LIFE
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Open Air Collection launched with 3D artist Alyssa Ramstetter. We built CKD’s dream house in the mountains. Dusk to night in our new Moon. Daytime featuring our new Apples print. We paired our Loose Wave Rug with the space, and added books and photographs of the fam to make this space feel more homey. See our full collection here.
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Some of my favourite images from Kelowna, BC. What an adorable town. It has suchhh a cool vibe. I loved the chill low key laid back lifestyle. We skied, we worked, went on hikes, and met some really great people. It felt nice to sit at a bar after a long day. I can’t wait to go back in the spring. The mountains and wineries and dinners overlooking the beautiful lakes, Canada is such a beautiful place.
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Open Air dropping 02/25
Three new prints inspired by bringing the beautiful outdoors in.
Watch video here.
// The creation of Open Air, CKD’s newest wallpaper collection
Sitting still and embracing the quiet, feeling inspired and reenergized by the raw beauty of mother nature, enjoying the simple pleasures a wood fire and glass of wine - this has been my winter. The beginning of Covid gave me the time to create without a timeline. I found myself dreaming again, inventing again, restructuring and rebuilding out new strategies for my business. I saw so much more of Canada. My trip to Banff, Alberta introduced me to our rocky mountains. And I haven’t been able to forget about them. This collection is inspired by this. It embodies the stillness that many of us had to find this year. It was created from a space of reinvention, rethinking, and restructuring. These prints are completely different than anything I’ve created. Here are some images from the space this collection was created. Warm cozy cottage, refilled coffee and many many glasses of wine.
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Monday morning :) the highlights of my days lately are getting dressed. I used to walk every morning to get my coffee, I need to start that again. This cold weather makes me want to stay inside and hibernate… all day. This can’t be healthy. Covid really just turned the world upside down. It’s been really tough to find inspiration during this second lockdown. But I am trying my best with cozy studio days. I’ve been investing in many many more design books, adding to my collection. I’m reminding myself of all the good that is to come, and reminding myself to enjoy the moments of quiet and rest.
All of the restaurant and hotel projects that we started in 2020 should be opening in the next 6 months. When this Vaccine starts to roll through and people feel more confident to go out the city is going to be full of life and excitement. Eyes on the prize! We are resilient beings, we can do this!
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This photo was from last week shooting the new one of one rug drop. I love how the rugs came out. Each rug rustic, handmade, Persian, and absolutely stunning. It’s been fun watching this concept grow from an idea that popped in my head randomly while shipping a package into a rug collection that people are enjoying.
What I didn’t realize was how this rug collection would help me, personally. Building the campaign with Charles, Fran and Christina, the carrying of the rugs up and down flights of stairs and moving furniture, getting creative and blasting music while dusting off my camera again and taking photos. That feeling of moving (and sweating) and doing something - it brought me back to life. Reminded me of that 22 year old girl who would sit and dream up collections that no one would buy. I feel like this past year keeps reminding me of this girl, and I only see her when I follow through. Pre covid, travel would bring me back to myself. The getting on an airplane, sitting in my seat, putting on my seatbelt, listening to the flight attendant tell me the weather of our new destination. I was able to turn off and forget about the world and come back to me. But did that really serve me, 100% of the time? Did that bring me closer to myself? Or did it just distract me for a while. I mean distractions are necessary, but the coming back to myself this year has been life-changing. I am rewiring and rewriting old patterns, and slowly stepping forwards in new truths that I would pass off as crazy thoughts. The people I keep around me, the energy I choose to accept, the boundaries I have laid, the lies and manipulation I can so easily detect, the people who only like me when it’s convenient for them. I see it so clearly. I don’t believe a trip to Paris would have brought me to these realizations. It was the listening to a “crazy” idea that popped into my head, believing in that idea, telling myself I had nothing to lose and following through. It was booking the studios and shooting alone - laughing at myself as I was dripping sweat carrying those rugs. It was editing the photos and seeing Charles’s video for the first time and dropping a one of one rug collection with blue embroidered flowers on them, convinced no one would like it. I am excited to travel, to get inspired and meet new people. Traveling is so important to who I am a person and my brand. But I will now always take the time to move and get messy and sweaty, follow those crazy ideas with force rather than hesitation. I will believe in my power just a little more because I’ve proven to myself that I actually do have a voice, and there is magic in being bold.
So this leads me to the purpose of this post, patience. I notice myself in the in-between. The restaurant and hotel openings can’t come fast enough (there are 8), the new projects can’t start fast enough, the new adventure can’t come sooner… I noticed myself thinking and speaking these thoughts, until I heard a voice say “Patience, I am teaching you how to be patient again”. It’s a funny thing this patience. I remember the last time I felt it this heavily. I was 22 years old and was in the in-between. I wanted to jump into textile, move to new york city, follow this crazy dream I had. I was caught between a life I was outgrowing, and a life I was ready to step into. But it took time, and when the door opened it was an experience greater than I could have imagined because I was prepared. I remember learning that patience does not mean stand still and do nothing for something to happen. Patience means work hard and continue to be consistent until that door opens. Because when it does, you will have to be prepared. These rug drops, collaborations, change in my strategy, embroidered linen - this is all in preparation for what is to come. One of the main lessons I learned from that first period of in-between was: I wish I appreciated it more. I wish I sat in those moments and appreciated my growth and my journey, myself and those around me. I was so focused that I forget a lot during that time. I don’t want to make that mistake this time. I don’t want to forget those moments of shooting and climbing up flights of stairs laughing to myself. So I am preparing, working with consistency, and taking the time to sit in the love around me and appreciate the love I have for myself and what I’ve built. x C
// Tomorrow @ 12 PM EST
We have a new one of one rug collection dropping tomorrow! These rugs are absolutely stunning. A collection of three rare Antique Persian rugs. They are larger than our first launch and the quality is out of this world! Can’t wait to show you the rest of them! Here’s a peek in our Orange Rustic. I love how the blue flowers pop!
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I’m reading Matthew McConaughey’s book and now I have the biggest crush on him. He speaks about life the way I’ve always seen it. My father passed away when I was 9. At a very early age I learned a very basic reality of life. Life’s not easy, but life was never supposed to be easy. It goes in waves, there are high highs and low lows, that is life. But this was my favourite:
“The sooner that we become less impressed with our life, with our accomplishments, with our career, with whatever that prospect is in front of us, the sooner we become less impressed and more involved with these things, the sooner we get a whole lot better at doing them.”
I’ve met way too many people who are too impressed with themselves and therefore lose-out on the beautiful ability to learn and get/be better. He speaks about finding your frequency in a way I never really thought about before. Anyways, puts me in a good mood before I close my eyes.
Just thought I would say hi, these are a couple photos from life lately. We have a new rug launch coming up soon, new collection, and a new collab with bonVIVANT Interiors! Work is starting to pick up on the bespoke end… I’m excited to get these restaurants finally open. x C
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My little world of CKD has been my escape from the realities of life. When the day ends I curl up in my bed, open Pinterest and dream before I close my eyes. Covid brought me back to nature and dreamland. Walks in the mornings, Banff ski trips, cottage weekends. CKD’s newest collection dropping Feb 2021 is all about magic, imagination, alchemy, the mountains, & mother nature’s sunsets.
