with a mini- mum of prep. The lacquer-based formula contains paint and primer in one for an ultra-durable finish that dries in a few minutes. Three formulations are avail- able: for outdoor fabrics, such as vinyl, leather and even rugs; for hard surfaces like wood, metal, glass and plastic; and one for a clear topcoat in a long-lasting matte or gloss finish.

Perma-Flex All Surface SPRAY PAINT, RONA, from $20

Groovy, Baby!

IKEA’s iconic circa ’70s sunflower pattern by legendary Swedish textile designer Göta Trägârdh is back this summer, and it’s sunnier than ever. Göta’s 1971 floral pattern, Majsol, on the Kransmalva duvet cover set makes a splash in juicy orange and yellow. The far-out vibes don’t end there: the retro circle-patterned Bröggan summer collection, which is perfect for a backyard picnic, features textiles, serving pieces and paper napkins in cheery colours that evoke visions of Pop Art and bell-bottom jeans. Groovy!

Bröggan Collection, IKEA

Earthbound

Silestone’s newest surface is also one
of its most sustainable. Developed in collaboration with the visionary designers of Formafantasmo Studio, Earthic contains a maximum of just 10 percent silica, and uses up to 30 percent recycled materials in its composition. The surface is available in three earthy and elegant colours, ranging from a light speckled grey to a rich-looking anthracite, which resembles a geological formation or a starry night sky.

Silestone’s Earthic SOLID SURFACING, Cosentino

The Fabric Of Life

Travel to India is often described as life changing, and that’s what happened when Antonia Sullivan went to Rajasthan. Having fallen hard for the beautiful textiles she saw on her trip, the entrepreneur founded Indigo by Boutin, where she works with artisans from India to distribute their creations, which are often made using centuries-old traditional methods. “I continuously work with our artisans and team in Jaipur to create eclectic pieces both for home and clothing items,” says Antonia. “Fair-trade work is a top priority for me, so I always oversee each and every step in the production of our items.” The new tablescape collection includes tablecloths, napkins and coasters, all made using sustainably sourced textiles and printed with hand-carved wooden blocks – smashing for a summer soirée.

NAPKINS, COASTERS, TABLECLOTHS, $14 to $206, Indigo by Boutin