Archive for the ‘Furniture’ Category

Do you have an extra 80 inches in length and 40 inches in width in that den of yours? If yes, then that’s just enough room for 2 beds! The clip above is from New-York-based Resource Furniture. Watch in awe (as I did) as they demonstrate how a little ingenuity can give a small space a lot of room!

I’ve never been a fan of the 300 sqf studio, be it for living or an investment but as the price of land in Toronto goes up; the spaces we call home are becoming smaller! It’s inevitable as developers try to facilitate as many units possible into their towers to maximize the profit on the project. Even traditional 2 bedroom units are being built with less square footage than their older counter parts.

If you look at a building like The Esplanade, it’s very common to see 1 bedroom units pushing 700 sqf. Compare that with many of the newer buildings going up and the same square footage is now housing 2 bedrooms! Space saving decor like the ones available from Resource Furniture are the key to using every square inch in your condo and making the most out of the limited space available!

…I wonder if there’s a foldable garden available?

Ready to find your own space in one of Toronto’s many condo towers? Give me a call or send me an email… I’d love to help!

It all started a few weeks ago while shooting some video at the River City construction site…Along one of the blue walls was an advertisement for Banksy’s new film titled “Exit Trough the Gift Shop”!!  I quickly got on the phone and made plans to see it with an old friend and fellow Banksy enthusiast… Wait wait wait!! Let me first explain who this Banksy character is. 

That in its self is no easy task since no one realllly knows his identity, so I’ll start with his story to better explain my story.  Banksy is a British graffiti artist known for his political, playful and thought provoking stencils that have mysteriously popped up in many major Cities throughout the world! He’s successfully done these murals without being caught or identified, adding to the legend known simply as “Banksy” (stop by http://www.banksy.co.uk/ for more of his works).

Now back to how he applies to Toronto.  So I made plans to watch his new film on its Friday release and came out loving every second of it. The film showed the hard and sometimes dangerous work street artists go through to put up their art. I was left with a ton of questions all relating to ones perspective of the topic, some which include “what defines art” or more importantly “what defines GOOD art”… “Is it the message” “Could it be the person making work” “The story of that person” “Does its venue give it more or less credibility?” “Does any of it even matter?” These questions could be debated for hours and probably by more authoritative sources so I’ll save that convo for another day…   

Officially Banksy has never been to Toronto or even Canada for that matter, but after watching the film I couldn’t wait for the day he would!  Thankfully for me, that day came a lot faster than I could ever have imagined.  By Sunday I was hearing stories (primarily on the Torontoist and Show & Tell Gallery) of Banksy’s work appearing in different parts of the City. With the release of the film happening the same weekend, I had my doubts about these and figured this was just a publicity stunt to create a buzz.  Unfortunately for me, I tend to get suckered into “buzz-worthy events” pretty easily.

Fake or not I had to see it…street art doesn’t last long especially Banksy’s, who’s past pieces have been known to fetch large sums of money, I’m talking 1-bedroom-plus-den-with-parking-in-downtown-Toronto kind of money!!!  For that reason, the location of the stencils was left unknown.  All “Banksy hunters” had to work with were local landmarks in photos taken by others….

All those times being stuck in downtown traffic jams were about to pay off! I jumped into the Cooper and took to the streets and back alleys hoping to find me some Banksyyy!  My first stop was by The Docks, where the back of the drive through sign was used as the canvas for one of his famous “rat” stencils!  I started snapping photos around 11:30 Sunday night as an event cleared out.  A lot of people were wondering why I was so furiously snapping photos of a spray painted rat.  Looking back, I must have looked strange with my Blackberry in one hand and camera in the other….though it was totally worth it.  By mid Monday the “rat” was removed by a team of construction workers! 

I can only wonder if those construction workers had any idea as to what the value of the billboard was worth. Here are some pictures for those who didn’t get to see it:

I took to the back alleys of Dundas and Queen St. for hours searching for others….sadly nothing, so at 3am I called off the search.  Monday morning more pieces popped up including a “Spadina Rat” and an “intimidating balloon guard dog”.  Sadly, for one of the pieces, it was too late.  The stencil on an Adelaide wall (described as “0% Interest in People”) had been painted over.  Now there was 7 confirmed Banksy’s in Toronto with 2 either stolen or painted over.  I went back on my search Monday night exploring the City to find the others before it was too late. 

Finally…SUCCESS!! Here’s what we found:

To some the pictures may be of nothing more than “vandalism” or “garbage”…yet to others (myself included) it’s the chance of a life time!  By searching down the various locations of his art, I got to rediscover the City and even visit parts I’ve never been too.  A few weeks back I visited the AGO for my first time and saw a lot of beautiful works, but I found the staff to be very protective and at times even confrontational making it was hard to truly enjoy the art.  With street art, there are no boundaries…takes as many pictures as you like, touch it, discuss it, and view it any time of the day.

This whole Banksy experience brought a lot of attention to the Toronto street art scene and even showcases our own local talent… Fauxreel (pretty sure this is one of his pieces pictured below)

So get off the blog and out on those streets…create your own experince and enjoy Banksy in Toronto until it’s gone for good!

It’s funny how fast things change! The same time last year I was using Facebook once and a blue moon, contemplated joining LinkedIn and hadn’t even heard of Twitter.  Fast forward a year and I have 4 website/blogs not including all the “social media” sites I’ve subscribed to!  The problem in the past was that I had a ton of info but no way of sharing them.  Now I have a ton of websites, but find it impossible to tell people about them in one breath…

Enter: SavelAndTheCity.com

It’s my new one-stop shop website that allows visitors to see the many sides of “Savel”! For example… by clicking  “in photos“, you’ll be taken to my photo blog which shows off all the cool pics I take around the City.  Interested in the happenings of Yorkville?  Try clicking on “BloorCondos.com” for the latest in high-end Real Estate and lifestyle! Or maybe you’re ready to have me work for you…click on “SavelSells.com” to find out more about the services I provide and how I get the job done!  Lastly there’s “SavelBlogs.com”, it’s an informal way of sharing my knowledge and experiences as a downtown Realtor… from new construction projects to the latest in upcoming trends my goal is to incorporate it all. 

As one colleague asked: “Is all this online fluff really necessary???” ABSOLUTLY…it keeps me on my toes and current with the ever changing downtown core.  Long gone are the Wild West ways of the past.  Transparency is everything and this is my way of participating in it. There’s more that makes a Realtor, beyond the cheesy bus stop ads, past the flashy suites, knowledge is what you’re hired for.  By using the different social media sites, it allows me to take in more info and through my various “Savel” themed outlets, i’m able to share it!

enjoy!

Have you found yourself  trying to find a condo based on mattress size?  Too often, I find buyers having to choose a space based on which one will fit their bed!  In some cases it’s inevitable, you just have to work with what you have…BUT if you have the option, my advice to any first time buyer is to buy the condo FIRST and the furniture second :) 

Here’s a little something that might make the process a whole lot easier.  It’s my Matress Size chart:

Twin/Single – 39″ x 75″ or 3.3′ x 6.3′
Twin XL /Single XL – 39″ x 80″ or 3.3′ x 6.8
Double – 54″ x 75″ or 4.6′ x 6.3′
Double XL – 54″ x 80″ or 4.6′ x 6.8′
Queen – 60″ x 80″ or 5′ x 6.8′
King – 78″ x 80″ or 6.6′ x 6.8′
California King – 72″ x 84″ / 6′ x 7′ 

If you’ve got the mattress, I can find the condo! give me a call or send me an email… i’d love to help!

This kind of post should probably appear in my “Make You Laugh Monday” series, but it’s been a loooong week, and I’m sure someone could use a laugh!

Nigerian Prince’s, Daughters of Kings and now British Diplomats have all contacted me via SavelBlogs.com to ask for my assistance. Maybe it’s time to rebrand my marketing efforts…I’m thinking “Your Money Laundering/International Scam Specialist” Usually I just delete this ridiculous emails, but I decided to share this one juuuust in case someone actually falls for one of these scams! Here it is, with a hint of my commentary (in red):

Dear Sir or Mam,

(Really? I have SavelSells.com, SavelBlogs.com, BloorCondos.com, twitter.com/SavelSells, linkedin.com/in/marksavel, flickr.com/photos/savelblogs/, and you still don’t know the “Savel” name? or atleast my gender?)

My name is Ian Paisley, a British diplomat, in Iraq. Having gone through the rigors of diplomatic assignment, as a Read the rest of this entry »

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The other day I was doing my nightly ritual (Starbucks Frappuccino and exploring the city) in the Uptown area when I passed by the Petroff Art Gallery.  I usually stop in front as they always have fascinating displays.  But this one REALLLLY caught my eye.  It was the perfect mix of ”forgotten factories” and “modern art.” From July 14th to September 6,2009 you too can view (and purchase) Heather Kocsis’ “New York Collection” at the Pertroff Art Gallery.

I swear it was love at first sight when I saw the detail and time put into each piece.  Heather doesn’t just paint a picture…she recreates an era.  Her pieces are of older buildings but the delivery of the message is in a very modern way.  

To quote her site “using reclaimed, weathered plywood to construct three dimensional representations of industrial buildings, Heather layers the pieces similarly to the way she would have constructed a plate to be rolled through a press”  Although I’ve included photos below (click the thumbnail to view a bigger version),  words and even images don’t do her work justice so check out the video above to get the full effects of her masterpieces. 

If your in the area do stop by and check out these one of a kind pieces.  And heck, purchase one as well (they’re moving fast, on recording the video I noticed a few pieces sold).  They make the perfect addition to any urban art lovers collection…or better yet, the perfect gift for that special loft owner in your life!! Oh and if you like the song on my video you can download it here

I’ve decided to take a break from my ‘Make You Laugh Monday’ spoofs and instead, share this sleek piece of furniture I came across.  It’s called the ‘Gorge” and Korean designer Ramei Keum describes his latest work as:

“Gorge’ is a coffee table with a shape of a gorge. Designing it, I strived to put it in a form so that elements composing of a table such as a top board and legs may become one element, not individual elements. The shape of a gorge folded in a V shape itself plays a structural role of supporting  the top board of the table, and plays a role of holding/ keeping magazines or books as well as completing an aesthetic form of the table.”

Not only is it appealing to the eyes, it’s also functional in it’s design.  If you’d more info on Ramei Keum’s design, click here.  If you’d like a condo to put the coffee table in give me a call…i’d love to help!