18Karat

March 5, 2010

NICE CANADIANS, EH?

Well, if the recent Vancouver Winter Olympics showed the world anything, it was that Canadians are truly nice people. At 18KARAT, you’ll find that we’re nice and compassionate and here’s a story to illustrate that. During the past Christmas season, several 18Karat people spent their holiday in the most giving way. Grant Ohman, 18Karat Partner and Sales Director, his daughter Liesa and Glenn Welton spent 10 days through Christmas in La Hermosa, Mexico, as part of a work crew rebuilding an orphanage. Before the trip, donated building materials and household items collected from several generous businesses, were loaded in a container and shipped from the 18Karat warehouse. When the crew arrived on December 18, the job was more ambitious than expected.  The 28-person Canadian crew worked alongside a Mexican volunteer crew. In the one week, an entire new roof was built, windows and doors were replaced and the interior was ready for finishing work.
 
In addition, the volunteers raised $5000 and a variety of products to make up 100 hampers of basic necessities such as food, household supplies, toiletries and little gifts for the children. These hampers were given to the very poorest families in the hills of Rosarito on Christmas Day.
 
The orphanage houses 50 children up to the age of 12. Most of the children are from single parent homes, but because the parent has fallen on hard times and cannot afford to feed them or take care of their basic needs. For many, it is a safe place while the mother (typically) is at work during the day and returns at night so the family unit is still together.
 
This week, Liesa Ohman, as well as another employee of 18Karat, Josh Cherry, have gone to Mexico again with another volunteer work crew, to continue the work that was started in December. This project is sponsored by the Vineyard Christian Church in Abbotsford, BC and 18Karat is proud to be a part of this mission.
 

February 9, 2010

ELECTRIC BLUE : ELECTRIC VANCOUVER

We have just completed redecorating our store with our new Collection19. Our product colour story is all about white, light grey and light wood tones but in our store you’ll see these neutrals electrified with brilliant blue light. Blue is a very big colour at the moment in Vancouver - it’s an official colour of the Vancouver Winter Olympics that open this coming Friday. Shades of blue and green are covering our city, wrapping everything from lamp posts to entire buildings. We’ve joined in the fun with a playful display of stacked furniture and blue light throughout. It’s particularly beautiful illuminating our stairwell and glass columns, making our clear glass look fresh and icy.

We are showing the most recent original paintings by Kenneth Torrance called THE LOGOS. The 6 paintings take their inspiration from the Greek philosophical idea of the origin of thought before it is articulated. If you study the paintings, you will see words emerge from the scattered white paint strokes. The originals are for sale, with giclee reproductions available, too.

We introduce a new series of black and white photography by Philippe Martin-Morice. The four PETAL black and white images are interpretations of deconstructed roses; soft petals in tidy stacks like pages in a book. They are frame in white wood with a white mat.

There are many new vases, outdoor planters and furniture pieces in the store with new additions arriving daily. Do stop in and see us, whether you’re in town for the Olympics or a local resident taking in the lively energy and unique events the city has to offer this month.

 
posted by Maureen Welton
comments? blog@eighteenkarat.com

January 26, 2010

PATTERN REPETITION

Over and over, petal after petal, piece by piece, the production of our collection of ceramic vases and objects is a testament to the industrious and intricate craftsmanship of this ceramic workshop. The repetition becomes meditative and the workers who sit together become as close as family, quietly sharing the daily changes in their lives. Meanwhile, their finger and palm prints are embedded in each piece like personal little tattoos. I have visited this factory many times and never cease to be astounded by their ability to mass produce such intricately crafted pieces in such large quantities in very short periods of time. Our largest vase takes an experienced person 2 days to complete one piece. The cut-work items such as our Ramen and Weave vases are first moulded, then the cutouts are individually removed with exacto knives, one piece at a time. I was truly stunned by the scope of work.

Here are my factory photos from a recent trip. The workshop is bright and well organized, the workers are treated well and many have been employed here for a long time. I hope you can appreciate the dedication and skillful talent of these workers as much as I did.
click here for more pictures

posted by Maureen Welton

comments? blog@eighteenkarat.com

January 18, 2010

COLLECTION19

Another show season has started and here we are with our new COLLECTION19, a new look in our showrooms and a new catalogue. A year ago, when I started working on this collection, I had to predict how we would all be feeling. What would we be in the mood for in your shopping experience this Spring and Summer? I made the prediction that we would be tired, beat up by the economy and that we would be looking for peaceful places, moment of rest from the noise and the chaos of our daily lives and that we would need to surround ourselves with gentle and lovely things. I was thinking that we would be past the worst of the economic turmoil, but wounded, recovering and not ready for bright colours and loud combinations. I supposed we would be reevaluating our lives, trying to simplify, scribbling a new plan on a fresh white page. As I was turning over different options in my head, I saw a video of the Chanel Couture Spring/Summer Collection all in white. The garments, the fashion show setting and presentation were exquisite and the mood felt right for our time. So I focused on white and sensuous rose petals, and then added soft light grey and nude tones with materials that are pure, used in their raw form whenever possible. An overall feeling of lightness and blurred focus was important.

Now here we are, making our presentations and my predictions will be tested. I hope my intuition was right and my crystal ball polished. You will tell me how you’re really feeling by your response to our products. Of course, you can also email me with your comments at the email address shown below.

Here are some photos from our Dallas showroom. The lighting and mirrors are by Flow Décor in Toronto. flowdecor.com
Click on this link to a blog written by Jose Santiago Pedrosa about our showroom in Dallas - January 18, 2010 entry 
http://lifestylemerchandising.blogspot.com/

posted by Maureen Welton

comments? blog@eighteenkarat.com

December 29, 2009

SHOOTING ON LOCATION

Recently, our creative team was photographing our new collection for our catalogue on location. For our past 4 catalogues we have been in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia. The contemporary house is perched on a 20 ft. cliff right above the ocean. It’s surrounded by natural forest and sandstone beaches. The house and studio are designed in such a way that our crew can stay there for the entire shoot. In between shooting, we cook for each other, enjoy great wines, fires on the beach or around the fireplace and lots of great conversation about life, loves, childen, design and art. For that little window of time, we become family.
 
Our inspiration is heightened and often driven by the unique locations where we shoot and our best stories are about places where we’ve been endlessly challenged, usually by weather and other natural conditions. This time, we were challenged by gale-force winds, heavy seas, falling trees, torrential rains and limited electrical power. We went to shoot calm spring moods and ended up with roaring winter storms. Amongst this, I think we got some of the best shots we’ve ever done. You’ll see them in our new catalogue published in early January.
 

November 18, 2009

18KARAT for the Holidays

We light up the dark days of winter with hundreds of twinkle lights.
To see our store dressed for the holidays, click on this link.
http://www.photo.ca/18k19/

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Well, if the recent Vancouver Winter Olympics showed the world anything, it was that Canadians are truly nice people. At 18KARAT, you’ll find that we’re nice and compassionate and here’s a story to illustrate that. During the past Christmas season, several 18Karat people spent their holiday in the most giving way. Grant Ohman, 18Karat Partner and Sales Director, his daughter Liesa and Glenn Welton spent 10 days through Christmas in La Hermosa, Mexico, as part of a work crew rebuilding an orphanage. Before the trip, donated building materials and household items collected from several generous businesses, were loaded in a container and shipped from the 18Karat warehouse. When the crew arrived on December 18, the job was more ambitious than expected.  The 28-person Canadian crew worked alongside a Mexican volunteer crew. In the one week, an entire new roof was built, windows and doors were replaced and the interior was ready for finishing work.
 
In addition, the volunteers raised $5000 and a variety of products to make up 100 hampers of basic necessities such as food, household supplies, toiletries and little gifts for the children. These hampers were given to the very poorest families in the hills of Rosarito on Christmas Day.
 
The orphanage houses 50 children up to the age of 12. Most of the children are from single parent homes, but because the parent has fallen on hard times and cannot afford to feed them or take care of their basic needs. For many, it is a safe place while the mother (typically) is at work during the day and returns at night so the family unit is still together.
 
This week, Liesa Ohman, as well as another employee of 18Karat, Josh Cherry, have gone to Mexico again with another volunteer work crew, to continue the work that was started in December. This project is sponsored by the Vineyard Christian Church in Abbotsford, BC and 18Karat is proud to be a part of this mission.
 

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