Member roll call - 5 members keeping Canadian homes looking great
Fall has officially arrived and in Manitoba it brings cool, drab, rainy days. I found myself preparing for the onslaught of the upcoming cold by changing the colour of my computer room. It started as a cold forest green but after the fourth coat it will be a warm, firey orange. I hope all it needs is a fourth coat! I guess that I should have used primer, but I digress. I also plan to buy wood for the fireplace and lay out stacks of cozy comforters for use while crafting or watching the boob tube. These little luxuries during the long cold winter months seem more like necessities that keep your home looking and feeling warm and cosy! Of course these five fabulous members can keep your house looking great all year round!
The Contrast team has been manufacturing and suppling top quality lighting products to North America since 1989, and it's all made in Canada! They create halogen recessed lighting fixtures, flush mounts, pendants, decorative glass lamp shades, wall sconces and other decorative articles, and Dinah, they are functional and gorgeous! The suspension and mounted lamps with their mouth blown-glass shades are simply to die for. For more information and to ogle, stop by their Buy Canadian First member page and website.
Nova Scotian Crystal was started over a decade ago by several Irish crystal makers. Saddened by the onslaught of machine-made crystal, they picked up their boot straps and headed to the Canadian east coast to preserve the integrity of their ancient craft and to become Canada's only mouth-blown and hand-cut crystal manufacturers. Should you ever be in the area, you are welcome to watch these crafters create and if you are not, well there is always You Tube. Finally I would love nothing more than to drink my Canadian lager in these beautiful tankards during hockey season. Please visit Nova Scotian Crystal at their member page and their website.
In 1944, Russian born Abram Albert DeFehr started to make wooden furniture in the basement of his Winnipeg home. Several years later the first Palliser factory was moved to a refurbished chicken barn. Over 60 years later Palliser employs over 4000 people, funds a philanthropic organisation and builds value on values. All this and they make some great looking furniture, too, like the Venus sectional, which looks dreamy. Be sure to check out their member page and their website to locate a dealer near you.
With the short, cold days and the blustery, frigid nights, winter is truly made for one thing; sleeping and cuddling. Perhaps Simmons figured this out when they began back in 1891 making top quality bedding products. Today they still do the same and you can choose your softness, so I'll take one Beautyrest® Classic Comfort Top Wool with a pillow top in a king size, as we need room for the kids too. For more information check out the Simmons member page and website. Sweet dreams, Canada!
Almost 20 years ago, Grant and Tricia Lloyd began a small shop in their home and now it is one of Ontario's most prominent solid wood furnishings & accents manufacturers. They are also an environmentally friendly company using only water-based finishes, green waste disposal techniques and wood from sustainably-managed forests in Canada and the US. Even though Springwater Woodcraft has a staff of over 20 employees and many retailers across Canada, they still hold the spirit of a family run business. I can't imagine anything better for my home as this gorgeous Cubby Bench at my front entrance. I imagine my little sprouts putting their mittens and scarves away in the cubbies. Please check their member page and website to view more beautiful pieces.
From hand crafted pieces to old time, factory giants, Canada certainly has it all! Who are your favourite Canadian manufacturers of products for the home?
