About Arren Williams
If Arren Williams were to walk through one of those new scanners at the airport, security personnel might be surprised to see chairs, tables and lamps floating around in his head. As one of Canada’s top stylists, editors and trend reporters, he is always on the hunt for the next great find that could take a room from blah to spectacular.
Roughing It
design diarycanada
(Aug.25.10)
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The weathervane of style has well and truly swung 180 degrees. Where once all we were hearing about was high-gloss this and lacquer that, now everything has gone rough and rustic. Weathered barnboard, heavily grained wood and hits of raw and antiqued metal are suddenly what everyone is after (even little old me). When it came to finding a dining table for my current place, I took matters into my own hands by high-pressure hosing, orbital-sanding and then staining and finishing – with this smart two-in-one product from Minwax – three 8’-long dirty old scaffolding planks to create a table top. But what if you don’t have the time, patience or ready source for scaffolding planks? Well, luckily there’s Hardware Interiors.
Jordan Tabachnik and Murray Duncan are the duo behind Hardware, an east-end Toronto store filled to the brim with their furniture designs, many of which are made from reclaimed wood sourced from old farmhouses. Whether it’s tables – like the swanky one shown in the picture – or something larger, Tabachnik and Duncan can custom-create the perfect rustic piece for you. And if it’s a roughed-up painted finish you’re after (kitchen cabinets, for example), they can also match absolutely any paint colour you throw their way.