Home & Garden: Designer edit
Every designer has them, according to Kimberley Seldon – the things that a client didn’t love, or the size was not quite right, so she’s hosting a ‘designer edit’ sale in Creemore.
On June 27-28, she and a group of designer friends from Toronto, Barrie, King City, Collingwood and beyond, as well as local retailers Lagom and Heirloom 142, will take over the Creemore Legion to clear out some of their inventory. The sale will feature items that didn’t quite make it into the projects they were originally purchased for and will be a great opportunity to score some bargains on real treasures.
“We’ll have lots of random, beautiful things – chairs, ottomans, hardware – mostly new but with some vintage,” said Seldon. “Whether you’re a homeowner, a collector, a design professional, or just someone who loves to shop and poke around you’ll love your time at our sale. It’s a place to discover well-chosen items with personality—pieces for the home, for yourself, and perhaps a little something you never expected to fall for. We’ll feature mostly interior design items plus some little things like special jams so that no one needs to leave empty handed.”
Seldon is a Santa Monica, California native who moved to Toronto after she met the Canadian who would eventually become her husband. She launched Kimberley Seldon Design Group more than 25 years ago and is well known to TV audiences as host of shows such as HGTV’s Design for Living, and for her regular appearances on City Line.
Seldon’s love affair with the Creemore area began many years ago when she hosted a Christmas special here.
“At that point, we had been looking for a cottage in Muskoka for three years,” she said. “I came to Creemore and was immediately taken with all the lights and twinkly stuff and the magical atmosphere. I called my husband and said you have to get up here and see this.”
The couple decided they wanted a weekend home where they could escape the pressures of the city and unwind. Seldon began working with local realtor Ginny MacEachern, who predicted that they would soon decide they would want to live here full-time.
“I said, no way. We are city people. There’s no way we would ever live here full-time. But very quickly, we started making great friends in the area, and discovered a real community. Before long, this felt like home,” she said.
Seldon recounts how she took out a map and circled her favourite café and the bookstore, knowing she wanted to live within 10 minutes of those locations.
“I think we actually wound up about 12 minutes away,” she laughs.
Seldon and her husband purchased a property in Mulmur in 2004, and started construction of their dream home in 2007. Since then, they have enticed several friends from Toronto into making the move.
“People come up here for a visit and fall in love,” she says.
Seldon still has family in California. In fact, her daughter moved there after finishing school. Her son lives in Toronto but she’s working on getting him to relocate to Creemore. She divides her time between three homes, and works with clients in each market. Currently, she is working with a friend whose home burned in the Pallisades fires.
Her approach to design is simple.
“I’ve always felt there has to be a happy marriage between the landscape and the architecture and what the client wants,” she said. “Everything I design is situated to take advantage of the best views. I design holistic, authentic spaces for the those that crave unique surroundings and a sense of place. I love to create harmonious homes, where you feel safe and cared for, with design touches attuned to the features of your property. I love the excitement of a new build where you start from nothing but every new build is at least a two-year commitment. There is much faster gratification when you’re renovating an existing structure. It’s nice to have a mix of both.”
Her website says, “You’ll often find me at home in the Mulmur hills, hosting a waffle breakfast, or a movie night with friends. Lately, I’ve been reflecting on what it truly means to be fortunate enough to have a home. Aesthetically, it’s pleasing to have a beautiful space, but authentic interior design is having everything in place when you need it, whether alone or entertaining a crowd. Ultimately, it’s about creating a sense of safety, security, and feeling well cared for.”
Her chief loves include hanging out at her Creemore area home with her husband, tap dancing and tequila.
Seldon is impressed with the calibre of the local workforce. “I’ve been a bit spoiled by the quality of tradespeople in this market- builders like Ed Leimgardt and John Gordon. There are some good builders in the city too, but there are also some bad ones.”
She has done other designer edit sales in Toronto, but is looking forward to meeting some new people at the Creemore sale. “I’m anticipating we’ll see some of the Toronto crowd who have weekend homes plus some people from closer to home.”
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Purple Hills Arts and Heritage Society.
Kimberley Seldon’s Designer Edit on June 27-28 is at the Creemore Legion, 22 Elizabeth St. W., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission costs $5 at the door. Lunch available for purchase.
