Designer Desire: Rafael Alfandary

Montage of Rafael Alfandary jewellery designs

If you happen across a piece of brutalist, modernist jewellery by Rafael Alfandary, you’d be forgiven for believing that the designer was Scandinavian. In fact, Rafael Alfandary (d. 2005) was from Canada via Israel and born in Belgrade in the former Yugoslavia.

Alfandary initially trained as a mechanical engineer, finding his way into jewellery-making accidentally after creating a piece for his ESL teacher.

His creations were usually formed of copper, brass and sterling silver set with coloured cabochon Murano glass. They wouldn’t look out of place on Cleopatra or Nefertiti.

Clients included Prince, Margaret Trudeau, Liberace, Muhammad Ali, Paul Anka and Redd Foxx.

Find vintage examples of his work to buy on eBay and Etsy.

Portrait of Rafael Alfandary
Original Toronto Star caption: Rafael Alfandary, mechanical engineer who moved to Toronto from Tel Aviv seven months ago and started designing jewelry, puts one of his copper necklaces on his wife, Esther. She wears bracelet with two rings he designed.

credit

Additional image credits:
LiveAuctioneers | Samantha Howard Vintage

Get their look: Cottage garden in the sky

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Stanley Luk (@pottedguy)

Today’s Get their look subject is a located in downtown Vancouver, so it gets the gamut of weather conditions; from long, hot summer days to hail and snow during those sub-zero Western Canadian winters.

Stanley Luk, his husband and their cat, Yoda have lived in their condo since the end of 2019.

Stanley has referred to the space as his cottage garden in the sky and Crayola box on the roof. The condo is multi-level and has both an upper and a lower balcony – about 45 square metres in total. Obviously, there’s no soil up there, so everything has to be grown in pots, troughs and raised beds.

Stanley is a professional plantsman and has designed the roof terrace to be in flower all the year round. His huge collection of stunning orchids, which are kept under cover in greenhouses, flower throughout the winter and spring. He has hellebores in February, anemones and crocuses in March, tulips and ranunculus in April, sweet peas in June & July, dahlias and pineapple lilies in August. In addition, there are masses of poppies, roses, alliums, clematis, nasturtiums and lilies – all taking their turns to shine.

It’s not just flowers – the vegetable garden contains courgettes, peas, brassicas, tomatoes and peppers. Making use of available height as well as the width, he’s cultivated a vertical wall of strawberries.

As if that wasn’t enough, he’s still found the space to fit a barbecue, 6-seater dining table & chairs, massive parasol and a couple of sun loungers!

To say I feel in awe of all he’s achieved in this challenging space would be an understatement!

Get their look

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Tulip bulb collections
Tulip bulb collections
6-seater table with parasol and chairs
6-seater table with parasol and chairs
Aluminium sun lounger
Aluminium sun lounger
Plastic walk-in greenhouse
Plastic walk-in greenhouse
Hanging planters
Hanging planters
Tulip bulb collections
Tulip bulb collections
6-seater table with parasol and chairs
6-seater table with parasol and chairs
Aluminium sun lounger
Aluminium sun lounger
Plastic walk-in greenhouse
Plastic walk-in greenhouse
Hanging planters
Hanging planters
Tulip bulb collections
Tulip bulb collections
6-seater table with parasol and chairs
6-seater table with parasol and chairs
Aluminium sun lounger
Aluminium sun lounger
Plastic walk-in greenhouse
Plastic walk-in greenhouse
Hanging planters
Hanging planters

Designer Desire: Ed Drahanchuk

Montage of Ed Drahanchuk ceramic designs

Ed Drahanchuk (b.1938) is a Canadian ceramic artist who has been creating pieces in his own studio in the tiny hamlet of Bragg Creek since the early 1960s. Born in Calgary, he attended Alberta College of Art and currently resides on Quadra Island.

He has been given a number of public and private, large-scale ceramic mural commissions. They include Rhythm One (1970) at the University of Calgary; Alberta Foothills Morning (1970) for the Municipal District of Rocky View (shown at the top of the montage, above); Fossil Theme (1973) at the University of Calgary; United News Building, Calgary; Hudson Bay Oil & Gas, Calgary and Mercantile Bank of Canada in Edmonton.

Drahanchuk was the recipient of the Canadian Design of Merit Citation, Craft Award given by the National Design Council in 1974.

During the 1980s, Ed Drahanchuk switched from pottery to painting; however, he has recently recommenced working with clay.

Find examples of his (small) works for sale on Etsy and eBay.

Portrait of Ed Drahanchukcredit

Additional image credits:
Avenue Calgary | Collectors Weekly | Everyday Tourist

How to buy a new home in Canada with confidence

How to buy a new home in Canada with confidence

Buying a new home can be a seriously daunting prospect. With so many different things to consider and so much to organise, it’s easy to become overwhelmed during this process. If you’re selling your old home at the same time as buying a new one, then you have twice as much to consider and twice as much to get done!

Although it can be challenging, buying a new home should also be a joyful experience. The following tips are designed to support you through this time and to ensure you make the best decisions as you go.

illustration of budgeting

Stick to your budget

Taking on a new long-term financial responsibility can be one of the most stressful things about buying a new home. The cost of any house is likely to be a significant one, and before you embark upon this process, it’s a good idea to be completely certain of what you can afford.

Being entirely aware of your budget is the first step, and the second step is being able to stick to it!

In your search, you may come across properties that you fall in love with that are out of your price range. Try to take a sensible approach to this, and only look within your budget. This can ease the disappointment and can also keep you from over-stretching your finances.

Remember, there are often hidden costs involved with buying a house. Make sure you do your research to be fully aware of what’s involved. This will help you to avoid surprise charges later, which can squeeze your pocket and add to your stress.

Illustration of a real estate agent

Choose an expert real estate agent

Finding the best real estate agent is important when you are buying a new home. The right agent for you will be someone who can put your mind at ease while also making sure everything gets done on time and with precision.

Ontario is one of the most popular choices for house hunters, and many locals have chosen to work with expert Mansfield realtors when buying a home here.

Ask around for recommendations and also do your research online. It can also be worth meeting a potential real estate agent in person before deciding to work with them, so you can check that you feel comfortable with this person.

Illustration of a man moving cardboard boxes

Be prepared for moving day

Once all of the hard work of finding and buying a home is complete, you have still got the final task of moving in.

Many home-owners report this as being the most stressful moment of buying a new house, as they move all of their belongings from their old home to the new one.

If you don’t already know a reliable moving service, then check out reviews of relevant companies online. This will help you to know who you should choose for this important task. Be sure to confirm all of the details in advance, so there are no big surprises on the day such as timings, van size and the locations of point A and point B.

Moving day also generally entails getting your services hooked up and reassembling your furniture when it arrives. Therefore, make sure you’re aware of just how much time and energy this day is going to require!

Illustration of people shaking hands over a house sale

Enjoy your new home

When you’re buying your home, try to remember that the difficult moments are temporary and that you’ll soon be settled in to enjoy your new home. If you do encounter any bumps in the road on your house-buying journey, then try to look ahead to this point in the future to keep the smile on your face!

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