Thursday 27 August 2009

Cobi Ladner: Here Comes The (Design) Sun


She's baaaack!!! A breath of fresh and zingy creative air! A smiling face on the Canadian (and International) design scene. Out from the shadows of others; free to be COBI. Cobi Ladner is one of Canada’s foremost design authorities and former Editor of of the country’s leading home decor magazine, Canadian House & Home.

Watch this video to find out why Cobi is so excited about her new collection of beautiful ideas. She shot this in her kitchen (where she's most comfortable). Here's Cobi's letter to the big wide world:

"Hello again – I hope this letter finds everyone well! It’s great to be back in touch and I’m so glad you found me! I’ve had a few wonderful months off to reassess all the things that are important to me and what I’ve learned over the years and I’m excited to share my new on-line home with you and tell you what I’ve come up with – a whole new concept built around my personal style and spirit called cobi.
Now I finally know why my mother gave me such an unusual name! Going through adolescence as a 6 foot redhead with a weird handle, wasn’t always easy, in fact I longed to be a ‘5 foot blond Cathy’ for years. But life has moved on and I now see the advantages to being different. Not only that, it’s often provided me with a good back up conversation at awkward cocktail parties.
But why use cobi now? Well to be honest (and give mom her due) – it’s perfect. It’s unusual enough that if you didn’t know me, you wouldn’t even really know what it is – a name? a place? a thing? It comes with few pre-conceived ideas which means the possibilities are endless. If you do know me, it’s quickly recognizable and brings to mind all the things I believe to be true, and have written about for years, regarding life and home.
It’s amazing to me that through the process of developing my own brand, how easily we figured out what cobi stands for... a collection of beautiful ideas."


"Through over 20 years of looking into Canadian homes, I’ve seen and heard a few things about the way we live.
here are the 6 things I believe to be true:
no. 1
Money does not equate taste.
no. 2
Good taste does not equate comfort.
no. 3
Design without soul is meaningless.
no. 4
Boring is as bad as a mistake.
no. 5
Trends have nothing to do with loving one’s home.
no. 6
People are like birds. Nesting is a natural and instinctive activity and should feel comforting and joyful, not stressful. If we listen to our instincts honestly, we get the best results."

- Cobi Ladner
Enjoy Cobi's new blog here.

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